Tin Ear over Corona Virus and Boris Johnson

I've been reading the experiences of some people who have had the virus. That was pretty reassuring really. Catching it is not an automatic death sentence!
Seasonal flu used to be known as 'the old man' s friend' as it used to see so many out.
Looking at the stats, it looks like as many as 20% of us won't actually catch it!
I know. I'll be in trouble for minimising but it's a reaction to all the catastrophising that's going on.

There's a thread over on MN to suggest that once the schools closed in Italy and Spain, the urban population spread out and took the virus down to the coastal regions. That's what happens in democracies when restrictions aren't put in place as to movement. Latterly I think travel to other areas has been curtailed, certainly in Italy and I imagine Spain will follow, but maybe too late.

Quite possibly that wasn't the case in China, where when the government issue an edict, it must be obeyed.

I thought the really key point was that closing the schools would mean many health service staff would need to look after their children meaning fewer of them on the frontline. I've seen various doctors suggesting this.

I look after my youngest GC one day a week. The other days he is at nursery. Should I refuse to have him on that one day? I have had to stop for a few weeks as I’ve had a flu type virus and sinusitis. I think I caught it from the GC. The parents have managed. Now I’m better I’m wondering whether to say - no we can’t have him until after all this. I’m ok now but don’t want another illness on top plus my OH has asthma and isn’t in great health. If the nursery is closed they’ll be stuck - but at least one of them can work from home.

Can you discuss the situation with them vegansrock. I'm pleased to have discovered the concern of my daughters for myself and DH and I have seen how this is happening in other families too. After all, there will be a post virus phase, hopefully, when they'll want you hearty and well and continuing to do the childcare!

Good to see iniatives like this arising too, from my neighbourhood group:

Heres the first draft of the leaflet that I shall be trailing in my area tonight, just having a small print run done to get the ball rolling

Neighbourly Neighbours Community

I would like to invite you to join our community of neighbours,
My name is ...............
I live at ..................
I am setting up a WhatsApp group for us here in.......................... ..................................................................................................
so that we can support each other during the current corona virus outbreak.
This group is way for us to keep in touch, offer and receive help and share resources, if any of us have to Self-Isolate it means that we will not have to feel isolated as we can chat, arrange practical things like shopping and access to healthcare resources together, as a community.

WhatsApp is a way for people who have smart phones to participate in a group chat, via text messaging, the chats are secure and only people who are in the group can and see them.

If you do not have WhatsApp but have a smart phone you can down load the App for free. I can help you with that process if needed.

If you do not have a smart phone you can call ....................
on ...........................landline and they will keep you up do date with what’s going on and pass any ideas you have or requests for help that may arise.

This group will be small, just 8 - 20 households but it will be linked to other groups in our area so that we can stay in touch and access more support and services if needed.

Once this crisis has passed I am looking forward to the ways this group can continue to support each other as a community and explore the ways that we can all get to know each other and work together, to be more neighbourly.

That's a really positive post annie. Joan Bakewell was talking about something similar on Radio 4 this evening. Think I will organise similar in my neighbourhood.

I raised this thread calling it having a ' Tin Ear' to what Johnson, the government is saying/doing.

I appreciate we will all have different opinions but I am astounded some posters on various threads are actually continuing to politically weaponize the Corona Virus by twisting comments or failing to understand what the word '' 'context' means.

As for the last two posts what a refreshing change to read some generous, positive thinking.

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POGS. My first post on this thread was broadly supportive of MrJ because he was following expert scientific advice. I've now read more and heard other experts interviewed. I'm less convinced our government is acting effectively. My main concern is the lack of testing equipment and consequent lack of tests. I heard a GP interviewed today, who self isolated and suspects he has the virus but has been unable to get a test. This means he doesn't know if he's safe to return to work once he feels well because he doesn't know if he had the virus.

How can the government action be based on scientific evidence if we have no idea how many people are infected?

I’ve never ventured onto threads that appear to be contentious or political but have to agree with posters who feel that schools should stay open until advised otherwise.

As the parent of a really well behaved girl (now aged 29) I would’ve felt incredibly cruel keeping her indoors for weeks, let alone months, on end. However, she would’ve followed my instructions regardless of her age - or, at least, I believe she would have done.

There are lots of parents who don’t care what their children do and others who have very little control. Added to this is the assumption that children are far less likely to be affected by the illness so there is nothing to force them to take this seriously.

I’m fed up of all the political point-scoring, whether from the opposition or from disgruntled Tories, and agree with many that BJ has handled this as well as he could do. Similarly, I believe that the ‘specialists’ who are disagreeing are doing this from a vantage point whereby they will never be held accountable.

The leadership of the country are damned-if-they-do and damned-if-they-don’t whereas everyone else can fade into obscurity afterwards, regardless of what they’ve said.

Spot on Fran3669!

Not everyone agrees with the government’s strategy. 229 of the country’s top scientists have written an open letter to the government.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51892402
I fear that this strategy will lead to a big spike in cases and an unbearable pressure on the NHS when I thought the whole idea was to delay and spread out the infection rate so it was more controllable.

Thinking about this governments strategy some are interpreting it as “ we’ve cut the health and social care services back to the bone so we know we won’t be able to cope in a crisis. Therefore we aren’t going to do anything just let nature take its course. If you’re ill, you’re on your own”.

This is a good analogy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl6tTwxzCi8&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR22k2NR2xlS4j661D0zwnfZBy5Ls-bobFpAI62qI05nac3CtPOFRKIIP0A

Keeping children in school is the right thing for so many reasons, from freeing up adults to be available to work and keep life running to stopping the spread of the virus.

Unless the children are then confined to their homes they will be running free to be effective spreaders of the virus. Anyone who thinks children can be confined to the house is - well words elude me -. Imagine trying to confine teenage boys in a small one or two bedroomed flat, or bed and breakfast accommodation for more than a couple of days. It will be physically impossible for parents to do so.

Monica - keeping teenagers in is not the problem! Getting them off their screens is the most difficult issue for a lot of parents

OK, Daisymae would you be prepared to live in a small two bedroomed flat for a month with 2 teenage boys? Screens are fine for a time, but I have yet to meet a teenage boy who doesn't need to get out and kick out every couple of days.

Admittedly DGS is just coming up to 10, but he is football mad. A ball is at his toes constantly, inside and out. As far as I can see this is normal for his age, we live opposite the local primary school. A couple of days of bad rain makes him insufferable - but weeks or months of it - and he is fortunate to live in a house with a garden!

Let's face facts schools are going to close anyway. Most now operate on such a skeleton staff that any staff abscence will cause complete disruption. So it's really a question of would you rather have advance notice and know schools will be closed say from now until the end of the Easter holidays or just turn up one morning and find the school can't operate because the staff have the virus? As for staying indoors that isn't necessary for self-isolation. You can go out, you can take the kids out, just don't go to indoor areas or mix with the general public. A walk with the family or kicking a football about are both doable.

There are no immediate plans to shut schools here but obviously contingency plans are in place.

My son and his family are confined to their small flat in Spain. People are only allowed out for essential food shopping and to go to work if they cannot work at home. There are two children and the eldest has ASD and is very anxious.
As over 70s in France we are asked to self-isolate apart from essential shopping (no internet shopping here). Only food shops, pharmacies and petrol stations open in both countries.
If I were you I would want the government to close the schools and limit movement before it gets any worse.

Good grief; watching Johnson bumbling away at the latest press conference is just a total embarrassment; no wonder he didn't seem keen to give them on a regular basis. Squashing sombrero's etc. Thinks he's still writing for the Spectator. The man is totally out of his depth.....

Laibak

You detest Johnson, we get that.

Do you dismiss Chris Witty and Patrick Vallance in equal measure?

I thought Johnson was the reverse of bumbling and embarrassing and I am not sure why you say no wonder ' he didn't seem keen to give them on a regular basis'.

I thought they answered the questions in an appropriate manner and did not shy away from taking questions from the press. No doubt if they had not taken a Q & A you and others would say he was ' going back in to the refrigerator'.

POGS totally agree. I think it was a comprehensive coverage of the current situation. No one has all the answers, its a dynamic situation that is being reviewed and reassessed all the time. I'm pretty impressed with the way its being managed.

POGS your adoration of BJ is showing! How many threads do you want about him?

I am not a Boris fan but I thought he was okay and what he says makes sense. If we close schools too soon we have a problem with childcare.

I don’t adore Boris but I thought it was well done.
How would you have done it Labaik ?