Boris speech 20th March

I think we both hope that you're wrong, but I'm increasingly thinking that we either needed to act earlier than we did or, in a utilitarian sense, should just let it run its course for the sake of the economy and the damage and deaths that will cause. I think there is a danger that we might end up doing an unhappy medium and having the worst of both worlds.

 

Everything that has been done, some of it belatedly, i.e closing schools and pubs etc, is designed to slow down the infection rate.
This reduces strain on services and leaves fewer people to suffer as we await a vaccine.
How on earth you think allowing normal life to continue and an immediate massive acceleration would help is beyond me.
As for people dying hungry and cold.....i see absolutely no prospect of that at present.

 

Your idea is to wait for something that doesn't exist. I don't mean this to sound patronising because it is true: that's like waiting for the tooth fairy.

"Waiting for a vaccine should not be honoured with the name 'strategy', that is not a strategy," Prof Woolhouse told the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51963486

I've read you questioning whether contracting the virus will prevent you getting the disease again. It's a fair question, as it doesn't necessarily with other corona viruses. We can get colds caused by these viruses multiple times in a lifetime. But you believe in a vaccine? Do you want to start thinking what's wrong with that? A vaccine works by introducing pathogens, or parts there of, into the body that stimulate an immune response. You sort of fool the body you've had the disease so it responds quickly next time you're exposed to the same pathogens; and you don't become ill. And you're worried exposure to the illness won't prevent you getting it again but you're sure a vaccine will. Think about that long and hard.

In almost every post I've made on this subject I've said the strain on the NHS will be beyond breaking point if we did nothing, yet people inform me of this like I don't know. It's odd. I have also written that the strain on the NHS will be beyond breaking point whatever we do, but no one ever addresses that.

I don't think by doing nothing normal life will continue. It won't, we'll have a horrific few months as I've always said, but we'll keep society. A horrific few months is better than a horrific few years, or, which is looking likely to me, the complete break down of society.

"As for people dying hungry and cold.....i see absolutely no prospect of that at present." Then open your eyes as it's already happening. There are as many homeless people now as there were before this virus began. Are there as many soup kitchens and drop-in centres? Are there people on the street at night who offer money and food and safety in numbers as they go to bars, restaurants, the cinema etc etc? Read the post from a user on this very BBS regarding how he feels about his prospects.

 

Apologies, double post

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51979654

What do you make of this revelation?

 

The whole world including all the medical experts are waiting for a vaccine. The odds are massively in favour of one being developed eventually.
Do you think the world would be better off without antibiotics too?
As for homeless people. I worry about them as always but as governments look for ways to protect ALL of their citizens you have to hope they take account of the homeless too.
The idea of carrying on as normal is beyond bizarre. The measures being taken aren't going to destroy society. They may even lead to a better society in the long run as those of a libertarian leaning realise they do need strong government after all.
Letting a pandemic run unchecked is what wILL destroy it. Hospitals overwhelmed, people dying in droves as the population watches the government do nothing. If that happens more and more will try and look after number one at the expense of others and that's the lesson that will stick in a drastically reduced population going forwards.

 

We’re doomed! Doomed! Don’t panic Captain Mainwaring

 

We’re doomed! Doomed! Don’t panic Captain Mainwaring

 

What an odd question. No I don't.

 

Interesting article on the statistics on the BBC.

BBC News - Coronavirus: Have UK experts over-egged deaths?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51979654

 

Jay, you're so far out of whack on this subject that it's pointless arguing with you. You're saying that, in the face if a massive public health crisis, the government do nothing.
Luckily neither they nor any other government on the planet are taking your advice.

 

66.44 million - 500,000 = 65.94 million

Of course, that's not taking into account births. Nor is it taking into account deaths from other things. But, as is just beginning to be reported, a large percentage of the 500,000 who will die of corona virus were going to die this year anyway. Plus that 500,000 includes people who had corona virus but didn't die from it. If we did nothing and allowed corona virus to run its course the UK population would not dip below 66 million.

 

I'm not offering advice or saying we should do nothing. I'm saying what would happen if we did nothing as opposed to what will happen taking this course of action and saying nothing is preferable to this.

 

No, instead they’re plotting a course from which there is no exit or end game, and in the meantime taking us down a road that has a high likelihood of ending in societal breakdown and massive civil unrest. How long do people think little Rishi’s magic money tree can last for?

I can’t believe how willingly people have welcomed society deciding just not to bother educating its children for an indefinite period of time.

 

I have a step daughter here who has been educated via remote link for the past week. She has online classes every day.

 

I think the key to this will be establishing who's already had it, given many will and have been asymptomatic, and then allow those people to go back in to society on the basis that reinfection rate will be very low (if its not we're ****** anyway). None of what's been imposed in the short term is sustainable in social or economic terms. Paying 80% of wages for any period of time will bankrupt any country.

 

I have two disabled children who require teaching by specifically trained teachers. They will receive next to no education while the school's are closed. I don't know what the best course of action is.

 

The guy devising our strategy ‘doesn’t know’ how many of the alarming death figures he is quoting would have actually happened anyway. This is utterly mental.

 

I don’t mean this as flippant as it will come across in text but you could have a look at doing some learning online yourself about how to support them. The trained people didn’t know either until they trained, as they are your children it would always be helpful to know anyway. I’m not suggesting getting a degree but there are lots of free online distance learning courses of varying lengths from a few hours to weeks (check out the Open University for example, I am currently doing one from Shipley College about people who are unable to communicate effectively and how that impacts their behaviour and strategies to help). I know you won’t necessarily have the same equipment and set up as school either but there will be things you can do at home that you don’t know of yet.

 

I appreciate the intent of your post and we have read and looked into loads of thi gs over the years. But while I'll still be going to work for 10 hours a day my wife will have enough on keeping them both calm and safe. Also the change in rouinte will be very jarring for them to say the least. The main focus will just be to keep them happy and content and that in itself is going to be a full time task in these circumstances.