Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[The Brain]

Jesus. Is there a GoFund?

[Eddie Teach]

I don't believe there's a cure for Belgianity.

[Valmy]

I don't believe there's a cure for Belgianity.

Well...

[Zoupa]

Just got a semi looking at that picture

[Syt]

Matt Hancock
@MattHancock
Now we've flattened the curve & reduced new infections, from tomorrow, the 2.2 million people who have been shielding can safely go outside

I know how much those shielding have sacrificed. Thank you to everyone who has protected our NHS & saved lives

Are these numbers good in the UK context?

[Tamas]

In UK context? Yes.

[Zanza]

Looking at the curves at FT (deaths/million and cases/million and their overview of lockdowns), it seems that the UK is relaxing earlier in its cycle than other countries in Western Europe with a comparably bad outbreak.

[Tamas]

Looking at the curves at FT (deaths/million and cases/million and their overview of lockdowns), it seems that the UK is relaxing earlier in its cycle than other countries in Western Europe with a comparably bad outbreak.

You need to adjust those curves for incompetent leadership.

[Tamas]

I think we will be fine though, it must be through the virus is seasonal.

I mean, look at one of the unfair close zoom-in pictures made in a London park this weekend, the lockdown has been over for a while in practice:

[Josephus]

Just got a semi looking at that picture

the one of the map,or the prince?

[Zanza]

There are big outbreaks in hot regions though (Singapore, Amazon region of Brazil, Gulf Emirates), so if it is seasonal there must be other factors as well.

There are indicators that suggest outside transmission is rather limited. In that case, people in parks are actually of little concern.

[Sheilbh]

Looking at the curves at FT (deaths/million and cases/million and their overview of lockdowns), it seems that the UK is relaxing earlier in its cycle than other countries in Western Europe with a comparably bad outbreak.

Yeah. As I say I think the mistakes going into lockdown were scientific. The SAGE minutes have been published and there seems to be a shift in the thinking of the science/a realisation we were in a worse place than they thought in early March. Plus the governments of all nations (Tory, Labour, SNP and DUP/Sinn Fein) broadly went into lockdown on the same timescale) they're very different politically and it seems like the most likely reason was that they all received the same advice.

But this is different. We've had 4-5 SAGE members publicly come out and say they disagree with the way this is being done. The government set up an independent analysis unit which determines the coronavirus "threat level" which should then impact the measures the government take. The government expected the threat level would be decreased, but the unit said we couldn't drop it yet. While there's some fiddling round the edges, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not going at the same pace as England. Even the Chief Scientific Advisors/Chief Medical Officer have raised a few concerns around this but more in the phrase that it's a very delicate/dangerous moment and that we are lifting it at a time when the prevalence of the disease is quite high, so even though the R is .7 to .9 it's risky.

Plus I find it really weird that we all lift lockdown restrictions in England but then may have local lockdowns imposed if there are outbreaks. Given that the R and prevalence seems to be very different in different bits of England, I don't know why we'd not move straight into local decision making/restrictions. So London, has flattened the curve - we're getting around 100-150 new cases testing positive a week in London and similarl I think we've been under 10 deaths a day for a while. Other regions haven't - I think this is possibly linked to the number of care homes in different areas, because we still have a care homes crisis.

[Sheilbh]

There are indicators that suggest outside transmission is rather limited. In that case, people in parks are actually of little concern.

I agree.

And I'd look at that picture and say I'd maybe like to see it from above, because to me that looks like small groups trying to socially distance. I've been to see friends in parks and generally most people are trying to sit 2m apart from each other and 2m from other groups.

I think in London there's definitely been a move to the small groups of 5-6. But I think part of this is because of how weird and illogical the rules were (as Philip Schofield put it "you know how bonkers this sounds, right?"). So I met one friend in a park, but she couldn't bring her boyfriend (despite them living in the same household), but I could wait in the park 10 minutes and then meet him as well

It's one of those points about getting people to follow the rules - I think if the ones that are most counter-intuitive need a lot of explaining or people will ignore them.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I don't believe there's a cure for Belgianity.

Well...

*map of enemies of freedom*

not a bit fan of that genocidal regime

[Iormlund]

Which genocidal regime are you a fan of?