My wife and I enjoyed a ZOOM conference with my adult kids last night-  Two had just finished long shifts in the NHS.   I was reminded of the WW1 saying "Lions led by donkeys"

This is not a party political statement  but our political leaders need to up their game.  It is appalling that Hancock should adopt a hectoring style and accuse NHS staff of misusing PPE.
That's a bit like blaming the soldiers for misusing bullets during a battle.

And then we have Petel stating there was a "perception"  that PPE was not getting through.  It is simply not there in the quantity or quality required.  NHS staff fear they are infected and may be infecting non Covid 19 patients and their own familes. 

By next week we face a crisis not of ventilators  or beds.  But doctors and nurses many of whom  are infected, denied a test or adequate PPE  and at the end of their tether. 

First time out shopping today since this all began, bit nerve wrecking, queuing outside wasn't so bad but probably a few too many people in the shop and while most were sensible, there were a few bustling past too close or standing oblivious in the middle of an aisle blocking everyone, made distancing difficult.

Quote from: Sunray on 13 April 2020, 09:26:51 AM
My wife and I enjoyed a ZOOM conference with my adult kids last night.

My family have had an Easter tradition of an egg hunt in my parents garden since we were little. Even though we're all grown up now we still do it, including the new additions to the family. Last year I have a particular memory of my wife and grandpa play wrestling over getting to one of the eggs first, and the dog helping find the one we'd all missed. 

Obviously this year it was a bit more difficult, but not to be deterred, my parents managed to do one via video conferencing, with three sets of grown ups in three different countries telling my mother where to go to find them while my dad followed her around the garden (he'd hidden them) with the camera!

Quote
By next week we face a crisis not of ventilators  or beds.  But doctors and nurses many of whom  are infected, denied a test or adequate PPE  and at the end of their tether. 

My sister in law is a doctor and was saying they've only paper masks still, and only on the wards. She's not in ICU or anything but is still visiting patients on wards and may be required to do resuscitation, so fairly high risk still. She says they are due to get fitted masks but no sign yet. And working extra long shifts on top of her normal duties. Mad.

Found out this morning that the virus has effectively killed one of our good friends (over the road).....'By proxy.'

Sue was a real sweetie, and someone with as strong a personality as Von...But even more highly strung than yours truly.
She'd definitely been getting particularly stressed tryng to make sure that everyone else around here was coping alright.

She'd phoned twice over the last couple of weeks to make sure that WE were alright.

Last night, I went out to check that no-one was trying to play silly sods, and trying to nick the cobs, in one of our fields over the road....There were some strange lights, just opposite us, which we could see from the kitchen window.

"That looks like an ambulance"...(No blues...but an awful lot of red LEDs....)..Can't go out there....Social distancing, and not being a nosy b*gger....and all that.
When I DID go out to make sure the horses were alright, there was a police car...with no sign of any occupants.....The track opposite is around 600 yards to the nearest neighbour...so...fair enough...They must be down the track.

Our thought was that our other neighbours over the road had had to call for an ambulance.....They're both a lot older than me and Von....and have heart conditions.

This morning...fielded a call from our young friends 800 yards up the road to tell us that Sue had had a heart attack and died.
Her partner is completely distraught....He blames himself, for not finding Sue quicker.

What can you say to the chap ?

Cheers - Phil

That's really awful Phil, I am sorry for the loss of your friend.  Not sure there is much you can say. although its quite probable that had he been standing next to her when it happened the outcome would have sadly been the same.

I would suggest just keeping an eye on him and let him talk it out with you as much as he wants. reinforce that none of it was his fault and he is not to blame in any way. Sue would not have wanted that,

Take the dogs out specially for a walk to give you an excuse to drop in, and the dogs will have a therapeutic effect I am sure.

Sorry to hear that Phil, what can anyone say at such times. 

Condolence mate.

Sorry to hear that mate.

I am so sorry Phil.  The real pain is there is no sense of closure.  You can't go and console, share the grief.  I had the same pain last week when an old comrade I had known for 45 years passed away.

I was unable to be at his "funeral".  No honour guard of green berets and jackets.  No elegy and the  recall of  old acquaintance.  Just left with an empty feeling.

Condolences Phil and Sunray

Condolences to all concerned .

And condolences from me, as well, James.

Yesterday......As well as Sue, we saw, via Von's facebook page, that one of the ladies in the local garage had died......This time it WAS covid-19.
It was either her.....or her identical twin sister.

Cheers - Phil

These are tough times. My sympathy goes out to all of you.

.

All you can do is empathise.  Assure him that it wasn't his fault, that there was nothing he, or you, could have done differently that could have altered what happened.  It might help.

Quote from: Techno on 14 April 2020, 07:00:51 AM
Yesterday......As well as Sue, we saw, via Von's facebook page, that one of the ladies in the local garage had died......This time it WAS covid-19.
It was either her.....or her identical twin sister.

Bloody hell that's getting close to home, condolences to all impacted