Rolls-Royce cars to be asked to build ventilators:

Car manufacturers asked to make ventilators

Car manufacturers are the latest firms to be asked to contribute to the fight against coronavirus.

The UK government is asking the likes of Rolls Royce, Ford and Honda to help build medical equipment, including ventilators, amid growing concern about a shortage of the life-saving equipment.

Downing Street says it wants the manufacturing sector "to come together to help the country".

But the BBC's business editor, Simon Jack, says manufacturers are far from ready to switch production.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51896168

Edit: Even the establishment's voice say this:

Although firms stand ready and able to produce more ventilators, a lack of clarity on design specifications and component sourcing mean that production remains many weeks away.

The UK government has been caught with its pants down

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

I avoid any medication and prefer to soothe ailments naturally if I can.  I get a bit of hay fever but rather than take antihistamines, I drink nettle tea.  Nettle has natural antihistamines and it’s free!  

Hmmm!  Just realised you probably now have visions of me with a large wart on my nose, stirring a simmering pot. 

Originally Posted by: Caz 

An interesting read about what might have 'gone wrong' in Italy. Perhaps not much!

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-italy

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

Absolutely right!

This is absurd - the time for trying to find alternative sources for ventilators was at least two months ago when Covid-19 was starting to spread.  There are highly paid people in government who are supposed to plan for these things.

I'm not even sure it can be done unless we're going to build all of the components from scratch.

Originally Posted by: Gandalf The White 

Well, as long as you don’t add eye of newt and toe of frog, you’ll be fine! We all know where eating odd animals get us, don’t we. 😂

Originally Posted by: chelseagirl 

Absolutely right!

This is absurd - the time for trying to find alternative sources for ventilators was at least two months ago when Covid-19 was starting to spread.  There are highly paid people in government who are supposed to plan for these things.

I'm not even sure it can be done unless we're going to build all of the components from scratch.

Originally Posted by: Gandalf The White 

Well, as long as you don’t add eye of newt and toe of frog, you’ll be fine! We all know where eating odd animals get us, don’t we. 😂

Originally Posted by: chelseagirl 

 Come off it Gandalf - you were one of the ones trying to play down the whole issue when it first became apparent.

Whilst the Government should have taken measures to obtain an increase in ventilator supply a couple of months ago, that would have meant taking the outbreak in China in January absolutely seriously from the outset, including tighter travel restrictions at the time - something you said was "hysterical" and unnecessary.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Completely agree. However, the government needs to be completely honest and open. If we don't do EVERYTHING it means we are putting a £ price on human life. That could be desirable or even essential. Not being open about it is neither.

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Come off it Gandalf - you were one of the ones trying to play down the whole issue when it first became apparent.

Whilst the Government should have taken measures to obtain an increase in ventilator supply a couple of months ago, that would have meant taking the outbreak in China in January absolutely seriously from the outset, including tighter travel restrictions at the time - something you said was "hysterical" and unnecessary.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I don't recall Gandalf or anyone else arguing that the govt shouldn't take this seriously and shouldn't take reasonable measures (I remember lots of posts about striking the right balance etc.). The WHO had also called in Feb for all countries to increase their number of ventilators (and train more stuff).

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

​Sky news have listed those that could be most at risk from corona

Quote

Some of the chronic conditions said to heighten the risk among patients are:

• Heart disease


• Lung disease


• Diabetes


• High blood pressure


• Cancer

Ireland's health services have also released a list of conditions that weaken the immune system, and include:

• Patients undergoing treatments for cancer


• Patients undergoing treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS) and inflammatory bowel diseases


• Patients with HIV


• Anyone who has had organ or bone marrow transplants

Asthma sufferers are also at risk and perhaps more crucially for some younger people is smokers and those who exposed to Second-hand smoke

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-what-are-the-underlying-health-conditions-at-greater-risk-from-illness-11958276

​

Originally Posted by: Gavin D 

Rolls-Royce cars to be asked to build ventilators:

Car manufacturers asked to make ventilators

Car manufacturers are the latest firms to be asked to contribute to the fight against coronavirus.

The UK government is asking the likes of Rolls Royce, Ford and Honda to help build medical equipment, including ventilators, amid growing concern about a shortage of the life-saving equipment.

Downing Street says it wants the manufacturing sector "to come together to help the country".

But the BBC's business editor, Simon Jack, says manufacturers are far from ready to switch production.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51896168

Edit: Even the establishment's voice say this:

Although firms stand ready and able to produce more ventilators, a lack of clarity on design specifications and component sourcing mean that production remains many weeks away.

The UK government has been caught with its pants down

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Sounds like a Fiat worse than breath.

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

Sounds like a Fiat worse than breath.

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

Sounds like a Fiat worse than breath.

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

But it is all about timing - the government could be off the hook on this one, if the peak really is still weeks away.

As I write, we still apparently have only two hospitalised cases here in Worcestershire, so clearly we are not running out of ICU beds and ventilators here yet.

I simply don't know what the situation is like in other areas and regions, I only know the situation in Worcestershire because my daughter and son-in-law are healthcare professionals in Worcs.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

I'd careful even with paracetamol, both it and ibuprofen are overused. It has also been found not to be better than placebo for chronic pain.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/research/what%E2%80%99s-point-paracetamol

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

Another ventilator has just become available in Wales.

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

 I'd disagree with that. As someone who suffers from regular (but thankfully not to frequent) debilitating migraines, I find paracetamol helps ease the pain a lot quicker than ibuprofen, though which when does kick in tends to have a longer effect. 

Originally Posted by: Chunky Pea 

You are Irish, so your experience doesn't count (we are going back to basics here).

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

Breaking: All horse racing will be behind closed doors from tomorrow until at least end of March.

Originally Posted by: Gavin D