Coronavirus - is enough being done to contain it?

I think it is going to be a very long tme before the economy is anywhere near the sort of levels before lockdown and I think many business sectors are irrevocably changed forever by this and I wonder how many will ever be the same as they always have been. You only have to look at the aviation/travel sector and I think that has probably taken some of the biggest hits.

^^ "led by the science" is increasingly being seen to be a euphemism for "give us time to get our house in order". We are waiting out not just covid's direct affects but also the logistics on so many things - from the NHS app to the anti-viral drug to the anti-body test's rollout. Ending the lockdown seems ever more about giving time for the resources flung at this crisis to produce results than the direct medical side of it.

^ Latest newspaper reports suggest the gradual lifting will be announced by Boris in his speech to the nation on TV next Sunday.

It's said to be starting with minor relaxations later this month to the requirements over outdoor exercise and travel. The lifting proper is then supposed to begin on June 1st (having been put back three weeks from earlier speculated dates). Primary schools kids, non-food shops and other small workplaces will be allowed back at that point provided they put tape down and so forth for social distancing. Other elements will be opened up with the 'amber phase' of the traffic lights road map that's proposed for two weeks later. And then it's supposedly a few weeks after that (now thought to be early July) that things like pubs will get the green light phase. The government is supposedly looking to make everyone on public transport wear face masks during these latter phases.

The above paragraph remains all speculation until next week.

Loads of things will remain quite different to what we are used to until a vaccine is found though of course; although a good anti-viral for those that are hospitalised would ease the pressure a lot and could be on the cards for wide distribution from September apparently.

Pubs and clubs should be the last to open just think about it no matter how much social distancing you will have in place a few drinks inside people especially singles who have not had a shag in months and months god it will be bedlam

The big thing I saw reported today was the possibility of instituting 'social bubbles' -- i.e. you'd be allowed to socialise with a restricted social group of two or three households, as long as no one in those households is vulnerable or symptomatic.

Put simply, you can start to meet people again, but Ministry of Sound won't be opening any time soon.

(03-05-2020 13:35 )HannahsPet Wrote:  Pubs and clubs should be the last to open just think about it no matter how much social distancing you will have in place a few drinks inside people especially singles who have not had a shag in months and months god it will be bedlam

Yeah I've been thinking about this.
In my next town there's a coupla pubs that have gigs every few weeks. Normally there's about 20 people and another, say 10 next door in the bar. Of that they'll be about 6 women of which one is presentable and most are attached.
I imagine that when pubs open again they'll be a sea change and the ladies will be coming out the woodwork to react positively to my best chat up lines.
That's the theory anyway

Boris Johnson has managed to set up several rings of accountability around him.

1. Dominic Raab: This one was unintended as it only came to be by Boris contracting the virus but since Raab is First Secretary & was in charge during the worst of the crisis he is an easy fall guy

2. The rest of The Cabinet: Though Raab was the appointed deputy several cabinet members were taking the daily briefings during Boris' absence, it creates an image in the public's eye that the blame can be shared around

3. Dominic Cummings: Political adviser & seen by many as the de-facto man in charge behind the scenes

4. Scientific Advice: Provided to the government by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE)

Those last two are of particular note, the government has repeatedly said that it has been merely following the scientific advice, whenever cabinet members are asked tough questions they always fall back on it in an attempt to shut down the questioning. The problem is that SAGE are not the most transparent of organisations, they do not release their advice or who attends the meetings (many of those who attend are aware to the public but by they're own admission). Now I am not necessarily arguing against the closed off nature of SAGE, they remain in secrecy on the advice of the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure & Patrick Vallance has made the argument that if they are known they are susceptible to lobbying. It's just a very convenient set of circumstances for the government.

The additional issue around SAGE is that leaks to The Guardian showed that Dominic Cummings & Dr Ben Warner (a data scientist who worked for Vote Leave) have attended SAGE meetings, later confirmed by Number 10. Though political advisors attending SAGE is not prohibited it is believed that before Coronavirus no political advisor or Number 10 official has ever attended. Attendees, who wish not to be named, have told The Guardian that Cummings was an active participant & that they were shocked & concerned for the impartiality of the advice being given. This was worsened by the fact that we know that Boris missed 5 COBRA meetings where this advice was being presented, suggesting that what he was getting was not the scientific advice but Cummings interpretation of it.

Now you may say that this is all conjecture & hearsay & it is true that there is no smoking gun that you can point to & say QED. However it raises questions like in relation to this graphic from Newsnight:



Why were we the only country that had not carried out any of these measures?

Why, as being reported, is Sir David King former Chief Scientific Adviser to the government setting up a shadow independent body to SAGE that will submit advice to The Health & Social Affairs select committee ?

And if all of this is just conjecture & misunderstanding then given that all the other countries have their own scientific advisers why are we lumped with the ones that are the medical equivalent of the 3% of scientist that don't believe in climate change?

It looks like what we the government has been following is not the science but Tory science and if Tory science is like Tory anything else that may help explain why we are one of the worst hit countries in Europe.

Looks like Piers Morgan might have covid 19

That will hopefully make Twitter a lot quieter
Trump will probably send him a 'get worse' card lol

(03-05-2020 18:35 )HannahsPet Wrote:  Looks like Piers Morgan might have covid 19

Nah, not even coronavirus could survive inside a host body that toxic!


Interesting and very damning piece on the governments response in, of all places, the Sydney Morning Herald :

https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/bigg...54o2d.html

Hard to argue with much of what it says about the lack of response early on which has led to us towards having the worst figures outside the US.

No shutdown of our borders (and still no mandatory quarantine for anyone entering the UK today)
No early lockdown (the Liverpool euro match and Cheltenham festival going ahead)
Lack of early testing meaning no real clue what was happening or where