Worried about coronavirus thread 22

[ofwarren]

@usernameishistory is busy and asked me to start a new thread.

Please see post 21 for more information about coronavirus.

[Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

Shanghai absolutely such a lag on statement. No we there.

@middleager Yes. I know my past employer would have made us all go in until Government said we could not, even though virtually all jobs could be done from home. But the manager worried she could not manage us unless we were all sitting at our desks with heads down working. It was ridiculous.

what is it you'd like him to say?
Why get annoyed?

It seems to me most people really like the drama of this and as I said on a previous post, seems to me like people are just really wanting some days off work!

What I would like them to say and should have said, is they will stop gathering of large numbers of people. like sporting events.

All this "we're trying to slow the spread of infection" is bollocks it's just words.

When they at the same time allowed 1000s of fans from Madrid to a football match here. When Madrid has over 1000(?) cases of CV alone, and those in Madrid are not allowed to football matches there. How is this slowing the spread? it's more likely to accelerate the spread in this country!

@horehound
"It seems to me most people really like the drama of this and as I said on a previous post, seems to me like people are just really wanting some days off work!"

I really resent this. Why are people who disagree with you 'enjoying the drama?'

I don't disagree with (much) about a lot of what you've said, but dismissing people who do disagree as drama llamas who want time off work is awful!

@Wehttam Thanks I shouldn't. It was just such a stupid and offensive thing to say.
I know my kids would just want a day or two off school, although they would soon miss the social side. But being a grown adult I have pretty different concerns from my teenagers.

It is ridiculous to say time off work

I would like them to move to the next stage which brings about further measurements to reduce spread and lower peak

I don't think school closures will be announced today, Matt Hancock was quite clear in HoC yesterday that it wasn't on the cards.

I suspect if anything measures today will be more around self-isolating if you have a cold, because that's the main thing we've already been prepped to expect in terms of next steps.

I'd like to see companies officially told to push WFH now. My husband is still commuting on the tube when he could easily WFH but his company won't allow/encourage it unless the govt say so.

NBA suspends season after player tests positive for coronavirus t.co/KldBbd3PEE t.co/wN48zWqzWR
Reuters

Under mounting pressure to take action against the spread of #coronavirus, President Trump suspends travel from Europe to the United States - except for the UK - for 30 days t.co/xCoLEbvuo8 t.co/eA7FQrdyGo
Reuters

I don't think school closures will be announced today, Matt Hancock was quite clear in HoC yesterday that it wasn't on the cards.

I'm beginning to think it's not going to happen at all. If they wait much longer then schools are more likely to close due to lack of staff, than because of government measures.

I disagree, kids mix with plenty of adults in school. What about them?

Re fsm, schools and councils should address that.

Re education, schools can issue work for a few weeks, lend books on the work.

For my dc ages, 8 and 12 we are not at critical stages. Schools should concentrate on those at gcse level etc.

So other parts of Europe have less cases than us but POTUS has banned travel from there but not here

Have abbreviatied this

blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/03/11/slowing-down-the-covid-19-outbreak-changing-behaviour-by-understanding-it/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=hootsuite&utm_content=sme&utm_campaign=usage
Slowing down the covid-19 outbreak: changing behaviour by understanding it

Behaviour change principle 1: Create a mental model. One way of motivating people is to make sure they have an accurate mental model of the process of transmission that provides a strong rationale for what they need to do to prevent it.

Behaviour change principle 2: Create social norms. People are social beings—we are strongly motivated by what others think about us. This was nicely demonstrated by a study of the use of soap dispensers in the toilets of motorway service stations: the more people there are in the washbasin area, the more that people washed their hands.

Behaviour change principle 3: Create the right level and type of emotion. Emotion is a powerful driver of behaviour, but it is a double-edged sword. Two emotions that are important in getting people to take appropriate protective action are anxiety and disgust. Giving disgust-related messages has been found to be particularly effective for men, who appear to have most “room for improvement” in this regard.

Behaviour change principle 4: Replace one behaviour with another. We need to stop people touching their nose, mouth, and the area around the eyes. Research suggests we touch our faces more than 20 times per hour on average. This is largely automatic and difficult to stop. Rather than just telling people not to do it, we can increase their ability to do it by telling them about another behaviour they can do that conflicts with it. In this case it could be “Keep your hands below shoulder level”

Behaviour change principle 5: Make the behaviour easy. Unless the challenge of the behaviour is part of its attraction, people are more likely to enact behaviours the easier they are do. There are many ways to make things easier. One important one is to build it into an existing routines.

The truth is that essential jobs people need to carry on doing. And in a lot of non essential jobs, people can work from home. Non essential jobs where you can't work from home are largely service and leisure industry jobs, most low paid, where workers will often have nothing except statutory sick pay anyway, if that. They won't be looking for a sickie.

All people are looking for is real action to limit the spread of this virus. Instead we have a Government taking decisive action to protect the economy, That is what we saw in the budget. That is what is being prioritised.

Water I agree.

Matt seemed very clear that schools and everyone in them would just have to limp on.

While I wish the celebrities well, their medical treatment will not be the same as your average Jo.

I am concerned that when MPs, film stars do come out unscathed (we've already had Nadine saying she's over the worst of it/ill for a few days only) after top level medical treatment it will give the false impression that we will all make speedy recoveries.

Yes, there are of course many who will not experience severe reactions, but any celebrity stories may minimise the severity of this for those vulnerable people who can't access immediate help, who are kept waiting on the 111 line, who have to go into work, take kids to school, on the breadline. Whose workplace isn't shut for a deep clean.

Due to have sons 2nd birthday party next weekend, 25 toddlers in a small village hall.... do I cancel?!

I’m hosting a party tomorrow for 40 five year old children...

After weeks of my husband going on about how everyone’s overreacting, that it’s “just the flu” and everyone is being ridiculous, he’s suddenly starting to become aware of how serious this is.

I expect today will be, ‘we are moving to delay. Delay looks very much like contain, but you have to stand slightly further apart. Continue as normal please’.

I don’t even need to see school closure but messages about wfh and big gatherings would be good.

The problem with school closures on a mass scale is that it is likely to bring the most vulnerable group together with those who spread it. School should be a local decision based on community spread, fines/attendance removed so parents can make decisions and allowances for bigger classes
Companies should implement wfh where possible
Flight bans put in place
Large events cancelled
People told to minimise travel to where necessary
Self isolate if have symptoms
Minimise contact

And as first stage

@RedToothBrush Behaviour change is bloody difficult and takes time. It is going to make little difference to the spread of this virus. Even Boris on camera washing his hands - the bit you can see - is making a hash of it. And this is supposed to be showing what we should be doing.

The USA travel ban looks to be anyone who has visited certain European countries in recent times however trying to get accurate information is very difficult. The headlines say 'USA bans travel from Mainland Europe apart from the UK' but looking more into it as a pp has said it only applies to those countries in the Schengen agreement so it's not just the UK that is excluded from this ban. I wish the media would at least give us correct facts.

I agree wrt the culture of presenteeism. I work in a school with children who have complex medical and educational needs. Our sickness policy is more than 3 sickness incidents in 12 months leads to being placed under formal notice. This means we do not qualify for pay increases and other work benefits. People will be scared to take time of for a cold unless the government instruct us to send even then I can't see how this will work.

I'm beginning to think it's not going to happen at all. If they wait much longer then schools are more likely to close due to lack of staff, than because of government measures.

Indeed.

Worth noting though that once the planned 'self-isolate if you have a cold' comes into play it will have massive implications for schools: teachers off and also parents having to take time off to look after children with runny noses and coughs which always seems to be half of them at any given time.

@picklemewalnuts I dont think everyone is wanting a day off work but there are some who you can tell are just "at the bit" for it. To basically wait on new guidance then run around like a headless chicken going "we've been told to do this now, now, now" as if that's going to completely eradicate this virus.it won't.
And yes of course some on here will be worried for others. Ok. But are those people they are worried about actually worried for themselves? If not, it's misplaced worry and energy wasted

One poster getting annoyed about the handwashing advice yet that's the best advice and action to take says the WHO. So why get annoyed at it?
One poster getting annoyed because they haven't said anything new yet. Well why? Why get annoyed? We are not the experts. We need to put some trust in what they are doing.
They will be having meeting after meeting with lots of advice and guidance yet people on this thread think they know better. We don't!

I do agree that certain events should be cancelled though and I am surprised (well, not really because MONEY) that Cheltenham wasn't cancelled. And crufts too.
The Spanish fans coming over here ..that's fucking madness.

But the rest of it...well, I think folk just need to calm down a bit.
Yes, it is serious. Yes, people will get Ill. yes people will die and yes, some will recover.

Anyway, I'll stop riling folk up as I seem to be and stick to facts :)

Companies should implement wfh where possible
Flight bans put in place
Large events cancelled
People told to minimise travel to where necessary
Self isolate if have symptoms
Minimise contact

The bolded points in my opinion should already be happening, they are containment strategies.