Coronavirus outbreak

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Wobblers

Euthermic
Location
Minkowski Space
I did see it :smile:. I'd also seen various pieces from multiple different companies around the UK some of which said they were in talks and others said nope, not heard anything from any UK lot. I do believe you, just not wanting to post much until more finalised.

There are massive issues with logistics. Even if happens as Spain where I understand what happened it they had to get 20,000 test kits here, 40,000 there and so on to make up 640,000. Even 10,000 test kits is transformational. On the ventillators or other equipment logistical issues around assembly and parts are having to be overcome.

When I mentioned logistics previously I also meant distributing them. I don't have a problem with Vo' type arrangements where the UK government clean sweeps an entire hospital staff say at once (and three to four days later) to work out who/what/where. As well as saving lives a proper study would show how it spreads within hospital staff. Longer term than a couple of weeks I worry about the UK government and various workers doing stupid things with tests. There has be a system for using them to basically ration and use effectively what's among one of the most precious things on earth right now.

For me one of the advantages of the various antibody and other quicker tests is in combination. Say you have a hospital worker where they are tested and it comes back ambiguous, target a PCR on them, isolate for 24 hours. It means in some cases people will be able to go back to work after 24 hours rather than a much longer amount of time.

It's important to understand that PCR and antibody tests are not equivalent.

The antibody kits are looking for antibodies that are produced by the immune system a few days after infection. That means someone can be infected, yet test negative. In fact, they'll almost certainly test negative in the important first few days where they're asymptomatic but can still infect others. It is however, very useful in identifying which people have been exposed to the virus (and are now hopefully resistant).

The PCR test is sensitive to virtal RNA. It can't identify whether or not someone has been exposed to the virus. It will unambiguously identify where someone has an active infection. It can tell you who should - must - be quarantined. Hence your suggestion that someone who tests positve with the antibosy test should be isolated until the PCR test comes back clear. Unfortunately this isn't enough - this will miss those in the early stages.
 

Rezillo

TwoSheds
Location
Suffolk
https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/368/bmj.m1216.full.pdf

Not totally debunked but looking very flawed. It's being rubbished but not so much that its critics would look completely wrong-footed if it turned out to be right

Even if it is correct, there seems to be no disagreement on either side of measures to control its spread now; the main impact is on what happens afterwards. Widespread testing will show who's right.
 

ozboz

Guru
Location
Richmond ,Surrey
I was on the Sainsbury’s patrol today to see what I could get as it was late-ish
Hardly no bread, chicken ,tinned stuff or no this and no that , and yet .,,,,
510492

No shortage on this stuff !! 😂😂
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
Yes, I'd just mentioned the ominously missing figures a few minutes ago. Only the other UK countries - totalling 13 - have been released, but England's haven't.
28 dead for England. Better, far better. than I feared.

Strangely nothing at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public yet, still saying:
"As of 9am on 24 March 2020, a total of 90,436 people have been tested, of which 82,359 were confirmed negative and 8,077 were confirmed positive. 422 patients in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have died."

I take note of the website because it tells you how many have been tested cumulatively, which lets you work out how many were tested in the last 24 hours.

The fatality of 41 is surprisingly low. I suspect it is incomplete or something, and will probably catch up tomorrow.

On a separate note, a friend in Kings Lynn has been assisted via 111 for a week and was sent by 111 to the local A&E today due to new and ominous neurological symptoms on top of other CV symptoms, turned up at the hospital, and found not a single hospital worker was wearing a mask or gloves. The first hospital staff she saw licked her finger to pick up every single form before handing them out to patients...

No, my friend is not the Duchess of Cornwall, so she was sent packing with some co-codamol without any test, after being told tests are only done on very very ill patients.
 
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deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
Strangely nothing at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public yet, still saying:
"As of 9am on 24 March 2020, a total of 90,436 people have been tested, of which 82,359 were confirmed negative and 8,077 were confirmed positive. 422 patients in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have died."

I take note of the latter site because it tells you how many have been tested cumulatively, which lets you work out how many were tested in the last 24 hours.

The fatality of 41 is surprisingly low. I suspect it is incomplete or something, and will probably catch up tomorrow.

On a separate note, a friend in Kings Lynn has been assisted via 111 for a week and was sent by 111 to the local A&E today due to new and ominous neurological symptoms on top of other CV symptoms, turned up at the hospital, and found not a single hospital worker was wearing a mask or gloves. The first hospital staff she saw licked her finger to pick up every single form before handing them out to patients...

No, my friend is not the Duchess of Cornwall, so she was sent packing with some co-codamol without any test, after being told tests are only done on very very ill patients.
I thought it low as well. BTW, apparently the number is 43. Perhaps I misheard
 

Duffy

Über Member
It MAY have been purely financial BUT the self employed are the only one's at present that are not being offered ANY support, unlike ALL those on PAYE, so unless you are that self employed parent, wondering how you are going to put food on the table (WHICH IS A REALITY), who are you to judge? Nothing about this is black and white and every situation is different.

So a wage for one is potentially worth another’s life?
At what price level would that start and stop for example??
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
In the ft about an hour ago:
"A further 28 people, aged between 47 and 93, have died after testing positive for coronavirus in England, NHS England said, bringing the total deaths in the UK to 463. "

It was 422 yesterday. So 41.

Where is the news about the 19 year old that died yesterday in London?
One of many that doesn't get counted, maybe?
Who are the 90.436 people tested so far?
Nobody gets tested here in Scotland afaik: if you have the symptoms you are told to self isolate for 7 days, after that, phone the NHS helpline and hope for the best.

There is a parody of Boris circulating on Italian social media.
An old Granny phones her pal, tells her to stay at home.
Old Italian Granny tells her pal (who doesn't have a TV!) that Merkel and Macron too say "stay home!" while Boris says old people must die .....
I won't link, because it doesn't have subtitles.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
So a wage for one is potentially worth another’s life?
At what price level would that start and stop for example??
I think the argument about builders and the likes allowed to go out to work is a red herring.
What about the numerous corner shops still operating?
Social distancing for customer and staff is not happening, due to the size of the premises, also due to unawareness (or disregard).
Last time I visited a major supermarket, two days ago, staff still had no shield whatsoever, social distancing among customers was non existent.
Myself, I was working with the public until last Thursday, now I'm attending hospital daily.
On my first visit to hospital, on Tuesday it was, the clinical person who was administering my treatment said "oh, our elderly are resilient" ... yes, like Italy and Spain have such a fragile population that they are dying by the thousands.
Today they were going around with a measuring tape between the chairs in the waiting area.
Sorry, seems all a wee (big!) bit too late when we all know, in real time, what has been happening abroad.
 

stowie

Legendary Member
A member of staff teaching my daughter's class has been tested positive for COVID-19 - the school sent an email today. She is in primary school, so can only be the teacher, supply teacher she had for a day or the TAs. She finished school on Friday whilst many parents withdrew their children earlier last week but I sent her because it is drummed into us parents that children cannot miss any school and the guidance about whether absences at this time would be ignored or treated as unauthorised was very unclear.

I feel very guilty now - as most parents do about anything to do with their children!

None of us are exhibiting symptons and I assume we should make sure we don't go out at all until 7 days after the school shut to be sure although the guidance would appear to instruct self-isolation only if a member of the household has symptons.

The school was still open for children of essential workers until today. The school is now shut for deep cleaning and those children are being placed in another local school which seems potential for spreading it, but I guess it is either that or a bunch of essential workers end up unable to work.

It has really brought home to me just how serious this is.
 
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