Coronavirus

Originally Posted by jfman

Im not sure NHS chiefs think that, or even Sage, but it’s certainly the politicians - the decision makers - stance.

I’d be stunned if Drakeford was that stupid, but equally the first to condemn him if true. While not illegal it’s certainly not in the spirit of what he’s asking others to do.

Chris Hopson, the head of NHS Providers, told The Times:

“Trust chief executives are saying we should be careful interpreting the daily Covid hospital data.

“Although the numbers are going up and going up increasingly rapidly, the absence of large numbers of seriously ill older people is providing significant reassurance.

“But they are aware that this may change after the Christmas period.

“Trust CEOs know that the government has a high threshold to cross before it will introduce extra restrictions and can see why, in the absence of that surge of severely ill older people, that threshold hasn’t been crossed yet.”

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/154...NHS-chiefs-say

Seems to have stemmed from one Twitter user so we'll have to see. The Welsh Government has denied it and to be honest Drakeford would easily be seen and caught if he is doing that.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Damien

Seems to have stemmed from one Twitter user so we'll have to see. The Welsh Government has denied it and to be honest Drakeford would easily be seen and caught if he is doing that.

If it’s the “original” source cited all over Twitter that starts “unbelievable Jeff” then it’s got the tell tale signs of being a tedious ‘banter’ merchant who isn’t actually very funny.

That’s not to say tedious or unfunny people can’t by chance see politicians in places they’d rather not be seen.

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by Paul

Fortunately, nutters dont get to make such decisions.

Thats why we will still be screwed next Christmas, bowing to the anti-maskers and vaxers.

---------- Post added at 18:57 ---------- Previous post was at 18:53 ----------

Originally Posted by Pierre

How can we identify these people? Should we make them wear a gold star on their clothing? Perhaps tattoo a number on their wrist?

Let me know.



Based on the irrefutable fact that vaccine passports have done nothing to reduce anything.


But not the option to not have it, which makes it not an option, so you don’t have the option.

So given that to have an option, there needs to be an option, what’s the option?.

99.9% have mobile phones, I have my QR code available on that.

---------- Post added at 18:58 ---------- Previous post was at 18:57 ----------

This is the biggest problem, people making excuses, once they start burying family members they will soon change there mind.

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Thats why we will still be screwed next Christmas, bowing to the anti-maskers and vaxers

Unlikely, we were not really even screwed this christmas, everyone I know had a standard christmas.

Originally Posted by Hom3r

99.9% have mobile phones, I have my QR code available on that.

Complete and utter garbage.
99.9% of people do not have a mobile phone, and those that do, dont all have "smart" phones.
(Also, many that do, dont really use them as smart phones).

Originally Posted by Hom3r

This is the biggest problem, people making excuses, once they start burying family members they will soon change there mind.

The problem is people with extreme views who think the whole world should hide away forever.

For the record, I know a few people now, all who have caught it in recent weeks, all of them shook if off like a cold or flu. In fact, if not for the hype now involved, they would not have thought anything more about it.

[Blackshep]

Homer please tell me how I display a QR thingy on my Nokia dumb phone got fed up with so called smart phones or should I also be compelled in your plan to have a smartphone?.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Blackshep

Homer please tell me how I display a QR thingy on my Nokia dumb phone got fed up with so called smart phones or should I also be compelled in your plan to have a smartphone?.

I suppose some would be interested in smartphones if they were supplied FOC by the government so the QR thingy could be displayed.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I think the answer is to train more nurses and doctors, using money saved from reducing administration costs, which are far, far too high.

The NHS has repeated been shown to actually have lower administration costs than the health systems in most other countries. America's health system has the highest, and that is the system our government seem to want to implement.

Originally Posted by Pierre

How can we identify these people? Should we make them wear a gold star on their clothing? Perhaps tattoo a number on their wrist?

Let me know.

This is what I don't understand. The Anti maskers/Anti vacinne passport people have continually conflated their plight with that of those who are excluded from places because of things like race. It's not a valid comparison for the simple reason that in most cases, it's your choice not to be vaccinated. No one in this country has said you are required to be vaccinated. It is not law.

If someone is excluded because they are (or aren't) a certain color, race, gender, sexuality etc, that is bad because they aren't things you can change. Gender is a little more complicated, but the principle is the same.

There are people who are unable to have the vaccine for medical reasons, but they can still carry something saying they are exempt.

But for most people, the vaccine is a choice, and like every choice, there are consequences. Saying they are the victims of prejudice just because they aren't allowed to go for (say) a Pizza is like saying a smoker is the victim of prejudice because they aren't allowed in by the same Pizza restaurant..

---------- Post added at 14:27 ---------- Previous post was at 14:24 ----------

Originally Posted by Blackshep

Homer please tell me how I display a QR thingy on my Nokia dumb phone got fed up with so called smart phones or should I also be compelled in your plan to have a smartphone?.

You can print them from a web browser. You clearly have internet access, as you are posting here. For those who don't, most Libraries offer internet terminals. Of course, they've been closing at a rate of knots, and I would argue are certainly something the government should be financing, especially as they move all their own services to the web, but that is off topic.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Stuart

The NHS has repeated been shown to actually have lower administration costs than the health systems in most other countries. America's health system has the highest, and that is the system our government seem to want to implement.
.

It depends how you compare, doesn’t it? If, for example, if we have the same level of administration as the average in the EU but provide a lesser service, then our administration costs are too high.

It is worth remembering that the UK has one of the lowest numbers of practising doctors per population (including GPs and hospital doctors) in the EU. Additionally, the number of nurses is lower than comparable countries like France, Germany and The Netherlands.

I would also point out that the plea of ‘we are no less efficient than anyone else’ is not exactly reassuring and does not mean there is no scope for substantial savings to be made.

As for the government wanting to implement a system similar to the US over here, there is no truth to that. Labour have said consistently since the 1950s that the Conservatives want to privatise the NHS. Well, here we are in 2022, and that has not happened. What is more, such a premise has been denied by Conservatives equally consistently. Doubtless Labour will still be claiming that the Conservatives want to destroy the NHS in 2122 as part of their strategy to ‘weaponise’ the NHS.

Originally Posted by Stuart

The NHS has repeated been shown to actually have lower administration costs than the health systems in most other countries. America's health system has the highest, and that is the system our government seem to want to implement.

There’s not much point countering a baseless assertion with another baseless assertion.

There is absolutely no chance of any government in the foreseeable future introducing a health service based on private insurance. It is politically impossible, no matter how fond of the idea a few dislocated nut jobs on the Tory far right might be.

“Tories will privatise the NHS” has been a standard Labour attack line for the best part of 50 years now. They brandish it like an evil shaman stick every election, without fail. Note, however, that despite there being more Tory governments than Labour ones since the NHS’s inception, it’s still here, it’s still free at point of need and there isn’t even a whiff of a national debate about changing that.

[1andrew1]

From the Daily Mail.

British lateral flow tests BANNED in UK despite being cleared by EU

The Government is relying on Chinese suppliers for lateral flow testing kits because most British manufacturers have failed to be cleared for use in the UK, it has been claimed.

Despite millions of pounds of investment to create a world-leading testing programme in the UK, only one British manufacturer has produced a rapid test that meets UK requirements, reports suggest.

It comes as the Government faced widespread criticism over the shortage of lateral flow testing kits over the festive period.

As ministers urged families and friends to test before socialising at Christmas and New Year's events, people were unable to get their hands on kits because they were unavailable.

Pharmacists urged the Government to increase its supply as they said they were forced to send people away empty handed while the Government website frequently said home delivery was unavailable.

Meanwhile, official figures revealed nearly one in 10 NHS workers were off sick over New Year's Eve as coronavirus continued to hit the health service.

According to the Sunday Times, several British companies are frustrated that despite their tests being certified for use in Europe, they have not passed checks in the UK.

The newspaper reports that Omega Diagnostics, based in Stirling, and Global Access Diagnostics, a Bedford-based firm, have produced testing kits that did not pass regulation and so the Government has not placed any orders with them.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...?ocid=msedgntp

So [we] cannot make good tests, and china can ?

several British companies are frustrated that despite their tests being certified for use in Europe, they have not passed checks in the UK.

Well they should have designed them to pass UK tests then, Im sure the standards are not secret.

Originally Posted by Paul

So [we] cannot make good tests, and china can ?

Well they should have designed them to pass UK tests then, Im sure the standards are not secret.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d...test-kt57sxbzn

Since November any Covid test to be used in the UK has to pass a new set of regulations called the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals (CTDA). Several British manufacturers who sent their tests off in time for a September deadline say they have yet to have them approved for distribution in the UK.

The Cambridge and Yorkshire company Avacta had to suspend sales of its AffiDX antigen test in November because it had not yet passed the new CDTA checks despite being entered for it before a September deadline. It has yet to be given the go-ahead in Britain. It was the first UK-developed test to be CE certified for consumer self-testing last month but can only be sold abroad.

What a surprise, a totally misleading quote in a paper.

"they have not passed checks in the UK" is clearly designed to imply they fail UK checks.
What they really mean [apparently] is they havent been tested yet, but should pass when they do.

[Taf]

A new variant found in France.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/u...found-22631670