This was supplied to me via a friend who runs a local Tennis Club. Please take a read
Earlier in the week, I was contacted by the Hornchurch High School to let me know that no-one was reported as having been tested positive to COVID-19/Coronavirus or subjected to a self-isolation.
The School also reminded me that they were in the same position as most of the country and relied on the instructions either from the Local Authority or its Trust. They also added that in the event the School is instructed to close by the Local Authority or its Trust they would contact me immediately. In turn, I would notify all members and their families on our database.
Last Thursday the Prime Minister said school closures would not be happening now because:
“…the scientific advice is that this could do more harm than good at this time”.
The Government, following recommendation from its scientific and medical advisors is of the view that the blanket closure of schools now would present huge childcare problems for NHS staff, including those on the frontline, particularly because the shut-down would also include nurseries. The Government feels that this could take away vital staffing from hospitals right when it is needed most. School closures would be one of the more drastic measures that are likely to be imposed in a couple of months when they are needed most.
You may have noticed that the position taken by Sir Patrick Vallance, one of the top two medical authorities of Boris Johnson’s government, have been debated. His thesis is that: “60% of Britons will have to contract Coronavirus to develop flock immunity.”
These are controversial words as they seem to suggest a huge gamble by the British executive, considering that today Covid-19’s mortality in the world is between 1 and 6 percent.
The British are 67 million, 60% are around 40 million. Even if on the downside we calculated a mortality rate of 1%, this approach could have a “cost” of at least 400,000 deaths, at best. Not to mention that British healthcare could quickly collapse with an avalanche of patients requiring to be placed in intensive care units. Furthermore, there is no certainty that this method will work: COVID-19seems a changeable virus and so far it has not yet been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that immunity is obtained once contracted and then disappeared. However, the British government’s approach to Coronavirus is by now clear and as Prime Minister Johnson said it at a press conference in London: “It is the most serious health crisis in a generation, many of our loved ones will die”.
A strategy totally opposite to that of other countries, also because to date the number of cases over here is relatively low: “only” 798 positive and 11 deaths on over 29,000 tampons. Consider that Germany has carried out over 50,000 tampons.
Meanwhile, Sir Vallance admitted that the real number of people infected in the UK – those who have escaped testing so far – could reach “5,000-10,000 infected“.
Notwithstanding, the United Kingdom remains the only European country affected by the Coronavirus that so far has refused any draconian or at least drastic measures to contain it. Yesterday Prime MinisterJohnson imposed a week’s self-isolation on any citizen who has persistent cough or fever, as well as repeating his daily advice:
“Wash your hands often for 20 seconds, with hot water, while singing happy birthday twice”
but he added that schools, bars, restaurants, pubs, sports or social gatherings, travel remain open, active or permitted.
Margaret Harris, the spokesperson for the World Health Organisation has questioned the UK’s approach he UK’s approach to developing “herd immunity” against Covid-19. Dr Harris told BBC Radio 4’s Today:
“We don’t know enough about the science of this virus, it hasn’t been in our population for long enough for us to know what it does in immunological terms. Every virus functions differently in your body and stimulates a different immunological profile. We can talk theories, but at the moment we are really facing a situation where we have got to look at action.”
From yesterday’s Guardian:
Herd immunity is a phrase normally used when large numbers of children have been vaccinated against a disease like measles, reducing the chances that others will get it. As a tactic in fighting a pandemic for which there is no vaccine, it is novel – and some say alarming.
It relies on people getting the disease – in this case Covid-19 – and becoming immune as a result. Generally it is thought that those who recover will be immune, at least for now, so they won’t get it twice. But allowing the population to build up immunity in this way – rather than through widespread testing, tracking down the contacts of every case and isolating them, as many other countries in Asia and Europe have chosen to do – could increase the risk to the most vulnerable: older people with underlying health problems.
In London and in the rest of the country the threat of Coronavirus is currently scarcely perceived: very few masks. For now, life is going on, frenetic, social, social and crowded as always. Which approach – hard or soft – will be right in the long run? Nobody knows.
We think it may be helpful that you are aware where to get the latest information to minimise the risk of infection to COVID-19.
We recommend regularly referring to the Public Health England (PHE) website which is the key source of information on COVID-19 and is updated daily with the latest details.
The World Health Organisation has also produced a helpful video which includes questions and answers, Click here to view it.
If you display flu-like symptoms (cough, difficulty in breathing, fever) or have returned from an affected area you should contact NHS 111 for advice and use the 111 Coronavirus Online Service for medical help.
You should also be clear on the process to take if you have come into ‘contact’ with someone who is later diagnosed with COVID-19. Those who have had close contact will be asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last time they had contact with the confirmed case and follow the Covid-19 Stay at Home guidance.
As well as following the clear guidance detailed above and from PHE we should make sure we are supporting each other especially with humanity and treating each other with respect.
Best
Giorgio
Response from members
You may be aware that, according to the CDC and the surgeon general, wearing a mask only prevents you from spreading the virus, it doesn’t protect you.
We will all have differing views on what’s being done and not being done by the government. In the name of humanity though I’d like to think we all want to help one another and spread some kindness (that’s the kind of virus I like!), especially elders and those most vulnerable. In the spirit of this, please could you pass this along. As you say, we all need to support one another and this is one way we can do that. If people aren’t on Facebook they can at least use the attached slip.
Covid-19 Mutual Aid – UK
“This is a group for Havering residents looking to help each other out during the Covid-19/corona virus pandemic. We will be looking to help people access food, complete errands etc – particularly those who are elderly, disabled and/or immunocompromised.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/231197438280762/
If folk aren’t in Havering, they can look for their local group here:
https://airtable.com/shrUCI7eE8xDqXLEx/tblFqGvhbICXwl493/viwenxDwDhhfOUiQu?blocks=hide
The overall group set up for organising across the UK is Covid-19 Mutual Aid – UK.
They have a Facebook group as well:
This is from an interview on the BBC World Service:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csydfd
Dr Monica Schoch Spana, medical anthropologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said:
“I think that emphasis on individual personal hygiene, as important as it is, detracts from the larger messages of solidarity and social forms of mutual aid that are essential in periods of contagion.”
Dr Steven Taylor, author of ‘The Psychology of Pandemics’, said this:
“In past pandemics, what’s been striking has not been the chaos and mayhem but people pulling together and working to help other members in the community. We’re seeing a lot of individualist behaviour at the moment, panic buying and so forth; but what I expect, just like in previous pandemics, is that we’ll see a lot better community behaviour.”
