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.

AutumnRose1
It's all very well saying we can encourage the young to get it as they are not affected - but if they survive but have long-term infertility, is that something we are all happy with?

Another act of Nature to control the population.

My own thought exactly. If we don't stop over-populating the planet, the planet will do it for us.

I’m in NE Italy.
About the Italian self certification paper. You need it if you’re on foot or in a car.

You can download and print it from the Ministry of the Interior. Old people or people without a printer can ask for one free at a Tobacconist,(who are state registered and also act as tax collection stations).

Most people carry a blank one and their identity card. If stopped by the police they fill it in there and then.

Yesterday I went shopping (first time out in three days). I went to just one supermarket and they were operating a one in/one out policy once they had reached the maximum number of customers. Only one person, so no family shopping trips. At the checkout I had to stay at the far end of the conveyer belt until the previous customer had left.

With WFH and distance learning we’re having to share the WiFi. I wish I’d increased the speed the last time I got a cold call offering me more!

However, spirits are high and we are DEFINITELY NOT having an extended siesta (dickhead).

How are people buying newspapers in Italy - are people allowed to food shop daily just to get them.

In the UK only post offices are registered and a lot more elderly without printers.

Yes, tobacconists (see above) are usually newsagents, too and they’re allowed to open.
Obviously, wandering the streets every day is not encouraged and most people, even OAPs get their information from the TV.

I was wondering how people got ciggies.

No children under 10 have died of this coronavirus. Not one. The reason to keep children isolated is so they don't become carriers of the disease to older and immunocompromised people.

Let's stop this rubbish of choosing between a baby and a grandma. It's not helpful.

Here what an expert has to say on the differences between government approaches: medium.com/@michael.g.head/uk-response-to-coronavirus-why-i-think-its-appropriate-b5d748b2c16

If we are not going for herd immunity what exactly are we doing.

It's time they gave people a choice. I'm at home and my partner can work from home. So I can keep my 5 year old home. I've got several school mum friends who also stay home. Mainly because we have babies and toddlers.

I don't know what the answer is too NHS workers children etc. But there are things that could be done. Childminders could be brought in to care for NHS children and the children could be tested to reassure the child minder they are well.

The government could start capping all food items and protect the people. My mate couldn't get her babies nappies this week. You can't get a bottle of Calpol anywhere and you pretty much can't get any toilet roll or pasta or tinned food anymore. Sanitary towels are also becoming difficult to find. so now we are running out of things that we really really really really do need. how many more weeks and months can they allow the supermarkets to keep getting this pair of essentials that people need? It's just going to make people panic by because they're going to think when they finally see something they need I better get it now before it all goes.

I seriously hope they sort it out soon and start protecting the public. It's ok saying kids go to school as normal. But they can take it home to parents who in turn get sick and can't care for the kids 🙄

Let's stop this rubbish of choosing between a baby and a grandma. It's not helpful.

Let's get real - life and death descions are being made - some over 60s not getting treated in some parts of Italy.

Just because you don't want to think about it doesn't make it "rubbish" 😡

This is the interview with Sir Mark Walport, the former Government Chief Scientific Adviser on Sky this morning where he discusses herd immunity and the reasons why we can't all self isolate too early.

Oh good, another random stranger who has a friend who says things are really bad. My favourite type of source for reliable information
I was thinking similar tbh. It’s really frustrating listening to all the information being spouted in the media and on social media about this illness. We actually have no idea what’s true and what isn’t. Last week everyone was saying the schools were going to be closed immediately for 2 weeks, someone else saying they would shut early for Easter, then someone else saying if they close they will be shut for 16 weeks, then they won’t be shutting at all. It’s all rumours and all the speculation really does not help the panic in the country.

I’ve just read on this thread that Seemed to suggest a long term consequence of CV19 is infertility. Where has that come from and how does anyone know that at this point?

"Childminders could be brought in to care for NHS children"

from where?

every single solution to this involves people mixing with people and I think it would be much better if we just accepted that.

They do need to enforce rules on shopping, for sure. My local Aldi did this last week and I'm not aware of any fights or anything. The building gossips will know so I'll ask them later!

If the closed schools surely they could direct teachers (surely some would be willing) to provide childcare for health workers if they were temp checked etc before attending. There would still be some mixing but at least it would significantly reduce the spread and therefore the peak?

It’s not just the elderly who don’t have printers. I’m in my 40s, I have all the technology and I don’t have a printer. They are expensive to run and I don’t need one.

If the closed schools surely they could direct teachers (surely some would be willing) to provide childcare

Where? Also there is a difference between being a class teacher and child care. I can teach but the idea of providing child care fills me with dread.

Maryann "I’ve just read on this thread that Seemed to suggest a long term consequence of CV19 is infertility."

it was just suggested as a theoretical.

please do not start repopulating the earth now!!

Can you not online shop if you can't get to the shop yourself?

Online grocery shopping is not the norm for most countries.

And teachers who have children? Of which there are plenty.

If schools close, the point is that those children should not be mixing. It doesn't work if they are then being taken along to child mind the children of healthcare workers who may then subsequently pass to their parent and so forth. Otherwise they may as well all just stay in school.

The problem is there is no easy answer. People need to realise that.

Being a lone parent is nothing like living in isolation 🤨 what a weird thing to say, I’m a lone parent, I go out, I walk the dog, I go to work. Try opening your front door and going for a walk.

I am going about my normal life as much as possible until I’m told to do other wise, it’s getting harder due to people panic buying. I don’t agree with what Boris is doing but I’m also scared of the alternative (being isolated). I live in a rural location where it would be hard to make sure people do not leave their homes, I can walk for miles without seeing a single soul and I don’t see how walking your dog here would be an issue.

Cutting school numbers down even by half would reduce the spread though would it not? Children of families where there are two essential workers who can’t work different shifts etc could be brought to school buildings and supervised by low risk school staff. Maybe not ideal or what you would but someone has to look after those children and it’s a better solution than them being sent to the grandparents?

"Then someone else saying if they close they will be shut for 16 weeks"

Schools in Northern Ireland will be shut for 16 weeks, this was confirmed by Arlene Foster, N.I's first minister.

N.I's deputy first minister has urged Stormont to follow Irelands lead, and be more aggressive, (the Taoiseach of Ireland is a former gp,) and they're handling this very differently, the army have been called in to aid social distancing measures.

Without any major UK Government action, 400,000 additional deaths is a realistic figure if they gear up the NHS. If not closer to 1 million additional deaths.
This is not people who would have died soon anyway, but who would have continued to live.