Today is the first time I’ve actually read the NHS pages. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

One thing has surprised me - if you have symptoms, the guidance suggests it is still ok to go out and have your daily walk in the park. 

Given my experiences, this is worrying and makes me want to stay in! I thought previous to this that at least if everyone was following the guidelines, nobody with symptoms would be out! 

Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 

You are out of your mind.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

It's a balancing act. Yes, we can't "let it rip" as the loss of life would be massive and the strain on the NHS will most likely cause it to cave in. At the same time, there's only so much of the economy we can sacrifice. If there's no money coming in, you can't fund the NHS or anything else for that matter, and that is just as devastating.

No one wants to see thousands or millions die from this disease, but I can also assure you, no one wants to live through a depression and the consequences of that either.

What they need to do is buy these antibody tests and return people have recovered and are immune to work. At the same time, extend the lockdown to the beginning of the last week of April and then start a massive track and trace scheme to make sure the disease doesn't remege in the autumn, otherwise we will be back to lockdowns by October.

Am I confident this will happen though? No.

Originally Posted by: Bolty 

You are out of your mind.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Agreed 👍. Obviously, we need to save lives but it is irresponsible to suggest that economic considerations ought to be ignored completely. We must accept some economic damage. However, we must not completely destroy the economy either. If we do, the consequences will be with us for a generation. 

Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 

Whoever he is, I like him!

End this lockdown ASAP! Get Britain open for business again!

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

Ha - looks as though The Times enjoyed my picture of three empty wine bottles for my "proudest achievement"

This email came last night from the Sunday Times:

"Thanks for sharing your proudest achievement with us. It's pretty impressive and made me laugh! Hope you enjoyed. 

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Research from the US suggests the virus can remain airborne and infectious for 3 hours. Therefore, people walking in the park could be spreading the virus even if they do social distancing effectively.

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Well done. I'd be careful sending any more info to the press however. Who's knows what they will publish, what wording they will use. I know people innocently in discussion with the media only to be shafted in some way. I would not trust a reporter. They have different values to most of us.

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

There is no reason why the economy would be destroyed. It could simply be put into hibernation through a massive bond issue and QE.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Well done. I'd be careful sending any more info to the press however. Who's knows what they will publish, what wording they will use. I know people innocently in discussion with the media only to be shafted in some way. I would not trust a reporter. They have different values to most of us.

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

The economies of the West have never faced deflationary pressure on a scale like this before. It is absolutely unprecedented. Therefore HMG can happily issue bonds to the tune of, by my estimation, £1 trillion or more with the BoE purchasing the bulk of these bonds through its new QE programme. There would be virtually no inflationary consequence from this given the scale of the depression we are now facing.

This is the temporary solution with the lockdown - in effect, print sterling on a massive scale to nationalise virtually the entire economy and helicopter money to every household to see us all through.

The QE can be slowly unwound upon recovery. I doubt taxes would have to rise at all.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Well done. I'd be careful sending any more info to the press however. Who's knows what they will publish, what wording they will use. I know people innocently in discussion with the media only to be shafted in some way. I would not trust a reporter. They have different values to most of us.

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

Research from the US suggests the virus can remain airborne and infectious for 3 hours. Therefore, people walking in the park could be spreading the virus even if they do social distancing effectively.

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

I have to say that I do wonder about some of the research. Is this risk real or purely theoretical? After all, if I breathe out while outdoors, where is that breath five minutes later? It hardly hangs around in the same spot for three hours. Surely this risk could only apply indoors, if at all? If the virus has that potential to survive, you wonder why authorities bother to trace close contacts since if it's that infectious, surely we have any number of contacts? Also, if the virus has that ability to survive and propagate, surely we'd all have it by now?

Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 

Beast and Maunder both wanting to put people to the slaughter.

What a disgrace

Originally Posted by: Heavy Weather 2013 

I have to say that I do wonder about some of the research. Is this risk real or purely theoretical? After all, if I breathe out while outdoors, where is that breath five minutes later? It hardly hangs around in the same spot for three hours. Surely this risk could only apply indoors, if at all? If the virus has that potential to survive, you wonder why authorities bother to trace close contacts since if it's that infectious, surely we have any number of contacts? Also, if the virus has that ability to survive and propagate, surely we'd all have it by now?

Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 

Probably find that someone is preparing a piece on how some people are becoming alcoholics during the lockdown and wants to use Maunder as the face of alcoholism. Or there will be a 'mix-up' and Maunder will be toasting Kier Starmer's victory in the leadership election.

Originally Posted by: JHutch 

It is a theoretical (and as far as I am aware yet to be peer reviewed) study. 

The study seems robust but the application is not really what Brian insinuates unless most people’s daily outdoor exercise is done in an enclosed drum with no wind or ventilation where a nebuliser has been used to spray the virus into the drum. 

Personally I prefer time in the garden or  going for a walk through a nice breezy open park (the enclosed drum option is less enticing).

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

There would be virtually no inflationary consequence from this given the scale of the depression we are now facing.

The QE can be slowly unwound upon recovery. I doubt taxes would have to rise at all.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

 I'm planting potatoes today. Might be all there is to eat come autumn 😉.

Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 

Don't know if this was posted in one of the previous day's threads, but this is frightening. Weekly unemployment claims in the United States:

The mammoth US unemployment claims in their historical context. pic.twitter.com/UNDwhBMpZt

— Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) April 2, 2020

Originally Posted by: Bolty 

Isn't that the only thing you lot eat anyway?

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East