Coronavirus (Covid-19) Discussion
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I agree with the principles, but the report is co-authored by the CEO of Glaxosmithcline, suggesting that there may just be more than a little subjectivity contained within.
As Chomsky has recently observed, there is more profit in face cream than there are in developing and manufacturing vaccines. If the combined resources of global pharmas put their energy into creating a vaccine, then we might get somewhere faster. Instead it is being left predominantly to Gov and University research labs. Undoubtedly the knowledge and skills are available there, but we'd quicken the pace if the pharmas got involved more… Not that it would be without its own concerns... Patenting etc
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Pharma is a business. Make it worth their while to work on a product and they'll work on a product. Governments could do plenty to help there. For example, they could (1) set a $15b fund for the first 3 vaccines (or treatments) developed. That way pharmaceuticals would know that they would make a profit even if they have to distribute the vaccine at cost. Even if the US gvt were on their own, it would be a small amount compared to the rest of the COVID-19 costs. Governments could also (2) help lower the costs of pharma firms around some aspects of testing & documentation, which are extremely onerous.
(On the other hand, I think governments should tighten the rules on patenting, but that's a separate story.)
Also, as a side note there are some non-profit initiatives that could be very powerful, e.g., what Gates is doing.
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While I appreciate that pharmas are not charitable organisations, the business model of most doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Othe industries have worked together to design and tool medical equipment (Dyson, F1 etc), and while I'm sure that their respective markets are in decline at the moment, they have shown great collaborative and ethical spirit in producing desperately required equipment at an unprecedented time in our history. Pharmas could learn a little something there.
They certainly hold the NHS to ranson when it comes to developing and costing drugs. When I worked in mental health, pharma reps hosted what was known as 'drug lunches' where they pitched new to the market psychotropic medication on cost and rewards to the phyciatrists who would prescribe it. Unless we asked specific questions of them, information about effectiveness, testing and research, and side effects was not volunteered.
The health of nations is at risk, this isn't a sales pitch for a new to market highend sports car, it is people's lives, and the future of a healthy economy.
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I don't care if it is silly or not, it's better to be safe than sorry…
I don’t know what mandatory measures are taking place in the UK but in some US states they’re requiring citizens to wear masks just going outside, even on your own property. I’m pretty sure viral transmission doesn’t happen quite that easily by virtue of just being outside, especially with social distancing being followed. I do think it’s prudent to wear a mask in a crowded area but when you’re away from people and isolated? No.
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7 days after officially opening, Stratford Nightingale Hospital has a total of 15 patients admitted. Our 2 large acute hospitals are at 50% and 60% capacity and are on green alert, the lowest alert.
To give some context, both hospitals are usually atv100% capacity and on purple alert by February each year. Purple is the category above black alert.
NHS managers locally have started to ask where the excess demand is? The ONS have also published stats for March today quoting that 86% of deaths reported in March were attributed to Covid 19, not the underlying health condition.
Our neighbours daughter is a ward sister and advised them that they were requested to record deaths as 'covid 19', regardless of cause.
What is going on then?
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Here’s the mask I ordered from Etsy. It’s 2 layers with a pocket filter. I took a black marker and tried blocking out the text which says, “you are strong.” My only complaint is that it’s hard to breathe in this thing. I suppose it would defeat the purpose by not having a tight fitting mask but this could be just a hair looser. Came with 5 hepa filters as well. Once I’m done with those I’ll switch to shop towels for filtersSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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This is my son’s mask which is also from Etsy. The sizing was off and I should’ve ordered a bigger one. I had to snip the elastic bands and make it so they loop around my son’s ears. The fabric is quite thin compared to mine but it’s a 2 layer with pocket filter so that should help.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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A close friend of mine owns a small business, Arcadia, which sells Gelato, and of course is shut down. Today I learned that they are sustaining on eggs and rice, to hopefully keep themselves afloat, and they're business. Tomorrow I'm going to Costco to get them a months worth of food. Will also take some Scotch and Wine.
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@ROman what a great friend you are being. We will weather this storm, and relationships will be even stronger. You're a good person dude.
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They will slowly lift some bans here in Berlin next week.
Hair salons, car dealerships, bicycle shops will re-open.
stores up to 800m2 like Media Market etc.
Slowly flattening the curve finally -
France is really not doing well. Thanks god the health system is coping with the medical emergency, but the distance schooling is a cluster, mayors take absurd decision in the hope of not being blamed, and the government has no plan on how to get out of the confinement. The total debt burden, which has crawled up since the 70's to reach 100% of GDP last year, is now at 115%! This does not factor in all the associated "stimuli" to come after the re-opening nor the tremendous decrease in tax proceeds. This is going to be crippling for the French population and businesses.
French people are still largely supporting their government, but most have no idea what's coming.
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I have a feeling that governments will probably be using this whole situation in their favor to some degree.
I see some prices on certain goods increasing during the last weeks, and I don't think they will return to normal even after this situation is over.But on a good note….my IHSH-96 came in this morning:)
bad news.....had to send it right back....too small
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Effective (net) prices on everything are going to have to go up to pay for all this. The governments have to pay eventually for all those expenses and in Europe they can most effectively do that via inflation (unlikely) or sales tax increases, both of which will result in price hikes.
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There's a somewhat pessimistic piece in The Guardian, which says that we're a long way from seeing the end of the Pandemic. The UK needs thirty times as many people to be infected (or a vaccine) to build herd immunity to a level we could consider it contained.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/16/number-coronavirus-pandemic
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Confuse and disorientate, that's the job of Governments and the media at the moment, and it infuriates me. I'd like to hear the experiences of other professionals working in fields affected by covid 19…health professionals, social care professionals, morticians and embalmers who are members of this forum.
In the East of England, the facts are that the pandemic is not what is being reported in the media. It just simply hasn't hit that hard. What is having an impact is the residual impact, the effects of preparing for mass treatment of covid 19, wards being cleared in anticipation, then being left 50% empty as the volume of admissions are not the same as in a few densely populated cities.
I don't know what to say anymore. My wife has high level conference calls with public health England and the DH&SC, and the information and strategies being implemented on the ground are NOT the same as those being reported on the news.
I could objectively and succinctly state what the UK Government's strategy is for the next 6 months, but there is no point, no one takes notice, and just defers to the media for their interpretation of what's happening.
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I don't/cant believe the numbers coming out of certain countries at all, and yes China Im looking at you.
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@neph93 it is both. The UK Government has a strategy that it has stuck to since pretty much week 1 of the covid 19 measures. I wasn't privvy to it at that time. The strategy is to drip feed information and restrictions at intervals, the fundamental basis of which is not to overwhelm the public psyche and risk non compliance or worse, public discourse. That would risk both public health and the Government's hold on public opinion and authority. Because the media isn't given this information (or if they are, it has been leaked) they have to scratch around and speak to the multitude of 'experts' out there, often conflicting information, and come up with there own theories about what's going on. The outcome - a very confused public that will willingly hand consent to the Government (basic transactional analysis - treat us like kids, we'll act like kids and look to mummy and daddy for answers).
Government know the time frames that they will be implementing over the next 18 months. They have pretty much published them in certain guidance. The interesting stuff to read is published by the office of national statistics (the ONS) they are purely data lead, and aren't afraid of holding the Government and NHS to account for misreporting.
Behavioural sciences have been integral to informing Government policy, as much as data from public health England. The Behavioural Insights Team https://www.bi.team provided advice to Government to enforce social change such as social distancing. Health and social care lobbied for social distancing to be called 'physical distancing' as the adopted term is a bit too 'quite weapons for silent wars' erode society-esque - physical distance is different to social distance - which is suggestive of changing how people relate to each other, not just their physical proximity.
Just as psychologists and behavioural scientists took advantage of the research undertaken during wartime, the same is happening now with covid 19.
