Generic Virus Thread

[It's Your Round]

I’ve been working from home for four weeks now, it happened pretty quickly and was organised well. I remember telling a lot of our training providers we were cancelling training until June, many of them thought we were being ridiculous, and acting in haste. 
 

The message to isolate for those that could work from home should have come a lot quicker. 

[Genie]

3 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Officially furloughed starting tomorrow. 
HR told me they’re expecting the furlough to last until at least 30th April

 

Trying to look on the bright side. There will be a job waiting when I come back and I have a month of being paid to do nothing. 

Yep, could be a lot worse.

Thinking of ways to avoid boredom will be a challenge (especially with the other half always around )

Edited April 1, 2020 by Genie

[Genie]

1 minute ago, It's Your Round said:

I’ve been working from home for four weeks now, it happened pretty quickly and was organised well. I remember telling a lot of our training providers we were cancelling training until June, many of them thought we were being ridiculous, and acting in haste. 
 

The message to isolate for those that could work from home should have come a lot quicker. 

I agree with you but I think there were political reasons (at least where I work) stopping it. We were hearing that in Italy and France factory workers were refusing to work because they were being put at risk whilst office staff had it easy, and risk free at home.

I think the belief was that if people who could work from home were sent home earlier here in the UK we would have had problems with production workers.

This was the thinking behind office staff being told they still had to come in 2 or 3 times a week (until production was halted and everyone was then told to WFH).

[Awol]

6 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Did we **** up? Should this lockdown have come much earlier? 

I think as per all of the government documentation on influenza pandemic control, we were set up for a mitigation strategy. 

Due to the nature of this virus we were forced to switch strategy to suppression, but by then the damage was already done and they’re trying to turn around an oil tanker. No checks on travelers, mass gatherings continuing to take place etc. so the infection rate via community spread will be very high.  

The one thing that might have made a difference was early and honest reporting from China so the strategy could be adjusted in good time. As it was scientists were modeling a death rate in China of approx. 3000, when reality was probably 10-20 times higher than that. 

[Jareth]

5 minutes ago, Awol said:

The one thing that might have made a difference was early and honest reporting from China so the strategy could be adjusted in good time. As it was scientists were modeling a death rate in China of approx. 3000, when reality was probably 10-20 times higher than that. 

Have you been reading the Daily Mail?

[Designer1]

19 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Officially furloughed starting tomorrow. 
HR told me they’re expecting the furlough to last until at least 30th April

 

Trying to look on the bright side. There will be a job waiting when I come back and I have a month of being paid to do nothing. 

Same here.

It's going to be a kick in the nuts financially but there's bigger things to worry about.

[Awol]

16 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Have you been reading the Daily Mail?

Couldn’t you find a more original insult, or better yet, an actual argument against my point? 

Edit: 

Compare and contrast deaths in Italy and Spain with China. If you still think the Chinese numbers are gen’ I’ve got a bridge to sell you. 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Awol

[Jareth]

6 minutes ago, Awol said:

Couldn’t you find a more original insult, or better yet, an actual argument against my point? 

Edit: 

Compare and contrast deaths in Italy and Spain with China. If you still think the Chinese numbers are gen’ I’ve got a bridge to sell you. 

Erm, we are where we are - cos China? I mean, that's what you said. That's where you're putting the blame.

[ml1dch]

29 minutes ago, Awol said:

The one thing that might have made a difference was early and honest reporting from China so the strategy could be adjusted in good time. As it was scientists were modeling a death rate in China of approx. 3000, when reality was probably 10-20 times higher than that. 

Then again, scientists and governments across the world were working with the same (presumed false) data from China.

And not many others chose to take the initial path that ours did.

[Awol]

Just now, Jareth said:

Erm, we are where we are - cos China? I mean, that's what you said. That's where you're putting the blame.

I said our modelling was based on the fatality and infection rate numbers released by China, plus their assertion until late Jan that there was no human to human transmission - a deliberate lie.

So yes, more timely and less fictional reporting from China could and likely would have led to a different approach globally, not just in UK. 

That’s not to say the UK didn’t make mistakes, we obviously did. But when your assumptions are all wrong the response will be screwed from the outset. 

 

[wazzap24]

I was convinced this was an April fool, but I don’t think it is.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/01/british-american-tobacco-plant-based-coronavirus-vaccine?CMP=share_btn_tw

Quote

British American Tobacco, the maker of brands including Lucky Strike, Dunhill, Rothmans and Benson & Hedges, has said it has a potential coronavirus vaccine in development using tobacco plants.

BAT has turned the vast resources usually focused on creating products that pose health risks to millions of smokers worldwide to battling the global pandemic.

 

[Awol]

Just now, ml1dch said:

Then again, scientists and governments across the world were working with the same (presumed false) data from China.

And not many others chose to take the initial path that ours did.

They did, in Italy Ministers were out in northern towns and cities embracing Chinese tourists in the streets for the cameras, encouraging locals to do the same and stressing how safe everything was.

In Spain they held a series of mass feminist rallies across the country just days before their outbreak flared up. 

Their responses weren’t that different to ours at all in the early stages, and didn’t Italy’s lockdown only start 12 days or so before ours? 

[Jareth]

3 minutes ago, Awol said:

I said our modelling was based on the fatality and infection rate numbers released by China, plus their assertion until late Jan that there was no human to human transmission - a deliberate lie.

So yes, more timely and less fictional reporting from China could and likely would have led to a different approach globally, not just in UK. 

That’s not to say the UK didn’t make mistakes, we obviously did. But when your assumptions are all wrong the response will be screwed from the outset. 

 

But we sat and watched Italy, failed to get started on ventilators, are currently failing to get started on testing, chose mitigation over lockdown whilst the science remained unchanged - and all we hear from those in charge is that it's somebody else's fault - China, the public not doing what they're told, and most recently the lack of chemicals for test kits. Too many lies, too many distractions - this government is not capable of leading on this issue. 

[StefanAVFC]

As Jareth said, the difference between our response and Italy was that we watched it happen in slow motion and did nothing. (or worse than nothing really, we pursued the herd strategy)

[LondonLax]

46 minutes ago, Awol said:

I think as per all of the government documentation on influenza pandemic control, we were set up for a mitigation strategy. 

Due to the nature of this virus we were forced to switch strategy to suppression, but by then the damage was already done and they’re trying to turn around an oil tanker. No checks on travelers, mass gatherings continuing to take place etc. so the infection rate via community spread will be very high.  

The one thing that might have made a difference was early and honest reporting from China so the strategy could be adjusted in good time. As it was scientists were modeling a death rate in China of approx. 3000, when reality was probably 10-20 times higher than that. 

I wouldn’t trust any of the numbers out of China but there are far more reliable numbers from other countries that have been on top of their testing. The UK looks like it has been running blind and has made poor decision after poor decision. 

[Chindie]

Our response was lead by Dominic Cummings thinking he's very clever and a research teams modelling thinking it was also very clever until someone pointed out that the numbers only worked if you were prepared to let the healthcare system and various other sectors collapse first and brush off an enormous pile of suddenly dead people.

Whether you call this an error or not is a matter of personal judgement I guess.

[ml1dch]

16 minutes ago, Awol said:

Their responses weren’t that different to ours at all in the early stages, and didn’t Italy’s lockdown only start 12 days or so before ours? 

Certain areas of Italy were under lockdown from February 22nd. That was expanded to most of northern Italy on March 7th and the whole country on March 9th. 

Chinese data doesn't have much to do with the Government announcing on March 10th that there is no reason to postpone sporting events, describing outdoor gatherings as "relatively safe" and allowing the Cheltenham festival to take place a week after Italy was in full lockdown. 

Edited April 1, 2020 by ml1dch

[tonyh29]

Just walked to the office  , bit of exercise and a few bits I can't do remotely

The local poles who run a car cleaning place were shut down by the police a week ago ..today they are re-open albeit they close the shutter at the front so the casual police car driving past can't see they are still working   ,  2 cars in as a walked past , looked like at least one more waiting their turn  ..... seems people have different definitions of essential

 

[The Fun Factory]

23 minutes ago, wazzap24 said:

I was convinced this was an April fool, but I don’t think it is.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/01/british-american-tobacco-plant-based-coronavirus-vaccine?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop smoking. Airplane joke.

Edited April 1, 2020 by The Fun Factory

[tonyh29]

23 minutes ago, Awol said:

They did, in Italy Ministers were out in northern towns and cities embracing Chinese tourists in the streets for the cameras, encouraging locals to do the same and stressing how safe everything was.

In Spain they held a series of mass feminist rallies across the country just days before their outbreak flared up. 

Their responses weren’t that different to ours at all in the early stages, and didn’t Italy’s lockdown only start 12 days or so before ours? 

The Italians and Spanish  were probably led by Dominic Cummings