I can only presume the government delay on pushing the stop button is that only a couple more weeks and it is Easter holidays. Then you can simply extend schools closures to the whole month of April.
My biggest fear is how many people are going to jet of to the Middle East etc for their Spring sunshine break.
I haven't seen anyone suggest a novel anti-viral was likely any time soon, whereas earlier in the epidemic I did see some over-optimistic speculation about vaccination coming over the hill to save us. My limited understanding was that there were several known anti-viral s either, either in use now or which had been developed for previous pandemics and passed safety trials, that had been deemed worth exploring, and even if no combination of them forms a magic bullet, there had been realistic (?) hopes of a clinically significant effect. Public health measures are going to determine how many people get this thing, but it would be nice if there were more treatment options for those who do!
According to this article, there are thousands of potential compounds (used in existing medicines) to be evaluated, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is funding research on their potential effectiveness:
No doubt there are other research initiatives as well.
Cheers Richard. I seem to recall some other research, with a smaller number of potential drugs, posted here a few days back.
Two existing anti-virals that seem to have produced promising results in China are remdesivir and chloroquine.
Remdesivir is a drug developed as an antiviral, but is not actually yet licensed to market for any indication, so for now is likely to be available only in relatively small quantities for clinical trials (there is one ongoing in China).
https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/56798/mechanism-of-action-revealed-for-remdesivir-potential-coronavirus-drug/ A team of academic and industry researchers has reported new findings on how exactly an investigational antiviral drug stops coronaviruses. The paper was published the same day that the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that the drug in question, remdesivir, is being used in the country’s first clinical trial of an experimental treatment for COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Previous research in cell cultures and animal models has shown that remdesivir can block replication of a variety of coronaviruses, but until now it has not been clear how it does so. The researchers, from the University of Alberta, US, and Gilead, studied the drug’s effects on the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). They found that remdesivir blocks a particular enzyme that is required for viral replication. …
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
The UK is still in the contain phase, but it is accepted that the disease will spread at speed. Any steps to delay the disease have to be introduced at the optimum time. The government will be led by the evidence and scientific advice. If there is further advice, it will be issued. At the moment the advice is for people to wash their hands thoroughly. The government has been issuing advice to people returning from specific areas. Temperature checks on arrival are not effective and the government has an evidence-based, clinical approach to this. The number of cases in the UK is increasing, we have had the first fatalities and it is clear that it is spreading in the country. The environment department will be speaking to supermarket companies about what measures can be taken to ensure supplies to shops. The Bank of England has said it will take all steps necessary to protect the economy. DCMS held a meeting with a range of sporting bodies this morning – sporting events are not being cancelled at this point. The PM has said there is no need for panic buying. Whether local elections will be delayed is a matter for the Electoral Commission to advise on. The Foreign Office continues to work with the US authorities on what can be done to bring home the 142 Britons on the Grand Princess cruise ship. A SAGE meeting is expected tomorrow along with a further Cobra meeting on Wednesday.
A member of staff at Transport for London has tested positive for coronavirus.
In terms of efficiently spreading this virus to as many other people as possible, what would be the worst job to have? A ticket inspector on an intercity train must be up there.
Sex worker?
Sex workers are good at transmitting HIV, but they do not breathe on that many people.
Doctor (GP) is the obvious answer. Especially if they do for their colleagues in the practice as well.
Because getting rid of much of the nonsense box ticking nonsense that Brown considered to be regulation would have improved regulations, not worsened it.
Replace the boxes with subtle but astute, intelligence-led, regulation by dedicated people who truly knew their onions and yet were sufficiently detached from the business to be robust, impartial, and incorruptible.
I guess that was the Tory plan.
What a shame they were not in charge. Things would have been so much better for us.
Seriously, you sound borderline clueless on this topic. Sorry, but it has to be said.
The UK is still in the contain phase, but it is accepted that the disease will spread at speed. Any steps to delay the disease have to be introduced at the optimum time. The government will be led by the evidence and scientific advice. If there is further advice, it will be issued. At the moment the advice is for people to wash their hands thoroughly. The government has been issuing advice to people returning from specific areas. Temperature checks on arrival are not effective and the government has an evidence-based, clinical approach to this. The number of cases in the UK is increasing, we have had the first fatalities and it is clear that it is spreading in the country. The environment department will be speaking to supermarket companies about what measures can be taken to ensure supplies to shops. The Bank of England has said it will take all steps necessary to protect the economy. DCMS held a meeting with a range of sporting bodies this morning – sporting events are not being cancelled at this point. The PM has said there is no need for panic buying. Whether local elections will be delayed is a matter for the Electoral Commission to advise on. The Foreign Office continues to work with the US authorities on what can be done to bring home the 142 Britons on the Grand Princess cruise ship. A SAGE meeting is expected tomorrow along with a further Cobra meeting on Wednesday.
I think they are really hoping to get through the next 2 weeks with mostly imported traceable cases and then tell people it is stay at home time.
A member of staff at Transport for London has tested positive for coronavirus.
In terms of efficiently spreading this virus to as many other people as possible, what would be the worst job to have? A ticket inspector on an intercity train must be up there.
Air steward/ess on a still busy airline, perhaps connecting Italy to Iran.
But will most of her passengers not already have it?
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
The UK is still in the contain phase, but it is accepted that the disease will spread at speed. Any steps to delay the disease have to be introduced at the optimum time. The government will be led by the evidence and scientific advice. If there is further advice, it will be issued. At the moment the advice is for people to wash their hands thoroughly. The government has been issuing advice to people returning from specific areas. Temperature checks on arrival are not effective and the government has an evidence-based, clinical approach to this. The number of cases in the UK is increasing, we have had the first fatalities and it is clear that it is spreading in the country. The environment department will be speaking to supermarket companies about what measures can be taken to ensure supplies to shops. The Bank of England has said it will take all steps necessary to protect the economy. DCMS held a meeting with a range of sporting bodies this morning – sporting events are not being cancelled at this point. The PM has said there is no need for panic buying. Whether local elections will be delayed is a matter for the Electoral Commission to advise on. The Foreign Office continues to work with the US authorities on what can be done to bring home the 142 Britons on the Grand Princess cruise ship. A SAGE meeting is expected tomorrow along with a further Cobra meeting on Wednesday.
I think they are really hoping to get through the next 2 weeks with mostly imported traceable cases and then tell people it is stay at home time.
Wall Street has opened down thru 24000 and currently 23600
Trump's gonna blame it all on the fake-news MSM.
The problem for him is that he's used the stock market as *the* main measure of truth so far, against the media. Suddenly fewer people might be interested in his blame.
Because getting rid of much of the nonsense box ticking nonsense that Brown considered to be regulation would have improved regulations, not worsened it.
Replace the boxes with subtle but astute, intelligence-led, regulation by dedicated people who truly knew their onions and yet were sufficiently detached from the business to be robust, impartial, and incorruptible.
I guess that was the Tory plan.
What a shame they were not in charge. Things would have been so much better for us.
Seriously, you sound borderline clueless on this topic. Sorry, but it has to be said.
Actually I think eliminating the box ticking nonsense and not replacing it with anything at all would have been an improvement.
The problem with the box ticking is it replaces common sense so you think you're protected when in reality you're not, thus making the situation worse.
. The government has been issuing advice to people returning from specific areas. Temperature checks on arrival are not effective and the government has an evidence-based, clinical approach to this.
I understand there have been modelling studies showing temperature checks at airports are ineffective and I can see why the superior but slower swab-tests would be overkill except on someone at the airport who already is showing symptoms, but I don't get why new arrivals are not being given appropriate advice either by health staff embedded at airports or (more likely) the airline or airport's own staff.
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
getting all medical staff to routinely wear face masks would send a strong message esp. re 3.
Meanwhile the FTSE can do the heavy sinking for the US
When do they have to begin trading again by, or is there certain levels of flexibility ?
I haven't found it officially, but CatMan down thread says its a fifteen minute time out
Edit/ From Bloomberg:
A 15-minute trading halt trading halt took hold after the S&P 500 Index fell 7% to 2,764.21 as of 9:34 a.m. in New York, triggering the breaker for the first time since December 2008 at the depths of the financial crisis. Futures had plunged 4.89% overnight Sunday, triggering exchange rules that limit losses on those contracts and distorting price discovery for the cash market before the opening.
When trading resumes, another 15-minute pause will happen if losses reach 13%, a drop that would put the S&P 500 at 2,585.96. If the decline hits 20%, or 2,377.9, markets will close for the day. Only the 20% rule applies in the final 35 minutes of cash trading. Traders have never seen a 13% or 20% breaker trip.
If the government response is simply 'more of the same' that is seriously amiss. Trot out some guidance on working from home now as the bare minimum FGS.
Getting tempted by buying some September call options. If this peaks in April/May, and the US govt focuses its efforts on the stock market ahead of the election, both of which seem likely, things could look very different then.
The UK is still in the contain phase, but it is accepted that the disease will spread at speed. Any steps to delay the disease have to be introduced at the optimum time. The government will be led by the evidence and scientific advice. If there is further advice, it will be issued. At the moment the advice is for people to wash their hands thoroughly. The government has been issuing advice to people returning from specific areas. Temperature checks on arrival are not effective and the government has an evidence-based, clinical approach to this. The number of cases in the UK is increasing, we have had the first fatalities and it is clear that it is spreading in the country. The environment department will be speaking to supermarket companies about what measures can be taken to ensure supplies to shops. The Bank of England has said it will take all steps necessary to protect the economy. DCMS held a meeting with a range of sporting bodies this morning – sporting events are not being cancelled at this point. The PM has said there is no need for panic buying. Whether local elections will be delayed is a matter for the Electoral Commission to advise on. The Foreign Office continues to work with the US authorities on what can be done to bring home the 142 Britons on the Grand Princess cruise ship. A SAGE meeting is expected tomorrow along with a further Cobra meeting on Wednesday.
I think they are really hoping to get through the next 2 weeks with mostly imported traceable cases and then tell people it is stay at home time.
That sounds about a week too late to me. FWTW.
Well although no Boris fan, I do believe that unlike Trump, he will follow the advice of Witty and Co.
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
Or even an app....
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/28/tech/korea-coronavirus-tracking-apps/index.html ...Mobile apps that help track the disease in South Korea ranked as six of the top 15 downloads on the country's Google Play app store on Thursday. Developers of some apps — which source their data from public government information — told CNN Business that they have been getting a surge in downloads since launching their products earlier this month.
"The installs are increasing about 20,000 every hour," said Bae Won-Seok, one of the developers of Corona 100m, an app that allows people to see the date that a coronavirus patient was confirmed to have the disease, along with that patient's nationality, gender, age and where the patient visited. The person using the app can also see how close they are to coronavirus patients.
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
Which is what every other European country have done
I can only presume the government delay on pushing the stop button is that only a couple more weeks and it is Easter holidays. Then you can simply extend schools closures to the whole month of April.
My biggest fear is how many people are going to jet of to the Middle East etc for their Spring sunshine break.
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
getting all medical staff to routinely wear face masks would send a strong message esp. re 3.
My elderly mother had a GP appointment today and just rung to say no hand gels, no sign of any extra precautions. I had obviously told them they aren't to sit in the waiting room, to touch door handles etc and to take their own hand gels.
... Replace the boxes with subtle but astute, intelligence-led, regulation by dedicated people who truly knew their onions and yet were sufficiently detached from the business to be robust, impartial, and incorruptible.
I guess that was the Tory plan...
Yes, that was exactly the Tory plan, returning responsibility for financial supervision (which is NOT the same thing as micro-regulation) back where it belonged: to the Bank of England, where it had been for 150 years before Brown screwed it up. In that 150 years there was not a single bank run in the UK, despite that period encompassing two unprecedented world wars, multiple world financial crises, the 1929 crash, the Great Depression in which hundreds of US banks went bust, the oil-price crisis, and Black Friday.
What's more, this isn't hindsight: in 1997 Francis Maude warned in parliament exactly what would happen under Brown's disastrous 'tripartite' regulation, which left no one in charge of maintaining the integrity of the financial system.
One of the things I have found a little odd is that normally in times of international crisis there is a strong switch to the dollar as the ultimate place of safety. In the last 3 weeks the dollar has been consistently weak against the Euro, down 4c, and has even declined against Sterling which has not been particularly strong either.
Is this: * because the President of the US is a blithering idiot who simply does not inspire confidence? * A general recognition that a major set back for the global economy is a major blow for the US? * Recognition that the USA are heading to particular problems with this virus because of their dangerously ineffective health system? *Concern that a crisis in China raises the sharp question of who is going to buy all of Trump's bonds?
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
Which is what every other European country have done
Because its what works. And so far *touch wood* we've done them much better than many other nations have.
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
getting all medical staff to routinely wear face masks would send a strong message esp. re 3.
It doesn't have to be draconian, nor is there any point implementing measures that are ineffective, but the policies do need to be articulated and applied in a consistent and joined up way. So If your policy is that people coming from infected areas such as North Italy should should self-isolate, they should be met at the airport, explained to them what is required in terms of self isolation and not simply allowed to go onto public transport without challenge.
I can only presume that the testing numbers today are going to look ok and so decided not to pull the emergency break, but seems totally wrong.
The message coming through the journalists' briefing session appears to be one of "masterful inactivity". That's Johnson's stock-in-trade, but it doesn't feel like the correct response for an epidemic.
I am not aware of a single specific policy that the government has put in place for the Coronavirus epidemic as of now. There are exhortations to wash your hands and to self isolate if in doubt, without explaining exactly what that means. There is also talk of keeping things in review and liaising with various people. I would be happier with:
1. This thing 2. That thing 3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
To start with:
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus. 2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus. 3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
Which is what every other European country have done
Because its what works. And so far *touch wood* we've done them much better than many other nations have.
Actually I think eliminating the box ticking nonsense and not replacing it with anything at all would have been an improvement.
The problem with the box ticking is it replaces common sense so you think you're protected when in reality you're not, thus making the situation worse.
Valid point.
But, look, this is detail, the question is - if the Cons had been in charge for the years leading up the GFC is it at all probable, based on what we know, that things would have been significantly better for the UK?
If you are answering that with a confident "Yes" - and truly believing it - there is little that one can say except, "Ok, Tory".
Yes, that was exactly the Tory plan, returning responsibility for financial supervision (which is NOT the same thing as micro-regulation) back where it belonged: to the Bank of England, where it had been for 150 years before Brown screwed it up. In that 150 years there was not a single bank run in the UK, despite that period encompassing two unprecedented world wars, multiple world financial crises, the 1929 crash, the Great Depression in which hundreds of US banks went bust, the oil-price crisis, and Black Friday.
What's more, this isn't hindsight: in 1997 Francis Maude warned in parliament exactly what would happen under Brown's disastrous 'tripartite' regulation, which left no one in charge of maintaining the integrity of the financial system.
The BoE would have headed it off? Or even any material proportion of it?
Yes, that was exactly the Tory plan, returning responsibility for financial supervision (which is NOT the same thing as micro-regulation) back where it belonged: to the Bank of England, where it had been for 150 years before Brown screwed it up. In that 150 years there was not a single bank run in the UK, despite that period encompassing two unprecedented world wars, multiple world financial crises, the 1929 crash, the Great Depression in which hundreds of US banks went bust, the oil-price crisis, and Black Friday.
What's more, this isn't hindsight: in 1997 Francis Maude warned in parliament exactly what would happen under Brown's disastrous 'tripartite' regulation, which left no one in charge of maintaining the integrity of the financial system.
The BoE would have headed it off? Or even any material proportion of it?
That is a view that I would describe as sweet.
They managed to do for all those years before. Remember, the affliction in the UK banking industry was completely different to what crashed the banking industry in the US. If you really want to learn something I'll happily go through it, but if you just want to make a cheap partisan point about how Labour weren't to blame and it all started in America there's no point.
They managed to do for all those years before. Remember, the affliction in the UK banking industry was completely different to what crashed the banking industry in the US. If you really want to learn something I'll happily go through it, but if you just want to make a cheap partisan point about how Labour weren't to blame and it all started in America there's no point.
They managed to do for all those years before. Remember, the affliction in the UK banking industry was completely different to what crashed the banking industry in the US. If you really want to learn something I'll happily go through it, but if you just want to make a cheap partisan point about how Labour weren't to blame and it all started in America there's no point.
Actually I think eliminating the box ticking nonsense and not replacing it with anything at all would have been an improvement.
The problem with the box ticking is it replaces common sense so you think you're protected when in reality you're not, thus making the situation worse.
Valid point.
But, look, this is detail, the question is - if the Cons had been in charge for the years leading up the GFC is it at all probable, based on what we know, that things would have been significantly better for the UK?
If you are answering that with a confident "Yes" - and truly believing it - there is little that one can say except, "Ok, Tory".
My recollection from Parliament at the time was that the Conservatives were consistently arguing for less regulation of the markets, not more (rather on the lines of Philip's post), and in general they opposed whatever the Government happened to be doing. For example, they routinely argued that any increase in police numbers was not enough, whereas they now downplay the idea that a reduction has led to less control of crime. No spending budget was high enough, no tax level was low enough.
It's the classic style of opposition, and Labour does it too. But evidence that they would have handled the crisis better is scanty.
Actually I think eliminating the box ticking nonsense and not replacing it with anything at all would have been an improvement.
The problem with the box ticking is it replaces common sense so you think you're protected when in reality you're not, thus making the situation worse.
Valid point.
But, look, this is detail, the question is - if the Cons had been in charge for the years leading up the GFC is it at all probable, based on what we know, that things would have been significantly better for the UK?
If you are answering that with a confident "Yes" - and truly believing it - there is little that one can say except, "Ok, Tory".
My recollection from Parliament at the time was that the Conservatives were consistently arguing for less regulation of the markets, not more (rather on the lines of Philip's post), and in general they opposed whatever the Government happened to be doing. For example, they routinely argued that any increase in police numbers was not enough, whereas they now downplay the idea that a reduction has led to less control of crime. No spending budget was high enough, no tax level was low enough.
It's the classic style of opposition, and Labour does it too. But evidence that they would have handled the crisis better is scanty.
As a non partisan you are correct in your recall. The parties in the noughties were arguing about spending differences of 0.5% of GDP as if it was some big ideological gap between red and blue when in reality it is a rounding error in our national accounts.
Comments
My biggest fear is how many people are going to jet of to the Middle East etc for their Spring sunshine break.
https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/56798/mechanism-of-action-revealed-for-remdesivir-potential-coronavirus-drug/
A team of academic and industry researchers has reported new findings on how exactly an investigational antiviral drug stops coronaviruses. The paper was published the same day that the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that the drug in question, remdesivir, is being used in the country’s first clinical trial of an experimental treatment for COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Previous research in cell cultures and animal models has shown that remdesivir can block replication of a variety of coronaviruses, but until now it has not been clear how it does so. The researchers, from the University of Alberta, US, and Gilead, studied the drug’s effects on the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). They found that remdesivir blocks a particular enzyme that is required for viral replication. …
1. This thing
2. That thing
3. Another thing
And we will push these policies consistently.
The UK is still in the contain phase, but it is accepted that the disease will spread at speed. Any steps to delay the disease have to be introduced at the optimum time.
The government will be led by the evidence and scientific advice. If there is further advice, it will be issued. At the moment the advice is for people to wash their hands thoroughly.
The government has been issuing advice to people returning from specific areas. Temperature checks on arrival are not effective and the government has an evidence-based, clinical approach to this.
The number of cases in the UK is increasing, we have had the first fatalities and it is clear that it is spreading in the country.
The environment department will be speaking to supermarket companies about what measures can be taken to ensure supplies to shops.
The Bank of England has said it will take all steps necessary to protect the economy.
DCMS held a meeting with a range of sporting bodies this morning – sporting events are not being cancelled at this point.
The PM has said there is no need for panic buying.
Whether local elections will be delayed is a matter for the Electoral Commission to advise on.
The Foreign Office continues to work with the US authorities on what can be done to bring home the 142 Britons on the Grand Princess cruise ship.
A SAGE meeting is expected tomorrow along with a further Cobra meeting on Wednesday.
Effectively eliminating interest would transform the UK's budget.
I guess that was the Tory plan.
What a shame they were not in charge. Things would have been so much better for us.
Seriously, you sound borderline clueless on this topic. Sorry, but it has to be said.
1. Isolating [by force if need be] those who have the virus.
2. Contact tracing and testing to identify who has the virus.
3. Educating the public not to go to the GP/hospital if they suspect they have the virus.
What we'd give for a bit of status quo eh?
Edit/Yes
Meanwhile the FTSE can do the heavy sinking for the US
The problem with the box ticking is it replaces common sense so you think you're protected when in reality you're not, thus making the situation worse.
Edit/ From Bloomberg:
A 15-minute trading halt trading halt took hold after the S&P 500 Index fell 7% to 2,764.21 as of 9:34 a.m. in New York, triggering the breaker for the first time since December 2008 at the depths of the financial crisis. Futures had plunged 4.89% overnight Sunday, triggering exchange rules that limit losses on those contracts and distorting price discovery for the cash market before the opening.
When trading resumes, another 15-minute pause will happen if losses reach 13%, a drop that would put the S&P 500 at 2,585.96. If the decline hits 20%, or 2,377.9, markets will close for the day. Only the 20% rule applies in the final 35 minutes of cash trading. Traders have never seen a 13% or 20% breaker trip.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/28/tech/korea-coronavirus-tracking-apps/index.html
...Mobile apps that help track the disease in South Korea ranked as six of the top 15 downloads on the country's Google Play app store on Thursday. Developers of some apps — which source their data from public government information — told CNN Business that they have been getting a surge in downloads since launching their products earlier this month.
"The installs are increasing about 20,000 every hour," said Bae Won-Seok, one of the developers of Corona 100m, an app that allows people to see the date that a coronavirus patient was confirmed to have the disease, along with that patient's nationality, gender, age and where the patient visited. The person using the app can also see how close they are to coronavirus patients.
...GPDR be damned !
What's more, this isn't hindsight: in 1997 Francis Maude warned in parliament exactly what would happen under Brown's disastrous 'tripartite' regulation, which left no one in charge of maintaining the integrity of the financial system.
Is this:
* because the President of the US is a blithering idiot who simply does not inspire confidence?
* A general recognition that a major set back for the global economy is a major blow for the US?
* Recognition that the USA are heading to particular problems with this virus because of their dangerously ineffective health system?
*Concern that a crisis in China raises the sharp question of who is going to buy all of Trump's bonds?
or something else? It's certainly odd.
Trading on this thread is suspended
But, look, this is detail, the question is - if the Cons had been in charge for the years leading up the GFC is it at all probable, based on what we know, that things would have been significantly better for the UK?
If you are answering that with a confident "Yes" - and truly believing it - there is little that one can say except, "Ok, Tory".
It just isn't good enough, I'm not surprised the Chinese are heading home.
20,000 before 30,000.
That is a view that I would describe as sweet.
Wait no, that's Murder on the Dancefloor.
It's the classic style of opposition, and Labour does it too. But evidence that they would have handled the crisis better is scanty.