Westministenders: The Virus

[RedToothBrush]

Its like living in a Bad Disaster B Movie.

If you thought Brexit on your TV every day was Bad, The Virus is a whole new level.

The 5pm broadcast with Johnson and friends, and the public infomation video with the unblicking Chris Witty (who has such unfortunate mannerism he makes me think he's me a Dr Who alien akin to the Slitheen).

Who knows what will happen. Just that everything has changed and our entire economy is now on life support whilst we figure out how to deal with the crisis and what on earth our exit strategy is.

Johnson has however refused to join a joint EU purchase scheme designed to assist countries through the crisis.

Meanwhile the US is about to go nuts... so what does that do to a trade deal?

More money for the NHS? More hospitals?

Well its possible that might just happen...

Yes BCF, I am convinced the figures are all wrong and have been from the start. IMO as soon as community transmission was happening (very early as Dr's were suddenly falling sick and loads who hadn't travelled) we should have massively ramped up cluster testing. As soon as it happened we instead decided that only people sick enough to make it in an ambulance to hospital would even get a test and immediately dropped tracing. We literally went against every Public Health standard for communicable disease. I still haven't seen any proper campaign. The communication is appalling even if you ignore the buffoon shaking hands and making it a macho statement . Makes me very cross when I see people saying "poor Boris!". I bet that he hasn't even isolated from his pregnant fiancee either.

Apparently Brexit is still ongoing, but news has been drowned out by CV.

BREXIT NEWS: The first meeting of the EU-UK joint committee today, by teleconference.
Michael Gove and EC Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič.
Draft agenda: EU citizens rights, NI protocol, Cyprus, Gibraltar, divorce bill

twitter.com/lisaocarroll/status/1244542496434257922

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-austria/austria-to-make-basic-face-masks-compulsory-in-supermarkets-idUSKBN21H16A

Austria will require shoppers to wear basic face masks in supermarkets
in a bid to slow the still too-rapid spread of the coronavirus, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday.

Austria has closed schools, restaurants, bars, cultural venues and other gathering places, including non-essential shops.
People have been told to stay at home and work from there if possible.

The country has reported 108 deaths and more than 9,000 cases so far,
fewer than its neighbors Italy and Switzerland and within its health system’s capacity for now,

but Kurz said its intensive care capacity could be exceeded by mid-April.

“As of the moment these masks are handed out in front of supermarkets it will be compulsory to wear them in supermarkets,”
Kurz said, adding that the aim in the medium-term was for people to wear them in public more generally as well.

The so-called MNS masks are below medical grade and aimed at preventing the wearer from spreading it to others by coughing or sneezing, he said

The masks will be handed out probably from Wednesday.

This is so funny. I have never heard of a "starter" before but here is is being spoken about and just two days ago I saw a family member asking on their village FB group if anyone has a sourdough started she could nick a bit from.

Can someone please talk me through the process?
And how did you find out about it? I always feel like I'm the last to know everything!
In fact, if there are any other worldly things I should know about, as a human or even more specifically, a woman..please tell me stuff!

auld DH has an online diagnosis but hasn’t been tested.

Portugal is interesting -very few cases because they just have the one border and shut it pronto. They’ve also régularised all illegal immigrants so they come forward for treatment if needed.

BurneyFanny
Hope he's OK. None of those cases will be counted in the data, I presume.

Measures taken in different countries are really interesting.
AM v curious about Sweden's figures in the coming weeks.

Seems ok so far touch wood, tired and achy but no temperature.

My son messaged me this evening to ask what Mumsnet (ie this thread) thought about a London lockdown? If and when.
TIA!

Statement by the European Commission following the first meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement200_565

The proper and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement is a key priority for the EU.

This concerns in particular safeguarding the rights of around 4.5 million EU citizens and UK nationals,
and maintaining peace and stability on the island of Ireland in the context of the Good Friday Agreement,
while ensuring the integrity of the Single Market.

A new partnership can only be built on the faithful and effective implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The detailed legal obligations of both parties are clearly set out in the Withdrawal Agreement, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
Both sides now have to implement this agreement with rigour and discipline.
.......
The parties agreed on the importance for the UK to set out its plans over the coming months with regard to the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
The Commission committed to working with the UK to implement the Protocol.

There is an urgent need to present a detailed timetable and proceed with the necessary measures,
such as preparing for the introduction of customs procedures for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain,
and ensuring that all necessary sanitary and phytosanitary controls as well as other regulatory checks can be carried out in respect of goods entering Northern Ireland from outside the EU.
< including from GB ! >

Horehound I don't know any of this domestic stuff either

• I fear I am somehow failing in basic knowledge that our sex is supposed to have

"Starter" - I know as colloquial term for a length of rope used to "encourage" RN sailors up until the late 19th century
Possibly abolished at the same time as Cardwell's army reforms abolished much more severe corporal punishment

Or starter in University Challenge

I get bread from the bakery and yoghurt from the supermarket
Well, I did. And I will again
I had a bread maker and gave it up for recycling at my last move, having not touched it in 5 years.

Coronavirus: Questions over true death toll as hospital records almost three times more deaths than official figures show

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/29/coronavirus-questions-true-death-toll-london-hospital-records/?

London NHS trust has recorded 31 deaths, but national figures show 11 deaths at its three hospitals

The official death toll for coronavirus is lower than the true number of casualties reported by hospitals, it was claimed on Sunday night.

Channel 4 News reported that an email sent to staff at one of London's biggest hospitals suggested the daily tally, made public by the Governmentt_, did not tally with the actual number killed by Covid-19.

The message, sent to staff at King's College Hospital Trust, said:

"The number of deaths reported at King's in national figures is below what they are experiencing. It is not just King's but a number of other trusts, and the centre has been made aware."

Starter is what you begin your meal with.

Prawn cocktail or half a grapefruit. Or a glass of tomato juice.

I am gearing up for the day when I have to make bread, but French flour is still a bit of a mystery to me. Like French cream that doesn't whip unless you put the bowl and whisk in the freezer first .
I make yoghurt, though, and muesli.

Yes I think the number thing was addressed on another thread. Basically, there are huge lags in reporting the deaths...one for telling family and another reason which I've forgotten.

I bought yeast when I did a small amount of prepping for Brexit but j didn't look at the qty properly and ended up buying three massive tins of "chef grade" yeast. I've still not opened one tin. I did buy bread flour and am intending on making bread although I don't have a bread maker but I don't want one cause it always leave a big gaping hole in the loaf! I'll just do it by hand

Yes! Starter in university challenge! Hehe

@AuldAlliance oh yes, I know what a starter is in regards to a meal but not a piece of sourdough!

I'm imagine some furry, stinky squidginess 🤷

This made me laugh!

Sourdough starter = a substitute for yeast, using wild yeasts instead.

Mine was started using a grated apple from the garden (so "local" yeast from its skin), some flour (mix of "ordinary" flour and wholemeal rye flour - the wild yeasts apparently like the wholemeal stuff) and some water and then "feeding" it every day with some more flour and water until it starts bubbling and "growing". You can then use it instead of commercial yeast to make bread.

You need to either use it or discard some of it as you keep on feeding it regularly. When I feed it, it's about the viscosity of thick paint.

I started mine roughly following a mix of recipes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Anthony Worral-Thomson and/or Gordon Ramsay (can't remember now).

I keep it in a kilner jar which I've taken the rubber seal out of (so that it still "breath") and when I'm wanting it to be active, on a sunny windowsill. Otherwise it's kept in the fridge (with extra flour if I want to slow it down).

I've killed one with neglect - but fortunately I'd frozen some so could get it going again.

I have used a starter but mostly for ginger beer.
It was a layer of gingery yeasty sediment in a jam jar topped up with sugar and water.
I believe real ginger beer starters died out in the 2nd WW for the most part.
But one made with brewers yeast is a pretty good substitute.

Hmmmm
Speak to me of sourdough and starter!...
Is it easy?
Can you make it in a bread maker?

Omg @prettybird I want to be you.

And you @midwesteaster

I wasn't being entirely serious about the prawn cocktail, Horehound

Sourdough starter sounds like the kind of thing I could kill my family with.

So clever to also know to freeze some. Honestly, I've not lived!

Lol @AuldAlliance me too!

I've never tried it in the bread maker - ironically enough, I'm not confident enough to

I had a long hiatus of about a year (hence killing the "working" starter) and have actually forgotten which recipe that I'd been using (there was a particular video which was quite easy) and can't find it again (there are a gazillion recipes/videos/techniques on-line) - so I'm having to experiment again . Dh is enjoying the output

I am totally useless at much of modern life.
Current times don't really resemble modern life as we once knew it.
But we just use a bread machine and standard yeast for loaves, the hole does drive me a bit nuts though.