Coronavirus

[jeremyp]

I hope they are caught...

Police have made two arrests

[wigginhall]

GREAT NEWS!
Today's 'Daily Mail' says that the lockdown will last for weeks to come, so it'll probably be over by Saturday! 

I wonder if the Mail is channelling those right-wing voices who are complaining that the lockdown hurts the economy too much.   Striking that they put "weeks" in caps, when it's more likely to be months.  I think they published Peter Hitchens' hymn to capitalism, worth sacrificing a few hundred thousand old people to.  The right wing use the phrase "house arrest".

[Nearly Sane]

Honestly don't understand the justification for this.

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/mps-given-an-extra-10000-to-work-from-home/09/04/?fbclid=IwAR3I6cvNh9aqzHKsE6Cp5OniD_tMX15Kq-DREEJcx2fXjPEgW5to9UDZYx0

[Roses]

Honestly don't understand the justification for this.

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/mps-given-an-extra-10000-to-work-from-home/09/04/?fbclid=IwAR3I6cvNh9aqzHKsE6Cp5OniD_tMX15Kq-DREEJcx2fXjPEgW5to9UDZYx0

Nor do I.

[Nearly Sane]

From the BBC rolling news - job losses on this scale are frightening


'A further 6.6 million jobless claims in the US
More staggering unemployment figures are coming out of the United States.
Some 6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week. That takes the total number of claims in the last three weeks to more than 16 million - truly unprecedented figures.
To put these numbers in context - nine million jobs were lost in the 2008 financial crisis over a much, much longer period.'

[Sriram]

It is possible that some terrorist outfits are using the corona crisis for their own ends.  They don't mind being infected or dying.

[torridon]

Sriram, how are people coping in India ? I can't imagine how poor people on daily wages are surviving with no income since Mr Modi imposed a lock down.

[Sriram]

Sriram, how are people coping in India ? I can't imagine how poor people on daily wages are surviving with no income since Mr Modi imposed a lock down.

Thanks for asking torri.   We are doing fairly well as a country. Three weeks of lock down and perhaps an extension for a further 15 days. But most people seem to be coping very well.   The govt has also identified containment zones and is managing to control the situation fairly well.  Its not alarming as yet.

As I have written earlier....in India the virus doesn't seem to be behaving in the same way that it has in many countries in the Temperate zone.  Trump is happy that India has agreed to his 'request' for  supply of hydroxychloroquine. 

There was recently a crisis where thousands of people belonging to a muslim sect gathered together (speeches were delivered against the lockdown) and have now traveled far and wide into the country. Many of them are suspected of being positive and could be spreading the infection elsewhere.  There have been cases of such people spitting on others, including policemen, selling veggies on which they have spat and so on. This has raised doubts that perhaps some groups affiliated to terrorist organisations are taking advantage of the corona crisis and are spreading the infection on purpose. 

About migrant workers....many govt and private organisations have come forward and the workers are being provided food and shelter. It is indeed a problem for daily wagers but the govt and many NGO's are arranging for monetary help.  Most of us are donating money and other forms of help.

But the lock down cannot be avoided.

[Nearly Sane]

Honestly don't understand the justification for this.

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/mps-given-an-extra-10000-to-work-from-home/09/04/?fbclid=IwAR3I6cvNh9aqzHKsE6Cp5OniD_tMX15Kq-DREEJcx2fXjPEgW5to9UDZYx0

Having looked into a bit more, I think that there is some justification as it is about  ramping up support for expenses in a time of demand.

[Walter]

Having looked into a bit more, I think that there is some justification as it is about  ramping up support for expenses in a time of demand.

If they need a bit more support a truss and surgical boots should be offered to all MPs After all, they are very special .

[Nearly Sane]

If they need a bit more support a truss and surgical boots should be offered to all MPs After all, they are very special .

  The demand is from constituents, and the support is for that.

[ippy]

Brian Cox on Infinite Monkey Cage.

Thought for the Day, on the Today programme BBC radio 4 early morning six days a week, the non-religious beliefs are banned from this slot, the BBC's most obvious bias for religion, anyway you must know about that and they're not going to make it obvious just how much they avoid having religion challenged on their airwaves, it is little and often aligned with its policy of never missing.

Clever, and you wont see it if you've made your mind up to not see it.

ippy.

[Walter]

brilliant!

https://youtu.be/lr_tEdQvFcc

[torridon]

Thanks for asking torri.   We are doing fairly well as a country. Three weeks of lock down and perhaps an extension for a further 15 days. But most people seem to be coping very well.   The govt has also identified containment zones and is managing to control the situation fairly well.  Its not alarming as yet.

As I have written earlier....in India the virus doesn't seem to be behaving in the same way that it has in many countries in the Temperate zone.  Trump is happy that India has agreed to his 'request' for  supply of hydroxychloroquine. 

There was recently a crisis where thousands of people belonging to a muslim sect gathered together (speeches were delivered against the lockdown) and have now traveled far and wide into the country. Many of them are suspected of being positive and could be spreading the infection elsewhere.  There have been cases of such people spitting on others, including policemen, selling veggies on which they have spat and so on. This has raised doubts that perhaps some groups affiliated to terrorist organisations are taking advantage of the corona crisis and are spreading the infection on purpose. 

About migrant workers....many govt and private organisations have come forward and the workers are being provided food and shelter. It is indeed a problem for daily wagers but the govt and many NGO's are arranging for monetary help.  Most of us are donating money and other forms of help.

But the lock down cannot be avoided.

My first thought on seeing the lock down in India was that India has a young demographic, most people would recover from a viral infection but Modi would kill them with joblessness-induced malnutrition instead.  Maybe daily wagers jobs' will still be there to resume once the lock down is over and it is just a question of support networks during the period of lock down.  Maybe it is more a western thing that people will find their jobs have disappeared after the lock down as many businesses go bankrupt.  Overall though I have a sinking feeling that the economic damage of lock downs is going to lead to a global recession, probably the worst since the great depression of the 1930s and that will drive many millions of people who were just about getting by into destitution and poverty and that might prove in the end to kill more people than if we had carried on working and suffered some herd immunity to grow.

[Nearly Sane]

Thought for the Day, on the Today programme BBC radio 4 early morning six days a week, the non-religious beliefs are banned from this slot, the BBC's most obvious bias for religion, anyway you must know about that and they're not going to make it obvious just how much they avoid having religion challenged on their airwaves, it is little and often aligned with its policy of never missing.

Clever, and you wont see it if you've made your mind up to not see it.

ippy.

You asked for an example. You were given one. You lose.

[jeremyp]

Thought for the Day, on the Today programme BBC radio 4 early morning six days a week, the non-religious beliefs are banned from this slot, the BBC's most obvious bias for religion, anyway you must know about that and they're not going to make it obvious just how much they avoid having religion challenged on their airwaves, it is little and often aligned with its policy of never missing.

Clever, and you wont see it if you've made your mind up to not see it.

ippy.

So what? You just asked for examples of people on the BBC bashing religion. I gave you one.

ETA. Ninja’d by Nearly Sane

[ippy]

So what? You just asked for examples of people on the BBC bashing religion. I gave you one.

ETA. Ninja’d by Nearly Sane

I can totally understand scepticism in this area.

ippy.

[Sriram]

My first thought on seeing the lock down in India was that India has a young demographic, most people would recover from a viral infection but Modi would kill them with joblessness-induced malnutrition instead.  Maybe daily wagers jobs' will still be there to resume once the lock down is over and it is just a question of support networks during the period of lock down.  Maybe it is more a western thing that people will find their jobs have disappeared after the lock down as many businesses go bankrupt.  Overall though I have a sinking feeling that the economic damage of lock downs is going to lead to a global recession, probably the worst since the great depression of the 1930s and that will drive many millions of people who were just about getting by into destitution and poverty and that might prove in the end to kill more people than if we had carried on working and suffered some herd immunity to grow.

The workers are being taken care of.  India has seen lot of poverty over the centuries/decades and has largely come out of it. We are now in a much better position to handle it. The system is geared for it. There is lot of resilience.

However, economic issues are not the priority now.  Its about controlling the virus.

All of us have seen lots of economic issues over the years and have handled it. Japan had a nuclear bomb dropped on it but survived and thrived. World wars, depression, recessions, pandemics, natural calamities....and much more has been seen in this world and we have lived and managed.

So...not to worry.   

[Sriram]

Just in today...

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-terrorists-may-use-covid-19-window-to-strike-un-security-council-2209307?pfrom=home-topscroll

[torridon]

Sometimes a crisis can bring out the best in people.  In South Africa, rival gangs that normally terrorise their neighbourhoods with extortion rackets and drug dealing have turned to community support, using their networks to deliver food to homes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-52205158/how-coronavirus-inspired-a-gangland-truce-in-south-africa

No doubt after it is all over, they'll go back to feuding and racketeering.

[Nearly Sane]

The workers are being taken care of.  India has seen lot of poverty over the centuries/decades and has largely come out of it. We are now in a much better position to handle it. The system is geared for it. There is lot of resilience.

However, economic issues are not the priority now.  Its about controlling the virus.

All of us have seen lots of economic issues over the years and have handled it. Japan had a nuclear bomb dropped on it but survived and thrived. World wars, depression, recessions, pandemics, natural calamities....and much more has been seen in this world and we have lived and managed.

So...not to worry.   

What an uncaring philosophy! I am deeply worried for my friend in intensive care on a ventilator.

[jakswan]

Japan had a nuclear bomb dropped on it but survived and thrived. World wars, depression, recessions, pandemics, natural calamities....and much more has been seen in this world and we have lived and managed.

250,000 dead as a result of two nukes.

So...not to worry.   

Wow.

Also your description of poverty in India.
" India had 73 million people living in extreme poverty which makes up 5.5% of its total population"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India

I suspect Sriram isn't one those 73 million, so he doesn't worry.
 

[Nearly Sane]

From the BBC news feed


'A doctor who warned the prime minister about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers has died after contracting coronavirus.

Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, on Wednesday.

Five days before he was admitted to hospital, Dr Chowdhury had appealed for "appropriate PPE and remedies" to "protect ourselves and our families".

His son told the BBC his father was a "kind and compassionate hero".'

[Roses]

From the BBC news feed


'A doctor who warned the prime minister about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers has died after contracting coronavirus.

Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, on Wednesday.

Five days before he was admitted to hospital, Dr Chowdhury had appealed for "appropriate PPE and remedies" to "protect ourselves and our families".

His son told the BBC his father was a "kind and compassionate hero".'

So very, very sad.

It is a pity Boris didn't heed the doctor's warning, he might not have contracted the virus and become seriously ill, if he had been sensible.

[Roses]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52241221

New York state are having to bury bodies in a mass grave!

New York state now has more coronavirus cases than any single country.
The state's confirmed caseload of Covid-19 is almost 162,000, of whom 7,067 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.