Thursday, March 12, 2020

How the government are playing Russian Roulette with the public's lives by ignoring the World Health Organization's advice on containment

This is something that a lot of people haven't woken up to yet.  The World Health Organization's position on coronavirus is clear - it can and must be controlled, suppressed, contained, pushed back, got on top of...choose whichever form of words you prefer.  They point to China and South Korea as examples of countries that had significant outbreaks and still got the situation back in control.

The UK government are ignoring that advice.  The view of the government's advisers (which the likes of Johnson, Cummings and Hancock are all too eager to accept) is that containment isn't possible and that we therefore shouldn't even try.  We should instead deliberately have a large-scale 'managed epidemic' that affects a huge percentage of the population and thus builds up 'herd immunity' so there's much less chance of a second outbreak.  That will condemn untold numbers of people to a needless death.  The excuse for this utter insanity is that the NHS will be better equipped to deal with the epidemic in the summer than it would be if there's a second wave next winter.

If you want to know what a 'managed epidemic' will actually look like in this country, take a look at the situation in Italy, where the health system is already in virtual collapse in spite of the fact that the numbers infected are still relatively small compared to what we'd be facing here at the height of an epidemic.  In a nutshell, a 'managed epidemic' is in current circumstances a contradiction in terms.  The NHS is not equipped to cope with it in summer any more than it is in winter.

Who is more to blame for this impending catastrophe - the ministers, or their advisers?  Ultimately it comes from the advisers (particularly the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser), but it's not hard to see why it suits the Tories down the ground to go along with it.  The alternative is to face a much longer period of disruption to keep the virus under control - in other words something akin to the situation in China and South Korea at the moment.  And that would get in the way of Johnson's plans for a glorious post-Brexit future, which is what he'd much rather be getting on with.  That's essentially what he meant the other week by his jaw-dropping musings about "taking coronavirus on the chin" and getting it over and done with by letting it move through the population.  That might suit him, but I don't think it suits the rest of us.

So what about the argument that the containment achieved in China and South Korea is a) not replicable here, and b) not even sustainable in those countries anyway in the context of a pandemic?  It's worth looking in detail at what the WHO have actually said about how containment worked in China.  I particularly recommend this interview with Bruce Aylward, who led the WHO's mission to the country.  He makes clear that in most of China containment wasn't achieved by total lockdown, but by the same public health measures that can be applied anywhere - closing of large gatherings, large-scale testing, fast and meticulous tracing and isolation of close contacts, and above all a high level of public awareness about the virus so that ordinary people can be used as a surveillance system.  It's exactly that high level of vigilance that will enable the Chinese to smother any fresh outbreak much more quickly - and just in case they're unable to do that, they're also using the time they've bought to dramatically build up the capacity of hospitals.  They're also testing and quarantining arrivals from other countries to prevent the virus being imported back in.  These are all steps we could take here if we actually got the virus under control by social distancing measures, and by ramping up testing to South Korean levels and tracing all the contacts quickly.

Instead, the government are trying to put you in a trance by making you think that what they are about to do by design is completely unavoidable.  The most despicable thing Matt Hancock said yesterday (and it was dutifully parroted by Robert Peston as if it was fact) was that the WHO's characterisation of the outbreak as a "pandemic" meant they were saying that nothing could stop it and that it would now reach every corner of the globe.  He must have known that was a lie when he said it - because in their press conference, the WHO were at pains to point out that the word "pandemic" was NOT an excuse for governments to give up on containment efforts and that they did NOT believe the virus would affect every part of the world, as long as the correct steps were taken.  They even specifically made the point that any government that gives up on containment and moves wholesale to "mitigation" will effectively be creating a situation where the health system will be overwhelmed.

If you agree with me that it would be better to put up with a year or two of moderate disruption rather than have God knows how many pointless deaths over the next few months, you could think about contacting your MP or MSP - in some cases, they may not even know that what is being presented to them as "the best scientific advice" is actually completely at odds with the WHO's directives.  Another thing you can do is keep an eye on Rory Stewart's Twitter account and retweet some of the things he's saying to ensure they reach the maximum audience.  I know I've criticised him many times in the past, but at the moment he does seem to be the only senior politician who truly "gets it".

68 comments:

  1. You're right. Nobody I know in healthcare agrees with their ludicrous proposals. As Scotland is so interlinked with England we will be dragged down with them, but the Scottish government should introduce more effective measures nonetheless.
    Scotland should not be anybody's 'herd'.

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  2. Ironic that you menrion Rory Stewart

    Did you see James Cleverly's tweet:

    "The PM & Health Secretary supported by Chief Medical Officer & Chief Scientific Advisor making calm decisions and giving measured advice.

    So disappointing to see Nicola Sturgeon & Rory Stewart blurting stuff out to try a grab media attention.

    It’s not leadership, it’s pathetic."

    They don't like anyone questioning their authority - it is relabelled "blurting out"

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  3. I've checked through Rorys tweets, still looking for the one were transport network in London is shut down providing social distancing for the circa 300000 people who enter and leave London on a normal week day, the vast majority using crampt unventilated public transport a breeding ground for transmitting a virus. Many people who work in London commute to London work in places as far as way as the south coast and the Midlands, so any virus they pick up in Lonodn gets spread around the country.

    Of course that tweet will never come because it would end any chance of success in the Election.

    On a separate not I see a lot of nationalists applauding Nicolas strong leadership following her press conference today, despite the fact that she said the same thing as Boris, who of course is weak and telling us the wrong things.

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    1. Actually i will apologise to Rory on that point he has suggested it:
      https://www.cityam.com/coronavirus-rory-stewart-says-authorities-should-look-at-shutting-down-the-tube/

      Delete
    2. Did you not hear the bit about advising against gatherings of more than 500 people that require emergency services overage? (I paraphrase).

      As far as I can see, she is following the British line where she has to, and trying to do better than that when she can.

      Delete
    3. To release the pressure on police NHS/ police etc. She agrees completely with UK Gov that banning mass events has negligible effect on the spreading of the disease.

      This could be because the Scot Gov thinks that the Scottish emergency services need that support now and the other nations do not, or it could be that they also announce the same by the time Monday comes.

      She could, of course shut all schools etc, whenever she wants, completely in her power, but again seems to be following the UK Gov thinking on this.

      Delete
    4. Exactly the same explanation given at the UK Gov press conference.
      Elizabeth Lloyd
      @eliz_lloyd
      First Minister explains why schools are not closing, potentially more risk to children in informal gatherings, protects availability of key staff, and any closure could be for a long time. Important it is only done if and when necessary #Covid_19

      Delete
    5. Now i'm not saying that i don't have concerns about the path being taken, but lets stop the pretence that the Scot Gov is being somehow forced to taking the steps just because England is the loudest voice in the room. The fact that the Scot Gov has diverged from the rest of the UK regarding large gatherings shows that it can set its own path when it feels the need.

      Delete
    6. England *is* the loudest voice in the room - that's simply a fact. Whether that makes any practical difference can only be a matter of speculation, but most countries have taken stronger action than we have. I have no idea what we'd be doing if we were an independent country.

      Delete
  4. Unionist Media BDSM ClubMarch 12, 2020 at 7:33 PM

    Health expert brands UK's coronavirus response 'pathetic'
    Ministers ‘behaving like 19th-century colonialists playing a five-day game of cricket’, says Prof John Ashton

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/12/health-expert-brands-uks-coronavirus-response-pathetic

    This one of your best and more important pieces, James.

    I posted a Times link here a couple of weeks back claiming this would be the UK govt's approach, for the sake of the economy, and now here we are.

    I stand by everything I said back then, e.g. if a vaccine is discovered next year and the Tories have therefore unnecessarily murdered hundreds of thousands of citizens then you may be looking at a violent uprising, including in Scotland. That they're still planning a No Deal Brexit on top of all of this -- well, if the Scottish population just lie back and take that too then we probably deserve the shitstorm that's coming.

    So this is it, then. This is where you end up when you hand over control to bumbling empathy-free ideologues and shit gets real for the entire population. Prof Ashton has it precisely right. This crisis is being handled by the modern equivalent of those effete public school pricks Ghandi came up against.

    The question is, are we going to let them get away not only with destroying Scotland's economy but with murder of our most vulnerable citizens on an industrial scale?

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    Replies
    1. Sur there's been a moider.

      Delete
    2. Charles Stuart 1745March 12, 2020 at 8:08 PM

      I am ready with the Govan Young Team tae hit the streets in protest against Boris and the Tories. The Tories have targeted Scottish Nationalists for early death.

      Delete
    3. Unionist Media BDSM ClubMarch 12, 2020 at 10:39 PM

      There's now enough data regarding completed cases (recoveries versus deaths) to use that for the deathrate, which is 6% globally. The case fatality rate in Italy is currently 7% and rising, due to increasingly swamped hospitals. Horrific stories there of old people having heart attacks and simply being ignored.

      The deathrate here in Madrid is one of the worst in Europe at 56 out of 1223 cases yesterday and will keep rising as ICU beds fill up. Somebody is currently blasting 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head' from their flat across the city centre.

      Delete
  5. Clearly both perverts getting of on recounting the sexual aspects of the trial:
    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/03/your-man-kept-oot-the-gallery-the-alex-salmond-trial-day-3/
    https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/salmond-trial/

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    1. Wee Scottish Nationalist PervMarch 12, 2020 at 8:31 PM

      Nice feeling a vulnerable Scottish Nationalist woman's diddy.

      Delete
    2. It's just putting the trial as more important than coronavirus (e.g. top headline) on a public service news site that implies you are a pervert.

      If you are a blogger who knows the defendant or has a close personal interest (e.g. big nationalist), you have a reason for analysis.

      If you are the BBC, why are you reporting it in detail / putting it as front page? What's the reason? There's no obvious strong public interest, not now that Salmond doesn't hold public office. It should be in the pack pages at the bottom. If you are putting it on the front page, you must think it important.

      Why is it important to the average Scot? It's just not, not at all.

      If he's found guilty and stands for office again, then it all becomes important.

      For now though, the only explanation is that the BBC is simply perverted, or maybe it has a different, equally perverse agenda?

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    3. can you show were its the top headline please.

      Delete
    4. The Salmond story has topped the BBC Scotland news pages various times since the trial began, commonly being prioritised over the latest coronavirus news.

      Delete
  6. If you looked at it from a purely political angle Nicola Sturgeon and her government's jobs are on the line whereas Boris Johnson's isn't because Tories couldn't give a monkeys one way or the other and it's England that votes in National governments, Scotland's votes only count in Scotland so if our First Minister gets it wrong she's out

    But that's not who Nicola Sturgeon is, she'll do what she believes to be the right thing and try her best to save lives because that's who she is, everything she does is about people, not a job, she doesn't need the job for money and she doesn't need it for power and glory and legacy or she would've taken the job with the UN two years ago, she didn't did she



    ReplyDelete
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    1. Kind of like mother Theresa and a sainthood to follow.

      Delete
    2. You'd know all about following. So they tell me.

      Delete
  7. I think the 4 nations approach is desirable. This is not the time for political squabbles.

    However, the Scottish government should take the advice of their own medical experts and if necessary, go against the rUK.

    They should also go as far as to shut the border (to all but key traffic) if that's needed to protect Scots (and/or the English / N. Irish), including Scottish NHS workers etc.

    We are talking about people's lives here. If needed, the Scot Gov should declare (effective) independence to save lives. A referendum can be held later. If rUK policy was so stupid we were looking at it causing thousands of Scottish deaths, then the Scottish government should take control and ask questions later.

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  8. Erm, there's no such thing as the UK's chief medical officer.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51857856

    ...The UK's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty...

    He is England's CMO.

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  9. And can the BBC please make it clear that Scots should not follow Johnson's advice, but the advice of the Scottish government?

    What a fucking mess we could have with the Scottish government in charge of the NHS, emergency services, schools etc, with the BBC fucking telling Scots they need to do XYZ because the 'UK's chief medical officer says so' when this is not what's been advised in Scotland all, but for England.

    And the situations could develop very differently. Scotland has a different health and emergency services etc. It is geographically different, and culturally so too. It's transport links are different. What's needed in England at any given moment is not necessarily what's needed here.

    But the most important thing is that Scots should only listen to the advice of this in charge of their public services; Holyrood. English advice should be called English advice, not 'UK' advice.

    Likewise, if we need army help, those troops should be there to assist police Scotland under the control of the Scottish government.

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    1. Should it be British army or Frogs.

      Delete
    2. If troops are on active duty in Scotland helping with coronavirus, they should be a 'Scottish' army, as they would be under Holyrood's command for an agreed period, no questions asked.

      They would, for example, have to be prepared to close the border and prevent crossings from England, with London unable to overrule that, even if it was Boris trying to cross.

      It's just utterly pointless otherwise; what's the use of such help if some blond posh dickhead in London just keeps undoing the orders you've just given.

      Delete
    3. "Should it be British army or Frogs."

      It should be amphibious units.

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    4. Holyrood cannot even get two ferries built in Port Glasgow and you want them to command an army.

      Delete
    5. Scottish armies have been the envy of the world , and the toast of europe .

      I want holyrood to command our armed forces .

      The empire is over GWC deal with it.

      The british cant fill wembly stadium.

      Delete
    6. The English are too scared to stand on their own two feet without a wee rocky outcrop of a country 1/10th of their size, and you think they can command an army?

      Any country willing to pay its own way in the world will do a better job than one, like England, that's too chickenshit.

      Delete
  10. Completely agree, which was my main point. Strangely, for once, Boris is not taking the easy populist route. That would be to close schools cancel events etc etc. Hes taking the harder /less popular route. Thus far this route seems to be the same route that all four nations are agreeing is the correct.

    Time will tell if the right decisions are being made.

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    1. For him, what he's doing *is* the easy route, because he thinks this will get the whole thing over with. The alternative is from a political point of view a harder and longer road - but it would also save lives.

      Four UK nations may be signing off on this strategy - but most non-UK nations are taking a radically different approach. That ought to tell us something.

      Delete
    2. The hard route is forgetting about brexit for now and extending the transition period until the coronavirus is under fully under control, with the economy completely recovered. It would be literal genocide to try and plough ahead with that right now.

      Same goes for indyref2. While there's nothing but deep anti-Scottish racism and English cowardice stopping English MPs agreeing to a section 30, the Scottish government should hold off on any actual ballot for now too.

      Delete
    3. It tells us that politicians are terrified of being blamed for even a single death.

      We have a media which has pursued the FM and Health Secretary for months due to the death of one sick child.

      We have a media which still attacks the FM and the Scottish Police Service due to a man ramming his car into a tree killing himself and his girlfriend in 2015.

      Funnily enough BoJo is displaying true socialist principles. the needs of the many outweigh those of the few. Wiping out an economically inactive drain on societies resources is a good thing for humanity as a whole.

      I repeat from a previous comment. The WHO is staffed by ideologues who think that nobody should ever be sick. All diseases can be eradicated. Men can become Women. I wouldn't trust them if they told me today was Friday.

      Delete
    4. Unionist Media BDSM ClubMarch 13, 2020 at 11:18 AM

      Imagine aliens landing during this pandemic and asking who our leader is for coping with it.

      "Em... see that bumbling blond guy flippantly waving his hand and talking about letting the virus work its way quickly through the population? That's our big chief."

      Then try to explain to them what a No Deal Brexit is and that the blond guy's still planning to proceed with it right at the point when the pandemic's second wave is peaking.

      If this cavalier insanity was something you read in a history book and the victims were in some corner of the Brit Empire, you wouldn't be surprised to see it described as genocide.

      As for Scotland, imagine the humanitarian crises already anticipated for a No Deal Brexit being imposed on Ireland at the peak of the Famine. Are the Scottish people so craven they'll put up with that? We may be about to find out.

      Delete
    5. remember the battle of the bauge when les eccosais saved france from england.

      ..and you want les rosbifs to control your army?

      are you crazy ecossais?

      Delete
  11. Scotland has its own chief doctor. Health is devolved. Nicola is the one who needs to break rank and do whats right for Scotland. So far she has gone along with Cobra and the UK.

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  12. Boris Johnson is going for the get it over with quick approach by accepting everyone will be infected so lets get on with it now
    That might be an acceptable strategy if you have a massive reserve of facilities in your health service and you were totally confident that no matter how many of them get sick you'll still have enough
    Englands NHS was in serious trouble before this virus broke so really his strategy hasn't a chance in hell of working

    But Johnson knows that, and that's the reason he wants it over quick vbecause then the economy can get back to work and the stock market which he personally owns shares in will get back to normal so Boris and his cronies money will be safe and a lot of citizens will be just as dead, but hey so what they were going to die anyway weren't they Boris

    Nicola Sturgeon's strategy is the slow curve so the NHS won't be too overwhelmed like it definitely will be in England, the FM wants to stretch it out for a couple of reasons, 1 the slower you allow the virus to spread the easier it is to maintain care, 2 she might get licky and somebody comes up with a vaccine before the mortality rate hits what it's going to hit

    Take your pick, UK money or Scottish care, I'll take the care option every time and Johnson can stick it up his stock market

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    1. To reassure one's followers, one is pleased to report from the idyllic setting of Foix in the French Pyrénées that calm and tranquility form the order of the day. One visits the boulangerie for one's daily baguette and naughtily sneaks into the pâtisserie to partake of a heavenly almond madelaine. The countess's staff are most accommodating and dinner is a joy. The simplicity of rural life and these days of self-isolation have proved highly refreshing. One recommends it.

      Delete
    2. Roddy Collarless-ShirtMarch 13, 2020 at 10:37 AM

      Yet, may one be so bold as to speak truth to culture and advise against excessive quaffing of the Syrah in the current situation?

      Delete
    3. Unionist Media BDSM ClubMarch 13, 2020 at 12:25 PM

      >The number of people being tested for coronavirus in the UK has fallen in recent days, even as concern about the disease's spread grows.

      >Official government figures show fewer people have been tested for the virus this week compared to the previous seven days.

      >Public health experts have suggested that the lack of testing is part of a response from the UK government which could be encouraging the spread of the disease.

      https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-uk-test-boris-johnson-pandemic-outbreak-new-cases-nhs-a9396406.html

      For comparison, South Korea is testing 20k people per day, the same number as the UK has tested in total.

      Imperial College have described 400k UK deaths from the virus as 'not absurd' to contemplate. 450k died in WW2.

      If Johnson keeps on like this and then goes ahead with No Deal, independence becomes an even more urgent moral obligation. At that point NS should invite the other parties claiming to be Scottish to form a govt of national unity, with the aim of stopping No Deal causing an even more severe national catastrophe. The Tories would turn the offer down, as would the staunchies in Labour and the Lib Dems. But those that don't would help provide the cross-party support for a possible UDI this time next year.

      London imposing No Deal's food and medicine shortages on Scotland at the second peak of this nightmare would justify UDI (I've never argued for UDI before), and I believe the EU would agree.

      Delete
    4. Heartening that a fellow oenologist would recognise one's unspoken nod to the noble Syrah in the reference to Foix. Coteaux d’Engraviès lies but a step away from the countess's home. You know it?

      Delete
    5. King Constantine........is that you?

      Delete
  13. To the anonymous poster who left two mindlessly abusive comments, a couple of points: 1) don't waste your time in future, because abusive comments of that sort will always be deleted as soon as I see them, and 2) why don't you actually read the interview with Bruce Aylward and educate yourself. You're wrong on multiple counts, and if you could just calm yourself long enough to actually read the information I've already provided, you'd understand why. As the WHO have said repeatedly, this is a "controllable pandemic". You disagree, so who to believe? Some random angry anonymous person on the internet, or the World Health Organization? It's a tough one...

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  14. While I agree with Hunt, can the BBC / England stop calling the English government the 'UK' government please before people are killed / lose their jobs etc as a result of that?

    It is a four nations approach to coronavirus (due to all the relevant control services/measures bar the army being devolved), so Johnson is the English government leader for tacking this crisis, and the recommendations he makes are for England only, unless people in the other nations hear otherwise from the own governments.

    The confusion could well cost lives.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51865915

    Coronavirus: UK's approach 'concerning', says Jeremy Hunt

    The government's decision not to cancel public events over the coronavirus outbreak is "concerning", says ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt...

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51851341

    Coronavirus: Mass events ban as Scottish virus cases spike

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    Replies
    1. Without doubt the devolved governments should have full control of both their international and domestic borders at this time.

      It's utter madness for them to control heath services, the emergency services, local councils etc - all the services needed to control the outbreak bar the army - but not be able to do anything about the flow of people in and out of Scotland.

      Delete
  15. I have the feeling Ms Sturgeon's reasons for banning large gatherings - safeguarding the emergency services so that they can concentrate fully on the coronavirus situation - was used to disguise the fact that she did not agree with the UK Governments approach and she felt that large gatherings should be banned. It would appear that the various football associations in Scotland and rUK agree with her and have moved today to cancel all games until 3rd April at the least.

    As to the 'scientific' advice Mr Johnson is following - Nudge Theory - the scientists giving that advice seem conspicuous by their absence from TV studios and radio stations as is the data on which they base their conclusions.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/13/why-is-the-government-relying-on-nudge-theory-to-tackle-coronavirus

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    1. Dom and Boris's UK-wide BDSM ClubMarch 13, 2020 at 6:15 PM

      A mate in the army says he'll be patrolling the streets next week or the week afterwards, to ensure people stay at home. Whether or not it's as soon as that, who knows, but it may well be coming.

      Not that great to see a country run by Dominic Cummings amnd Boris Johnson send troops into the streets, even for this. Their democratic and empathetic credentials aren't the best.

      Delete
    2. Im ready.

      Delete
  16. Overwhelming the NHS is the point. It provides further "proof" that it's failing and therefore needs to be privatized. What they don't appear to have thought through is fact that the people at greatest risk of dying from COVID-19—the over 50s—are also the ones who are most likely to support the Tories and Brexit. It's surprising that they'd be so casual about risking the lives of their base like this.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. The utter disaster the US is facing was being discussed on the radio. 8% of folk have no health insurance at all, and many are under insured, so may not be covered.

      Then there's the fact that people have little to no sick pay or holiday entitlement, and are living from pay day to pay day. They simply cannot afford not to go into work, so in they will go with the virus.

      Countries with universal, 'socialist' healthcare and welfare systems will weather this storm far better than capitalist states.

      In the end, you get through national crises by communities caring for each other. When it's dog eat dog every man for himself, that's when the shelves are empty of bog rolls and people are dying of corona pneumonia the streets.

      The US must become super socialist very quick. It's the only hope for a stock market recovery ironically.

      Delete
    3. The Donald has (finally) been convinced and has declared a State of Emergency... Boris will be distinctly pit-oot by the remark @ the White House press conference that the UK /US "open borders" is being reviewed. From what I've gathered from today's White House press conf someone in the US (probably their Chief Medic) has been doing serious thinking & they have got a Govt/Business deal going which, if all goes as forecast should see them through...

      Delete
  17. Bella is inviting nominations. Can you think of anyone who's been left out?

    Worst Blog
    Craig Murray
    Wings over Scotland
    Barrhead Boy
    Worst Radio Station
    BBC Radio Scotland
    Worst Sports Reporter
    Keith Jackson
    Worst Magazine
    The Spectator
    Worst Twitter account
    Dan Hodges
    Piers Morgan
    Duncan Hothersall
    Stuart Campbell
    Worst Business Journalist
    Worst Journalist of the Year
    Laura Kuenssberg
    Robert Peston

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. private mcgubligginMarch 13, 2020 at 7:06 PM

      GWC?

      Roaster of the year , embarresement to the union , anglo arselicker extroadinaire , failed scotsman , please vote liebuurr?

      Delete
    2. Big Eater From PerthMarch 13, 2020 at 7:37 PM

      GWC,
      Yer Working Class if ye mind yer Maw tellin' ye cod-liver oil capsules were sweeties.

      And I nominate the clown Kelly for Lifetime Achievement Award.

      Delete
    3. magnificent pie eaterMarch 13, 2020 at 7:39 PM

      im back big eater.

      im hungry.

      i have a spoon of cod liver anti union oil every morning , its facking fantastic.

      Delete
  18. The village doctor here is doing his best to shut down every social gathering in the village, with some success. He believes the government advice, both Westminster and Holyrood, is grossly inadequate and is doing the best he can for his own patch.

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  19. I would like to ask A Doctor if some kinds of handshake are riskier than others.

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    Replies
    1. apparently so GWC.

      Delete
    2. come ere GWC , i need a cough.

      Delete
  20. Something that happened yesterday gave me some pause. I had an arrangement to meet a friend at the Showcase for dinner and a movie. The restaurant was quite empty, we surmised due to the big match rather than a lot of people staying away already. During the meal I tried to persuade her to stay away from an event we're both booked for in Glasgow in a month, which people will be travelling to from all over Britain. She expressed concern that it might be cancelled (I hope that happens and it probably will) but said she would go if it wasn't cancelled as she wasn't worried about catching the virus. I tried to explain why this wasn't a terribly wise attitude, to little effect.

    Then she told me she'd been in contact, at a church meeting, with someone who had been in contact with someone who had tested positive after returning from Italy. That person had asked the SNHS if he should self-isolate, but this had been pooh-poohed.

    I had been careful that evening to stay away from everyone except my friend. In fact we had the actual cinema to ourselves, but we sat together. As a retired NHS worker I had thought she would have more sense. So that's it. I am going absolutely nowhere except possibly for a solitary walk or a solitary bike ride for the foreseeable future. Helped of course by the fact that my planned local leisure activities are being rapidly cancelled one after the other thanks to our pro-active doctor. Saves me sticking my neck out and unilaterally announcing that I'm not going.

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  21. I'm still classed as a young man (but not by much), and I'm probably the fittest I've been since I was a young lad; having swapped smoking for lots of exercise a good few years ago now.

    So, I'm not particularly worried about getting the virus, and I live in the middle of nowhere, ergo being stuck at home just means lots of walks in the hills and mountain biking.

    However, I will closely follow all the rules as I worry about catching it and accidentally giving it to someone else.

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    1. Random Totty From Freedom SquareMarch 13, 2020 at 7:20 PM

      People say that I'm really fit - but I'm not happy about some of the terms that the government is using.

      I mean, if I get 'herd immunity' then what will I have become?

      End London Rule!

      Delete
    2. 1979.

      ...and i......dont even care.........

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  22. I have heard schools in Scotland will shut from friday or next friday until end of summer.

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    1. Is that wishful thinking on your part or can you provide a link?

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  23. Having to postpone a trip home to Scotland via France I can’t believe the way that governments in the UK are acting over the Coronavirus. Tunisia where I live has just imposed a 14-day self-isolation policy on travellers arriving from all countries – without exception. It has also closed its maritime borders and suspended all flights from Italy and reduced other flights to a bare minimum. There will be one daily flight to France, a weekly flight to Egypt, Germany and the UK. The decision came as the Coronavirus cases in Tunisia rose to 16 today. As Tunisia relies heavily on the tourist industry this is going to be financially hard for the country. However, it seems Tunisia put its people higher up the scale of things than the UK.

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