UK lockdown restrictions to be eased from Monday [split topic]

[Fambo Number Mive]

"If you tell people to stay at home too early," the government's chief scientific advisor Patrick Vallance said at a press conference on Thursday March 12, "they get fed up with this at the very point where you need them to stay at home."

It should have been clear to Johnson that this was nonsense. A lockdown isn't more successful because it takes places from mid March to June as opposed to mid February to May. Countries that locked down earlier have come out of lockdown earlier. It's about locking down as early as possible to ensure cases are stopped from spreading.

[buttgammon]

Just to underline the class differences in the issues around work and risk, I found out there's a big fintech company that is keeping all of its staff working from home until there's a vaccine.

[Dewt]

Well that attitude isn't going to get big fins built.

[BlodwynPig]

The trade association Water UK have highlighted that Johnson was wrote to talk about coronavirus being in the water supply: https://twitter.com/WaterUK/status/1259893298518544391

Another step closer to turning into Trump.

It is in your stools though, so can get into the wastewater... however, no evidence of persistence. I'm actually working on using data from faecal samples to predict prevalence in a population, assuming lognormal distribution in the population. If Zetetic or any stats guys want to challenge the lognormal assumption, please let me know. We can then calculate the theoretical R0 through time, but really this is down to getting more data, e.g. Bahrain seems to have a shed load as all COVID patients are quarantined within a single area with a single wastewater treatment plant as the sink of their waste.

--- I'll move this to a new thread

[batwings]

It is in your stools though, so can get into the wastewater... however, no evidence of persistence. I'm actually working on using data from faecal samples to predict prevalence in a population, assuming lognormal distribution in the population. If Zetetic or any stats guys want to challenge the lognormal assumption, please let me know. We can then calculate the theoretical R0 through time, but really this is down to getting more data, e.g. Bahrain seems to have a shed load as all COVID patients are quarantined within a single area with a single wastewater treatment plant as the sink of their waste.

--- I'll move this to a new thread

Hrrr. Lognormal. Hrrr. Hrrr.

[JesusAndYourBush]

I do think he's referring to this: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/coronavirus-found-paris-sewage-points-early-warning-system

Ah, I'd assumed he'd found a bullshit way of squirming out of a gaffe, but in this case you're maybe right.

[EOLAN]

Listened to the latest "The Daily" podcast from the NYT. Knowing from the heading that it wasn't going to be the most infantile about Boris's and Britain/England's handling of the Covid-19.
They weren't horrifically bad. Did leave out some bits about the herd immunity theory and the superman speech. Just the general discussion came across as a bit infantile about how England which treated is not seriously compared to other countries in Europe now has to treat it the most seriously. Suppose they trying to convey a message to their US base more so than any British listeners; but doesn't imbue confidence in it being a stalwart of journalism.

[Ferris]

Listened to the latest "The Daily" podcast from the NYT. Knowing from the heading that it wasn't going to be the most infantile about Boris's and Britain/England's handling of the Covid-19.
They weren't horrifically bad. Did leave out some bits about the herd immunity theory and the superman speech. Just the general discussion came across as a bit infantile about how England which treated is not seriously compared to other countries in Europe now has to treat it the most seriously. Suppose they trying to convey a message to their US base more so than any British listeners; but doesn't imbue confidence in it being a stalwart of journalism.

It's good on US domestic policy, but it does tend to overstretch itself. If you are well-informed on a given subject, it tends to be obvious that The Daily/NY Times is hastily forming an opinion as it goes. The podcasts on the coronavirus in feb/March were downright scaremongering, and the advice wasn't even helpful.

The real problem with that kind of paper is they value the opinions of journalists over experts. "I covered SARs 10 years ago" doesn't mean your suggested precautions for COVID-19 are more helpful than a virologist or someone from the CDC. A degree in journalism doesn't make you an expert on all things.

It's still my paper of choice and I happily pay for it because the investigative stuff tends to be so good.

[chveik]

It's still my paper of choice and I happily pay for it because the investigative stuff tends to be so good.

like when they 'investigated' the Tara Reade story?

[Ferris]

like when they 'investigated' the Tara Reade story?

Yeah that was fucking shameful, and I said as much at the time (and the editor's response to the criticism was even worse, again I said that was awful at the time in the elections 2020 thread and posted specific passages I though were particularly bad).

There's no doubt it has an establishment wing with a political agenda, and that's worth calling out when it reads it's ugly head.

I was referring to the non-partisan reporting and investigations they do. I'll do my usual plug for Rukmini Callimachi's podcast series on ISIS, Caliphate which was really engrossing and well done.

[MrMrs]

Sorry, missed all this as I was learning how to cut my sons hair - suffice to say he now looks like blackadder series 1.

Sturgeon is going to get brought down by Salmond most likely. She is already in a lot of trouble around her poor judgment re Derek mackay (not yet expelled from the party and rumours are she is trying to get him back in cabinet). Salmonds book might expose a lot of what people already suspect around the snp under her watch.

Snp as a party is petty bomb proof but sturgeon's record is dire. She might be too toxic for elections next year.

Pish

[popcorn]

Japan's new guidelines seem much clearer

[EOLAN]

Japan's new guidelines seem much clearer

Yep that makes a lot more sense. Common sense even.

[Ferris]

Japan's new guidelines seem much clearer

No point letting an apposite post go to waste. Reduce/recycle/reuse.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Japan's new guidelines seem much clearer

THIS IS WHY THE MOAI STARES!

[flotemysost]

The lettings agency I rent through have an amusingly tone-deaf policy of sending out email newsletters about the property market (clearly aimed at landlords/homeowners) to everyone on their mailing list, including tenants.

Today we were treated to a gushing bulletin about how the lockdown is basically over in regards to property and the market is going to come back roaring, viewings can resume, etc. Obviously a good thing for anyone in the middle of buying/selling and I don't begrudge anyone that, but it did come across as basically an unintentional cheery 'HAHA WE CAN STILL EVICT YOU CUNTS' to all their tenants.

[popcorn]

Japan's new guidelines seem much clearer

[Pranet]

Having walked across a golf course today, I can confirm that golf is BACK for retirees and homeworkers. Which is nice for them.

[Buelligan]

I just did my first bit of back to work, in France.  One of my jobs is taking care of a lovely doctor, so I just went round and tamed a fucking monster bale of ironing.  Stayed an extra half hour foc to finish it for her.