Coronavirus (OLD)

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Taf

Scientists have found 1,356 different strains of the Coronavirus in the UK.

34% traced back to Spain.
29% traced back to France.
14% traced back to Italy.

Bloody EU!

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Bloody EU!

The EU seriously needs to look at how slow it was to close it's internal borders and further at giving Member States the autonomy to do this going forward to prevent or control further outbreaks.

This should equally break it down to regions within states to allow them to quickly implement regional lockdowns if required.

Once there's uncontrolled spread in one region and uncontrolled travel there's a sense of inevitability where it leads - back to national lockdowns that nobody wants to see again.

[jonbxx]

Originally Posted by jfman

The EU seriously needs to look at how slow it was to close it's internal borders and further at giving Member States the autonomy to do this going forward to prevent or control further outbreaks.

This should equally break it down to regions within states to allow them to quickly implement regional lockdowns if required.

Once there's uncontrolled spread in one region and uncontrolled travel there's a sense of inevitability where it leads - back to national lockdowns that nobody wants to see again.

Closing the Schengen borders is a local decision, not an EU one;

The reintroduction of border control is a prerogative of the Member States. The Commission may issue an opinion with regard to the necessity of the measure and its proportionality but cannot veto such a decision if it is taken by a Member State.

From here - https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/wh...der-control_en

[joglynne]

Not sure if this article has been linked to but I found it interesting.
https://www.politico.eu/article/coro...vid-19-deaths/

snippet... How to measure the real toll of the novel coronavirus has been a persistent question since the outbreak began.

There are a number of difficulties. Some countries test more per capita while others test less. And governments collect their statistics differently, making any cross-border comparisons — be it infections, recoveries, or deaths — inexact.

Researchers are narrowing in on a figure called "excess deaths" as a more reliable measure that can give insight into the true scale of the pandemic. The idea is to take the previous year's deaths as a baseline and use the difference in deaths this year over the last as a more accurate metric of the virus' impact. This way, researchers can capture fatalities that slipped through the cracks.

[downquark1]

Yes this is what I was thinking was the most realistic measure. But then I realised there would be additional deaths that may occur due to cancelled medical appointments which would appear as a "CoVid" death.

[1andrew1]

Perhaps one reason why we were under-prepared. It looks like the distraction of Brexit was key in this decision.

• The PM abolished the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingency Committee
• MPs such as Michael Gove and Matt Hancock were part of the pandemic team
• The group was scrapped by Mr Johnson just days after he entered No10 last July

...The group, officially known as the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingency Committee (THRCC), was supposed to ensure the UK was ready to cope with a pandemic.

...But it was mothballed by former prime minister Theresa May on the advice of Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill so ministers and officials could focus on Brexit...

...Last night, a former Cabinet minister who was a member of THRCC until it was axed said it could have ensured the Government reacted more quickly to coronavirus, adding: ‘Once the pandemic took hold in Italy... alarm bells would have been ringing.

A former minister said fears that the UK was heading for a no-deal Brexit led to THRCC being wound-down in late 2018 by Sir Mark, adding "We were having to spend more time on EU exit strategy and less time on everything else."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tter_share-top

[papa smurf]

Is there anything that can't be blamed on brexit

[jfman]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

Is there anything that can't be blamed on brexit

It’s not blamed on Brexit as such - it’s certainly bad timing. However the plan to hold a referendum and have no follow up plan (Cameron), followed by the rush to trigger A50 left Government racing against the clock. The lack of a definitive GE result in 2017 didn’t help followed by opposition squabbling - who upon reflection should have put up or shut up. Similarly the new extension deadline has us rushing to work to arbitrary deadlines.

Nobody is blaming the decision to leave the EU in and of itself - there’s a mandate for it after all, but it’s evidently not something easily unpicked in a couple of years. Taking back control didn’t mean fighting against the clock.

Let's not turn this into a Brexit discussion.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Perhaps one reason why we were under-prepared. It looks like the distraction of Brexit was key in this decision.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tter_share-top

I don't think that's right at all. The government was following SAGE guidance throughout. The existence of the pandemic team would not have made any difference as they would still have followed the guidance of the scientists.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I don't think that's right at all. The government was following SAGE guidance throughout. The existence of the pandemic team would not have made any difference as they would still have followed the guidance of the scientists.

Not necessarily - scientists don’t get a blank cheque to create policy. A specialist group on pandemic preparedness could, theoretically based on their experience, have further interrogated scientific outputs and the evidence base. Perhaps leading to different outcomes based on their internal knowledge of Government preparedness.

There’s no blanket and uniform “the science”.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Mick

I’m currently in hospital and have been since Monday, following a serious complication, thats needed urgent surgical care. And a patient sharing the same bay as us tested positive for Covid-19. I now have to self isolate for 14 days from today’s date.

We're all thinking of you, Mick.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I don't think that's right at all. The government was following SAGE guidance throughout. The existence of the pandemic team would not have made any difference as they would still have followed the guidance of the scientists.

They used SAGE guidance to inform policy - not the same thing.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I don't think that's right at all. The government was following SAGE guidance throughout. The existence of the pandemic team would not have made any difference as they would still have followed the guidance of the scientists.

The article goes on to explain the difference that the team would have made.

Last night, a former Cabinet minister who was a member of THRCC until it was axed said it could have ensured the Government reacted more quickly to coronavirus, adding: ‘Once the pandemic took hold in Italy... alarm bells would have been ringing.
‘We would have stress-tested the Government’s contingency plans for dealing with a pandemic.’

[Carth]

a former Cabinet minister who was a member of THRCC until it was axed

dunno, looks a little like axe grinding to me