Coronavirus

I see you’re your usual rude self suziewoozie wouldn’t expect anything less from you. ?

Are you from Tory HQ Press Office Poppy? Or maybe working for JRM - he’s big on common sense.,

Well who knows Poppy? And what is common sense? Some vulnerable people are home alone and isolated, maybe worried. They deserve a functioning 111 system at any time and especially now.

If more people used their common sense, they would not need to phone 111 maybe?

I don’t know who’s assuming 111 has all the answers. What I think we have a right to expect is that they are giving consistent information and that a call is being answered very quickly. That should be the normal standard tbf

People are assuming that 111 has all the answers but they don’t! It’s a new virus and no one can predict what’s going to happen next.

If you have flu like symptoms but haven’t been to any of the named countries or been in contact with anyone that have been then it’s very unlikely to be the new virus.

If free movement continues things can only get worse. People that have been to any of these countries recently and have no symptoms need to self isolate for 14 days. If any do have symptoms then phone 111 for instructions on which hospital to attend and how to get there without infecting anyone else.

Should read, safety NET, not need.

Depends if they get paid for those 2 weeks. Given that there is NO safety need / welfare state in the UK anymore, unless they are given paid time off, most people won't be able to afford to do that.

Very judgemental Greymar. When the ratio is 30/1 crowd control is most of what goes on.

Realistically, I just can't foresee people being willing to undergo tests that may lead to isolation for two weeks. Would you personally do that with perhaps a mild fever and cold-like symptoms?

Would you really stay off work and self-isolate to protect others from your (maybe) harmful germs? As the illness is so mild for many younger people, it's just not going to happen.

Do small children actually have time spent with them washing their hands at school? I very much doubt it. Staff are too busy ramming them throught their next target.

A health expert giving advice on the radio this morning addedhat if he had to be in a country where the virus was active, he would choose the UK as being the country most ready and able to deal with an outbreak.

According to the Guardian today Ministers have revealed in parliamentary answers that there are 15 available beds for adult ECMO treatment at five centres across England. This could apparently be increased in an emergency. There were 30 such beds available in total during 2018-19 winter flu season.

More equipment may need to be sourced from other countries, but I guess most countries will be trying to service their own hospitals.

ECMO treatment is used in the most severe cases of respiratory failure, and is a basically a 'heart lung machine' I understand, and there are special pods set up at some centres.

Yep - I’m not worried but I know vulnerable people who are. Just being sensible and washing my hands a lot.
I know it’s controversial and against government advice but I hate to think of all these snotty tissues hanging about and overflowing in every bin. To me cloth hankies well washed in hot water and then ironed to kill the virus are much more hygienic. I don’t expect many to agree with me though.

pollyperkins Hopefully, you won't have to. Looking on the bright side, the BBC reports:

"So far it [the UK strategy] has worked well. As of Friday, there have been 19 cases - all involving infection abroad. There has been no transmission within the UK, but even if there is, that does not mean containment is defeated. If the authorities can chase the links in the transmission chain, they have a good chance of stopping its spread."

I think that’s what makes it so difficult. At this time of year lots of people get colds with similar symptoms to corona virus at the start. And you can’t trace the movements and contacts of everyone you meet.

GagaJo I am not sure who 'actively voted the quality of the NHS down' but I am relieved to hear you are all right Jo.

By the way, Sky reports that neither of the Abel couple died in Japan.

Is the spread of the disease due to the fact that many people only have very mild symptoms and therefore don't self isolate. I'm currently worrying about Nazanin Radcliffe; there is an outbreak of the disease at her prison. If that poor woman dies my rage will know no bounds.

Trawl not travel ?

Ticking you may know who you mean, it doesn’t mean we all do. Unless we travel through all the comments and note all the names. I can’t be bothered. I’m interested in all peoples opinions but ignore personal comments.

Ironic that some of those who actively voted the quality of the NHS down may now need it desperately.

I actually think I might be better off where I am, because I've been forced (by law) to pay for very expensive private health insurance.

Give the 6 week wait at my local GP surgery for an appointment, I think I'd rather pay a bit and see a GP where I am now within a couple of hours, if I'm worried.

So, we are discussing a rather worrying situation. The facts are hazy, perhaps the government could guide us?

Or perhaps we could make snide comments about fellow posters on here.

Btw, just been to a large store which had shed loads of hand wash available.

Japanese media are reporting that the a British man from the cruise ship has died of the virus. I don't think that a name has been released. Cobra is meeting on Monday to discuss the infection, which I think is probably reassuring no one.

It is quite difficult to pin down some of these statistics. The lengthy, annual official report on influenza in the UK is incomprehensible to me, complicated by the variety of influenza strains, differences in severity, year to year, and uncertainty over the attribution of actual cause of death.

It has been reported that winter death rates this year are high, attributed to influenza and cold weather. It seems this was happening before coronavirus emerged as a concern in the UK.

www.nhs.uk/news/medical-practice/flu-and-freezing-weather-may-be-driving-up-winter-death-rates/

Oh yes we do!!