Sunday Press Conference

[covetingthepreciousthings]

Anyone know what time to expect it today? Is Boris doing it today?

I see the BBC have a Coronavirus daily special 4.10-5.40pm today so presuming it will be then?

Do you think we'll have any announcements today? I'm hoping there are more lockdown measures announced. I think it's time to shut non essential shops and enforce social distancing.

I'll just leave you with this.

It's an easy read.

That essentially says that people have statistical numbing. From the article -

Between the one real human and huge but abstract numbers, the numbers simply don't carry the same emotional power, and they never will.

Like the people here who say they have friends/family who they are scared for? People in their community who they know? Scared what will happen to their children? They are scared about real humans.

And so what if they pass it on to healthy people? Nobody except extremely vulnerable are requiring hospitalisation.

You're comments are essentially "Fuck healthy people, they'll be fine." Even though a percentage of those who recover are left with permanent lung damage?

Of course it’s real to people.

Anyone who can listen to the plea from this ICU Dr to stay home LBC and not feel awful about how people are behaving is made of stone.

The ICU are full. What will happen in two weeks as the numbers move up due to pubs / bars / gatherings today.

I thought pubs and bars are closed?

They are now.

Probably from just before. Same applies for all the gatherings this weekend.

So yeh not today but last week and then gatherings today.

We're not testing people. I don't know what the situation is in other countries. We're only testing the extremely ill, who require hospitalisation and from what I've heard, some day during the week, it was something like 40k people tested and 2.5k people positive for coronavirus.

So a lot of people ill with something 'like' coronavirus but most don't have it.
The only reliable data we have to go on is deaths unfortunately!

Don't mind me if I've got the figures all wrong. I wasn't listening closely - but the percentage tested vs those positive - it was something like 5 - 10% positive.

I think we have a lot of people self isolating with a bug other than coronavirus who will then go about their merry way thinking they're immune. There's a whole thread on here today about people with coughs etc. Comparing symptoms.

It is so hard to know. Especially highlighted when you compare with countries who test.

Ok, so in excess of 50k people have been tested. And today's number of confirmed cases is 5,683. So 10-12% of those tested.
I presume from what I've read here that those being tested are admitted to hospital. Which means that 88-90% of people admitted to hospital with symptoms suspected to be corona don't have coronavirus.

Am I getting this right?

We really need to know whether they're testing everyone admitted or whether they're only testing admissions with symptoms.

I'd love to know what is wrong with the other 90% tested!

For e.g, in my trust, you're tested for MRSA on admission to hospital.

I wonder whether they're testing every admission or those with specific symptoms?

I'm concerned with the lack of testing that people are being put on CV wards with something like CV, but not actual CV. Until they catch it on the ward and end up with a double whammy of illness..

Well the test results would suggest that the majority of those tested 88 - 90% don't have coronavirus.
If they're testing all admissions, that's one thing.
But if they're testing all suspected cases - that's something else entirely.

I strongly suspect they're only testing hospital admissions (irrespective of symptoms). So you go in with a heart attack and need admission, they test for CV. If you go in with a high temp and pneumonia and are not admitted - you're not tested.
I wonder could anyone clarify the basis for testing?

As I said, in my trust, when you're admitted, you're immediately tested for MRSA on arrival on a ward. It's a cotton bud - well 3 of them - one you rub on your groin area, one up your nose and one at the back of your throat. I believe my local hospital had a ferocious rate of MRSA at one point and has now pulled their socks up.

We're not testing people

That’s what I’d heard too. But @Salud ‘s friend, the one she’s going climbing with, they’ve had it, so they must have been tested ...

No - not tested.

Oh sorry - think I'm getting jumbled up. Think I got confused with another thread where most people haven't been test - in fact I don't think any of them have, but they all believe they have coronavirus.

Is my logic right? By the time people get to hospital, because results can take 72 hours, they've been tested too late to keep the people with actual coronavirus seperate from the people with coronavirus like symptoms.

Hospitals are going to have a massive rate of transmission between patients?

Ondalay, that is right but misses out the point that sadly some sick people are catching it in hospital according to one doctor writing anonymously in London. They are trying hard to separate people into not yet known, don't have it, have it wards but the risk of infection is high. I would not go into hospital at present unless I were virtually dead.

My area has about 100 people tested positive (bit of a hot spot) I do know who out of how many who were tested but I presume only if you are in hospital are you tested.

Dunno about hospital testing but I keep hearing them say they are testing in care homes. Untrue (for mine anyway), and I've begged for it...got four service users with it (suspected) and 2/3rds of staff team self isolating. A test would help greatly with my staffing crisis!!

Yes - they absolutely have to up the rate of testing and quickly!