O/T. The Government's handling of Covid

[Geoff Parkstone]

The armed forces were handling test centres initially. Not sure there ar e enough medics with ICU training to staff them to be honest.


Heres a stat to make one think.

In 1918 Spanish Flu killed 50 million worldwide

Current Covid deaths worldwide just under 800,000.

In 1918 we didn't have the massive movement of people across the world, mostly by air, but within europe by land. Also bear in mind the population of the world is somewhat larger than it was in 1918.

That gives a good idea of the relative risk and that we are being driven by fear rather than a rational assessment of the actual risks.

Afriaid to say I entirely agree with that sentiment Swale

[AdiSalisbury]

The armed forces were handling test centres initially. Not sure there ar e enough medics with ICU training to staff them to be honest.


Heres a stat to make one think.

In 1918 Spanish Flu killed 50 million worldwide

Current Covid deaths worldwide just under 800,000.

In 1918 we didn't have the massive movement of people across the world, mostly by air, but within europe by land. Also bear in mind the population of the world is somewhat larger than it was in 1918.

That gives a good idea of the relative risk and that we are being driven by fear rather than a rational assessment of the actual risks.

800,000 and growing, despite modern living arrangements, medicine and hygiene practices. The risk is very real, and had COVID had hit in 1918, it's a reasonable assumption to believe that the current death toll would have been much higher.

[swaledale]

800,000 and growing, despite modern living arrangements, medicine and hygiene practices. The risk is very real, and had COVID had hit in 1918, it's a reasonable assumption to believe that the current death toll would have been much higher.

I'd have said the same as Spanish Flu, Oh the risk is there, its quantifying that risk which is the issue and it will have to go some to get anywhere near Spanish Flu death toll, given it doesn't seem to kill the young and fit. As you say its modern medicine, improved living conditions, lifestyles etc. that is the main difference etc. which we don't always appreciate, but thats also the very reason we should be managing the issue better. It will be ironic but not unlikely that the death toll from the side effects of handling the pandemic will be higher worldwide.

[ramAnag]

Not strictly speaking...our Government, but I see today the ‘leader of the free world’ - and role model for our own renowned leader - has repeatedly spoken of how the ‘Herd Mentality’ - no I’m not joking - will see off the pandemic and how the West Coast fires will soon be under control because, ‘it’s gonna get cooler...you’ll see’. What in mid September Donald, surely not!

Has it really come to this? I really do despair.

[swaledale]

There have been piss poor leaders in the past and there will be in the future, no need to despair rA!

[ramAnag]

There have been piss poor leaders in the past and there will be in the future, no need to despair rA!

Of course...more bad than good, imo...but I’m not sure I can remember any as dangerous.

I wondered what we’d got when Reagan took over and Bush was an idiot, but they were ‘voices of reason’ in comparison.

[MadAmster]

Hmmmm.... 3 or 4 weeks ago, I spotted conspeorists predicting a lockdown in September, probably during the school half term break.

Are they being proved right?

[ramAnag]

Okay...I read from afar that Hancock has now declared that grandparents are exempt from social distancing/mixing rules as far as childcare needs in relation to their grandchildren are concerned.

Can this make sense? Until very recently those in their sixties and older, which the vast majority of grandparents are, were considered to be most at risk. Now...perhaps in the name of getting the nation back to work...that suddenly no longer seems to be the case.

Speaking as one who hasn’t gone further than ‘elbow bumps’ with any of his grandchildren since March I have to admit to being confused.
Are the allegedly most at risk group suddenly to be allowed to do the ‘school run’ and hang around at school gates in the company of many others throughout the autumn and winter months?

Sounds very ill thought through and contradictory to me, but then so did the whole ‘eat out, help out’ initiative. Thoughts?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Doesnt everything sound very ill thought through and contradictory to you.

I look forward to the day when any government policy doesnt sound so, but I expect to be dead before that happens - or at very earliest a libdem government! Sorry, I will be dead before that

[swaledale]

Doesnt everything sound very ill thought through and contradictory to you.

I look forward to the day when any government policy doesnt sound so, but I expect to be dead before that happens - or at very earliest a libdem government! Sorry, I will be dead before that

Here we go again those dipsticks otherwise known as Government scientific advisors now scaring the **** out of people, I can see another **** up on the way and the Country going down the tubes completely!

Read a report by another set of equally experienced, knowledgeable scientists who were of the opinion that we just ahve to learn to live with the virus, that IF the government had planned over the summer how to do this we would now be in a position to do this.


However, it seems BJ and his government of no talent merely wished that the virus would go away, obvious that wasn't going to happen so now what will the ****wits do?