Corona Virus

[Matt_Lcfc]

Will be surprised if my college open by the end off the week. Looks like they’re gearing up for shutting.

Edited 17 March 2020 by Matt_Lcfc

[Xen]

1 minute ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Yep, Boris says "work from home", my employer's response? "See you in the morning". 

 

Banging. 

Same here.

 

Non-essential staff to work from home, but the company's definition of 'essential' is flawed in that just because I can access certain databases I'm considered part of that group, even though I dont need access to them 99% of the time. So I'm sat here in a half-empty office having caught the train in this morning to do a job which I could've done in my pajamas at home.

 

Great quarantine, that is.

[bmt]

6 minutes ago, nnfox said:

This is correct.  I think that actual isolation doesn't necessarily have to happen yet.  I'm sure the behavioural scientists are heavily involved with this particular policy.

 

In this circumstance the government need to take the public with them on this journey.  Forcing people would be unenforceable if you just dropped a ban on them.

Hadn't thought about that much but good point, however it does have to be a bit of a whistlestop tour of the stages of locking it down!

[blabyboy]

1 minute ago, bmt said:

I'm not sure I understand how tests work atm. Is it possible to test everyone who is it positive with a high degree of success, symptoms or not?

There are not enough tests atm. That's why they're prioritising emergency workers and then filtering ppl via the 111 system. You may see in in the media that the number of confirmed cases is X whilst they estimate that the number of cases is actually Y. The tests have to be manufactured and then shipped to various centres. 

 

the one thing going for us, is that all tests are being conducted via PHE so they at least have an accurate picture across the nations. In other countries, different regional regimes may exist and ppl may also be trying to acquire private tests so the real number is more obscure. 

[stripeyfox]

1 minute ago, Xen said:

Same here.

 

Non-essential staff to work from home, but the company's definition of 'essential' is flawed in that just because I can access certain databases I'm considered part of that group, even though I dont need access to them 99% of the time. So I'm sat here in a half-empty office having caught the train in this morning to do a job which I could've done in my pajamas at home.

 

Great quarantine, that is.

We've been told if we want to work from home then we can (offical from HR), but at site level, are certainly not encouraging home working. For now, I'm in the office but I just want to get as far away from people as possible at the moment!

 

[bmt]

Just now, blabyboy said:

There are not enough tests atm. That's why they're prioritising emergency workers and then filtering ppl via the 111 system. You may see in in the media that the number of confirmed cases is X whilst they estimate that the number of cases is actually Y. The tests have to be manufactured and then shipped to various centres. 

 

the one thing going for us, is that all tests are being conducted via PHE so they at least have an accurate picture across the nations. In other countries, different regional regimes may exist and ppl may also be trying to acquire private tests so the real number is more obscure. 

I understand that, but are the tests themselves effective. Eg could we use the next three months of lockdown to build up testing capacity and then make everyone take a test at the same time to ensure nobody has it, then enforcing short quarantine and testing on anyone who enters the country (similar to China)?

[blabyboy]

  8 minutes ago, nnfox said:

This is correct.  I think that actual isolation doesn't necessarily have to happen yet.  I'm sure the behavioural scientists are heavily involved with this particular policy.

 

In this circumstance the government need to take the public with them on this journey.  Forcing people would be unenforceable if you just dropped a ban on them.

Quote

Hadn't thought about that much but good point, however it does have to be a bit of a whistlestop tour of the stages of locking it down!

They're learning from the mistakes in Italy and China. Watch those daily updates and see it unfold in slow motion. Watch to the end and the Journalist questions as well - some of them are asking very good questions i.e. not sensationalist.

[nnfox]

9 minutes ago, bmt said:

Hadn't thought about that much but good point, however it does have to be a bit of a whistlestop tour of the stages of locking it down!

Yeah, I think the journey is currently at the "Grab your coat, we're ******* going now" stage.

[blabyboy]

1 minute ago, bmt said:

I understand that, but are the tests themselves effective. Eg could we use the next three months of lockdown to build up testing capacity and then make everyone take a test at the same time to ensure nobody has it, then enforcing short quarantine and testing on anyone who enters the country (similar to China)?

Apologies, I mis-read your query.

To my untrained eye they do appear to be effective - we just don't have enough of them, perhaps the training and ppl to carry out the test as well.

 

From what the Gov advisors have said yesterday and from bits that have come out today, I don't think the test that is currently available is the one they want to concentrate efforts on though... they want the secondary one because it gives us so much more information. The current test just tells you if you have/don't have it now (you may have had it last week or last month and be clear already). The secondary one will identify those that have been infected and - although historical - allows more information to be gleaned about each infected person. We need that information to then assess just how quickly it's spreading, are there particular types of ppl it's hitting, do particular types of ppl have a better/worse resistance? Who is much more likely to die? Of those infected, has the strain of virus mutated? If so, by how much?

[Wymsey]

Can't see the local pubs being willing to shut for an uncertain amount of period.

[Leicester_Loyal]

1 minute ago, Wymsey said:

Can't see the local pubs being willing to shut for an uncertain amount of period.

They might not have a choice soon enough.

[Wymsey]

 

Spotted: Syston

1 hr · 

Such a sad site to see an elderly gentleman was trying to shop in Aldi this morning all he could buy was a tin of soup ,custard ,milk ,he turned to me and said I'm lost I really don't know what to do can't get anything he wanted was quite upsetting to see .So come on every one stop panick buying and give a thought for the elderly and the ones with babies 

[Guest Markyblue]

Interesting article on sky's website from a microbiologist saying that as people are self isolating with minor symptoms and not being tested the results are underestimating the infection rate and therefore over estimating the lethality of the infection. 

[VLC86]

3 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

 

Spotted: Syston

1 hr · 

Such a sad site to see an elderly gentleman was trying to shop in Aldi this morning all he could buy was a tin of soup ,custard ,milk ,he turned to me and said I'm lost I really don't know what to do can't get anything he wanted was quite upsetting to see .So come on every one stop panick buying and give a thought for the elderly and the ones with babies 

Grim, I hope the person helped them.

[bmt]

Just now, Markyblue said:

Interesting article on sky's website from a microbiologist saying that as people are self isolating with minor symptoms and not being tested the results are underestimating the infection rate and therefore over estimating the lethality of the infection. 

yeah that's clearly true, but our CFR is like 4% at the moment so you would be hoping that was so.

[Strokes]

56 minutes ago, bmt said:

We are an embarrassingly stupid lot sometimes aren't we?

You say that but like I said earlier in the thread, if we were testing everyone then there is no excuse but from a personal point of view, I won’t stop working unless a) I am physically unable too.

b) I’ve been forced not too.

c) I’ve had a positive test.

Like others on this forum, I’m self employed, there is no safety net. If I was to self isolate for a cough, that could be just a cold then I don’t get paid. I’m then at risk to having to self isolate again because of Lockdown, actual infection or both. I’m not broke but I’m pretty sure I could easily be ruined by making certain choices and a run of bad luck.

 

[bmt]

1 minute ago, Strokes said:

You say that but like I said earlier in the thread, if we were testing everyone then there is no excuse but from a personal point of view, I won’t stop working unless a) I am physically unable too.

b) I’ve been forced not too.

c) I’ve had a positive test.

Like others on this forum, I’m self employed, there is no safety net. If I was to self isolate for a cough, that could be just a cold then I don’t get paid. I’m then at risk to having to self isolate again because of Lockdown, actual infection or both. I’m not broke but I’m pretty sure I could easily be ruined by making certain choices and a run of bad luck.

 

That would be my preference but if you have a cough and fever it's quite likely its coronavirus in which working is incredibly selfish to others in their office. If you are self-employed, presumably that means you don't operate around large groups of other people so it is slightly different.

[Guest Markyblue]

4 minutes ago, bmt said:

yeah that's clearly true, but our CFR is like 4% at the moment so you would be hoping that was so.

I suppose the thing is how many have recovered/ dont need treatment. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

3 minutes ago, bmt said:

That would be my preference but if you have a cough and fever it's quite likely its coronavirus in which working is incredibly selfish to others in their office. If you are self-employed, presumably that means you don't operate around large groups of other people so it is slightly different.

Very true. But a lot of people will probably only have one or two symptoms, not all of them. A cough, sore throat, tight chest, headache or a runny nose could be a cold, the flu or Corona.

[stripeyfox]

Euro 2020 postponed until 2021 - according to Norweigian FA

 

[stripeyfox]

Posted at 12:4112:41

BREAKINGUK advises against non-essential travel anywhere in the world

BBCCopyright: BBC

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says no UK citizen should travel non-essentially anywhere in the world.

Giving a statement to Parliament on the coronavirus outbreak, he says the outbreak is "the worst public health crisis for a generation and unsettling for families... so there needs to be a united effort to tackle it effectively".

Mr Raab says UK citizens are now facing "widespread international border restrictions and lock downs", and the speed and range of those measures are "unprecedented".

He says these measures, and the moves taken domestically, has led to the advice "with immediate effect against non-essential travel globally for an initial period of 30 days and subject to ongoing review".

Mr Raab adds: "We want to reduce the risk of leaving UK citizens stranded overseas.

"We will keep this under review and amend as soon as responsibility allows."

[The Horse's Mouth]

I've got a bit of a cough but theres no way I'm ringing up work and saying that, it's just unrealistic, and what happens say I isolate for 14 days come back to work and then 3 days back I've got another cough, straight back to another self isolation? It's just not realistic to enforce, testing needs to be more widely available if we have any chance of stopping it spreading and keeping people at home.

[nnfox]

5 minutes ago, The Horse's Mouth said:

I've got a bit of a cough but theres no way I'm ringing up work and saying that, it's just unrealistic, and what happens say I isolate for 14 days come back to work and then 3 days back I've got another cough, straight back to another self isolation? It's just not realistic to enforce, testing needs to be more widely available if we have any chance of stopping it spreading and keeping people at home.

The WHO go one step further.  They suggest you continue to self isolate for 14 days from the point where you no longer have any symptoms, so potentially off for three weeks!

 

The government hinted at more extensive testing yesterday but I suspect that, initially at least, it will be NHS staff and maybe police.  They aren't going to want many of those staying at home for two weeks if someone in the house has a cough.

[Guest ttfn]

If you do go to the supermarket in the next few days think about leaving something for the food bank - I couldn’t believe how little was in there last week and people are going to need them more than ever in the next few weeks.

[bmt]

2 minutes ago, ttfn said:

If you do go to the supermarket in the next few days think about leaving something for the food bank - I couldn’t believe how little was in there last week and people are going to need them more than ever in the next few weeks.

My mum saw people taking stuff out of the food bank bin at Tesco