COVID19

[morepork]

Some call him Jesus, still others call him Jared.


https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/07 ... o-thin-air

I read that article. What a catalogue of incompetence. “A-team of people who get shit done.” Sweet Jesus. That guy has more than any single person, fucked up the response to this in spectacular fashion. His father and law is an irrelevant blowhard who doesn't know what is going on. It would be possible to work around him and get the job done. If it turns out that a coordinated shutdown of a national response was initiated for political gain (as idiotic as that supposed "strategy" is), then people need to be held to account. The US could afford to centrally monitor hotspots, send out FEMA people to coordinate testing and tracing, and contain it with a fraction of the defence budget (8 billion of which was siphoned off to pay private contractors to build a few miles of a fence at the southern border). All this could be done without Donell missing a single golf date or missing any TV time.

[Stones of granite]

I think GPs here must be having the summer of their careers - on full pay and doing bugger all.
1. My wife has an ear infection, probably caused by impacted wax as she had something similar 5 years ago. Our GP isn't interested - after a telephone consultation he prescribed some ear drops, which have done absolutely nothing. She's in a foul mood now, and I can see this progressing to a more general infection, so if she gets a temperature, all sorts of shit will start happening.
2. One of my wife's friends is on some sort of prescribed medication (I didn't ask) for which she will shortly need a repeat. The pharmacist has told her that she needs to have a blood pressure test before they can fulfill it, bu they are not doing them right now. So, she phones the GP - no, they are not doing them right now either.

I can't imagine that the risk of doing an ear syringe or a BP measurement is significantly higher than going to the pub with your mates, but it may be that it's higher than a round a golf.

[Digby]

I've been assuming the GPs are still fairly busy even without surgery appointments being so high. My big concern with GPs until now is they'll perhaps be addressing the query raised but what other underlying problems will be missed that would be picked up in person, and how much will that explode costs down the line

[Stones of granite]

I've been assuming the GPs are still fairly busy even without surgery appointments being so high. My big concern with GPs until now is they'll perhaps be addressing the query raised but what other underlying problems will be missed that would be picked up in person, and how much will that explode costs down the line

Yes, that was kind of my point, apart from the personal ballache of a poorly wife.

Anyway, some sort of progress was made. She phoned the surgery today and kicked up a fuss, got another telephone consultation, then managed to persuade the Dr to see her. The Dr was then persuaded to give her antibiotics, so here’s hoping things settle down a bit now. Anyway, apparently the surgery was deadly quiet, and this is a practice with 8 GPs, 2 Physios, 2 Nurse Practitioners and a slack handful of practice nurses. The waiting room is usually quite busy.

Coincidentally, she bumped into a former neighbour in the pharmacy, who had had a similar experience a few months ago - also with an ear infection - which was allowed to develop so far that eventually she had a four day stay in hospital on IV antibiotics and she has permanently reduced hearing in that ear.

[Galfon]

Latest rolling ave. numbers for daily cases (ft.com, aug 9 or 10)),
showing big rises nearby as the summer seasonal enjoyments reach their crescendo:

Eur.
Spa 3704 ^^
Fra 1640 ^^
Uk 877 ^
Ger 859 ^
Bel 564 <>
Net 503 ^^
Ita 371 ^

Big spikes have been seen further afield recently, but these are just beginning to level off:

Far E./Oce.
Phi 4330 <>
Ind'sia 1992 <>
Jap 1197 <>
Aus 452 <>

Worldo- numbers indicate a levelling at last of new cases and death counts daily..

[morepork]

What's the school situation over there? Are they sending in virus cannon fodder soon? Here, in USandA state public schools are getting harangued by that orangutan that used to star in Clint Eastwood movies wot is now president via social media and state propaganda news outlets that are pushing the narrative that children are "immune". In any civilised country, this sort of behavior would be met with legal action. Some schools in badly hit areas are currently open, and an uptick in positive cases is already noticeable. There is no coordinated test and trace plan of action, anywhere, and individual school districts have basically been left out on their own to "deal with it". In places like Florida, public schools are being compelled to reopen under threat of cessation of funding. There are backlogs for processing test samples of up to 3 weeks, and schools have been told they cannot rely on any support to test staff and students in any effective manner. It's really grim. The federal government has stopped providing updated testing data via the CDC, but estimates of the number of people under 17 currently infected has that number at ~100 000, at a very conservative estimate.

They are never going to control this thing here. Simply are not up to the task. We are now waiting for a second surge to wash over the Northeast as the inevitable wave from the south gathers momentum. All travel to and from the USA should be completely shut down. The country will just re-seed the planet on and on, and the federal government simply cannot be trusted.

[Galfon]

Most areas in Sco. return in a phased manner tomorrow, full attendance from next week.
Eng. schools always start later - beginning of Sep. with normal attendance is planned.
I would expect Employer/Employee (government/teachers) to have mixed views on this - it seems that the emphasis will be on hand washing, distancing, less interaction, supporting track & trace, different desk arrangements ....hundreds of excited/excitable youngn's ?- tough for the staff I say.
Looks like somewhere between dipping toes in water and jumping/getting pushed in the deep end, as no-one really knows the full picture on child infection, carriers, age differences etc but
the lost generation issue is top-trumps it seems.
Granny at home or old Mr Chips could end up losers with the fall-out.

[canta_brian]

What's the school situation over there? Are they sending in virus cannon fodder soon? Here, in USandA state public schools are getting harangued by that orangutan that used to star in Clint Eastwood movies wot is now president via social media and state propaganda news outlets that are pushing the narrative that children are "immune". In any civilised country, this sort of behavior would be met with legal action. Some schools in badly hit areas are currently open, and an uptick in positive cases is already noticeable. There is no coordinated test and trace plan of action, anywhere, and individual school districts have basically been left out on their own to "deal with it". In places like Florida, public schools are being compelled to reopen under threat of cessation of funding. There are backlogs for processing test samples of up to 3 weeks, and schools have been told they cannot rely on any support to test staff and students in any effective manner. It's really grim. The federal government has stopped providing updated testing data via the CDC, but estimates of the number of people under 17 currently infected has that number at ~100 000, at a very conservative estimate.

They are never going to control this thing here. Simply are not up to the task. We are now waiting for a second surge to wash over the Northeast as the inevitable wave from the south gathers momentum. All travel to and from the USA should be completely shut down. The country will just re-seed the planet on and on, and the federal government simply cannot be trusted.

Interesting your comment the test and trace. There was a bloke on the James O’Brien radio show (mentioned to let other express their opinions/prejudices re his show) who was employed by an agency employed by serco, employed the government to do test and trace. He said that in the 4 months he has been a minimum wage contractor he is yet to make a call to a member of the public to trace a positive test and the contacts that person may have made.

If you lot manage to vote out the orange one, the UK and Brazil are pretty much the most nuts governments in the world.

[morepork]

What's the school situation over there? Are they sending in virus cannon fodder soon? Here, in USandA state public schools are getting harangued by that orangutan that used to star in Clint Eastwood movies wot is now president via social media and state propaganda news outlets that are pushing the narrative that children are "immune". In any civilised country, this sort of behavior would be met with legal action. Some schools in badly hit areas are currently open, and an uptick in positive cases is already noticeable. There is no coordinated test and trace plan of action, anywhere, and individual school districts have basically been left out on their own to "deal with it". In places like Florida, public schools are being compelled to reopen under threat of cessation of funding. There are backlogs for processing test samples of up to 3 weeks, and schools have been told they cannot rely on any support to test staff and students in any effective manner. It's really grim. The federal government has stopped providing updated testing data via the CDC, but estimates of the number of people under 17 currently infected has that number at ~100 000, at a very conservative estimate.

They are never going to control this thing here. Simply are not up to the task. We are now waiting for a second surge to wash over the Northeast as the inevitable wave from the south gathers momentum. All travel to and from the USA should be completely shut down. The country will just re-seed the planet on and on, and the federal government simply cannot be trusted.

Interesting your comment the test and trace. There was a bloke on the James O’Brien radio show (mentioned to let other express their opinions/prejudices re his show) who was employed by an agency employed by serco, employed the government to do test and trace. He said that in the 4 months he has been a minimum wage contractor he is yet to make a call to a member of the public to trace a positive test and the contacts that person may have made.

If you lot manage to vote out the orange one, the UK and Brazil are pretty much the most nuts governments in the world.

Fucking hell. There is no way this can be contained without accurate testing data. I thought the government over there would have sorted something out if they are pushing to open schools. This is going to get fucking ugly.

[canta_brian]

What's the school situation over there? Are they sending in virus cannon fodder soon? Here, in USandA state public schools are getting harangued by that orangutan that used to star in Clint Eastwood movies wot is now president via social media and state propaganda news outlets that are pushing the narrative that children are "immune". In any civilised country, this sort of behavior would be met with legal action. Some schools in badly hit areas are currently open, and an uptick in positive cases is already noticeable. There is no coordinated test and trace plan of action, anywhere, and individual school districts have basically been left out on their own to "deal with it". In places like Florida, public schools are being compelled to reopen under threat of cessation of funding. There are backlogs for processing test samples of up to 3 weeks, and schools have been told they cannot rely on any support to test staff and students in any effective manner. It's really grim. The federal government has stopped providing updated testing data via the CDC, but estimates of the number of people under 17 currently infected has that number at ~100 000, at a very conservative estimate.

They are never going to control this thing here. Simply are not up to the task. We are now waiting for a second surge to wash over the Northeast as the inevitable wave from the south gathers momentum. All travel to and from the USA should be completely shut down. The country will just re-seed the planet on and on, and the federal government simply cannot be trusted.

Interesting your comment the test and trace. There was a bloke on the James O’Brien radio show (mentioned to let other express their opinions/prejudices re his show) who was employed by an agency employed by serco, employed the government to do test and trace. He said that in the 4 months he has been a minimum wage contractor he is yet to make a call to a member of the public to trace a positive test and the contacts that person may have made.

If you lot manage to vote out the orange one, the UK and Brazil are pretty much the most nuts governments in the world.

Fucking hell. There is no way this can be contained without accurate testing data. I thought the government over there would have sorted something out if they are pushing to open schools. This is going to get fucking ugly.

Yep. But still over 4 years till the next election and by then they will have sold the whole fucking place.

[Son of Mathonwy]

We are officially in recession with a 20.4% gdp fall in the 2nd quarter of 2020. That's a substantially bigger drop than any other G7 nation, the nearest being France with a 13.8% fall, and more than double the hits seen in Germany and the USA.

So it seems that this government is world-beating not only in per capita deaths but also in economic destruction. A pretty astounding double from the Tories.

[Galfon]

We are officially in recession with a 20.4% gdp fall in the 2nd quarter of 2020. That's a substantially bigger drop than any other G7 nation, the nearest being France with a 13.8% fall, and more than double the hits seen in Germany and the USA.
So it seems that this government is world-beating not only in per capita deaths but also in economic destruction. A pretty astounding double from the Tories.

The GDP over this period was bound to nose-dive after the fatal error in delaying the lockdown in March and the prolonged surge in infections. After easing, June was better than anticipated, but the govt. must be desperate to avoid a second wave and further lockdowns as furlough comes to an end.

from CNN:

' ..Britain imposed a strict lockdown two weeks later than Italy, 10 days after Spain and a week after France, despite swelling coronavirus cases. That meant it took longer to get the spread of the virus under control, which prolonged the need for restrictions that kept many businesses closed.
For example, Italy allowed restaurants, cafes and hairdressers to reopen in the middle of May, whereas the United Kingdom waited until July 4 to do the same. Germany allowed some shops, such as bookstores, bike shops and car dealerships, to reopen as early as April 20, almost two months before nonessential retail outlets reopened in the United Kingdom.

That relaxation of restrictions in June delivered an immediate boost to the UK economy, with GDP increasing 8.7% on the previous month, according to the ONS.

The UK economy is heavily reliant on services and household spending, both of which posted record declines in the second quarter, as consumers who were holed up at home spent less money and saved more...'

[Galfon]

Uk death total re-adjusted down by c. 5k after consistency review:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53722711

India now has 4th highest total, Uk 5th and still highest in Europe.

Deaths/1 m pop. however sees Bel & Spa above Uk, with Ita and Swe not far behind:

Deaths/1m population (Worldo..)
1. San M 1238
2. Bel 854
3. And 686
4. Per 657
5. Spa 611
6. Uk 608
7. Ita 583
8. Swe 571
9. Chil 533
10. USA 511
11. Bra 490
12. Fra 465

(Ger 111)

[fivepointer]

First rate analysis of UK's response. https://www.theatlantic.com/internation ... aign=share

[Mellsblue]

First rate analysis of UK's response. https://www.theatlantic.com/internation ... aign=share

Yep. That’s very good......but I would say that as it echoes a lot of what I have been saying on here.
The Freedman report, linked in the article, is a very good and incisive piece of work. It’s also a few months old and way ahead of anything else I read at the time. Not sure I posted on here as it, like The Atlantic article, does point out it’s not all Boris’s fault....so what was the point. As an aside, Freedman’s son, Sam, is a good follow on Twatter but, again, I would say that as I agree with a lot of what he posts.
One thing I would like to say is that the timing of the opening up of the economy was, to a decent extent, lead by the population. Millions have been spent on polling to judge the public mood so govt could carry the public with them after misreading the mood music in Feb and March. That polling, as seen in microcosm on here with posts that it was too early and we’d have a second wave within weeks, showed that the public wanted to stay in lockdown even as we started opening back up. Plenty of data going around at the moment, eg % back in the office, shows we are still more reticent than most European pops to get back to normal life despite having lower infections rates than most. In some part, we only have ourselves to blame for GDP figures.

[Stones of granite]

I’m not at all sure that COVID internment camps is really the way forward. I don’t know many New Zealanders, but I’d be surprised if the Kiwi population is this compliant.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health ... facilities

[zer0]

When the potential alternative is the shit shows of the US, UK, or Melbourne, an expense free trip to a hotel for two weeks will hopefully seem quite appealing.

[morepork]

When the potential alternative is the shit shows of the US, UK, or Melbourne, an expense free trip to a hotel for two weeks will hopefully seem quite appealing.

Brother you know it. Two weeks of Kumara chips and custard squares in a room would be welcome relief from institutional racism and conspiracy theories coughed in your face by Alt right warriors with an ironically limited command of the English language they so passionately promote. I am literally living ghost chips.

[Stones of granite]

When the potential alternative is the shit shows of the US, UK, or Melbourne, an expense free trip to a hotel for two weeks will hopefully seem quite appealing.

Maybe, though the asylum seekers who were also compulsorily housed in hotels In Glasgow didn’t share your positivity. Perhaps the reality doesn’t match the image that “an expense free trip to a hotel” conjures up.

[morepork]

When the potential alternative is the shit shows of the US, UK, or Melbourne, an expense free trip to a hotel for two weeks will hopefully seem quite appealing.

Maybe, though the asylum seekers who were also compulsorily housed in hotels In Glasgow didn’t share your positivity. Perhaps the reality doesn’t match the image that “an expense free trip to a hotel” conjures up.

If getting stabbed at a government managed quarantine facility is a factor, then maybe the NZ version of not a shit show is the more palatable option.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Uk death total re-adjusted down by c. 5k after consistency review:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53722711

India now has 4th highest total, Uk 5th and still highest in Europe.

Deaths/1 m pop. however sees Bel & Spa above Uk, with Ita and Swe not far behind:

Deaths/1m population (Worldo..)
1. San M 1238
2. Bel 854
3. And 686
4. Per 657
5. Spa 611
6. Uk 608
7. Ita 583
8. Swe 571
9. Chil 533
10. USA 511
11. Bra 490
12. Fra 465

(Ger 111)

I can't really run an exact comparative for the new UK reported "test-positive" number with the ONS Covid-19 "death certificate" number, since the UK gov deaths page is being "re–developed".

However to get an idea, the downwardly adjusted government "tested postive" number is 41,358 as of 14 Aug, and the ONS (etc) "death certificate" number is 56,195 as of 31 Jul, and the "excess deaths" as of 31 Jul is 63,508.

So the new number is underestimating the deaths by something very roughly in the region of 15-22k.

[Stones of granite]

When the potential alternative is the shit shows of the US, UK, or Melbourne, an expense free trip to a hotel for two weeks will hopefully seem quite appealing.

Maybe, though the asylum seekers who were also compulsorily housed in hotels In Glasgow didn’t share your positivity. Perhaps the reality doesn’t match the image that “an expense free trip to a hotel” conjures up.

If getting stabbed at a government managed quarantine facility is a factor, then maybe the NZ version of not a shit show is the more palatable option.

Ah, you get options with compulsory quarantine in NZ.

[morepork]

Ahahahaha.


fuck you buddy

[Galfon]

More work at the bottom of the garden..(nih, us)
'Two Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials testing whether experimental monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are now enrolling healthy adults at clinical trial sites in the United States..'
Try saying that after a few sherberts...proteins made in the lab. rather than naturally I believe.
Can't be cheap one would suspect, but another angle of attack for some.

[morepork]

I think they cloned an antibody from a recovered patient's immune cells, and now make it in a cell culture system.


Either that or they have the poor fucker restrained in a cage and are taking as much blood from them daily without killing him/her.