Coronavirus: Scientists say UK virus strategy is 'risking lives'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51892402

I'm fully expecting a Tory to have to apologise for using terms like 'the great unwashed' or something soon.

My understanding of Herd Immunity, is that it relies on known vaccinations being used. For Covid-19 there's currently no known vaccine, so herd immunity isn't really a valid way to currently treat this particular outbreak.
I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially when - worst case scenario - the 'sorry' bit of that action results in actual death.

Mark

I think the belief is once you've caught it you have the antibodies to fight it in future outbreaks. But either way, that doesn't help the current wider situation as you say. Or some older person you've just killed by accident/negligence. Or your conscience afterwards.

That's Darwinism (8+D
Without vaccination, throwing a population at a virus that the population has no natural immunity towards is simply survival of the fittest.
I could actually see certain world leaders wanting to take this approach. *shrug*

Mark

Apparently we've got such scientists at least. And up until recent days they've been getting away with it! They're going to release the computer modelling they've been working off, that should be interesting...

The problem is, it spreads easily and there is currently no vaccination.

They are looking at the inevitable at the moment of it affecting most of the population. But if everybody is ill at the same time, the care system will collapse. The best they can do is slow down the outbreak, so that the total number of infected and in need of hospital care remains below the maximum that the hospitals can cope with, whilst at the same time looking for a cure.

We have to keep in mind that the number of SARS-CoV-2 infected people is on top of the normal load that the hospitals have to cope with - we don't stop having accidents, strokes, heart attacks, cancer etc. just because a new disease has appeared.

BBC News - Coronavirus: Isolation for over-70s 'within weeks'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51895873
Aye, no hurry, like. I mean it's only killed 21 elderly people so far.

US epidemiologist thought our response was British satire

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... s-covid-19

Worth a read.

The news reported that researchers in Germany could be close to a vaccine.

Trump said he wanted them to move to America or to provide the vaccine exclusively to the USA. F'ing idiot.

https://m.dw.com/en/germany-and-us-wres ... a-52777990

I could absolutely believe that.

ION, just when I could need it the most my oven has failed and will cost £120 to fix short of serious messing about...

Went shopping on Saturday - while some of the shelves were very sparse most things were there
Was able to to pasta (as needed some) but interestingly there was no pasta sauce (I always make from scratch so not an issue but looks like lots of people were buying both)

Strange things I noticed as not being available
- Coconut milk
- Bamboo shoots
- pasta sauce
- Frozen Peas

No shortage in meat, fresh fruit / veg
didn't look for Loo roll / hand sanitiser

BBC News - Coronavirus: Iceland store to open early for older shoppers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51906744

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/coron ... 43517.html

Wow. Though I'm highly suspicious an agreeable calculation was done beforehand.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... night.html

Heads up for Tesco/McDonalds patrons... I've to go to Tesco tomorrow so that'll be interesting.

Hey big_D, is it true that Germans are panic buying sausages and cheese?

Sounds like a Wurst Käse scenario.