Coronavirus

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Does anyone know one of these panic buyers? They interview shoppers and experts on the TV and they all say how terrible that sort of behaviour is. I haven’t seen anyone admit on camera to actually doing it.

[Barrykearley]

Just keep your eyes on the TLF shop - just for us lot there should be a special offer on two ply coming up I’m sure of it

[Mysterae]

Keeping the light side of things alive, who here loves a good conspiracy? Thank my sister for this nugget.

 

However, as this CNN article says, Dean Koontz is a great writer (I really liked Lightning  ) but he's no psychic.

Here's another :

Ah, the human psyche, trying to find order and reason in the chaos of life! 

[esprit17]

I've been torn on whether I should write this as I don't want to add to the hysteria but I was similar to some of you posting in my dismissive attitude to this COVID-19 palaver until my brother got it. He picked it up in Austria skiing last week with 12 mates, all of which have symptoms with two being confirmed that rest will not be tested due to change in UK policy and are self isolating. 

Based on his case I'd not underplay the seriousness of this. He's early forties and fit but lives on his own and that's why its really serious. He's a bloke like most of us on here so pretty crap in keeping in touch let alone when he's ill. He had described his symptoms as just like any post lads holiday comedown.

What transpires, he was confirmed as having COVID-19 after attending a local hospital testing booth 2 days prior. Basically the virus affected him to the point that he couldn't move haven not eaten or drank for a significant period of time. He was able to raise the alarm by using his mobile calling me.

The emergency services were sent and broke into the property.  They found him on the floor in his lounge. He was taken then to the Newcastle RVI Ward19 where he was fully assessed and given fluids. He was released a day later after the hospital felt that he was well enough to look after himself, we as family had a monitoring plan and there were as you'd expect higher priority cases. The performance of NHS teams were great but it was clear from conversations  that they are learning on the job and don't have all the answers as yet as its still early days.

Look who knows what could have happened if he was unable to make the call but to you all, have a good think about loved ones on their own and make sure that you have some sort of agreed monitoring with them. From my experience its people on their own irrespective of their age that are also at risk from this virus. Hope this helps you all.

[C8RKH]

I really don't think some of us are being dismissive. However, we are not being alarmist and we are not letting it define us!

Sounds like your brother is going to pull through which is great news. However, when he was feeling shite, did he take himself off to bed? Did he take paracetamol to help to bring down the fever and did he take the precaution of making sure he had plenty of fluids easily to hand? Just like with the flu and other fevers, through sweating and a high temperature the body can lose a significant amount of fluids in a short period and these need to be replaced otherwise, you can very quickly find yourself in a lot of trouble. You can do without food for days, but dehydration is a fast killer!

As ever, the (sensible) advice is out there. If you don't follow it you put yourself in even more danger or risk. It is not FLU but is similar. People die from you Flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people, and some of these are elderly/single people who did not take basic precautions and compounded their risks. With COVID19 as well as being extra vigilant around family members you also have to take personal responsibility to keep yourself as healthy and at the lowest risk possible and that means taking accountability for things like looking after yourself with the most basic of care needs.

[Mysterae]

33 minutes ago, esprit17 said:

Look who knows what could have happened if he was unable to make the call but to you all, have a good think about loved ones on their own and make sure that you have some sort of agreed monitoring with them. From my experience its people on their own irrespective of their age that are also at risk from this virus. Hope this helps you all.

I hope your brother recovers well. I've quoted the part above as I think that's extremely relevant, we all need to look after each other through these times. The vulnerable and isolated especially.

Many people will continue to work while they can, to support the masses, including but not all encompassing; doctors, nurses, emergency services, energy providers, utility company workers, food industry, supermarket staff, distribution companies, manufacturing companies to think of those that come to mind. Keeping the wheels of society turning.

This warmed my heart - Applause rings out for health workers in Spain - those in the front line really deserve something once this is all over.

Things are looking up in China with production and distribution increasing as well as the closing of the last temporary hospital as the number of cases fall.

[red vtec]

I do find it alarming when I read on sky that the UK government are having meetings with manufacturers to increase ventilators as they see a huge demand from them. I'm to proud to be honest I am very worried about all of this. 

You only have to see to see the closing of borders, ports, flights etc. I know in northern Cyprus they have shut all non essential business, and people are to stay at home and curfews may be introduced.

[mdw]

I think we are all going to find out about the real qualitys of the people we live among.    I dont see why its so hard to chill the S*&t out about it, panicking is certainly not going to solve things.    Are they so thick that they dont think running about a supermarket with all the other lemmings all at the same time is just the enviroment to spread it.   

[red vtec]

I do agree, but I think people are naive and don't realise that the government would introduce martial law if things really got out of hand to maintain law and order. There seems to be two attitudes "f()k you I'm alright jack" and "things are just normal"  the first group think they are going to do as they wish and that won't happen, the second group are in my opinion a little naive. I hope the there is a group in the middle with a sensible attitude. 

 

 

[C8RKH]

17 minutes ago, red vtec said:

I do find it alarming when I read on sky that the UK government are having meetings with manufacturers to increase ventilators as they see a huge demand from them. I'm to proud to be honest I am very worried about all of this. 

You only have to see to see the closing of borders, ports, flights etc. I know in northern Cyprus they have shut all non essential business, and people are to stay at home and curfews may be introduced.

Why the flying fig is that alarming to you? I'd be more alarmed if they weren't reaching out and making provisions for new equipment etc.  Just like with the ports, travel bans and crowds, it's a PROACTIVE move to contain/limit the spread as opposed to allow it to run rife. Jeez. I really do worry about just what the human race has become. Where has our resolve in the face of adversity gone? It seems it's just melted away.  Farms are still producing food. Toilet roll factories are still making toilet rolls and paracetamols are being made by the gadzillion every day. It's just that he complete fooking morons who have been "panic buying" have stripped the shelves faster than the supply chain can replenish them. It really is as simple as that right now.

The people panic buying are morons. The people spreading doom and despair are morons. I'm in the middle. Just buying slightly more than I need to cover the 7 days of self isolation and not pushing myself into an early grave worrying about it. Yes, martial law will come in if needed, and then fook me, imagine the whinging from people then....

FFS it's this kind of attitude that just winds me up to be honest.

I can see why my attitude might wind others up, but worrying about stuff you have no ability to control (other than your own actions and precautions) is just nuts.

[red vtec]

I'm not worried that it's done I'm worried as to why it's been done, did you ever think you would see a day where borders, ports flights etc were closed world wide? 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

There was a scientific advisor on BBC Breakfast today, who stated, almost in passing, that the virus is out-performing their “model”. Personally I am a bit sick of this “modelling” guff. Just look at Italy and China. That’s all the evidence you need. We don’t need boffins telling us that a lockdown would be “counter-intuitive” and that people will just get bored and ignore it. The vast majority of the public will do as they’re told. If others don’t want to, well that’s their risk.

[C8RKH]

10 minutes ago, red vtec said:

I'm not worried that it's done I'm worried as to why it's been done, did you ever think you would see a day where borders, ports flights etc were closed world wide? 

You're not worried but your are alarmed. Why? These are reasonable steps being taken in 2020 to stop/control/reduce the impacts of a pandemic.

I never thought I'd see a day when an aging film star would be the leader of the free world. When a lunatic businessman with spray tan would be the leader of the free world. When companies with assets with a market value of £60m would have a stock market value of £2.5bn (Intu in case you were wondering). etc.  In short, shit happens. I bet my grandparents never thought they would experience two world wars (one they weren't old enough to fight in and one they were). I bet my parents never thought they would see England win the world cup. Did my generation ever think that Brexit would really happen?

In short, I cannot control these things so I really don't worry about them happening. What's next, ZNation and Zombie apocolypse move from the cinema to world life? Well, shit happens, who knows, maybe!

4 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

There was a scientific advisor on BBC Breakfast today, who stated, almost in passing, that the virus is out-performing their “model”

No shit. He could have said "well, actually, sorry everyone but our model was wrong. It was a complete pile of shite. We know nothing" but of course he wouldn't would he?  🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Chillidoggy]

I see that ISIS has issued advice to its terrorists not to travel to Western Europe to attack targets.

They might be suicidal, but they’re not stupid.

[PaulCP]

13 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

The people panic buying are morons.

To me it just shows how selfish the me, me, me brigade of the U.K. population have become

I am convinced that much of this behaviour, being a selfishness and “fook everyone else” attitude, is partly as a result of certain TV programmes which have  continuously over the past 30 years only had a “me, me, me and fook everyone else” storyline.

[MPx]

Going back to the prognosis for the outbreak....   I understood the rationale saying that none of us have any immunity to it, so 80+% of us are likely to get it before sufficient immunity builds up and transmission rates slow to nearer 0.  But there have been a series of new viruses over the millennia that none of us have any immunity to, and although some have been quite widespread and fairly deadly, I'm not aware of any getting to an 80%+ coverage before subsiding.  Also, the most recent oft quoted on the TV seem to be Sars, Australian Flu, Birdflu, etc and all of those have failed to get anywhere near their projected worst case infection levels.  Why is this one different?  

[Barrykearley]

Well despite my best efforts this morning - I’m still not dead.

Now it’s getting feckin serious - I’m off to panic buy cider and gin 

[Jacques]

Some good news: Danish politicians and private company representatives have landed a deal that prevents near 71.000 people from being fired and have salary compensation: over a 3 months period, workers must pay 5 days themselves, by vacation, or self pay; then the state will cover 75% of a salary up to 27.000dkr per month and the companies will cover the remaining 25%. all taxes etc. are postponed for companies for a while.

That is good news to me

Jacques

[C8RKH]

That's a very positive and pragmatic step forwards to HELP people. Well done the Danish. 

[Jacques]

Yes, and in my mind, it may also help preventing tragic outcomes for some families, who may otherwise fall into dispair because of an uncertain economical situation, and with the usual scenatio happening: divorce, suicide, misbehaving children etc. A good mental health and a positive attitude also helps people recovering. So all in all, a good initiative, which should also help long term.

Kind regards,

jacques

[tim_marra]

I remember when TLF was a car forum 

[C8RKH]

It still is Tim which is why we have different "topics" and this is in the "general chat" one.  No one makes you read the non car related stuff, that's entirely down to you and your choice. You can "ignore" threads and people so you can just focus on the topics you are interested in if you want.

Have fun mate.

[tim_marra]

I always view the forum in the 'current activity' tab. I posted the above comment as almost every visible post related to the virus thread. Anyway, have fun I'm off out for some fresh(?) air 

[andydclements]

1 hour ago, MPx said:

Going back to the prognosis for the outbreak....   I understood the rationale saying that none of us have any immunity to it, so 80+% of us are likely to get it before sufficient immunity builds up and transmission rates slow to nearer 0.  But there have been a series of new viruses over the millennia that none of us have any immunity to, and although some have been quite widespread and fairly deadly, I'm not aware of any getting to an 80%+ coverage before subsiding.  Also, the most recent oft quoted on the TV seem to be Sars, Australian Flu, Birdflu, etc and all of those have failed to get anywhere near their projected worst case infection levels.  Why is this one different?  

It really depends on how easily the disease is transmitted and the incubation period where infectious. The more easily it transmits, the higher the proportion of immunity needs to be in order for it to not be an epidemic. The shorter the period between being able to transmit the disease, to the period where symptoms show/debikitate, the better as it means there are less people unknowingly infecting others.

Also, the ones that are variants of influenza, are more widespread in winter months (it's just a belief but not a known fact at present that CV is similar) so you get a certain amount of transmission control that way. SARS isn't highly contagious but it does have a higher mortality rate.

[gregs24]

2 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

There was a scientific advisor on BBC Breakfast today, who stated, almost in passing, that the virus is out-performing their “model”. Personally I am a bit sick of this “modelling” guff. Just look at Italy and China. That’s all the evidence you need. We don’t need boffins telling us that a lockdown would be “counter-intuitive” and that people will just get bored and ignore it. The vast majority of the public will do as they’re told. If others don’t want to, well that’s their risk.

It really isn't that simple I'm afraid as a 'lockdown' isn't sustainable for very long. A lot of people have to go to work to get the food to your table together with the medicines, electricity gas etc etc. For society to function most people need to go to work which isn't a lockdown any more. The UK advisers seem to be using their brains to produce policy rather than just doing what everybody else is. If you lockdown everybody now what do you do next ? I can assure you death rates will continue to rise because there is a 2 to 3 week lag phase from infection to death, so if you lockdown today, death rates rise for 2 weeks then what ? How do you then lift restrictions based on data ? So you keep locking down but the shops are then empty and it starts being ignored.

The reality is most people under the age of 70 will have little or no symptoms, few will need hospitalising and very few will die. The situation for the over 70's is very different. What actually needs to happen in my opinion is that all state pension age people need to go into lockdown and the rest of us get on with life to support the old folks by keeping the country running.