Coronavirus

No point worrying about any of it. What will be will be. Que sera sera!

The other side of this health emergency became ever clearer tonight as the New York Down Jones stock market index succumbed to the biggest fall in its history.

It has been felt in financial quarters for some time now that the economic impact of this possible pandemic could be as devastating as the threat from the virus itself.

In tonights fall on worldwide stock markets is contained implications for the future of many thousands of companies, millions of personal pensions along with other widespread corporate and private investments and in that the possible loss of untold numbers jobs.

Very worrying times indeed.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound as if I was being complacent. In all honesty though, I don't think an antibac will be much use against a virus. Handwashing is and has always been important, but so many people do not wash their hands, especially after ùsing the toilet. People cough and sneeze everywhere and I never see a handkerchief in sight. I just feel rather than panicking, there is alot people can do to help themselves. I am high- risk category like many here, but I do not see the point in panicking, when it's a situation you have very little control over. I'm sorry for folk on here who are worried and don't mean to trivialise people's feelings. You just need to take the best precautions you can.

When we're stressed, our ability to fight germs is decreased so it makes sense to find ways to de stress, find faith and generally relax. It's the body's best defence.

I know some who have the news on loop and are in a terrible state of anxiety.

But, It's been proven that psychological well being improves your immunity, so it makes sense to avoid watching the ( bad) news too often and to find ways to find that well being. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5876785/

Heres another helpful article, much better to think how to help ourselves and boost our immunity than watch the negative news. www.bethinking.org/human-life/faith-and-psychological-wellbeing

Doctors are quoted in an article in the Guardian as saying that 111 have no idea. They are giving contradictory advice which could aid the spread. They have had years to prepare there should be a protocol. If GPs can't get answers not much hope for the rest of us. Matt Hancock refusing to talk to Radio 4 is a disgrace. Looks like we have Mickey mouse at the helm as we go into a storm.

I don’t know what you expect Matt Hancock to say which hasn’t already been said!

He would only repeat advice about how best to protect ourselves, advice which is widely available elsewhere including on here for page after page!

The best course of action for us all is to carry on with our lives whilst using our own common sense.

Fiachna your post was written in a caring way and not dismissively but what we have to be aware of is that there will be a range of reactions to the present situation and not everyone will be able to be very calm about it. I have a neighbour who’s nearly 86 and who just worries about everything. He lives a very ordered life and panics if his routine is threatened. My guess is that he’s probably mildly on the spectrum. There is nothing I can say or do that will stop him worrying about this but sadly he believes every word in the Express so would take their word about it. So all I can do is look out for him - check he’s still going shopping, if he stops going out, we’ll do his shopping for him.

He’s an extreme example but there are many who just worry more than others about all sorts of things, not just this. Of many of these people, it’s very understandable why they worry.

Giving people reliable information in an easily comprehensible format would help - if the tabloid press ran FAQs regularly for example. The DH and the NHS websites should also do this.

Matt Hancock should not be childishly boycotting R4 Today - he’s the Health Secretary you know and should be showing leadership which includes being prepared to have a more robust interview than he’ll get elsewhere.

I expect government ministers to be available for questioning in a developing situation. I expect them to state their plans and contingencies. I don't need to be told to wash my hands and bin tissues. I think that this is a dereliction of duty. In fact where's the priminister?

Here’s a question for him - ‘what steps are you putting in place to ensure that 111 are giving out consistent advice’ here's another ‘have you increased the capacity of 111? How long is it taking for calls to be answered?

Great post Daisy well put. I find it truly sickening, really sickening that Tory supporters can come on here and refuse to criticise anything that this government does.

The NHS website has a page on the coronavirus.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

I suspect it will not provide convincing answers because, at this stage, there are none.

I am surprised that the rally with Greta Thumberg is being allowed to go ahead in Bristol. It seems irresponsible to me.

This house and all around us have had the lurgy recently same signs and symptoms as the corona virus so very easy to start wondering but no need to worry we’ve all survived with honey and lemon and day/ night nurse didn’t take too long to disappear home remedies have been great in reducing our symptoms I’m really pleased I’m not in Tenerife at the moment as we are usually there at this time they’ve had a massive sand storm hey ho what next may you ask - well for us it’s celebration time this weekend our family are visiting from all corners of the world and I just can’t wait enjoy life while you can make every day count 50yrs married woohoo we've been so blessed

The NHS page is nowhere near detailed enough and its format is not helpful.

What about all the sporting and entertainment fixtures? What about the tube trains? Why pick on this rally - oh wait a minute.....

The rugby match was postponed because fans were coming from an infected area.

Just been sitting in a classroom with a coughing student who would NOT cover his mouth.

Staying 2 meters away from them while teaching is hard!

Give it a rest sw you are so predictable, why are you the expert on absolutely everything, without exception. Believe me you are not.

FFS lavendar.so you think the NHS website page is absolutely fine do you? And I won’t give it a rest. You actually think saying that will have any impact? Pathetic.???

sw I didn't mention the NHS website. I haven't even looked at it I am far too busy this morning. Try and curb the swearing it just doesn't become you

Well lav you must forgive me for not being expert enough to be able to understand what you meant by a rude, incomprehensible post. You really must try harder. ??

Being rude hardly becomes you does it?

Oh lav I’ve just realised why you were so rude to me. You posted about feeling surprised that the rally in Bristol was going ahead. In my logical, rational fashion I called you out on the total illogicality of your position ( which no doubt is based on your antipathy to her and the climate change movement ). ?????

In case people missed it, here is what Jeremy Hunt said on the Today programme. Not being a supporter of this government, I read it as saying who cares if a few old people die.....

^In Wuhan, it appears that it has peaked at less than 5% of the population getting it. And we are having to make contingency plans for 70% of the population getting it, and in terms of the number of lives lost, there is a massive difference, hundreds of thousands of lives difference, if you can contain it to less than 5%.

And, so, the question we have to ask ourselves, and I think the government is right to start to spell this out – but I think they need to go further – is what are the social and economic trade-offs that we are prepared to make to keep the spread of the virus at that low level.

We are starting to hear some of the things that the government is considering. We are a mature democracy and I think it is perfectly possible to count on the co-operation of the public to comply with guidelines and recommendations made by the government without the kind of authoritarian measures that we have seen on our TV screens.^