The Stupid-19 virus

[^woody^]

It occurred to me that the stupid behaviour when faced with an existential threat, seems to have only infected the three main English-speaking countries. (Canada seems to be exempt, maybe due to some French genes)

• Panic buying, but for stupid unnecessary items. Check.
• Not listening to expert advice. Check
• Continuing to mix with people who may cause your death, or death of your family members. Check.
• Buildings shut so as to prevent close contact amongst people, so people just meet up outside. Check
• Country locks down everything, British holiday makers decide it don't apply to them. Check

Wtf?

So, what is that makes these English-speakers so special? I do wonder if the world would benefit from less stupid people.

 

[transam]

It occurred to me that the stupid behaviour when faced with an existential threat, seems to have only infected the three main English-speaking countries. (Canada seems to be exempt, maybe due to some French genes)

• Panic buying, but for stupid unnecessary items. Check.
• Not listening to expert advice. Check
• Continuing to mix with people who may cause your death, or death of your family members. Check.
• Buildings shut so as to prevent close contact amongst people, so people just meet up outside. Check
• Country locks down everything, British holiday makers decide it don't apply to them. Check

Wtf?

So, what is that makes these English-speakers so special? I do wonder if the world would benefit from less stupid people.

Fair point

Then get stuck in Peru on holiday and start whingeing about. Not being able to get home

Fck em they can stay there Afai am concerned

 

[motorbiking]

Honest reporting of cases is more likely. Does anyone believe the Russian numbers?

Last I checked Spain, france, Germany etc were all suffering

 

[SirGalahad]

Germany and South Korea have the most reliable figures.

We like Italy did not test enough, we still dont test enough, NHS staff are still not being tested. Germany I believe started testing in January/ early February.

Also as we are not testing enough, we are not recording all covid related deaths. People present with all symptoms and before test is returned (taking about 3 days) the patient dies. A dr cannot put a suspected cause of death on a certificate so put it down as pneumonia or other complications.

In the self isolation old people will die at home or turn upto hospital too late to be saved, they wont be tested.

So our real death rates are far higher as our real infection rate.

 

[motorbiking]

That’s just an opinion though. Particularly cause of death. Do you have evidence to back up the claim that cause of death is being under reported?

 

[SirGalahad]

Which part? Testing?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51943612

As to covid on death cert.

The first role of a dr on a death cert is to confirm they have seen the patient. The cause of death is to the best belief and knowledge of the dr but crucially if they have been the attending dr at their last illness.

So testing, testing, testing is key.

 

[SirGalahad]

I expect we will follow Italy / Spain rapidly and update our guidance when the death toll rises.

 

[SirGalahad]

A consultant from an NHS hospital within the M25 (he did not want his hospital named) told the Guardian that his hospital was coping at present but he was anticipating a “proper crisis” by Saturday.

On testing, he said:

What you want to do is test early. Then, if they test positive, for all intents and purposes they’re likely to be immune (when they recover). If they don’t have Covid they can work. If they do have Covid, they can self-isolate.

A lot of healthcare workers are in relationships with other healthcare workers. Children have fevers or coughs all the time, if you lose staff for 14 days every time they have a fever or cough or have contact (with someone with symptoms or who has tested positive) that is a problem. We’ve got to test the medical staff and potentially even test their contacts.

The crux of this is having enough doctors and nurses and ventilators. We are in week four of a crisis. In four of five weeks I am probably going to have everyone self-isolating (in my team).

 

[Ihavenojob]

Fair point

Then get stuck in Peru on holiday and start whingeing about. Not being able to get home

Fck em they can stay there Afai am concerned

If it's the case in Peru I think you're on about, they are stuck there with her inlaws, no major biggie.

 

[motorbiking]

Also as we are not testing enough, we are not recording all covid related deaths.

This bit.

Not testing enough is of course going to miss those with mild symptoms, but there is no evidence and I also couldn't find any credible research to suggest anyone is even making the claim, that it will result in under reporting fatality rates. However, fatal infections seem to be lasting from 2 - 8 weeks according to the W.H.O. Far too few critically ill people are recovering.

In terms of critical care, how on earth does a hospital prepare for intake that may be in hospital for such a wide deviation. Crazy situation.

 

[Doug99]

A consultant from an NHS hospital within the M25 (he did not want his hospital named) told the Guardian that his hospital was coping at present but he was anticipating a “proper crisis” by Saturday.

On testing, he said:

What you want to do is test early. Then, if they test positive, for all intents and purposes they’re likely to be immune (when they recover). If they don’t have Covid they can work. If they do have Covid, they can self-isolate.

A lot of healthcare workers are in relationships with other healthcare workers. Children have fevers or coughs all the time, if you lose staff for 14 days every time they have a fever or cough or have contact (with someone with symptoms or who has tested positive) that is a problem. We’ve got to test the medical staff and potentially even test their contacts.

The crux of this is having enough doctors and nurses and ventilators. We are in week four of a crisis. In four of five weeks I am probably going to have everyone self-isolating (in my team).

I'm just recovering from a severe head cold (not CV symptomatic) so going back to work after only a 72hr break. My wife however, works for NHS and was told to take 14 days off just in case. If I had been tested, she could have returned back to work straight away. Crazy!!

 

[SirGalahad]

I'm just recovering from a severe head cold (not CV symptomatic) so going back to work after only a 72hr break. My wife however, works for NHS and was told to take 14 days off just in case. If I had been tested, she could have returned back to work straight away. Crazy!!

Well what can the staff do? The only definitive proof is if you were tested, but in the absence of that they will play safe and lose a valued memeber of staff for 2 weeks.

 

[Doug99]

Well what can the staff do? The only definitive proof is if you were tested, but in the absence of that they will play safe and lose a valued memeber of staff for 2 weeks.

But following the online NHS111 guidance I did not meet the CV criteria, so even by their own standards my wife was no risk.

 

[Mottie]

My wife however, works for NHS and was told to take 14 days off just in case.

My wife works for the NHS (medical typist) and she didn’t go in this morning as she and three others are crammed into a converted store room with less than .5m between them. She asked if she could work from home or be moved into one of the many empty offices on her floor. They told her not to be silly over this 2m rule and if that was the case, how would a doctor be able to treat a patient! She’s still waiting for an answer and won’t be going back until she gets a satisfactory one.

 

[^woody^]

Honest reporting of cases is more likely. Does anyone believe the Russian numbers?

Last I checked Spain, france, Germany etc were all suffering

What's the shelves like in the shops, or the panic outside of them?