Being human

NY bashed ahead and just used whatever and whoever they could get. They are now dealing with the fall out of a HUGE number of false results.

There is also the issue of having to have the capacity to council people on what their results mean (e.g. it doesnt mean youre immune if youve had it, we dont actually know yet)

Just pulling it all together across the UK is a massive task. I'm not in the least surprised it's taken time.

Yes. I know that my local med labs have tried to redeploy people but have been met with resistance in the form of people telling managers where THEY think they should be redeployed to, rather than the other way around.

There is a lot of "backfilling" to be done but scientists be scientists, and the backfilling jobs wont get your name on the sexy covid publications..

So labs saying "use us for cutting edge covid work" are not taking well to being told, actually no we need you to keep plodding along in the background because the work youre doing still needs to be done.
Or worse (to them) being asked to do backfilling BMS/MLA ploddy work instead of anything novel

'They also serve' and all that! Interesting times.

It is.

Am having this irritation from an aquaintance. They think they have specialist transferrable skills for the front line. They are refusing to do grunt background work where its actually needed whilst bemoaning that the gov isnt "using" their "talent and skills" to fight Corona

The truth is that the bulk of the corona work IS grunt work not cutting edge front line hero stuff. Its cleaning (in labs as well as out) logistics (trudging stuff from a to be) and backfilling that is NEEDED.

But it wont get you on papers or hailed a hero. Its still whats needed to be done

A to B

The scientistz want to be doing the actual corona testing not backfilling the biochem labs and helping the MLAs because boring non cutting edge biochem labs need help to do other routine tests on CV patients.

Yes its a huge downgrade if youre used to doing research and innovation science. Its below their usual paygrade (without the laycut I might add) But it is what needs to be done

Jane 10 / notanan

You raise interesting points.

That's why countries like Korea and China are being praised but they are governed/accept they adhere to their government telling them what to do, when to do it and where. Nobody argues.

Their surveillance of the population is beyond parallel and hence it is easier for tracking/tracing who does what, when and where.

I would still prefer a democratic government though.

Not all in it together, then, if scientists are prioritising their own egos.

I dont know that its that straightforward FarNorth

Its an odd time. I think people have fixed ideas of what "helping" with CV will look like so arent accepting that the backfilling is just as important.

My aquaintance who I mentioned upthread is OUTRAGED that the gov isnt "utilising" them.
They see doing non advanced things as a waste of the resource that is their background.
They will not entertain the calls for help in lower level lab work or even just helping with lab moves/cleaning because they FULLY believe that they SHOULD be placed elsewhere (in the CV tracing labs)

Problem is it seems a lot of others believe the same.
Bodies are needed on the ground using their arms and legs, not necessarily their brains and I suppose egos.

But I think we have to cut some slack for ppl who arent thinking logically right now and are fixating on their ideas of what helping the crisis means

It explains a lot. notanan raised keo points I thought. So easy to just blame politicians when they are only the face of a very complex situstion.
Again. Only human. We all want to find someone to blame.

Keo? Key!

I read also that it’s more difficult in some countries because normally the hospitals are actually in direct competition for “business” and find it hard to work in partnership. Possibly some elements here but ego driven.

Every tiny decision in the NHS has to go through numerous committee meetings and masses of hoops so it must be an almighty shock to find quick answers and responses are essential. Having to take responsibility for their own decisions will be a major headache for those who are used to passing the buck.

It also seems that a lot of the equipment has proved faulty and had to be scrapped. I hope there will eventually be an enquiry about the whys and wherefores not necessarily to punish but to put right mistakes etc. I am a bit concerned about rushing through a vaccine as this could be risky.