New coronavirus in/from China

[kenneal - lagger]

LJ, the science of covid is all very new, not twelve months old in most cases, so there is much conflicting research and advice flying around. What Tess said is very true. You take your inspiration from one political/scientific meme and other take theirs from another. We won't know what the real science is for a number of years, and that's if we are lucky. Until then one opinion is probably as good as another and none of them are worth losing friends over.

[Little John]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl-q_TU906s

[Catweazle]

Hospitals in Wales are struggling to deal with the Covid numbers:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... e-19459597

Doctors working in Wales' newest hospital have warned emergency departments are under "almost insurmountable pressure" as coronavirus case numbers continue to rise.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board suspended all non-urgent planned surgery on Monday following a weekend which saw high numbers of Covid patients presenting to the emergency department at the Grange Hospital in Llanfrechfa, which opened last month.

Aneurin Bevan's interim medical director, Dr Sarah Aitken, said the health board was dealing with more Covid patients, as well as a higher number of total patients, than were admitted to hospital during the first wave in the spring.

She said staff are "increasingly tired and increasingly distressed" by the serious cases of Covid-19 that they are witnessing inside hospitals.

[Snail]

Hospital capacities have been significantly reduced to make them 'covid safe'. Infection control measures. Effectively making them smaller. I think I heard quoted in a Ni program upto 25% (can't remember, possibly not as high)

Reduction of hospital beds, smaller wards etc, and reduced staff.

This time of year, hospitals reportedly always get bunged up too.

[BritDownUnder]

I see that that horrid frog President has got Covid-19.

[Little John]

Hospitals in Wales are struggling to deal with the Covid numbers:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... e-19459597

Doctors working in Wales' newest hospital have warned emergency departments are under "almost insurmountable pressure" as coronavirus case numbers continue to rise.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board suspended all non-urgent planned surgery on Monday following a weekend which saw high numbers of Covid patients presenting to the emergency department at the Grange Hospital in Llanfrechfa, which opened last month.

Aneurin Bevan's interim medical director, Dr Sarah Aitken, said the health board was dealing with more Covid patients, as well as a higher number of total patients, than were admitted to hospital during the first wave in the spring.

She said staff are "increasingly tired and increasingly distressed" by the serious cases of Covid-19 that they are witnessing inside hospitals.

Meanwhile, countrywide, emergency bed admissions, per million, are on the seasonal average (as are deaths by all causes) and, for the year, are barely above the annual average (as are deaths by all causes) and lower than several of the last 25 years (as are deaths by all causes).

[kenneal - lagger]

They might be now but I think that the government is looking at the trend and as that is on an upwards curve they are taking action now before things get out of hand.

[kenneal - lagger]

I've just read this article on conspiracy theories and the people who adhere to them which I found very interesting. I feel that these theories and their adherents are like the religious cults which we suffered with in the late 20th century. The problem is that the internet allows these cults to spread far quicker and more widely so they are doing, or are in danger of doing, much more damage to far more people. Anti covid and anti vaccers are a case in point.

[Snail]

Reminds me of the style, tone, and even content of the sort of stuff remainers gurgitated. Didn't they, or at least encouraged by them, nearly destroy Government and the very idea of democracy itself? Or do I read too many conspiracy sites?

What is it with the woke cult?

Why do folks become woke and, consequently, turn into boaks?

Don't they realise that every criticism and accusation they direct outward could be equally levelled at themselves?

I think they probably do and a lot of it is outward pretense. I've spoken to newly-wokes and inevitably they're new-entrants to the smugbag class. They've 'improved' themselves!

Or they've created comfortably insulated bubbles for themselves, through much hard-work and big-big intellect I'm sure. And so, know better than the ordinary dim-witted bumpkin who repeatedly falls prey to the algorithms.

[Little John]

I've just read this article on conspiracy theories and the people who adhere to them which I found very interesting. I feel that these theories and their adherents are like the religious cults which we suffered with in the late 20th century. The problem is that the internet allows these cults to spread far quicker and more widely so they are doing, or are in danger of doing, much more damage to far more people. Anti covid and anti vaccers are a case in point.

Do you seriously have no inkling of how imbecilic you actually sound?

[Catweazle]

A schoolfriend of mine died from Covid today, 57yrs old, window cleaner, up and down ladders every day. RIP.

[Little John]

57 year olds die every single day. Not near as many as those who are 87 of course and that is to be expected. Thus, every death of a 57 year old is a sad one since it has come before their expected time. However, the only question that is pertinent from a public policy perspective is how many excess deaths are occurring of 57 year olds.

Statistically speaking, there are effectively none. This is a fact. Remember those?

[Catweazle]

This is a fact. Remember those?

I remember when you used to post them, seems like a long, long time ago.

[Catweazle]

I see on the news that Sweden has put in a load of restrictions today, facemasks, school closures, social distancing etc.

It took them a while, but I guess facts outweighed their ideology.

[PS_RalphW]

Rumours of a strong lockdown being introduced in the South East in an attempt to limit the spread of the new, more contagious varient.

Can't remember where, but I saw a report that social distancing had all but prevented any flu outbreak this winter, with hospital admissions extremely low for time of year.

I am getting nervous about the virus again. Tesco was extremely busy today, no attempt at limiting numbers or keeping any sort of distance apart.

Edit

The latest weekly ons figures (4/12/20). Report 2619 deaths mentioning influenza, but only 267 with flu as the primary cause. Covid figures where 2835 and 2469, so currently covid is blamed for 10 times more deaths than flu