Coronavirus

The Telegraph reported this morning that 'major concerts, sports events and festivals could be cancelled and schools closed for at least 2 months in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus'. The government is reported to be considering such measures alongside warnings from the Chief Medical Officer.

It is a difficult situation, trying to strike a balance between economic and social disruption and public health. Shutting everything down could lead to great hardship and potentially economic reversals similar to 2008. It would also intensify concern, unrest and possibly panic such has been shown in stock market around the world. It makes sense to continue as normal as far as we can.

Some questions don't have easy answers. This is one of them.

Has anyone else read the article about if there are NOT enough hospital beds and resources then the decision about who to treat will be made to care for those who are most likely to Survive

This makes me wonder if the Govt in their dark thoughts wouldn't mind losing some of the oldest/most disabled in our population?

BTW as I am chronically ill I know I am not panicking. I get ill too easily even when taking lots of care.

Exactly what I thought pinkquartz. Most of GN are probably dispensable in the government's eyes, nice saving on the pension pay outs! I've got an immune disorder so yes, understand your concern.

It is remarkable that every other country is announcing the measures they are taking in objective terms, not suggesting there is a cost benefit analysis to be done on deciding who is dispensable!

And then someone agrees! I am flabbergasted at the levels to which the population of this country has sunk. Individualism is rampant, it is so sad.

Unfortunately all sorts of speculations are rife, I prefer to wait until there is an official announcement.

Until that time I shall continue with hand washing, and not standing to close to anyone who is coughing/sneezing.

I think it's about time I checked up on my will.

That’s perfectly sensible GG but doesn’t really address the issue of the lack of political leadership and the childish boycotting of R4Today and C4 and only having a Cobra meeting today.

Apparently the pope is still unwell but they're not saying what's wrong with him.

Well, if the government was thinking of killing some of us old folk off, it would be a new twist on a Remain idea. The theory was that, if another Referendum was put off long enough, the number of old Leave folk would be reduced sufficiently to ensure a different result.

I suspect the government (and opposition) are more interested in keeping us alive. I am trying to keep some kind of perspective on the new virus. To date, the number of deaths is said to be low by comparison with the number from influenza every year.

God forbid it happens to any of us or anyone we know, but SHOULD it become widespread, what will happen, should someone die at home, in their bed?

The death rate from seasonal flu is much less than the death rate from COVID 19 based on information we have so far. As for the actual number of deaths, that depends on how many people catch it. At the moment of course, the number with COVID 19 is much less than the number with flu so the number of deaths is obviously less, irrespective of the difference in the death rates between the two. In the UK over 70% of over 65s have the flu jab and last years the special vaccine for that age group was 62% effective - a real improvement on previous years. From what we know so far, if equal numbers of people caught flu and COVID 19, many many more in the latter group would die.

Someone at a class yesterday who is a medical researcher said the death rate from flu was 1%, SARS 2% and Covid19 3%. I haven't actually checked those figures and I imagine they are debateable, depends what you're measuring.

I’ve seen several different figures from that but what is consistent is the relative difference between flu and COVID 19. It seems pretty accepted that the latter has a higher death rate - whether a factor of 20 or 3.

In case anyone missed this on Sky News this morning an EXPERT explaining that in the vast majority of cases CV is a mild illness. My post yesterday saying the same was called ‘beyond ridiculous’ by the self appointed expert on GN - we all know to whom I refer. I see she’s calling someone else pathetic now. Just loves causing trouble. Some self awareness and humility wouldn’t go amiss. I would expect an apology but I won’t hold my breath.

On Jeremy Vine today it was stated the death rate was 2%. I’m not saying that’s true but that’s what he said.

We cannot be sure that the information coming out of China is 100% correct nor what the Iranian Government is putting out.

I think once the European and rest of the world data is analysed, the situation will become clearer.

I am also assuming that the COBRA meeting this morning had up to date data on which to formulate their plan.

Oh go on. Try.

How many people/children do you know who have had coughs, colds and viruses over the last few weeks? I have personally lost count.

As the majority of those infected with Clovis-19 have relatively mild symptoms any one of them could have had it?

Personal hygiene is foremost in prevention, which is all we can a do until told otherwise.

Sigh sigh - everyone understands that the seriousness of COVID 19 depends on whether or not you are in an at risk group. tickingbird you are clearly obsessed with me. Bit creepy really.

tickingbird
?

No GG I don’t think there’s one shred of evidence that COVID 19 is circulating in the UK at the moment.

Do we ticking bird? I have no idea who you are talking about. Let’s not get personal!

We can't rely on dodgy illness or death rate figures mainly from China (e.g. no new case for 12 days after 6th January?) but it seems that older people and those with health conditions are most at risk.

Of course, with an underfunded NHS, resources have to be concentrated where they'll be most effective. People voted for that situation - unfortunately - and may suffer because of it.

Oh yes we do!!

It is quite difficult to pin down some of these statistics. The lengthy, annual official report on influenza in the UK is incomprehensible to me, complicated by the variety of influenza strains, differences in severity, year to year, and uncertainty over the attribution of actual cause of death.

It has been reported that winter death rates this year are high, attributed to influenza and cold weather. It seems this was happening before coronavirus emerged as a concern in the UK.

www.nhs.uk/news/medical-practice/flu-and-freezing-weather-may-be-driving-up-winter-death-rates/

Japanese media are reporting that the a British man from the cruise ship has died of the virus. I don't think that a name has been released. Cobra is meeting on Monday to discuss the infection, which I think is probably reassuring no one.