Pandemic panic

craftyone; I bought some colloidal silver to add to my handwash but I've since read some serious side effects from using it. I assume it's safe to use topically. Do you know anything about it?

The situation in Italy is very grave.
This from the BBC website.
The health care system in the Italian region of Lombardy is on the brink of collapse, the head of its crisis response unit has said.

"We're now being forced to set up intensive care treatment in corridors, in operating theatres, in recovery rooms. We've emptied entire hospital sections to make space for seriously sick people," Antonio Pesenti told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

"One of the best health systems in the world, in Lombardy, is a step away from collapse," he said.

It is all about controlling the numbers that get covid, the more that get it soon and recover the better. There will gradually be more immunity in society and people will carry on with work and being available to care for the elders. So yes elders should be ultra careful, it is not a good time to be relying on the nhs, not right now, not yet

I gather hand washing, for those who live alone and don't go out, is most important after touching something from the outside world. I shall keep my distance from the nice Tesco man.

The many people who currently volunteer in the NHS and elsewhere in Care are likely to be in the older age bracket. On a recent visit to a friend in hospital the volunteers seemed to be overwhelmingly 70+, bringing around the books trolley and serving in the tea room.

Younger volunteers - I know a 40-something woman who does a few hours in the same hospital - could well be at home with children if schools are closed in any numbers.

I've read that at tomorrow's COBRA meeting there's to be discussion on BANNING over 70s from public events! Not advising against, but banning. How is that going to work - there are people that age still at work? I'm assuming that banning isn't really on the cards

3 million? Have just read that Sunak has said that the NHS will have whatever it needs to deal with the infection. Trained staff? ICU beds? GPs appointments?

So, who are these 3 million volunteers that Matt Hancock has said have offered their services to help out in hospitals and nursing homes? And, are inexperienced volunteers a help or a hindrance?

I was at the Albert Hall yesterday, packed with people a similar age to me (60-70+). No handgel anywhere. People using bare hands on door handles and handrails. I tried to be very careful, and did not do the same, and washed my hands at every opportunity. I have antiseptic handwipes as well and used them, I suppose if you cannot get to soap and water they are better than nothing.

Today Italy has extended its lockdown in an effort to contain. Many people here were infected in Italy yet travel has been actively encouraged. When is the government going to be proactive? Apparently they are going to consider banning the over 70s from large events tomorrow, according to an article in the Guardian. All seems too little too late.

I made the juice and added a raw beetroot, drank half and am storing the other half for tomorrow or maybe this afternoon. I have washed up and fed the worms in my hotbin with delicious food for compost. Its all about what we can do to support ourselves, our own bodies.

Today the way out of here is wet and muddy so I will sit on my indoor cycle and do a bit while watching something nice on tv. I will read, knit and write out my plans for my new garden veg rotations and preps for seed sowing. I won`t be out and about in supermarkets or pubs, no need and certainly no panic here

I heard an interesting interview on Radio 4 this weekend, suggesting that the concept of 'exercise' didn't really exist before the early middle ages. Before that everyone's life was a constant round of activity as every basic of life required physical exercise so there was no need for 'exercise' per se, so no one lnew anything about it

His conclusions were that we should aim to leave lives that include steady and continuous exercise that is much better for us than periods of intensive exercise followed by hours of inactivity.

my food today is pretty well my normal food and has been similar for over 30 years. I eat from 7 to 12 veg a day but cannot possibly eat that amount as normal steamed or raw veg, so I make soups and I juice some veg. I am not a saint with my food by any means but I am saintly with my veg. My juice later will be made for 2 days, I have a vertical slow juicer and have a stack of kale, some lemon, some celery and some carrots today.

re exercise, too much exercise can damage the immune system, a little is good. Never exercise while having a virus of any type.

I think if people knew the basics of what is actually the immune system then they would not worry about younger people, especially children. The immune system is very complicated and we can support it but we cannot make a new immune system, like we had when we were children

I read an article a while back that said older people that exercise a lot, especially those who cycle, have a thymus gland that doesn't shrink to the same extent. Alas, I've never been able to ride a bike, or swim or jog.

This is a bit complicated but I will try and explain in simple language about T cells, produced by the thymus. Babies have a large thymus and have a large but finite supply of T cells. These are the main defenders, they adapt to defend and are gradually altered to defend against various ailments. They get used up and by 60 are all used, there are no naive (or novel) unused T cells left

This explains why the virus will hit over 60s hard, there is no active defense, maybe some weak T cells but nothing much. Babies have so many that they are able to knock covid on the head

The thymus shrinks and deteriorates and that explains why we get cancers, inflammations and frailty. We have no active means to defend our bodies against covid. Veg like brassicas and alliums, they will have helped the thymus all along. Alcohol and smoking will not

Avoidance is absolutely key.

These are the phases as described by the WHO. It may help to understand why the numbers are low in the early stages.

Phase 1: A virus circulates among animals but with no cases reported of infections in humans.

Phase 2: An animal flu virus is known to have caused infection in humans, and therefore considered a potential pandemic threat.

Phase 3: An animal or human-animal flu virus has caused sporadic cases or small outbreaks in humans, but has not resulted in human-to-human transmission that is sufficient to sustain community-level outbreaks.

Phase 4: Human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal flu virus that is able to cause community-level outbreaks. Significant increase in risk of a pandemic. The focus of this phase is to contain the spread of the virus.

Countries would be asked to take action such as issuing travel advice. Countries affected by the disease should also consider deploying a pandemic vaccine, and limiting non-essential movement of people from containment areas.

Phase 5: Human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one region. Strong signal that pandemic is imminent. Countries are required to advise people with respiratory illnesses to stay home. Classes should be suspended and work patterns modified.

Phase 6: Pandemic phase, with human-to-human spread of virus in at least two countries in the same geographic region and extending to at least one other country outside the region. Implementation of contingency plans for health systems at all levels.

We have 160+ people diagnosed wth Coronavirus. As a miniscule percentage of a population of over 60 million, I don't think it's worth getting hysterical - there are enough people doing that.

I don't think that people are being hysterical. The opinion of the experts is this is following the normal path of an epidemic. It will spread further and faster in the next phase as we cannot track all the contacts of those who have it.

Plans are now for us entering the "controlled phase" and a lot of keeping the numbers down is now up to people acting sensibly and as they have been directed. Sadly this is the phase where the numbers could well escalate. The hope is to keep them as low as possible - although it unlikely to be as low as they have been - until the better weather when the transmission is less.

According to experts children are highly unlikely to get it extremely rare in under 20s
In U.K.
21,460 tested
21, 254 negative
2 deaths of ill people one 75 one early 80 s
Keep it in perspective if there’s wasnt almost hourly updates and bulletins on all media we wouldn’t be in this pickle

If you are elderly and have a compromised immune system keep your self isolated if that’s what you feel is right for you everyone else just wash your hands more and carry on carrying on

They showed people on TV having to use the hand gel on the way in.

Should normal life grind to a halt?
France has banned gatherings of fewer than 5,000 people, as if 4,999 is some magic number where the virus is not transmitted.

Crossed posts Callistemon

Yesterday it was 163 cases in the UK and today 206.

Gagajo how long is a piece of string? Some people get mild symptoms and some become very ill over weeks and die. It depends on your immune system and your age.

jura2 it was reported on earlier that there were antibacterial gel stations at all entrances, as well as inside the stadium. Extra soap and gel in all lavatories.

They all had to use hand gel on the way in.

Twickenham Stadium was full to the brim with many people having travelled a long way, by public transport, etc, and shouting and singing in very close proximity and no hand washing either. Wise?

How long does it last, if you get it? The feeling ill bit, I mean.

I've looked online and can't find any info anywhere.

Yes it is a minuscule percentage of the population but it is the rate the virus is spreading that gives concern. People are carrying it who show no symptoms or have mild symptoms. Where will we be in three weeks or three months? At the moment it isn't everywhere but it could be anywhere.