From:
slider@atashram.com
Almost 20million people in Britain could have been infected with the
deadly coronavirus by the time the outbreak peaks in the summer unless
stricter actions are taken, according to estimates, after the cases in the
UK today soared to 1,140, with 21 dead.
The Government's chief scientific adviser stoked fear across the country
on Thursday after predicting the spiralling crisis, which they claimed may
have already infected up to 10,000 people in Britain, won't peak for
another 10-14 weeks.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8108773/Almost-20MILLION-people-Britain-infected-summer.html
And by this time, one infectious disease expert warned that based on
current trends between 20 and 30 per cent of Britain – home to 66.4million people – could have been struck down by the virus.
Professor Francois Balloux, an infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist at University College London, told MailOnline: 'In the
absence of intervention, I would expect between 20 to 30 per cent of the population will be infected by the summer.'
However, in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has projected in a worst-case scenario that up to 65 per cent of Americans could be infected.
What is unclear is how many deaths that would mean. Officially the virus
has a 3pc global mortality rate but that is likely to be an over-estimate because so many cases are so mild they are not reported or even noticed by
the sufferer.
England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said even the death of one
per cent would be an overestimate.
Government ministers are now preparing to introduce emergency legislation
early next week which will see the cancellation of all mass gatherings and sports events.
These measures could make the toll of coronavirus cases five times lower,
based on figures from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the UK passed 1,000 and the death
toll doubled overnight, it also emerged that officials are talking to businesses about ways to help millions work from home.
The cranking up of the government's response will see police handed the
powers to detain suspected virus victims 'for a limited period' if
necessary to stop them spreading infection.
Boris Johnson's U-turn last night came after he flatly refused on Thursday
to replicate the stronger action being taken by other countries to curb
big gatherings.
Two ex-Tory ministers yesterday tore apart Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 'risky' decision not to lockdown Britain and shut down schools as well as
ban mass gatherings to tackle the coronavirus 'national emergency'.
Several countries across Europe, including France, Belgium, Portugal,
Denmark and Germany, already took the drastic measures to contain an
outbreak. Ireland, which has seen almost nine times fewer cases than the
UK, made a similar decision.
Professor Balloux said Number 10's decision was a 'gamble'.
He said: 'It could be a wonderful success and, in a few years' time,
people will say they are the cleverest people on earth for saving so many
lives in the UK and everyone else got it wrong, or not.'
In a stark warning about Britain's impending crisis – which officials have said would peak in summer, he admitted the virus 'will be with us for a
while'.
The UK's chief scientific adviser yesterday revealed that around 40million people could be left to catch the coronavirus as part of a controversial Government plan for the country to develop herd immunity.
Sir Patrick Vallance said around 60 per cent of the population will need
to catch the virus to build up a national tolerance strong enough to stop
the virus circulating, which could overwhelm already swamped NHS hospitals.
Despite the ban on large gatherings, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson
said schools would remain open to avoid parents having to take time off
work and assured he was 'particularly mindful' of the strains being lumped
on the NHS.
Such pressure was laid bare last night when it emerged hospitals could
stop treating the most severely ill coronavirus victims if the outbreak escalates.
*Patients with a poor prognosis may even be taken off ventilators in
favour of those with better survival chances.* [yak!]
One of the CDC's leading epidemiologists presented four scenarios - named
A, B, C and D - to show possible ways the virus could spread throughout
the US population.
In the four different scenarios, each person who is diagnosed with
coronavirus is assumed to infect two to three people; the hospitalisation
rate is either three percent or 12 percent; and either 0.25 percent or one percent of all infected people die.
In the worst-case scenario, as many as 21 million people would be
hospitalised and up to 1.7million people would die.
When declaring the crisis a pandemic earlier this week, the WHO blamed 'alarming levels of inaction' by governments across the planet for fueling
the crisis.
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday revealed he is 'surprised
and concerned' and former Tory MP Rory Stewart called the PM's plans to
allow millions to be infected 'pessimistic' and 'defeatist'.
Mr Stewart, who led the UK's effort to fight Ebola in Africa in 2019,
said: 'I think we can be very tough, and clear, [with the British public].
This is the worst pandemic we have had for 100 years.
'The Government's approach is essentially defeatist. They are saying we
cannot suppress this.
'They say there is no point in spending a huge amount of money trying to suppress this, instead they are trying to manage the increase. We are
taking far too much risk.
'I think that is a dangerous thing to do. I don't think if we allow this
to spread it can be managed in that way.
'And when you start getting serious numbers of people dying and the
terrible choices that have to be made in hospitals, people will think that paying the cost early, now, was the right thing to do.'
However, Downing Street hit back and said 'we are very clear where we take
our advice from' – pointing to the contributions made by the Chief Medical Officer and the government's Chief Scientific Adviser.
But Mr Stewart, who is running to be the next Mayor of London as an independent, added: 'I'm absolutely confident that acting early is the
better option. I would be shutting all schools and banning all gatherings immediately.
'I think it is too pessimistic and defeatist and we should be taking the approach seen in China and South Korea that have actually reduced the
number of cases. It can be done. It requires very tough and extreme
measures.
'The Government questions whether the public is up for the kind of
measures we have seen in other countries. I disagree, I believe the
British public will do what others have done.'
### - quote: "They say there is no point in spending a huge amount of
money trying to suppress this, instead they are trying to manage the
increase. We are taking far too much risk."??
lol what a pile of shite our government is! we'll save money by letting
people die!!!
but which sounds just about riiiiight for any right-wing government since hitler huh...
lol even trumpy ain't 'that' bad??
(and that's sayin' something!) :D
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* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)