Breaking News - Press conference

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I almost can’t stand it. What the hell will they be announcing now?

@NellyJames

Sorry if I’ve missed it but what happens when you’re hosting and have spent a fortune on food that is now going to waste?

Well I'd imagine that those you were hosting don't have food arranged?

It's surely easy to split food up and sort the money?

My parents have already text me and my siblings saying after Xmas day we are taking home doggy bags with the stuff they'd brought for 2 days earlier.

We had planned 2 short visits, SD and will all windows open and will now just do Xmas day and keep it shorter.

Could people donate any food to a homeless shelter or charity?
Not sure if they would be open but it's worth a try maybe?
Thanks to the person who thinks I'm not over reacting to today's news.!
I feel very strange but it's possibly because it's all so bleak?

Natural selection in the animal kingdom is alive and well has been since life on earth began really. Humans have fought it all the way. We must be one of very few species where instead if getting stronger we are potentially getting weaker. Maybe we have reached a point where the more we fight "the rules" the more nature fights back

Nature is extremely balanced. Life/death, creation/destruction etc. The purpose of a virus is to multiply and survive. It needs new hosts and has the ability to mutate. Viruses control populations.

Humans have fucked up that balance.

@PimlicoJo Ten in one week?? Cripes.

@NellyJames if you’ve spent a fortune and want to host, then your reasoning applies to all. And if we all follow your example - people will lose their lives. A life is worth more than a Christmas dinner.

I thought the whole point of Xmas was about giving, yet somewhere along the line it’s just become a selfish festival of overindulgence. Surely the best gift is to give to others and do our best to reduce the rate of infection for our community.

There will be people who went shopping this morning for food intended for Christmas visitors. Some of it will possibly go to waste. Would have been less of an issue if a decision had been announced earlier in the week.

@littleowl1 I'm in Leicester, I know of 18 people who have tested positive (all from same workplace), the London branch of the same company has had 9 cases. They are probably not linked as they operate as separate stores.

@nosswith

There will be people who went shopping this morning for food intended for Christmas visitors. Some of it will possibly go to waste. Would have been less of an issue if a decision had been announced earlier in the week.

If they bought it today, then it will mostly be relatively non-perishable, so not all that much of a problem really.

I won't be throwing out the pickled onions, chocolate biscuits and frozen prawns I bought this morning.

Humans have fucked up that balance

Not only fucked the balance but destroyed all the boundries nature had in place. Forced animals that would never meet to meet. Destroyed food sources pushing animals etc to places they never would normally go. Polluted food and water sources creating all sorts of immunities and disease spreading that would never happen.under normal circumstances.

It was always gonna happen one day

@nosswith they only start to understand this new strain last night and have been meeting today, this was always a possibility so people should have been prepared for that. Anything that won’t last can be frozen and anything excess can be donated. A bit of spare food is t really that big a deal in he grand scheme of things

The Ocado deadline today was for orders due to be delivered on 22nd.

So still time to change with that company for orders for 23 or further in to the period formerly known as Xmas bubble.

Other companies might have different deadlines, in which case I think the best thing to do would be to contact your nearest community kitchen or fridge. Because for everyone with a glut, there's another household who have got nothing in and who might not have much spare cash for unexpected food shopping

Turkeys won't be defrosted for ages so frozen ones should keep.
Most things can freeze these days. I
Hope there's not too much waste though.
The government should have said something this week : they mentioned the mutant virus on Monday night ffs!
(I can't get past this , but I know I should. I'm not a scientist at all but I knew Monday it was going to be bad news just hoped it wouldn't)

@Beautifulbonnie thank you. It’s a horrible time at at point but this is just a nightmare. We can travel to the funeral we believe (it’s in tier 3 and we live in tier4) but cannot stay overnight and it’s nearly 300 miles each way xx

@PimlicoJo and @Chaotic45

Out of curiosity, and not sure if you know, but how many of those tested positive that you know have bad symptoms (ie beyond a typical winter cold/cough/sore throat). Just curious.

Littleowl1 they all, at the moment, have mild symptoms or none at all. Hopefully it will stay that way.

@littleowl1 of the 18 in the Leicester branch some feel only a little under the weather, 3 feel 'quite' unwell with coughs, and others feel normal. The first positive test was taken on Monday though so maybe it is early days....

I'm unsure about the London branch.

What is perhaps interesting is that almost all had absolutely no symptoms when initially tested. These initial tests were lateral flow provided by their employer as a precaution after a colleague tested positive.

Every person with a positive lateral flow took a second one to be 'sure', and these were all positive too. All but one of them then chose to get a 'regular' NHS test and so far all have been positive.

That’s really hopeful. I truly they all stay well and pls god it’s a sign that perhaps some of the increased numbers are owing to milder/asymptotic cases. Fingers crossed and wishing them all a speedy recovery

@littleowl1 I hope so too. It all feels like a bad dream! I know this is just one anecdotal account, but maybe, just maybe this is a milder strain.

@Lifeispassingby what about if you haven't got much in as was due to be away and don't get paid until end of month
They knew about the strain a few days ago , also why still allow kids sport to go ahead whilst schools are shut
If its that bad full lockdown for 2 weeks from boxing day , shut borders for people only goods , only truly essential services work
Lots are off anyway , schools are shut so best time to do it surely

@bagamayo1 i thought this too
Numbers were rising already
Also why not do a full lockdown boxing day for 2 weeks everywhere
Schools are already closed , essential services only . Get cases down everywhere

We have had viruses since before we were even human. It's a very human centric and quasireligious view to see it as some sort of human sin causing this.

It's replicating protein not an avenging angel.

@DecemberDiana

We have had viruses since before we were even human. It's a very human centric and quasireligious view to see it as some sort of human sin causing this.

It's replicating protein not an avenging angel.

Well said!

Religious people would say god commanded the protein to replicate.

In this country we have had 2,004,219 cases of SARS-CoV-2 recorded, 27,052 of them in the past 24 hours; 67,075 deaths so far of which 534 were in the past 24 hours. That's 29,451 cases and 986 deaths per million of the population. It does look as if quite a few cases may have been mild, as with all the people but one I know who have had it.