Why are we different?

[Ricekrispie22]

So far, if I’m correct, these countries have closed all schools:
Greece
France
Italy
Denmark
Japan
China
Ireland
Spain
Norway
Poland
Czech Republic
Regions of US and Canada

Why are we not?

[Pickpick101]

They are the hot spots of those 2 countries , which hot spots of the UK would you lock down ?

[NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy]

schools will end up having to close due to very high number of staff having to self isolate - but then BJ can blame the schools / "workshy teachers" rather than have to take the rap himself.

[SoupDragon]

That's how effective measures have been.

Is it down to the measures though? Also, what will happen next... no one knows.

[BookMeOnTheSudExpress]

In less than 14 days there are going to be so many hotspots you can take your pick.

[LambriniSocialist]

I think schools are shut elsewhere to show the population governments are doing something even if it's not helpful.

This is what I am starting to think now as well. If you shutdown before enough people have been infected then once you come out of it, there isn't enough immunity in the population and it will spike again. You want to flatten the curve, but not too flat!

[SoupDragon]

Have there been no new cases because most people have now had it (confirmed or not)? Will more people get it once lockdown is lifted?

[bizzybuzzy]

I think it seems that the spread is inevitable as it's already out there & people will die so how can we manage this with the NHS & protect the economy.

[BookMeOnTheSudExpress]

Soup, no, nobody knows...but if (as is the case in both Italy and China,) approx 6% of those infected die, then taking no measures at all means Britain's 6% is going to be a lot of people.

[claracluck78]

But what then happens next year? And the year after?

I too am concerned about family members and general society but I also hope this doesn't happen each year. A vaccine could still be 18months away. If we lockdown everything now and no 'herd immunity' occurs then presumably next winter we will all start panicking again? And do we close schools again?

Or do we hope our scientific community is right where others are wrong? Perhaps we have been luckier that our outbreaks have been smaller and less concentrated so county levels NHS can cope?

Perhaps if we had an outbreak of 250 people in one town at one time advice would change?

I'm no fan of Boris at all but I hope his advisers have been led by science rather than jumping to do what they would like to be seen doing.

[Pickpick101]

less than 14 days there are going to be so many hotspots you can take your pick

There you go , that's why we haven't locked down any hots spots because we haven't got any.

[DippyAvocado]

It is a strange world when you find yourself listening to Jeremy Hunt talking about something health-related and find yourself nodding along.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51865915

The implicit trust among some people for Boris and his "British science" evidence is concerning. The "evidence" conflicts with findings from other parts of the world and, quite frankly, the disease is still too new for there to be enough evidence of note. He runs the risk of leaving everything too late while other countries are using the evidence to put in an early response. Time will tell but I can't see things looking too rosy for Bozo if we end up with a higher death rate here, even if our economy does hold up.

[BookMeOnTheSudExpress]

No new cases in Codogno because they were in real self isolation until the incubation period passed.
Obviously, they could become reinfected, or continue to pass it on, nobody knows.

[bizzybuzzy]

Surely London will be the first "hot spot"?

[hellsbells99]

I think schools will be shut next Friday until after Easter.

[bizzybuzzy]

I agree they are pushing school closures to Easter. more people are prepared for that already. parents already have a/l booked, some wfh so there will be a bit less disruption.

[MinkowskisButterfly]

Just a side thought, I've seen people mention immunity ince you have caught it and recovered. Is that fact? Is there evidence to back that up?

[milleniumhandandprawn]

I started watching last night's press conference extremely sceptical- am no fan of Bojo or this government, however by the end of it I did think that why they were saying made a lot of sense.
Italy, Spain etc will have to be in lockdown for months - otherwise whenever they come out it will just ramp up again. And future lockdowns will be less effective as the population will become less and less compliant.
I'm deeply uncomfortable that we're seemingly taking a different tack to the rest of the world, but that's the natural desire to go with the herd I think.
I'm hopeful that our scientists and government are following "actual science" and that it will turn out that the other countries have been emotional knee jerk reactions by comparison.
It does seem a gamble - either way.

[Chloemol]

Watch back what was said yesterday on iplayer and listen. It explains why very well and makes sense

[RuffleCrow]

What @greatandpowerfulozma said.

[bemoreeverything]

The U.K. government is prioritising the economy over lives, that's why.

[cz123]

Also, if you look at infections/million of the population we are actually far behind - we have two times less than the ROI.

[CherryPavlova]

I don’t understand why they haven’t shut transit between sub regional areas.
We have islands and large rural areas where closure of transit between regions except for essential deliveries would have been possible at an early stage. That would have protected many people living outside main cities.
Too late now though.

[Loppy10]

If 15% have severe disease, and 1-3% will die, then “herd immunity” will still mean:
A) a significant death toll
B) huge numbers requiring hospitalisation.
Say we can somehow control infection to 1% a day, for argument (we can’t)...then that’s 600,000 patients, or 90,000 requiring a hospital bed. EVERY DAY. For 80 days to achieve 80% immunity.

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

Universities are starting to close down now for Easter , so I would think it's only a matter if time before schools do too.

[dottiedodah]

Itgetsthehoseagain Yes I think you are right .UK is a country not used to any sort of restrictions really.