But one big issue is communication: there are people who don’t watch TV, certainly not the news: don’t buy or read newspapers; rely on social media.  How are they getting the message?  Just think back to the Referendum when people didn’t know it was taking place and had no idea what the EU was.  I think we assume there’s more awareness and intelligence than there is.

Add in a still significant number who think it’s being overblown and doesn’t affect them and you can see why some people are not changing their behaviours.

It looks like being a very tricky few months but I really think that heaping all the blame on Johnson and the government is to disregard these issues.

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An interesting study from Italian epidemiologists and biologists:

• They analysed 3 genomes of the virus in N. Italy and they found it to be similar to those from other continents


• Our data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 virus entered Northern Italy between the second half of January and early February 2020, weeks before the first Italian case of COVID-19 was identified and therefore long before the current containment measures were taken.


• Nevertheless, the epidemiological data showing that the first cases in Germany preceded the first ones in Italy by almost a month, suggest that the strain entered Germany before Italy

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.15.20032870v1.full.pdf

 

Kills millions?  If you mean globally then I still think that’s high. But Spanish killed between 50 and 100 million when the population was a quarter of today’s level and it didn’t savage society or destroy democracy.

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I think pubs and clubs up and down the country will be having lock-ins to get rid of the beer in their cellars.  Once that’s gone, the brewery shouldn’t be delivering more to them and they will have to call time! 

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No, I mean kill millions in the UK. This is from the epidemiological study from Imperial published last Monday. The 250k figure was a best case scenario for the herd immunity policy. As I said, thankfully we'l never have to find out as the herd immunity policy has been ditched.

I am being genuine in my remarks here. Society as we have seen in the last week are not ready for what’s happened/is happening and will be savaged. The world and how we operate is so different 

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Trump congratulates Kim Jong Un on managing coronavirus in North Korea

https://news.sky.com/story/trump-congratulates-kim-jong-un-on-managing-coronavirus-in-north-korea-11961693

Whether true or not, this made me smile. Trump is clearly an admirer of Kim Jong Un.

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 Agree on all points.

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Cummings... terrifying. 'If some pensioners die, too bad'

Quite the revelation from @ShippersUnbound - if true would explain why UK remained an outlier for so long.

For several days, Sir Patrick Vallance talked publicly about herd immunity, until Matt Hancock came down hard to insist it wasn’t Government policy. pic.twitter.com/uDwQ4jQLv0

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) March 22, 2020

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I know someone like this - deliberately avoids the news and TV. He was one of the last few still in the pub every night. I understand he's now self-isolated with symptoms.

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Trump is a Libertarian. He admires absolute authoritarian dictatorship provided he's allowed to be the dictator. Anyone who isn't a dictator is just lazy and weak (obviously).

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Spot on, unfortunately.

As Nick had said, they will probably get away even with this. 

‘Turn the Tide’ seems to be the line being thrown around on Sophie Ridge today.

The PM sitting on his hands won’t turn the tide.

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Apologies - hadn't read the last of yesterday's thread.

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Statement from the Scottish Government:

https://www.gov.scot/news/travel-warning/ 

The Daily Mail response:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-8137433/The-best-places-revel-splendid-isolation-coronavirus-crisis-Lancashire-Devon.html 

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No there wasn't anything about this yesterday. Nick had just made this comment several days ago.

Perhaps inappropriate, but there is some analogy.

Anyway, embarrassment aside, there was apparently a near riot in Whitstable yesterday. Hundreds of Londoners - many with second homes in the town - milling about enjoying the sunshine and the off licences. There was a fight in an enormous queue outside a fish and chip shop. People desperate to stuff their faces as normal. Scores of people standing inches apart.

I think the number of Covid-19 mortalities in this country will easily outstrip those of Italy. I cannot believe how irresponsible people are - including friends of mine.

 

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I think the biggest problem is there’s too much fake news and sensationalising, so people don’t know what to believe.  With the media, it’s very much a case of crying wolf too often!  Weather headlines are a prime example of sensationalism.  Britain to be gripped in a month long arctic blast!  Which of course doesn’t happen!  

That’s led to an attitude of ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’.  So to some people, Covid19 will only be real when they see it up close. When it affects them personally. Sadly in some cases that will be too late and in the meantime they’re putting others at risk. 

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From our local Facebook group:

Yesterday in my local chemist as I was collecting a prescription, a woman at the counter was asking for painkillers,the girl let her have 3 boxes,the woman then announced "that's better than none. . We can't get any in London " I asked what she was doing here when we have all been asked to stay at home. . Her reply, we're not on lock down yet,. . . No maybe not but please use some common sense .... Stay away stay at home DONT spread CV 19 PLEASE.

and

The camp sites are open my friend works at one in leysdown and yesterday took loads of abuse from the idiot Londoners who have come here instead of staying at home as we've all been asked to do. There is nothing open please go home and help stop the spread of cv19

Don't underestimate the effect on having thousands of (potentially infected) Londoners milling around the place will have... I'd imagine cases in popular areas (like Kent) will syrocket in a couple of weeks!

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Non essential workers have been ordered to shelter at home in the states of California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut.

Nope, it’s commonly used in the UK as a general insult. But, I guess only Boris is fair game.

A bit random this but I think relevant.

Mrs NS is watching 'Rich Holiday Poor Holiday' right now. This episode has a couple of 'nutritionists' who usually spend 60k+ on holidays a year and a family of 5, three young children, Dad is a self employed plasterer and Mum is a part time Teaching Assistant who earn around 15k a year combined. 

We all know which one is classed as a key worker, yet the money they receive is pitiful. Maybe this is a chance to examine what is important is society and how we reward it?

Somehow I doubt it.

I am in contact with my brother in California. He says hiking trails were busier than usual by a factor of five yesterday. Contacts in Copenhagen report that all parks and gardens now have one way routes marked for walking to maintain distance. No gatherings > 10 people. Tickets are being issued for violation.

I can't raise any response from friends in Russia at all. Not sure if the emails are getting through.

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