Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Tripps]

Can you link us to this information?

[Marilyn]

I think UK is living in a fool’s paradise with it’s “tip of the iceberg” testing protocol.
How can you state accurate figures about the infection rate if you only test those presenting to hospitals?
There may be half a million people, shivering under their quilts at home...sick.
( and then to say “if we lose 20,000, this will be a good outcome”.)

[plaques]

Clocks forward one hour. This means this sunday is 4% shorter than normal days. It has been suggested that Trump is moving their clocks forward 12 hours. Besides keeping the americans in the dark it will enable him to claim a corresponding 50% drop in coronavirus cases. Job sorted.

[Stanley]

If he sees that he will be making you an offer you can't refuse P! I like it!.
I see Trump... sorry, Johnson, is going to write to me and send me a food parcel. Do they warn you first? I ask because I would tell them, I don't need a parcel thank you.

[Wendyf]

Are you on the list of the most vulnerable to be shielded for 12 weeks? Only those people are being offered a food parcel. The rest of us get a letter, hopefully Boris hasn't licked the envelopes.

[Marilyn]

Seriously? Your government can grant you a food parcel, but not a Coronavirus screening test?!!!!!
Are you kidding me?

[Wendyf]

No Maz, they have identified 1.5 million people who are seriously at risk and they have been told to isolate for 12 weeks. Help is being offered to those who do not have anyone to look after their needs and this is being done through community hubs. If necessary they will get food parcels to help.

[Marilyn]

Ok....well if that is the best you can do...it’s the best you can do.
I have to accept that, despite my feelings.

[plaques]

I'm still a bit confused by the rules on vulnerable people.
1) Those under 70 not classed as extremely vulnerable are limited to , one walk, shopping, car driving etc:
2) Those 70 and over are considered vulnerable, even if they are fit and healthy, should not leave the house. ie: isolation.
3) Extremely vulnerable, those who have received a litter telling them they are on the list should isolate.

For the over 70's there appears to be no difference between 2) & 3) except the promise of a food parcel.

I wonder how many over 70's of group 2) are following the rules to the letter.

[Wendyf]

Except that to be on list 3 your health is already seriously compromised.

[Marilyn]

Then you will have the old beggars ( tin hats!) who will buggar on regardless. ( no names )

[PanBiker]

Well, I have met and exchanged pleasantries, (at a distance of course) with a few from group 2 when out walking. You forget also about the over 90's who have to lie down and die quietly.

[Tizer]

Except that to be on list 3 your health is already seriously compromised.

Yes, leukaemia is an example. This is the list on the UK Government web site: LINK
*People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:
*Solid organ transplant recipients.
*People with specific cancers:-
people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
*People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.
*People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).
*People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.
*Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

[Tizer]

Maz, keep in mind that the accuracy of the covid-19 infection test kits is unknown. If it's as good as those for influenza (which is the most similar type of kit) the accuracy will be no more than 50-70% and they can give false positives and false negatives. So basically they may not be much use. This is why scientists roll their eyes when Donald Trump makes big claims about how many thousands of tests they've done.

[Marilyn]

Tizzy....you are not helping my stress levels...

[Tripps]

the accuracy will be no more than 50-70%

Search Google news for 'faulty testing kits' You'll get lots of results from all over the world - here's a typical example faulty test kits

Reported in the Mail, but doesn't seem to have gained much traction elsewhere in this country.

Decide for yourself the truth of them or otherwise. Allow for fake news, hatred of China, hatred of Trump, people causing mischief etc etc.

Any news of the link to the "Senior Nurse's" advice?

[PanBiker]

Sally saw it on her newsfeed on Facebook last night but I can't find it. Of course it's Facebook so it could be complete rubbish or false news as the land of the free and the home of the braves Commander in Chief would say.

Fits in with the general trend though at the moment, worse before it gets better.

[Wendyf]

I saw that or something similar too Ian but thought it looked like typical Facebook stuff to be ignored.

[Tizer]

Tizzy....you are not helping my stress levels...

Maz, I was responding to your criticism of the UK not having tested as many people as Australia. People here keep complaining that there's not enough testing but they need to know that it's not very effective and that's why it wasn't given as much priority here in the early stages as some would like. Incorrect results can create more problems than having few results - we could be letting apparently `virus-free' people (including medical staff) carry on being in contact with others when they're actually infected.

Tripps, faulty and scam kits will be an added problem. The figures I gave are for standard approved influenza kits. The US Centers for Disease Control find them to have a range of 50-70% sensitivity and 85-100% specificity. The poor sensitivity means a high proportion of false negatives, while false positives are less frequent. Unfortunately it's the false negatives that allow infected people to be on the loose. CDC

[Tripps]

That's a worrying link to follow ! I just skimmed it (as usual). I - and I guess a lot of others were assuming that the tests were reliable and accurate. Doesn't seem to be the case. Complicated isn't it?

Are the 'antibody' tests any better? I understand they are the test which shows if you have had the virus.

[Tripps]

thought it looked like typical Facebook stuff to be ignored.

Just spoke to my lad who says he has seen it on Whatsapp too. Says he got it from the bloke across the road who got it from his mate Trig, who knows a chap called Derek whose grandad was in the Royal Navy, and he says it's right.

I'm still a bit doubtful about it though to be fair.

[Stanley]

I'm avoiding most virus 'news' and advice. However, I heard a very interesting account of why South Korea managed the outbreak so well and swiftly. The theory is that they had a head start by having to fight MERS (LINK) and putting in all the measure in place advised by the WHO. That was in 2015 and the systems were still operating and could direct their efforts to COVID19 immediately. The man said that instead of mobilising our world class experts and scientific ability to 'beat the virus' and prove we were efficient, we should simply have gone to the WHO and the S Koreans and copied their organisation and tactics.
Sounds sensible to me.....
News from Mick that the ABs have worked for Susan's chest condition and her other symptoms are subsiding. She is eating and drinking as normal. He reckons she is making a slow but sure recovery.

[chinatyke]

Good news Stanley about Susan. Hope she gets better very quickly.

A message from my mate, Peking Pete who is currently in Thailand and free to crack jokes:

The General Secretary of the National Union of Filchers, Intruders, Larcenists, Cat Burglars and Housebreakers (FILCH), Colin 'The Crowbar' Wilson, has today urged the government to provide emergency financial support to the country’s 30,000 burglars.

In a statement issued this morning, FILCH have warned that the future of break-ins, robberies and burglaries in the UK was looking decidedly bleak and that advice issued by No 10 to counter the spread of Covid-19 could spell the end of a centuries old profession - an industry in which the UK is recognised as being a world leader.

Mr Wilson labelled the PM’s recent advice to stay at home as wholly irresponsible and called upon the Government to launch a £5billion rescue package for British Burglary, with the cash being made available in an unguarded warehouse on the outskirts of Liverpool.

"No one’s going out anymore. They are not going to work during the day, not going out at night, not going on holiday and are certainly not visiting elderly people" said Mr. Wilson. "This is making life very difficult for our members, who need a degree of privacy in order to earn a dishonest living.
It’s not just the lack of opportunity that’s the problem. The Government’s actions have had a knock on effect on what we knock-off too," Mr Wilson went on to explain. "Nobody’s interested in a pair of antique silver candlesticks anymore. It’s all pasta, tinned tomatoes and hand sanitiser nowadays. Try and fence a gold Rolex today and rather than cash, you’re more likely to be offered a nine pack of Andrex toilet rolls in exchange, and ten-to-one it won’t even be quilted?"

"I mean what is the bloke that works at the Office for National Statistics, putting together all of the Home Office’s crime figures, going to do if we disappear?" asked Mr. Wilson. "It’s not like he can turn to a life of crime instead. There won’t be any!"

"Unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of being able to follow the Government’s advice ourselves. We tried working from home, but nicking your own stuff is just not financially viable in the long-term, now is it?"

"The Government got us into this mess, we need them to act fast and decisively to get us out of it," concluded Mr Wilson. "I cannot stress how critical the situation is. If it weren’t for the fact that you are here now, interviewing me, then my crew wouldn’t have robbed a single house this month. So stick ya hands up."

[Stanley]

Very clever! Good stuff China.

[Marilyn]

Good news re Susan. So her illness is bacterial, not viral I guess...if she is responding to ABs.