Blah Blah

Penguin, I know all of that. But some kind of measurement does exist, with all its flaws, because without it, there would be no recognition of what constitutes a pandemic vs just a very bad flu season. And a person can be tested for influenza A virus just as easily as any other virus if a medical measurement needs to be made of that. I also disagree that referring to present data is meaningless. It is what enables a measure of the risk level of the virus. It also enables a comparison of how different responses and resources compare. Where I would agree with you is in that only once antibody tests can be done widely, will we get an essence of the true spread of the virus before the lock down measures came in. But for now, it is enough to know that it spreads easily and sends too many people to hospital needing intensive treatment.

Sorry Worldwiser, but that is just not how mortality rates are measured. Comparing mortality to cases presenting themselves for treatment however, IS, how mortality is calculated. So if 3% are fatalities, that is 30 times more than the 0.1% for seasonal flu. It is frustrating to see the playing down of the seriousness of this by the argument around non-diagnosed and therefore, uncounted for, cases. 3% (and the global average may well get closer to 10% by the time this is over) is millions of people. This SARS virus sees 18% (from data so far) of those developing symptoms, needing ICU care. And some people, with no underlying conditions are dying. So let's just accept that this is a serious global pandemic, and that until we have effective antiviral treatment, and/or a working vaccine, this is something we need to keep under control as far as we can. Let's hope the virus doesn't mutate between waves too.

Eggs last at least three to five weeks in a fridge and up to a year in the freezer dbboy.

Yes, I pointed out the FDA approval for trials in a reply above. The Plasma works to kick start antibody production in already ill patients. So might be the only effective treatment for some patients until an effective drug treatment emerges. The USA is heading for the worst figures on infection and deaths so far.

I would say the probability is high if the US trials give positive results. And yes, group O blood can receive plasma from any other blood group.

The are a range of risks (plasma has more risk than other types of blood transfusion). Serious adverse reactions include acute lung injury, circulatory overload, and allergic/anaphylactic reaction. Less common risks include transmission of infection, febrile non-hemolytic reaction, RBC allo-immunization, and hemolytic reaction. Fortunately, all of those things can be treated, but this kind of treatment has never been used in place of a vaccine, mainly because any benefit it creates is temporary. Hence it being useful for helping those fighting the infection (as a form of treatment), but would require repeated shots to work like any vaccine. It would never be offered to anyone not in a high risk group.

This is not a simple process and carries all kinds of risks. Plasma transfusion of any kind has no guarantee of working. The only way this would be tested, is in patients who have no other way of recovering. There are a whole range of trials any treatment has to go through before it can be licensed for wider use. The story has made the newspapers because the FDA in the USA has cleared the trial of convalescent plasma for use in extreme cases where the patient?s life is seriously or immediately threatened. It would be some time, and require much more comprehensive research before any such treatment would be on offer anywhere.

Prince Charles was eligible for testing because of his age. He was treated by the same policy all people over 70 and displaying possible symptoms are currently treated by the NHS.

lol yes, there will be a lot of bored new owners of gym equipment at the end of one month.

The stats for any pandemic change all the time during the pandemic itself. Only at the end can any definitive figure be given on mortality. BUT is it enough to know that this is not flu, that this virus is twice as infectious and 30 times more deadly. That in itself should be enough to understand why this is not anything like a bout of seasonal flu.

Hi Fleur, follow all the advice above and hopefully you can tap into a local volunteer network. If not, come back to the forum. Someone will step up to help you.

Yep, this is not going to be over in one month. But on a lighter note, I will be offering a half price home cross trainer when the gyms reopen :D

I agree sweetgirl. A lock down involves police enforced curfews and the other stuff. BUT, people were warned and failed to heed the advice given. The PM had no choice.

I went jogging today and crossed the road if I came across anyone I needed to pass. Easy to do in an area like ED.

Yes, the messaging from the top has been confused, but that is because they are populists and not science based professionals. Science based facts have a habit of undoing populism. On this, Sue is right. This is a real full scale pandemic (according to all the medical definitions). We ALL have a duty to save lives through our own behaviour. And we do not need to wait for government to act to do the right thing. Listen to the medical professionals...they trained for exactly this kind of scenario. And lobby any politician who is slow to the mark x Edited to add; we have an issue with people who think the MSM is fake news. This rebellion was a seed sown by the lack of censorship on social media, and has been exacerbated by Brexit. THIS is why the messaging is failing.

I agree with all of that blackcurrant. Leave the professional masks for the health professionals, who come into contact with the virus every day. For everyone else, it is about finding the best way to make everyone put the advice given at the fore. A lot of that is about changing behaviour. Not an easy thing to do but we are getting there.

Agreed. But there are some online suppliers that are not raising prices to be fair. Because of demand, it means the cheaper versions of things are selling out fast. But you don't need expensive equipment to work out and youtube is full of great routines you can follow to keep up any previous gym or exercise routine. I just wanted a cross trainer because that was my most effective piece of gym equipment for High Impact Training. I already have bar and dumbells and a weights bench, and a cycling machine. For most people, they can find whole classes online, they can do in their own home, with very little equipment needed. Maybe we should start a new thread to share links for useful at home exercise? Exercise is a great thing for combating depression too.

No issues here. Can not see why any internet providers would struggle to cope to be honest.

Everyone in Asia started wearing masks right away and they flattened their curves very quickly. Sometimes, a public shared behaviour sends out the right message, whether it scientifically has an impact or not. In other words, if everyone were wearing surgical masks, everyone would be aware of the virus and transmission. Surgical masks are cheap to produce, and are a cheap way of raising public consciousness and therefore changing behaviour, especially in a West that isn't used to seeing them used. This for me is a trick missed by Western governments early on. Had everyone been told to wear masks, you can bet they would have been more consciously abiding by the other advice.

I completely agree Alison and mental health is going to be a challenge over the coming months. This is why I think government should have a think about internet access for those who don't have it. There are now 4G and 5G modems that require no cables (plug and play). It won't be the answer for everyone, but getting as many people online as possible would be a huge help in sharing mental health treatment and solutions.

If there were a like button, I would be upticking Penguins post :)

Hi Seabag. The NHS are not just judging what they need now, but what they will need when the numbers needing treatment shoot up. It is a race to get everything needed in place. Anyone admitted to hospital suspected of having the virus is tested for it though. Even if you are not a carrier of the virus who is asymptomatic, until we have an effective treatment or vaccine, the advice would be the same. Only making journeys that are necessary and social distancing. You are not going to be the only person who is thinking about purchasing a test, so encouraging that as a course of action is going to have an impact on kits available for front line workers. The government has already requisitioned private healthcare services for the moment that NHS facilities become filled to capacity. Try and look at it this way. The more we all do not panic and follow advice, the more likely we are to stay well, and the more likely the treatment we need will be available if we or anyone in our family becomes unwell enough to need hospital treatment. It sounds to me as though you are doing all the right things already. Try not to worry too much. This is going to be a difficult time for lots of people, so you are not alone.

I personally would leave available test kits for those who need them most. Work is ongoing to develop a test that looks for antibodies, which is an easier thing to test for and results can be processed more quickly. That will be used to test for those who may have had the virus and now have some level of immunity (although caution on that as any viral mutation brings us back to square one). So unless you develop clear and obvious symptoms, I would wait for that to become available.

Agreed Sue. A leaflet to every door spelling it out is easy to do. Should have been done a week ago in fact.

I too am backing Admin in this decision. The virus can live on both hard and soft surfaces for several hours at least. To beat it, there has to be an all or nothing approach. Every life saved will make us better for it.