Coronavirus outbreak

[deptfordmarmoset]

Cannot see how what has happened in Italy can be taken as an indicator for events here given the differences in family social structures, not many elderly relatives here have relations visiting 24/7.

Have a look at Germany then.

 

[mjr]

Sitting in a hospital Starbucks and this guy obviously has flu. Coughing and spluttering, very red faced, no attempt to cover his mouth. There's about 12 other customers in here all keeping as far away from hom as possible.

It's a ruddy hospital. He could have any one of dozens of other illnesses and you're playing doctor from the other side of the room. Not cool.

 

[tom73]

Now its really getting serious.
Just reading that Jehovahs Witnesses have cancelled all door to door witnessing, all public meetings and all those public literature carts you see.

They maybe a god after all

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I agree, and the way they tend to interact with people outside the family is different.

The Italians, and the Spanish, are more tactile and more inclined to embrace people they meet.

Vive le difference, but very bad for virus transmission.

Did I dream you knocking someone today for confusing there with their? I'd steer well clear of French, if I were you. La différence!

 

[Pale Rider]

Did I dream you knocking someone today for confusing there with their? I'd steer well clear of French, if I were you. La différence!

Curses, should have known that or checked it.

Happy to take your advice.

Steering well clear of French, and steering well clear of the French, will not be a hardship for me.

 

[Blue Hills]

As a slight diversion from the virus, I see the BBC has spoken to three couples who are having to alter their wedding plans.

What struck me from the article is one couple were planning on spending £100,000 on their wedding.

I knew weddings aren't cheap, but that is a vast amount of money - I'm obviously well out of touch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51896636

at the risk of a thread drift, tho you started it that's bonkers.
I do hope there isn't/wasn't a string quartet booked.
I firmly believe there is a string quartet curse - have one at the wedding and your marriage is doomed/on borrowed time.
Maybe they've had a close shave
can sort their underlying relationship
and then when this all blows over book an oompah band for a do above a pub.

 

[mjr]

As I understand it, if the country doesn’t develop a herd immunity, when the virus evolves into something worse in the winter (as is predicted) then there’ll be real trouble.

It could evolve into something less expensive like the 1918 flu did IIRC. Those who've studied the genetics will have opinions on which is more likely. I'm not one.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

As a slight diversion from the virus, I see the BBC has spoken to three couples who are having to alter their wedding plans.

What struck me from the article is one couple were planning on spending £100,000 on their wedding.

I knew weddings aren't cheap, but that is a vast amount of money - I'm obviously well out of touch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51896636

An Indian couple that I know attended the wedding of his sister last year that was paid for by the grandfather of the bride - 1000 guests over three days at a mind-numbing £250k.

 

[Rocky]

It could evolve into something less expensive like the 1918 flu did IIRC. Those who've studied the genetics will have opinions on which is more likely. I'm not one.

You may be right. I did a module on genetics for my degree but that was back in 1975 and I can’t remember a bean about it

 

[tom73]

As a slight diversion from the virus, I see the BBC has spoken to three couples who are having to alter their wedding plans.

What struck me from the article is one couple were planning on spending £100,000 on their wedding.

I knew weddings aren't cheap, but that is a vast amount of money - I'm obviously well out of touch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51896636

Think they've missed a trick if only they'd update the gift list and got everyone to bring bog roll then stuck the whole lot on eBay. They'd have been quids in.

 

[Milzy]

Brother in Canada says they've closed down all the bars. He's fuming and he says he's not happy with their Martial law.

 

[Pale Rider]

at the risk of a thread drift, tho you started it that's bonkers.
I do hope there isn't/wasn't a string quartet booked.
I firmly believe there is a string quartet curse - have one at the wedding and your marriage is doomed/on borrowed time.
Maybe they've had a close shave
can sort their underlying relationship
and then when this all blows over book an oompah band for a do above a pub.

As it's an Asian wedding, I doubt a string quartet - or an oompah band - is quite their thing.

 

[Proto]

My daughter tells me some universities are closing this coming week, Bristol being one of them.

Most of her lectures get put online so it’ll be work from home for her students.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Brother in Canada says they've closed down all the bars. He's fuming and he says he's not happy with their Martial law.

My brother in Canada just messaged me to ask how the social distancing versus social drinking debate was going, at which point I decided it could be the last chance for a drink out for quite a while....

 

[DaveReading]

Although if you look at the list of people who have signed there’s a lot of mathematicians and PhD students (researchers in training). If I’d read a critique from a group of virologists or epidemiologists, I’d take more notice. So the CMO/CSA are probably not that worried.

Edit: it’s also worth knowing that Dr Hanage is not a full professor at Harvard. He’s the equivalent of a senior lecturer. So I suspect Professor Chris Whitty has a tad more experience in dealing with these things.

I sincerely hope that the link to the letter is a copy, and that the original didn't include as one of its references that paper from the bloke who has absolutely no medical or epidemiological qualifications whatsoever.