The little things no one is thinking about.

[ThanksForAllTheFish]

Ok it’s almost 4am and I can’t get back to sleep. Stumbled into the Coronavirus topic and safe to say it’s not helping me any. Now I’m thinking about all the little things that might arise out of this that no one it talking about.

We all can see the big picture. We know that we should have in food and general supplies to keep us going for a couple of weeks. Schools may close. Work places may close. Areas may go on lockdown etc. But what about the little things?

For example: what happens if your MOT is due on the car but you are unable to take it to a garage because you are isolated? Would you still be fined? Will your insurance be invalid?
Or
What happens if someone has just had a baby and can’t make it in the allotted timeframe to go and register them? How would they get a birth certificate and would they also be fined?

I know you generally have plenty of time to do these two things but a lot of people do leave it to the last minute. So someone could feasibly have their car booked in for an MOT 5 days before it runs out and then get put in isolation. Or a family might have taken a long time to decide on a name for the baby (for various reasons) and a week before the deadline end up in isolation.

Any more examples of these type of things you can think of?

Is it too far fetched to think that soap operas ought to start including scenes where the characters are washing their hands properly, to set a good example to the public.

That was my first thought too. No need for the soaps to make obvious references, but they could very easily use subtle hints to help reinforce the social distancing message. I.e. as you say, making a point of showing the characters wash their hands more, stopping handshakes/hugs, stop parties & heaving full pub scenes, etc. After all, they love to do all the "realism" stories by claiming they're doing a social service (rather than the sensationalism we know it's really about), so how about they do social responsibility and reinforce personal hygiene, avoiding large gatherings etc. They film a few weeks in advance, and Coronavirus will be with us for many months

If they are going to stop collecting bins and close the schools then I think the need to cancel council tax payments for a while.

Pretty sure bin collections will be regarded as essential services and continue in some form. In Italy, I believe, they've stopped collecting payments for some services such as utilities, mortgages, etc., so highly likely that council tax payments will be deferred if necessary when we get to virtual shutdown like Italy.

I really think GCSEs are irrelevant in the scheme of things. They are not a priority issue.

I’m all right, Jack?

@daisypond try telling that to kids who have been working towards them for at least 2 years. Of course when it comes to public health it does diminish in importance, but in comparison to things like cars and soap operas, they are more important.

Ohdeariedear - I think Italy has cancelled all school exams, so I guess if things get bad enough, same will happen in the UK.

Worrying about GCSEs is a prime example of people just thinking about their own circumstances and not the wider picture. School exams do not matter. The deaths of many people do. Not just those who get the virus but those who have life-threatening diseases and might have hospital treatment delayed because of lack of beds

try telling that to kids who have been working towards them for at least 2 years.
And what would you say to those of us with cancer under threat of both catching the virus - likely in my case - and having your operations and treatment delayed?

I also have a child doing school exams. A-levels.

Worrying about GCSEs is a prime example of people just thinking about their own circumstances and not the wider picture.

I think it's the opposite. If the school system grinds to a halt what happens to those who were due to leave? Do they have to stay on for a few months to finish the course and get the exams done? If so, the year below can't move up. Or schools end up with 8 year groups worth of pupils instead of 7, and who finances that? The education system is under strain already. Or do we throw them out into the world without their exams and leave them to it?

Then the knock on effect is that in five or six years time there are no junior doctors graduating to start their new jobs, because there was a gap in their education where they had to repeat a year or six months or whatever.

School exams do not matter

Exactly! It’s ludicrous to think they are. I’m sure predicted grades (with added notes from the school, if need be) can be used as a substitute.

Health is wealth.

No child will have to repeat a year!

@Kazzyhoward - it’s me with the MOT booked. In my defence I actually booked it about four weeks ago but this was the first appointment available. We are on a service plan with the dealer and I think they limit the service plan services to so many a day . I could be wrong. And obviously when I booked it it all seemed fine. If a bit tight time wise.

On a more shallow note as someone mentioned hairdressers I booked to get my colour done tomorrow. It’s not just that I don’t want to face the apocalypse with grey roots but I figured the hairdresser could really do with the business.

I’ve been and put in repeat prescriptions for my anti anxiety meds as if I am ill the last thing I need is to be having panic attacks as well.

Also put extra £30 on electricity, that should keep me going for a while.
If we are on lock down I will be cancelling sky package anyway as that’s £100 I could do with being in the bank

What will people do if they need to top up electricity?

This one IS being planned for now (I pushed DH to raise it at work and now he's in the loop with the planning system). It did get a "oh that's a very good question" slightly panicked look to start with though from what I gather. Can't say more than that as I'd get DH in the brown smelly stuff.

There are things being worked out for exams. I know of an A level student who was at a school in China and is currently back in the UK as his school is closed. They were discussing the universities maybe accepting predicted grades for them. This was when it was only schools in China though. But I’m sure it’s being discussed.

I also don’t see that being concerned about exams indicates an ‘I’m all right Jack” mindset. Of course it’s a concern. Everything is a concern at the moment! It’s human nature to be concerned about those things that affect us. It doesn’t mean we aren’t concerned about others.

Then the knock on effect is that in five or six years time there are no junior doctors graduating to start their new jobs, because there was a gap in their education where they had to repeat a year or six months or whatever.

Which is why pupils will be able to move on to sixth form, uni, etc., even if they don't sit their GCSE/A levels. A different method of acceptance onto courses/apprenticeships etc will happen, whatever form that may take, whether it's mock grades, teacher assessments, recent school reports, or a mix.

You're not going to have a medical school at Uni with empty spaces - they'll be filled by some criteria or other. Same with workplace apprenticeships - they need "bums on seats" too, so will take their usual instakes.

Mock grades, teacher assessments, predicted grades, or whatever will probably work for the majority of pupils who've been working at the right level for the last year or two. For those who've been under-achieving, and intending to cram last minute revision to pull it out of the bag, then those few may have to resit. Like with everything in life, you have to cater for the majority, and there will be inevitably collateral damage but as long as they have options & choices (retake the final year or go to college for a year), then they can just move on a year later.

Nobody is going to STOP bin collections and essential services.

Worst case analysis is that 20% of the work force will be off work at any one time. So essential services will be impacted but they will not stop.

DH is a temp and I started a new job this week.
So if they shut everything, I don't know enough to work from home, and can't get sick pay yet. We're already in overdraft.
No idea how we'll pay rent, or for food.

Literally living paycheck to paycheck, DH money comes in and is gone in food and petrol the same day. Mine comes I hope at the end of month and will be gone on rent and utilities.
2 DC, cat to feed.
If they shut the country down, we will starve. No savings, no money coming in, bills and rent to pay still. No family here to rely on.