Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

Yes but unless you are vulnerable it shouldn’t be too much of an issue so try not to stress.

It’s just another example of how unprepared we are as a society though.

Fearing similar conversations with my Dad who likes to over simplify everything.
He’s currently in Australia and due back Saturday...

It appears that Bill Gates did all this to help his super rich friends get richer.. whole areas of twitter confirm this.

My wife is ill for a second day. She works in a supermarket cash office dealing with (potentially) disease ridden notes and coins. It got me wondering how many cases of flu there are in the UK right now? How many people are just assuming Covid19? Either way I'm probably getting what she has.

Lizz Trus as Hand Sanitiser, made me chuckle.

https://twitter.com/MRJKilcoyne/status/1238865198028599299?s=19

Makes sense. I did have one but haven't used it for years (not since last moving house) and can't find it anymore. Likely I don't need it.

Just use your kitchen one? Try not to stab yourself but if you just need under the tongue reading it will be fine.

https://www.nisbets.co.uk/hygiplas-easytemp-colour-coded-white-thermometer/j242

Go have vegemite with Tom Hanks. It might not be worth it tho as you will be maybe able to care for family but at the same time you will have to defend how much vegemite you had to loads of people online.

https://twitter.com/tomhanks/status/1239098302294970368

So, testing.

Inital tests being used a lot of places seem to be RT PCR (see https://twitter.com/gnomeicide/status/1235319094481739777?s=20 ) this tests for active virus in your body, but doesn't test for antibodies, so shows if you have the virus, but not if you have had it and recovered.

Channel 4 have been reporting on a NI based firm who seem to have developed an antibody test that gives results in 10 minutes (see https://www.channel4.com/news/rapid-coronavirus-testing-kit-developed-slashing-results-time-for-covid-19-diagnosis ). My understanding is that this sort of test should show if people have had it and recovered, as well as those that have currently got the virus (as long as they are producing antibodies)

Am I understanding things right?

For anybody who doesn't understand why schools aren't closing now.

https://twitter.com/Lstedmanbryce/status­/1238906195651559424

One thing that keeps cropping up with regard to school closures is this non-complience/behavioural fatigue thing. I am not questioning the experts, but would just like to know how this applies to schools (or care homes).

Also, here in Belgium schools and care homes will be closed (to visitors for the latter) from 12 March until Friday 3 April, the start of the Easter break that ends on Sunday 19 April, so more than five weeks of nobody in school. Experts, namely Marc Van Ranst, have been telling the public that the pandemic will rage until mid May. The parent mob seems to have concluded from this that schools will simply remain closed for another month. Obviously I´m not saying that that is what he meant, but folks seem to expect themselves and the economy to be proper fuckered.

Fuck me: https://twitter.com/philipoltermann/status/1239141846179348480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tweet's not working, but it said "German government now confirming this report in Welt am Sonntag: Trump administration tried to poach German virologists working on Corona vaccine in Tübingen and offered large sums so it would be exclusive to US https://t.co/DKWnuMHr9p"

New tweet says: "Have deleted my previous tweet as German government is now saying they are merely confirming the quotes used in the Welt report. Not denying the accuracy of the reporting, however."

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Cheers, son’s crying

This gives more information on your second link: https://mologic.co.uk/mologic-awarded-c-1-million-by-uk-government-to-develop-rapid-diagnostic-test-for-covid-19/

I can't find any information on whether it can test for those who have had it and recovered, rather than just those who are currently infected.

Had friends come for supper (#glfclb) last night. They just called to say that one of them went to a friends the day before and that person now has now been diagnosed with Covid-19.

So is it time for us to self quarantine ?

Went for a ride Friday evening in Wezembeek-Oppem, Stokkel, Tervuren and Zaventem. Cafes, restaurants and frituurs absolutely rammed.

One solution offered on Twitter: "stempeltjes met onuitwasbare inkt geven op terrasjes:
ik ga ermee akkoord dat ik liever een terrasje wil dan n intensive-carebed."

Translation: "Rubber stamps dipped in permanent ink applied (to patrons at cafe, restaurant) terraces: "I hereby declare that I would rather have a pint than an intensive care bed .""

Stupid idiots...

Going through this issue in Singapore there’s a few things that I can share from first hand experience.

Contact tracing is a great thing, every company is staffed with a huge percentage of ex armed forces personnel (military service of 2 years) which from my experience has really helped to take control of the government messaging.

WhatsApp message from the MOH with no more than 2 updates per day keeps everyone informed on what’s happened and where.

It also helps that there’s less than 6M people, hardly any unemployment, more than decent social care, no democracy or freedom of speech, no fake news law which has been invoked multiple times in the last 2+ months and that’s it’s a tiny ass island.

To do what they’ve done on a much larger scale is nearly impossible I’d say.

Right now about 60% of new cases are imported and the remaining ones are linked to known clusters.

immediately. don't forget that coronavirus germs travel especially quickly through the internet, so you'll have to disconnect all devices for at least 28 days

What’s your anti virus software like?

Yes please, and start monitoring your temperature. Its not about you, its about who you could give it to.

The paramedics who arrived at my friends last night in Dorset. Only had ill fitting dust masks, pointless plastic aprons and disposable gloves.

They said they were “scraping together the equipment”. Their words.

Thanks for that! Re-reading my post, I realise that it wasn't clear that I actually meant that it could inform the Singaporean government strategy, not the UKs. I should have said 'their', not 'the'.

Fucking hell do I hate Matt Hancock

Dorset, with its elderly population could be a real horror.