Worried about coronavirus thread 24

[ofwarren]

Sorry everyone, I was watching that shambles of a press conference

I can deal with schools staying open for the moment (I’m a teacher, insert hollow laugh), but I can’t see the harm in doing more testing. More testing means that if I, for example, have symptoms and can have a test, I’ll know to stay away from my mum who has underlying health issues that would make it dangerous for her. She’s isolating herself as much as possible but she also lives alone and suffers from depression and it’s hard for her if we can’t see her.

It would mean teachers would know to stay away from schools and children who may have, or pass on to relatives who have, underlying health conditions. Etc etc.

And Horehound I understand that you say people have been told to stay home if they’re ill. But some (most?) people won’t. They’ll think it’s just a cold, or Coronavirus is nothing to worry about, or that they know better, and they’ll be out and about hacking on everything. Or they’ll have to go to work or face losing their job, and infect more people.

Doing less testing solves nothing. Doing more testing raises awareness and helps us be proactive in protecting vulnerable people.

I have been prepping.

If I'm going to be stuck at home avoiding dying, I'm making sure I'm not going to die of boredom either!! In fairness I keep myself entertained anyway and am very very very rarely bored. Neither is DS. Its DH who will go nuts and drive me around the bed not knowing what to do with himself. If he's allowed to work from home, that'll probably save my sanity!

@Janemarpling yes but the difference is they shut down small parts of their countries as they had big clusters... We don't have that yet, its very evenly spread. You can't go and shut down the whole country!

BREAKING: Houston Independent School District, one of the largest in the U.S., closes all schools until March 30 due to coronavirus
BNO NEWSROOM

I can’t do the maths but if we have approx between 5 and 10,000 cases today what will that be in 4 weeks and how many will die bases on Italy’s tragetories. We knew it was being under reported due to minimal testing but many ministers have down played this.

We won’t cope with this but we will manage somehow.
We are like sheep - it’s not a criticism of anyone. Human nature.
We are waiting to be told what to do.
Really scary times now.

@UtterlyPerfectCartoonGiraffe well, I'm not sure I agree, because as we know there are already people self isolating. I would like to think the majority of people having symptoms would now self isolate. I think it has now become a big enough issue that people will take it seriously and if they don't self isolate and someone else notices they look unwell/have symptoms then they might face the wrath of work colleagues/family member/friends and be shamed for going out and about etc so I have a feeling it will work for now.

Not sur if it’s been mentioned yet but Disneyland California and Universal studios both closing until the end of the month. I expect it to creep into April too and I think Florida will be right behind it too....

UK universities switching to online lectures and exams t.co/2HQLMpX8AQ
The guardian

And horehound and ofwarren, just take a break from each other. You’re letting this virus drive you apart. If you start fighting, the virus has won. If the government won’t let us fight this virus with sensible containment measures then goshdarnit we can at least fight it with love.

What happens when China and Italy come out of lockdown is an unknown.

My Chinese friend says it’s been done slowly and in stages. So try it in one town/province, keep an eye on numbers of new cases, etc. If it’s ok then down the line try another area.

Not sure how slowly.

London Marathon surely has to cancel....they are still saying 'its going ahead'

1 million spectators and 38,000 runners from all over the WORLD?? surely they need to make a decision as at the moment, some accommodation/flights can be cancelled and money saved

then theres wimbledon ...

If you’re wondering whether it’s an overreaction to cancel large gatherings and public events (and I love basketball), here’s a useful primer as to why these measures can slow the spread of the virus and save lives. We have to look out for each other. t.co/Ld7Uc8sPTQ
Barack Obama

I hope you’re right horehound
I seem to be around more people who think self isolating is a joke, so hopefully I just know a lot of dumb people

This guidance has been published for self isolation. Not sure if it's been posted yet, just in case it's helpful to anyone.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

Are the posters who are still chiding us for spreading panic paid workers for the Conservative party, or loyal party members doing it for love?
@ofwarren you are great. Don’t let them get to you.

@UtterlyPerfectCartoonGiraffe yes, you're right.
@ofwarren sorry!

@SapphireSalute Wimbledon crossed my mind earlier actually. I'm surprised about the London marathon!!

I'm sure in the immediate term they can keep cases down as they come out of lockdown. I suppose the concern is where they are 4/6/8 weeks later? How do you stop it re-establishing itself and having to start all over again?

zebra 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I think they’re volunteers

But isn't it likely to re-establish? But the lockdown ensures it will be a very slow spread to anyone in china who didn't get it?

I think that might come back to the timing again. Go too early and there are still so many people with no immunity that when you come out of lockdown you get a second epidemic wave?

Chart from my live on #Newsnight just now. Right or wrong, there’s no doubt the UK is increasingly an outlier in our Covid response. t.co/ZczXx8M48c
Lewis Goodall - Newsnight

i'm fairly sure London Marathon will be cancelled. all that training!! but its not easy to reschedule it as its a mammoth road closing operation

San Francisco public schools will close for three weeks, the district superintendent announces t.co/6Yti9zFo1p t.co/QYYuLKyn7g
CNN

@Bearbehind

The reason irs beneficial to test people who have "mild cases" instead of making them just self isolate is because if it IS just a cold they can get back to work, and that helps the economy as there is less people off at once. More emergency service workers available to help, more people getting paid and spending and helping the economy. People who can go help their elderly relatives by going shopping for them so they can stay in and reduce the most vulnerable catching it.

There is lots of reasons why not just everyone self isolating for 7 days, but actually being tested, is beneficial. To reduce the spread and for the economy.

So the Vox article is arguing that flattening the curve requires the opposite strategy (isolation etc) to that taken by our government (in order, they also say, to flatten the curve).

Both quote epidemiologists, so who is right?