General / Off-Topic The safest place

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I think they're doing that in Sweden.
Let everybody get infected. Anyone who dies, dies. Those that do not die will hopefully be immune afterwards.
That is a bit of an overstatement. Sweden do have plenty of Corona regulations. Infection rates outside the two largest cities are low.
They do however oppose lock down, as they think it's just a way of delaying the problem.

Time will show if they are right. If no treatment or vaccine arrives before it's to late, they will certainly have saved time compared to Norway.
If better treatment or a vaccine shows up, they will look bad.
 
Currently in the UK ?

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😷
Well, Boris said yesterday that if you can’t work from home then you should go to work.
He also said that schools will reopen for more children from June.
He also changed the ‘stay at home’ instruction to ‘stay alert’.
Unlike other countries that are trying to unlockdown, we in the uk still have very high rate of infection and no proper ppe, testing, nor tracing in place.
These actions are not anything but to promote herd immunity.
In itself, like Sweden, there is some science to support it, but as Sweden is finding out, it’s very difficult to isolate and protect your old and vulnerable, and in the uk, I don’t believe they even care.
The Scottish and Welsh leaders are refusing to change their advice to their populations.
 
Well, Boris said yesterday that if you can’t work from home then you should go to work.
He also said that schools will reopen for more children from June.
He also changed the ‘stay at home’ instruction to ‘stay alert’.
Unlike other countries that are trying to unlockdown, we in the uk still have very high rate of infection and no proper ppe, testing, nor tracing in place.
These actions are not anything but to promote herd immunity.
In itself, like Sweden, there is some science to support it, but as Sweden is finding out, it’s very difficult to isolate and protect your old and vulnerable, and in the uk, I don’t believe they even care.
The Scottish and Welsh leaders are refusing to change their advice to their populations.
Sad.

Boris is a fervent follower of the economy and money and much less of human health it seems.

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:)
 
Well, Boris said yesterday that if you can’t work from home then you should go to work.
He also said that schools will reopen for more children from June.
He also changed the ‘stay at home’ instruction to ‘stay alert’.
Unlike other countries that are trying to unlockdown, we in the uk still have very high rate of infection and no proper ppe, testing, nor tracing in place.
These actions are not anything but to promote herd immunity.
In itself, like Sweden, there is some science to support it, but as Sweden is finding out, it’s very difficult to isolate and protect your old and vulnerable, and in the uk, I don’t believe they even care.
The Scottish and Welsh leaders are refusing to change their advice to their populations.

Yes, the messages seem to be all over the place at the moment.

There seems to be a lot of understandable concern from the general public about returning to work and sending kids back to school. I know a few year 6 parents who are saying they won't be sending their kids back if schools re-open June 1st (and that date doesn't seem to be totally nailed on yet). Some of my clients in services to the building trade have gone back with spacing out in the office.

Based on personal experience last Friday with the drive-in testing I'm not convinced that's setup as best it could be.

Woke up with a fever Friday morning - peaked at 38.7 - not super high but enough to be uncomfortable. Also had stomach cramps, constipation and aches, with slight very intermittent cough. All of which it seems could be pretty much anything. Sensible brain thinks it literally could be anything, scaredy brain thinks it could be the virus.

111 - remote analysis - booked tests - at the centre with 2 hours.

Drove in - lots of signs and cones - non-medical marshalls with Serco high vis on, signs all over the place saying keep windows shut.

Pull up next to a guy who scans our creds and appt barcode through the window. Offers us assisted or self-testing but seems really keen to push us down the self-testing route. We opt for assisted so he sends us down the self-testing route. Not sure if it was a side effect of shouting through a closed window and pointing or what.

Drive to the self test point. Student age girl holds up a a piece of paper with a mobile number on - "call this number" so an immediate improvement in communications!

Explained we want assisted - after confused looks and radio comms we get sent to the right place.

We were seen by a couple of women with a more competent look and manner about them. Weren't dressed as paramedics/nurses though.

They use a long cotton bud which they have to press into the tonsil area and rotate for several seconds - apparently it mustn't touch the tongue or cheeks on the way in or out as this may affect an accurate result. Despite being warned in advance I struggle not to recoil and make all sorts of clicking, choking and retching noises as I can only assume one would if one were unexpectedly forced to try and deep throat a marrow. Apparently this is a normal reaction.

Then it goes right up the nose and twiddles round there for several seconds. I don't bat an eyelid on this one.

This morning we get emails saying we tested negative. So it was quick and we got the results back quick. On the phone the 111 Doc said regardless of the result we'd both need to isolate for 14 days. The results email doesn't say that at all (perhaps changed advice since yesterday)?

Your Covid-19 test has come back NEGATIVE. You don’t have the virus at this time.

You can stop self-isolating. Return to work if you haven’t had a fever for 48 hours and feel well. Contact your employer before returning to work.

If someone in your household tested positive and you had no symptoms on day of testing, you must self-isolate for 14 days from the onset of the first person’s symptoms, or 7 days if you did have symptoms on day of testing.

Care home residents with persistent symptoms need an assessment by their healthcare provider, as a repeat test may be required. Please follow specific advice for care homes.

For further advice go to https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. If you have symptoms and your condition gets worse, go to NHS 111 online, call 111, or dial 999 in an emergency.

It seems to me that if the test results can be negatively affected by poor procedure then encouraging/allowing people to DIY it isn't the best idea for someone who has probably never had to do such a thing before, who will naturally physically recoil and may mess it up in many ways. They should at least give them a separate sterile practice stick for a dry run fist.

Someone we know who is a paramedic went to the same centre in March and came away thinking the people doing the tests didn't really know what they were doing - perhaps they've improved by now...

Just seems a bit of shaky basis to be making lockdown decisions on.
 
Yes, the messages seem to be all over the place at the moment.

There seems to be a lot of understandable concern from the general public about returning to work and sending kids back to school. I know a few year 6 parents who are saying they won't be sending their kids back if schools re-open June 1st (and that date doesn't seem to be totally nailed on yet). Some of my clients in services to the building trade have gone back with spacing out in the office.

Based on personal experience last Friday with the drive-in testing I'm not convinced that's setup as best it could be.

Woke up with a fever Friday morning - peaked at 38.7 - not super high but enough to be uncomfortable. Also had stomach cramps, constipation and aches, with slight very intermittent cough. All of which it seems could be pretty much anything. Sensible brain thinks it literally could be anything, scaredy brain thinks it could be the virus.

111 - remote analysis - booked tests - at the centre with 2 hours.

Drove in - lots of signs and cones - non-medical marshalls with Serco high vis on, signs all over the place saying keep windows shut.

Pull up next to a guy who scans our creds and appt barcode through the window. Offers us assisted or self-testing but seems really keen to push us down the self-testing route. We opt for assisted so he sends us down the self-testing route. Not sure if it was a side effect of shouting through a closed window and pointing or what.

Drive to the self test point. Student age girl holds up a a piece of paper with a mobile number on - "call this number" so an immediate improvement in communications!

Explained we want assisted - after confused looks and radio comms we get sent to the right place.

We were seen by a couple of women with a more competent look and manner about them. Weren't dressed as paramedics/nurses though.

They use a long cotton bud which they have to press into the tonsil area and rotate for several seconds - apparently it mustn't touch the tongue or cheeks on the way in or out as this may affect an accurate result. Despite being warned in advance I struggle not to recoil and make all sorts of clicking, choking and retching noises as I can only assume one would if one were unexpectedly forced to try and deep throat a marrow. Apparently this is a normal reaction.

Then it goes right up the nose and twiddles round there for several seconds. I don't bat an eyelid on this one.

This morning we get emails saying we tested negative. So it was quick and we got the results back quick. On the phone the 111 Doc said regardless of the result we'd both need to isolate for 14 days. The results email doesn't say that at all (perhaps changed advice since yesterday)?

Your Covid-19 test has come back NEGATIVE. You don’t have the virus at this time.

You can stop self-isolating. Return to work if you haven’t had a fever for 48 hours and feel well. Contact your employer before returning to work.

If someone in your household tested positive and you had no symptoms on day of testing, you must self-isolate for 14 days from the onset of the first person’s symptoms, or 7 days if you did have symptoms on day of testing.

Care home residents with persistent symptoms need an assessment by their healthcare provider, as a repeat test may be required. Please follow specific advice for care homes.

For further advice go to https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. If you have symptoms and your condition gets worse, go to NHS 111 online, call 111, or dial 999 in an emergency.

It seems to me that if the test results can be negatively affected by poor procedure then encouraging/allowing people to DIY it isn't the best idea for someone who has probably never had to do such a thing before, who will naturally physically recoil and may mess it up in many ways. They should at least give them a separate sterile practice stick for a dry run fist.

Someone we know who is a paramedic went to the same centre in March and came away thinking the people doing the tests didn't really know what they were doing - perhaps they've improved by now...

Just seems a bit of shaky basis to be making lockdown decisions on.
Thanks for posting ianw.
I really get the feeling that the testing is a half hearted sham.
Hope you feel better soon.
 
You don't need money to vote. And over here we consistently voted people into office to make sure we are not two paychecks from homelessness.

The people at large have choices. them away and it's on them.
Well, in other words socialism that leads to group dictatorships that lead to everybody is fed but not free, thank you but no thanks!
 
If you shut down peoples jobs and don't pay them to stay home, you are doing it wrong.
Staying home and avoiding contact in times of a pandemic, is also a form of job. Much like if you were drafted, in war time. You leave your regular job to protect the lives of those that can't protect them self.
There are many examples of government not doing that, again you can only patch things up, it's not a 100% replacement, most people even in northern Europe are losing money by staying home, however the welfare system (socialism) give them enough to get food. Again it wont last forever or even other peoples money will run out at some point.
 
There are many examples of government not doing that, again you can only patch things up, it's not a 100% replacement, most people even in northern Europe are losing money by staying home, however the welfare system (socialism) give them enough to get food. Again it wont last forever or even other peoples money will run out at some point.
It is curious, in Spain more money was spent to save the banks than the money that is now destined to feed vulnerable people.

That money was never returned to the public coffers.
 
It is curious, in Spain more money was spent to save the banks than the money that is now destined to feed vulnerable people.

That money was never returned to the public coffers.

I genuinely DON'T intend to get political but I find it baffling when people moan about the money spent to prop up banks.

If a bank fails, all it's customers (the people who have mortgages and loans, as well as the businesses that have loans and the employees of those businesses) are going to suffer as a result.
Any govenment with half a brain is going to understand that allowing a bank to fail is likely to have far-reaching consequences for a society.

I don't really believe that anybody wouldn't understand this so I tend to think that those opposed are ideologically driven.
 
I genuinely DON'T intend to get political but I find it baffling when people moan about the money spent to prop up banks.

If a bank fails, all it's customers (the people who have mortgages and loans, as well as the businesses that have loans and the employees of those businesses) are going to suffer as a result.
Any govenment with half a brain is going to understand that allowing a bank to fail is likely to have far-reaching consequences for a society.

I don't really believe that anybody wouldn't understand this so I tend to think that those opposed are ideologically driven.
 
There are many examples of government not doing that, again you can only patch things up, it's not a 100% replacement, most people even in northern Europe are losing money by staying home, however the welfare system (socialism) give them enough to get food. Again it wont last forever or even other peoples money will run out at some point.
I don’t think anyone has gotten 100%. That’s ok. Manny who are allowed to work, lose money as well.
The money isn’t in most cases, from the welfare budget. It taken from all over the state budget.
It doesn’t matter if you have a welfare system or not. If in a time of crisis, you can’t do what is needed and feed your population, your emergency response is weak.
This is not just a US problem. Many countries are strugling to adapt to the pandemic.
 
Well, in other words socialism that leads to group dictatorships that lead to everybody is fed but not free, thank you but no thanks!

No, it means we use taxes paid by the people to bail out the people, rather than corporations. :) As for freedom, you might want ask yourself why the incarceration rate in the US is highest of all countries, and literally 10x higher than what we have over here (655 vs 61 per 100.000 citizens). I guess those 2,121,600 prisoners couldn't handle the freedom not to smoke pot. :ROFLMAO:

There are many examples of government not doing that, again you can only patch things up, it's not a 100% replacement, most people even in northern Europe are losing money by staying home, however the welfare system (socialism) give them enough to get food. Again it wont last forever or even other peoples money will run out at some point.

Unemployment has increased much more in the US than over here. You're not performing well on that front either.
 

Did you actually read that article?

Unemployment quadrupled for 3 years and is still more than double what it was, inflation tripled for 3 years,the country adopted strict austerity measures and borrowed $5bn from abroad.

In a country with a population the size of a small British city it might be possible to minimise the harm caused by a bank collapse, and provide jobs for those left unemployed as a result, but it's insane to suggest a similar thing would happen in a country with a large population and a diverse economy.

People used to howl about "Maggie's millions" in the UK (3 million unemployed from a population of 55 million and inflation at 4%) back in the 1980s - and the country was a wreck.
How's it going to go with 8 million unemployed and inflation at 8% as a result of an "Iceland style" bank collapse today?
 
I genuinely DON'T intend to get political but I find it baffling when people moan about the money spent to prop up banks.

If a bank fails, all it's customers (the people who have mortgages and loans, as well as the businesses that have loans and the employees of those businesses) are going to suffer as a result.
Any govenment with half a brain is going to understand that allowing a bank to fail is likely to have far-reaching consequences for a society.

I don't really believe that anybody wouldn't understand this so I tend to think that those opposed are ideologically driven.

Most banks in Europe had to return that money, since it did not belong to them in any way, here in Spain we are still waiting while that bunch of soulless, continues to leave families homeless.
 
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Did you actually read that article?

Unemployment quadrupled for 3 years and is still more than double what it was, inflation tripled for 3 years,the country adopted strict austerity measures and borrowed $5bn from abroad.

In a country with a population the size of a small British city it might be possible to minimise the harm caused by a bank collapse, and provide jobs for those left unemployed as a result, but it's insane to suggest a similar thing would happen in a country with a large population and a diverse economy.

People used to howl about "Maggie's millions" in the UK (3 million unemployed from a population of 55 million and inflation at 4%) back in the 1980s - and the country was a wreck.
How's it going to go with 8 million unemployed and inflation at 8% as a result of an "Iceland style" bank collapse today?
In about 1990 there was a bank crisis in Norway. As the share value was written down to zero, the state took over the banks. They guarantied for peoples money, but also owned all the shares in the banks.
Few years later the banks were running full steam again. The state sold most of their shares and made a huge profit form the calamity.
Might have been luck, but it worked out that time.:)
 
In about 1990 there was a bank crisis in Norway. As the share value was written down to zero, the state took over the banks. They guarantied for peoples money, but also owned all the shares in the banks.
Few years later the banks were running full steam again. The state sold most of their shares and made a huge profit form the calamity.
Might have been luck, but it worked out that time.:)

Last crisis in 2008 we bailed out the banks, with money they had to and did pay back in full, with interest. The issue is not with helping banks, but giving them free money they don't have to pay back while they take the houses from taxpayers who can't afford their mortgage after paying the very taxes that bailed the banks.
 
Last crisis in 2008 we bailed out the banks, with money they had to and did pay back in full, with interest. The issue is not with helping banks, but giving them free money they don't have to pay back while they take the houses from taxpayers who can't afford their mortgage after paying the very taxes that bailed the banks.
I expect that quite a few airlines will receive similar treatment, after Corona.
 
Feeling a bit depressed today. It's the waiting out the clock.

End of May will be critical. It's just waiting for it is like waiting outside the principal's office (Brit- Head Master), and listening to the clock... :(
 
Away from bankers...


Quite a bit of stuff to unpack, there.

First thing that strikes me is that, anecdotally, a lot of care workers and security guards seem to be rather, erm, overweight.

In this age of "body positivity" it's not easy to discuss issues related to health without being accused of an "ism" but it might be interesting to see a graph that shows the deaths from C19 plotted against how close to their ideal BMI each victim was.
I doubt we'll see any such statistics widely discussed in the public domain.

More generally, I'm a little bit confused by all the stuff relating to care-homes.
The majority of them (all?) are private businesses these days and yet we seem to be considering them as if they were a nationalised institution.
If they have no PPE and the residents and staff are dropping like flies, shouldn't that be a cause for criticism of the way they're being run, rather than a cause for sympathy?
 
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