I don’t think that people understand that people of any age have just as much chance of contracting the virus. They have just as much chance of contracting the severe version. The severe version is just as tough for younger people. It’s just they are less likely to die. But the suffering is the same.
I think the government have said too often that it’s a mild illness for most. The message seems to have been communicated as most people don’t have to worry. They need to rephrase the communications.
wow have just seen on the news that the NHS have secured all the ITU facilities at private hospitals here. That’s a major development and will help so much!
They are just reporting on a prototype ventilator that is nearly ready for full production here in days - a thousand a day. It’s brilliant how things are being turned around so quick.
Well it’s not doubling per day which was the original pattern in Wuhan. I thought we would be far worse off by now back in Feb when all the stats were coming out. There’s a steep learning curve when dealing with this but we are doing well in preparations and all we need now is for people to socially distance so that this can be delayed as long as possible. So by then we will have treatment, facilities and hopefully a vaccine before too long.
Even with some people disregarding the advice, I believe there will be a change for the better in a couple of weeks when the things we are doing now will definitely show good results…
The algorithm we use has been around for years and has been constantly updated to take account of changing ways of life.
It is proving to be remarkably accurate.
I posted a link earlier as to the maths behind the increase in infection.
If people continue to ignore the guidance as to social distancing, the next stage in the proceedings is not very nice, we will go into enforced lockdown fines and enforced confinement.
There will also be limited medical help for some in order not to overwhelm the NHS.
Some of you may have noticed that advice is already being given to Doctors regarding this.
Some of you may have already noticed the news management which has started.
The infection figures where published at the same time every day, this has now got later and is after the Daily Briefing by Boris and Co on TV.
You may have also noticed that it is not always Boris and the two Principals,the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientist.
Now we have Ministers and deputies and others giving out the information.
There is a logic to this.
If we push too hard and cause panic, that is the worst possible scenario.
We need essential personnel in the food and supply chains to continue working.
Many of us will be getting letters telling us to self isolate for many weeks, we need the support structure in place.
There has been a NICE directive reported in the news to say that only people who have a reasonable chance of recovery will be prioritised for treatment.
This again goes back to people who are young and likely to survive and are ignoring the instructions could basically be taking the life of an older person who may have a slim chance of surviving, but who in normal circumstances would be given the best treatment to try to fulfil that chance. So for the young to be mingling without control is totally selfish.
I think it’s rather to give the PM and others a break. Trump seems to be on TV every day though. However, the total lack of social distancing on the US updates is noted.
I am surprised that they still have press representatives in the same room in UK updates. The other day they said that this would change but they have just put the chairs further apart.
They are drip feeding changes in measures each day in order to manage that change and not panic people.
So tomorrow I would not be surprised if they do not add more stringent measures. Perhaps a curfew in the worst hit areas. People are already starting to go a bit nuts though. I anticipate a rise in anti social behaviour.
They seriously need to find a better way for older people to access food shopping. Someone on twitter suggested ice cream vans to change to food delivery. I’d suggest milk floats How are other countries managing?
Epidemic scientists have been experimenting with Covid-19 on mice.
They discovered that male mice died at TWICE the rate of female mice.
That goes a long way to explain why human males, around the globe, are dying at a MUCH higher rate than human females.
They say that estrogen in females offers SOME protection.
When scientists removed the ovaries from the female mice, they had the same death rate as male mice.
It would be very interesting to know if elderly human females who take estrogen supplements are better (not necessarily 100%) protected. If so, let me at that estrogen. I wouldn’t care if I suddenly developed breasts.
Your post sparked my interest and I’ve looked at a couple of studies on the links between oestrogen and lung disease in females and it appears to normally have an adverse effect (which is quite disturbing). Apparently tumours are linked to higher oestrogen levels (although studies do make it clear that insufficient research has been done to confirm that link). A good reason for women to give up smoking!
Perhaps in this disease there is a link but other information indicates that oestrogen increases the inflammation response. This article links the role of oestrogen in t cell immune response. Perhaps in women the resulting immune response to this particular virus is higher than in men. Perhaps the increased inflammation reduces the severity of infection. It’s certainly a fascinating finding.
I heard tonight, that our GP’s will be writing to some patients on who must self-isolate.
Presumably they will go by the patients age and known health conditions.
Pres. Trump has been very active in pushing all federal agencies to speed up the production of testing kits. Today it was announced that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has given the green light to a totally new “point of care test kit.” Which are being mass produced even as we speak.
Moreover, he has talked large corporations, like the big auto-makers, into making ventilators. Saying he was asking a lot, Pres. Trump has placed an order for 200,000 new ventilators. And 8 million more test kits, by the 1st week of April That is only the 1st step. Millions of more test kits are on order.
Within the next few days we will find out if Congress will authorize checks of $1,000 USD to every adult American, except for those who earn more than $75K/yr.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that hospital care will soon be denied to those who have less chance of surviving. They expect that the entire health care system will collapse under the weight of vast numbers of sick people, and the expected absence of exhausted hospital personnel. Using California as an example, the state governor expects that 20 million Californians will become infected.
