Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Hillonearth]

19 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

Government launching an inquiry into why the virus is disproportionately affecting black and Asian people. Similar reports from the US.

I don't know what would make black people more susceptible, but a mate of mine who is from a South Asian background called that one a few weeks ago when things were really bad in Italy.

He said he feared the virus was going to hit UK Asians like a ton of bricks in a similar fashion, putting it down to the high incidence of multi-generational households with a hell of a lot of people he knew living in the same household as their elderly parents or grandparents - sometimes both.

[Jacksgranda]

1 minute ago, Granny Danger said:

Nope.  Lovely yesterday, forecast nice for today but actually overcast and quite cool.

Had a walk this morning then went to the supermarket.  Shortly going into the conservatory and had to put the heating on to warm it up!!!

 

Goodness! I was thinking of going out to sit on the summer seat with a cup of tea and the book I'm reading, but I'm scared of our next door neighbour coming out to chat. His mother is supposed to have Covid-19 but I've already spotted him out today down at the bottom of the path. I suppose I could always go out the back.

[D.A.F.C]

Just now, dorlomin said:

This is just the sort of folksy wisdom of Brexiters and Trump supporters. It does nothing to explain how the UK having built some manufacturing plants for PPE would have had an impact on its availability in a crisis like we currently have. 

We could either have stored a great deal more than we did, or built crazily over capacity factories for the once in 50 years when a pandemic like this arrives. 

Its worth pointing out that the US, Canada and RoK shipped supplies to China at the height of their crisis. 

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/us-tons-ppe-china/

 

I would say that you could have a factory supplying the nhs and care sector for normal circumstances then ramp up or expand. You use plastic gloves, visors and others in daily use as well. I’m not a logistics expert but it makes sense to have a half empty factory rather than a full morgue.

[superbigal]

Should be a good day to actually get some real answers about the Germans.

Deaths in early today.
UK 861
Germany 46

[SlipperyP]

3 minutes ago, Hillonearth said:

I don't know what would make black people more susceptible, but a mate of mine who is from a South Asian background called that one a few weeks ago when things were really bad in Italy.

He said he feared the virus was going to hit UK Asians like a ton of bricks in a similar fashion, putting it down to the high incidence of multi-generational households with a hell of a lot of people he knew living in the same household as their elderly parents or grandparents - sometimes both.

Unlike the white citizens who put their parent and grandparent in care homes?  

[SlipperyP]

3 minutes ago, superbigal said:

Should be a good day to actually get some real answers about the Germans.

Deaths in early today.
UK 861
Germany 46
 

Germany have a history of keeping quiet about the real death numbers. AM I RIGHT?

[Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach]

Police England have clarified that you ARE allowed to drive to do exercise as long as far more time is spent exercising than driving.

[cyderspaceman]

2 hours ago, renton said:

The Germans rely largely on the same global supply chains as everyone else.

I'm not a historian but it would seem the Germans have alays been ahead of the UK.

e.g.

"The German states had an educational system which was admired and imitated elsewhere. Research at its universities was second to none interms of quality and quantity , and ambitions academics abroad actually had to learn German in order to keep up with developments in their respective subjects. The country even had a smallscale welfare state with reference  to age pensions, healthserviceetc."

"Germany in the 1880s became the first country to provide health and accident insurance, workers’ and employees’ benefits and pensions, and miners’ insurance. "

If the Kaiser and the military hadn't had more power than the politicians, it could all have been very different.

[Distant Doonhamer]

1 hour ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Of course they arent bowing to the pressure, its the desperation of the care home managers im highlighting, the doctor told them to f**k off.

Fair enough. I wasn't sure that was the case from your post. Thanks for clarifying your point. Edit to add i took it from your use of "doctors" that this had happened more than once. I'd have thought one doctor telling them to "f**k off" and highlighting the illegality of such an act would be enough. Maybe you meany just one incident. If not must be really desperate as you suggest I guess.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Distant Doonhamer

[welshbairn]

Brave new world.

[Gaz]

8 minutes ago, Am Featha *****h Nan Clach said:

Police England have clarified that you ARE allowed to drive to do exercise as long as far more time is spent exercising than driving.

It's also been clarified over the past week that if there are people in the house with a learning disability it's permissible to drive a short distance to exercise, which is an absolute godsend for us as our local area is far too busy for our kids to be out safely.

[cyderspaceman]

1 hour ago, D.A.F.C said:

The uk put manufacturing in the bucket in favour of the service industry and banking and is now paying the price.

Plus, now that we are out of the EU, all this stuff looks as if it's on a shoogly peg :-

Quote

 What we do make is things like cars, aircraft engines, aircraft wings etc that are towards the very top end of the supply chain. .

 

[D.A.F.C]

6 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Brave new world.

 

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, cyderspaceman said:

I'm not a historian but it would seem the Germans have alays been ahead of the UK.

e.g.

"The German states had an educational system which was admired and imitated elsewhere. Research at its universities was second to none interms of quality and quantity , and ambitions academics abroad actually had to learn German in order to keep up with developments in their respective subjects. The country even had a smallscale welfare state with reference  to age pensions, healthserviceetc."

"Germany in the 1880s became the first country to provide health and accident insurance, workers’ and employees’ benefits and pensions, and miners’ insurance. "

If the Kaiser and the military hadn't had more power than the politicians, it could all have been very different.

With the exception of a few short periods in history, European countries in general have tended to be much more socialist and caring towards their citizens than Britain.

I suppose a lot is down to our class system which has never really ended where the working class have always been despised and seen as nothing more than cannon fodder to be exploited so as to keep our aristocracy and wealthy in the manner to which they are accustomed. 

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Brave new world.

That's the stuff of dystopian nightmares !!

[welshbairn]

Forget about the ventilators, Dyson's never going to deliver, lets get a huge fuckoff telly!

[Granny Danger]

Just now, WATTOO said:

With the exception of a few short periods in history, European countries in general have tended to be much more socialist and caring towards their citizens than Britain.

I suppose a lot is down to our class system which has never really ended where the working class have always been despised and seen as nothing more than cannon fodder to be exploited so as to keep our aristocracy and wealthy in the manner to which they are accustomed. 

The biggest problem with the British working class is that they’ve bought into the bullshit that they’re not working class.

There’s too many of them think that because they have their own home (usually heavily mortgaged) and a few quid in the bank/ISA/pension fund then they have more in common with the likes of Johnson, Sunak and Mogg than they do with people living in rented accommodation and working in lower paid jobs.

 

[greendot]

4 minutes ago, WATTOO said:

That's the stuff of dystopian nightmares !!

Or just an apple mac advert

 

 

[renton]

2 hours ago, D.A.F.C said:

The uk put manufacturing in the bucket in favour of the service industry and banking and is now paying the price.

It's not really an argument for this thread but manufacturing is still by far a minority of Germany's economy. About 20% of total. Dependent on how you measure it, the UK's manufacturing industry is somewhere between 10 and 15% of GDP, dependent on how you measure it (albeit UK GDP is smaller).

Germany is still predominantly a service sector economy and the UK builds more than you think. Bear in mind that a lot of hi tech industries come under services rather than manufacturing as well.

Both work on global Just In Time supply chain methods that favour outsourcing.

Edited April 16, 2020 by renton

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

The biggest problem with the British working class is that they’ve bought into the bullshit that they’re not working class.

There’s too many of them think that because they have their own home (usually heavily mortgaged) and a few quid in the bank/ISA/pension fund then they have more in common with the likes of Johnson, Sunak and Mogg than they do with people living in rented accommodation and working in lower paid jobs.

 

Yes, this is very true, not all of them of course but there's too much of a selfish self serving attitude throughout our society that just plays into the hands of those doing the exploiting.