Covid-19

[Dr Dave]

Yes, kids seem to the least vulnerable. That's not the point. Schools are excellent distribution systems for anything going. So although the kids may not get too sick, they could well introduce it into the household, and then everyone else is at risk.

Like I said though - my lad is away at school. So he's not going to pass it on to us if he catches it. Plus his school are scrubbing all of their trips and camps and now we need to complete a form explaining where he'll be going over the Easter break.

[Techno]

Just been down to the local village, which really is quite/very big, for a village.)

Local pharmacy.....No face masks or hand sanitiser.....(Or paracetomol)....Limiting loo-roll sales to one pack per person.

Up to the Farmers' co-op to get bird seed, and also bisquits for the dogs.

Big stack of loo rolls by the till, "Do you need any loo rolls,"......" No we're fine for those".....
Two big bottles of hand sanitiser on the counter, " Are those for us to use ?"......."Yes...If you want to".....So they must have got oodles.....They'll also almost certainly have face masks, as well.

I'm waiting for some wit to post an 'advert' on eBay for a second hand loo roll "Used once only !"



This chap won't need more than this single roll........He's so tiny.

On a more serious note...I feel really sorry for those who have been looking forward to a holiday.....and who look like they're going to miss out.....at least for the time being.....And the little shops who are already suffering, and who will probably 'finish' if we have a 'lock-down'.


Cheers - Phil (Who also thinks Hysteria is a damn fine 'album'.)

[Orcs]

Yes Hysteria is an excellent album.

We were due Loo Rolls just before everyone went mad so I bough our usual pack of 24 and put half in the loft.  OUr use of loo roll will halve in a fortnight anyway. 

No we are not going to overdose on Immodium, the step daughter is moving out - HOORAY    , and she seems to use more loo roll than the two of us together.

This should also have a positive impact on finances reducing water bill and electric bill. - More to spend on shiny toys

[Steve J]

My wife's trip to Italy with a friend in June is looking in doubt. We had hoped to go away for our 25th wedding anniversary but have put any planning on hold until further notice. Daughter in Edinburgh may not be able to travel down for our sons birthday cum Easter break. Said daughter also due to go to Fiji in the Summer, via the US, which is again in doubt following a recent e-mail. So looks like it will be a holiday in Bristol sur Avon.

[barbarian]

If you look at the regional numbers, the south of Italy is still mostly "okay" ( "Only" 11 deaths yesterday in the region of Rome).

I really hope it won't blow up as hard than in the north, but I have little faith.

The results of the lock-down will only be noticeable in 10-12 days.

Let's hope.

Meanwhile, in Toulouse France, my sister began to receive cases, some doctors of the hospital are confirmed cases, she even was working on one patient for the last week without a mask that is now suspected to be ill. She and her 15 months old are coughing.
People around me : " this person was in contact with a confirmed case, this one was..." Still her colleagues say "don't worry, it won't be like Italy " when she brings up articles. Denial and normalcy bias is everywhere.

For the moment, the families with one essential worker (fireman, police, health worker) can still send their kids to school. The teachers are supposed to do groups of max 8 children (that number was 10 yesterday) AND teach remotely to the rest of the kids. I let you appreciate how many kids this is. (Up to one third of some classes, so over the 8 limit...)

In big cities, they are organizing to group some kids into one school. In small cities, each school needs to organize on its own.

I forgot to say that single mothers teachers CAN'T bring their own kids to aggregate with the class. It is an organisational nightmare.

EDIT (JUST NOW) : Italy is closing parks, access to the sea, beaches.

[Norm]

In the UK, the advice as far as I can tell is that if you think you have the virus, then self isolate and if it is a mild attack, it will be gone within a week. But, if it goes on for more than a week or the symptoms are severe, then phone 111.

i can see why that was done, but it strikes me with so many infected people now not needing to automatically call 111, we have lost our only mechanic of counting the number of infected people in the UK.

Spain have said their cases have gone up by 1500 today (so it seems that measuring the climbing rate is still important for policy makers) and the number of deaths in the UK have double over the last 24 hours to just over 20. If one assumes that these deaths and infections occurred from transmission 7 - 14 days ago, then our 'big picture' and our 'feel'of how things are now, is always going to be behind the curve by that period and so what the 'big picture' will look like in 7 - 14 days is actually being formed today ...... if true, do our personal decisions on where we go and on relation to public gatherings (not banned in the UK yet) today need to be viewed not so much in terms of how things are, but more as what they will likely be in a fortnight? 

[barbarian]

Norm, this. This is what we need to hammer to people.

No wonder we can't do something about climate change when we aren't even able to tackle a problem 2 weeks from now.

The testing in France is as follow : Only if and when you have severe symptoms do you receive a test.

The number of cases doesn't mean anything by that standard, if you don't screen a large portion of the population of an area. The only significant numbers are Hospital admissions (both "normal" and ICU) and dead.

[Ben Waterhouse]

Closing large ecclesiatical gatherings might be useful. Remember the pious fallout from AIDS?

What a surprise...

[d_Guy]

We (WV) are now the only state without a confirmed case. This is likely a meaningless piece of information, because:

The number of cases doesn't mean anything by that standard, if you don't screen a large portion of the population of an area. The only significant numbers are Hospital admissions (both "normal" and ICU) and dead.

There are still too many unknowns. The best assumption is the virus is already rampant in the generally population and only time will tell. What MAY be different is the acquired immunity might be lower than we think and the lasting damage to lung tissue might be greater.

[Scorpio_Rocks]

I think the current UK Government is treating the whole thing as a "peasant cull" and will not order any kind of ban on travel, work, schools, events, etc so as to limit the loss of money to the bigwigs - and to hell with all the poor!

I am, thankfully, currently well but I am avoiding crowds, public transport etc. (not attending Hammerhead out of an "abundance of caution")

[flamingpig0]

I think the current UK Government is treating the whole thing as a "peasant cull"

It would be entirely within character

[paulr]

My wife is currently in Melbourne, Australia having just attended a friend's wedding

Her flight back is scheduled to land at 11:55pm tonight, Sunday

Yesterday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced, "From midnight Sunday, everyone arriving in New Zealand will have to isolate themselves for 14 days"

I'm assuming that she won't be through customs by midnight so will have to isolate for 14 days (will find out once she is through customs etc)

I'll probably be working from home for the next three days before starting a planned 'stay-cation' to reduce my leave balance before the end of the financial year

We'll have to "maintain social distancing" and I won't be going into the airport to collect her, she can come to the car

I did a large grocery shop this morning, plenty on the shelves, except for hand sanitizer, only two very small bottles in one of our three local supermarkets
We have two large bottle from my wife's work so I left them for someone else

[barbarian]

France closes all non essential stores...

But doesn't use potential sanctions for trespassers like in Italy. French aren't going to respect that.

Idiots going out to have a drink before the closing at 00:00

Too little too late.

[paulr]

NZ is canceling major gatherings, unfortunately including the memorial service for the Mosque attacks last year

[John Cook]

My pension fund's lost a quarter of its value over the last three weeks. First world problem I know, but it will have a real-world effect. Not to me - I have a long and tiresome wait until I'm old enough - but there will be people retiring now who've suddenly become a lot poorer in their old age.

Don't panic.  The markets will recover.