Corona vIrus - interesting view by Professor Rupert Read

What do I think?
I think that the Coronavirus could have been stopped dead at UK ports, the Chunnel and the airports, if everyone and everything entering the country had been quarantined for 3 weeks, starting on the 1st January.

Trouble is, no one would have stood for it, would they?
At that point it was thought to be a scaremongering drama that would never impact ol’ Blighty.
There would have been hysterically indignant outcry from huge sections of the population - and probably from this very journalist professor.

The reality is that even now, with thousands of people being admitted to hospital every day, and over 500 people dying every day, we STILL have people ignoring social distancing, saying ‘its only flu’ and merrily passing it around in secret pub lock ins, or beach walks with friends.

If the UK government had introduced draconian Lockdown measures any earlier, then the groundswell of resistance would have made the Lockdown ineffective. It took the UK pop starting to worry and stress about what was happening in Spain and Italy for the measures to be taken seriously. Tragic, but true (IMO).

I think we should have acted much much quicker than we did. My husband reckons that had we done a lockdown sooner than we did, people would not have tolerated it. Whereas, communist countries are more used to being told what to do and do it, the U.K. civil rights folk would have been up in arms. No doubt there will be a lot of lessons that need to be learnt, because when you think about it, what’s to stop a virus pandemic happening again?!

Brunneria said:

What do I think?
I think that the Coronavirus could have been stopped dead at UK ports, the Chunnel and the airports, if everyone and everything entering the country had been quarantined for 3 weeks, starting on the 1st January.

Trouble is, no one would have stood for it, would they?
At that point it was thought to be a scaremongering drama that would never impact ol’ Blighty.
There would have been hysterically indignant outcry from huge sections of the population - and probably from this very journalist.

The reality is that even now, with thousands of people being admitted to hospital every day, and over 500 people dying every day, we STILL have people ignoring social distancing, saying ‘its only flu’ and merrily passing it around in secret pub lock ins, or beach walks with friends.

If the UK government had introduced draconian Lockdown measures any earlier, then the groundswell of resistance would have made the Lockdown ineffective. It took the UK pop starting to worry and stress about what was happening in Spain and Italy for the measures to be taken seriously. Tragic, but true (IMO).

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Funnily enough Brunneria, I was replying at the same time as you, so didn’t see your reply until I had posted mine. Both you and my husband are apparently on the same page!

hi krystyna I totally agree with the professor Rupert Read. the government needed to in force a harder lockdown.
still more planes are coming over from Italy unchecked not knowing if anyone on board has the virus.
I really hope the government don't live to regret the softly approach on tackling covid 19.

richie2468 said:

hi krystyna I totally agree with the professor Rupert Read. the government needed to in force a harder lockdown.
still more planes are coming over from Italy unchecked not knowing if anyone on board has the virus.
I really hope the government don't live to regret the softly approach on tackling covid 19.

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What planes?

Brunneria said:

I think that the Coronavirus could have been stopped dead at UK ports, the Chunnel and the airports, if everyone and everything entering the country had been quarantined for 3 weeks, starting on the 1st January

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It possible that it was in the UK before 1st Jan.

The clear error the government has made was not scaling up testing from the start of this year, and testing everyone with cold/flu like symptoms. Then we would have know about the cluster in London etc when it was possible to still trace cases.

Apologies: Random thoughts from an old geezer.

January 31st 2020 - two Chinese nationals were confirmed in York.

Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said the NHS was "extremely well-prepared for managing infections". Poor NHS, he got that badly wrong.

There's so much that has to be answered and in theory I've got the time to research it all in an effort to get to the truth. Trouble is I'm tired.

Here's the random bits.

Didn't realise so many flights were still landing at LHR. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airports/lhr

I was told yesterday that the co-op management will NOT let their staff wear masks. How stupid is that?

I have been told by some Boris lovers that now is not the time to discuss these matters. Obviously so it can all get swept under the carpet.

I hope that everyone will be able to stay safe.

A number of people I know had exactly the same symptoms as a COVID 19 back in January, respiratory issues, sore throats and temperatures and I strongly believe the Chinese have covered up the spread of this and it was in our shores back then (that’s my personal opinion and not backed by science..).

DavidGrahamJones said:

I was told yesterday that the co-op management will NOT let their staff wear masks. How stupid is that

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In our local coop non of the staff have been supplied with or are wearing masks or gloves except one who after noticing my daughter was wearing gloves went and bought her own.

The spread of the covid 19 virus depends on two factors:

1) The denseness of the population.

And

2) The denseness of the population.

Juicyj said:

A number of people I know had exactly the same symptoms as a COVID 19 back in January, respiratory issues, sore throats and temperatures

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Strange you should mention that. Back in January, my wife's colleague (lives and works in London) was dreadfully ill with flu like symptoms and her lips went blue (lack of oxygen ????). My brother's sister in law had similar symptoms and was on a ventilator for over a week, really was touch and go. The only thing is that it didn't affect any of their immediate family or in the case of my wife's colleague, her work colleagues either. So maybe just a coincidence. I suppose what they should do when this is over is get a test for antibodies to see if they have had the virus.

Agree with much of the above. I had a real bad feeling when I read about a Chinese lady who had flown in from China and had taken herself to a UK hospital in a Taxi!! It was weeks before anything was done after this.

Dr John Campbell, who does a fabulous daily update on You Tube, well recommended, was insistent at the Government for Proactivity back in January, no-one listened.

We are an island. All airports, ports and such should have been closed down to assess the situation and then massive testing and isolation should have taken place but as others have said would people have stood for it? Yet flights are still coming in. Bonkers!

To be fair though the whole world wasn't prepared when it should have been. Two possible pandemics have left China in the last 20 years and we got lucky. However nothing changed. They were apparently close to some sort of a vaccine for SARS but when the danger "passed" all funding was pulled. The warning signs were there but China continued with it's Wet Markets, and allegedly they have started to open AGAIN. Bonkers again!

I quite like Boris but his situation and the fact that half the cabinet have gone down with the thing shows clearly they didn't take it seriously.

What is frightening is that it's a virus and vaccines for viruses are few and far between. They have been battling HIV for years and whilst there is treatment these days in developed countries there is still no vaccine or cure. I unfortunately don't see any light at the end of the tunnel at the moment.

Juicyj said:

. . . the Chinese have covered up

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When looking for proper evidence and avoiding hearsay or conspiracy theory, you might find this documentary interesting. I made my wife watch it because she spent most of her life involved in the world of viruses and bacteria. She explained the bits I was slow on absorbing, it all makes sense, especially as several research papers were published, even things in the Lancet. If anything the Chinese may have clamped down on information getting out a bit too late. It's interesting!

I’m not sure that an enquiry would be productive right now. It’s very easy to have hindsight, and to apportion blame after the event, and I, too, think that the UK was, and still is, painfully slow in putting effective measures in place.
What’s required now, in my common or garden opinion, is a swift stepping up of measures to slow transmission of the virus. Good models are the actions of Jacinda Ahern’s government in New Zealand where borders have been closed and lockdown imposed, and the absolute lockdown of Wuhan. Even now that has been eased there are still firm social distancing and movement rules in many Chinese cities.