The Irish govt offers suitable advice:

Masturbation will not spread coronavirus, it adds. “Especially if you wash your hands (and any sex toys) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after.”

Many mentions of the new Nightingale hospital, but some great pictures here 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-52092253

 

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Yet, the BBC is reporting the following:

"Spain's health ministry says the death toll in the past 24 hours was 849 - a new record. The previous highest daily figure was 838 on Sunday. The total of people infected has surpassed China, where the outbreak started - it is now 94,417. There are plans to move some intensive care patients from Madrid and Catalonia - the worst-hit areas - to other parts of Spain  "

 

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Going back to this, in mid-March the number of days between hospitalisation and death was 8, but this has now fallen to just 5 days. It probably shows how overwhelmed their hospitals are and I hope we never see this here.

Auntie Beeb also offers advice https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52063221

Coronavirus and sex: What you need to know

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 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52103967

 

They definitely dgaf 🐐 pic.twitter.com/W2BjKCjKhw

— Andrew Stuart (@AndrewStuart) March 30, 2020

I'm 100% certain that the virus wasn't made in a laboratory.  A brief study of these viruses will inform you that they're entirely natural.

To be honest I am amazed that you have given a moment's thought to what is quite clearly a baseless conspiracy theory.

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A pub local to me is doing off sales of real ale in plastic containers. I managed to get 2 pints of Greene King IPA at £2 a pint yesterday. Landlord has also turned the bar into a village store and is getting supplies direct from local suppliers. Masks and gloves available at the door, one customer at a time. Yesterday, they had both flour and pasta but no bog rolls.

Another local pub is doing a fine job as a greengrocer. Order by email, pay online, pick up at appointed time. Standard boxes of mixed fruit and veg from their commercial suppliers repackaged for customers.

The local butcher enquired on facebook about the potential for a delivery service and got over 250 affirmative replies in less than 10 minutes.

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You may or may not be aware that Spain update every 12-hours the beebs figures are always based on 24-hours

Thanks - was unaware of that.

Meanwhile, the virus has reached the Falkland Islands - that will keep those Argies away :-)

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-uk-doubles-intensive-care-beds-on-falkland-islands-11966021

"Britain is sending military medics and specialist kit to double the intensive care capacity on the Falkland Islands because of the global coronavirus pandemic, Sky News can reveal.

The six-strong team, with equipment for two intensive care beds, is expected to arrive on the British overseas territory on Tuesday.

..."

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I thought public toilets were supposed to be remaining open but based on here and what I've read on the net that isn't happening - apart from those in supermarkets.

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I believe they are shut in Alton and were last week. The only ones in my town would be in Sainsburys but I will confirm that now you have said it! 

Well done. Glad it's turned out to be at home as well.

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We have a big issue round here of people driving their cars to villages out of town to exercise their dogs. Living in Tonbridge, you are never more than 5-10 minutes from a park or a field, but because it is only advised not to drive, people are still doing it as it is not against the law.

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Concern over garden centres, this time of year would normally be a very big time of year but they can't open. Especially unfortunate as a lot of people are stuck at home probably thinking of how they should plant more flowers, etc. Surely some kind of delivery system could be set up?

It's not a conspiracy theory, it's simple fact that thousands of viruses both natural and man made are researched every day in biotech labs across the world. It's not a conspiracy theory to say that regulation of these labs is woefully inadequate. 

It's extremely difficult to obtain any information on incidents in these labs but here is a link that shows "US government laboratories had 395 incidents that involved the potential release of select agents between 2003 and 2009, though only seven related infections were reported, according to a new National Research Council (NRC) report." http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2011/09/report-395-mishaps-us-labs-risked-releasing-select-agents 

That's in US government labs which are obliged to report incidents and where you would hope regulations are extremely strict. Private labs which number in the thousands in the US alone are not obliged to report incidents. Now roll that out across the globe and into countries such as China, Russia etc. 

The scientists featured in this extremely prescient podcast I linked before the current crisis are very far from being conspiracy theorists. In light of what has happened it makes for a highly informative and disturbing listen - Josh Clark Biotech.

Yes, we have been unable to secure any slots. My wife is under 70 (just ) and is going out about every 10 days and says Tesco at last have a decent safe system although it involves queuing for 30 minutes. I just hope that as you move forward into the exact spot the last person was standing in that any airborne from them will have gone.  Wouldn't fancy it on a calm day,

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Coronavirus: Boris Johnson under pressure over lack of protective gear for NHS staff

Many hospitals are said to be facing "life-threatening shortages", with one NHS procurement chief tweeting "God help us all".

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-boris-johnson-under-pressure-over-lack-of-protective-gear-for-nhs-staff-11966025

 

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im keeping an open mind. No-one can be 100% certain as to its origins.

Religion causing problems again - from the BBC:

"Officials across India are searching for hundreds of people who attended a religious event in capital Delhi that has set off several Covid-19 clusters.

At least six different regions have reported some 140 cases that can be directly or indirectly traced to the days-long congregation at a mosque in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area.

Officials have called for action against the event’s organisers, but they have denied any wrongdoing.

The building in Delhi is still being cleared - more than 1,000 people have been stranded inside since the government imposed a lockdown last week.

At least 24 of them have tested positive so far, Delhi's health minister said. More than 200 others are being tested at various hospitals and another 700 have been shifted into quarantine centres, he added.

The congregation began at the end of February but continued for days, making it hard for officials to find out how many people attended overall or where they have travelled since."

 

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No doubt there are supply problems in some areas, but why is Sky recycling old news? - this very same story was reported on ITV News yesterday 36 hours ago - has Sky been in touch with the NHS procurement chief to see if he has received supplies since this story first broke?

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-30/hospital-workers-hiding-protective-gear-amid-shortages-medics-claim

1. 30 March 2020 at 12:02am ITV Report

"Protective equipment shortage: procurement chief tweets ‘God help us all’"

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Our local garden centre is delivering mon - fri but not at weekends as they are using that time to continue growing all their bedding plants for the summer. Order by phone, with card payment then it is delivered to your front garden etc so no contact. 

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As far as I can see reading it these are overall figures  and will have included a proportion of patients with underlying conditions. So a bit of a worst case scenario if you don't have underlying conditions but perhaps optimistic if you do?

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A lot of delivery services to schools, restaurants etc (Axton's, for example, in this area) have been badly hit business wise and are desperate to deliver, with mountains of stock at prime prices. There are meat and dairy deliverers too- problem is how to get word out to the elderly. My seriously disabled in-laws (1 in wheelchair, 1 with advanced dementia) have had no problem ordering, because they knew. I wish I had some kind of social media account like twitter or facebook. 

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Belarus reports first covid death