Media Coverage of COVID -19

[RomeoCharlie71]

I see Dr Zubaida Hague is arguing for the whole of England to be in Tier 4. It’s not entirely clear if she is on the official SAGE committee or the Independent SAGE, though

The whole of England should be in Tier 4 Sage expert warns

SAGE scientist Dr Zubaida Haque today questioned why the government haven't placed the whole country under the toughest restrictions to save lives.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Independent SAGE according to her Twitter bio.

 

[kez19]

Independent SAGE according to her Twitter bio.

So we have 2 Sage groups? Who holds the onions?

 

[Mag_seven]

Independent SAGE according to her Twitter bio.

Independent SAGE seems to consist of hardline lockdown enthusiasts who don't care about the economic or mental health implications of lockdowns. They also appear to be quite political and from the left. They are anything but "Independent" for if they were you would get some of them arguing against lockdowns.

 

[Richard Scott]

Independent SAGE seems to consist of hardline lockdown enthusiasts who don't care about the economic or mental health implications of lockdowns. They also appear to be quite political and from the left. They are anything but "Independent" for if they were you would get some of them arguing against lockdowns.

Just another group of people who are labelled experts but only, in reality, want their 15minutes of fame and a nice tidy pay out?

 

[DB]

Independent SAGE seems to consist of hardline lockdown enthusiasts who don't care about the economic or mental health implications of lockdowns. They also appear to be quite political and from the left. They are anything but "Independent" for if they were you would get some of them arguing against lockdowns.

And they seem to have chosen their name deliberately so that there will be confusion between them and the actual government advisory body.

 

[kez19]

And they seem to have chosen their name deliberately so that there will be confusion between them and the actual government advisory body.

Can we just not rustle the both groups up to a wrestling match and see who comes out tops? Or better yet can we fire the whole lot of them out of a cannon?

 

[Cdd89]

There is overlap between the two groups, eg Susan Michie (who is particularly vocal on social media) is on both SAGE and Independent SAGE.

 

[Wychwood93]

There is overlap between the two groups, eg Susan Michie (who is particularly vocal on social media) is on both SAGE and Independent SAGE.

A useful position to be in if either group 'wins'.

 

[kez19]

Not media per se but the new holiday ads are a bit weird.

Ryanair - Jab and Go
On The Beach is another but the ad seems to be welcoming customers back - just 2 I am aware of.

 

[Huntergreed]

Not media per se but the new holiday ads are a bit weird.

Ryanair - Jab and Go
On The Beach is another but the ad seems to be welcoming customers back - just 2 I am aware of.

Does “jab and go” mean proof of immunity/vaccination must be shown I wonder

 

[DB]

Incidentally, why is the rather infantile term 'jab' used by most of the media? Is 'injection' thought to be too scary a term?

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Incidentally, why is the rather infantile term 'jab' used by most of the media? Is 'injection' thought to be too scary a term?

Perhaps the government will set up Jab Centres, where you have to keep turning up asking ‘Gizza Jab’ until you finally get one!

 

[Yew]

Perhaps the government will set up Jab Centres, where you have to keep turning up asking ‘Gizza Jab’ until you finally get one!

In certain areas of Belfast, they already exist!

 

[kez19]

Does “jab and go” mean proof of immunity/vaccination must be shown I wonder

Your guess is good as mine! Does seem a bit umm... weird! I wonder on the other closer to home... hotels/events? On the other it could look like Ryanair and anyone “promoting” this will either backfire or questioning the companies more about what they know that the rest of us don’t!




EDIT: Updated with a source

Jab and Go: Ryanair Encourages Travellers to Book Flights With Hope of Vaccines

Ryanair is encouraging holiday-hungry travellers to book their summer holidays now with the promise that vaccines against the COVID-19 virus will reopen borders by the middle of 2021. A new television campaign tells travellers to “jab and go!”, suggesting that Ryanair believes vaccination...

www.paddleyourownkanoo.com

Ryanair is encouraging holiday-hungry travellers to book their summer holidays now with the promise that vaccines against the COVID-19 virus will reopen borders by the middle of 2021. A new television campaign tells travellers to “jab and go!”, suggesting that Ryanair believes vaccination against the novel Coronavirus will be a pre-requisite to fly as travel restrictions are slowly eased.


So far, only one airline has openly said it will demand proof of vaccination to transport people on international flights. Australian flag carrier Qantas came in for criticism when it proposed a ‘no jab, no fly’ policy but chief executive Alan Joyce doubled down on the policy, saying anti-vaxxers will have to find another airline to fly with if they don’t want to have a vaccine to protect them (and potentially others) from COVID-19.

Incidentally, why is the rather infantile term 'jab' used by most of the media? Is 'injection' thought to be too scary a term?

It’ll be a step up for the media if it comes to talking about drugs, rather than being using the correct term, we will hear them all jabbing up for their meth etc (sorry a bit off topic)

It does seem to be encouraging the public in a way?

 

[brad465]

What do others make of this story:

Covid-19: London Ambulance Service receives as many 999 calls as first wave

Patient demand is equal "and now arguably greater" than at the first wave's peak, the service says.

www.bbc.co.uk

London Ambulance Service (LAS) received as many emergency calls on 26 December as it did at the height of the first wave of Covid-19, the BBC has learned.

Nearly 8,000 calls were received, a 40% increase on a typical "busy" day.

Patient demand was "now arguably greater" than during the first wave, an internal message to all staff said.

LAS said it was "working urgently" to reduce delays. It urged people only to dial 999 with genuine life-threatening emergencies and to use 111 if possible.

The rapid spread of the new variant of Covid-19 was said to be the cause of the increased demand, according to the message.

The UK reported another 30,501 positive tests on Sunday, and 316 deaths of people who had tested positive within the past 28 days.

Meanwhile South Central Ambulance Service - which serves Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire - said it was "extremely busy" and asked people only to dial 999 in a "life-threatening or serious emergency".

While it sounds serious it does highlight weaknesses in under-funding/resourcing of the NHS for many years, and also demands the question why we haven't gone to the trouble of sorting out transportation between different areas for patients where demand is lower (a policy France have managed in a way)?

 

[6862]

What do others make of this story:

My first thought was that it is softening us up for more restrictions to be announced soon.

 

[yorksrob]

It's strange, I've not seen the BBC's "look up the figures in your area" since Thursday.

I hope we're not going to have three day's figures lumped together to create an artificial peak !

 

[DB]

What do others make of this story:

Covid-19: London Ambulance Service receives as many 999 calls as first wave

Patient demand is equal "and now arguably greater" than at the first wave's peak, the service says.

www.bbc.co.uk

While it sounds serious it does highlight weaknesses in under-funding/resourcing of the NHS for many years, and also demands the question why we haven't gone to the trouble of sorting out transportation between different areas for patients where demand is lower (a policy France have managed in a way)?

Also, how many of these calls are from people who don't have serious symptoms but have been terrified by the media playing up the "new" strain?

 

[yorksrob]

Presumably plenty of those calling are the people who would have been calling in the previous winter peaks.

 

[northernchris]

Presumably plenty of those calling are the people who would have been calling in the previous winter peaks.

Absolutely, and there will be a proportion of those calls where an ambulance either isn't required or isn't the most appropriate use of the NHS. However, 400 calls an hour is a lot and I just hope that those who genuinely need emergency care aren't now afraid to dial 999

 

[yorksrob]

Absolutely, and there will be a proportion of those calls where an ambulance either isn't required or isn't the most appropriate use of the NHS. However, 400 calls an hour is a lot and I just hope that those who genuinely need emergency care aren't now afraid to dial 999

Yes. You'd hope the 111 service (I think that's it) would be able to triage someone pretty sharply to an emergency where appropriate as well.

 

[northernchris]

Yes. You'd hope the 111 service (I think that's it) would be able to triage someone pretty sharply to an emergency where appropriate as well.

They certainly can, they have scripts to work off so there are certain triggers which means the call is passed to the ambulance service.

 

[yorksrob]

They certainly can, they have scripts to work off so there are certain triggers which means the call is passed to the ambulance service.

Not needed it yet, but good to know

 

[7 Ingleborough]

Studying and predicting are important tasks and the results are required by those making decisions but it doesn’t mean the people carrying out those tasks are qualified to dictate policy.

They don't dictate policy they advise, but as we have seen where those who do decide policy ignore the advice, it goes wrong. We know from the released minutes SAGE advised that to allow a 5 day relaxation at Christmas would risk a surge in hospitalisations that could overwhelm sections of the NHS. Unofficial SAGE was of the same opinion. Didn't take a genius to work that out as hospitals were already seeing a rapid increase in admissions prior to Johnson promising a 5 day Christmas easing, he was going to have to do a U turn. In Bristol the Nightingale Hospital was already being used in order to free up wards in two other hospitals for the ongoing covid surge.
A full week before Hancock announced this more infectious strain, the BBC on Radio 4 interviewed a doctor in Kent who said that the virus was not doing what it should be and that a more infectious strain was suspected to be involved. The Govt. knew this, and yet they waited for the 'structure' of the new strain to be confirmed before making the announcement well after most people had made their Christmas plans. Trying to be popular does not make for good decision making.
Regarding the comments up thread about using Army and Police to enforce lockdowns, that was always in the gameplan, we used it in the 1998 Pandemic Exercise. Mobile road blocks, main route closures in and out of high infection areas. We used Oxford and Milton Keynes as the exercise examples. This government has hardly touched the emergency powers it could use, imagine the whining if it did.

 

[yorksrob]

They don't dictate policy they advise, but as we have seen where those who do decide policy ignore the advice, it goes wrong. We know from the released minutes SAGE advised that to allow a 5 day relaxation at Christmas would risk a surge in hospitalisations that could overwhelm sections of the NHS. Unofficial SAGE was of the same opinion. Didn't take a genius to work that out as hospitals were already seeing a rapid increase in admissions prior to Johnson promising a 5 day Christmas easing, he was going to have to do a U turn. In Bristol the Nightingale Hospital was already being used in order to free up wards in two other hospitals for the ongoing covid surge.
A full week before Hancock announced this more infectious strain, the BBC on Radio 4 interviewed a doctor in Kent who said that the virus was not doing what it should be and that a more infectious strain was suspected to be involved. The Govt. knew this, and yet they waited for the 'structure' of the new strain to be confirmed before making the announcement well after most people had made their Christmas plans. Trying to be popular does not make for good decision making.
Regarding the comments up thread about using Army and Police to enforce lockdowns, that was always in the gameplan, we used it in the 1998 Pandemic Exercise. Mobile road blocks, main route closures in and out of high infection areas. We used Oxford and Milton Keynes as the exercise examples. This government has hardly touched the emergency powers it could use, imagine the whining if it did.

Would these be the pandemic game plans that envisaged lasting two weeks, rather than two years ?

They'd all end up jobless if they tried pulling that off.

 

[DB]

Regarding the comments up thread about using Army and Police to enforce lockdowns, that was always in the gameplan, we used it in the 1998 Pandemic Exercise. Mobile road blocks, main route closures in and out of high infection areas. We used Oxford and Milton Keynes as the exercise examples. This government has hardly touched the emergency powers it could use, imagine the whining if it did.

As you previously told us, your simulation was for a situation where a vaccine was available from the beginning, which didn't apply here. Do you seriously think that this sort of dystopian heavy handedness could have been sustained for nearly a year without the country and economy completely grinding to a halt?

 

[7 Ingleborough]

Am sick of all these "experts" or "scientists" or "former government advisors" or whatever on the news saying why there needs to an immediate national lockdown. I was watching the ITV News at 6:30 earlier, and then there was some consultant anaesthetist woman on there saying the only option is that there needs to be an immediate national lockdown. I then immediately switched off! Time and time again we keep seeing this. Why is the mainstream media so one sided with this? Why for example do they also not have people on there saying there should certainly not be any further national lockdowns due to such reasons as the devestating effect it will have on the economy and the mental health of the nation?

They do have such people, maybe you switch off too soon? Andrew Bridgen MP was one just a few days ago, Peter Hitchens another, who claimed we should just 'laugh at the virus'. I have only seen one qualified person going against lockdowns, saying we should adopt the 'Swedish Method'. Which Sweden itself is now abandoning as naturally occurring herd immunity proved impossible to achieve. The 'Great Barrington Declaration against lockdowns has been given plenty of coverage and published by the BMJ.

 

[yorksrob]

They do have such people, maybe you switch off too soon? Andrew Bridgen MP was one just a few days ago, Peter Hitchens another, who claimed we should just 'laugh at the virus'. I have only seen one qualified person going against lockdowns, saying we should adopt the 'Swedish Method'. Which Sweden itself is now abandoning as naturally occurring herd immunity proved impossible to achieve. The 'Great Barrington Declaration against lockdowns has been given plenty of coverage and published by the BMJ.

And in spite of it's detractors, Sweden is still doing no worse than any of the extreme lockdown countries.

 

[7 Ingleborough]

As you previously told us, your simulation was for a situation where a vaccine was available from the beginning, which didn't apply here. Do you seriously think that this sort of dystopian heavy handedness could have been sustained for nearly a year without the country and economy completely grinding to a halt?

There was a vaccine for the flu, but not the viral TB. It was a two week exercise, but the timescale envisaged was 6-8 months. Look at the nations that did do proper lockdowns and where they are now. Our in / out approach has been to suppress the virus and wait for a vaccine. South Korea and Singapore, our proteges, fully locked down, used track and trace and enforced emergency powers.
Do I think the UK could go onto a wartime style footing for nearly a year? Pretty bloody poor show if we could not.

 

[yorksrob]

There was a vaccine for the flu, but not the viral TB. It was a two week exercise, but the timescale envisaged was 6-8 months. Look at the nations that did do proper lockdowns and where they are now. Our in / out approach has been to suppress the virus and wait for a vaccine. South Korea and Singapore, our proteges, fully locked down, used track and trace and enforced emergency powers.
Do I think the UK could go onto a wartime style footing for nearly a year? Pretty bloody poor show if we could not.

And what war do you know, that involved no one being able to see anyone else for years on end ?

Your "exercise" was fantasy, no wonder it didn't see the light of day.