SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

Highest number of over 65s in Europe.
Double the smokers of the UK
Very sociable old people

All factors in the high death rate.

However, Italy has double the ICU beds of the UK

Italy have a culture of close contact like kissing cheeks and touching.

Cheers lads. I was wondering how much of a factor cultural norms would play in this.

Grim reading, regardless.
 
So is Italy particularly unfortunate in this in terms of the severity of it, or is this something that is likely to be replicated in the UK?
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It's an old country with a culture of cheek kissing.
 
250 deaths today in Italy show the latest figures, that's kind of mad. That's more deaths in a single day than China recorded (their highest was around 190).

I've analysed the charts and most major European nations are trending the same way. Germany/France are about 8 days behind Italy (around 8 days ago was when Italy was increasing by 700 cases a day), the UK is around 15 days behind Italy (Italy started to get 200 new cases a day 15 days ago).

With the parabolic spread of cases everywhere in Europe, it really does like like in about 10-15 days in Europe we're going to be getting around 2000 new cases a day in most large European coutries.

The most disconcerting thing though, is that both Italy's number of new cases and Deaths are still increasing. 190 deaths yday -> 250 deaths today, 2.3k new cases yday -> 2.6k new cases today. If Italy can't stem the parabolic growth of the outbreak, then it doesn't bode well for other European countries.

Hopefully though with the lockdown that commenced on the 8th, and with new infections taking around 10 days to show up, after the 18th the effects of the lockdown should hopefully lower new infections.
 
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People have to eat. Thus you have to go out and buy food. There is a great quote saying that any civilization is three meals away from anarchy.

There is a rumour going around in my country (Ireland) that the government will draft in the army and shut down the country for good. I have stockpiled enough food for two weeks if that happens. After that i am fecked, if it does happen.

Be assured, that rumour is utter horseshit of the highest possible order.
 
Poland have just closed borders, closed all restaurants (delivery only), banned gatherings of over 50 people. Good move I say.
 
People have to eat. Thus you have to go out and buy food. There is a great quote saying that any civilization is three meals away from anarchy.

There is a rumour going around in my country (Ireland) that the government will draft in the army and shut down the country for good. I have stockpiled enough food for two weeks if that happens. After that i am fecked, if it does happen.

You can't actually believe that.
 
Kosovo gets the first two cases (one from a 20 year old Italian). Montenegro is the only European country that remains disease-free.
 
What I'm interested in is how early the virus actually hit the countries it's affecting so badly. How soon did they begin testing relative to its actual arrival.

A highly contagious virus breaks out at the end of 2019, most countries take no meaningful measures until March of 2020. It's quite an open window for it to take hold and leave countries a long way behind playing catch-up.
 
Currently on my lunch break here from work and jesus everyone is fairly paranoid about it today. Been told the country on Monday is to be in total shutdown and everyone is on edge. I deal quite a bit with money so in turn have to take quite a few notes and coins off people. Even had a lad working with me refusing to take money off customers.

Never seen anything like it in my life...:eek:
 
Poland have just closed borders, closed all restaurants (delivery only), banned gatherings of over 50 people. Good move I say.

Isn't this worse? Surely, necessitating a third party individual just increases potential transmissions? (Restaurants -- > Delivery drivers --> Customers)
 
Poland have just closed borders, closed all restaurants (delivery only), banned gatherings of over 50 people. Good move I say.
Was about to post that and it's something I've been advocating for the last 2 days. Great decision.
 
My company has told everyone to Wfh now where possible.

Between this, other large companies doing the same and football being cancelled... Doesn't show a great deal of faith in good old Boris aye.
Who would have imagined that the group taking care of the people is big business and not our government. I mean I'm sure there are less than altruistic reasons why they're doing it as well but it still says something.
 
Isn't this worse? Surely, necessitating a third party individual just increases potential transmissions? (Restaurants -- > Delivery drivers --> Customers)
Not really. One person delivering the food is different than tens or hundreds people sitting in one place, let alone using the same toilet. I think so, anyway.
 
My company has told everyone to Wfh now where possible.

Between this, other large companies doing the same and football being cancelled... Doesn't show a great deal of faith in good old Boris aye.
Haven't businesses been in the dark over Brexit for years? Not surprised they don't trust the government
 
Was about to post that and it's something I've been advocating for the last 2 days. Great decision.

Borders should've been closed about 2 weeks ago. Ridiculous that they've been left open so long. feckers have still been going on holiday for the last few weeks, shows how lacklustre the response has been.
 
What I'm interested in is how early the virus actually hit the countries it's affecting so badly. How soon did they begin testing relative to its actual arrival.

A highly contagious virus breaks out at the end of 2019, most countries take no meaningful measures until March of 2020. It's quite an open window for it to take hold and leave countries a long way behind playing catch-up.

If I'm not mistaken on average it takes around 11 days between infection and the first symptoms and if I'm not mistaken I have read that there is the suspiscion that you don't need to be symptomatic to be contagious. So it's quite sneaky and there isn't really a way to spot it before it's too late.
 
What do you want them to do on the phone? The guidance is pretty clear.


I'm struggling to work out you could possibly care about attendance marks currently and that would be a factor in your decision making?!

So you think mixed messages and no guidance is fine? You don't think a child having all the symptoms of the virus is worth at least phoning 111 and checking either? I mean, we aren't talking about a common cold here, he has the cough, the shivers, the high temperature, shortness of breath...so if you are suggesting people don't bother to call the line for that, what do they call it for?

And do you even have kids to be asking about the attendance issue? Because of you do and decide to just take them out of school, tell me how that goes for you.

The school have clearly stated that despite the guidelines they can't guarantee it will go down as authorised absence. It's further proof that leadership is completely lacking. Whether I personally keep them off or not is irrelevant to the bigger picture of what others will or won't do, because I can tell you for a fact more people will be sending the kids in than not in this circumstance for a lot of reasons. I know this because they already are.
 
Borders should've been closed about 2 weeks ago. Ridiculous that they've been left open so long. feckers have still been going on holiday for the last few weeks, shows how lacklustre the response has been.
True. Better late than never, though and loads of countries still haven't done so yet.
EDIT: Just seen we close borders for foreigners only. Just when I thought we close it for all. Eh.
 
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The government said any symptoms self isolate for 7 days, I imagine that would apply to kids as well.

The NHS line said ask the school, the school said 2 days, then 7 and now to bring them in monday.

I mean, I'll ultimately decide what to do for sure, but the point people keep missing is that this is what's actually going on and although the likes of me and you might do the sensible thing, we both know without actual real guidance a lot of people won't.
 
I'm not a doctor. I thought he was asking the symptoms to look out for. As you were.
Not that, sorry! I was just joking because you went the whole way, and I thought it could be scary if misinterpreted. Hopefull only the more ill will have shortness of breath!
 
Whilst I didn't spend any more than normal on my last food shop online, the balance of goods was markedly different from normal. I bought more ready meals and shit like that. Frozen veg instead of fresh etc. I live alone, if I am careful (small portions, reduced meals generally) - and eat the stuff that's been in freezer for donkeys - I'm OK for a couple months max. Found some 20 month old basmati too. Boom.

Yea i stocked up big time on rice. Porridge as well.