Coronavirus

[Muddy Retriever]

There's a little bit more context to this in the following articles. (Well, actually, by "a little bit more" I really mean "some". )

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucele.../#35ad4a25158c

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b1017165.html

And at the risk of being called a pedant, I would like to point out the use of the word "primary" in the quotation provided by Muddy.

Now I think of it, I'm not sure the WHO themselves ever have said that lockdowns should be the primary source of control, have they? I thought they were rather keen on test and trace. In fact, here's the WHO Director-General on 16th March last:

We have also seen a rapid escalation in social distancing measures, like closing schools and cancelling sporting events and other gatherings.
But we have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing – which is the backbone of the response.
Social distancing measures can help to reduce transmission and enable health systems to cope.
Handwashing and coughing into your elbow can reduce the risk for yourself and others.
But on their own, they are not enough to extinguish this pandemic. It’s the combination that makes the difference.
As I keep saying, all countries must take a comprehensive approach.
But the most effective way to prevent infections and save lives is breaking the chains of transmission. And to do that, you must test and isolate.
[...]
Once again, our key message is: test, test, test.

https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/deta...-16-march-2020

So, it seems that they've always been keen on a combination of things rather than relying on one, but with test and trace (not lockdown) as the 'backbone of the response', and with the emphasis being on ensuring that health systems can continue to cope. So, perhaps, saying "even[my emphasis] some people at the WHO are moving away from advocating lockdowns" could perhaps be construed as constituting a slight distortion of the previous position of the WHO in this matter.

Well if the WHO never advocated lockdowns as the primary method of controlling the virus that's fine. Let's stop doing them then. I guess it was the absence of decent track and trace systems that meant countries like the UK had little choice but to go into lockdown in March.

Testing is obviously much improved since then but is seemingly not up to scratch. One has to ask why given that reportedly £12 billion has gone into Track and Trace, a staggering sum. I read one article this morning where the author said that it wasn't right to say that Track and Trace hadn't achieved anything. In fact, it had actually made HS2 look like relatively good value for money. Quite some feat.

[Witton Park]

Well if the WHO never advocated lockdowns as the primary method of controlling the virus that's fine. Let's stop doing them then. I guess it was the absence of decent track and trace systems that meant countries like the UK had little choice but to go into lockdown in March.

Testing is obviously much improved since then but is seemingly not up to scratch. One has to ask why given that reportedly £12 billion has gone into Track and Trace, a staggering sum. I read one article this morning where the author said that it wasn't right to say that Track and Trace hadn't achieved anything. In fact, it had actually made HS2 look like relatively good value for money. Quite some feat.

There was a Full Fact guy on the radio yesterday and one of the questions put to him was why £12 Billion for UK Track and Trace and only £773k for Ireland's?

He explained that Ireland's was just the figure for the app development and not the whole infrastructure.

The UK figure is the whole infrastructure and the £12 Billion is what was allocated and not necessarily what has been spent.

[Witton Park]

France also has problems with Track and Trace - read somewhere that Macron was praising ours, which shows how bad it must be.

The main problem here is credibility. I don't just mean of the T&T system, but the whole setup and the legal framework.

Most folk will follow guideance. I do and everyone on here knows I do that despite being sceptical of much of what is going on.

Simple clear advise, sort out the testing, sort out track and trace, reduce the legal requirements and rely more on guidance.

I think then the Government would have 90% of the public on board - you'll never get the other 10%.

[Wheeze]

Here in Wales, those of us living within 5 miles of the border have all just been equipped with infra-red night sights, binoculars and high powered semi automatic rifles. Apparently we can only point them East.

[Dave_Mole]

One has to ask why given that reportedly £12 billion has gone into Track and Trace, a staggering sum.

Because the contracts were "awarded" to people with no competence, with no scrutiny.
Who just happened to be pals with the PM.

[noel]

Because the contracts were "awarded" to people with no competence, with no scrutiny.
Who just happened to be pals with the PM.

If this teaches us anything about accountability and democracy it's that we should make friends with politicians - it's a good way of getting ahead.

[Flem]

Testing is obviously much improved since then but is seemingly not up to scratch. One has to ask why given that reportedly £12 billion has gone into Track and Trace, a staggering sum. I read one article this morning where the author said that it wasn't right to say that Track and Trace hadn't achieved anything. In fact, it had actually made HS2 look like relatively good value for money. Quite some feat.

It seems to me that this sort of thing is hardly helping:

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...alary-12104028

Some executives from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) helping the government set up and run its testing system are being paid day rates of around £7,000 - equivalent to an annual salary of around £1.5m.
[...]
The revelation is the latest evidence of the expense of the government's testing scheme, which is budgeted to cost £12bn this year - making it one of the most expensive government programmes in recent years.
BCG is renowned as one of the most prestigious - and expensive - management consultancy groups in the world.
According to the documents, the government has paid BCG around £10m for a team of around 40 consultants to do four months' work on the testing system between the end of April and late August.

While £10 million is only a very small proportion of the total £12 billion, if you have £10 million here and £10 million there, pretty soon you're talking real money. Or, to put it another way, many a mickle makes a muckle.

Mind you, management consultants are usually well worth the money.

[Flem]

Here in Wales, those of us living within 5 miles of the border have all just been equipped with infra-red night sights, binoculars and high powered semi automatic rifles. Apparently we can only point them East.

I wondered how the travel ban was going to be enforced. But this might not have been fully thought through. What about in the morning, when the sun will be in your eyes? It sounds like it could end up being a modern day Maginot Line. Perhaps it will become known as the Drakeford Line.

[noel]

I wondered how the travel ban was going to be enforced. But this might not have been fully thought through. What about in the morning, when the sun will be in your eyes? It sounds like it could end up being a modern day Maginot Line. Perhaps it will become known as the Drakeford Line.

If only there were some sort of historic defensive structure between England and Wales.

[Wheeze]

Drakefords Dyke!
Early morning sun is no issue. Filthy, lazy english probably wont even try before noon. But they issued aviators too. Nice touch I thought....now I understand why!