Prime minister announcement at 12

[Hugglespuffed]

Is it going to be drastic changes? Or just 'work at home if you can'?

4.30, 5pm, when Boris has had his tea!

BorneFeet, your list is nonsense, sorry. It may have been what the tabloids said, but not what public health said.

Offensive and it also doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

Watching Nicola Sturgeon on the news. She attended the COBR(A) meeting remotely.

Where's the UK PM?

They might be delaying until closure of the stock market. I don't know, but I do know that it has had yet another disastrous day.

The FTSE100 is down well over 600 points. It will come back eventually, over time, but for now the bottom has fallen out of it. Same with the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq in New York.

Ignore Xenia, she's been around for yonks and is the virus that won't die out...
(I'm a teacher and I most sincerely DON'T want my exam classes to lose teaching time now...)

@caperberries. Yes climate. There is a new study out showing that where internal transmission is highest is latitude 30-50 North. This is the latitude of Northern Italy, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Spain. Maybe it’s optimum is not too hot but not too cold.

You don't have to follow what gov say, especially if you don't believe they have our best interests at heart.
If you feel strongly about closing schools, as do many, then keep them off.
i think schools and gov will be surprised at how many are "self isolating" come monday, if they don't close.

Could be Bool would not be surprised

Guys, can we all stop with the shock at Xenia? She's been around forever, everyone knows what's she's like, just work around her batshittery and forthrightness.

@alloutoffucks but explain how to stop this virus. It won’t magically go away. A vaccine is in 18 months. We can hide but the moment we come out of hiding it will get us. So we are all going to get it. Unless we all hide for 18 months.

The moment we come out of hiding it will get us?

Way to stay calm about things...

@Topseyt I agree, main priority is not to spook the already panicking market even further.

It's Show My Homework but will be used in real time so they'll work a school day but at home.

hmm, 3 kids, two schools (all secondary) one laptop (apart from my work laptop which I will be using.)
cannot see how that is going to work at all.

@VioletCharlotte thanks

@bool We follow WHO advice to get rid of it.
But for 3 weeks we have not done enough. And we have limited testing. It may be too late in the UK now. So lots of people will just die.

The Government plan is about media messages, not actually doing anything.

I really hope I survive this.

@AudacityOfHope I think we need to calmly accept that we cannot fight this virus. We need to let it wash over us in the most controlled way possible so we can help those who need help in a controlled way. That will mean the death rate will be 1% and not the nightmare 6-7% that happens when beds run out. This is the BEST CASE SCENARIO. We cannot hide away for 18 months.

@steppemum we use Show My Homework, often the sheets are attached, so we either print directly from phone or email to laptop - not sure of that's an option? x

@alloutoffucks explain how we ‘get rid’ of a virus like this. I don’t get it. Viruses are little packages of DNA/RNA

I saw a few interesting comments above about my "triage " point. We all know the virus cannot be stopped so those in power will have constant decisions about who lives and dies - Doctors do it every day. It is why my daughter with a brain injury was taken to the front for the A&E queue ahead of toddlers with broken arms. It should not surprise anyone that difficult decisions will have to be taken on this issue too. We do not live in a wonderful sunny fluffy bunny heaven where everyone will always be all right.

My advice is we try to ensure the vulnerable stay at home and grandchidlren are kept away from small children etc rather than try to ensure no o ne catches this as that boat has already sailed. I am happy with the Government's advice so far and I trust they have the data to take the correct decisions going forward. However we can never save everyone even if we had limitless resources in times with no epidemics. We choose who lives and dies every day in hospitals and always will.

I agree with the advice to ignore Xenia. Otherwise the thread is going to turn into a bun fight. You can't argue sense into someone quite so awful anyway

It's not about sunny fluffy bunny heaven @Xenia.

Your comment was vile. I'm a vulnerable person with underlying conditions, and I'm over fifty. I'm also the parent of two teenagers sitting exams this summer. They need a mother more than they need to pass their exams this summer.

@bool Pandemics have been fought before and eradicated.
You are incredibly wrong about that being our only option. Although that seems to be Boris' view.
Washing over us means killing at least 1% of the population exposed. Don't whitewash this by using terms that deny this will mean a lot of deaths.

I understand that @bool but speaking like it's a monster lurking should we poke our heads out of our doors is just stupid.

@xenia Triage is not deciding who will get lifesaving treatment and who will not.