Getting fed up with the Government daily briefing

[jenganinja]

It feels like they are fobbing us off a bit now? I'm glad they do the briefing but who are these people today? and they just repeat the same waffle about tests and ramping things up but they are still not testing frontline NHS staff, just talking about doing it.

What is it you want to know that you're not being told OP?

-Why did they promise more tests weeks ago if they didn't know that they could deliver that
-How do they think that not testing has impacted on trying to establish even a rough figure of how many people have had it or where cases might be
-what sort of timescale to they envisage being able to test people in the community
-what is the exit strategy for the lockdown
-how many ventilators do we have now and how many are on order
-are they confident all NHS staff can now have PPE
-when should people who have had the virus be considered safe not to spread it to others

Those are just a few off the top of my head

There will be many thousands more deaths because that’s how the disease works - a long lag between infection and death, and epidemics climb on an exponential curve. To get off the exponential we need to stay isolated for several weeks more - and that’s just to see an impact, not reduce to zero.

Testing more, less, or not at all will make no difference to the above.

Testing will help with getting staff back to work in the NHS, and will help us out of lockdown when we are off the exponential. It’s important we do it more, but it won’t prevent deaths climbing in coming weeks. That’s now inevitable.

I thibk they have answered most of those questions OP. They don't envisage testing people in the community, they didn't promise more testing, they have always been clear that was dependant on sourcing effective tests, they have explained why they stopped testing,they have definitely given figures for numbers of ventilators, they've explained the position for NHS PPE, people who've had it are "safe" within 7 days. Exit strategy for lockdown will depend on what happens next.

Perhaps you didn't like the answers and think they should be different but they have given you all the information you're asking for.

Why is Matt Hancock nor self isolating since he's supposed to have been positive for c19?

Because the UK has a special strain of Covid where apparently we don't spread it after 7 days as compared to science which says you can still shed virus beyond that, which is why other countries and WHO recommend 14 days

I suspect its more to do with the fact they couldn't let any random government pleb keep doing these briefings. He's now magically uninfectious.

It was admitted that there is a doubling every 3 to 4 days - growth is exponential not linear.

So even if testing does increase, on a linear not an exponential level (testing is not doubling at a rate of 3 to 4 days) it will become increasing inadequate.

Germany is testing in excess of 70,000 per day now with confirmed cases of less than 82,000 and confirmed deaths less than 1,000 but we aim to test 100,000 by the end of April.

At the end of April, with a doubling every 3-4 days, and a lag before symptoms-hospitalisation-death (confirmed in today's briefing) how many confirmed cases (even based on limited testing) or deaths do you think there will be?

Do you see the problem now?

@KeepOnKeepingOnAgainandAgain the whole purpose of the lockdown is to prevent this. We should see cases even out and stop increasing at that rate over the next few weeks.

I was reassured by the briefing. Money for NHS, army deliveries of PPE, higher standards, 100,000 tests by end of April. I have had chronic anxiety all week about work so I am glad to hear some solid information.

@esjee - due to the lag it is already 'baked in', it has already happened, we just can't see it yet.

How many times will the number of dead have doubled in a couple of weeks?

2nd April - 569 new deaths
6th April - 1,136 new deaths
10th April - 2,276 new deaths
14th April - 4,452 new deaths
18th April - 9,104 new deaths

All per day.

You can do the same with confirmed cases but given the lack of testing you might need to multiply the official figure by 10.

I actually thought today he explained the testing issues quite well and agree won't be always something new and you don't have to watch it if you don't find it helpful , etc . But I'm sure there doing it as that what media some of public want

I watched religiously in the beginning. But now I can't bear it. I only watch occasionally. Because I just can't stand the drivel they come out with, not answering the questions, not really telling me anything concrete.