Member Info for TorquayFan

Bermuda - your 09.05 today no problem and thanks. Re. polarisation on chatrooms, I'd say 'twas ever thus, (not just Brexit) and as for my own thoughts, in fairness, not from hindsight but held from the start. I've tried to post positive bits too and observations in Th. lead me to the hope that the UK crisis will ease with warmer weather, if not before ! Difficult times to come - my thoughts are with you and all in the UK.

Many 'experts' seem to be commenting that testing is a critical factor in controlling the virus, so I'm guessing it's relevant to the comparison of Germany to the UK ?

As for France, Spain, Italy and the USA - it's hard to know what the drivers are . . . and too early to surmise as you say.

However, you might see a lower death rate, per 1,000,000 of population in say, Germany, because Germany is carrying out more tests per 1,000,000 than the UK is ? Demographics is another factor, particularly with many older people in N. Italy. And so on.

"According to the report, Amazon’s tie-up with Boots is an important development in the effort against the coronavirus, as well as a landmark in the online retail giant’s move into healthcare. The home test kit works by pricking the user’s finger for blood, which is tested for the presence of antibodies against the virus."

and . . .

"Digital hospital Medbelle is offering an in-home COVID-19 test at cost price to support the UK healthcare system, with the option for people to additionally “sponsor” tests for key workers and those in need."

Roll on the day ! https://pharmaphorum.com/news/amazon-and-boots/?

"Q4 2019 Results Earnings Conference Call March 31, 2020 8:00 AM ET" - a one hour Q & A audio and a 12 page transcript. I wonder if Scancell related comment at all . . . ? Science Dept. ?

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4335275-biontech-ses-bntx-ceo-ugur-sahin-on-q4-2019-earnings-call-transcript?page=1

I really hope my instincts and aged 'judgement making facilities' are wrong and that 'herd' theory works. So with no comment for or against, just food for thought.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/leading-us-catastrophe-swedens-coronavirus-173807134.html

Re. the numbers LL that's right - I've heard it said that in hospitals having any Corona in Italy all deaths are being attributed to Corona and in France, deaths in rest homes etc. are not yet included. In Th. there's a suspicion that Corona deaths are being passed off as viral pneumonia to keep the count down and the case is being put that China's total was 30,000 not 3,000.

I'm sure we'll get accurate figures from Europe and the USA as time goes by . . . . ATB

Yes C7 - they and the NHS Staff in general are absolutely amazing and courageous and it is humbling to read. It has been pointed out here in some heartbreaking insights, that they need more support in a uniquely difficult and demanding situation.
GLA and BFN

Thanks B. I don't know how many times I cite IMHO or IMO when posting and yes, when anyone including me, does post an opinion, I suppose they have some faith in it. But if you are looking for a discussion, you have to start with Balerno's post 23.14 to which I replied politely.

Moving on - not to everyone's taste and plenty of raw language here but one shudders for the USA - this is ex-Brit John Oliver doing a disapproving update - worth sticking with. IMO.

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/john-oliver-coronavirus-death-cult-081822095.html

Not all good news in this link but you'll enjoy this ! If tests go well, apparently the NHS will soon be able to have 1000 Mercs (C-PACS) a day !

"A breathing aid that should help keep Covid-19 patients out of intensive care has reportedly been developed by a group including University College London researchers and the Mercedes Formula One team. Early reports from Lombardy in Italy suggest around half of patients given the aid - which delivers oxygen to the lungs without the need for a ventilator and patient sedation - have avoided the need for invasive mechanical ventilation in intensive care."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-covid-19-latest-cases-uk-lockdown-nhs-deaths/

Thanks again for your report - I hope when you've 'seen this out', you will find the NHS receives a different level of attention and I hope that then, you'll want to stay. Thanks and ATB

Fair enough C7. When I read of your previous Carer working for half those 23 flats I just wondered about the ISO aspect. Gonna be a tough week or two coming so TCOY

Re. Boris and the 'Clown'. BJ is undeniably 'too clever by half' and loves to show off with florid expressions. Yesterday I noticed again the video from a couple of weeks ago (?), where Boris having toured a Hospital was proudly saying he had shaken hands with everybody - in the backgound there was a Colleague visibly wincing.

But 'Clown' is hard, BJ has many strengths too. Get well soon Boris !

In your 16.53 - sorry to see your Carer has gone but for the sake of just a couple of hours a week, would it not be possible to 'get by' somehow and keep your ISO at the highest level possible? Just an idea. Anyway Good Luck.

Everyone is feeling 'raw' atm to say the leas,t but a bit of discussion about what's going on is surely OK ? ATB

Hang on Inan - you were keen to argue these points before. And as for "you may think Boris is a clown" - I have never said that, rather, I like Boris, but ! BTW I understand rest is a vital factor in coping with the virus so I hope BJ will hand over temporarily to someone and get well soon !

I see the quicksand and I'm off. ATB

Obviously not you M8.

Re. the claps, yes the NHS Staff much appreciate it I'm sure. My Sis recounted yesterday, everyone in her street standing just outside the front door and clapping. Very moving. It takes some guts for NHS Staff just to go to work these days. Heroism indeed.

In Th. very patchy control . . BKK is sort of locked down except for the Buses ready to take maybe 50,000 people into the provinces this weekend. The temperature must be the factor in the slow progress here so far (!!) so that gives hope for Europe if the weather warms up soon. Th. are into 'street spraying', a truck shooting a heavy cloud of chemicals ??? up into the air - they've already done our Soi but coming back on a lonely bike ride today, I got caught in the cloud briefly, not pleasant. Anyway time for a weekend break and you take care.

Thanks an excellent link - apart from the 'herd immunity' 'case', the Govt. teams' original position also relied on the dangers of incurring 'fatigue' if controls were brought in to soon . . . I noticed this passage -" . . . . more than 500 behavioral scientists called on the government to disclose the evidence behind its contention that the public will experience “behavioral fatigue” if restrictions are put in place too early. This concept reportedly comes from the Behavioural Insights Team, or “Nudge Unit”—a company that uses psychological science to advise the government on policy matters. But how reliable is that science? In the past decade, it has become clear that many psychology studies produce results that cannot be reproduced (the replication crisis), or that are irrelevant in all but a narrow set of circumstances . . . . " MMMMmmmmm. ATB

Yes Nom geddit - a typical flourish from BJ - wholly inappropriate. I think you have to forgive him though. Get well soon BJ. Nom ATB.

Nom - really an excellent article in that 'Beast' link. Thanks - " . . . . the British strategy had won influential admirers in the U.S. Fox News’ Steve Hilton, a Brit who held a similar position to Cummings under Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, has been prominent among the right-wing pundits pushing President Donald Trump to use the same strategy in the U.S. “Our ruling class and their TV mouthpieces whipping up fear over this virus—they could afford an indefinite shutdown. Working Americans can’t. They’ll be crushed by it,” he said on his Fox News show this week. “You know, that famous phrase? ‘The cure is worse than the disease.’ That is exactly the territory we are hurtling towards. You think it is just the coronavirus that kills people? This total economic shutdown will kill people.” Trump appears to have been listening."

Earlier suggested that the US could put it's trust in Trump look evr more to be misplaced.

"Trump is such a habitual liar that he is incapable of being honest, even when being honest would serve his interests. He is so impulsive, shortsighted, and undisciplined that he is unable to plan or even think beyond the moment. He is such a divisive and polarizing figure that he long ago lost the ability to unite the nation under any circumstances and for any cause. And he is so narcissistic and unreflective that he is completely incapable of learning from his mistakes. The president’s disordered personality makes him as ill-equipped to deal with a crisis as any president has ever been." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/peter-wehner-trump-presidency-over/607969/

God only knows where this is going in the USA - it looks very frightening. GLA

As I remember there were no "disgusting posts blaming Boris Johnson for early deaths". FWIW MHO remains that that the UK closedown should have been earlier but it's all so difficult as we can see.

I am not posting articles in isolation - yesterday I posted one from each angle so what can be more reasonable than that ?

I hope that 'suppression' rather than 'herd immunity' is the right path but we will have to wait and see - the experience in Sweden will provide more data maybe. I genuinely mean "Good Luck Sweden" but I am glad that BJ did his U-turn.

Hi Bizman and when I read your post, I assumed that you meant 'original' Govt policy, before the U-turn ?