Opinions on how the Government have handled the coronavirus outbreak

[Lindsayt]

It will be 'interesting' to see Sweden's figures 3 or 4 weeks from now...

And interesting to see the figures on people dying earlier than they otherwise would have done over the next 50 years as a partial result of them living in relative poverty due to hardship brought about by economy wrecking governmental Coronavirus policies...

Except that such statistics may not actually be gathered or gatherable.

[CN211276]

It will be 'interesting' to see Sweden's figures 3 or 4 weeks from now...

And interesting to see the figures on people dying earlier than they otherwise would have done over the next 50 years as a partial result of them living in relative poverty due to hardship brought about by economy wrecking governmental Coronavirus policies...

Except that such statistics may not actually be gathered or gatherable.

add to that econamy wrecking Brexit policies.

[savvypaul]

It will be 'interesting' to see Sweden's figures 3 or 4 weeks from now...

And interesting to see the figures on people dying earlier than they otherwise would have done over the next 50 years as a partial result of them living in relative poverty due to hardship brought about by economy wrecking governmental Coronavirus policies...

Except that such statistics may not actually be gathered or gatherable.

It is a complex, multi-layered calculation, for sure.

If we hadn't had a fairly firm lockdown, and given our starting position on numbers of ICU beds and ventilators, could the NHS have coped? I'm going to guess not.

If we had been able to do mass testing and contact tracing would we be coming out of lockdown faster? I'm going to guess we would.

[Classicrock]

Sweden has fewer deaths per head of population than the UK and they haven't had an economy wrecking lockdown.
I can't find any reason to criticise the Swedish Governemnt over their handling of Coronavirus.

It is my understwnding that Sweden banned mass gatherings early on. Here we had all the Government about herd imunity until they turned track when things got out of control.

The only person I remember mentioning Herd immunity once was Chris Whitty. No evidence it was actually government policy but the press ran away with what I think was a slip of the tongue. Looking at the tv reports from Sweden the number of people I saw in parks etc looked pretty close to a mass gathering. I certainly would not be happy anywhere near those numbers of people. What is happening in Sweden is madness.

[Classicrock]

...It can be dangerous to hide behind experts and maybe gut instinct is more the way to go in an emergency than looking at science alone.

You just described Trump's entire gameplan.

Trump has got the wrong type of instinct. That of a self serving idiot who doesn't have the wit to fully comprehend the situation. Just bricking himself at the prospect of losing the election in November.

[slinger]

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that there was currently “no evidence” that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second coronavirus infection.

In a scientific brief, the United Nations agency warned governments against issuing “immunity passports” or “risk-free certificates” to people who have been infected as their accuracy could not be guaranteed.

The practice could actually increase the risks of continued spread as people who have recovered may ignore advice about taking standard precautions against the virus, it said.

MORE

Looks like that NVA staff party weekender in Ayia Napa is still a no-go then.

[slinger]

Stephen Fry has made another helpful explanatory video. I just wish his voiceover didn't remind me of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy quite so much.

[Docfoster]

My understanding is that the government's primary objective is to "flatten the curve" of ICU admissions to "protect the NHS" and "save lives". The main objective is not to reduce the overall area under the curve over the weeks, months and years of the pandemic. So is the thinking that as long as ICU capacity is never maxed-out, the number of total deaths from Covid-19 over time is approximately the same whatever preventive measures are taken?
The less locked-down Swedish approach is interesting as they still seem to be keeping their ICU admissions curve under capacity whist keeping their economy more open. So Covid-19 deaths over time may be no higher in Sweden, and the less severe economic damage there will reduce the likelihood of future non-Covid-19 deaths from direct and indirect economic causes.
It's surely very complicated, and only in future will the boffins be able to crunch the data, gaze into the hindsightascope and tell us all what we should have done.

[slinger]

In her second appearance in front of cameras at Downing Street since the coronavirus outbreak hit, Priti Vacant Patel, the home secretary said there had been a fall in overall crime during the outbreak, with “car crime, burglary, shoplifting” lower than the same period last year.

Addressing criminals, she said: “Today I have a message for them. Our world-class law enforcement is also adapting, and they are on to you, and their efforts are paying off.”

Whilst good news is welcome, viewers were somewhat baffled by the declaration that people were stealing from shops less, given most are currently shut.

“Priti Patel just proudly informed us that shoplifting has fallen during the lockdown. Has anyone told her most shops are shut?”, asked Piers Morgan.

STORY

Do you know, the one big thing that this pandemic has taught me? And it's not just this article, there have been other occurrences too... Sometimes, agreeing with Piers Morgan is unavoidable, no matter how hard you try.

[slinger]

I enjoyed when Piers Morgan put Nicky Morgan on the spot over the misleading claim that there would be 50,000 'new' nurses.

I usually think of him as one of the shittest people on TV. On that day, he wasn't even the shittest Morgan on TV...