Fortnum and Masons no queues at the moment.

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Interesting news from Holland - they are testing blood donations to estimate how many actually have COVID-19 there:

Dutch health authorities have begun a major project testing blood donation samples to see how many people in the Netherlands may have already had the new coronavirus.

The project is being carried out on 10,000 blood donation samples a week by blood bank Sanquin, in cooperation with the country's National Institute for Health (RIVM).

"It's possible that you had coronavirus without being sick," Sanquin spokesman Merlijn van Hasselt told national broadcaster NOS. "If we test for antibodies, we can see whether you've already had it ... and over time get a picture of how that's evolving."

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Is this a north/south thing?

Tescos here is busy with empty shelves, but no queues I've seen and still stuff.

Went to Lidl last night at 9:50. 10 people in there (it's a big store). Some empty shelves, but I reckon you could have done 90% of a normal shop without a problem.

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So in Holland they already can test for antibodies?  WTF is going on?

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About 33% of the UK population is in the age range 15-40. They are in a very low risk category and their parents will be relatively young as will their younger siblings, obviously. Maybe we shouldn't be locking them down. Maybe we should be encouraging them to go to festivals and mix socially as much as possible. At the same time with people in the higher risk categories on the strict lockdown (which they should be on by now anyway) then the herd immunity could be be reached in the fastest time with the minimum mortality rate?

Happy to be told why this would be a bad strategy and why.

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That was last week's strategy. The government was then advised that it would result in 250,000 deaths and the collapse of the NHS. 

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Around here it's as bad as Gooner describes. People on our road are having to donate spare loo rolls to neighbours via the WhatsApp group.  

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It is a different test - the Dutch are doing lab tests on donated blood. This country can also make antibody tests, but what they want is a test conducted outside the lab for the general public. That is what was demonstrated on Channel-4 last week - like a pregnancy test - prick your thumb, put the sample in the gadget and get a reading in 10 minutes.

 

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I would have thought they were testing for the virus.

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Ok. Very good idea by the Dutch. Any idea when the results will be published?

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The schools aren't really closing that much from my perspective.
What with the provision for key workers (the description of which grows longer by the hour) my wife has told me (she's a primary school teacher) that all staff have to work next week.
This in turn means my wife cannot look after our kids while I work, meaning they also have to go into school.
It's ridiculous! As I have asthma, I was hoping my wife and kids would be able to stay away from schools.

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As I tried to explain to Justin, I live alone, don't have any friends or elderly relatives to infect. The only humans I meet are already in the pub or Tesco. I don't work, or use public transport so I cant really spread it to anyone who hasn't already got it

I am likely to get it myself, but I want to get it and get it out of the way

Of course, I may be one of the unlucky ones, but that's life!

If I died at home, no one would even notice or care

 

 

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Similar here: went to Aldi and M&S (they're side by side) and then Tesco. 

No milk in Aldi or Tesco, although a delivery arrived at midday just as we were leaving.

No eggs in any of the three stores

No toilet paper in any of the stores and only a limited supply of tissues in Aldi.

Tesco shelves were empty of a lot of product lines. No fresh chicken at all, no pasta, no flour. Many cleaning products sold out.

In Tesco they kept making the announcement asking people to buy only what they need but it's a bit pointless when the damage hasn't been done.

 

Hopefully it will improve once everyone is stocked up but I feel sorry for the staff and for those who can't get what they need.

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We would, so please don't!

But you wouldn't just lie in bed would you? If you couldn't breathe you'd dial 999 and add one more to the numbers in intensive care. 

 

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Although access of MPs to PMQs was restricted, it does seem that after Nadine Dorries went down with coronavirus, they could have done a lot better in terms of social distancing and set an example at an early stage. In  addition to Kate Osborne https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-51906813 Lloyd Russell-Moyle was on local radio this morning describing how he had been taken ill with covid a weeek ago while at an HoC meeting. (After a abd couple of days he feels pretty nearly back to normal but is still self-isolating)

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Just had a WhatsApp from an NHS consultant friend of mine. He’s at work and bored as nothing to do as all his electives are cancelled. Long may that continue

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Satisfaction with Boris Johnson is surging, net +14 instead of +3 last month. Time of polling was 13-16 March so a few days old. (Conservatives polling on 52%)

 

Public satisfaction with...

Boris Johnson
Satisfied: 52% (+5)
Dissatisfied: 38% (-6)

Jeremy Corbyn
Satisfied: 19% (+3)
Dissatisfied: 68% (-7)

HM Government
Satisfied: 48%
Dissatisfied: 41%

via @IpsosMORI
Chgs. w/ Feb

— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 19, 2020

Which region is he in?

Round here the hospitals are quiet at the moment - Worcestershire is still a white spot.

 

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UK figures are rolling out at the moment. 77 total cases in Northern Ireland. TBH I've no idea if that is following trend or not.

edited: 14:37

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West Yorkshire

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Same here according to people working in our local hospital.  Calm before the storm?  Hopefully not!

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I believe NI only had a total of 68 cases up to yesterday  so that’s a huge jump.

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Sorry the 77 is apparently TOTAL cases.

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I suppose, unless it takes hold so fast I am unable to get out of bed

Of course, if I fell down the stairs or choked on some food, I would be in the same position - the dangers of living alone!

 

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😂😂 not a huge increase then

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