Coronavirus

[LeMartinPecheur]

Some mildly cheering signs today in the Financial Times's world stats https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest

The curves for UK and US national daily deaths have flattened quite a bit over the last 5 days or so, though London's and NY's aren't quite so good, and Washington State's looks horribly out of control.

On confirmed new cases, US and UK curves have definitely turned downwards a little, but France's shows a worrying spike upwards after a decent descent for some days. So no room at all for complacency here just yet

[Dave2002]

Some mildly cheering signs today in the Financial Times's world stats https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest

The curves for UK and US national daily deaths have flattened quite a bit over the last 5 days or so, though London's and NY's aren't quite so good, and Washington State's looks horribly out of control.

On confirmed new cases, US and UK curves have definitely turned downward a little, but France's shows a worrying spike upward after a decent descent for some days. So no room at all for complacency here just yet

This still should be stamped on very hard, IMO. The graphs aren't misleading for those who know how to interpret them, but talking about plateauing off, or going past the peak etc., which I'm afraid are phrases used even by the experts pulled out to discuss this, are misuses of cycling and running analogies IMO.
[ "Things are easing up now ... on the flat" Also "It's all downhill from now on ...." ] If we level off at 1000 deaths per day, then that continues for 200 days (around 7 months) that's still 200k people - slightly less than half the population of Liverpool. Currently it seems to be at about 750 (maybe a bit less) per day, and maybe it won't rise to 1000 each day. Hopefully it will level off and then start to go down, but also remember the logarithmic vertical scale, which makes it look as though there's not so much difference going up the graph. There is!

Iran seems to have been more or less flat for about 20 days - but at 150 per day, so 3000 deaths - and it's a bigger country than the UK. If our levelling off lasts 20 or more days than that's probably going to be between 12000-15000 deaths if it stays between 600-750 per day. Aiming for an extended peak only makes sense if there's a real danger that NHS facilities are going to be totally swamped, otherwise it would be better to clamp down on this as hard as possible, and keep it lower.

To think otherwise could be a big mistake.

[DracoM]

If a dog or cat licks and is fondled by a possible Covid-19 sufferer, and THEN if that same cat / dog licks another person, is the infection / virus passed on?

[DracoM]

Woops - sorry - didn't see the posting above!
Just that I ...ahem - force majeure - "share" a path to and from gate with a yappy, leapy, uncontrolled, bouncy labra-poodle, and......well, you can guess the rest?

[Anastasius]

Boris Johnson was given specific advice and ignored it.
He and his advisors knew what the WHO advice was/is , and if NOT then they really should have paid more attention.

Part of the "not trusting experts" nonsense that he has been part of
except that now, without those "experts" he would certainly now be dead


"Do as I say, not as I do" ?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-a9430231.html

A few pages back you were complaining about the lockdown and the concern for those living in, say, a high-rise flat in London. I asked you for suggestions as to what you'd put in its place. Perhaps you've been too busy to respond ?

[Serial_Apologist]

A few pages back you were complaining about the lockdown and the concern for those living in, say, a high-rise flat in London. I asked you for suggestions as to what you'd put in its place. Perhaps you've been too busy to respond ?

Perhaps MeGG didn't respond because he didn't want to waste your time by launching into a lengthy critique of the background circumstances leading up to the Coronavirus outbreak, because it might well have been too subtle for you and in any case not specific enough to the topic.

[Anastasius]

Perhaps MeGG didn't respond because he didn't want to waste your time by launching into a lengthy critique of the background circumstances leading up to the Coronavirus outbreak, because it might well have been too subtle for you and in any case not specific enough to the topic.

Well, that's a very patronising - albeit not unexpected - response. It certainly is on topic He was beefing about people in highrise flats not being allowed out into the sunshine because of the lockdown. My impression from the post was that he thought that they should be allowed out. Just seeking clarification. OK with you ?

[johnb]

Can I tentatively suggest that people avoid personalizing the discussion. Please.

[MrGongGong]

Perhaps MeGG didn't respond because he didn't want to waste your time by launching into a lengthy critique of the background circumstances leading up to the Coronavirus outbreak, because it might well have been too subtle for you and in any case not specific enough to the topic.

Was I supposed to respond to something ?

In which case
I've not complained at all about us having to ensure that the more vulnerable members of society are protected

I live in a small village in the country
Some people I know live in the middle of cities with small children who need to move about

I realise that I am (in spite of living in a rather "cheap" part of the UK) massively privileged in terms of the space we have.

But it's obvious that those who need their children to move about outside should stick to their own land, woods and maybe let them swim in the moat from time to time.

And i'm definitely against people spending too much time in the "sunshine" ... melanoma is rather nasty

[DracoM]

BUT it is said that Vitamins got from exposure to the sun are good for one? So ............? Erm..?

[Bryn]

BUT it is said that Vitamins got from exposure to the sun are good for one? So ............? Erm..?

Indeed. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326167

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Can I tentatively suggest that people avoid personalizing the discussion. Please.

Agreed. For the most part, this thread has demonstrated admirable courtesy from forum members, but please be aware that it will be closed if there are further personal attacks.

[Dave2002]

Today's Press Conference seemed disappointing. Not that it's ever a work of entertainment. A few weeks ago the new Chancellor seemed to be finding his feet, and offered some interesting suggestions. Today I felt that his presentation was poor in comparison with the medical and scientific experts. Yes - he mentioned large sums of money to support people and charities, but these meant nothing to me. They need to be put into context. How do they relate to "normal" spending? Are they 0.1%, 1% or 10% - or more? Will those funds be successful in helping the organisations they are intended to support? We don't know, yet.

The graphs shown from the others are now getting more detail, and perhaps there is a sense of accuracy now. However, we are not being told about the process. People go into hospital - some die, but by now some may in fact be released. It is now surely time for us to be shown data of hospital discharges, presumed recovered. Why is nobody showing this? Is that information not available, or is it being suppressed? We ought now to be able to see graphics showing how people go into hospital, and recover, and to see relevant numbers shown in graphical form.

[MrGongGong]

[jayne lee wilson]

....saw this live.... hard-hitting & heartbreaking.... thanks for posting..... just a coupla years ago, as a carer, I would have been in and out of - hospitals, surgeries, with Mum, almost every other week.... or they would come here....

With obvious implications..... well done Newsnight.