So U.K. is now stopping testing people unless hospitalised.

[VivaLeBeaver]

So surely our figures will drop? Boris will be able to say he’s made the right course of action and be smug?

Nobody will have a clue about the real picture which means we are less likely to move to the banning mass events/closing schools stage which Means it will just spread even more?

Am I missing something?

I could understand stopping testing the less serious if hospitals were overwhelmed but didn’t think we were at that stage yet?

The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, is both a medical doctor and an epidemiologist. The behaviour and treatment of viruses is his area of expertise

Yes. He’s the chief medical officer and you’d expect him to be well qualified.

But Boris didn’t wheel out any behavioural scientists. Just medical ones. I’d like to know what they’re saying and how they’re qualified.

Boris probably wheeled out the medical experts to lend credibility to his approach.

It is very out of step with other countries and the question in my mind is why?

My main issue with the lack of testing is this appears to still be an abstract concept to people which testing would dispel.

I’m trying to find a balance between panic and not worrying but it’s very difficult surrounded by people insisting they just have ‘a bit of a cold/cough’ when actually no one can be sure can they? I don’t know anyone personally who has tested positive because I don’t know anyone who has been tested!

People aren’t taking low level social distancing precautions because they’re not convinced there is anything to take precautions from. It’s very frustrating.

My son has a cough, it’s not constant. I’ve got the sniffles. No fever.

What happens if his cough gets worse. Should I be isolating my son? Keeping him away from the rest of the household don’t get 3 feet near him. That’s just nonsense and impractical- and it would terrify my child.

And by that point he’s probably spread it anyway if he does have it but we will never know.

I’d rather have the ability to get him tested to be quite honest. Our numbers are low enough that we should have the capacity to test at this stage. Why are we moving into the next “phase” of dealing with this without enough testing.

I can’t get him tested, the information is wholly inadequate - there isn’t enough paper based information out there. A lot of the population aren’t online ffs.

The whole thing is shambolic.

Sport stars and fans seen to be more important than pupils and school staff! And the health workers who are struggling through .....

The football cancellations are because people involved in the sport have tested positive. It is to protect players, managers, coaches as much as fans. They do a lot of travelling around and can't play without fit players. It isn't because they are more important than children. Once school children have it, schools will close.

The infection rate in Italy is fast increasing, so lockdown is clearly not having a great effect there.

It would take two weeks to show a reduction in infectiosn, and look at this - www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51852320

Though obviously, it doesn't prove that the problem has gone away and cases will probably start increasing again when the lockdown ends.

@Iggly if your son has a cough, yes he should not be going to school and should be at home for 7 days. The advice is clear. You should try and be as careful around him as possible

I think that means they know what they are talking about. That doesn't mean I'm not worried. It does mean that the experts are in charge and that Boris - whatever you may think of him - is giving them the headroom to do their jobs. This is a crisis above mere politics

This ^^

This is appalling.

It's anti- science and it's reckless.

You are all screwed

YukoandHiro are British people really so stupid that there would be riots if schools closed and restrictions on movement were imposed?

The very sensible attempts by other countries to slow spread have been greeted with almost universal support in those countries.

Even in the US where several cities have shut and individual school systems have announced closures overnight, people are just hunkering down.

Babdoc your assumptions and conclusions wrt large gatherings and the potential for infection are gobsmacking.

I am getting the impression that science is not taught in UK schools.

I’ve sent two children in my class home this week. One with a temperature of 39 and a cough. The other with a temperature of 38 but no cough. I feel like if this is it I’m just waiting for it to get the rest of my class/school/family.

Saying schools will close when the children start to get it is nonsense as who’s going to know whether it’s the virus they’ve got?
I don’t think they should be testing everyone and don’t particularly want schools to close. It’s a weird feeling just waiting to get ill though.

Saying schools will close when the children start to get it is nonsense as who’s going to know whether it’s the virus they’ve got?

Exactly. It’s very unlikely they’ll know if it’s in schools if children are getting it mildly and they’re only testing those severe enough to be in hospital.

Babdoc your assumptions and conclusions wrt large gatherings and the potential for infection are gobsmacking.

I am getting the impression that science is not taught in UK schools.

🤣😂🤣😂

You do realise that Babdoc was, erm, a doctor? Of the medical kind? Hence her username.

I'm fairly sure she's perfectly au fait with the science.

Sport stars and fans seen to be more important than pupils and school staff! And the health workers who are struggling through .....

FA PROVIDES POSITION ON GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL IN LIGHT OF COVID-19

Following today's joint announcement with the Premier League and EFL regarding the suspension of professional football in England, we have issued a further update.

We are fully aware that there are questions about whether grassroots football in England should be played because of the Covid-19 virus.

Consistent with Government advice, we are recommending that grassroots football is able to continue as usual for now, with each league or centre making its own individual decision based on its local situation and the availability of players and officials.

However, we would fully respect and support any leagues, centres or teams that wish to postpone fixtures in light of the Covid-19 virus.

The decision to postpone all professional football in England has been taken with the integrity of the competitions in mind, considering the availability of players, staff and facilities.

We will continue to monitor all Government advice and keep the situation under constant review, with the priority being the health and wellbeing of all. Further updates will follow as needed

TedsFederationRep,
Ireland's PM is himself a medical doctor, and Ireland has chosen a different approach to the threat of COVID-19.

TedsFederation the revelation that Babdoc is a doctor is a massive surprise given the shocking lack of a grasp of fact and logic in the assumption and conclusion wrt the potential of infection spreading in large gatherings.

She couldn't be more wrong about the need to ban gatherings and stay away from crowded places.

She assumed one person in a crowd would have the infection for starters, whereas it could be any number of people in a football stadium or club or cinema who are contagious. This infection is contagious even before symptoms appear. And testing is being rationed.

babdoc New york (i think it is) are closing schools to all but essential workers. Best of both worlds