Coronavirus and football.

[Andy_Faber]

Back to football and covid, don't you think that it's the government's awful handling of the crisis that has meant we have lost access to the beautiful game? Had we adopted the German or the Danish approach we would have, erm, still not played the games but felt much better about it.

And what about that dreadful Ryan Clark-Neal. His existence is entirely Boris Johnson's fault, and how can he keep social distancing with people racing uncontrollably round the shop running into each other. And no sanitiser either.

And magpies, I had one of them in the garden yesterday, bullying the neighbours cat who was trying to steal his eggs. Typical Tory, even had bits of blue on his wings and was mostly white. I blame the government for giving these birds financial support while little robins get nothing.

Finger well on the pulse, I think you mean Rylan

[MadAmster]

Yes, but are they doctors and nurses working with covid 19 patients?

On a side note, I've seen reports, backed up by a paramedic I know, that emergency call outs have collapsed during the crisis. Obviously, this is partly as a result of the lockdown, but he says that they're getting very few of the normal 'time wasting' calls, which clog up the ambulances and A&E departments.

Many of these are by a few people who make multiple calls, hopefully, they'll get out of the habit and reduce the strain on A&E in the future.

Similar reports over here Ram. Last week a cardiologist on a late night talk show said that there is a drop in heart problems being reported to GPs and hospitals, something like an average of 60% down and as high as 75% in some places. Other medical specialities are also seeing large drops in patient numbers. The specialists are worried that people with very genuine and possibly life threatening conditions aren't reporting it as they fear catching Corona at the GPs or in hospital. It was stressed that Corona patients aren't in the same areas of a hospital as heart and other patients. They recommended everybody to contact a health professional if they think they have a problem in exactly the way they would have pre Corona.

[Andy_Faber]

Similar reports over here Ram. Last week a cardiologist on a late night talk show said that there is a drop in heart problems being reported to GPs and hospitals, something like an average of 60% down and as high as 75% in some places. Other medical specialities are also seeing large drops in patient numbers. The specialists are worried that people with very genuine and possibly life threatening conditions aren't reporting it as they fear catching Corona at the GPs or in hospital. It was stressed that Corona patients aren't in the same areas of a hospital as heart and other patients. They recommended everybody to contact a health professional if they think they have a problem in exactly the way they would have pre Corona.

My daughter got bumped up the MRI list by over four months due to cancellations, called in last week at a days notice, the receptionist said they are struggling to fill a number of cancellation slots. As a regular at the hospital she knows the quickest back way to the MRI but she said the main entrance was quiet too.

[ramAnag]

Sadly a very different situation across the ‘pond’ in NY and NJ. As a few know from PM’s, I have someone very close over there who’s chemo treatment has been seriously disrupted by the current Corona crisis.

[Andy_Faber]

Sadly a very different situation across the ‘pond’ in NY and NJ. As a few know from PM’s, I have someone very close over there who’s chemo treatment has been seriously disrupted by the current Corona crisis.

That's horrible, the drum beat of chemo sessions kept me going during my illness.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Sadly a very different situation across the ‘pond’ in NY and NJ. As a few know from PM’s, I have someone very close over there who’s chemo treatment has been seriously disrupted by the current Corona crisis.

There has, perhaps understandably, been little emphasis on the collateral damage aspects of covid - although obviously the "protect our NHS" slogan is clearly focussed on being able to continue to deal with existing patient issues.

it will be interesting to see, when the numbers are finally added up, what the consequential loss figures have been - if indeed they can be assessed.

[ramAnag]

That's horrible, the drum beat of chemo sessions kept me going during my illness.

It’s ‘maintenance’, Andy...God forbid this had happened a year ago.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Finger well on the pulse, I think you mean Rylan

Oh yes, but whatever his name is, he is still a bellend. Taken a wonderful piece of daytime kitsch entertainment and destroyed it by outcamping even Dale Winton

[Andy_Faber]

Oh yes, but whatever his name is, he is still a bellend. Taken a wonderful piece of daytime kitsch entertainment and destroyed it by outcamping even Dale Winton

Something that's been bothering me since I got into a rare face to face public argument with someone a while back, is the term 'mincer' now on the PC blacklist? To me its a valid term related to 'camp' but I was shouted down for being homophobic. IMO Rylan minces with the best of them, and I couldn't give a stuff (?) about his ***uality. I guess bell-end is OK although I use a hyphen

[Andy_Faber]

It’s ‘maintenance’, Andy...God forbid this had happened a year ago.

Glad to hear that. Coronavirus isn't the only killer and it'll have a cure before there's one for all cancers