Westminstenders: Events...

[RedToothBrush]

Events have taken over. EU / UK negotiation have been put on ice due to covid-19.

The US has banned all travel from Europe - apart from to the uk and Ireland - in a manner which is highly political to drive wedges.

The effects of leaving the European Medicines Agency may be much more serious than anyone could have anticipated.

There's a oil price war going on between Saudi Arabia and Russia which has further driven market fears led by covid-19.

There the crisis in Turkey with Syrian refugees which is also distracting the EU.

We are facing lockdown and economic turmoil over the next weeks and months.

Johnson is having his leadership moment with deaths projected to possibly exceed UK WW2 deaths.

We are desperately trying to recruit negotiators as it's suddenly become apparent we don't have enough to carry out all the trade deals we want.

The civil service will be stretched to its limited by covid-19. Yet we also have Brexit to consider.

Where next? How bad are things going to get?

I've just spent a morning in a famous UK garden that was full of elderly types, families with very young children and two school groups.

Handshaking, hugging, no hand washing, picking from the buffet,
pushing into queues, standing far too close to each other

and to cap it off, one elderly lady said to her friend
Oh, they won't expect people like US to stay at home and self isolate

FFS what do the Government have to do and say to get it into people's heads to CHANGE before they die

Patient was in early 5Os with that bloody phrase ' underlying condition's which describes half the bloody population!

I think it is really hard for people in the UK because they are being given a clear governmental message to continue as normal.
For me in the USA with DH working from home and dc starting e learning this week it seems like madness. Restaurants etc are being told to close.
But family members in the UK have to work and wouldn't get any support to have dc at home. So they are moving on as normal.

Roll on April 8th when Magic Grandpa can go back to his allotment and we can have a PROPER leader of the opposition, calling out Johnson's idiocy

Frankie Ventilators look quite complex kit, far more so than scuba gear & a pump
They are computerised, need reliable power supply, turbine, pump, tubes that have to be inserted etc

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_ventilator

You just know that if Clarkson and Co. were still on Top Gear these days they'd be making a V8 powered one! Like that food blender they did.

A prominant US pastor and rabbi who must think God is an evil bastard,
because they say CV is his punishment for LGBTI

(Maybe the next tactic to shield Trump from his usual incompetence ?)

It does seem as if the U.K. is being treated as part of the EU for coronavirus purposes including financial support and access to ventilators.

Basically the ventilator hotline is pure politics from a government that is not taking this seriously.

Lucy Houghh@lucyhough33* (LBC)

BREAKING:
European countries are planning a ban on entry into the 26-state Schengen zone for any third-party travellers. Exemptions for EU citizens, residents and family members - as well as workers in health and transport sectors.

Expected to be signed off later today.

Nicolai von Ondarzaa@NvOndarza*

Very delicate balance for EU leaders.
The clarification on EU citizens would ensure that non-Schengen but EU countries are not cut off, such as Ireland.

More difficult is the UK:
Non-Schengen, British citizens no longer EU-citizens.

Will transition apply?
< FINALLY an end to Brits still planning holidays in the continent ? >

There's been some breaking news on Sky that the EU are to ban all but non essential travel into the EU for 30 days, but no other details. I'm lost as to what that means for us in this transition period.

Resorting to Great British Names like RR, to keep up morale

Ventilators are very complex kit indeed and have progressed massively over the last 20 odd years. Ventilated patients with corona virus will undoubtedly have ards along with other issues like multiorgan failure, may require dialysis and inotropic support (potent bp supporting infusions).
Ventilators have multiple settings to deal with the very stiff lungs that critically ill patients invariably develop but also they require skilled nurses to monitor them as well as the other kit keeping them alive, these patients are very often unstable and vulnerable - caring for them is not something that can necessarily be taught over a week or two, so ordering more ventilators is not the whole solution...

Ventilators are very complex kit indeed and have progressed massively over the last 20 odd years. ....

The problem is (and you know it's true) there is a certain permadim strata of our fellow citizens who will simply claim that's "rubbish ...", "it's what they would say ..." (or "what they would say ...") "It's only a pump for gods sake ...", "how hard can it be for crying out loud ...", "we managed in the war ..." etc etc etc.

facts are only there to lubricate the stones of lies people like to believe ...

Rolls Royce is not going to start making ventilators. You're being spun, stop being naive.

The UK and Ireland are being encouraged to align with the travel restrictions being proposed. For coronavirus purposes the U.K. seems to be being treated as a member state, though without a voice/vote in council/parliament.

There is definitely a correlation between brexiteers, climate change deniers and 'this corona virus is all a storm in a tea cup' types !

The UK and Ireland are being encouraged to align with the travel restrictions being proposed. For coronavirus purposes the U.K. seems to be being treated as a member state, though without a voice/vote in council/parliament.

I guess it's as good a time as any to get used to it ....

WHO director general sounding just slightly short of losing his shit over countries not testing or hoping we can ride it out at home. I'm wondering if he wants to shout Boris at the end of most of the sentences

maybe air con manufacturers could start making ventilators? same principle, no doubt...

WHO speech criticising UK by direct implication "countries MUST test".

People will not change their behaviours until the death toll is 100+ per day like italy.

That'll probably be within the week then.

maybe air con manufacturers could start making ventilators? same principle, no doubt..

Are there any air con manufacturers in the UK anymore (if there ever were) ?

On a serious note, I'm guessing the biggest factor in modern respirator/ventilator tech is the software. Not something you can bodge up overnight even if you wanted too. (Unless you are Boeing, although that's not gone well for them ...)

Europe self-isolates: EU countries are poised to ban travellers from ALL foreign nations - including from Britain - from entering 26-state Schengen zone for 30 days

For comments

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8117505/EUs-coronavirus-lockdown-European-countries-poised-BAN-Britons.html

Coronavirus: EU chief proposes 30-day ban on non-essential travel

www.thenational.ae/world/europe/coronavirus-eu-chief-proposes-30-day-ban-on-non-essential-travel-1.993388

Outside sources
Coronavirus EU travel ban: Are British tourists now stopped from travelling to EU?

www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1255946/coronavirus-EU-travel-ban-can-british-tourists-travel-to-EU

red yep

clutching at straws DGR any port in a storm and any other old cliche you can come up with to over ride the fact we are being done up like kippers. Cannon fodder, all of us.

People who actually study history, tend to have a completely different perspective from people who like to talk about it.

Excoriated as he was for it, Chamberlains appeasement of Hitler bought the UK precious months to start preparing for what was inevitable. And it was in those months that shadow factories and manufacturing bases were established. That was how the UK was able to ramp up production of engines, planes, tanks, guns, toilet paper and pasta so needed for the war effort.

The UK has simply pissed away any head start it had with this virus to concentrate on making sure the Sussexs got the message they're not welcome back every again. Which admittedly might prove to be the right decision in hindsight, when the rest of the world is having to deal with their royal crises .....

I agree re the software being the biggest factor. Our ventilators which are themselves at least 8 years old can perform maybe 8 or more different ventilation modes depending on the patient. The software can be updated periodically. They are worlds apart from the ones I used when I first came to ICU in 1999, now they are all touch screen but back in the day you simply twiddled a knob.