Non-motoring > Coronavirus - Volume 2   [Read only]
Thread Author: VxFan Replies: 129

 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - VxFan

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Discussion continues
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 6 Mar 20 at 10:36
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
"On Monday, Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi denied that the authorities were lying about the scale of the outbreak."

"On Tuesday the spokesman for Iran’s health ministry confirmed in an interview with state television that Iraj Harirchi has been infected and is now under quarantine."
       
 Coronavirus - Robin O'Reliant
Runfer hasn't been round for a while and he goes to China on business, it's looking a bit suspicious...
       
 Coronavirus - Dog
I was thinking along those lines yesterday funnily enuff .. e'e goeth o'er to Italy quite often!!
       
 Coronavirus - legacylad
Maybe he’s croc’d ?
But seriously hope he’s ok
       
 Coronavirus - Duncan
>> "On Monday, Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi denied that the authorities were lying about
>> the scale of the outbreak."



He also didn't believe in quarantine, he thought it was old-fashioned. Oh the irony!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51628484
Last edited by: Duncan on Tue 25 Feb 20 at 21:05
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
You know, now I think about it, I realise that I have never seen Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi and Local bicyclist Humph/Runfer in the same room at the same time.

Coincidence?
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 25 Feb 20 at 22:23
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> You know, now I think about it, I realise that I have never seen Iranian
>> Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi and Local bicyclist Humph/Runfer in the same room at the
>> same time.
>>
>> Coincidence?

Not really, there is no Primark in Tehran, no need for humph to be there.
       
 Coronavirus - Ambo
Over 1000 OMC's London staff have ben told to work from home after one of them returned from abroad exhibiting 'flu symptoms. I wonder if this practice will, er, catch on. If so, central London and other such centres could be virtually deserted, with many ramifications such as vastly increased energy consumption by the stay-at-homes.
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
Sending them all home on the tube at the same time as the bloke with the symptoms has probably done more to spread his symptoms than anything else possible.
       
 Coronavirus - Manatee
>> Over 1000 OMC's London staff have ben told to work from home after one of
>> them returned from abroad exhibiting 'flu symptoms. I wonder if this practice will, er, catch
>> on.

I had the same thought myself. It's obvious that at some point in the future, the idiocy of millions of office workers travelling two or three hours a day, every day, all at the same time, just to be somewhere that they don't really need to be, will cease.

The sheer cost should be enough to bring this about but for whatever reason the invisible hand isn't bearing on it. But disease transmission might. Especially as new nasties appear and our principal infection-fighting weapons decline in effectiveness.

In circumstances like these, if a big business makes the investment needed and finds it works well, why would it not make it the rule?
       
 Coronavirus - henry k
Another sporting event hit. This time part way through.

Two riders test positive in the UAE Tour... leading to the event being cancelled with two stages remaining.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/51667939
       
 Coronavirus - henry k
Yesterday I spotted my first shopper wearing a face mask - in Waitrose.
Is it a new fashion statement ?
I only get out once a week into the suburbs so perhaps it is the norm elsewhere?
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
Unless they either look like a Star Wars Stormtrooper or Bane then they're idiots.

If it isn't an N95 or better filter capable of sealing *tightly* to the face and stopping anything bigger than 0.3 microns then it is more likely to increase their chances of getting the virus than decrease them.

Anything that looks even vaguely like a surgical mask or a decorating mask is utter s***e and worthless. Except it helps us spot the dicks.

There is a marginal argument for someone who already has the virus to wear a mask to stop them sneezing or coughing on others but they shouldn't be out in the first place.

Wash your hands, don't touch your face, avoid touching drippy people and avoid coughs and sneezes.

SARS and MERS, and early indications suggest COVID-19 is similar, can both survive outside a body for up to 9 days though in temperatures above 30 degrees it tends to die.

Mark
Chile
33 Degrees
Hotter tomorrow.

na na na-na na
Last edited by: No FM2R on Fri 28 Feb 20 at 12:31
       
 Coronavirus - Lygonos
>>Mark
>>Chile
>>33 Degrees
>>Hotter tomorrow.

>>na na na-na na


**cough** Valdivia earthquake 2.0 **cough**
       
 Coronavirus - Clk Sec
>> so perhaps it is the norm elsewhere?

Possibly not. Just returned from our local Waitrose, and not seen any.
       
 Coronavirus - Duncan
Lady Duncan saw one in Waitrose in leafy Surrey yesterday.
       
 Coronavirus - Zero

>> In circumstances like these, if a big business makes the investment needed and finds it
>> works well, why would it not make it the rule?

A certain big blue company, who at first championed the use of working at home, (not least because it was a great advert for some of their product lines, and allowed a massive cut in company real estate and support costs) suddenly decided some 20 years later that it should lbe banned.

Reasons given?

there is something about a team being more powerful, more impactful, more creative, and frankly hopefully having more fun, when they are shoulder to shoulder."

Nothing of course to do with the disproportional affect on "older workers who have already put down roots with a home and family in a specific area. Thus, this decision to move people across the country might be by design to cut loose older and more expensive workers."
       
 Coronavirus - Runfer D'Hills
I'm fine ( for the record ) ;-)

Don't do ill, can't afford it !
       
 Coronavirus - zippy
A mercenary tale...

I have a share plan maturing today. Can't do anything other than to let it mature.

Last week the shares were worth 50p more than today and there are 7000 of them - not happy, I may even be catching a small loss - even more unhappy!
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> A mercenary tale...
>>
>> I have a share plan maturing today. Can't do anything other than to let it
>> mature.
>>
>> Last week the shares were worth 50p more than today and there are 7000 of
>> them - not happy, I may even be catching a small loss - even more
>> unhappy!

BUt what were they when you started the plan? You of all people know you cant short-term snapshot this stuff.
       
 Coronavirus - zippy
At this very moment - 1p more that they were 3 years ago. Not a good investment.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 28 Feb 20 at 12:20
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
Is the market really only 1% higher today than it was three years ago?


Edit, checking out the FTSE 100 its seems today its down 3% over a year, so I guess thats possible- Didnt realise the virus scare thing had screwed the market so much
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 28 Feb 20 at 12:42
       
 Coronavirus - Bromptonaut
>> Edit, checking out the FTSE 100 its seems today its down 3% over a year,
>> so I guess thats possible- Didnt realise the virus scare thing had screwed the market
>> so much

Down around 1000pts in last fortnight.
       
 Coronavirus - zippy
>> Is the market really only 1% higher today than it was three years ago?
>>
>>
>> Edit, checking out the FTSE 100 its seems today its down 3% over a year,
>> so I guess thats possible- Didnt realise the virus scare thing had screwed the market
>> so much
>>

That's 1 penny not 1% - the percentage is fractional on what is was 3 years ago and taking in to account inflation and lost interest on the investment then it's a loss :-(.

Banking shares have been in the doldrums for a while now though.

A mate works for a listed co as an engineer. He got a tranche of free shares a few years ago at £12 a share. In December they were £60 each! I would have sold them at that point - it was paying the mortgage off sort of money and they had just become tax free.
       
 Coronavirus - CGNorwich
Ten grand down on paper since I came on holiday. Oh well it’s only money. More importantly it’s a beautiful day and the wine is excellent.
       
 Coronavirus - Lygonos
Sold my tech fund last week and put half in bonds and half is still sitting as readies.

40% increase in 2019 looked like BS (on background of 20% pa rise for past 10 years)

My other share/equity funds have been pumped with the markets going down but bonds are holding at present.

Most of my stuff is in funds that pay income so I'm not unduly excited but my gut tells me there's another 10-15% to drop on the US markets looking at how high it rose since 2016 and no comparable productivity increase.

       
 Coronavirus - Zero


>> at how high it rose since 2016 and no comparable productivity increase.

Donut says its all down to him
       
 Coronavirus - Manatee
Fortunately I have already liquidated all the stuff we needed to sell to build the new house. Not a time to be a forced seller.
       
 Coronavirus - The Melting Snowman
Good time to buy. The coronavirus impact will recede at some point. Same with the 2008 crisis, the missus and I filled our boots when the Banks were in trouble.
       
 Coronavirus - Robin O'Reliant
There are about 80,000 confirmed cases of Corona virus in China, out of a population of 1.42 billion. If my maths is correct (Or I've typed it into the online calculator correctly) that represents less than 1% of the population.

Doesn't seem so bad when you say it like that.
       
 Coronavirus - Haywain
"Doesn't seem so bad when you say it like that."

We are only one minute into a ninety minute game!
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> "Doesn't seem so bad when you say it like that."
>>
>> We are only one minute into a ninety minute game!

No its the bottom of the 7th, the infection rate is starting to fall in China with "technically less than 1%" infected.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 28 Feb 20 at 22:46
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
I forget, is this the 3rd or the 4th time the infection rate supposedly falling has been reported?

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
       
 Coronavirus - smokie
That's an interesting link. Well, for me at least - I just showed it to SWMBO who laughed and said she found the scaremongering in the Daily Wail much more entertaining. (She does understand the Mail is not to be taken seriously!!)
       
 Coronavirus - Lygonos
>>that represents less than 1% of the population.

Technically correct.

It's closer to 0.006%
       
 Coronavirus - CGNorwich
It’s not really the current number of cases that’s significant it’s the rate of spread.

The disease has gone from a few cases in Wuhan a couple of months ago to now there being thousands of cases outside China with cases on every continent It looks like a major Global Pandemic is all but inevitable.
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
Given the sheer number of people in population hotspots and the speed of air travel between those locations, the infection rate is utterly insignificant. And the spread of what? A case of flu no worse than any other.

Its the most media tracked medical event ever, Scaremongering hype.
       
 Coronavirus - smokie
I get CGNs point but in a table in Mark's link above there is a table of cases per country (and deaths per country). If you exclude China and S Korea it's in the low thousands, about 3k worldwide at a guess.

Whenever the table was last updated there were 1060 new cases, and 1027 of those were in China and S Korea.

I do agree it is likely to spread quicker and most likely become a pandemic as time goes on but it does seem to be reasonably well contained at the moment.
       
 Coronavirus Death Rate? - Zero
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51674743
       
 Coronavirus Death Rate? - Lygonos
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51674743

Good piece from the Beeb.
       
 Coronavirus - Fullchat
in the 1989 version of his book - The Eyes of Darkness, Dean Koontz wrote about "the most important & dangerous new biologicalweapon in a decade."
He called it 'Wuhan-400' because it was delivered in an RDNA lab outside Wuhan.

Sound familiar?
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
Koontz called it 'Gorki-400' named after the Russian city where it was developed. It was renamed in a reprint in the 90s following the demise of the USSR.

The virus itself is different in every meaningful way the *only* commonality is the name of the city.


So, stuff all to do with a prophetic author, I'm afraid.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 29 Feb 20 at 13:58
       
 Coronavirus - sooty123
So anyone started stockpiling? Reports suggest supermarkets are struggling to keep up with all the bulk home delivery orders.
       
 Coronavirus - Manatee
Good idea. Maybe we should have a thread on what best to stockpile.

What could I live on if I had to self-isolate for a month? Frozen food or ready meals could be quite acceptable and varied but for the risk of power cuts. Corned beef? Baxters cock-a-leekie soup? Weetabix and UHT milk? Sacks of dried pulses for soaking and boiling up? Tinned custard and prunes?

In ancient Rome, lepers were all made to live outside the city and if they were lucky their friends or relatives would come and leave them food at a distance.
       
 Coronavirus - Duncan
>> Good idea. Maybe we should have a thread on what best to stockpile.

Toilet rolls.

That's what you need in a real emergency. Make sure you have plenty of toilets rolls in stock.

Remember where you heard it first.
       
 Coronavirus - smokie
SWMBO agrees on the toilet rolls thing and we do have quite a supply in the garage, but no more than usual.

Must say if you aren't eating a lot cos a) you feel lousy and/or b) you haven't got much food then demand for paper may reduce!

We always have a quite well stocked "pantry" with a reasonable (well, I mean large!) amount of basics (pastas, soups etc) also two freezers both of which are, as usual, full to the brim with meat and fish type stuff rather than ready meals.

As someone alluded to earlier, a lot depends on the ability to cook being unaffected. I do have two single camping stoves but not a lot of gas.

But tbh it has to go a bit further yet before we start to panic, which i guess is true of most here.

EDIT After losing a lump on Monday I pulled my main pension pot out of funds into cash by Wednesday which meant I avoided quite significant reduction in value (around 4% I think) over Thursday and Friday. The trick is to recognise when the markets are on the way up again and catch it right. That may not be for some time yet, I think next week will see more of the same in the money markets.
Last edited by: smokie on Sun 1 Mar 20 at 12:51
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
So why havent the shares of Reckitt Benckiser shot up?
       
 Coronavirus - Dog
>>What could I live on if I had to self-isolate for a month

I've lived on nuffink but apples and bottled water for a week on numerous occasions AND felt all the better forrit.

Our water comes out of the ground, have a multi-fuel stove, even a cloam oven so when the rout of (so called) civilisation cometh, we'll able to 'carry on regardless' for a few more sunsets at the very least.
       
 Coronavirus - Kevin
> Good idea. Maybe we should have a thread on what best to stockpile.

If you catch the bug you want Chicken Noodle soup.

I caught the H1N1 strain of flu around 1978 or so. Knocked me for 6, spending about a week in bed and didn't feel 100% fit for another few weeks after that. For the first couple of days in bed all I consumed was water. After that it was Chicken Noodle soup. Soon had me on the road to recovery.
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
I prefer to believe that G&T is almost as good as a proper vaccination.

I am doing my best to protect myself thoroughly.
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> I prefer to believe that G&T is almost as good as a proper vaccination.
>>
>> I am doing my best to protect myself thoroughly.

Tens of thousand of peepes died building the panama canal, mostly from damn mozzies. So for my trip along same I prepped and dosed heavily with Gin and Tonic, and I returned unscathed. Evidence therefore of the medical properties of same. Indisputable.
       
 Coronavirus - Dog
>>Chicken Noodle soup. Soon had me on the road to recovery.

Funnily enuff, I make chick nood soup quite regularly during the winter months, mainly because tis delish but, I also add 3 x star anise which was used in the formulation of Tamiflu.

I add garlic, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lemon grass - all fresh! onions, carrots, celery.

Simmer for 3 hours, then add the noods for the last 5 mins - the ole woman loves it (and the soup!)
       
 Coronavirus - smokie
Only a goodly supply of food for the cat. My daughter is staying here to take care of the aged cat as I'm off to Portugal tomorrow till sometime in April. :-)

When I got the stuff in Tesco on Friday you couldn't move for people down the aisle with the hand disinfectant stuff.
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> So anyone started stockpiling?

Dog food. If the dog runs out of food, I am its next meal.
       
 Coronavirus - Duncan
>> >> So anyone started stockpiling?
>>
>> Dog food. If the dog runs out of food, I am its next meal.
>>

Dog.

If you run out of food, dog is your next meal.
       
 Coronavirus - Dog
>>If you run out of food, dog is your next meal.

I couldn't (wouldn't) do that .. I'd rather they ate me (and they would!) I wouldn't eat you either if we were up in the Andes somewhere after our plane came down.

Although there's a couple of clowns on this forum I wouldn't mind roasting.

:o}
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> >>If you run out of food, dog is your next meal.
>>
>> I couldn't (wouldn't) do that .. I'd rather they ate me (and they would!) I
>> wouldn't eat you either if we were up in the Andes somewhere after our plane
>> came down.
>>
>> Although there's a couple of clowns on this forum I wouldn't mind roasting.
>>
>> :o}

I wouldn't eat you dog, you wouldn't cook up very well. Too thick you see.
       
 Coronavirus - Dog
Too thin more like it.
       
 Coronavirus - CGNorwich
There will be plenty of corpse in the streets. Dogs will be useful scavengers.

Do we need to paint red crosses on the door? Will hand bells be provided for the unclean. The government remains silent.
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
I live in earthquake country, and sometimes big ones.

The biggest problem is clean water. Pretty much anything else beyond that can be managed.

Medicines and bathroom/sanitary products and tinned and dried food are the other issues to be borne in mind.

But who on earth thinks Covid-19 will get to that level of disaster?.

Wuhan has a population of 11m. There have been something like 80,000 cases in the entire of China but let's assume that they're all in Wuhan.

So what is that? 0.007% or something?

And 3,000 people have died in China, again attributing them to Wuhan alone gives us a figure that says our chances of catching and dying of Covid-19 are 0.0003% If you live in Wuhan!!

WTF are people worried about? It's going to have to grow exponentially and become considerably more lethal before it becomes a real rather than perceived threat.

b***** lemmings and the media. What a great combination.
       
 Coronavirus - Manatee
Well, quite.

But if you wait for the right time to panic buy, it will be too late:)

It probably already is. The thing about panic buying is that you need to have done it before the cause of panic arrives.

I think there's a good chance this will go pandemic, only because the mode of transmission is similar to colds and flu and because the population essentially has zero resistance. The rest depends on how serious it is. If nearly everybody just gets a cold then it could be manageable.

What governments are doing at the moment is slowing down the spread as much as they can, to reduce the peak number of very sick people and to buy time to build up essential medical resources and to plan. I assume that because it would be sensible.

A local FB page erupted with the story of how hospitals will prioritise patients e.g. when 100 people need ventilating and there are only 50 ventilators. The three most senior consultants in each hospital will allegedly decide based on which patients have the best survival chances. The main objectors are concerned about their children. In reality I suspect children will always get priority. Of course health care has always been rationed, and this is probably pretty much how it's done.

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there a lot more happy people?
       
 Coronavirus - smokie
My daughter shared a FB page with me which said that 1.8m people had been incinerated in China.

She and SWMBO have just been to Sainsburys and Asda to take some things back and said it was really busy, and soaps etc were sold out. Corona beer is apparently on special offer (seriously!).

They panic bought a couple of bars of chocolate for tonight :-)
       
 Coronavirus - Ambo
Stockpiling was known as "hoarding" in the UK during WWII and was a punishable offence. I believe the aim was to prevent accumulation beyond official rations, with a view to selling at an inflated price on the black market.
       
 Coronavirus - sooty123
The OH works in a supermarket, they've been very busy this week. Stuff like bog roll, tea, coffee, uht milk, soup etc have been flying off the shelves they've been struggling to put it on the shelves fast enough.
       
 Coronavirus - Lygonos
3,000 deaths is equivalent to 90 minutes of China's usual death rate going by my fag packet maths.

End o' the world I tells ya.
       
 Coronavirus - Robin O'Reliant
Nothing is more contagious than panic.
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
newsthump.com/2020/02/26/nobody-north-of-watford-has-caught-coronoavirus-because-theyre-too-hard/
      1  
 Coronavirus - legacylad
6 of us did a quick tour of 5 bars in Moraira tonight. Free tapas with each pint/ and or gin. Lots of double dipping. Nuts, crisps, olives, sossidges.
Hope I don’t wake up with a fever tomorrow.
If it’s only a bad headache then I’ll know it’s business as usual
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
Never mind Covid-19, I wouldn't be sharing food from the same bowl with people I don't know whatever the circumstances.

Blearrgghhhh.
       
 Coronavirus - Ambo
Common practice at Chinese banquets offered to business guests. Participants dip their chopsticks into commonly offered dishes. This is the way most Chinese eat at home and may perhaps be a cause of the rapid spread of the virus in China.

       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Zero
From the Guardian .

"The Covid-19 epidemic looks like it’s edging towards becoming a pandemic – that is, as the WHO defines it, “the worldwide spread of a new disease” – but the WHO hasn’t declared a pandemic yet. What are the best-case and worst-case scenarios?
The best case is that the Chinese conflagration is brought under control, the smaller “flames” we’ve seen flare up in other countries are extinguished, there’s little or no spread to new countries or continents, and the epidemic dies out. The worst case is that the outbreak goes global and the disease eventually becomes endemic, meaning it circulates permanently in the human population."


Surely, now it exists, isnt it necessary for everyone to catch it and build up some form of natural immunity? After all, its not going to simply pack up and go away.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - CGNorwich
Well Ebola exists too but I’m not sure we all need to catch that. As you say hopefully the disease can be isolated. If not our best hope is that a vaccine can be developed fairly quickly to provide us with immunity and control the spread of the disease as has been successfully done with other virus diseases like smallpox an measles.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Zero
>> Well Ebola exists too but I’m not sure we all need to catch that.

And thats the point, its not ebola, its just another not that deadly virus.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Manatee

>> And thats the point, its not ebola, its just another not that deadly virus.

I wouldn't treat the site below as gospel, I think there are a lot of assumptions and extrapolations going on, but it could be nasty for the elderly with pre-existing cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/

If it does turn out to be an average 2% then that isn't a trivial rate either. A lot lower than the 2018 Spanish flu (although quite a few of those are believed to have died of aspirin poisoning) but a multiple of typical winter flu in this country.

If Marc Lipsitch is right and 70% of the world gets it, that's...a lot of dead people. And the best part of a million in the UK.

For now the containment seems to be working. I'm sceptical that the containment is sustainable. Hancock has speculated about 'closing' UK cities. I'm sure I read or hear somewhere that the base stock for almost all drugs come from China. I wouldn't be surprised if China prioritizes its own needs.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Zero
>>
>> >> And thats the point, its not ebola, its just another not that deadly virus.
>>
>>
>> I wouldn't treat the site below as gospel, I think there are a lot of
>> assumptions and extrapolations going on, but it could be nasty for the elderly with pre-existing
>> cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

Everything is nasty to that demographic, its what stops care homes being full of 118 year old people.
      2  
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - martin aston
I think it will spread and the best we can hope is that it's at a pace we (NHS) can cope with. I wonder if the continual publicity on numbers will perversely encourage the moronic element of our population not to take proper precautions when they catch it so that they can see numbers rise.

As for hygiene, given how people sneeze and cough in public, lord knows what they get up to behind closed doors.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Dulwich Estate II
The Director General of WHO has said:

" If you are 60+, or have an underlying condition like cardiovascular disease, a respiratory condition or diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing severe #COVID19. Try to avoid crowded areas, or places where you might interact with people who are sick. #coronavirus
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 29, 2020"


I intend to try and follow this advice.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - CGNorwich
I guess the membership of this forum pretty accurately reflects the high risk element of the population.
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - No FM2R
>> I guess the membership of this forum pretty accurately reflects the high risk element of
>> the population.


Then it might get a bit quieter around here....

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/covid-vaccine/607000/
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Manatee
>> As for hygiene, given how people sneeze and cough in public, lord knows what they
>> get up to behind closed doors.

I think germs / viruses, being invisible, must be too abstract for many people to properly grasp.

The general standard of handwashing I see is poor - too much briefly wafting the fingers under running water rather than a proper soapy wash and rubbing around the fingers and thumbs. And there is a tendency for people to think that if they don't actually food items, i.e. if they use tongs for example, they don't need to wash. Never mind that they are touching utensils, handles etc. that other people handling food might come into contact with.

As for coughing and sneezing on trains and tubes, it's hopeless unless a lot more people get the message. I have around 20 meeting commitments in central London each year and if this gets loose I will simply not be going until it's safe and especially if the medical resources to treat it are rationed. I'm 66 and have a chronic heart problem so I'll offer to participate via Skype.

       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - tyrednemotional
>>I'm 66 and have a
>> chronic heart problem so I'll offer to participate via Skype.
>>
....if it really is going to be be as widespread as is being flagged, wouldn't it be better to catch it now, whilst there's still chance of the availability of a bed and medication......?

;-)
      1  
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Manatee
>> ....if it really is going to be be as widespread as is being flagged, wouldn't
>> it be better to catch it now, whilst there's still chance of the availability of
>> a bed and medication......?
>>
>> ;-)

That idea had crossed my mind!
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - Manatee

>> Surely, now it exists, isnt it necessary for everyone to catch it and build up
>> some form of natural immunity? After all, its not going to simply pack up and
>> go away.

Several experts think that the worst case scenario (pandemic) is the most likely.

e.g. theweek.com/speedreads/897799/harvard-scientist-predicts-coronavirus-infect-70-percent-humanity
       
 Coronavirus Pandemic - is it actually required? - bathtub tom
I was listening to a local radio program where a professor of microbiology (or some such) was relating how swabs were taken around a town.

One of the cleanest were lavatory seats, they're frequently cleaned.

The worst were supermarket trolley handles, I can understand why, closely followed by car steering wheels. You push the trolley back, get in the car and drive off. I took an anti-bac wipe with me to the supermarket this morning. Lots of depleted shelves.

Almost as bad were door handles and push pads.
      1  
 Coronavirus - R.P.
This is the way most Chinese eat at home and may perhaps be a cause of the rapid spread of the virus in China.

Same in rural 'Nam last year. Not my favourite way of eating, but I was starving.
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
Having lived a lot of time in dodgy places one learns about protecting your health; hot well cooked food, red meat, cooked vegetables, no seafood, poultry or white meat, no salad, no fruit. Nothing warm, nothing shared.

It takes one fly to land on your food whilst it's in a buffet or on a table and you're done.
       
 Coronavirus - Robin O'Reliant
I have found myself pushing doors open with my elbow and trying to avoid touching anything when I use a public loo. I try not to touch my face when I am out and give my hands a good scrub when I get home. I've taken to using the bus to get into town since I retired from full time work a couple of years ago but I may well stop that for the foreseeable future.
       
 Coronavirus - Zero

>> taken to using the bus to get into town since I retired from full time
>> work a couple of years ago but I may well stop that for the foreseeable
>> future.

Good idea, musn't let saving the whole planet from climate change get in the way of a bit of hysteria
       
 Coronavirus - R.P.
hot well cooked food, red meat, cooked vegetables, no seafood, poultry or white meat, no salad, no fruit. Nothing warm, nothing share

Good rules, which I followed in Vietnam, however.......We were given a large white orange type fruit - (like a grapefruit only sweet and delicious) we peeled it ourselves and it was awesomely good and very expensive at $5.00 a shot (eight trillion dongs or something) - I broke my own no fruit rule and really enjoyed this thirst quenching beauty...we drank bottled water and apart from some er...strange noises stomach wise I never had any undesirable gastric outcome....maybe the home made rice and corn "wine" did for any bugs....to be honest Mark we could have been eating any type of animal including escalope de fido. I lived.
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
>>to be honest Mark we could have been eating any type of animal

Oh absolutely, happens all the time. As long as it is red, hot and well cooked it doesn't matter.

The problem with fruit is that s*** that lives in it, not the s*** on it's surface. If it's not cooked then personally I won't touch it.

Of course you can get away with it. I can cross a road with my eyes closed and get away with it. But if you do it often enough...
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
Bananas are usually ok if the suit of armour is in tact
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
>> Bananas are usually ok if the suit of armour is in tact

The black banana weevil lives in bananas. If you ever find a banana with two weevils in then make sure you eat the smaller one.

You should always choose the lesser of two weevils.
      2  
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> >> Bananas are usually ok if the suit of armour is in tact
>>
>> The black banana weevil lives in bananas. If you ever find a banana with two
>> weevils in then make sure you eat the smaller one.
>>
>> You should always choose the lesser of two weevils.

Weevil heard that joke before
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 2 Mar 20 at 20:26
       
 Coronavirus - Bromptonaut
>> Weevil heard that joke before

Weevil's wobble but they don't fall down....

Or should that be in the misheard thread.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 2 Mar 20 at 20:38
       
 Coronavirus - Zero
>> >> Weevil heard that joke before
>>
>> Weevil's wobble but they don't fall down....
>>
>> Or should that be in the misheard thread.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKcAWO_IznI
       
 Coronavirus - Ambo
The weevil joke comes from Patrick O'Brian's book "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World". It is a scene where the Commander sets a trap to tease another officer and is well played by Russel Crow in the 2003 film version.
       
 Coronavirus - CGNorwich
It’s not the inside of meat you have to worry about it’s the outside. That’s why it’s ok to eat meat that is pink or red on the inside as long as the outside is well cooked. A hamburger on the other hand should be cooked through. Effectively any contamination on the outside is of the meat is transferred to the inside by the mincing process. Chicken is normally contaminated in its preparation by contact with the bacteria contained in its gut.
       
 Coronavirus - No FM2R
>>That’s why it’s ok to eat meat that is pink or red on the inside as long as the outside is well cooked.

Quite wrong. You have no idea what was living in the meat, the history of the meat or what bacteria, virus or parasite the meat contains. Unless you have a food thermometer to hand and can check the internal temperature it was cooked to, [which I think is minimum 65 degrees?], then you have no idea whether or not it is safe. Therefore in dodgy places well-done is your friend.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 2 Mar 20 at 17:42
       
 Coronavirus - CGNorwich
If the meat is fresh and not subject to decomposition the inside of the meat should be OK. Bacteria will be on the outside. Pork is the exception as can harbour tapeworms in the flesh. That’s why it used to be considered necessary to cook pork until well done although now fashionable to eat it pink in the West. Of course in dodgy areas of the world best to cook everything thoroughly to be safe
       
 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - devonite
Here is an extract I was recently made aware of in a book, The Eves of Darkness, by Dean Koontz.

“They call the stuff Wuhan-400 because it was developed in their RD labs, outside the city of Wuhan and it was the 400th viable strain.
Created at that research centre.

Around 2020, a severe pneumonia – type virus will spread around the globe, attacking the lungs and bronchial tracts, and resisting all known treatments.

It will disappear almost as quickly as it appeared, but attack again ten years later before disappearing completely”

This book was originally published in the early 90's! - spooky me thinks!
       
 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - No FM2R
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sRS1dwCotw

Koontz called it 'Gorki-400' named after the Russian city where it was developed. It was renamed in a reprint in the 90s following the demise of the USSR.

The virus itself is different in every meaningful way the *only* commonality is the name of the city.


So, stuff all to do with a prophetic author, I'm afraid.

>>
       
 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - Zero
Wow I have just had a severe case of Deja Vous
       
 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - tyrednemotional
....not après vous, old chap......?

       
 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - No FM2R
>> Wow I have just had a severe case of Deja Vous

Not again!
       
 Coronavirus - Volume 2 - CGNorwich
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN20M19I
       
 Climate change - smokie
Maybe this is the superior beings response to climate change - cull the population so that he planet's resources are less stretched. It is, after all, how nature works really.

Shame it's survival of the fittest though, as most of us don't fall into that category. Should have targeted those who are still capable of breeding.
       
 Climate change - CGNorwich
It’s the old who are the problem . Disproportionate users of resources with little contribution to society who also expect the young to look after them. If it comes to allocation of medical care we will be last in the queue I’m afraid.
       
 Climate change - No FM2R
>>Maybe this is the superior beings response to climate change -

Well if it is it's a bit of a s*** attempt.

Population of the earth is 7.5bn. If *everybody* catches it and around 2% die then we'll have a global population of 7.35bn. Doesn't seem worth the effort really.
       
 Climate change - Robin O'Reliant
>>
>>
>> Population of the earth is 7.5bn. If *everybody* catches it and around 2% die then
>> we'll have a global population of 7.35bn. Doesn't seem worth the effort really.
>>

Quite right. Any serious attempt would have had some mad Mullah stabbing gleefully at a few nuclear buttons.
       
 Climate change - No FM2R
The world's population has doubled since 1970, and there were people complaining about over population even then.

So any meaningful reduction in population would need to take us back to about that.

Now, I don't want to know what 3.7bn rotting corpses, or 3.7bn cremations would do to the world. but i;m guessing carbon emissions would go through the roof.

So really we need to send them all to another planet. If we build a big enough space craft we could get loads in, but we'd need to shuttle them out from Earth. Even aggressive plans mean no more than 300 people in a shuttle so we'd need 12million launches or thereabouts.

If we launched one every hour then it would still take 1,300 years and the emissions don't bear thinking about.

So I think we're screwed unless some invents a destructor ray gun.
       
 Climate change - zippy
>>The world's population has doubled since 1970, and there were people complaining about over
>>population even then.

I recall a Star Trek TOS episode where they went to a planet with no disease and the population was so high that there was just no space for anyone.

They were begging to catch a germ or virus from the crew, so that millions would die.

People have less babies if the infant mortality rate is lower and the women become economically viable. It would be a slow process but educate the third world, bring equality and wealth to them.

Problem is energy consumption rises with wealth and for everyone to have as much electricity usage as the average American, building a nuclear power station a week for the next decade wouldn't be enough!
       
 Climate change - Robin O'Reliant
BBC news this lunchtime was estimating the death rate at 1%, half the original figure and in line with normal flu deaths. Bearing in mind that a lot of people won't even know they've got Coronovirus the true figure may be much lower than that.

Rather spoils a good panic, although we can rely on the Mail and the Express to stoke it back up again in the morning with a few wild claims. The Express is majoring on it, having finally discovered Diana is dead and needing to fill that front page.
       
 Climate change - CGNorwich
Reminds me of Douglas Adams tale of the Golgafrincham Ark fleet.

The B Ark is technically named "Golgafrincham Ark Fleet, Ship B". The Golgafrincham civilization hatched a plan to eliminate its society of its most useless workers, namely its service sector and its paper shufflers. The Golgafrinchans created a legend that their world was about to be destroyed and they needed to build three arks. In Ark A they would put all the high achievers, the scientists, thinkers, artists, and important leaders. In Ark C they would put all the blue-collar workers, the people that build and make things. In Ark B they would put everyone else: hairdressers, phone sanitisers TV producers, insurance salesmen, personnel officers, security guards, public relations executives, and management consultants. Ark B is despatched first.

The post script to the tale is that the entire remaining population of earth is wiped out by a virus caught from an unsanitised phone.
       
 Climate change - Dulwich Estate II
The BBC News Website just now 17.40 3rd March:

"Summary
1. Protective gear such as masks and goggles for health workers are running out, the WHO says
2. French government to requisition production of face masks
3. Tens of thousands of prisoners in Iran have been released temporarily as the country's outbreak worsens
4. US central bank announces an emergency interest rate cut of 0.5%
5. The UK government says up to a fifth of the workforce could be off sick at the peak of an epidemic
6. Latest figures from the UK say 51 people have now tested positive"


Panic ? What me ? Nah - it'll all be over by . . . when exactly ?
       
 Climate change - Zero

>> 6. Latest figures from the UK say 51 people have now tested positive"
>>
>>
>> Panic ? What me ? Nah - it'll all be over by . . .
>> when exactly ?

Yesterday 450 people died of Cancer in the UK. Start Panicking about that.
       
 Climate change - BiggerBadderDave
"Yesterday 450 people died of Cancer in the UK. Start Panicking about that."

The more people dying from coronavirus, the fewer people dying from cancer.

Always look on the bright side, Zero.
       
 Climate change - Zero
>> "Yesterday 450 people died of Cancer in the UK. Start Panicking about that."
>>
>> The more people dying from coronavirus, the fewer people dying from cancer.
>>
>> Always look on the bright side, Zero.

You are always such a glass half full kinda guy
       
 Climate change - Lygonos
>>Yesterday 450 people died of Cancer in the UK

Yesterday 3000 children died from malaria.

Dont' worry - they're mostly in Africa and there's no cheap effective treatment for malaria...….
       
 Climate change - Zero

>> The post script to the tale is that the entire remaining population of earth is
>> wiped out by a virus caught from an unsanitised phone.

Cleaning your phone of Viruses has a whole new meaning these days
       
 Climate change - Dulwich Estate II
" Yesterday 450 people died of Cancer in the UK. Start Panicking about that. "

The last time I checked I didn't find that one cancer patient infected dozens of others at a conference, and then more and then more.

Does cancer really spread across whole swathes of people in Iran in a couple of weeks ?

It looks like maybe 2% - 4% of over 60s are dying from an extremely infectious disease.

Are governments across the planet making unprecedented efforts to minimise the spread of this virus simply in panic or do they have evidence ?

Stop burying your head in the sand.
       
 Climate change - Zero

>> Stop burying your head in the sand.

Stop panicking like a wet old aunt and look at real world figures about life and death.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 3 Mar 20 at 19:14
       
 Climate change - No FM2R
I read that while walking and thought "Dear God, he'll get in the s*** for that".

I stopped so I could post a comment and then realised he'd actually typed 'aunt'.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 3 Mar 20 at 19:19
      2  
 Climate change - Bromptonaut
>> I read that while walking and thought "Dear God, he'll get in the s*** for
>> that".
>>
>> I stopped so I could post a comment and then realised he'd actually typed 'aunt'.

I had to read that twice....

ROFLMAO
       
 Climate change - tyrednemotional
>> .......and then realised he'd actually typed 'aunt'.
>>

......no, that's just his spellchecker at work....

;-)
       
 Climate change - Zero
The C word makes you a star on here. A whole line of them
       
 Climate change - Avant
Aunts are often given to panic - it must be something about being an aunt.

But is there any evidence that the word that Mark and Bromptonaut thought it was has ever panicked about anything? On the whole I hope not.
       
 Climate change - CGNorwich
Release date for new James Bond film “No Time to Die” delayed until November due to Coronavirus

No Mr Bond I expect you to die.
       
 Climate change - Zero
>> Release date for new James Bond film “No Time to Die” delayed until November due
>> to Coronavirus
>>
>> No Mr Bond I expect you to die.

Clearly they dont. AT the box office anyway.

They couldn't take the chance of a global premier release being disrupted, They get one shot and one shot only at that. With 250 million dollars at stake it was a sound business action, and a november release date is not a bad time box office wise.
       
 Climate change - No FM2R
The only potential issue is that Daniel Craig has a loose mouth. Plenty of time for him to say the wrong thing.
       
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