Details of warning supplied to the government of coronavirus

I really would recommend the channel 4 documentary, “ can science beat the corona virus?” Many of your questions/ concerns are addressed there. It’s an hour long, but if you’re pushed for time, they talk about whether we would have benefited from an earlier lockdown, about halfway through.

What changed? I would guess that they took their eye off of the ball.

I think you'll find that the party of government changed, MayBee70.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Alan Johnson write that a pandemic was top priority planning wise when he was in government. So, what changed in the meantime?

growstuff - exactly it does seem that they government are hiding behind the science, rather than take responsibility. The government have choices to make and lets face it they will be political choices. If that were not the case the government might as well hand over all decision making to Sage. Oh hold on, perhaps they did!

Bathsheba said: while no other country in the world has managed to control this pandemic?

Where have you been, Bathsheba?

Germany, South Korea and New Zealand are three countries which instantly spring to mind as 'controlling' this pandemic extremely well. Do you actually check something is true before you pass it on?

Daisymae I think people make a mistake when they think science means there's only one right answer. That's not how scientists work. They are constantly testing and reviewing. I agree with you. The lack of transparency and attempts at political back covering are what really get to me.

I find it surprising that action was not taken after observing how the virus developed in other countries. Italy, for instance. We could have implemented lockdown a couple of weeks before the peak but for some reason chose not to. We could have stopped large gatherings but chose not to. The public started to lockdown itself as it seemed the most rational action to take. This is not with the benefit of hindsight but looking at the developing situation in other countries who were weeks ahead of us in infection terms. I do think that we should be informed of the scientific reasoning behind the decision making.

In any case if we are worried about the end of the lockdown we can still self isolate. I'm no social or party animal so won't make much difference to me and I won't be shopping for groceries or otherwise for the foreseeable future.

toad it is a novel virus so no surprise in Whitty’s statement

Thanks for your kind reply gg13 ??

Chris Whitty has just been on the radio news. He’s said that they’re learning all the time, and can’t guarantee they won’t make more mistakes. He is the leading scientist. Our government have been taking advice from him and other senior medics. I don’t know what else they’re supposed to do. Of course...when all else fails, we know we can fall back on that great undisputed mind on the other side of the pond!!?. No doubt the Americans who back him will be out panic buying bottles of disinfectant.

The world has been warned of a pandemic for decades

Nobody did anything about it

www.businessinsider.com/people-who-seemingly-predicted-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-3?r=US&IR=T#infectious-disease-expert-michael-osterholm-has-also-been-warning-of-a-global-pandemic-for-the-past-decade-2

Me three GG13. I've seen NO evidence of pro-lockdown people now wanting it eased.

If anything, my activist friends are ranting about how it's far too soon to ease lockdown.

The ONLY easing of lockdown comments I've read have been coming from government members who are worried about the economy.

(CBA - stands for cant be a**d)

you obviously aren't hearing what I am GG13 I and most folk I know wanted lockdown quicker because we could see what was happening in othercountries..I'd guess the "Government" could access information from those other countries and act on it.Greece has ,NZ did .I dont know anyone yelling for an end to lockdown either ,maybe I know too many who have needlessly died because of government INaction and thats scared the wits out of me.
Whoever was in power this SHOULD have been dealt with better ,quicker and with some sense they had a brain between them even if not one each.The inconsistency of the speakers on the podium from Downing St is frightening.Last week some clown said it was OK for people to go to funerals....my cousin sent me a newspaper article about a funeral where 500 folk turned up ...the same clown said its OK to drive for a walk and fine to live in your country home if like him you have elderly parents living nearby .All against everything we'd been told .All said so HE and his cohorts can keep living thier lives they way THEy want .
I'm appalled at the lack of co ordination between the individuals they wheel forward daily ,the medical guy Whittey? looks like hes squirming most days because he doesn't even believe what hes saying .

Can I have a link to that interesting point gg13?

CBA all those shouting loudest for an early lockdown are now creating about coming out of lockdown and how damaging it is for the economy and mental health, they haven't got a clue, they just want to get their anti anything the Government is doing rant on to MSM

The document a national security risk assessment was signed off by Sir Patrick Vallance and there are a number of points that are interesting. The top of the list is the worry of a flu-like pandemic.

It is fascinating to read how accurate the findings are when compared to what is happening on the ground.

It outlines the health and social welfare including mental health issues as well as the economic impact which is mind blowing

So you are not interested in rubbishing a Conservative government then WWM2 ? Pull the other one, it’s got bells on it. There is no need to ‘shout’ either on here.
However you are right in so much as it’s probably better to ignore this daft thread.
Pandemics may only occur in a hundred, two hundred years, it is impossible to store things and spend eye watering amounts of public money on things we may never even need.
All governments, not just here, think this.They all have ‘plans’
Of what to do in the event of one, but do not know the nature of the virus in advance.Of course, you already know all this.

If you think about it, you would absolutely expect the government to have plans in place in the case of biological warfare.

There will be so much that is similar in a pandemic, particularly as in this case with a novel virus.

The British government planned for putting the country's civilians on a war footing, including rationing, industry, transport and supply from 1936, even though it was still hoping there wouldn't be a war and it didn't know what course it would take.

That's what governments are supposed to do. It couldn't have known what kind of pandemic it would be, but it should have ensured adequate supplies of PPE and general principles involved in testing, containment and support for the economic fallout.

Communication between the Department of Health, the various organisations within the NHS and social care is still a shambles. Like many others, I received a text yesterday saying that I'm shielded, even though I'm not, according the to the government's website. GPs' surgeries were overwhelmed by people ringing yesterday. Patients were worried, but the GPs didn't know what was going on. Planning for good organisational communication is not that difficult.

greeneyedgirl a good post, and what is so obvious if you study the evidence.

Sorry Cygnus not Cyrus!

I'm not sure planning for a pandemic is a party political issue, as I think such planning has taken place periodically whichever government has been in power.
However we have had warnings in recent years with Ebola, MERS, "Swine flu" and Zika, to name a few, which should have concentrated the government's mind.
The last Exercise named "Cyrus" in 2016 apparently identified weaknesses and lack of readiness and equipment for such an pandemic, so it is untrue to say that this current outbreak couldn't have been foreseen.
Unfortunately it seems as if such planning is just a "paper exercise" and that Austerity and Brexit took precedence, therefore I do hold this government responsible for neglecting to plan realistically for the inevitable.
Government ministers been asked, but will not disclose details of Exercise Cyrus. There's such a lack of transparency unfortunately.