Coronavirus Thread

[kenny]

37 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

I read a report last year that a couple of companies that shifted to a 4 day week found that productivity/output was the same as for 5.

We went to a 9 day fortnight and productivity did go up as a result.

 

We have a good motivated workforce and I wouldn't guarantee it would work everywhere however. It's also not contracted so it can be taken away if it isn't working out.

[yorkie1999]

15 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Around the time I was leaving school, and that was a very long time ago, I remember a technology discussion saying one of the benefits would be shorter working hours and more leisure time.

I'm approaching retirement and still the 5 day week persists in a overwhelming majority of occupations.

What technology actually creates is less people being more productive in the same time, so consequently less people are required, but that’s not a very good idea in an ever increasing population that’s become more service and leisure orientated because it means less people become more wealthy. Although I do think that eventually there won’t be a need for people working in offices because technology and automated systems based on people’s criteria and circumstances will take over. press a button on your phone and here’s a 25 grand loan.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53494766

 

Finally realising that taking this seriously is the only chance he has in November, then.

[zorro en españa]

4 hours ago, leicsmac said:

 

Finally realising that taking this seriously is the only chance he has in November, then.

On a day when deaths in his country surpassed 1100 and a progressive rate that is likely to see the 150,000 figure breached by the end of the month.  
 

I have no doubt that finally one of the President’s advisers has finally got through to him that he needs to change his tack.  Without a doubt there was a change in emphasis and it was noticeable he didn’t get involved in a spat with any of the audience.  His problem is, if he continues these pressers daily (as is the current intent), that it won’t be long before a spat will occur.  In reality he wants to see this as an opportunity to promote himself (what a dreadful thing to have to write) and his response to this crisis is fully exposed and does not look good.  Unless there are planted questions it is inevitable that the audience will focus upon the virus and this will irk him so a spat is just around the corner.

 

Meanwhile Anthony Fauci continues to rise above any baiting.  ‘I am a realist, not an alarmist’ is his response to the President’s recent jibe.  I am sure a lot of Americans are now looking in wishing they had listened more to Fauci than their President.

[st albans fox]

30 minutes ago, zorro en españa said:

On a day when deaths in his country surpassed 1100 and a progressive rate that is likely to see the 150,000 figure breached by the end of the month.  
 

I have no doubt that finally one of the President’s advisers has finally got through to him that he needs to change his tack.  Without a doubt there was a change in emphasis and it was noticeable he didn’t get involved in a spat with any of the audience.  His problem is, if he continues these pressers daily (as is the current intent), that it won’t be long before a spat will occur.  In reality he wants to see this as an opportunity to promote himself (what a dreadful thing to have to write) and his response to this crisis is fully exposed and does not look good.  Unless there are planted questions it is inevitable that the audience will focus upon the virus and this will irk him so a spat is just around the corner.

 

Meanwhile Anthony Fauci continues to rise above any baiting.  ‘I am a realist, not an alarmist’ is his response to the President’s recent jibe.  I am sure a lot of Americans are now looking in wishing they had listened more to Fauci than their President.

The only positive news for him is that whilst deaths are now increasing (yesterday was highest since June 2), cases seem to have plateaued - question is whether the Americans can change their behaviour and governors will impose the necessary restrictions. If yes then the cases will slowly drop back , if no then they may well start to increase again and from a high level. 

 

my sister in law (in Atlanta) was tested last weekend and 9 days later still waiting for results ....... apparently can take up to two weeks!  Meanwhile, because her test was due to being with someone who had tested positive, I doubt she is isolating. It’s simply not in their make up over there.  tbh, if it takes so long for the results to come back and you feel ok after a week, would you ???

 

that delay in results also poses the question how reliable the cases data each day is.  It’s a daily snapshot of the period 5 to 15 days!  As result, the lag to increase in deaths may not be as long as we would expect. 

[Lionator]

6 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53494766

 

Finally realising that taking this seriously is the only chance he has in November, then.

If there's one good thing to come from this pandemic, it's put the nails firmly in his coffin. His slandering of Dr. Fauci is stupid.

[leicsmac]

2 hours ago, Lionator said:

If there's one good thing to come from this pandemic, it's put the nails firmly in his coffin. His slandering of Dr. Fauci is stupid.

You'd think so, but seeing as there have been a hundred things that really should have been the end of him and were not I'm going to reserve judgement until November.

[Sampson]

Spain looking worrying now. Gone up from around 400 new cases a day to around 1,400 cases a day in about 2 weeks since they opened up for tourists.

[Jattdogg]

https://torontosun.com/life/relationships/physical-distancing-b-c-health-agency-touts-glory-holes-for-safer-pandemic-sex/amp

 

Gotta love the British Columbian provincial government lol.

[Lionator]

3 hours ago, Sampson said:

Spain looking worrying now. Gone up from around 400 new cases a day to around 1,400 cases a day in about 2 weeks since they opened up for tourists.

Doing a bit of reading and they’ve completely mismanaged it in comparison to Italy who had issues at the same time. 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

10 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Doing a bit of reading and they’ve completely mismanaged it in comparison to Italy who had issues at the same time. 

Desperate for the €€€€ tourists bring in.

[Jon the Hat]

I see we are a full month under the 5 year aveage deaths.  I expect this to continue and the come back to something resembling normal for the full year.

[Lionator]

2 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

I see we are a full month under the 5 year aveage deaths.  I expect this to continue and the come back to something resembling normal for the full year.

This will categorically not happen. While it will come down, the stats for the end of the year are going to be absolutely horrendous. 

[Heathrow fox]

So you can now take your driving test.The minute you mark a fail you immediately go back to the test centre,to cut down on unnecessary time spent in close proximity.Quite brutal really.My first test (out of Gipsy Lane) would have been done and dusted in about 30 seconds.I dropped a clanger on Catherine Street.Breezed it on 2nd attempt luckily.

[MonmoreStef]

1 hour ago, Heathrow fox said:

So you can now take your driving test.The minute you mark a fail you immediately go back to the test centre,to cut down on unnecessary time spent in close proximity.Quite brutal really.My first test (out of Gipsy Lane) would have been done and dusted in about 30 seconds.I dropped a clanger on Catherine Street.Breezed it on 2nd attempt luckily.

I’d be tempted to take the long route back just to wind the tester up.

[zorro en españa]

With quite a few South American countries still to declare confirmed cases for today have exceeded a quarter of a million world wide.  A new record.  USA with a second 1000 plus deaths in a day ☹️

[Sampson]

58 minutes ago, zorro en españa said:

With quite a few South American countries still to declare confirmed cases for today have exceeded a quarter of a million world wide.  A new record.  USA with a second 1000 plus deaths in a day ☹️

Brazil and India both had 1000+ deaths too.

 

Mexico has 915.

 

This was the worst day of the pandemic by far and it only gets worse from here I think now.

 

Think India and Mexico are now on the same level of uncontrollable spread ripping through the country as the US and Brazil are.  

Edited 22 July 2020 by Sampson

[Leicester_Loyal]

12 hours ago, Heathrow fox said:

So you can now take your driving test.The minute you mark a fail you immediately go back to the test centre,to cut down on unnecessary time spent in close proximity.Quite brutal really.My first test (out of Gipsy Lane) would have been done and dusted in about 30 seconds.I dropped a clanger on Catherine Street.Breezed it on 2nd attempt luckily.

Box junction at the traffic lights just outside was where I failed my first test many years ago. Car infront stalled as I was going through, by the time he got going again a bloke on a bike started to cross the road, I'd seen him but the instructor hit the brakes just in case. It was so frustrating knowing I'd failed already after about 15 seconds.

Edited 23 July 2020 by Leicester_Loyal

[MPH]

8 hours ago, Heathrow fox said:

So you can now take your driving test.The minute you mark a fail you immediately go back to the test centre,to cut down on unnecessary time spent in close proximity.Quite brutal really.My first test (out of Gipsy Lane) would have been done and dusted in about 30 seconds.I dropped a clanger on Catherine Street.Breezed it on 2nd attempt luckily.

 

 

I kid you not, they basically check you have a pulse here in North Carolina. if you do? you’re good to go..

 

I moved from Leicester to here in my 30s Lived in clarendon park area... got the bus everywhere... moved to the states and soon saw the need to drive. public transport was non existent in this area..

 

Mentioned to my father in law i needed to find someone to get lessons from and he said he’d teach me! great! didn’t realize he was an instructor. 

 

He wasn’t.

 

Took me up and down a little road a few times and told my wife to put me in for my test

 

 

You wot m8?

 

got very nervous and told my wife that maybe i needed to learn to parallel park... or go round a few roundabouts or pull into a car park space or something and i kid you not her response was “ don’t worry, you can learn all that after you’ve passed your test”  errr what?

 

 

Was practically panicking the day of my test as i’d only been in a car  drivin for a total of about 5 hours... he took me down a narrow road, asked me to do a 3 point turn told me to go back to the testing office ( thought i’d failed we went back that quick) and said i’d passed! shocking!

 

 

[Costock_Fox]

2 hours ago, MPH said:

 

 

I kid you not, they basically check you have a pulse here in North Carolina. if you do? you’re good to go..

 

I moved from Leicester to here in my 30s Lived in clarendon park area... got the bus everywhere... moved to the states and soon saw the need to drive. public transport was non existent in this area..

 

Mentioned to my father in law i needed to find someone to get lessons from and he said he’d teach me! great! didn’t realize he was an instructor. 

 

He wasn’t.

 

Took me up and down a little road a few times and told my wife to put me in for my test

 

 

You wot m8?

 

got very nervous and told my wife that maybe i needed to learn to parallel park... or go round a few roundabouts or pull into a car park space or something and i kid you not her response was “ don’t worry, you can learn all that after you’ve passed your test”  errr what?

 

 

Was practically panicking the day of my test as i’d only been in a car  drivin for a total of about 5 hours... he took me down a narrow road, asked me to do a 3 point turn told me to go back to the testing office ( thought i’d failed we went back that quick) and said i’d passed! shocking!

 

 

Obviously in the US you are still statistically more likely to be shot than die in a car crash, probably.

[Heathrow fox]

8 hours ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

Box junction at the traffic lights just outside was where I failed my first test many years ago. Car infront stalled as I was going through, by the time he got going again a bloke on a bike started to cross the road, I'd seen him but the instructor hit the breaks just in case. It was so frustrating knowing I'd failed already after about 15 seconds.

The thought of going through that dreaded box junction on a test,traumatised me so much that to this day I’ve still not gone through it.Tbf I haven’t been that way in yonks.It’s probably a piece of cake aswell.It had such a reputation as a test destroyer.

[Crinklyfox]

Some promising news about a new treatment from a Phase 2 clinical trial at the University of Southampton.

 

http://www.pharmatimes.com/news/synairgens_sng001_shows_strong_promise_in_covid-19_trial_1345119

 

Interferon is naturally produced by cells in response to infection, it's purpose being to prevent infection of neighbouring cells to the infected cells.  It appears that Covid-19 hampers this response, reducing the body's ability to fight the infection.  The trial was conducted on Covid-19 affected patients, some of whom were given Interferon Beta (existing drug) by inhalation and some of whom were given a placebo.  79% of the group given the drug did not go on to suffer the most severe effects of Covid-19 and none of them died.  Phase 3 clinical trial eagerly awaited.

[Jon the Hat]

13 hours ago, Lionator said:

This will categorically not happen. While it will come down, the stats for the end of the year are going to be absolutely horrendous. 

You don't think a lot of the elderly people with multple conditions would have died in the following 6-12 anyway?  Looks pretty obvious to me.  It is clear the Covid death stats are dodgy at best as we get further away from the peak, so excess deaths is the only good measure, and frankly we are already not that far off a bad flu season.  If you think that those who might have died the coming winter from flu have already sadly dies of Covid, then it is not unreasonable to think the year ends up within.  Important to remember this hit us in Spring time when deaths are generally lower.

[Charl91]

12 hours ago, Heathrow fox said:

So you can now take your driving test.The minute you mark a fail you immediately go back to the test centre,to cut down on unnecessary time spent in close proximity.Quite brutal really.My first test (out of Gipsy Lane) would have been done and dusted in about 30 seconds.I dropped a clanger on Catherine Street.Breezed it on 2nd attempt luckily.

Could be worse.

 

I wouldn't have even left the test centre on my first one  

[Nalis]

On 21/07/2020 at 22:42, Free Falling Foxes said:

I read a report last year that a couple of companies that shifted to a 4 day week found that productivity/output was the same as for 5.

Cue 80% pay.