Coronavirus

[Jazzrook]

"The pandemic's consequences for the world economy" by Adam Tooze in London Review of Books:

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n08/adam-tooze/shockwave

JR

[Nick Armstrong]

Today’s Sunday Times article sans paywall

https://archive.is/20200418182037/ht...ster-hq3b9tlgh

[eighthobstruction]

Today’s Sunday Times article sans paywall

https://archive.is/20200418182037/ht...ster-hq3b9tlgh

...ap bloody palling....

[oddoneout]

Today’s Sunday Times article sans paywall

https://archive.is/20200418182037/ht...ster-hq3b9tlgh

Couldn't finish reading that. The gist of it I already knew, seeing the detail and the chronology just increased the existing feeling of impotent anger which I decided isn't helpful.
Thank you for the link though, it will be filed away with other pertinent material for when I can bring myself to email true-blue brown-nose Tory MP who has the monopoly in my constituency.

[Serial_Apologist]

That ST link timed out when I tried to load it.

I have to say I almost lost heart completely yesterday when it seemed to me a lot of downplaying was being applied to emerging evidence that that those who have had the virus won't be likely automatically to develop antibodies necessary to forestalling repeat infections. How, I wondered, would any vaccine help? That was until this morning when a researcher in Cambridge asked about this on Marr said that any vaccine to be developed should be effective as a preventative because vaccines affect a different response system in the body from its antibody capacity.

[johnb]

Today’s Sunday Times article sans paywall

https://archive.is/20200418182037/ht...ster-hq3b9tlgh

A devastating critique.

There is a dimension that is overlooked in that article. When BJ won the general election this was supposed to be a buccaneering, masters of the world, government that would steer the country to a glorious future free of EU constraints. A global pandemic was most definitely not in BJ's play-book and he spent far too long in semi-denial of the situation.

Many of the more capable and experienced MPs and ex-ministers had been forced out of the Conservative party.

When BJ formed his cabinet he based his selection decisions on whether the MPs were True Believers or whether they would swear fealty, so we end up with a comparatively weak cabinet of Brexit Ideologues, toadies and "B" list politicians.

(Effective leaders, whether in politics or business, surround themselves with strong, capable people. Weak leaders tend to appoint yes-men/women.)

[MrGongGong]

A devastating critique.

There is a dimension that is overlooked in that article. When BJ won the general election this was supposed to be a buccaneering, masters of the world, government that would steer the country to a glorious future free of EU constraints. A global pandemic was most definitely not in BJ's play-book and he spent far too long in demi-denial of the situation.

Many of the more capable and experienced MPs and ex-ministers had been forced out of the Conservative party.

When BJ formed his cabinet he based his selection decisions on whether the MPs were True Believers or whether they would swear fealty, so we end up with a comparatively weak cabinet of Brexit Ideologues, toadies and "B" list politicians.

(Effective leaders, whether in politics or business, surround themselves with strong, capable people. Weak leaders tend to appoint yes-men/women.)

What is really extraordinary (and worrying IMV) is that BJ (aaaaargh don't google that) seems completely oblivious to the fact that he PERSONALLY is responsible for the imprisonment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. For most of us, having a bit of conflict or knowing that we have done something wrong would cause endless sleepless nights yet he seems completely oblivious. Furthermore, those so-called "advisors" around him haven't told him to "get your ass to Mars" and GO and sort this out personally.
Someone who is so devoid of empathy and honour should never be allowed to be in charge of anything. He will walk away with his new baby and bufooning along while a totally innocent woman is in prison because of what HE said.

Beyond contempt IMV

[Cockney Sparrow]

The unforgiving sector of society needs a short, pithy slogan to encapsulate our situation. How about:
Term time PM

[johnb]

By the way, today's increase in the number of deaths for the UK will probably show a *very* significant decrease. (The figures just released for England show a decrease from 784 yesterday to 482 today.)

However, we won't know for some time how much of that decrease is "real" and how much due to the usual administrative reporting delays that occur on Sundays and, especially, on Mondays. Nevertheless it is very good news.

[johnb]

There was a very informative article in yesterday's FT that detailed the UK's ventilator saga: "Muddled thinking punctures plan for British ventilator ". I'm not sure whether it is behind their pay-wall but I was able to view it online.

https://www.ft.com/content/5f393d77-8e5b-4a85-b647-416efbc575ec

[Dave2002]

The unforgiving sector of society needs a short, pithy slogan to encapsulate our situation. How about:
Term time PM

Oh come on, who would want to replace him? It might be best if he hides for a while longer - a long while.

Although the current cabinet is muddling along, one might argue that under the circumstances they're not doing so badly, and it's not at all clear to me that things would be better ... well .... if .............

However, expect someone to try to take credit for whatever transpires, and claim "victory".

One reason why this current "little problem" is not a war, is that in a war the opposing sides have strategies and tactics, usually planned and waged by sentient entities. AFAIK the coronovirus just tends to do the same thing - more or less each time, and won't hopefully vary its behaviour - at least in the short term - so we can take action against it. That is, unless you are an avid reader of things like the National Enquirer, and think that each individual virus is being programmed from some galaxy well beyond the Andromeda nebula by green spidery things getting ready to invade.

[LHC]

By the way, today's increase in the number of deaths for the UK will probably show a *very* significant decrease. (The figures just released for England show a decrease from 784 yesterday to 482 today.)

However, we won't know for some time how much of that decrease is "real" and how much due to the usual administrative reporting delays that occur on Sundays and, especially, on Mondays. Nevertheless it is very good news.

I think the figures for the last three Sundays have all been substantially higher than today’s. Hopefully this a sign we are getting over the peak, and the numbers of daily deaths will start to decline now.

[MrGongGong]

Oh come on, who would want to replace him? It might be best if he hides for a while longer - a long while.

I'm sure there's a place for him in Rampton hospital

[johnb]

I think the figures for the last three Sundays have all been substantially higher than today’s. Hopefully this a sign we are getting over the peak, and the numbers of daily deaths will start to decline now.

This Sunday: 596, Last Sunday: 746, Sunday before that: 619.

But I agree with you.

Also, looking at the latest figures for the deaths by date of death, as opposed to date reported, for England the peak seems likely to have been on the 8th April. (I say "likely" because the figures are continually updated.)

For UK Hospital Beds the peak was around the 11th April.

So they all point to the same conclusion.

[muzzer]

Even if there’s a decline from now it will likely be a slow levelling off though, isn’t that what’s predicted? It’s only when the number of new cases really plummets that there will be any cause for comfort. And who knows what new way by then this government of utter shambolic incompetents will have found to f*** everything up for a bit longer?

The thing that I find so utterly contemptible about Johnson is that he’s never been told ‘No’. There are plenty of ways he can yet be told so, and I would hope that due process prevails and it all ends legally, but I won’t cry if it doesn’t, as he has shown the classic toff do as I say not as I do at every possible turn. And this effing country put him there.