Covid Inquiry

This is the covid-19 decision support tool which was issued to clinicians in 2020:

prod-upp-image-read.ft.com/765d3430-7a57-11ea-af44-daa3def9ae03

PS. Sorry the picture is too small to read - that's why I posted the link too.

Reading Dicken's recent post, and thinking about other posts on this thread, I don't think that any PM, or opposition leader, in my lifetime (and I'm thinking of perhaps from MacMillan onwards) would have ignored the onset of a global pandemic (and the evidence from China and Italy of the deadly nature of the new virus) in order to sort out their divorce settlement and to, allegedly, start writing a book.. fail to attend the meetings of COBR, the body for dealing with emergencies, and suggest that as other countries were panicking unnecessarily the UK could ignore the pandemic to take the opportunity to corner a large chunk of global trade...

I think that every single one of them, up to and including Theresa May and the current LOTO, would have taken a highly responsible stance right from the start...

Dickens

M0nica

There's always a kernel of truth in these conspiracy stories which is what makes them so enduring. They are a cabal of back-stabbers, jostling to keep their positions - or vault them. The last thing on their minds is the wellbeing of the nation and its inhabitants. We are a means to an end, that is all.^

Does anyone think that the Labour party is any different?especially when you think back to the Corbyn era, ro when Peter Mandelson was running free in the party?

Does anyone think that the Labour party is any different?especially when you think back to the Corbyn era, ro when Peter Mandelson was running free in the party?

... I don't know, frankly.

However, Tony Blair and his "spin doctors" manipulating and deceiving the public? MPs being 'warned' not to mention the word "socialism"? All part of the "new Labour" , erm, spin. Springs to mind immediately.

And he's made a small fortune since leaving Downing Street.

But is this on the same level as the chaotic last few years under the present government?

There is of course the 'machinations' which propelled us into the Iraq War. The apparently non-existent WMDs. Blair's buddy-buddy relationship with Bush. And, the late David Kelly - has his death ever been satisfactorily 'explained'?

I really don't know.

But my comment about the current government and it's initial PM was not an attempt to recommend, condone or justify anything the past or present Labour party has done, or will do!

I'm not a Labour voter.

I do actually think the Labour government will be different, and I also think the Tory governments of the past were different too, in that the post 2019 self serving cronyism at the heart of the government was unlike anything we have seen before. They clearly thought they could do whatever they liked and get away with it, I don’t think we’ve seen anything like that before.

No Casdon I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it before.
I’m don’t think Sunak would have done any better either. He tends to go missing in action rather than deal with things.

Apologies if this has been posted before.
The COVID Inquiry has the facility on its website for anyone to contribute their story.
The link is www.everystorymatters.co.uk/share?locale=en-gb
There is also a link to the Scottish Inquiry if that's preferred.

Casdon - I have to agree with you.

From the moment Theresa May exited - tearfully - there was a transformation. Dissenters were ousted to be replaced by ambitious (ambitious in the personal sense) yes-men. Their capabilities and talents mattered little beside the requirement that they be totally 'on message'.

A perfect-storm of the rejection of Corbynite-ism, new Red-Wall voters clamouring to get-Brexit-done, a mop-haired 'lovable clown' promising the dawn of a new era for the UK unshackled from the stultifying EU with an ability to 'get down' with the people he professed to champion... yep, we got our populist government. And it was all going swimmingly, until - COVID. A damned great fly-in-the-ointment which would scupper all the ambitions of the Leader and his men.

MaizieD Sat 04-Nov-23 12:59:16

I agree, his total abdication of any responsibility or to take the crisis seriously is without precedence, think.

Wenmore

Apologies if this has been posted before.
The COVID Inquiry has the facility on its website for anyone to contribute their story.
The link is www.everystorymatters.co.uk/share?locale=en-gb
There is also a link to the Scottish Inquiry if that's preferred.

Thank you for that info. I was expressing regret today to my DH that I hadnt' contributed to the Scottish one.

MaizieD

Reading Dicken's recent post, and thinking about other posts on this thread, I don't think that any PM, or opposition leader, in my lifetime (and I'm thinking of perhaps from MacMillan onwards) would have ignored the onset of a global pandemic (and the evidence from China and Italy of the deadly nature of the new virus) in order to sort out their divorce settlement and to, allegedly, start writing a book.. fail to attend the meetings of COBR, the body for dealing with emergencies, and suggest that as other countries were panicking unnecessarily the UK could ignore the pandemic to take the opportunity to corner a large chunk of global trade...

I think that every single one of them, up to and including Theresa May and the current LOTO, would have taken a highly responsible stance right from the start...

As I recall very little was done by government about 'Asian flu' under MacMillan. It was quite virulent and at one point over 20 pupils in my class were absent.

MayBee70

What exactly is Boris Johnson’s skill set?

Getting elected which is why the Tories chose him even though his faults were known to them.

As I recall very little was done by government about 'Asian flu' under MacMillan. It was quite virulent and at one point over 20 pupils in my class were absent.

Different times, Grantanow.

Interesting though:

www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31201-0/fulltext

( I wasn't in your class, but I got it... I was only 7, I've never had flu since...)

I think Theresa May would have taken her responsibilities very seriously if Covid had hit under her watch. Not sure about Cameron to be honest. Gordon Brown would definitely have done, Blair? Who knows, might have depended on which way the wind was blowing.

I was only four when Asian flu hit and I have no memory of it. But as Maizie
says, they were very different times.

MayBee70

What exactly is Boris Johnson’s skill set?

media.giphy.com/media/XcVhD51ddCPIIbxEov/giphy.gif

Grantanow

MaizieD

Reading Dicken's recent post, and thinking about other posts on this thread, I don't think that any PM, or opposition leader, in my lifetime (and I'm thinking of perhaps from MacMillan onwards) would have ignored the onset of a global pandemic (and the evidence from China and Italy of the deadly nature of the new virus) in order to sort out their divorce settlement and to, allegedly, start writing a book.. fail to attend the meetings of COBR, the body for dealing with emergencies, and suggest that as other countries were panicking unnecessarily the UK could ignore the pandemic to take the opportunity to corner a large chunk of global trade...

I think that every single one of them, up to and including Theresa May and the current LOTO, would have taken a highly responsible stance right from the start...

As I recall very little was done by government about 'Asian flu' under MacMillan. It was quite virulent and at one point over 20 pupils in my class were absent.

Most of my class were off with Asian flu except for three of us; it was Seotembef/October 1957 I think. They all returned after two or three weeks, then two of us succumbed, one girl didn't catch it at all.
When the majority returned they resumed lessons and we just had to catch up on lessons as best we could by copying other people's notes.

Obviously I missed the spelling tests.

September

Gordon Brown was on the radio a lot at the start of the pandemic. I found him very sensible and reassuring.

The Asian flu is a bit of a diversion, but I have been reading the evidence of Sir Christopher Wormald, Permanent Secretary of the DHSC, and it is evident that early on in 2020 the Department thought that their 2011 pandemic flu planning would be sufficient for covid. Despite the fact that it is a completely different virus from the flu virus.
Though the significance of the fact that covid and flu are both respiratory viruses spread by aerosols seems to have passed them by in their planning.

But, looking at the Lancet article I linked to earlier, which is something of a history of flu pandemics, it seems as though the aerosol route of infection has never been taken particularly seriously by our health authorities.

Callistemon21

Obviously I missed the spelling tests.

September

Callistemon I can remember the Asian flu epidemic, I and my sister were at boarding school, teachers and pupils were, as they say, going down like flies, in the end the school closed for a fortnight.

DS and I returned to the army base where we lived. None of us, my parents, me or my sisters caught the Asian flu. In fact none of us have had or had flu at all in our lives. I have read sonewhere that about 40-45% of the population have a natural immunity to flu.

I had flu once, in the 70s, it came on very quickly on Christmas morning. It hits you like a sledgehammer. I hope never to have it again.

Whereas Covid comes on more slowly, you gradually realise that the cough is increasing and you feel less and less well. When I had it, you had to go to a test centre to get tested and wait a couple of days for an email to say if you had it. All that took about ten days, then another week at home feeling worse and worse before hospital admission.
Nowadays we’d know more quickly because of self testing at home.

My Dad died of Covid in 2020, because the care home he was in was put at risk by hospital patients being sent there. He died alone on the very day Johnson and co held a garden party.

DH died this year, despite having had all the vaccines, of Covid.

Can't say I'm impressed with any of it.😡

Sorry and sad to read your covid losses DiamondLily. Virus infections are unpredictable. I had flu over the millenium. I’d had my flu jab (I’m CEV so always take up vax) . That year, the vax didn’t prevent the particular flu variant. People who claim to have staggered into work with flu only had a bad cold, flu puts you in bed.

Covid seems to hit people differently. Two friends are recovering, he was quite ill and is still exhausted, his wife out and about.

As for Johnson and his government, they’re the mos ineffective, macho load of self congratulating superficial lazy etc etc I’ve lived through