Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, throbber said:

I’m not even remotely kidding, which UK celebrity is more popular than Piers right now?

I'm thinking David Attenborough and Katie Hopkins.

[Herman Hessian]

23 minutes ago, Alert Mongoose said:

If this strain had a 100% death rate would the world have been organised enough to build an underground shelter and select some people to be put in there? How would they decide who to send and how many would need to to ensure a wide enough gene pool?

i'd like to think that the coordinators would have found this thread and tracked down the majority of the young ladies in your many fine nurse pics for inclusion as a starting point...

[The DA]

Listened to Trump on the news there and he's sounding even shorter of breath than usual.  Has he caught it or is he going the sympathy route?

[pandarilla]

You have a soft spot for this keep calm and carry on birthday caird pish so you'll always defend it as lifting the nation's spirits, maybe it does for some. For other's it's no different to stuff like smiling tories or liberal democrats being pictured opening a food bank.
It also plays into a wartime blitz spirit narrative that is very definitely being pushed by the media because it implies rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in is praiseworthy while criticising shortcomings is a cowardly moral failing. What is the relevance of him being a medalled war hero? I somehow doubt if this old boy had a beard and wore a shalwar he'd get so many headlines. It appeals to a certain kind of person (you're not one of them) who really needs to have the wider issues about funding and governance thrust under their noses. Too bad they'll just be clicking like on facebook and moving on.

I can't argue with any of this.

My wee boy is 5 and last night he came up after watching the news with his mum and said he wanted to donate some of his money (a literal piggy bank ffs) to this old man. What can you say?

"no son, not until the government commit to ending the long term austerity that has been thrust upon our nation by a media - controlled establishment that want to keep their tax avoidance in place"

I'd seen the story and you're right, it's not my cup of tea, but i think it gives a lot of folk some hope and positivity, and who the f**k am i to have a pop about that? If my wee boy wants to donate the money today I'll do it (I'll take his cash and make the online donation - although i might tell him that I'll double his contribution due to my own guilt).

One of my pals is a techy teacher and i found out yesterday he's making 300 face masks a day using the 3d printer he has in the dept, and he's supplying local folk that need it. It's not a massive deal but he's doing something positive and productive.

You can either get involved and try to make a small difference or you can sit and moan. And don't get me wrong, there are plenty of criticisms to be made, but they have to be tempered appropriately. The tories in charge would love to fix some of these things but there are complex issues preventing them, and anyone suggesting easy fixes needs to be telt.

[pandarilla]

I don't know where to start with this being honest, but I'll try.
1. They do, because they're underfunded and staff have insufficient equipment including PPE.
2. Feelgood comic style facebook pish for the moronic masses.
3. It IS a joke, but I say that through years of experience of living through various debacles which could and would be avoided in countries with decent Government, such as Germany as an example.
4. I can't answer that, as I DON'T stay in any other country and you most certainly CAN'T guarantee it.

The ppe issue right now is not one of funding. I don't disagree about years of underfunding and some of those issues had an effect but the current issue is not one about money.

[Guest]

40 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

Don't be so fucking ridiculous.

Of course the effectiveness of the money will depend on exactly how he donated it (locally, or with clear stipulations).

Then there's the very important point that a lot of people want (and actually need) a sign of positivity on the news just to break up the constant stream of graphs and death figures.

The idea that this hinders things is tinfoil hat stuff. I suppose he's part of some big tory conspiracy.

But here's the problem, it's similar to a Union situation where Jimmy is doing unpaid overtime each day, working through his lunch and not taking breaks and coming in at weekends in order to cover the work, all this due to the company making people redundant and cutting costs with the result being that the workplace is now understaffed.

The company LOVE this sort of behaviour because it saves on their budget and increases bonuses to the Management who made the cuts.

Now, despite Jimmy being a really good guy and genuine hard worker, is what he's doing going to help himself, his colleagues or even the company in the long run ? or is it just going to see him exploited by his employer and only have the cracks painted over as long term the company is understaffed and the quality of the product will undoubtedly reduce, not to mention that the business will see this as the new "norm" and if Jimmy can do it then everyone can do it.

Again I'll stress, the Government should not require nor be accepting charity donations for it's own departments.

 

 

[hk blues]

58 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

Some of your posts astound me.  
 

However well intentioned this old guy is his actions don’t help, they provide a distraction and a deflection from the issue of NHS funding.

I'd say they help in 12m ways.  It's not like that amount of money is going to be sufficient to fund the NHS going forward so hardly either a distraction  or a deflection - just a great effort for a great cause.  

[pandarilla]

But here's the problem, it's similar to a Union situation where Jimmy is doing unpaid overtime each day, working through his lunch and not taking breaks and coming in at weekends in order to cover the work, all this due to the company making people redundant and cutting costs with the result being that the workplace is now understaffed.
The company LOVE this sort of behaviour because it saves on their budget and increases bonuses to the Management who made the cuts.
Now, despite Jimmy being a really good guy and genuine hard worker, is what he's doing going to help himself, his colleagues or even the company in the long run ? or is it just going to see him exploited by his employer and only have the cracks painted over as long term the company is understaffed and the quality of the product will undoubtedly reduce, not to mention that the business will see this as the new "norm" and if Jimmy can do it then everyone can do it.
Again I'll stress, the Government should not require nor be accepting charity donations for it's own departments.
 
 

You had a go at unions earlier on. You had a go at everyone's handling of the crisis, and that was before you declared 'this country is a joke'.

I'm a union rep btw.

[welshbairn]

8 minutes ago, The DA said:

Listened to Trump on the news there and he's sounding even shorter of breath than usual.  Has he caught it or is he going the sympathy route?

 

[pandarilla]

I'd say they help in 12m ways.  It's not like that amount of money is going to be sufficient to fund the NHS going forward so hardly either a distraction  or a deflection - just a great effort for a great cause.  

Especially if he dictates how it's spent.

These things can quickly go pear shaped as much of the money gets swallowed up but hopefully he'll know the pitfalls.

[Honest Saints Fan]

2 hours ago, Tynierose said:

That was something I and others alluded to weeks ago.   Sadly it is coming true as everything deemed non urgent is binned and patients due regular follow ups are stopped.

I know there has been a  big drop in regulars in primary care as they just try to get on with it as all resources are shifted to Covid and capacity is reduced.   There are regular patients we haven't heard from in weeks, there are procedures cancelled left right and centre and the ability to bring patients into practice are seriously restricted.  Patients are scared to come into the practice and  nearly everything is done over the phone.  It makes it very difficult.

 

I'll give a wee shout out to my GP who is just off the phone checking up on me! I am half way through my childhood vaccinations after my transplant and he stressed how important it was to still have them. I'm due the next lot on Monday so he has arranged for me to go in first thing before anyone is about so I don't meet anyone. 

District nurse coming to the house to do bloods tomorrow so I don't have to go to the blood clinic. 

Infusion medication I get changed to tablet form. 

NHS Highland still treating me really well. I know how lucky I am. 

[greendot]

1 minute ago, Honest Saints Fan said:

District nurse coming to the house to do bloods tomorrow so I don't have to go to the blood clinic. 

 

You know the rules

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

You had a go at unions earlier on. You had a go at everyone's handling of the crisis, and that was before you declared 'this country is a joke'.

I'm a union rep btw.

I was a Union Rep for years, so you should know exactly what I'm talking about. Incidentally I'm 100% behind Unions as a rule, however I did criticise USDAW for being bloody useless and in the pockets of the big supermarkets but that was me merely being truthful (from what I know of certain situations).

I've not "had a go" at everyone's handling at all.

I think Germany are doing an excellent job as are South Korea.

I think the UK Gov have been on the whole pretty pathetic regarding their strategy, reporting, testing, press releases and interviews and general incompetence and lack of leadership, especially with their contradictory info throughout.

I think Scotland on the whole has come out of it much better with the huge exception of our former CMO.

Nicola Sturgeon has been very clear and concise in most of her briefings and we're only falling down with the speed of reacting to PPE issues both in the NHS and in the care sector.

And I still think Britain is a joke.

Edited April 16, 2020 by WATTOO

[hk blues]

1 minute ago, pandarilla said:

Especially if he dictates how it's spent.

These things can quickly go pear shaped as much of the money gets swallowed up but hopefully he'll know the pitfalls.

Hopefully he is able to make such decisions.

I'm just surprised to see what is a very great effort being turned into a political point by certain people - of course, I'm not surprised at all really.  

Old boy raises 12m for the NHS - fair play. End of. 

[Granny Danger]

43 minutes ago, Alert Mongoose said:

If this strain had a 100% death rate would the world have been organised enough to build an underground shelter and select some people to be put in there? How would they decide who to send and how many would need to to ensure a wide enough gene pool?

Thanks for raising the point.

I don’t think you need to concern yourself about it any further though.

[pandarilla]

Yep.

Hopefully he is able to make such decisions.
I'm just surprised to see what is a very great effort being turned into a political point by certain people - of course, I'm not surprised at all really.  
Old boy raises 12m for the NHS - fair play. End of. 

[Mastermind]

People getting their seething knickers in a twist about a 99 year old man raising money for NHS charities. What a time to be alive.

[stanton]

Poetic justice ? 

https://www.ladbible.com/news/news-aussie-shopper-tried-to-return-4800-rolls-of-toilet-paper-20200414 

[throbber]

7 minutes ago, stanton said:

Poetic justice ? 

https://www.ladbible.com/news/news-aussie-shopper-tried-to-return-4800-rolls-of-toilet-paper-20200414 

Good to see those guys in America donated all their shit tickets to charity though, hope the Ozzie guys does the same. Subhuman scum.

[Granny Danger]

15 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Hopefully he is able to make such decisions.

I'm just surprised to see what is a very great effort being turned into a political point by certain people - of course, I'm not surprised at all really.  

Old boy raises 12m for the NHS - fair play. End of. 

I’m not surprised that certain people can’t see the bigger picture.