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  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491

    So has anyone watched the first episodes of season three of Westworld?

    Was it more season one or was it more like season two?

    Yes...it wasn't like either really. Think Jason Bourne or actually more like the Cyberpunk game that is coming out soon. All action, very little intrigue, and certainly no sign of 27 different timelines all co-existing leaving you to have to rewatch the episode 3 times to ensure you don't miss all the clues.

    I reserve judgement to see if it is going to be a total shitshow like season 2, but it is definitely dumbed down.
    Ta, I think I might wait until most of the episodes have aired, and see what the consensus is before I commit.

    I struggle to think of a show that had a bigger drop off in quality between seasons that Westworld had between season 1 and 2.
    Aliens to Alien3


    (Although I grant you not quite the same thing)
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,833
    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
  • logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,914
    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    Nasty, you want another Kavanaugh before Trump gets his marching orders?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,464
    Cookie said:

    Cookie said:

    Cookie said:

    How long will it be before all these one off walk in type medical centres with private services offer COVID tests while you wait?

    A few days?

    Well one of the 14 companies developing tests has already sent it to pharmacies, but it is only for staff usage at the moment. Their timeline was 3 weeks before the public could buy it.
    Surely once home testing is relatively easy and quick, the need for draconian measures will diminish. Feel symptoms - test - act accordingly.
    Depends upon reliability and diligence of self-testing though surely?
    I dunno. What's the acceptable risk of living in a Western Democracy??

    Far more under 60s will die this year on the roads than will ever, ever die of Corona. Ever. Under 60 road deaths has got Corona completely totally licked.

    Shall we ban driving? stopping vehicle production are we sending the world economy into a coma over those road deaths?

    Our governments are insane.
    You are so right, life is risky, 1700 people die each day in the UK. We cannot pretend that we can live in a risk free bubble. We haven't in the past. The problem is we now live in the internet age. If this pandemic was 30 years ago I doubt any of these lockdowns would have happened. People would just shrug that old ill people were dying.
    1989 UK flu with 30,000 deaths is clearly an example where it was not a big media story let alone national emergency.
    In being seen to 'do something' governments are about to do far more harm than they are good. Far more.

    Maybe if people see that, something will have come from this sorry episode.
    I think what the UK govt has done so far has actually been prudent and reasonable. I have more sympathy for your view than the views of the everyone needs to be locked down and isolated without daylight group. Some other governments do seem in a something needs to be done mode.
    Yes, I agree.

    How many people are we guessing are going to die in the UK from corona? My guess (and I stress guess, not estimate) is 1 million. But there are roughly 600,000 deaths in the UK each year. Many, or most of that 1 million will be in the category of people who were going to die this year anyway, and many of those who aren't will be in next year's 600,000 or that of the year after. On this basis (and again, I stress the earlier word 'guess') we will see a net loss in UK population this year - but give it two years and we'll be back to where we would have been.
    I think that's incredibly heartless - these are real people - our parents, grandparents, friends and colleagues.

    Then again I think (hope) your 1 million figure is way too high and I agree the government (or more accurately the scientists) have got it about right so far.
    Ben, apologies if that's the way it comes across. I don't mean to sound heartless: I have four family members I am worrying bitterly about (far more, it has to be said, than they are worrying about themselves). But I'm trying to see this from a wider perspective - the death of an elderly relative is of course a tragedy, but - if my understanding of the demographics of this is correct - for many of the people who die of this illness it's a tragedy that would have happened this year for one reason or another anyway.
    But I don't want to be flippant about this.

    I am glad however that you think my 1 million figure is far too high. Any straw gratefully clutched at!
    Fair enough, no offence taken, I am in a similar place.

    My close relatives who are in their 80s are pretty sanguine about this really - I guess they have accustomed themselves to the idea of a future that doesn't stretch out that far.
    Yes, that must be a factor. I wonder whether being of that age also makes it possible to view it with rather more detachment - no longer having dependents etc.
    My elderly relatives are all remarkably bullish about their own chances, for various reasons:
    - my Dad thinks many people will die but appears to believe he is indestructible
    - my Mum thinks it is a lot of media fuss
    - my mother-in-law values quality if life more than quantity and if that adds to her risk of death she doesn't much care
    - my father-in-law seems to believe he has already had it. (He hasn't.)

    As I approach my 82nd birthday I think I agree with your m-i-l, and with the second half of your father's opinion!
    Son in law and eldest grandson have offered to shop for us, although eldest grandson has a problem in that he has been told that as a teacher he must not risk himself in any way.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491

    Cookie said:

    Cookie said:

    How long will it be before all these one off walk in type medical centres with private services offer COVID tests while you wait?

    A few days?

    Well one of the 14 companies developing tests has already sent it to pharmacies, but it is only for staff usage at the moment. Their timeline was 3 weeks before the public could buy it.
    Surely once home testing is relatively easy and quick, the need for draconian measures will diminish. Feel symptoms - test - act accordingly.
    Depends upon reliability and diligence of self-testing though surely?
    I dunno. What's the acceptable risk of living in a Western Democracy??

    Far more under 60s will die this year on the roads than will ever, ever die of Corona. Ever. Under 60 road deaths has got Corona completely totally licked.

    Shall we ban driving? stopping vehicle production are we sending the world economy into a coma over those road deaths?

    Our governments are insane.
    You are so right, life is risky, 1700 people die each day in the UK. We cannot pretend that we can live in a risk free bubble. We haven't in the past. The problem is we now live in the internet age. If this pandemic was 30 years ago I doubt any of these lockdowns would have happened. People would just shrug that old ill people were dying.
    1989 UK flu with 30,000 deaths is clearly an example where it was not a big media story let alone national emergency.
    In being seen to 'do something' governments are about to do far more harm than they are good. Far more.

    Maybe if people see that, something will have come from this sorry episode.
    I think what the UK govt has done so far has actually been prudent and reasonable. I have more sympathy for your view than the views of the everyone needs to be locked down and isolated without daylight group. Some other governments do seem in a something needs to be done mode.
    Yes, I agree.

    How many people are we guessing are going to die in the UK from corona? My guess (and I stress guess, not estimate) is 1 million. But there are roughly 600,000 deaths in the UK each year. Many, or most of that 1 million will be in the category of people who were going to die this year anyway, and many of those who aren't will be in next year's 600,000 or that of the year after. On this basis (and again, I stress the earlier word 'guess') we will see a net loss in UK population this year - but give it two years and we'll be back to where we would have been.
    I think that's incredibly heartless - these are real people - our parents, grandparents, friends and colleagues.

    Then again I think (hope) your 1 million figure is way too high and I agree the government (or more accurately the scientists) have got it about right so far.
    Ben, apologies if that's the way it comes across. I don't mean to sound heartless: I have four family members I am worrying bitterly about (far more, it has to be said, than they are worrying about themselves). But I'm trying to see this from a wider perspective - the death of an elderly relative is of course a tragedy, but - if my understanding of the demographics of this is correct - for many of the people who die of this illness it's a tragedy that would have happened this year for one reason or another anyway.
    But I don't want to be flippant about this.

    I am glad however that you think my 1 million figure is far too high. Any straw gratefully clutched at!
    The real blow is when a younger relative dies. I'm not referring to the loss of a young child, but when an adult one dies. My wife, having given maternal support to our three children through their young adult years (as well of course as childhood) now finds herself giving the same sort of support to our eldest granddaughter, consequent upon the loss of her mother, our daughter.
    Very sorry to hear that @OldKingCole - I can't imagine how hard that must be.
    And so am I. The lost of a child at any age is just devastating and my best wishes and understanding to OKC and family
    Thanks. As I replied to Mr P, it was a while ago, but still, and always will, hurt.
    So sorry to hear that OKC. My thoughts are with you and your wife.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    Nasty, you want another Kavanaugh before Trump gets his marching orders?
    Its not a "who do you want" to get it post.
  • alex_alex_ Posts: 7,518
    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    Germany clearly going to have herd immunity before number of deaths pass 100.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695
    Sounds like rot to me.

    UC can give out a budgeting advance to anyone who asks for it... problem is they then ask for it to be repaid out of the coming year's monthly payments of £251.77 per mth at £21 pm.

    Just give everyone a non-repayable UC advance would solve the problem.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,601
    Very poor reporting by the media on the latest UK figures. Hardly any of them mentioning the fact that the percentage increase in cases is the lowest since 27th February.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,491
    Just checking my spin lines... If the EU makes an exception for the UK then it’s a handsome gesture but if the US does the same then it’s playing politics and not looking at risk factors properly.

    Have I got that right?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    Andy_JS said:

    Very poor reporting by the media on the latest UK figures. Hardly any of them mentioning the fact that the percentage increase in cases is the lowest since 27th February.

    And given the reporting so far on this crisis you are surprised?
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285

    My year 7 son being sent home with "a month's worth of homework" tomorrow so he says...

    We are going to have a practise run of getting the students to work from home. I spent last week giving out as many past papers to my exam groups as I could. One class has nine two hour papers to keep them happy...
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,609

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868

    Just checking my spin lines... If the EU makes an exception for the UK then it’s a handsome gesture but if the US does the same then it’s playing politics and not looking at risk factors properly.

    Have I got that right?

    Don’t be so churlish. It’s a day for hanging out the EU flags!
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
    The university librarian in the Discworld series was a bit tasty IIRC, being a monkey and all
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704
    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Are they the same tests as used elsewhere?
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,413

    Just checking my spin lines... If the EU makes an exception for the UK then it’s a handsome gesture but if the US does the same then it’s playing politics and not looking at risk factors properly.

    Have I got that right?

    lol
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695

    Just checking my spin lines... If the EU makes an exception for the UK then it’s a handsome gesture but if the US does the same then it’s playing politics and not looking at risk factors properly.

    Have I got that right?

    The US is not making an exception for the UK, just saying.
  • If anyone thinks this contributes to the crisis they need to get help
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited March 2020
    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695
    edited March 2020
    IanB2 said:

    Just checking my spin lines... If the EU makes an exception for the UK then it’s a handsome gesture but if the US does the same then it’s playing politics and not looking at risk factors properly.

    Have I got that right?

    Don’t be so churlish. It’s a day for hanging out the EU flags!
    Nah, don't do that... some bright spark will notice that the EU flag is a symbolic coronavirus.
  • sladeslade Posts: 2,041
    IanB2 said:

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    Norman Davies: Europe, a history. Real desert island stuff.
    Steven Mithen: After The Ice. A Global Human History 20,000-5000 BC
  • logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,914

    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    Nasty, you want another Kavanaugh before Trump gets his marching orders?
    Its not a "who do you want" to get it post.
    Is it not? What's it about then?
    I may have to apologise.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695

    If anyone thinks this contributes to the crisis they need to get help
    Humour in adversity, Big_G. It might not be your cup of tea but it helps some of us.
  • contrariancontrarian Posts: 5,818

    Andy_JS said:

    Very poor reporting by the media on the latest UK figures. Hardly any of them mentioning the fact that the percentage increase in cases is the lowest since 27th February.

    And given the reporting so far on this crisis you are surprised?
    The Express has a headline about a 21-year old dying of Corona.

    When you click on the story you read he also had leukemia, and the poor fellow would not have died but for this.

    I mean FFS. These newspapers really are garbage
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,806
    Mr. Contrarian, it's a tightrope, trying to keep informed about matters whilst having to wade through all the bullshit the media spews.
  • ukpaulukpaul Posts: 649
    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    @Dura_Ace

    I put mine earlier but it might have been missed -

    Alex Jones (Infowars etc.)

    He’s bonkers enough to ignore any advice give.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
    What was his body count?
  • If anyone thinks this contributes to the crisis they need to get help
    Humour in adversity, Big_G. It might not be your cup of tea but it helps some of us.
    I do not see this as humour and it just adds to discourse
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    edited March 2020

    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    Nasty, you want another Kavanaugh before Trump gets his marching orders?
    Its not a "who do you want" to get it post.
    Is it not? What's it about then?
    I may have to apologise.
    Dura_Ace started a "deadpool" dark humour 'competition' of getting people to guess who might be the first celebrity who passes from this. There were dozens and dozens of replies in the last thread about it.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,675

    So has anyone watched the first episodes of season three of Westworld?

    Was it more season one or was it more like season two?

    Yes...it wasn't like either really. Think Jason Bourne or actually more like the Cyberpunk game that is coming out soon. All action, very little intrigue, and certainly no sign of 27 different timelines all co-existing leaving you to have to rewatch the episode 3 times to ensure you don't miss all the clues.

    I reserve judgement to see if it is going to be a total shitshow like season 2, but it is definitely dumbed down.
    Ta, I think I might wait until most of the episodes have aired, and see what the consensus is before I commit.

    I struggle to think of a show that had a bigger drop off in quality between seasons that Westworld had between season 1 and 2.
    Aliens to Alien3


    (Although I grant you not quite the same thing)
    Season 1: Cameron/Clegg 2010-2015
    Season 2: Cameron/May/Johnson 2015-2020

    Renewed for a desperate third season.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285
    DougSeal said:

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
    The university librarian in the Discworld series was a bit tasty IIRC, being a monkey and all
    Not as good with a pistol though.
  • My middle lad was supposed to start a contract as a runner for a small TV production company next week. That's now been cancelled due to this fecking virus. His side hustle as a videographer /photographer for music videos and gigs is on its arse now as well. Bollocks.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,464
    DougSeal said:

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
    The university librarian in the Discworld series was a bit tasty IIRC, being a monkey and all
    A pedant writes; an ape, not a monkey!
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    ukpaul said:

    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    @Dura_Ace

    I put mine earlier but it might have been missed -

    Alex Jones (Infowars etc.)

    He’s bonkers enough to ignore any advice give.
    I presume he is already selling some new iffy health products targeted at those worried about coronavirus.
  • eekeek Posts: 28,405
    DougSeal said:

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
    The university librarian in the Discworld series was a bit tasty IIRC, being a monkey and all
    If we are talking Librarians and Fantasy I will give you https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Library-Book-ebook/dp/B00M44051E which also features dragons, alternative worlds and a Sherlock Holmes rip-off.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935

    Just checking my spin lines... If the EU makes an exception for the UK then it’s a handsome gesture but if the US does the same then it’s playing politics and not looking at risk factors properly.

    Have I got that right?

    The US is not making an exception for the UK, just saying.
    It was at the start, and some were saying it was because of Trump's views on the EU.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285

    DougSeal said:

    Ahem, FPT:
    Not sure if people think this wise or a waste of time but I'm putting together a few reading suggestions for those who are going to have a ton of time on their hands.

    Trying to mix it up a little. Currently got:
    Lone Wolf gamebooks
    Sharpe series
    A few Chinese classics
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
    Complete Works of Shakespeare

    Any quick suggestions to add to the list, bearing in mind I'm looking for time sinks?

    Edited extra bit: questions should have question marks.

    On-topic: I think I've got some green on Harris and Warren, so if they're the VP picks I'll be pleased.

    'A few Chinese classics'? Seems a bit of a loose recommendation.

    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is very apt right now ;-)

    The Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are very good if you like historical fiction.
    David Drake has written a science fiction take on the Aubrey-Maturin series, starting with “With The Lightnings”. Includes the most dangerous librarian I know of in literature (the Maturin equivalent).
    More dangerous than the librarian in The Name of the Rose?
    The university librarian in the Discworld series was a bit tasty IIRC, being a monkey and all
    A pedant writes; an ape, not a monkey!
    In fact calling him the m-word is what will make him dangerous...
  • alex_alex_ Posts: 7,518
    How much are the death/mortality statistics being influenced by people with near terminal conditions catching this in hospital just prior to death?

    In, much as it’s not what you want to speculate on, are there benefits to hospitals in listing cause of death as CV rather than something else?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited March 2020
    BBC - "criticism of the government's handling of the outbreak and confusion over advice to over 70s".

    What confusion? They have made it clear that in the plan they will be asked to self-isolate for upto 4 months when the time comes, but not yet.
  • AndreaParma_82AndreaParma_82 Posts: 4,714
    202 new deaths in Lombardy


    The state of the the church of Bergamo's cemetery
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLjS3nI5HYQ

  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992

    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    Nasty, you want another Kavanaugh before Trump gets his marching orders?
    Its not a "who do you want" to get it post.
    Is it not? What's it about then?
    I may have to apologise.
    Dura_Ace started a "deadpool" dark humour 'competition' of getting people to guess who might be the first celebrity who passes from this. There were dozens and dozens of replies in the last thread about it.
    "Passes"? "PASSES"?

    Dies you mean - I'll accept passes away.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    If anyone thinks this contributes to the crisis they need to get help
    Humour in adversity, Big_G. It might not be your cup of tea but it helps some of us.
    I do not see this as humour and it just adds to discourse
    I thought it was funny. Its part of a long running series of Aussie "Honest Government Ads"

    The post-bushfire one was brilliant:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BmbvTvFQ3g
  • ukpaulukpaul Posts: 649

    ukpaul said:

    MaxPB said:

    @Dura_Ace Joe Biden - if no one has picked him already, if they have then Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    @Dura_Ace

    I put mine earlier but it might have been missed -

    Alex Jones (Infowars etc.)

    He’s bonkers enough to ignore any advice give.
    I presume he is already selling some new iffy health products targeted at those worried about coronavirus.
    But, of course.....

    https://www.motherjones.com/media/2020/03/ny-attorney-general-tells-alex-jones-to-stop-suggesting-his-products-fight-coronavirus/
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,164

    felix said:

    Talking of food supplies, I think we must be heading for a quite serious shortage of fresh fruit and veg over the next few weeks. The lockdowns in Spain and Italy must be having a serious disruptive effect on supplies and transport, and it's going to be made worse by effect of the awful weather in the UK on our agriculture.

    I live near the main motorway which takes fruit and veg from SE Spain north. Despite the lockdown the lorries are still heading north in full force.
    Handpicked by people guaranteed to have had no exposure to Covid-19, presumably.....
    In Almeria there are 14 confirmed cases! You want the toms or not?
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,675
    Will be interesting to see how the government positions itself today. Events have placed it in a difficult political position.

    If we need to 'Test, Test, Test' we should probably test.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited March 2020
    kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds that much on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935

    BBC - "criticism of the government's handling of the outbreak and confusion over advice to over 70s".

    What confusion? They have made it clear that in the plan they will be asked to self-isolate for upto 4 months when the time comes, but not yet.

    Criticism? I assume there's another letter by leading astronomers and pure mathematicians in circulation then.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Andy_JS said:

    Very poor reporting by the media on the latest UK figures. Hardly any of them mentioning the fact that the percentage increase in cases is the lowest since 27th February.

    And given the reporting so far on this crisis you are surprised?
    The Express has a headline about a 21-year old dying of Corona.

    When you click on the story you read he also had leukemia, and the poor fellow would not have died but for this.

    I mean FFS. These newspapers really are garbage
    He also wouldn't have died but for coronavirus.

    In fact the leukemia was only diagnosed *after* he presented with CV symptoms. Given his age and the fact the leukemia was asymptomatic to this stage, it is credible he was good for a good five years or more without the CV. So this isn't a non CV death masquerading as a CV one.
  • PM conference expected at 4.45pm
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,176
    Just got back to Waterloo. It’s like a ghost town.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited March 2020
    RobD said:

    BBC - "criticism of the government's handling of the outbreak and confusion over advice to over 70s".

    What confusion? They have made it clear that in the plan they will be asked to self-isolate for upto 4 months when the time comes, but not yet.

    Criticism? I assume there's another letter by leading astronomers and pure mathematicians in circulation then.
    Well Jezza has popped up and demanded to know why weren't aren't doing the same as Italy or France. He doesn't understand why.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482

    kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
  • FeersumEnjineeyaFeersumEnjineeya Posts: 4,430
    edited March 2020

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
  • Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,285
    tlg86 said:

    Just got back to Waterloo. It’s like a ghost town.

    Two very different songs I think.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992

    tlg86 said:

    Just got back to Waterloo. It’s like a ghost town.

    Two very different songs I think.
    LOL
  • kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
    From where is your "understanding" gleaned?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited March 2020

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    I am sure they are doing an amazing job, but their figures are so out of line for a disease where even the finest medics in the world only have a very limited set of tools.

    If they really do have an amazing best practice that is keeping their death rate down to virtually nothing, I am sure we all want every countries medics to know about it.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    Could be any number of reasons. Simply fewer critical cases, for example.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    20 crew and 20 passengers are in isolation awaiting tests.

    Meanwhile Carnival just borrowed $3 billion on the money markets. It’s offering passengers on its cancelled cruises 125% credit towards a future booking; in the small print it says that people can instead apply for cash refund by completing the online form.

    Said online form is imaginatively titled, in big letters at the top, “ Forfeit of 125% Future Cruise Credit “
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,609
    felix said:

    felix said:

    Talking of food supplies, I think we must be heading for a quite serious shortage of fresh fruit and veg over the next few weeks. The lockdowns in Spain and Italy must be having a serious disruptive effect on supplies and transport, and it's going to be made worse by effect of the awful weather in the UK on our agriculture.

    I live near the main motorway which takes fruit and veg from SE Spain north. Despite the lockdown the lorries are still heading north in full force.
    Handpicked by people guaranteed to have had no exposure to Covid-19, presumably.....
    In Almeria there are 14 confirmed cases! You want the toms or not?
    Tinned from my cupboard store, thanks.
  • Last week's sales numbers are in from the supermarkets. Pretty clear that a load of normal shoppers are raiding Free From as main aisle is out. Some genuinely gob-smacking numbers in there - 500% up some products vs 1st 8 weeks average...
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935
    IanB2 said:

    20 crew and 20 passengers are in isolation awaiting tests.

    Meanwhile Carnival just borrowed $3 billion on the money markets. It’s offering passengers on its cancelled cruises 125% credit towards a future booking; in the small print it says that people can instead apply for cash refund by completing the online form.

    Said online form is imaginatively titled, in big letters at the top, “ Forfeit of 125% Future Cruise Credit “
    That seems very misleading.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486
    tlg86 said:

    Just got back to Waterloo. It’s like a ghost town.

    Is your company still insisting you work from the office?
  • RobD said:

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    Could be any number of reasons. Simply fewer critical cases, for example.
    Certainly. But I was replying to FrancisUrquhart who reckoned it was either magic elixir or fiddling the figures.
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,413

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    Obviously they are, otherwise the NHS wouldn't be the best health service in the Universe.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482

    kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
    From where is your "understanding" gleaned?
    From PB, where else? Someone posted it. Please don't even start implying I'm making some Brexity point - I have no issue with stating that Germany generally has better health service outcomes than the UK, I'll argue that all day long.
  • FeersumEnjineeyaFeersumEnjineeya Posts: 4,430
    edited March 2020

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    I am sure they are doing an amazing job, but their figures are so out of line for a disease where even the finest medics in the world only have a very limited set of tools.

    If they really do have an amazing best practice that is keeping their death rate down to virtually nothing, I am sure we all want every countries medics to know about it.
    Their state-of-the-art ICU facilities and large number of highly trained medical staff may just have something to do with it.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,601
    edited March 2020
    Anyone heard of something called "marshall law"?

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1239553159154057216
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,176

    tlg86 said:

    Just got back to Waterloo. It’s like a ghost town.

    Is your company still insisting you work from the office?
    Yes, though my line manager has said I can work from home if I want to. It’s civil service so I wonder if the message from on high is to keep staff coming into London as long as possible.

    And given how quiet it is, it actually feels much safer than the last three weeks.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935
    Andy_JS said:

    Anyone heard of something called "marshall law"?

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1239553159154057216

    Good lord.
  • FenmanFenman Posts: 1,047
    All my life has been spent avoiding reading more Laura Esquival but four months of isolation could drive me to it.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    Footsie -

    Is anyone sensing we are near the bottom?

    Is today when we look back and wish we'd bought?
  • SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,773
    Andy_JS said:

    Anyone heard of something called "marshall law"?

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1239553159154057216

    Bone apple tea.
  • rural_voterrural_voter Posts: 2,038

    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    I wouldn't expect them to be much different from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland or Denmark. These countries have a modern well-funded NHS and probably less red tape because they're tax funded like the UK's is.

    If they're lower, they may be using a different definition.

    The last time I looked at the Nordic countries, they had far fewer bodies than the UK, per case diagnosed.

    My guess is that the NHS a) is creaking at the seams, b) needs the £30 bn Lansley cited, but yesterday and c) has lots of other flaws that have crept in since Thatcher introduced the internal market.
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    I’ll be using any social isolation to do some writing.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,767
    RobD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Anyone heard of something called "marshall law"?

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1239553159154057216

    Good lord.
    Are we about to see why arming vast swathes of ordinary folk is a really, really bad idea?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,767
    edited March 2020
    kinabalu said:

    Footsie -

    Is anyone sensing we are near the bottom?

    Is today when we look back and wish we'd bought?

    Nope.

    But DYOR obviously
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,935
    edited March 2020

    I’ll be using any social isolation to do some writing.

    The internet is proving too distracting to get any work done while at home.

    So exactly the same as in the office then.
  • kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
    From where is your "understanding" gleaned?
    From PB, where else? Someone posted it. Please don't even start implying I'm making some Brexity point - I have no issue with stating that Germany generally has better health service outcomes than the UK, I'll argue that all day long.
    Who mentioned Brexit? My beef with you is simply about the way you regurgitate any old crap you read on the internet as though it had some sort of basis in fact.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868

    If anyone thinks this contributes to the crisis they need to get help
    Humour in adversity, Big_G. It might not be your cup of tea but it helps some of us.
    I do not see this as humour and it just adds to discourse
    Discourse of antibiotics may one day save your life.
  • RobD said:

    IanB2 said:

    20 crew and 20 passengers are in isolation awaiting tests.

    Meanwhile Carnival just borrowed $3 billion on the money markets. It’s offering passengers on its cancelled cruises 125% credit towards a future booking; in the small print it says that people can instead apply for cash refund by completing the online form.

    Said online form is imaginatively titled, in big letters at the top, “ Forfeit of 125% Future Cruise Credit “
    That seems very misleading.
    It is
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited March 2020
    WHO director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus repeated one simple message to governments - "test, test, test"

    He advised countries to test every suspected case of coronavirus, and then isolate positive cases. Anyone in contact with patients two days before they showed symptoms should also be tested, he said
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    kinabalu said:

    Footsie -

    Is anyone sensing we are near the bottom?

    Is today when we look back and wish we'd bought?

    There’ll be resistance at 5000, maybe for a while, until the crisis takes another turn for the worse. You are right only if news of a successful vaccine or cure breaks.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    binary outcome in Germany
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,222

    kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
    If someone age 90 who is in a care home, frail, has respiratory problems, has cardiac problems - and so is 90% fucked - then catches Covid-19 and is now 100% fucked. Does it make any sense to regard this person as a victim of the virus?:

    I am not a medical professional.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,680
    Andy_JS said:

    Anyone heard of something called "marshall law"?

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1239553159154057216

    I suppose the only spelling you tend to see nowadays is the one used on guitar amplifiers, so perhaps an understandable mistake.
  • FenmanFenman Posts: 1,047
    IanB2 said:

    kinabalu said:

    Footsie -

    Is anyone sensing we are near the bottom?

    Is today when we look back and wish we'd bought?

    There’ll be resistance at 5000, maybe for a while, until the crisis takes another turn for the worse. You are right only if news of a successful vaccine or cure breaks.
    I'm buying at 4250.
  • Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.
    Initially the outbreak was among much younger people so it could be conceivable that their death rate was much lower, but now it is much more widespread.

    Either they have some magic elixir or they are being a bit naughty and only confirming if they definitely died of that and only that and after the postmortem has confirmed it.

    In the UK, we seem to categorise anybody who tested positive for it and then died as 100% due to coronavirus. From some of the reports, it definitely sounds like in a number of cases they people were already very very ill with unrelated conditions.

    And even yesterday the 59 year old who died, had it, but his window said it wasn't certain that is what killed him, she was waiting for the postmortem.
    Yes, it is obviously impossible that the Germans are simply better at caring for critically ill people than we are. They must be fiddling the figures somehow.
    I wouldn't expect them to be much different from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland or Denmark. These countries have a modern well-funded NHS and probably less red tape because they're tax funded like the UK's is.

    If they're lower, they may be using a different definition.

    The last time I looked at the Nordic countries, they had far fewer bodies than the UK, per case diagnosed.

    My guess is that the NHS a) is creaking at the seams, b) needs the £30 bn Lansley cited, but yesterday and c) has lots of other flaws that have crept in since Thatcher introduced the internal market.
    Indeed - I was obviously being sarcastic. That fact that the other Nordic countries (with well-funded health systems) also have low death rates indicates that health funding is indeed a factor in the Covid-19 death rate.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992
    kinabalu said:

    Footsie -

    Is anyone sensing we are near the bottom?

    Is today when we look back and wish we'd bought?

    It may or may not but in these febrile to say the least times the slightest catalyst will see the markets limit up for days in a row.

    What are out of the money FTSE calls trading for right now?
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,222
    kinabalu said:

    Footsie -

    Is anyone sensing we are near the bottom?

    Is today when we look back and wish we'd bought?

    Who knows - I wouldn`t bet on it.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486
    tlg86 said:

    tlg86 said:

    Just got back to Waterloo. It’s like a ghost town.

    Is your company still insisting you work from the office?
    Yes, though my line manager has said I can work from home if I want to. It’s civil service so I wonder if the message from on high is to keep staff coming into London as long as possible.

    And given how quiet it is, it actually feels much safer than the last three weeks.
    Fair enough. We are 100% remote working now. I imagine town is very quiet these days, I haven't been in since Tuesday.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    alex_ said:

    How much are the death/mortality statistics being influenced by people with near terminal conditions catching this in hospital just prior to death?

    In, much as it’s not what you want to speculate on, are there benefits to hospitals in listing cause of death as CV rather than something else?

    Yeah, let's go into this thing with a completely unfounded suggestion that those on the front line in combatting it are likely to be fraudulently fiddling the stats for their own "benefit". These bastards deserve no quarter.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482

    kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
    From where is your "understanding" gleaned?
    From PB, where else? Someone posted it. Please don't even start implying I'm making some Brexity point - I have no issue with stating that Germany generally has better health service outcomes than the UK, I'll argue that all day long.
    Who mentioned Brexit? My beef with you is simply about the way you regurgitate any old crap you read on the internet as though it had some sort of basis in fact.
    How pitiable to have a 'beef' with anyone on PB. My commiserations.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,609
    Stocky said:

    kinabalu said:

    Cookie said:

    How are the Germans getting so many cases and so few deaths? Are they vastly out-testing everyone else?

    Perhaps the virus is now so widespread that testing can't possibly keep up, and the better indicator of hos widespread it is is death rate.

    The Germans - just good at things.
    I am sure they are, but still.....given the situation at the moment i.e. their system hasn't crashed, if you are a certain age or have certain underlying conditions, no amount of German efficiency can really change the odds on death as there isn't a magic bullet they can fire.

    If they have found one, they are being very quiet about it.
    My understanding has been that they are not declaring a death as a Corona death unless it is identified as the main cause of death. Whereas other countries are listing everyone who has died whilst suffering from the disease. I don't know if this is true.
    If someone age 90 who is in a care home, frail, has respiratory problems, has cardiac problems - and so is 90% fucked - then catches Covid-19 and is now 100% fucked. Does it make any sense to regard this person as a victim of the virus?:

    I am not a medical professional.
    Their life has been shortened by the virus. Which is the common thread of the deaths to date in the UK.

    If Germany is saying they would have died anyway....well, so will all of us, eventually.

  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,862
    Charles said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "1111 new cases and 1 new death in Germany"

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    binary outcome in Germany
    Their figures are really weird and getting weirder. 6,924 cases and 14 deaths? They should have 4-5x that, minimum, probably many more at this stage since many cases unfortunately end quickly with an early death weighting the fatality higher at the start. France has 1500 fewer cases and 127 deaths.

    They are either doing something very right or they are using different criteria for recording deaths than anyone else.
This discussion has been closed.