Confusing headline of the day in the Daily Mirror

Coronavirus mutates into second strain which is more aggressive and contagious

 

And then lower down they then state this

"

The preliminary study found that a more aggressive type of the new coronavirus associated with the disease outbreak in Wuhan accounted for about 70% of analysed strains, while 30% was linked to a less aggressive type.

The prevalence of the more aggressive virus decreased after early January 2020, they said.

 

???

what is worrying is that no one in Government seems capable of understanding that it's all very well to tell people to "Self isolate" but unless you instigate a system for monitoring these people, we will end up with possibly thousands of properties containing rotting corpses because no one is aware of what happened to them.

Simple advice should help, such as telling people to ring elderly relatives every day, and a program of calls to every address an agreed number of times per day would be a start ,and a local community monitor in charge

what is worrying is that no one in Government seems capable of understanding that it's all very well to tell people to "Self isolate" but unless you instigate a system for monitoring these people, we will end up with possibly thousands of properties containing rotting corpses because no one is aware of what happened to them.

Simple advice should help, such as telling people to ring elderly relatives every day, and a program of calls to every address an agreed number of times per day would be a start ,and a local community monitor in charge

Tell people to put a piece of paper with today's date on it inside the window - visible from outside. Then update it every day. (Obviously, adjust to cover all circumstances.)

Amazingly the Americans are responding a little better

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/world/coronavirus-news.html

 

U.S. lawmakers reach deal on $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus bill.

Racing to confront a growing public health threat, key lawmakers in the House and Senate reached a deal on Wednesday to provide $8.3 billion in emergency aid to combat the novel coronavirus, and the House planned a vote later Wednesday to approve it, according to three officials familiar with the negotiations.

The bipartisan package, which includes nearly $7.8 billion for agencies dealing with the virus and came together after days of rapid negotiations, is substantially larger than what the White House initially proposed in late February.

 

It also authorizes roughly $500 million to allow Medicare providers to administer tele-health services so that more elderly patients, who are at greater risk from the virus, can receive care at home, according to two of the officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of a formal announcement. "

 

Mind you The notion of intensive care at home doesn't quite resonate somehow

Tell people to put a piece of paper with today's date on it inside the window - visible from outside. Then update it every day. (Obviously, adjust to cover all circumstances.)

 

Now that is a good idea!

Tell people to put a piece of paper with today's date on it inside the window - visible from outside. Then update it every day. (Obviously, adjust to cover all circumstances.)

That's a good idea!

what is worrying is that no one in Government seems capable of understanding that it's all very well to tell people to "Self isolate" but unless you instigate a system for monitoring these people, we will end up with possibly thousands of properties containing rotting corpses because no one is aware of what happened to them.

Simple advice should help, such as telling people to ring elderly relatives every day, and a program of calls to every address an agreed number of times per day would be a start ,and a local community monitor in charge

Isn’t the advice to self isolate if you consider that you may be at risk ( due to travel etc ) but if you have symptoms you should immediately contact 111 ?

 

Thankfully I have not had to do that so I don’t know what they ask but I wonder what DOC and procedure is implemented at that stage.

 

Certainly confirmed cases seem to be making it to isolation care at the moment. How that will work once numbers potentially increase I don’t know.... but just now the process recommendations are based on small numbers.

Isn’t the advice to self isolate if you consider that you may be at risk ( due to travel etc ) but if you have symptoms you should immediately contact 111 ?

 

Thankfully I have not had to do that so I don’t know what they ask but I wonder what DOC and procedure is implemented at that stage.

 

Certainly confirmed cases seem to be making it to isolation care at the moment. How that will work once numbers potentially increase I don’t know.... but just now the process recommendations are based on small numbers.

Given that at one point is was said we only have 15 beds for isolation cases, I do wonder what will happen.

 

I can't see everyone going to hospital - of any sort - if numbers ramp up as the worst predictions suggest. And, if people do get mild versions/symptoms, that will be fine. I'd rather be at home, with at least a bit of support, than in a hospital anyway.

 

But perhaps we won't even know how the numbers go...

In the UK, however, as confirmed cases jumped by 36 – the biggest surge so far – the Department of Health and Social Care announced on Twitter that it would no longer be tweeting their general locations, let alone their travelling habits, “due to the number of new cases”. Instead, it planned to put out a regional breakdown once a week, it said.

 

It went down badly. Twitter users accused the government of a lack of transparency. Some said they would now be pulling their children out of school because they did not know where the virus was lurking (even though children are rarely infected).

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/04/transparency-is-needed-to-reassure-uk-public-as-coronavirus-spreads

If the symptoms are mild then fine - stay at home with friends family dropping of supplies but for mainly folk who are elderly , chronically ill and if become very poorly then prognosis is poor if needing to be admitted with lack of intensive care beds to cope with surge in demand compounded by staff shortages.

 

The NHS isn’t ready for the coronavirus crisis

If the symptoms are mild then fine - stay at home with friends family dropping of supplies but for mainly folk who are elderly , chronically ill and if become very poorly then prognosis is poor if needing to be admitted with lack of intensive care beds to cope with surge in demand compounded by staff shortages.

 

The NHS isn’t ready for the coronavirus crisis

Yes. Being older (rather than elderly, at least in my opinion), I hope I'd get through. But existing health issues are a real concern.

 

It is very unclear what impact of my existing health issues are likely to have. Some suggestions that thyroid issues can mean a combination of being less likely to be diagnosed as body temperature might not rise to the levels expected and a negative impact on ability to cope. But in other ways, there are positive aspects like living in a quiet cul-de-sac so less exposed, fewer people so just possibly more likely to get to see a doctor if really needed.

Tell people to put a piece of paper with today's date on it inside the window - visible from outside. Then update it every day. (Obviously, adjust to cover all circumstances.)

 

Amazon would market a window device that automatically changed the date for you.

.

Amazon would market a window device that automatically changed the date for you.

.

Solar powered so it will work for centuries.

Solar powered so it will work for centuries.

Cough splutter.. Siri call for help....

 

Did you say order coffee?

Given that at one point is was said we only have 15 beds for isolation cases, I do wonder what will happen.

 

I suppose we have lots of temporary isolation beds that could be deployed, there was lots of noise in the press about how quickly the Chinese built a hospital,they achieved a lot but it wasn’t a hospital cos it didn’t need to be. The truth is they built temporary wards to treat a single illness which isn’t beyond our means if we needed to. Let’s hope our situation is different and we don’t need to.

 

I can't see everyone going to hospital - of any sort - if numbers ramp up as the worst predictions suggest. And, if people do get mild versions/symptoms, that will be fine. I'd rather be at home, with at least a bit of support, than in a hospital anyway.

 

 

It’s a worry when there are underlying health issues, I remember in past episodes hearing that phrase and it sort of made things seem OK. Now my parents are almost 90 and live 150 miles away... and they have underlying health issues - suddenly that phrase hits me like a brick!

 

But then we have to keep a sense of perspective and act responsibly and in some ways.. like life in general , having done as much as we can, hope for the best.

Surely the Unionist farmers wouldn't dream of such a thing? They insist they must be treated exactly the same way as we are in the mainland UK.

.

The situation is actually very complex. .. possession of green diesel in NI would be illegal,as would red diesel south. Now the washing process with the acids yields the transparent liquid. However in the case of the green, there are now invisible markers ,so if the fuel is dipped, it will show. The formula for green was changed recently and it put a number of chancers out of business. My understanding is that this operation provided the pensions for older IRA types. If one has a farm straddling the border, it is perfectly legal to have a tank of Red in NI ,a pipe going to a shed, and another pipe going to a tank of clear diesel on the other side..and vice versa!.

Proving the actual usage to obtain the rebate may in fact be the driver behind this.

 

It’s far too easy to have a delivery of red (edit) or green of course which is then shared between vehicles that should and shouldn’t obtain the rebate.

 

At the moment there is no way to know what is happening without actually dipping the tank and looking at what is being carried on the journey type.

 

 

(Edit) our heating oil is green and the revenue do dip to confirm that you’re not using green on the road

Sorry, I don't wear the argument about it being difficult to determine legitimate usage. The various tractor manufacturers provide such figures as a matter of course, and the agricultural standards organisations have this data. The same would be true for marine and fishing and professional haulage firms. Large machines say industrial mills run at fixed speeds and have hours counters on them. All is required is that each quarter, the accountant certifies the readings, and the purchases ,and a rebate for the difference is credited to the company.

Sorry, I don't wear the argument about it being difficult to determine legitimate usage. The various tractor manufacturers provide such figures as a matter of course, and the agricultural standards organisations have this data. The same would be true for marine and fishing and professional haulage firms. Large machines say industrial mills run at fixed speeds and have hours counters on them. All is required is that each quarter, the accountant certifies the readings, and the purchases ,and a rebate for the difference is credited to the company.

Bizarre.... how can you disagree with me.... when I’m agreeing with you

 

Currently the rebate is based on users purchasing a type of fuel and relying on the honesty of the user to only use it appropriately.

 

Currently the only mechanism to confirm that honesty is to catch drivers doing wrong.

 

If you remove the rebate at point of sale and get users to provide an audit trail to obtain a rebate then it’s probably going to reduce fiddling.

 

 

Now there are two big caveats, one being the whole story is currently just media speculation and secondly we have no idea of the details behind it “if” it comes to fruition

Bizarre.... how can you disagree with me.... when I’m agreeing with you

 

Currently the rebate is based on users purchasing a type of fuel and relying on the honesty of the user to only use it appropriately.

 

Currently the only mechanism to confirm that honesty is to catch drivers doing wrong.

 

If you remove the rebate at point of sale and get users to provide an audit trail to obtain a rebate then it’s probably going to reduce fiddling.

 

 

Now there are two big caveats, one being the whole story is currently just media speculation and secondly we have no idea of the details behind it “if” it comes to fruition

All too many times in the relatively recent past, media speculation has been more informative and accurate than offical sources.

 

(Albeit, plenty of utter bilge as well.)

Commons committee now in session:

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty questioned by Commons health committee - live news

 

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the Commons health committee questioning Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer

Twitter

 

oldgroaner@oldgroaner

 

Replying to

@ChrisO_wiki@IanDunt

and 2 others

Ah, how reassuring that the ancient British talent for making the wrong decisions when faced with a crisis and ending up dead still stalks the land

Proof if any was needed that this Government does not work for the good of the Public

 

MPs have voted 328 to 227 against the motion to thank those who worked to respond to the floods and call for an independent review to assess the government's response and decide what lessons need to be learned.

Edited March 5, 20206 yr by oldgroaner

Best tweet so far today

"

@pearlylondon

·

Mar 3

 

Shocked to hear Boris Johnson was at an hospital & actually shook hands with patients who had the corona virus!? What type of clueless idiot shakes hands with Boris Johnson?!

 

A government U-turn...

 

Coronavirus UK: government reverses decision to stop daily updates

Chief medical officer admits ‘communications fumble’ and says daily updates on spread of the disease will continue

The situation is actually very complex. .. possession of green diesel in NI would be illegal,as would red diesel south. Now the washing process with the acids yields the transparent liquid. However in the case of the green, there are now invisible markers ,so if the fuel is dipped, it will show. The formula for green was changed recently and it put a number of chancers out of business. My understanding is that this operation provided the pensions for older IRA types. If one has a farm straddling the border, it is perfectly legal to have a tank of Red in NI ,a pipe going to a shed, and another pipe going to a tank of clear diesel on the other side..and vice versa!.

I am struggling to keep up here.

 

As I understand, the border meanders for many miles and is hard to identify in places.

 

Let us consider a lorry with chiller has filled up with red/green expressly for the chiller. Surely that doesn't mean the vehicle can't cross the border at all?

 

Or a tractor where a farm straggles the border?

 

Or even the people doing road maintenance?

Bizarre.... how can you disagree with me.... when I’m agreeing with you

 

Currently the rebate is based on users purchasing a type of fuel and relying on the honesty of the user to only use it appropriately.

 

Currently the only mechanism to confirm that honesty is to catch drivers doing wrong.

 

If you remove the rebate at point of sale and get users to provide an audit trail to obtain a rebate then it’s probably going to reduce fiddling.

 

 

Now there are two big caveats, one being the whole story is currently just media speculation and secondly we have no idea of the details behind it “if” it comes to fruition

There were other voices in this discussion, suggesting problems with local authorities etc.