1. Lockdowns work (Spain and Italy are showing this) 2. Other countries can get on top of this and stop spread (S. Korea / Taiwan) 3. We have not handled the first wave optimally - no reason to do the same again next time! 4. We are understanding more about the virus - both in terms of the basic biology but also in terms of clinical trials.
Thank you! I'm hoping for treatment advances and/or a vaccine within a year or so. There are two particular things, however, which would be great but feel rather unlikely to me -
1. A return to a semblance of normality based on immunity certificates. 2. There being a large percentage of cases with hardly any or no symptoms.
Feck. I fear we're going to be the first European nation to hit 1000 in a day?
Actually, scrap that: IIRC France has recorded way over 1000 in a day.
The UK already has hit that but hasn’t been transparent on care home deaths . If you compare like for like the UK is running well ahead of French hospital deaths but is a week behind .
I'm not sure I trust any nation's stats, TBH
The ONS is following up, in the UK - including all deaths where COVID19 is mentioned in documentation. Such as on the death certificate.
Which guarantees that more deaths will be attributed to COVID19 than will actually occur. This is because a non-trivial number of people diagnosed with COVID19 don't have it. Since they are not doing post-mortem tests on everyone, the diagnosis will be used on the death certificate.
So the ONS number will err on the high side, if anything.
I know there is a false negative problem with tests, but I wasn't aware of a significant false positive one. Could I have a source please.
I don't mean a false positive on tests.
I mean that diagnosis of probable COVID19 infection has been consistently running higher than the number proven by tests. You can see this across all the countries that have been testing (primarily) those who have symptoms.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
I've unfortunately just spent my holiday fund on a new central heating boiler. But I should have a year or so to top it back up before going on any big trips. And yes, I'm not spending any money on petrol or going out, although I have bought beer and extra food (but that's just front-end loading expenditure that normally goes out in dibs and drabs.)
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Sorry, I meant interest rates. Although there must be so many people drawing down on savings right now that I suspect savings rates are also down.
Meanwhile the government’s leaflet contains a few grammatical errors that we can excuse given the rush to get it out.
1. Lockdowns work (Spain and Italy are showing this) 2. Other countries can get on top of this and stop spread (S. Korea / Taiwan) 3. We have not handled the first wave optimally - no reason to do the same again next time! 4. We are understanding more about the virus - both in terms of the basic biology but also in terms of clinical trials.
Thank you! I'm hoping for treatment advances and/or a vaccine within a year or so. There are two particular things, however, which would be great but feel rather unlikely to me -
1. A return to a semblance of normality based on immunity certificates. 2. There being a large percentage of cases with hardly any or no symptoms.
Both floated a lot but I am dubious.
If there really isn't any treatment looking like it does anything, immunity passports will be the only way forward. Also, if we do find that there is no lasting immunity.
The antibody testing is clearly a harder problem than first thought, but I don't think it is an issue of not being able to do it, it is converting that to be accurate enough at scale.
My area of Almeria in SE Spainis one of 2 provinces in the country with the lowest numbers right from the start. We now have 388 cases - just 8 extra over tha past 2 days. We have a much stricter lockdown. And it is working. We may get some loosening by May. The UK must get real about the timescale needed to prevent a catastrophe.
Not much left to restrict though is there - can't ban food shopping.
I doubt limiting jogging hrs will make any difference.
Well you could only have one person in a car unless for essential support at medical appointments, you could restrict dog walks to within 50 meteres of your house by only one person, ban popping round to a neighbours for a chat even if you do keep 2m apart, obviously banning any form of house guest. Then enforce it went out our small town yesterday to hospital, stopped at top of road, showed driving license and said where and why I was going. They wished me luck and waved me on. Coming back from today’s visit showed them my arm with large plasters and barley looked at driving license when I said what it was. Waved through but most people were pulled over for further explanation.
So you can tighten down, if I want exercise I could walk to the supermarket but I’ll stick with driving.
We are getting daily emails from the Government reminding us that they want Construction to continue. I think they were surprised that so much of it shut down.
There are people still working but in designated industries. I was slightly surprised that the fiber operator is still laying fiber and installing in houses. When I looked it is a designated essential activity. Was hoping the other building activities would start up next week but am begging to doubt it now.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
OK. More comments to disregard...having seen friends with asthma. Try doing nothing and assess how much effort it takes to breathe (ie is your chest moving in and out). If yes then it is more serious. If you have been under the weather and/or suffer with asthma then any exercise will be difficult. Do you have any inhalers?
1. Lockdowns work (Spain and Italy are showing this) 2. Other countries can get on top of this and stop spread (S. Korea / Taiwan) 3. We have not handled the first wave optimally - no reason to do the same again next time! 4. We are understanding more about the virus - both in terms of the basic biology but also in terms of clinical trials.
Thank you! I'm hoping for treatment advances and/or a vaccine within a year or so. There are two particular things, however, which would be great but feel rather unlikely to me -
1. A return to a semblance of normality based on immunity certificates. 2. There being a large percentage of cases with hardly any or no symptoms.
Both floated a lot but I am dubious.
If there really isn't any treatment looking like it does anything, immunity passports will be the only way forward. Also, if we do find that there is no lasting immunity.
The antibody testing is clearly a harder problem than first thought, but I don't think it is an issue of not being able to do it, it is converting that to be accurate enough at scale.
A real game changer would be a real time test.
Too early to comment on treatments. Many will not work but also reasonable to hope that some will have an effect. But we need the clinical trials and not speculation.
Regarding an antibody test, that will come as you say. The scaling will be tricky but not impossible and will be very informative.
As to a real time test, there are plenty of tests that operate in a short period of time (e.g., the SAMBA II kit gives a result in under 20 minutes) but they are expensive and are currently in a hospital. However, in the longer term, there's no reason to think that such a piece of kit couldn't be more localised I think (e.g., at GP surgeries or testing points - you go there, sit in your car for a bit and then get the result). This all feeds into the mass testing capability strategy.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Yes unpopular view no doubt here but furloughing on 80% was too generous in view of peoples reduced costs. Should have been circa 65% or 2/3rds.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
The thing about this is that so much of the day to day fight is in the power of governors. Does that negate Trump being held responsible, or does it merely make him seem even more impotent than his howling at the moon does?
Ultimately the power of the Governors means that the impact on the US of Trump's failings will be less than if he'd been in charge of a more centralised country like the UK.
But the Federal government still has a lot of power and it's still using some of that power in an actively harmful way - e.g. In the distribution of medical supplies.
Any other President, any other political leader pretty much, would have been completely destroyed by the series of actively harmful steps that Trump has taken. Yet I wouldn't be surprised to see him re-elected.
I think that is right. If anything, Covid-19 strengthens Trump's chances of reelection.
First, because of American demographics, Democrat-led states will have higher than average deaths compared with the United States as a whole.
Second, Trump placed Pence in charge of countering Covid-19 so if opinion does turn against the White House, the scapegoat Veep can be dumped.
Third, by November, numbers should be falling. Trump will take credit, as he will for any progress on the cure or vaccine front, by pointing to the government's injection of cash.
Fourth, a disease-led election places Biden's frailty in the spotlight.
I agree that this election strengthens his chances of re-election, right now.
From an economic point of view, Trump has responded well. The massive splurge of cash will keep businesses afloat. I have little doubt that further economic stimulus will be coming.
There is also a big "rally round the leader at times of war" effect. Whether in Italy, France or the US, the popularity of the government has risen markedly.
But this is also an incredibly hard election to call. If the rest of the world has broadly got a grip on CV-19 by November, and the US doesn't, then I think this plays badly. And while solidly Republican states tend to be less effected, lots of the swing states, like Michigan or Pennsylvania, are being hit hard.
Finally, the one topic that President Trump does not want to fight the next election on is healthcare. If Americans are fearful due to lack of healthcare, then I think that will be a real problem.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Sorry, I meant interest rates. Although there must be so many people drawing down on savings right now that I suspect savings rates are also down.
Meanwhile the government’s leaflet contains a few grammatical errors that we can excuse given the rush to get it out.
Yup - interest rates are crap, bonds are crap, shares are crap. I'm lucky my pension income is unaffected but am expecting there to be a considerable tax bill down the road. There is no way that pensioners with income can be protected this time.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
Even by Biden? I laid Biden a bit yesterday for Dem nominee after seeing that clip. Also laid the Trump/Biden nomination combo with BF as two chances to win.
I laid him too. Awful clip. But I stick to my analysis that if Biden is truly not up to it - the campaign - the Dems will go with someone else. I can't tell you exactly how they would finesse this but I am pretty certain they would do it. Therefore either way Trump's opponent will be non senile. Which is obviously necessary but IMO is also sufficient.
Yes, I quite like your lay of the combo. Biden, as discussed, but Trump too. Nothing would really surprise me with that guy. Well, except his re-election.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
To reduce any fever.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Yes unpopular view no doubt here but furloughing on 80% was too generous in view of peoples reduced costs. Should have been circa 65% or 2/3rds.
Although if people are spending half their income on rent (which is not uncommon, sadly), and other bills (car finance, insurance, utilities) take up another 10-20%, then all of a sudden, that 80% isn't that generous.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Sorry, I meant interest rates. Although there must be so many people drawing down on savings right now that I suspect savings rates are also down.
Meanwhile the government’s leaflet contains a few grammatical errors that we can excuse given the rush to get it out.
Why can we excuse it given the availability of software to flag grammatical errors and the number of Oxbridge degrees floating around Whitehall?
eta: either it is incompetence or follows the Conservatives' election tactic of deliberate errors to increase coverage.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
To reduce any fever.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
Paracetomol is a great unsung hero - so long as you don't take too many. Better than Iburpofen or aspirin.
So learn some science then - and stop asking the questions any useless dick can ask.
I would think in your world you have had enough of experts so Morgan must be right up your street. Thankfully, now the stupidity of Brexit is for the time being a memory, experts seem to be having something of a renaissance amongst even the dimmest dullard on the political far right.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Sorry, I meant interest rates. Although there must be so many people drawing down on savings right now that I suspect savings rates are also down.
Meanwhile the government’s leaflet contains a few grammatical errors that we can excuse given the rush to get it out.
Why can we excuse it given the availability of software to flag grammatical errors and the number of Oxbridge degrees floating around Whitehall?
eta: either it is incompetence or follows the Conservatives' election tactic of deliberate errors to increase coverage.
If the degrees were awarded after about 1990 don't expect grammar.
I've asked Betfair what they might do about any Covid-19 stuff relating directly to the US election. It's my view that the markets up are basically corpse markets for Biden & Trump right now.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Sorry, I meant interest rates. Although there must be so many people drawing down on savings right now that I suspect savings rates are also down.
Meanwhile the government’s leaflet contains a few grammatical errors that we can excuse given the rush to get it out.
Yup - interest rates are crap, bonds are crap, shares are crap. I'm lucky my pension income is unaffected but am expecting there to be a considerable tax bill down the road. There is no way that pensioners with income can be protected this time.
A golden - and indeed probably the only - opportunity to merge tax and NI. Let’s hope young Rikki is up to the challenge.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Pier Morgan is just using that as an excuse.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
So learn some science then - and stop asking the questions any useless dick can ask.
I would think in your world you have had enough of experts so Morgan must be right up your street. Thankfully, now the stupidity of Brexit is for the time being a memory, experts seem to be having something of a renaissance amongst even the dimmest dullard on the political far right.
Not so for those on the far left sadly - they don't like being told to stay home and wish Boris well.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Pier Morgan is just using that as an excuse.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
To reduce any fever.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
No inhalers. I'm a bit more comfortable now - if I have a temperature it means I'm fighting the virus no? Not sure I'd want to change that.
Feck. I fear we're going to be the first European nation to hit 1000 in a day?
Actually, scrap that: IIRC France has recorded way over 1000 in a day.
Not on a like for like basis they haven't. I. E. Hospital deaths. Unfortunately almost every country isn't counting care home deaths daily at this stage. The recent bumps for France are lump sum counting of newly discovered dead people in care homes. So far I think only France and Belgium have started adding these figures on. Worst hospital death day was yesterday I belive with 605 daily hospital deaths.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Pier Morgan is just using that as an excuse.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
To reduce any fever.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
No inhalers. I'm a bit more comfortable now - if I have a temperature it means I'm fighting the virus no? Not sure I'd want to change that.
I am not in any position to say what the dynamic between fever, resistance and the virus is.
But if you have difficulty breathing at rest then that is a red warning sign regardless of fever, especially if you have no inhalers so be minded to dial 999 sooner rather than later if that changes.
Trying to negotiate a deal is a carcrash Brexit? Or is that the category all Brexits fall under?
Are you lunatic enough to insist on a no-deal Brexit by the end of the year?
No, and I think i've said that they should delay it. But the whole point of the negotiations is to avoid a no-deal exit from the transition period, so I was curious as to why you called a scenario where we left with a deal to be a carcrash Brexit.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Pier Morgan is just using that as an excuse.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
In percentage terms, that's much the same as yesterday, 15%. Last Tuesday and Wednesday's reported deaths were 27% and 31% increases. Both Tuesday and Wednesday seem to be higher, probably weekend reporting being a bit inefficient. Each day they report on deaths as of 5pm the previous day.
Remember that if these day on day % increases remain constant, it corresponds to an exponential curve in the total deaths graph.
Trying to negotiate a deal is a carcrash Brexit? Or is that the category all Brexits fall under?
Are you lunatic enough to insist on a no-deal Brexit by the end of the year?
No, and I think i've said that they should delay it. But the whole point of the negotiations is to avoid a no-deal exit from the transition period, so I was curious as to why you called a scenario where we left with a deal to be a carcrash Brexit.
The whole point of the article, approvingly tweeted by one of the chief headbangers, is to insist that there should be no extension to secure a deal. The deadline is more important.
If some of the site’s self-proclaimed moderate Leavers were as vociferous about condemning these maniacs, Britain would be in a less parlous condition.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Pier Morgan is just using that as an excuse.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
Jim McMahon, Jonathan Reynolds and Jo Stevens are the new Shadow Cabinet reps on Labour the NEC. They replace Diane Abbott, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Jon Trickett.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Yes unpopular view no doubt here but furloughing on 80% was too generous in view of peoples reduced costs. Should have been circa 65% or 2/3rds.
Trying to negotiate a deal is a carcrash Brexit? Or is that the category all Brexits fall under?
Are you lunatic enough to insist on a no-deal Brexit by the end of the year?
No, and I think i've said that they should delay it. But the whole point of the negotiations is to avoid a no-deal exit from the transition period, so I was curious as to why you called a scenario where we left with a deal to be a carcrash Brexit.
The whole point of the article, approvingly tweeted by one of the chief headbangers, is to insist that there should be no extension to secure a deal. The deadline is more important.
If some of the site’s self-proclaimed moderate Leavers were as vociferous about condemning these maniacs, Britain would be in a less parlous condition.
Feck. I fear we're going to be the first European nation to hit 1000 in a day?
Actually, scrap that: IIRC France has recorded way over 1000 in a day.
The UK already has hit that but hasn’t been transparent on care home deaths . If you compare like for like the UK is running well ahead of French hospital deaths but is a week behind .
I'm not sure I trust any nation's stats, TBH
The ONS is following up, in the UK - including all deaths where COVID19 is mentioned in documentation. Such as on the death certificate.
Which guarantees that more deaths will be attributed to COVID19 than will actually occur. This is because a non-trivial number of people diagnosed with COVID19 don't have it. Since they are not doing post-mortem tests on everyone, the diagnosis will be used on the death certificate.
So the ONS number will err on the high side, if anything.
I know there is a false negative problem with tests, but I wasn't aware of a significant false positive one. Could I have a source please.
It is the fact that Coronavirus may be given as a reason for death on death certificate based on symptoms. It is therefore a presumption. it will not be based on a test. I am not sure there is a reliable PM test
Re false positive test results: there was a Chinese source suggesting there were issues when uninfected people lived in the same household as someone else who was infected - swab might find RNA from virus that got in the nose etc but hadn't actually caused an infection. This got a bit of an airing on PB but seems the paper was withdrawn. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32133832/
On March 4, the CDC sent test kits using four sets of primers to state health labs. Three were designed to detect the coronavirus, while the other was supposed to hone in on unrelated genetic material to act as a negative control. But that’s not what happened.
Within days, some labs reported back that they were getting false positive results in their negative controls. The CDC recalled the problem batches but didn’t explain what was wrong, according to Tomer Altman, a Silicon Valley bioinformatics consultant.
Altman, who designs primers for these kinds of tests, thinks he has identified one of the flaws. He analyzed the CDC’s testing components on widely used software, and the program flagged major problems, including one known as primer dimer. That’s when a pair of the primers generate a false signal by binding to each other rather than to the coronavirus’s genetic code. “It’s like running a race with a 10-pound weight tied to your foot,” Altman says—although he cautions that his analysis wasn’t comprehensive and doesn’t definitively show what the problem was.
Having sorted that out, there's still the chance of false positives from mix-ups or cross-contamination between samples ... if it's a medical professional taking the swab and a good quality of lab running the test, you wouldn't think that's a problem, but bear in mind some countries have a rather messier testing system eg with people swabbing themselves unsupervised, drafting in smaller laboratories (even veterinary ones), etc then you can see how they might happen.
It is perhaps to the minor credit of the current goverment that, having whipped up blind faith in their abilities just as Donald Trump did, they did not continue to tell us that horse balls were oranges about this virus well beyond the point of credulity as he did.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
Or, just possibly, people are annoyed that the journalists are busy playing look-at-me, rather than trying to actually find out what is going on.
All with Brexit identities and union jacks in their profile? More likely they’re just the same nut-nuts who fell hook line and sinker for the genteel race-baiting in the referendum campaign and who have persuaded themselves now that the government is incapable of mistakes.
Pier Morgan is just using that as an excuse.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
International trade has dried up as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and could be on course for a collapse as severe as that of the 1930s Great Depression, the World Trade Organization has said.
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
To reduce any fever.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
No inhalers. I'm a bit more comfortable now - if I have a temperature it means I'm fighting the virus no? Not sure I'd want to change that.
It does, but should your temperature go too high, that can also cause problems. I'd check regularly and keep the paracetamol handy.
And get medical advice (ie not from me) as soon as you can.
Hard to know the political impact on Trump - he seems to defy gravity sometimes.
But it's clear that the US is in big, big trouble in terms of stopping the disease. It looks like they are going to do much worse than other countries in terms of cases and deaths. And their economic response looks likely to be slow and fumbling.
The question is whether ordinary Americans yet know that that they appear to be coping worse than any comparable country?
It's going to be hard to miss a recession this big I suspect.
Fact remains that Americans have a view of their country as being special, and insulated from the world’s problems. Sharing them is one thing, taking it worse is quite another. From my limited anecdotal contact with Americans I don’t feel that they yet see the size of the hole they might be heading for.
And the Dow is so far up on the day.
My family whatsapp call with Americans definitely had plenty of worries, although mainly from the younger generation who are struggling to pay the rent.
The laughs on them. It’s only BINO at the moment. When people feel pain they will blame brexit not corona. Simples really because that was extendable, the pain avoidable. Remainers like you Meeks should want them to press on and utterly discredit brexit, not reason them out of it.
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
Just as Boris’s letter and info leaflet drops through the letterbox.
I'm a bit surprised - wtf are people spending money on. apart from food and some minimal online purchases I'm saving much more without any real effort. Easily about €100 a week on petrol alone and more again on restaurants, not to mention the €6000+ we'd have paid for a cruise this year had plans not changed!
Yes unpopular view no doubt here but furloughing on 80% was too generous in view of peoples reduced costs. Should have been circa 65% or 2/3rds.
Although if people are spending half their income on rent (which is not uncommon, sadly), and other bills (car finance, insurance, utilities) take up another 10-20%, then all of a sudden, that 80% isn't that generous.
Pretty sure i am spending more - work used to give me free lunch! Now buying food and spending more on utility bills i assume
mind you i never went out much or bought anything much either lol... economy would be stuffed if everyone was like me ha ha
Jim McMahon, Jonathan Reynolds and Jo Stevens are the new Shadow Cabinet reps on Labour the NEC. They replace Diane Abbott, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Jon Trickett.
Yes unpopular view no doubt here but furloughing on 80% was too generous in view of peoples reduced costs. Should have been circa 65% or 2/3rds.
Generous to business too in that it allows those who have ample reserves to ride out the crisis without sacking anybody to instead put people on furlough and get money from the government. A good example being Liverpool football club until they bowed to the flack and changed their mind. But there must be lots of this going on. Still, better to err on that side, I think, than on the other.
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
For example - has anyone seen anything in-depth covering the take up on the furlough scheme, problem, issues? Likewise for the self employed scheme?
Serious question. Just tried walking up a few steps as a test. Was surprised how much heavy breathing it took. Legs feeling weak too. Ought I to worry? I've been self isolating since last Wednesday as I had a raised temperature. Called 111 and the call just ended on me each time.
I'd be moderately worried. I think the advice is to call 999 if you have any trouble breathing.
I agree. You've had it nearly a week now. I'd keep trying 111, but call 999 if you don't get through, and certainly if you have any trouble breathing. Don't delay.
Thanks. I did eventually get through but only after selecting the Welsh language option....
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
To reduce any fever.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
No inhalers. I'm a bit more comfortable now - if I have a temperature it means I'm fighting the virus no? Not sure I'd want to change that.
Trying to negotiate a deal is a carcrash Brexit? Or is that the category all Brexits fall under?
Are you lunatic enough to insist on a no-deal Brexit by the end of the year?
No, and I think i've said that they should delay it. But the whole point of the negotiations is to avoid a no-deal exit from the transition period, so I was curious as to why you called a scenario where we left with a deal to be a carcrash Brexit.
It wouldnt be, but I dont think some would accept any delay even now, if a deal is not done. And for once I dont see that it is in the interests of the EU to delay, so I dont think if it is said more time is needed it is a trap.
That is interesting. And quite consistent with other studies based on random RNA sampling. Also given the sensitivity of the test and the time taken to develop antibodies (plus whether children even develop them) it may be more than this.
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
For example - has anyone seen anything in-depth covering the take up on the furlough scheme, problem, issues? Likewise for the self employed scheme?
Anecdotally there seems to be a lot of people missed out in the self-employed scheme. There's a lot of gaps.
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
Repatriation of travellers is, I suspect, going better on Raab's desk than in fact, too
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
For example - has anyone seen anything in-depth covering the take up on the furlough scheme, problem, issues? Likewise for the self employed scheme?
Anecdotally there seems to be a lot of people missed out in the self-employed scheme. There's a lot of gaps.
Perhaps someone could ask some questions about that. Perhaps based on the answers, ask some more. Keep writing down the results. Then form that into a coherent piece of text. Then publish it or read it to a camera or....
You could make that into a job, I suspect. What name should we give it?
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
For example - has anyone seen anything in-depth covering the take up on the furlough scheme, problem, issues? Likewise for the self employed scheme?
Anecdotally there seems to be a lot of people missed out in the self-employed scheme. There's a lot of gaps.
Perhaps someone could ask some questions about that. Perhaps based on the answers, ask some more. Keep writing down the results. Then form that into a coherent piece of text. Then publish it or read it to a camera or....
You could make that into a job, I suspect. What name should we give it?
I think it will be VERY useful to get even a virtual Parliament up and running. It work in Wales.
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
For example - has anyone seen anything in-depth covering the take up on the furlough scheme, problem, issues? Likewise for the self employed scheme?
Anecdotally there seems to be a lot of people missed out in the self-employed scheme. There's a lot of gaps.
Perhaps someone could ask some questions about that. Perhaps based on the answers, ask some more. Keep writing down the results. Then form that into a coherent piece of text. Then publish it or read it to a camera or....
You could make that into a job, I suspect. What name should we give it?
That won't work. The reason journalists are so useless is that is how the government arranged it. Questions in batches so the Minister can ignore one; no follow-ups. On telly rather than lobby terms so the hacks are more interested in screen time for their outlet than information.
They have a duty to inform us. A lot of self-employed people don't know how to navigate the government's bailouts, and a lot of vulnerable people don't know what to do if there's problems with their energy suppliers, don't know how to get medicines, don't know how to get shopping, don't know who to talk to if they're just lonely, or not well physically, or not well mentally, or how to access social work, or what support is available if they're subject to domestic abuse, or even if they can get to a shelter......Journalists could be helping to inform us with all that stuff. A nice, simple, central hub.
For example - has anyone seen anything in-depth covering the take up on the furlough scheme, problem, issues? Likewise for the self employed scheme?
Anecdotally there seems to be a lot of people missed out in the self-employed scheme. There's a lot of gaps.
Perhaps someone could ask some questions about that. Perhaps based on the answers, ask some more. Keep writing down the results. Then form that into a coherent piece of text. Then publish it or read it to a camera or....
You could make that into a job, I suspect. What name should we give it?
That won't work. The reason journalists are so useless is that is how the government arranged it. Questions in batches so the Minister can ignore one; no follow-ups. On telly rather than lobby terms so the hacks are more interested in screen time for their outlet than information.
The lobby isn't where the story would take place. The lobby would be where you would ask the questions raised by the detailed story - or ask them to start a new story.
That is interesting. And quite consistent with other studies based on random RNA sampling. Also given the sensitivity of the test and the time taken to develop antibodies (plus whether children even develop them) it may be more than this.
You need to be a bit careful with interpretation of that result - the test is voluntary, and costs each individual €45. It was taken up by a third of the population of the town. It gave a result of 13% to 14% positive, but of a non-random sample and there may well be a substantial systematic error on it.
That is interesting. And quite consistent with other studies based on random RNA sampling. Also given the sensitivity of the test and the time taken to develop antibodies (plus whether children even develop them) it may be more than this.
You need to be a bit careful with interpretation of that result - the test is voluntary, and costs each individual €45. It was taken up by a third of the population of the town. It gave a result of 13% to 14% positive, but of a non-random sample and there may well be a substantial systematic error on it.
Agreed - how representative it is is difficult to know. But better than 0.1% being positive!!
I would not have guessed that it's better to lie on your front. Noted that.
As a lifetime asthmatic I always sleep on my front. Just always been better that way. Unless I've been holding a lady in the crook of my arm and she's had her head on my shoulder.
If someone described Laura Pidcock as a ‘bimbo’ after one of her many gaffes, what would your response be?
That is not at all to support this person, who clearly is clueless, but I was a bit surprised by your choice of language.
Bimbo means flashily attractive but rather vacuous female. Least that's what I think it means. So I'd be really surprised to hear that applied to Pidcock and I would push back strongly on it. No way is she vacuous, she is the very opposite of that. She's always thinking and talking about serious things. And as for looks, I like her a lot but it's a subtle loveliness. She is hardly getting considered for the playboy mansion (if there still was one).
Comments
1. A return to a semblance of normality based on immunity certificates.
2. There being a large percentage of cases with hardly any or no symptoms.
Both floated a lot but I am dubious.
So learn some science then - and stop asking the questions any useless dick can ask.
Meanwhile the government’s leaflet contains a few grammatical errors that we can excuse given the rush to get it out.
The antibody testing is clearly a harder problem than first thought, but I don't think it is an issue of not being able to do it, it is converting that to be accurate enough at scale.
A real game changer would be a real time test.
Still, the poisoned legacy of crazed loyalty is theirs also.
https://twitter.com/joshuapharo/status/1247274702785175552?s=20
Regarding an antibody test, that will come as you say. The scaling will be tricky but not impossible and will be very informative.
As to a real time test, there are plenty of tests that operate in a short period of time (e.g., the SAMBA II kit gives a result in under 20 minutes) but they are expensive and are currently in a hospital. However, in the longer term, there's no reason to think that such a piece of kit couldn't be more localised I think (e.g., at GP surgeries or testing points - you go there, sit in your car for a bit and then get the result). This all feeds into the mass testing capability strategy.
From an economic point of view, Trump has responded well. The massive splurge of cash will keep businesses afloat. I have little doubt that further economic stimulus will be coming.
There is also a big "rally round the leader at times of war" effect. Whether in Italy, France or the US, the popularity of the government has risen markedly.
But this is also an incredibly hard election to call. If the rest of the world has broadly got a grip on CV-19 by November, and the US doesn't, then I think this plays badly. And while solidly Republican states tend to be less effected, lots of the swing states, like Michigan or Pennsylvania, are being hit hard.
Finally, the one topic that President Trump does not want to fight the next election on is healthcare. If Americans are fearful due to lack of healthcare, then I think that will be a real problem.
They took my details and said someone will call back inside 4 hours. Got the windows open and a nice airflow coming through which might be helping a bit.
What would the benefit of paracetamol be?
Yes, I quite like your lay of the combo. Biden, as discussed, but Trump too. Nothing would really surprise me with that guy. Well, except his re-election.
Are you finding it difficult to breathe at rest and have you any inhalers?
eta: either it is incompetence or follows the Conservatives' election tactic of deliberate errors to increase coverage.
I'm surprised you are falling for the old - "some of the people critiquing me are nutters, therefore all criticism is bollocks" thing.
He has always been a poor excuse for a journalist. Nothing has changed.
https://twitter.com/owenpaterson/status/1247896714389811202?s=21
She is fit tho.
Mind you, I have a bunch of emails and IM from various remainers arguing for a return to the property/education qualifications for voting.
Does that mean that everyone who voted remain (which includes me) is an aggressive 19th cent reactionary?
Or does it mean that some people are idiots?
But if you have difficulty breathing at rest then that is a red warning sign regardless of fever, especially if you have no inhalers so be minded to dial 999 sooner rather than later if that changes.
Noted for future reference.
More importantly any updates on mothing activities?
Inspired by your example ran my trap for the first time in years.
Rather surprisingly, given I must be 500 miles north of you, I got 33 individuals of 7 species.
Hebrew Character - 12
Common Quaker - 6
Pine Beauty - 4
Early Grey - 4
Brindled Pug - 3
Early Tooth-striped - 2
Yellow Horned - 2
#dumbomarkets
If some of the site’s self-proclaimed moderate Leavers were as vociferous about condemning these maniacs, Britain would be in a less parlous condition.
Not that I particularly care; I haven't watched a press conference for weeks.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32133832/
False positives actually were a problem initially in the US test roll-out farce: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/03/why-united-states-coronavirus-testing-failures-were-inevitable/
On March 4, the CDC sent test kits using four sets of primers to state health labs. Three were designed to detect the coronavirus, while the other was supposed to hone in on unrelated genetic material to act as a negative control. But that’s not what happened.
Within days, some labs reported back that they were getting false positive results in their negative controls. The CDC recalled the problem batches but didn’t explain what was wrong, according to Tomer Altman, a Silicon Valley bioinformatics consultant.
Altman, who designs primers for these kinds of tests, thinks he has identified one of the flaws. He analyzed the CDC’s testing components on widely used software, and the program flagged major problems, including one known as primer dimer. That’s when a pair of the primers generate a false signal by binding to each other rather than to the coronavirus’s genetic code. “It’s like running a race with a 10-pound weight tied to your foot,” Altman says—although he cautions that his analysis wasn’t comprehensive and doesn’t definitively show what the problem was.
Having sorted that out, there's still the chance of false positives from mix-ups or cross-contamination between samples ... if it's a medical professional taking the swab and a good quality of lab running the test, you wouldn't think that's a problem, but bear in mind some countries have a rather messier testing system eg with people swabbing themselves unsupervised, drafting in smaller laboratories (even veterinary ones), etc then you can see how they might happen.
There's still some caution about the lack of public data on false positives: https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/comparative-accuracy-of-oropharyngeal-and-nasopharyngeal-swabs-for-diagnosis-of-covid-19/
As I ignore intemperate messages from most brands of hot head. They don't actually mean anything.
Plus some bets of a FTSE bounce.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/coronavirus-putting-world-on-track-for-new-great-depression-says-who
Perhaps she had to dumb down to get the job.
I'd check regularly and keep the paracetamol handy.
And get medical advice (ie not from me) as soon as you can.
Remainers like you Meeks should want them to press on and utterly discredit brexit, not reason them out of it.
Sush now.
mind you i never went out much or bought anything much either lol... economy would be stuffed if everyone was like me ha ha
https://twitter.com/AndyBiotech/status/1247863928236933120
https://twitter.com/tassel_pierre/status/1247614890652688388
Quick question.
If someone described Laura Pidcock as a ‘bimbo’ after one of her many gaffes, what would your response be?
That is not at all to support this person, who clearly is clueless, but I was a bit surprised by your choice of language.
You could make that into a job, I suspect. What name should we give it?
It’s been a very late withdrawal.
But that leaves Trump v Biden.
What an awful choice.
Unless I've been holding a lady in the crook of my arm and she's had her head on my shoulder.
I think, but memory may be false!