A lot of people including a neighbour and her friend are convinced they probably had it already between December and February before anyone was even looking for it - all the known symptoms and in some cases a plausible potential source identified.

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Agreed , this was reported live on N24 from Simon McCoy 

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Then it's massive coincidence that such a ludicrously high proportion of sportspeople & politicians have contracted it in comparison to 'ordinary' people.

And those people - like Arteta and Hudson-Odoi (and a number of reported others) - who have recovered but had hardly any symptoms must be virtually unique, and not pretty representative of the population at large.

 

 

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I don't know who the current test figures relate to (is this due to the pathetic delays in getting test results back?) but you're not going to get substantial numbers without proper and widespread testing.

It smacks of the government manipulating figures to make it appear their actions are keeping cases down.

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In say that I cant see the NHS or PHE fudging the figures ………………...surely ?

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Yesterday the press reported 232. The department of health now shows there were in fact 330

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That's a good point. However, are you sure Arteta has recovered? I know his wife has been tweating that but I thought a classic "symptom" was feeling better for a time before it hits hard?  

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No. I don't think anyone is straight out lying.

But by only testing a small minority of suspected cases - and this is a government policy, not PHE or NHS - they are ensuring that the full picture in terms of numbers is hidden and the official numbers kept deliberately low.

 

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WHO is absolutely right IMHO. We really need a better idea of how many cases there are. If many have had it without realising then random tests of the well should be done. I'd be happy to volunteer as I'm confident most or many others would.

• WHO director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus repeated one simple message to governments - "test, test, test"

 

 

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He was widely quoted on Saturday as 'feeling better already'. He was tested presumably in response to him having had contact with the Notts Forest owner (who announced last Tuesday he had been confirmed as positive), rather than Arteta having symptoms himself, and it was confirmed on Thursday that Arteta had it.

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It's only policy because that is what they have been advised to do by the experts.

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Agree completely.

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I thought the reports said it was a number of days of flu-like symptoms and then, for the more critical cases, it became more serious if the upper respiratory tract infection worsened, leading to the lungs filling with fluid and starving the body of oxygen?

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Big escalation in advise from the government

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While I agree the only way of getting accurate figures is to test, test, test.  I really cannot see us having the resources to do that and the practicalities/logistics would be a nightmare!  

Apart from having enough testing kits, lab equipment and staff to do the tests, get them to the lab and do the analysis, process and send out results etc, they’d have to set up dedicated testing stations.  That would mean all those who have mild symptoms and all those who ‘just want to know’ would be queueing and waiting together.  It’s really not practical  

As much as we’d all like to know the exact figures, for peace of mind, the NHS are doing better by concentrate on those who need treatment. 

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Working from home now a core message.

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Which experts?

We have other experts saying it's imperative that governments "test, test, test"

If the reason some UK experts have said only test [initially] those with proven contact with a confirmed infected, and now are saying just test hospitalised victims, then that would be in response to the government's lack of investment in testing resources.

 

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It's a legitimate point. But it means the figures aren't worth the A4 sheet they're written on, and the CFR's are horribly skewed to give a much more scary figure than is actually the case (they've likely to be well under 1%)

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PM asking Londoners to avoid all unnecessary contact.

Avoid bars and pubs. But nothing explicit.

There are specifics. But I have to say it’s not clear.

Apparently elderly need to start with 12 week isolation from this week

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Nothing on school closures though?

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There is nothing really concrete and enforced from what I am hearing.

Boris really doesn’t do serious too well.

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Advice but nothing enforced. We really are a pathetic country.

Spain has shut its land borders

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Not at this time 

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Very strange 

With regards large gatherings , they aren't banned just not supported by services 

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