Indeed, TBH I'd imagine those sorts of posts do more harm than good, in that it makes people panic all the more.

As you say, the vast majority have much milder symptoms and won't experience what the other Darren's friend and those two doctors experienced. It doesn't do your mental health any good to read about those exceptional cases IMO!

I've seen suggestions that a pulse oximeter is a useful piece of kit to help monitor things if you get infected and develop COVID-19. A pulse oximeter monitors the blood oxygen saturation level (95% is considered normal for healthy people). They can be bought quite cheaply on Amazon. See the non-referral link below:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=pulse+oximeter&i=drugstore&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Furious Downing Street blasts claim that the PM's top aide Dominic Cummings once backed 'herd immunity' coronavirus strategy by saying 'if that means some pensioners die, too bad'

• A furious No 10 threatened attacked Sunday Times allegation today


• Paper claimed Cummings backed herd immunity idea in February 


• But suggested he changed mind to back a lockdown after new science emerged


• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

Downing Street lashed out today at a report that Boris Johnson's top aide Dominic Cummings said the Government was prepared to sacrifice pensioner's lives to coronavirus to keep the economy afloat.

A furious No 10 hit out after the Sunday Times alleged that the powerful backroom powerbroker initially backed the controversial 'herd immunity' idea that sees the vast majority of the population contract the virus in order to build up natural resistance.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8139499/Furious-Downing-Street-blasts-claim-Dominic-Cummings-backed-sacrificing-pensioners-coronavirus.html

Very true Joe and I should add the symptoms described in that post are exactly the same as reported by a number of people who were ill at my school just before Christmas. Whether it was Covid 19 or not I don't know but it shows there are a few nasty viruses out there. 

I must also add they were all absolutely fine after a couple of weeks.

What's quite clear is that the 5,000 confirmed cases in the UK is fiction. Since the tests are taking 5 days to come back, that probably means that the tests taken as of now will result in about 12,000 cases.

My friends and her family amount to 7 cases and none of them were tested. It must be that for every confirmed case, there are maybe 20 others where people are at home self-isolating with symptoms? That could mean we are already up to 250,000 cases. That's still less than 1% of the population, but given how many people I'm hearing of with it, that seems about right.

Clearly a more considerate and thoughtful bunch where you are! My wife and I just went for a walk across the fields behind our house. There are a number of paths and generally they are quite wide. Despite that, families (sometimes with dogs running around) were sprawling across the paths and often not "giving way" to people approaching from the opposite direction. The majority of the adults will be well educated and informed. If social distancing is struggling in an area like this it suggests to me the government will need to take stronger action urgently. 

Probably at some point.

Agree especially with the reports that a drop in oxygen Sat's can be detected while feeling apparently well before the shortness of breath kicks in

https://www.facebook.com/586540952/posts/10157895637645953/?d=n

Good explanation of viral load and how the severity of symptoms depends on the “dose” of the virus you receive. 

It’s now understood that it’s a good idea to isolate from people who have the virus, even in the same house for this very reason. 

my gut has been dodgy for a week and I’ve had bouts of mild vertigo. I think much of it is psychological (maybe stress related) and some a mild ear infection but it makes you think!

Wait what? I get that people have emetophobia but that's pretty amazing to have gone so long without yakkin up  This coming from someone who is lucky to go a year without one erm... episode 

Anyway, to change the subject, here's Matlock today, on a lovely bank hol- oh wait it's f'in madness! 

Overall figures in Europe, for the first time, offer a glimmer of hope of a slowdown. Not expecting to see similar here yet however, and the US seems out of control. Would expect it to be the worst hit country in the world within a week

Sounds promising, but could simply mean they're not able to keep up with the exponential rise in tests required?

Yes, if they were doing less tests but afaik they are increasing the number of tests being done so it’s even better news

absolutely, that has to be the key measure

This!

I've heard a few reports from people with negligible symptoms and those with something no worse than a bout of flu, but the dramatic ones are the ones that get the attention.

I'm torn because whilst these stories must cause people to worry there's also a need to get the message across to the idiots.

665 confirmed cases - confirmed rate is 12.04%.