Just spoke to a friend in Italy...

[letsjog]

And I'm really concerned that people are saying England will follow suit.

I know a lot of people already know but it's hard to hear it from the horses mouth so to speak.

She's not allowed to leave her house and must have a permit to go shopping/walk the dog etc. They are not allowed to socialise with anyone outside her only company is her neighbour in her apartment block. She can't even visit her elderly parents in the next province over at a risk of 3 months in jail if she attempts to.
The doctors are having to basically make decisions who lives and who dies due to lack of hospital beds and supplies and are mainly prioritising the young, leaving the elderly unaided. She's saying it's like a war without the weapons.

People in England are saying this will blow over but when and at what cost?
I still hear people spouting percentages how the healthy/young/fit are most likely to be fine and they're just going about their day and even trying to book holidays.

Can someone realistically give me a best case/worst case scenario we are facing here?

DP is trying to convince me to keep the DCs off school even though our schools are open and trying to say we shouldn't see our parents for now too.

Prison sentences in Portugal and Italy for infecting people
@daisypond.
Not true in Portugal, stop spreading lies.

It's not necessarily that old people will all die, but if ill they are more likely to be hospitalised and more likely to occupy a bed and possibly a ventilator for longer than a younger person. That's why they should stay at home, not solely for their own wellbeing, but so they don't swamp hospitals.

Mil's care home would send her off to hospital for the slightest ailment; this can't be allowed to happen when the coronavirus starts to really hit.

We are being led by scientists on this matter, not Boris. Whitty inspires confidence in me. I think shutting schools is a political highly visible move, not necessarily a scientific one, although it will happen. Sensible people will already be limiting social contact even if they are not vulnerable - I am working from home when I can, we are not going to the gym from today, but ds will go to school.. It will be awful but we have to stay calm and do what scientists recommend, and respond as their recommendations change.

I'm a solo parent so wondering about how that'll work too, I'd need to take them with me to get food or see my mum to check up on her. Unless they do food deliveries still I guess and do it that way - then leave them in the car at her house as I drop stuff on the doorstep or say hi through the window. Is scary knowing what to do for the best for everyone who depends on you x

I think it's called 'realistic medicine'? I've heard of this when they will save the youngest/fittest. What's more worrying is the pain you will be in before you die if you are not treated. I sincerely hope that pain relief is available. it's awful awful but how do the staff decide save the child or save the pensioner - what would anyone do in that situation. If you had the choice of saving your elderly mother's life or your child's life.

@BBCONEANDTWO

I can’t imagine a single person would save their mothers life over their child’s life. The doctors will be exactly the same. They have to be, unless there’s some very serious underlying health conditions that child has

Poland, Denmark, Lithuania and Czech Republic have closed their borders, I think we should.
I think the government have made a wrong call here, and they are being criticised by many experts and the World Health Organisation.
I hope that their decision making is not influenced purely by the economy/money.
Today, flights are coming into the UK from Spain, South Korea, Iran - all places which have high rates of infection.
We have flour, water, rice, various tinned stuff, meat in the freezer.
I cannot believe the government estimates of 60%+ of the population getting the virus, because that would point to nearly 41 million cases in the UK and at the moment there are 159 thousand cases wordwide.
I think this is an extremely dangerous virus, particularly for the elderly (Of which I am one) and the infirm, so I think the government has to do the following.
Take over large, indoor sports facilities and leisure centres (people shouldn't be using them anyway at the moment), set up triage/treatment and ICU wards. We should carry out more testing, because only around 37 thousand UK citizens have been tested so far.
I think if we went into complete lockdown, possibly for one month, everyone staying at home apart from emergency services, then the virus would die out.
There just seems to be a lack of decision making at the moment, we seem to be delaying.

they are being criticised by the World Health Organisation

Link?

@ivykaty44 that's the first time I've seen the article in your link. Very sobering and now I'm rethinking.

Forgot to post this link to the virus and its progress.

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

In Italy you have a paper to carry and have to say where, and why you are out.

Where do you get the paper from?

I'm a lone parent, this is how I've lived for years now. Finding it strange so many people so scared of isolation when they are describing my life on a permanent basis

But you must know that the majority of people would never choose to live like that? Being single is no reason to isolate yourself, you are choosing to do so. Most people don't choose to stay in all day every day.

@AngelicaKauffman you keep on asking for a link when anyone states the WHO want the UK to follow their advice.

What are you trying to prove with a link?

It doesn't take a genius to see the WHO are referring to the UK, when they advise governments not taking adequate advice and should act now, when we are explicitly going the against their advice and the actions of the rest of the world!

Flamingo, govt.

Me too.
Very good question:

If we want 60% of people to get it for “herd immunity” how will we know 60% of the population have caught it if we only test those that end up in hospital.

AngelicaKauffman

Here

metro.co.uk/2020/03/14/world-health-organisation-questions-uk-coronavirus-approach-12397312/

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/matt-frei/coronavirus-ex-who-boss-questions-uks-herd-immunit/

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/the-guardian-view-on-the-government-and-coronavirus-a-risky-path

www.thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/03/13/johnson-slammed-by-who-and-scientists-for-wrong-and-dangerous-coronavirus-strategy/

If we want 60% of people to get it for “herd immunity” how will we know 60% of the population have caught it if we only test those that end up in hospital

If we are talking about the UK, there was some chief science advisor (can't remember specific name) on Sky news this morning who said very clearly that the UK government is not aiming for herd immunity, that is not their policy.

Someone on another thread suggested that in development are kits that everyone can use to test if they've had it.

I agree that at the moment someone might be self-isolating or being very cautious when they have already had it; in fact such people perhaps could do something like care for others' children or help out in care homes or wherever needed.

@AngelicaKauffman you keep on asking for a link when anyone states the WHO want the UK to follow their advice

Actually I'm asking for a link whenever anyone posts an baseless assertion that I suspect is untrue.

What are you trying to prove with a link?

I'm just trying to find out if said assertion is true or just another of many thousands of scaremongering rumours and lies, which don't help anyone and just cause panic. Funnily enough so far nobody has actually been able to provide a link when I've asked for one. Every time it's just "oh I saw it on the news" or "an Italian on facebook told me".

It doesn't take a genius to see the WHO are referring to the UK, when they advise governments not taking adequate advice and should act now, when we are explicitly going the against their advice and the actions of the rest of the world!

Oh you're talking about the statement that "some countries should be doing more"? That was a couple of weeks ago though. The UK government has taken measures since then. I would say it's scaremongering to say "the WHO is criticising the UK's response" based on that alone, yes.

To answer some questions, I'm in Andalucía and people are respecting the lockdown. Photos are circulating of Seville and Cordoba with completely empty streets. All bars and restaurants are shut, only food shops open.
It will ramp up again tomorrow at 8 am when the state of emergency measure take official effect. At the moment the regional government has told all businesses to close except those serving "immediate needs". Some are still open, but I think will close or move to home working in the next few days. MY DH works in a call centre and at the moment they are still working, which is madness. We don't know if he'll have to work from home or will lose his job.
I assume that for now, if you are stopped and you explain you're going to visit an at risk person they'd let you go on your way. We might need permits at some point, I don't know.
My MIL lives a 5 min walk away and is 88 and self isolating as much as possible now.

How do you get the paper from the government?

I think that links are being asked for because of all the bullshit that's being spouted. Not just here, bullshit is on all social media.

I think that links are being asked for because of all the bullshit that's being spouted. Not just here, bullshit is on all social media

This. To be clear, I'm not saying the UK is taking the best approach – I'm just comfortable enough to admit I don't know if it is or not. And I think repeatedly posting rumours and misinformation is dangerous.

@magicrainbowbeans 💐
Single parents do suffer isolation and loneliness, a shopping trip once a week round Tesco’s or a quick drink out with friends every couple of months does not combat loneliness. When you are worried about something there’s nobody you can open up to, nobody to bounce ideas off and days out with dc as a single parent can increase the sense of isolation when you are surrounded by families.
Loneliness doesn’t just affect the elderly.

Download it.
And before your next inevitable question, the 75 year old with his shopping trolley and no printer,isn't being asked to show his in all probability.
But the twats getting off the trains coming down from the north, hopefully.

USA have been having cases since January, trump has left it way to late to start applying measures