Coronavirus (Covid-19) Is this it?

[amateur]

31 minutes ago, Scully said:

A couple next door went skiing to Italy with their three boys a couple of weeks ago. They usually bring us something back for feeding their cat and caring for their chickens and ducks while they’re away. We knew they were back last week but hadn't heard from them... they always call round with a small present despite us telling them not to. 
Anyhow, a parcel was left on our step this afternoon, from them. A note was attached saying they hadn’t been round as the husband had been taken to hospital on their return as he wasn’t well. 
All is well however, she explained it was ‘only pneumonia’! 

I trust you wore a biohazard suit whilst handling the parcel

[Scully]

42 minutes ago, amateur said:

I trust you wore a biohazard suit whilst handling the parcel

🙂 Nah.... the Lindt chocolates have gone, but there's two bottles of red to open, some fancy pasta and a bag of Arametti biscuits to go at yet. 😋

The way things are going, our government and the worlds media will talk us into a recession yet. Don't do this, don't do that, paid sick leave etc etc. And then all of a sudden it's less common than flu, which has a much higher death toll. One death in California on a cruiser and a state fo emergency is declared! Meanwhile Rob whatsisname ( you know, the Welsh bloke ) is still plugging away at the ocean cruise holiday adverts! 😂 Is it me? 🤪

[henry d]

Our local school has had a group of young people return last week from... you guessed it, Italy! The trip did not include the worst areas and the decision by the head was not to isolate, possibly because of exams, nat 4/5/6.

I am usually there 3 days a week, however some parents have kept their children off including those I work with so I wasn't in at all. Now the Scottish government have said they expect a large jump in cases, so I will say my good-byes now 😷

[Scully]

OH and I usually head for Venice for a week early March, but due to a commitment made last year we didn’t book. I’m not surprised Italy is on shutdown; most of the leather goods shops and restaurants are Chinese owned, and many will have gone back for Chinese New Year, so the potential for bringing back a virus is there. 
So instead of Venice we are attending an arts fair for five days from the 11th.....in Scotland! 😂

Edited March 6, 2020 by Scully

[Penelope]

17 hours ago, Smokersmith said:

Am I the only one who's walking round singing ..

M   M    M   Myyyy  Corona ...

No. 😁

[Retsdon]

Going by this American article, everyone needs to pray that the UK doesn't follow the pattern of ever increasing infection set by China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/world/europe/coronavirus-united-kingdom-national-health-service.html . But where I am isn't any better and at least the UK case figures are credible. If this virus is still on the go in May I'm seriously thinking of getting one of these for the house in Thailand. Better to be prepared.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Retsdon

[Dave-G]

2 hours ago, Retsdon said:

Going by this American article, everyone needs to pray that the UK doesn't follow the pattern of ever increasing infection set by China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/world/europe/coronavirus-united-kingdom-national-health-service.html . But where I am isn't any better and at least the UK case figures are credible. If this virus is still on the go in May I'm seriously thinking of getting one of these for the house in Thailand. Better to be prepared.

True but there are priorities - little money available for the NHS but puh-lenty for MP's pay rises and never ending expenses, foreign aid etc.

 

[FOXHUNTER1]

I have never understood foreign aid should be spent at home first. Would another nation help us if we needed it I dont think so , money could be better spent tackling flooding and helping our own communities. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Foreign Aid is a misnomer.

It is all about sweetening deals.

[grrclark]

1 hour ago, Dave-G said:

True but there are priorities - little money available for the NHS but puh-lenty for MP's pay rises and never ending expenses, foreign aid etc.

Why do we persist in coming out with this sort of nonsense?

The NHS across the UK has a budget of around £160bn per year, the total salary and expenses costs of both the HoP and HoL is about £250m.  Foreign aid is about £14bn.  Social care and Pension is about £250bn, education around £110bn.

So even if you decided to give all of the expenses and salaries of both houses to the NHS it would be 0.0015% of an improvement, or it would keep the NHS running for just over half a day.  The cost of the payrise is around £7m, which is an amazing 0.00004% of the NHS budget, or 22 minutes worth of the NHS.  Totally shocking how that is denied to them!

Every single day the NHS gets £438m, just think about that before you say how they get little money.

[Rewulf]

8 minutes ago, grrclark said:

Every single day the NHS gets £438m, just think about that before you say how they get little money.

+1 But tell that to the labour politicos who never shut up about how the NHS is starved of cash, because..tories 😃

[JohnfromUK]

6 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

But tell that to the labour politicos who never shut up about how the NHS is starved of cash, because..tories 

Well - it is their job to 'oppose' - something they are quite good at - especially when it is their other party members!

Most Labour politicos probably go private anyway - just like they have their offspring privately educated.  NHS (and state education) is for the voters ....... not the voted in.

Edited March 6, 2020 by JohnfromUK

[Retsdon]

21 minutes ago, grrclark said:

Every single day the NHS gets £438m, just think about that before you say how they get little money.

I work that out to be about £7 a day for every man woman and child in the country. That's a fair bit of money.

[grrclark]

2 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

I work that out to be about £7 a day for every man woman and child in the country. That's a fair bit of money.

Yep, if we all needed help everyday we would be shafted, just as well we dont.

I wonder how many would choose to pay £2,500 per year as health insurance to get the same level of cover?

[oowee]

6 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

I work that out to be about £7 a day for every man woman and child in the country. That's a fair bit of money.

A pittance compared to what is being lost on the market over the last week. OUCH!!!!!

[Retsdon]

8 minutes ago, grrclark said:

I wonder how many would choose to pay £2,500 per year as health insurance to get the same level of cover?

But they wouldn't get the same level of cover.

7 minutes ago, oowee said:

A pittance compared to what is being lost on the market over the last week. OUCH!!!!!

It's going to get worse too.

[grrclark]

2 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

But they wouldn't get the same level of cover.

No they wouldn’t.  The NHS is a fantastic thing, but it is really far too big and too politicised and it will continue to spiral into greater and greater costs, with marginal if any improvement in service delivery.

[Retsdon]

Just now, grrclark said:

No they wouldn’t.  

Try getting private health cover with a chronic condition. They won't want to know you.

[grrclark]

13 minutes ago, oowee said:

A pittance compared to what is being lost on the market over the last week. OUCH!!!!!

The market will recover though, more of an issue is the loss of revenue in hotel bookings, flights, etc as that cannot really be made up. Likewise with delayed purchase of physical goods.

[JohnfromUK]

2 minutes ago, grrclark said:

The NHS is a fantastic thing, but it is really far too big and too politicised and it will continue to spiral into greater and greater costs, with marginal if any improvement in service delivery.

I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree with you there.  Having recently had a relative who required emergency critical action the NHS was fantastic (as an emergency medical and care organisation).  Couldn't be faulted.

Try getting an appointment with a GP - and (certainly locally) you will struggle.  3 local GP practices ALL have serious problems - one's website/on line booking system has been down for over a week, another's phone system barely works - and you can only get an appointment 'on line' (which not all of the elderly can manage) - a third has over a 2 weeks wait for a 10 minute GP appointment.  Try parking at either of our two local main hospitals - virtually impossible - and if you can find a space it costs a fortune.

[oowee]

16 minutes ago, grrclark said:

The market will recover though, more of an issue is the loss of revenue in hotel bookings, flights, etc as that cannot really be made up. Likewise with delayed purchase of physical goods.

Coupled with a lack of trade as a result of supply chain failure and travel bans. 

[grrclark]

3 hours ago, oowee said:

Coupled with a lack of trade as a result of supply chain failure and travel bans. 

Exactly and as yet for something that is still statistically tiny.

Why people would be making significant fundamental change to their lives with something of a less than .000003% likelihood (for the time being) is mental.

Sure when that number increases then behaviour has to change, but just now it’s crazy.  Unless there was 100% observance by everyone then behavioural change right now makes no difference at that percentile.

[ditchman]

suppose its back to 1980's air kissing................"moi.....moi.....darrrrling....."

[oowee]

2 hours ago, grrclark said:

Exactly and as yet for something that is still statistically tiny.

Why people would be making significant fundamental change to their lives with something of a less than .000003% likelihood (for the time being) is mental.

Sure when that number increases then behaviour has to change, but just now it’s crazy.  Unless there was 100% observance by everyone then behavioural change right now makes no difference at that percentile.

20 % of the population are predicted to get it and of those 20% will develop Corvid 19 and 1 % mortality for those. 

66 million population. 13 million infected, 2.6m get corvid 19.  26,000 die.

?

[Retsdon]

3 hours ago, grrclark said:

Why people would be making significant fundamental change to their lives with something of a less than .000003% likelihood (for the time being) is mental.

That's almost certainly how the officials in Wuhan were thinking initially - until it was too late. What's frightening is that this thing seems to remain almost dormant until a significant number of people are infected and then all of a sudden comes this massive exponential growth. If you read the details of 'new infections' from around the globe here https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/countries-where-coronavirus-has-spread/ it's remarkable how many are of the 'visited Italy' or 'returned from Iran' variety. During the time that these people would have been in Italy or Iran the epidemics there were supposedly in their infancy with only a few cases reported. And yet after spending only a few days in country these visitors are infected. How is that possible  unless there are far more cases out there than are realized.

No, I think far better to err on the side of caution because by the time it becomes 'a worry' the cat will be well and truly out of the bag and society is in Wuhan country.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Retsdon