Will Boris keep us locked down for longer because he was so sick?

[Teddypops]

Do you think that the fact Boris Johnson was so poorly will mean he will be against an early lockdown release.

If he hadn't have caught COVID would this be different?

[jasjas1973]

What like Italy, belgium and Spain who have twice the death rate that we do?

No they don't, but Germany, Austria and Portugal have done far better than the UK., even France has far less deaths than we do, their daily figures inc community deaths, ours don't, we may be up to 40% higher :(

Our NHS has coped with the surge though so that is working

...by not allowing the seriously ill hospital treatment until very ill, well documented.

Ferguson is still advising the govt, his speciality is modelling, again not Public health.
We don't know who is on SAGE but one eminent public health scientist has said as far as he is aware, doesn't inc public health experts.

[LonelyInLockdown]

Boris is a complete disaster.

He has no idea about how disastrous this endless lockdown will be on the nation’s psyche.

He has never run a business, never read a balance sheet.

The hospitals are quieter than they’ve been for years, essential operations have been cancelled, millions are losing their jobs with the knock on effect on mental health, homelessness and bankruptcy.

This is a teenage government which prioritises being liked (people now terrorised into favouring endless lockdown) over doing the right thing.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

Why castigate the press?

Mainly because rather than exploring those rifts, doing some real journalism, many choose to stay on a safe headline inducing repeat... When Peston, for example, speaks you know 2 things, the basic question he will ask and that he will misunderstand the science. That has surprised me as I had thought he was more astute.

And others insist on those emotionally loaded words, aren't you ashamed, embarrassed etc. What's the point? They get an eye roll and Harries in particular patronises them so well, so informatively, they look stupid twice!

Basically I don't believe anything a journalist might say, almost less so than any politician. I want them to keep me informed about the details behind anything the government is doing. I don't want them to make shit up. I want them to expose disinformation, not be the source of it.

[GetOffYourHighHorse]

'And others insist on those emotionally loaded words, aren't you ashamed, embarrassed etc. What's the point? They get an eye roll and Harries in particular patronises them so well, so informatively, they look stupid twice'

Jenny Harries is so impressive, she keeps her cool and never stumbles over her words. I've seen such sneering, patronising comments online aimed at the female contributors on the panel.

The MSM are an embarrassment. The shipment from Turkey delayed because of Turkish bureaucracy yet you'd think it was because Hancock slept in and little mention of a shipment from Myanmar that arrived on time, that doesn't seem to be of interest. I shouldn't watch Morgan on GMB but I caught the tail end of him screaming at the care secretary demanding to know why if we include community deaths our death rate will be the highest in Europe. Why didn't she say most countries don't include community deaths and if the data sharing changes then everyone's sad statistics will increase too.

It's a time for hard facts, not histrionics. The vaccine progress at Oxford is incredibly impressive too although as always I'm sure some online will find falt with that aswell.

[generalh]

Makeit go away...I meant show rooms sorry.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

I'm following the 2 vaccine trials with great interest and am totally fucking awed by what they have managed in such a short time! Just a month ago there would have been 100% agreement - it impossible to do what they have done, and yet look!

OK, so we should expect to be disappointed, and doubtless there will be an enormous whingefest about it. But bloody hell! They are real life Scientific Super Heroes! Why is no journalist discussing this on prime time anything?

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

I shouldn't watch Morgan on GMB but I caught the tail end of him screaming at the care secretary demanding to know why if we include community deaths our death rate will be the highest in Europe. Why didn't she say most countries don't include community deaths and if the data sharing changes then everyone's sad statistics will increase too. I thought I respond to that separately, as it is a message so many just haven't understood yet - hardly surprising given the utterly shite fearmongering most journalists are employing when reporting numbers!

Was that Helen Whately? I think she has said that before, a few times, but, if Morgan was as bad as usual, maybe she just didn't have the will to live by that point! I'm watching the clip... fuck he was awful. She looked knackered and quite resigned to him being him!

2000 OFCOM complains as of 3 hours ago! Maybe people will wake up to him.. a bit... possibly! Then gain, more baying for her to resign!

Bollocks!

[FliesandPies]

No wonder people are disappointed in journalists if they're relying on types such as Peston and Morgan for their information. These people are tv personalities, their job is to make noise, get attention, keep the ratings up. Sometimes they hit the nail on the head, most times they are just banging their drum.

[FliesandPies]

It was obvious yesterday that Hancock mentioned the work on a vaccine in an attempt to deflect - there's no doubting the commitment of those working on a vaccine, all round the world, but it is months away and very wrong to give people false hope so I would certainly find fault with that.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

No wonder people are disappointed in journalists if they're relying on types such as Peston and Morgan for their information. These people are tv personalities, their job is to make noise, get attention, keep the ratings up. Sometimes they hit the nail on the head, most times they are just banging their drum. Don't get me started on that again! I don't rely on them myself, but that they are the ones who get spoken to first at the press briefing does set the tone. And, from speaking to friends, many don't listen to the later ones, who invariably ask better questions, some even liaise between specific groups and the government, that real journalism I am generally missing.

The fact that they, and their print based equivalents, get so much air time is what sets the general tone of any issue. That is the nature of today's media, like celebrity it is pretty much self defined and has bugger all to do with talent!

All very depressing!

[GetOffYourHighHorse]

'No wonder people are disappointed in journalists if they're relying on types such as Peston and Morgan for their information'

Oh Flies stop being so patronising. I caught the tail of his froth I said. He is an embarrassment, sneering and talking over people.

The sad fact is Morgan has 7m twitter followers, people lap up all of the msm's screeching and they unfortunately do influence people. They have a platform, they should use it responsibly.

The vaccine trial announcement was a deflection? . It's a really positive development no one has said available at Boots next week but don't let that stop your 'false hope' bollocks.

[FliesandPies]

The sad fact is Morgan has 7m twitter followers, people lap up all of the msm's screeching and they unfortunately do influence people

I'm sure your calm and well-reasoned responses will help to balance things out a bit

The vaccine trial announcement was a deflection? It's a really positive development

What 'positive development'? Scientists worldwide are working on a vaccine. There is no 'positive development' yet because it is far too early even to tell if a vaccine can be successfully created, never mind if it will work. It is months possibly years away and should not be dangled out to people desperate for a genuine positive development.

I pity Hancock on a human level, he is so far out of his depth, has not been given any of the leeway handed out to Johnson for having the virus and is being set up to take the blame on behalf of the government. However, none of that is an excuse for misleading the public.

[BabyLlamaZen]

I think he already knew the stakes before he came down with it, but only just before. He was clearly quite scared knowing more than the public and then boom, he gets it.
If anything you could argue that now he's had it and survived he could be more arrogant.

I don't think that'll be relevant though. It'll be the death figures, political opinion and the economy. They won't want to redo a lockdown even though it might be inevitable later on in the year.

[GetOffYourHighHorse]

'I'm sure your calm and well-reasoned responses will help to balance things out a bit'

Yes this is true, thankyou.

'What 'positive development'? '
Human trials are starting tomorrow. Do keep up, this is indeed positive Flies.

'I pity Hancock on a human level, he is so far out of his depth,'

How is he 'out of his depth'? Did you actually see that the NHS has at no point been over whelmed, have you seen the massive Nightingale hospitals springing up all over the country? PPE and testing has of course been a logistical problem due to the demand but our sad deaths per million have been less than other European countries.. Maybe look at worldometer for a bit of statistical info, would you like a link?

[Teddypops]

Or will he throw us to the lions now that he and Carrie have both had it? He has nothing to fear?

unless he gets it again!