Michael Osterholm (American infectious disease epidemiologist, and ex-US gov Bioterrorism advisor) was recently on the Joe Rogan podcast, and discussed the Wuhan lab conspiracy theory. His take that Corvid-19 was way too elegant, too sophisticated to be a man-made bio-weapon.
So I tend to go with Occam' razor here. Brilliant conspiracy theory/thriller novel ground though, I admit.
"Escaped from a lab" doesn't have to imply anything other than that the lab was doing research into coronaviruses. It could still be a virus that originated in bats.
Yes, quite. That’s been my belief from early in feb.
The fact there was a lab investigating bat coronaviruses just a few hundred meters from the fateful ‘wet market’ of Wuhan is too much coincidence to believe.
So. It came from honest scientists doing honest research, but it leaked. Maybe a worker sold a Lab bat in the black wet market.
I can't find the link at the moment but I was reading some of the stories from early January and some doctors in Hong Kong had been querying whether the Chinese authorities were only categorising cases linked to the market as being this new syndrome. It's possible that the link to the 'wet market' was a deliberately chosen narrative.
Michael Osterholm (American infectious disease epidemiologist, and ex-US gov Bioterrorism advisor) was recently on the Joe Rogan podcast, and discussed the Wuhan lab conspiracy theory. His take that Corvid-19 was way too elegant, too sophisticated to be a man-made bio-weapon.
So I tend to go with Occam' razor here. Brilliant conspiracy theory/thriller novel ground though, I admit.
"Escaped from a lab" doesn't have to imply anything other than that the lab was doing research into coronaviruses. It could still be a virus that originated in bats.
Yes, quite. That’s been my belief from early in feb.
The fact there was a lab investigating bat coronaviruses just a few hundred meters from the fateful ‘wet market’ of Wuhan is too much coincidence to believe.
So. It came from honest scientists doing honest research, but it leaked. Maybe a worker sold a Lab bat in the black wet market.
It sounds far too much like a conspiracy theory to me.
I'd like to see real solid evidence from reputable sources before I give it the time of day.
Since all is a bit miserable here, some better news: numbers of new cases / fatalities (in hospitals) in both Spain and France are declining extremely fast. It's curious since they locked down later (16th and 18th respectively) than Italy but, at least on the figures from the last couple of days, seem to be declining more rapidly. If we see something similar (fingers crossed) our peak may turn out to be sooner than anticipated.
If Boris couldn't continue, Raab would take over as PM in the short-term but there would then have to be a proper Conservative party leadership election.
I doubt Raab would win that.
I would have thought the final two would most likely be Sunak and Hunt.
It would be sorted out by the MPs nobody sane would now have an election
Oh sure - I agree it probably wouldn't go to members - but my point is it wouldn't automatically be Raab.
At a minimum there would be MPs' votes.
The Cabinet will select a replacement by agreement, probably Raab unfortunately. It would be months before that is put to any kind of vote as the UK would be in a national crisis of even greater proportions that we thought.
And no matter how grave the crisis, there is no way we can have an election durinv lockdown anyway.
Indeed, I am sure acting PM Raab, ably supported by Home Secretary Priti Patel can run the lockdown in the meantime while Sunak can keep the finances ticking over
Michael Osterholm (American infectious disease epidemiologist, and ex-US gov Bioterrorism advisor) was recently on the Joe Rogan podcast, and discussed the Wuhan lab conspiracy theory. His take that Corvid-19 was way too elegant, too sophisticated to be a man-made bio-weapon.
So I tend to go with Occam' razor here. Brilliant conspiracy theory/thriller novel ground though, I admit.
"Escaped from a lab" doesn't have to imply anything other than that the lab was doing research into coronaviruses. It could still be a virus that originated in bats.
Yes, quite. That’s been my belief from early in feb.
The fact there was a lab investigating bat coronaviruses just a few hundred meters from the fateful ‘wet market’ of Wuhan is too much coincidence to believe.
So. It came from honest scientists doing honest research, but it leaked. Maybe a worker sold a Lab bat in the black wet market.
Which is how Janet Parker died from smallpox, the last death from smallpox in the UK. It's a fascinating and awful story. The only reason it didn't spread is that they had a vaccine.
It came about because the virus leaked from the lab. So this is a perfectly plausible theory of yours (et. al.)
I keep mulling over writing a thread header to explain what is going on in the SNP for Sassenachs but I feel the effort reward ratio would be too low.
But it is so fascinating, how Joanna Cherry, a woman who spent all her time from 2016 to 2019 dragging the British government through court over Brexit became the figure head of the SNP faction who thought the SNP spent too much time on Brexit and not enough on Indy is less than obvious.
I keep mulling over writing a thread header to explain what is going on in the SNP for Sassenachs but I feel the effort reward ratio would be too low.
But it is so fascinating, how Joanna Cherry, a woman who spent all her time from 2016 to 2019 dragging the British government through court over Brexit became the figure head of the SNP faction who thought the SNP spent too much time on Brexit and not enough on Indy is less than obvious.
Becoming a member of the elite PB thread writers club is the greatest reward of them all.
I keep mulling over writing a thread header to explain what is going on in the SNP for Sassenachs but I feel the effort reward ratio would be too low.
But it is so fascinating, how Joanna Cherry, a woman who spent all her time from 2016 to 2019 dragging the British government through court over Brexit became the figure head of the SNP faction who thought the SNP spent too much time on Brexit and not enough on Indy is less than obvious.
Have you listened to the last The Political Party podcast? Guest was Euan Mccolm. Absolutely fascinating - all about SNP shenanigans.
If it’s abioweapon, it is a perfect doomsday weapon. Easily transmitted. Scary and nasty. Survives on surfaces for days. A sneeze can send if 70 feet. No immunity.
The idea is you’d make the virus. And also the vaccine. Vaccinate your own population. Then in emergency release it
You, china, have the the vaccine
The virus will not kill billions but it is bad enough to terrify the world and crash economies. So you become the global hegemon, handing out the vaccine, to supplicant countries
But then the virus escapes prematurely, before the vaccine is ready.....
I don’t believe this - but if i was writing the script that’s how it would go
My honest guess is it came from the lab, by mistake.
You should write professionally - that's pretty good.
Michael Osterholm (American infectious disease epidemiologist, and ex-US gov Bioterrorism advisor) was recently on the Joe Rogan podcast, and discussed the Wuhan lab conspiracy theory. His take that Corvid-19 was way too elegant, too sophisticated to be a man-made bio-weapon.
So I tend to go with Occam' razor here. Brilliant conspiracy theory/thriller novel ground though, I admit.
"Escaped from a lab" doesn't have to imply anything other than that the lab was doing research into coronaviruses. It could still be a virus that originated in bats.
Yes, quite. That’s been my belief from early in feb.
The fact there was a lab investigating bat coronaviruses just a few hundred meters from the fateful ‘wet market’ of Wuhan is too much coincidence to believe.
So. It came from honest scientists doing honest research, but it leaked. Maybe a worker sold a Lab bat in the black wet market.
Which is how Janet Parker died from smallpox, the last death from smallpox in the UK. It's a fascinating and awful story. The only reason it didn't spread is that they had a vaccine.
It came about because the virus leaked from the lab. So this is a perfectly plausible theory of yours (et. al.)
If Boris couldn't continue, Raab would take over as PM in the short-term but there would then have to be a proper Conservative party leadership election.
I doubt Raab would win that.
I would have thought the final two would most likely be Sunak and Hunt.
It would be sorted out by the MPs nobody sane would now have an election
Oh sure - I agree it probably wouldn't go to members - but my point is it wouldn't automatically be Raab.
At a minimum there would be MPs' votes.
The Cabinet will select a replacement by agreement, probably Raab unfortunately. It would be months before that is put to any kind of vote as the UK would be in a national crisis of even greater proportions that we thought.
And no matter how grave the crisis, there is no way we can have an election durinv lockdown anyway.
Indeed, I am sure acting PM Raab, ably supported by Home Secretary Priti Patel can run the lockdown in the meantime while Sunak can keep the finances ticking over
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
Lay Dominic Raab. First, Boris Johnson will probably recover. Second, if he doesn’t, he won’t necessarily be the interim successor. Boris Johnson doesn’t get to dictate that.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
If Johnson is unable to continue as PM the case for a GNU would be stronger.
Yes I think the country will turn to Starmer.
Amazing timing too - just elected today.
I can't think of a greater insult to Boris than to replace him with that fucking mediocrity.
I think kinabalu`s being devilish again. 80 seat majority. Plus country will turn to Sunak - Gove - Hunt - Hancock well before looking towards any LP politician.
Oh dear. Get well soon Boris. I feel genuinely sad about this.
Regarding the Scottish CMO... I’m struggling to see what’s bad about someone travelling to their own house really, if they’re only with people who they live with in their other house. Maybe that’s not what happened, I’ve not really read it properly
WRT Scottish CMO:
I actually agree on the going to a second home, if you traval only with mebers of your own family bring your own food stay in the house when you get there and don't interact with anybody while there, then the risk of increasing the spread is probably minimal.
But:
What I don't like is the people setting the rules not flowing them. Those in power will fell less resistant about taking away freedoms and liberty of others if they do not expect to have to follow the same rules.
While it might be argues that COVID is a spashale case, I think it is shining a light on an attitude an agagance, and its reminding me why I'm a libertarian and pushing me towards Anarchism.
The thing is, safety oriented legislation is one size fits all. Here is an analogy: it would be perfectly safe for me to own an automatic assault rifle. In fact, because i am differentially safety conscious about guns, it would present far less danger to anyone than the fact that i own a car, a chainsaw and a couple of ladders. But nobody thinks it would be ok for me to exercise my own judgment about assault rifles.
I keep mulling over writing a thread header to explain what is going on in the SNP for Sassenachs but I feel the effort reward ratio would be too low.
But it is so fascinating, how Joanna Cherry, a woman who spent all her time from 2016 to 2019 dragging the British government through court over Brexit became the figure head of the SNP faction who thought the SNP spent too much time on Brexit and not enough on Indy is less than obvious.
The corollary is also the folk that were roaring about the SNP being distracted from the goal of independence by the GRA & trans issues now talk of little else other than trans issues.
I've also yet to hear a vision of where we'd be now if the SNP had forced through some sort of wildcat consultative referendum for this year.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
This does make sense, the advice for being as in a good as state as you to take it on is the usual; rest, hydration, eat healthy.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
I think Gove might out manoeuvre him.
Raab was seriously underwhelming the parliamentarians during the leadership race and Gove has been a more convincing stand in.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
This does make sense, the advice for being as in a good as state as you to take it on is the usual; rest, hydration, eat healthy.
I think he needs to be told to stop working for a few days.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
No he doesn't. But given No.10 have made it be known he is the preferred successor one would think conversations between the Palace and the government on who would be best command the confidence of the Commons would be relatively brief.
But they could indicate they wanted someone else to take over as PM. We talk about precedence and lines of succession, but the latter is not a formal thing.
One could just as much argue that as Health Secretary and a Covid-19 survivor Hancock might be the best choice in that situation.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Absolutely. It’s all a bit much. Occasionally it’s important to tune in, but there is a limit.
MacMillan, Eden both hospitalised at some point in their Premierships for surgery and indisposed for a while.
Blair had a heart murmur, Mrs Thatcher a cataract operation. Can't think of other PMs out of action due to illness since Eden.
Didn't Churchill have a stroke in the middle of WWII (but no one knew about it at the time) ?
I thought it was in his second reign as PM
Churchill had a heart attack after finishing his speech to Congress on 27th December 1941. His physician kept it secret until after Churchill died in 1965
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Absolutely. It’s all a bit much. Occasionally it’s important to tune in, but there is a limit.
That's exactly what they're aiming for: illiterate peasant workers. Beware of the lizards!
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
At the end of the day we don't have a written constitution and legal line of succession here, regardless of who might be first secretary of state (which doesn't actually mean anything anyway). The Queen will appoint as PM whoever is most likely to command a majority in the Commons.
Probably impossible to tell for sure whether people are catching it at work or through other means, but given what these people were potentially exposed to you'd have to put a pretty high probability on the former, sadly.
There are quite a lot of low-paid jobs (HCA, social care, warehouse work, supermarket jobs) that we are really seeing the "social value" of right now and there's a lot of those jobs I really wouldn't want to do right now it if I was, say, fiftysomething and not terribly fit.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
I think Gove might out manoeuvre him.
Raab was seriously underwhelming the parliamentarians during the leadership race and Gove has been a more convincing stand in.
There is not the time for a mini leadership race at the moment, if Raab is first in line of succession it will have to be him, LBJ was sworn in as President to succeed JFK on the plane taking Kennedy's body back to DC
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
No he doesn't. But given No.10 have made it be known he is the preferred successor one would think conversations between the Palace and the government on who would be best command the confidence of the Commons would be relatively brief.
But they could indicate they wanted someone else to take over as PM. We talk about precedence and lines of succession, but the latter is not a formal thing.
One could just as much argue that as Health Secretary and a Covid-19 survivor Hancock might be the best choice in that situation.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Absolutely. It’s all a bit much. Occasionally it’s important to tune in, but there is a limit.
That's exactly what they're aiming for: illiterate peasant workers. Beware of the lizards!
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
Unclear whether BF would pay out in this scenario.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Absolutely. It’s all a bit much. Occasionally it’s important to tune in, but there is a limit.
That's exactly what they're aiming for: illiterate peasant workers. Beware of the lizards!
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
At the end of the day we don't have a written constitution and legal line of succession here, regardless of who might be first secretary of state (which doesn't actually mean anything anyway). The Queen will appoint as PM whoever is most likely to command a majority in the Commons.
That person isn't Dominic Raab.
I would not be so sure, Raab has worked the rubber chicken circuit well, the Tories have a majority of 80 and plenty of the new Tory MPs elected last year are diehard Leavers who would be sympathetic to Raab
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Fortunately not with the book thing, I'd be going crazy.
Sharpe's Fortress done today. That Ensign Sharpe is a maniac.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
I work all the time during the week and look after my daughter the rest of the time. I get about 6 hours sleep.
That keeps my mind distracted enough.
I cooked roast partridge with all the trimmings today too (with pear cider .. some in the meal.. some down my throat) which was another helpful distraction.
I keep mulling over writing a thread header to explain what is going on in the SNP for Sassenachs but I feel the effort reward ratio would be too low.
But it is so fascinating, how Joanna Cherry, a woman who spent all her time from 2016 to 2019 dragging the British government through court over Brexit became the figure head of the SNP faction who thought the SNP spent too much time on Brexit and not enough on Indy is less than obvious.
The corollary is also the folk that were roaring about the SNP being distracted from the goal of independence by the GRA & trans issues now talk of little else other than trans issues.
The two are indeed connected and is about how Cherry has built up her support base.
Cherry's problem is that a significant portion of her supporters see her as a Salmond Proxy and with the court case dealt with they don't want a Proxy, they want the real thing.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
At the end of the day we don't have a written constitution and legal line of succession here, regardless of who might be first secretary of state (which doesn't actually mean anything anyway). The Queen will appoint as PM whoever is most likely to command a majority in the Commons.
That person isn't Dominic Raab.
I would not be so sure, Raab has worked the rubber chicken circuit well, the Tories have a majority of 80 and plenty of the new Tory MPs elected last year are diehard Leavers who would be sympathetic to Raab
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Absolutely. It’s all a bit much. Occasionally it’s important to tune in, but there is a limit.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
At the end of the day we don't have a written constitution and legal line of succession here, regardless of who might be first secretary of state (which doesn't actually mean anything anyway). The Queen will appoint as PM whoever is most likely to command a majority in the Commons.
That person isn't Dominic Raab.
I would not be so sure, Raab has worked the rubber chicken circuit well, the Tories have a majority of 80 and plenty of the new Tory MPs elected last year are diehard Leavers who would be sympathetic to Raab
If it’s abioweapon, it is a perfect doomsday weapon. Easily transmitted. Scary and nasty. Survives on surfaces for days. A sneeze can send if 70 feet. No immunity.
The idea is you’d make the virus. And also the vaccine. Vaccinate your own population. Then in emergency release it
You, china, have the the vaccine
The virus will not kill billions but it is bad enough to terrify the world and crash economies. So you become the global hegemon, handing out the vaccine, to supplicant countries
But then the virus escapes prematurely, before the vaccine is ready.....
I don’t believe this - but if i was writing the script that’s how it would go
My honest guess is it came from the lab, by mistake.
You should write professionally - that's pretty good.
I am not SeanT, obviously, but it’s worth pointing out that after 9/11 the White House brought in professional thriller writers and script writers, because it was felt they had an ability to foresee narrative and detect a story pattern, and predict outrageous events and the emotions driving them, long before intel agents.
Were they responsible for all those shite Gerard Butler films?
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
If it’s abioweapon, it is a perfect doomsday weapon. Easily transmitted. Scary and nasty. Survives on surfaces for days. A sneeze can send if 70 feet. No immunity.
The idea is you’d make the virus. And also the vaccine. Vaccinate your own population. Then in emergency release it
You, china, have the the vaccine
The virus will not kill billions but it is bad enough to terrify the world and crash economies. So you become the global hegemon, handing out the vaccine, to supplicant countries
But then the virus escapes prematurely, before the vaccine is ready.....
I don’t believe this - but if i was writing the script that’s how it would go
My honest guess is it came from the lab, by mistake.
You should write professionally - that's pretty good.
I am not SeanT, obviously, but it’s worth pointing out that after 9/11 the White House brought in professional thriller writers and script writers, because it was felt they had an ability to foresee narrative and detect a story pattern, and predict outrageous events and the emotions driving them, long before intel agents.
The mystery of why the US came to the view that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11 finally solved.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Interesting. Thanks.
Would you adjust for quality of care and attentiveness to revise those odds at all?
Given who he is I expect he'll get a doctor and nurse near him 24/7.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
I’d lower that a bit. If Boris Johnson could have been treated in Downing Street he would have been. He will not be at the milder end of hospital admissions.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Does being a jammy git increase the chances? I'd say so.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
I work all the time during the week and look after my daughter the rest of the time. I get about 6 hours sleep.
That keeps my mind distracted enough.
I cooked roast partridge with all the trimmings today too (with pear cider .. some in the meal.. some down my throat) which was another helpful distraction.
Our local farm shop delivered two shoulders of lamb (we had only ordered one) so we slow-cooked both and delivered one to a couple of our neighbours. They cooked the veg to a timetable and I whizzed round with the piping hot lamb, gravy, mint sauce, redcurrent jelly and a nice bottle of red (oh, and a couple of slices of the famous loganberry bakewell for pud). Placed it on the door step - and the crumblies swooped on it once I had retreated. It was very fine indeed - as their incredibly grateful call a little later confirmed.
We are jumping through all these hoops to protect these dear people.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
Absolutely. It’s all a bit much. Occasionally it’s important to tune in, but there is a limit.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
I think Gove might out manoeuvre him.
Raab was seriously underwhelming the parliamentarians during the leadership race and Gove has been a more convincing stand in.
If Boris has got to stand down (temporarily or otherwise) I think it'll be Gove who takes over (I'm not sure Raab would even want to take over in the midst of this)
Failing that it should be Nadine as I said ten days ago!
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Thanks for that Foxy. Do you buy the "routine tests" line? Couldn`t they have done that in Downing Street?
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Is blood group a factor? I read somewhere that group A is more at risk from Covid-19.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Thanks for that Foxy. Do you buy the "routine tests" line? Couldn`t they have done that in Downing Street?
Not a doctor, but they might want an early CT scan of his lungs. A CT scanner is the size of a large car.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Interesting. Thanks.
Would you adjust for quality of care and attentiveness to revise those odds at all?
Given who he is I expect he'll get a doctor and nurse near him 24/7.
I am not sure that makes much difference. Everyone in ICU gets their own nurse and plenty of medical attention. It is routine for the book to be thrown at these patients, particularly with low clinical Frailty scores. After that it is a roll of the dice, with the grim reaper on 6.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
So the odds of Boris shuffling off are about the same as him coming up with a 1 on a single throw of a dice....
Sobering.
EDIT or a six for the Grim Reaper, as you have just put it....
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Is blood group a factor? I read somewhere that group A is more at risk from Covid-19.
Not sure about that, but I dont know his blood group.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Interesting. Thanks.
Would you adjust for quality of care and attentiveness to revise those odds at all?
Given who he is I expect he'll get a doctor and nurse near him 24/7.
I am not sure that makes much difference. Everyone in ICU gets their own nurse and plenty of medical attention. It is routine for the book to be thrown at these patients, particularly with low clinical Frailty scores. After that it is a roll of the dice, with the grim reaper on 6.
His jogging and cycling should make him fitter than the average 50s guy
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Thanks for that Foxy. Do you buy the "routine tests" line? Couldn`t they have done that in Downing Street?
Not a doctor, but they might want an early CT scan of his lungs. A CT scanner is the size of a large car.
They'll also be doing loads of tests to check heart, kidneys and liver as Covid-19 can apparently upset all of these...
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Is blood group a factor? I read somewhere that group A is more at risk from Covid-19.
Not sure about that, but I dont know his blood group.
If it’s abioweapon, it is a perfect doomsday weapon. Easily transmitted. Scary and nasty. Survives on surfaces for days. A sneeze can send if 70 feet. No immunity.
The idea is you’d make the virus. And also the vaccine. Vaccinate your own population. Then in emergency release it
You, china, have the the vaccine
The virus will not kill billions but it is bad enough to terrify the world and crash economies. So you become the global hegemon, handing out the vaccine, to supplicant countries
But then the virus escapes prematurely, before the vaccine is ready.....
I don’t believe this - but if i was writing the script that’s how it would go
My honest guess is it came from the lab, by mistake.
You should write professionally - that's pretty good.
I am not SeanT, obviously, but it’s worth pointing out that after 9/11 the White House brought in professional thriller writers and script writers, because it was felt they had an ability to foresee narrative and detect a story pattern, and predict outrageous events and the emotions driving them, long before intel agents.
The mystery of why the US came to the view that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11 finally solved.
LOL. For some reason they didn’t foresee Trump, though.
Up until last year, the US pandemic research program was helping fund research into zoonotic viruses around the world, and one of the sites they were collaborating with was Wuhan.
Eadric doesn’t believe the conspiracy theory he lays out for our delectation, but he’ll continue to repeat it on a regular basis, I predict.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
I think Gove might out manoeuvre him.
Raab was seriously underwhelming the parliamentarians during the leadership race and Gove has been a more convincing stand in.
If Boris has got to stand down (temporarily or otherwise) I think it'll be Gove who takes over (I'm not sure Raab would even want to take over in the midst of this)
Failing that it should be Nadine as I said ten days ago!
My reading of it is that the Cabinet would be expected to come to a very rapid agreement on who it should be.
The first thing I did on reading this news was to check Betfair, not BBC news.
I'm still not sure what happens if Boris drops dead. Does Rabb defacto become PM and gets announced or does other things have to happen first?
Raab would take over in the interim as he is first in the line of succession, so the Queen would appoint Raab temporary PM within 24 hours (even if it had to be done online)
I think Gove might out manoeuvre him.
Raab was seriously underwhelming the parliamentarians during the leadership race and Gove has been a more convincing stand in.
If Boris has got to stand down (temporarily or otherwise) I think it'll be Gove who takes over (I'm not sure Raab would even want to take over in the midst of this)
Failing that it should be Nadine as I said ten days ago!
A line of succession has already been agreed, in the unlikely event the PM dies the markets would plunge, there would be nobody in charge of the nuclear codes and we would have nobody officially at the helm of a huge health crisis. A decision would have to be made immediately as to who the Queen should send for and if there was such opposition to Raab he would not have been given the post in the first place
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Is blood group a factor? I read somewhere that group A is more at risk from Covid-19.
Not sure about that, but I dont know his blood group.
This is the first observation of an association between the ABO blood type and COVID-19. It should be emphasized, however, that this is an early study with limitations... And further studies which support it ?
Can’t help thinking this Johnson news is a bit more serious than is being reported. Being admitted to hospital sounds like quite a significant development.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Is blood group a factor? I read somewhere that group A is more at risk from Covid-19.
The data I saw on that, the difference was apparently statistically significant, but didn’t look to be what the average person would say was significant. O was the best blood group to have.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Thanks for that Foxy. Do you buy the "routine tests" line? Couldn`t they have done that in Downing Street?
Blood tests etc, yes. And pulse oximetry is highly portable. Oxygen could have been provided from cylinders if need, so I suspect Cest CT, or that blood and other results are heading in the wrong direction.
Sometimes you just have to go with what the experts advise.
Anyone know which hospital he has gone to? I think St Thomas's and Kings are both pretty busy at present. Perhaps Charing Cross or the Brompton?
Can’t help thinking this Johnson news is a bit more serious than is being reported. Being admitted to hospital sounds like quite a significant development.
Except that he is PM and his doctors will be extra careful.
Can’t help thinking this Johnson news is a bit more serious than is being reported. Being admitted to hospital sounds like quite a significant development.
Well quite. But looking on the bright side, when the NHS fixes him up and he comes home, he will be proof that the NHS makes a difference and he might be possibly a better PM.
Anybody else finding it difficult to concentrate during these crazy days? Can't face subtitles, can't settle to a book. Gardening is about the only thing I can apply myself to at the moment.
I work all the time during the week and look after my daughter the rest of the time. I get about 6 hours sleep.
That keeps my mind distracted enough.
I cooked roast partridge with all the trimmings today too (with pear cider .. some in the meal.. some down my throat) which was another helpful distraction.
Oh dear. Get well soon Boris. I feel genuinely sad about this.
Regarding the Scottish CMO... I’m struggling to see what’s bad about someone travelling to their own house really, if they’re only with people who they live with in their other house. Maybe that’s not what happened, I’ve not really read it properly
WRT Scottish CMO:
I actually agree on the going to a second home, if you traval only with mebers of your own family bring your own food stay in the house when you get there and don't interact with anybody while there, then the risk of increasing the spread is probably minimal.
But:
What I don't like is the people setting the rules not flowing them. Those in power will fell less resistant about taking away freedoms and liberty of others if they do not expect to have to follow the same rules.
While it might be argues that COVID is a spashale case, I think it is shining a light on an attitude an agagance, and its reminding me why I'm a libertarian and pushing me towards Anarchism.
The optics are wrong. You can't really have well off people driving back and forth to their second homes whilst others are told they can barely leave the house. It would fuel resentment..
Also even though in theory there is little risk our Spanish posters have told us people fleeing Madrid for their second homes have overwhelmed local medical facilities and spread the virus through the country.
Can’t help thinking this Johnson news is a bit more serious than is being reported. Being admitted to hospital sounds like quite a significant development.
Well quite. But looking on the bright side, when the NHS fixes him up and he comes home, he will be proof that the NHS makes a difference and he might be possibly a better PM.
Did he not think the NHS makes a difference? I can think of very few politicians who would say it does not. The issue has always been effectiveness of any plans regarding the NHS, not believing it makes a difference.
One point my friends noted with the virus was that they needed to sleep sometimes for ~18 hours a day. That's the body trying to produce the antibodies to fight it. Absolubtely critical to rest, rest, rest if you get the virus.
Very hard if you're PM.
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
To work on it actuarily:
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality 50% greater risk in Men = 2% Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Interesting. Thanks.
Would you adjust for quality of care and attentiveness to revise those odds at all?
Given who he is I expect he'll get a doctor and nurse near him 24/7.
I am not sure that makes much difference. Everyone in ICU gets their own nurse and plenty of medical attention. It is routine for the book to be thrown at these patients, particularly with low clinical Frailty scores. After that it is a roll of the dice, with the grim reaper on 6.
Comments
Since all is a bit miserable here, some better news: numbers of new cases / fatalities (in hospitals) in both Spain and France are declining extremely fast. It's curious since they locked down later (16th and 18th respectively) than Italy but, at least on the figures from the last couple of days, seem to be declining more rapidly. If we see something similar (fingers crossed) our peak may turn out to be sooner than anticipated.
It came about because the virus leaked from the lab. So this is a perfectly plausible theory of yours (et. al.)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-45101091
But it is so fascinating, how Joanna Cherry, a woman who spent all her time from 2016 to 2019 dragging the British government through court over Brexit became the figure head of the SNP faction who thought the SNP spent too much time on Brexit and not enough on Indy is less than obvious.
http://nrg.cs.ucl.ac.uk/mjh/covid19/#covid-eu
Run the country.... good grief!
FWIW it's extremely unlikely anything will happen to Boris. He's fit, only in his 50s and will receive the very best care.
I can only imagine he's been overdoing it.
I've also yet to hear a vision of where we'd be now if the SNP had forced through some sort of wildcat consultative referendum for this year.
Raab was seriously underwhelming the parliamentarians during the leadership race and Gove has been a more convincing stand in.
But they could indicate they wanted someone else to take over as PM. We talk about precedence and lines of succession, but the latter is not a formal thing.
One could just as much argue that as Health Secretary and a Covid-19 survivor Hancock might be the best choice in that situation.
That person isn't Dominic Raab.
https://twitter.com/foxinsoxuk/status/1246194514466877446?s=09
If he lives (which is overwhelming likely) he won't be going this year with a majority of 80 and having just won an election.
His chickens might come home to roost but not this year.
Sharpe's Fortress done today. That Ensign Sharpe is a maniac.
That keeps my mind distracted enough.
I cooked roast partridge with all the trimmings today too (with pear cider .. some in the meal.. some down my throat) which was another helpful distraction.
Cherry's problem is that a significant portion of her supporters see her as a Salmond Proxy and with the court case dealt with they don't want a Proxy, they want the real thing.
That both moved me and stiffened me up.
Symptomatic disease in mid fifties: 1.4% mortality
50% greater risk in Men = 2%
Severe enough for hospital admission (around 20% of symptomatic cases) = 10% mortality
Other risk factors are speculative as we do not know his medical history, but BMI over 30 by my eye.
I reckon a ball park figure of 85% survival.
Would you adjust for quality of care and attentiveness to revise those odds at all?
Given who he is I expect he'll get a doctor and nurse near him 24/7.
What a prick
We are jumping through all these hoops to protect these dear people.
Failing that it should be Nadine as I said ten days ago!
Sobering.
EDIT or a six for the Grim Reaper, as you have just put it....
https://twitter.com/mitchellvii/status/1246892699753623555?s=20
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.11.20031096v2
For some reason they didn’t foresee Trump, though.
Up until last year, the US pandemic research program was helping fund research into zoonotic viruses around the world, and one of the sites they were collaborating with was Wuhan.
Eadric doesn’t believe the conspiracy theory he lays out for our delectation, but he’ll continue to repeat it on a regular basis, I predict.
A decision would have to be made immediately as to who the Queen should send for and if there was such opposition to Raab he would not have been given the post in the first place
And further studies which support it ?
Sometimes you just have to go with what the experts advise.
Anyone know which hospital he has gone to? I think St Thomas's and Kings are both pretty busy at present. Perhaps Charing Cross or the Brompton?
Also even though in theory there is little risk our Spanish posters have told us people fleeing Madrid for their second homes have overwhelmed local medical facilities and spread the virus through the country.
https://twitter.com/angie_rasmussen/status/1246922828386930688
This thing does seems transmissible to cats. There’s no evidence, for now, of transfer from cats to us.
My quick take: she talks too quickly. Needs to slow down.