Coronavirus thread 12

[VivaLeBeaver]

Can’t see one? Sorry if there is one.

@LizzieMacQueen that would only work if we were to lock ourselves down forever which we can't do because we rely on other countries imports and trade too much.
Otherwise all that would do is to stop the outbreak for two weeks.
We're better off trying to stagger the outbreak so it comes slower so we aren't as overwhelmed.

There are now several cases in the UK where healthcare officials cannot see where coronavirus infection has come from clearly, where it is from having been abroad or having been in contact with someone who has, Whitty adds.

“That makes it highly likely that there is some level of community transmission in the UK,” he says.

“I think we should work on the assumption that it is here at very low levels and we should work on that assumption going forward.”

One of my colleagues is off to Italy in two weeks and is adamant she is still going. Considering we are both children’s nurses working with babies I would have assumed there would have been an issue with this, I.e her not being allowed back in work for 2 weeks, but nothing has been said to her

People need to stop and start taking some responsibility for their actions and consider the consequences for others especially when working in jobs like this. I think employers should have the right to ask anyone who knowingly travels to an area with a high number of infections and then wants to come back to their workplace to take two weeks off unpaid on their return.

We're better off trying to stagger the outbreak so it comes slower so we aren't as overwhelmed.

I agree. But unfortunate, it does depend on the public behaving in a responsible way, as in practising good hygiene and not coughing or sneezing over others. Sadly, the impression I'm getting is that there are too many people who are not doing this.

In my view trying to stagger this outbreak is a bit like trying to make it rain less so you don’t get soaked, only you’ve got no umbrella and you’re miles away from shelter.

Take all the healthy people, put them on one place together.
Put all the vulnerable people in a completely separate part of the country.
Have a Coronavirus party, all healthy people get infected but assume mildly.
After everyone is better the herd immunity will protect the vulnerable.
Any takers?
JOKE suggestion before anyone has a go at me!

There are 2 cases in the Torbay area and 2 doctors surgeries are closed.

My Bff's Grand Princess cruise was cancelled at 05:30 am. The San Fran to Hawaii one.

No Matthew it will save lives.

Hospitalization will save lives, spreading the load will therefore save lives.

The more cautious people DO alter their social interactions the better.

Also read the article posted by Max above.

Cuddling if it could be done..

Let’s hope the Grand Princess isn’t the next Diamond Princess situation.

@fourducksate yes I think a lot of it stems from the downplaying of the flu. Flu is awful and we spend money vaccinating against it. But we know it

This is flu on steroids where a mild case appears to be like a severe flu (I have read accounts of mild cases and it does seem a lot like my pretty bad swine flu) but the critical and death rate are worse
Coupled with the pandemic plans are for flu where the confidence in being able to vaccinated quickly is there (3/4 months for swine flu) we aren’t even close. Coupled with a lack of immunity you can see why it’s taking out so many

They are telling us this it just if you see flu as just flu the severity is lost. A flu pandemic would not just be flu. And this isn’t a flu pandemic this is something that pushes flu to the right in terms of everything being a little more serious and everything being unknown!

CUddling I did wonder whether anyone had considered purposefully infecting youngish and/or healthy people and isolating them until they'd recovered so that two weeks or so down the line we'd have a core group of immune people who can do essential work. Erm, hands up for volunteers?

Obviously there'd be huge ethical problems. And possibly unintended consequences.

England’s Six Nations game against Italy on March 14 in Rome has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak

Chris Whitty being interviewed by parliamentary select committe on sky news now.

Thread Re closures of Parliament

Pippa crear @pippacrear
Somebody senior at No 10 told me there’s no way this is happening: “It can’t, what would that look like?”

But reality is that if that’s the scientific advice, there’s not much they can do about it.

Paul Waugh @paulwaugh
But the question is whether that really will be the scientific advice.

Whitty cautioned large gatherings at football matches may pose no more risk than pub gatherings.

He also suggested once the outbreak has reached epidemic status, contact will be irrelevant

I've kept my kids in school and kept my work and volunteering commitments (aside from overseas) despite having an immediate family member who is immunosupressed (though not in an at-risk age-group). But if the fucking gobshites in government telling us to go on as normal except extra hand washing then give themselves 6 months off then I'll be whisking my DC out of school instantly.

From this morning’s select committee hearing:

UK response moving to second “delay” phase

The UK response to coronavirus was already moving into its second “delay” phase, rather than seeking to simply “contain” the disease, Prof Whitty told British MPs.

“We have moved from a situation where we are mainly in contain, with some delay built in, to we are now mainly delay,” said Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, although elements of the contain process were remaining in place.

“We have moved from a situation where we are mainly in contain, with some delay built in, to we are now mainly delay,” he said,

Does Whitty attend the football?

See the train travel, the buses? The funneling areas? The pubs before and after?

I've been following along for a while. At this point the thread is measured and informative but unfortunately doom-mongering and tin foil hat wearing in equal measure. The people who are determined to catastrophise or see conspiracy theories everywhere are just as bad as the ones so criticised here for their 'it's just the flu' stance.

It's going to be big numbers today I think.
We will soon be reaching the point where I only update a daily round up of numbers from other countries and focus on UK information only.
I think I will possibly be putting UK information on the dedicated post for that, we will see over the next few days.
It's such a fast moving situation now and I will end up spending all day and night on here.

I have flu at the minute (the real can't pick up a £50 note kind) and I've just rang my dentist to tell them I need to rearrange my appointment. They told me that I have had a black mark put against my name and if I do it again they'll strike me off from the surgery.
I currently have red swollen spots all over my throat and am coughing up bright green phlegm. I can just imagine the dentists face if I tried to be seen by her.

We desperately need to soften regulation like this if we have any chance of slowing down the spread.

Norman Smith (BBC) tweeted.

Chief medical officer blames "communications fumble" for incorrect reports that Govt was to cease giving details of locations of #coronovirus

COMMUNICATION FUMBLE !!!! WTAF.

Please can the grown ups come in to govern? Maybe Mumsnet should stage a takeover.

What does the change to delay mean again lark?