Mutating Corona Virus

[honeybee13]

That's too scary to think about, TJ.

[honeybee13]

You're right about there being more epidemics in Europe, TJ. My parents had me innoculated for anything that was on offer and I've been fine.

 

I had measles when I was little, before there was a vaccination and it's scary to hear that people can die from it.

[honeybee13]

John Crace in the Guardian says it's OK, Matt Hancock is going to save us.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/23/dont-panic-dr-matt-hancock-will-protect-us-from-the-coronavirus?CMP=share_btn_tw

[honeybee13]

That's very sad, hightail. Was your BiL ever vaccinated against TB? I think TJ said it's another disease that we thought we'd conquered and is coming back.

[honeybee13]

I'm not sure which point you're wanting to make, Bazza, probably more learned than mine, but I think that lady was very selfish to risk potentially passing on a deadly virus to other people.

[honeybee13]

Thank you. We were sort of saying the same thing then, that people and human nature make controlling disease more difficult?

[honeybee13]

I don't suppose anyone has a reliable link about to how to protect ourselves against the virus if it starts to spread in the UK?

 

HB

[honeybee13]

Thank you TJ.

 

It's been a busy day but I also just found this in the Guardian with a few bullet-pointed steps people might want to take.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/27/coronavirus-how-to-protect-yourself-from-infection

 

HB

[honeybee13]

Without wishing to sound condescending, I've added a post to the new NHS forum thread about coronavirus and how to protect ourselves [no discussions on there please, we have this thread].

 

I hadn't visited anyone who was seriously ill for a long time and when my father was in a kidney ward a few years ago, I discovered the hygiene regulations that the hospital ward had for before you went in. They were far more thorough than the last time I went to a hospital and it was an education.

[honeybee13]

I apologise for mentioning this, but people are dying or afraid of dying.

 

Is it worth point scoring over? I know you're both better then this.

 

Edit: this was in response to a couple of posts ago.

[honeybee13]

I don't pretend to understand all this stuff and exactly how the virus is transmitted, but I've wondered if it's a good idea to keep people somewhere with an air circulation system. The people kept on the cruise ship seem to be transmitting it to each other.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/18/global-health-experts-question-cruise-ship-coronavirus-quarantine-measures

[honeybee13]

Thank you Bazza, that's very comprehensive.

 

There wasn't any context, I just read the article and wondered again about air con. From what you say, in theory taking a plane is OK as long as you don't come into contact with droplets, am I right?

[honeybee13]

Some people are saying that the Russians are trolling the internet to make people panic...

[honeybee13]

I was thinking back to this sad but inspiring story the other day, the village of Eyam in Derbyshire during the plague. Article from the Guardian about whether people now will or would be selfless during a pandemic.

 

• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/28/coronovirus-test-wellbeing-herd-vaccination

[honeybee13]

And less depressing, Emma Barnett trying her best to get the truth from Theresa Villiers. I feel sorry for Emma, she did her best. Scroll down past the photos at the top to the video.

 

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/mp-theresa-villiers-refused-to-say-no-deal-in-bbc-brexit-interview-1-6535892

[honeybee13]

Last one from me. It's not often I agree with George Osborne, but I think he has a point in his tweet earlier today. Boris has got round to convening Cobra at least.

 

'The British Government now needs to go onto a ‘war footing’ with the coronavirus: daily NHS press briefings, regular COBRA meetings chaired by the PM, Ministers on all major media shows. The public is fearful, wants information and needs to know their leaders have got a grip.'

[honeybee13]

So are delivery people making arrangements to bring food and other goods to people in a way that they can't be infected? I'm not being facetious, I may have read something about delivery people being at risk.

[honeybee13]

Thank you Bazza. I know I'm over simplifying this. Are the masks you talk about still available please?

[honeybee13]

UB, there's a case in California that's the same, isn't there?

 

OH's firm, which is American-owned, issued an international travel ban yesterday whether for business or pleasure.

[honeybee13]

Easyjet have started cancelling flights. OH was due to travel from Gatwick to Montpellier and it's been called off.

[honeybee13]

I'm not sure you're meant to go to the doctor, you could infect people in the surgery. I thought the advice was to ring 111? Unless you're still in Sweden of course.

 

I hope you're better soon.

 

HB

[honeybee13]

So apart from protecting the great and the good in the war room, they don't seem to be in a hurry to do much for the rest of us.

[honeybee13]

I fixed your link, TJ.

 

It's starting to sound like what Pippa Crerar from The Mirror said.

 

'Ministers and officials are considering the trade-off between allowing an acute outbreak, from which the economy would rebound more quickly, or trying to save more lives by imposing restrictions on mass gatherings and transport.'

 

https://twitter.com/pippacrerar?lang=en

[honeybee13]

Is issuing updates on a weekly basis a good idea? It doesn't seem to be what other European countries are doing.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/04/move-to-weekly-uk-coronavirus-updates-criticised-by-experts

[honeybee13]

I read that some local authorities have released information.

 

But as someone in the article said, leaving a government information void means that the space will be filled by fake news and conspiracy theories.