Topic: COVID-19:VERIFIED news sources, 0 politishit, 0 CONSPIRACY SHITE

[Welshred]

An interesting item from the Guardian saying the WHO has asked governments around the world to clinically test a herbal drink which has been touted by Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina as a remedy against coronavirus. It's apparently derived from artemisia a plant which has proven anti-Malaria properties. There have been claims that it can cure the virus from patients within ten days.

So following the natural history of the disease then...

[jillcwhomever]

Here is an earlier story about this from the Associated Press.

 https://apnews.com/4f3e72213f9284e4abab6de3fa0550c9

There was also an earlier BBC report on this and the WHO was quite cold on it, which makes you wonder why suddenly they are asking Governments to test it now. Interestingly so far in Madagascar as in April there have been 128 cases of the virus and no deaths.

[ShakaHislop]

One of my neighbours, upon finishing their clapping, has gone inside another house across the road. 

[12C]

Thing which stands out from Peston's briefing to me is that you've got a government who planned (twice!) around shielding the most vulnerable yet still turn up to a cabinet meeting weeks into lockdown to be 'shocked' that it hasn't happened in hospitals and care homes. The failure there, against warnings and advice, is their's and their's alone.

And after tonight’s rowing back on Johnson’s planned “hoorah for lifting lockdown show” we have Pesto getting briefed that all is going to fuck in the care sector and in some hospitals. Would that be because they don’t have proper PPE or it that too simplistic
 

[Zeb]

And after tonight’s rowing back on Johnson’s planned “hoorah for lifting lockdown show” we have Pesto getting briefed that all is going to fuck in the care sector and in some hospitals. Would that be because they don’t have proper PPE or it that too simplistic
 

Would think you're right on PPE being a big part, thinking of social care in particular, as well as inability to adequately test nor adequately isolate potential cases etc. Other part to it I'd suggest would be government effectively washing its hands of social care issues (again) with their inability to focus past the NHS and local councils being left to scramble to try and patch up what they can with what little they've got. First warnings, without needing hindsight or even touching what they were up to before then, were late March so ministers have had long enough to be reasonably up to speed on the situation and to be tracking it.

[Thepooloflife]

Here is an earlier story about this from the Associated Press.

 https://apnews.com/4f3e72213f9284e4abab6de3fa0550c9

There was also an earlier BBC report on this and the WHO was quite cold on it, which makes you wonder why suddenly they are asking Governments to test it now. Interestingly so far in Madagascar as in April there have been 128 cases of the virus and no deaths.

I think the cases are up to 149 now (as of 5 May) but, yes no deaths. It does beg the question why are WHO asking govt's to test it, especially, as it says in the report there, the medical experts at Madagascar's Academy of Medicine are critical of the drink.

[an tha]

This take on it largely sums up mine and i believe is the best way forward:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52543692

[UntouchableLuis]

This take on it largely sums up mine and i believe is the best way forward:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52543692

That's the frustrating thing with all of this. The fact that we just don't know if we have had it or have it if we have no symptoms. There's hundreds of thousands of people that could probably go about their normal life and be fine but the unknown nature of it all has meant that's not been possible yet.

[an tha]

That's the frustrating thing with all of this. The fact that we just don't know if we have had it or have it if we have no symptoms. There's hundreds of thousands of people that could probably go about their normal life and be fine but the unknown nature of it all has meant that's not been possible yet.

The abject failure to test.

They could have used places like bowling alleys etc that are closed down and have massive car parks and loads of space inside to set up temporary testing centres...

[jillcwhomever]

I think the cases are up to 149 now (as of 5 May) but, yes no deaths. It does beg the question why are WHO asking govt's to test it, especially, as it says in the report there, the medical experts at Madagascar's Academy of Medicine are critical of the drink.

Yes, that’s the curious thing. But any medical organisation is always reluctant to give any herbal remedy any credence. It makes you wonder as if even the WHO is desperate to try anything to combat the virus.

[scouseman]

I just saw a bit of today's media chat and sky's  Beth Rigby asks "Do we sunbathe on Monday, but not on Sunday?" WTF. I could do her job I really could. She could ask any number of important questions and yet she chooses to ask about sun herself.

[thaddeus]

Thing which stands out from Peston's briefing to me is that you've got a government who planned (twice!) around shielding the most vulnerable yet still turn up to a cabinet meeting weeks into lockdown to be 'shocked' that it hasn't happened in hospitals and care homes. The failure there, against warnings and advice, is their's and their's alone.

It felt like pie in the sky thinking and it still does, particularly with care homes.  Unless the staff are isolating with their residents - which no reasonable person would expect them to do - then it's not a sealed environment.

Fully kitting out care homes with sufficient PPE would have helped but again it's not realistic to think care home workers would all use the PPE correctly all of the time (there are whole modules dedicated to this for ICU staff).  Repeated testing of care home workers would again have helped but the lag in test >> result time is clearly problematic as is the apparently high proportion of asymptomatic cases.

So in a best case scenario - with PPE and testing - it was still a considerable risk to have the virus "move through the population".  With jack-all in place for care homes I have no words for a policy that expected many of their staff to become infected.

[scouseman]

I just saw a bit of today's media chat and sky's  Beth Rigby asks "Do we sunbathe on Monday, but not on Sunday?" WTF. I could do her job I really could. She could ask any number of important questions and yet she chooses to ask about sunning herself.

[filopastry]

Yep, for all the errors the govt made, the failure to protect the occupants of care homes is the most glaring.

They can't even blame the changing strategy from mitigation to suppression for that one, as it was just as vitally important to protect care home residents under the "cocooning" part of the mitigation strategy.

[Cruiser]

One of my neighbours, upon finishing their clapping, has gone inside another house across the road. 

One of my neighbours had her daughter visit her today. Shes an extremely well educated and sensible individual (most times, anyway), but clearly flouting the lockdown. This clearly happening all over the nation. What the fuck is wrong with people in this country? 

The next 2 days are gonna be an absolute shitfest.

[Zeb]

It felt like pie in the sky thinking and it still does, particularly with care homes.  Unless the staff are isolating with their residents - which no reasonable person would expect them to do - then it's not a sealed environment.

Fully kitting out care homes with sufficient PPE would have helped but again it's not realistic to think care home workers would all use the PPE correctly all of the time (there are whole modules dedicated to this for ICU staff).  Repeated testing of care home workers would again have helped but the lag in test >> result time is clearly problematic as is the apparently high proportion of asymptomatic cases.

So in a best case scenario - with PPE and testing - it was still a considerable risk to have the virus "move through the population".  With jack-all in place for care homes I have no words for a policy that expected many of their staff to become infected.

Ta for sharing some perspective on that.

[Eeyore]

I think the cases are up to 149 now (as of 5 May) but, yes no deaths. It does beg the question why are WHO asking govt's to test it, especially, as it says in the report there, the medical experts at Madagascar's Academy of Medicine are critical of the drink.

My understanding is not that the WHO sees this as a cure that needs testing. Instead, they are saying do not rely on herbal remedies unless they have been tested and shown to work.

[DJBrenton]

An interesting item from the Guardian saying the WHO has asked governments around the world to clinically test a herbal drink which has been touted by Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina as a remedy against coronavirus. It's apparently derived from artemisia a plant which has proven anti-Malaria properties. There have been claims that it can cure the virus from patients within ten days.

It's wormwood/mugwort extract. My girlfriend is Lithuanian and it's commonly used there for all sorts of things.

[jillcwhomever]

My understanding is not that the WHO sees this as a cure that needs testing. Instead, they are saying do not rely on herbal remedies unless they have been tested and shown to work.

By the very fact that they are encouraging governments to test it in the first place, when they are very happy to pour scepticism on any remedy is interesting. You could be right in your suggestion, but usually in normal times, they would be quick to dismiss it totally. It just proves what extreme times we're living through now.

[jillcwhomever]

It's wormwood/mugwort extract. My girlfriend is Lithuanian and it's commonly used there for all sorts of things.

I know in some places more natural remedies are used, then in countries like ours. What else is it used for out of interest?

[jepovic]

This take on it largely sums up mine and i believe is the best way forward:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52543692

This discussion is already too late for the UK, probably. There's probably already 20% thathhave been infected or so, and even if nothing changes that number will double over the summer. Then immunity is almost there.

Germany could have this debate.

[DJBrenton]

It's wormwood/mugwort extract. My girlfriend is Lithuanian and it's commonly used there for all sorts of things.

Last time we were there she bought some to use for stomach problems and then gave me some when I had a cold as it's supposed to be good for fevers. It's used commonly enough that it was for sale at a small market.

[John Higgins]

Staggered at the amount of people still promoting herd immunity as being sensible given the lack of evidence confirming that you cannot catch it twice and with no evidence either way of potential mutations rendering such immunity outdated very quickly. Not sure who these folks are or where they live but seems like there’s loads here who are pushing the ideology of Cummings and co rather than looking out for people’s health.

[Peabee]

Coronavirus: Is it time to free the healthy from restrictions?


His point is that getting it is like packing a year's worth of risk into a short period of time for adults. The younger you are, the lower the risk all round.

Wow. That statement shows they’re using stats to push an agenda. How long is that “short period of time”? If it’s a month, then it means the virus makes it twelve times more likely you’ll die. If it’s a week then 52 times.

[Peabee]

I bumped into a homeless lad I know while out on my bike. He was in hospital for something else and tested positive for c19. He had no symptoms, which surprised him as he thought with his lifestyle, smoking and substance abuse, he’d be a goner.

[killer-heels]

Is Boris ever going to appear in these press conferences again? Man flu moaning c*nt.

[Black Bull Nova]

One of my neighbours had her daughter visit her today. Shes an extremely well educated and sensible individual (most times, anyway), but clearly flouting the lockdown. This clearly happening all over the nation. What the fuck is wrong with people in this country? 

The next 2 days are gonna be an absolute shitfest.

When this is all over, on top of the questions about Atletico Madrid and Cheltenham, someone needs to ask questions about why, in the first few weeks of this, certain lines were peddled to the media.

Most importantly the one that was trotted out about every death involving older people with underlying health conditions. From that moment on a good proportion of the population have been walking around thinking they are immune and the lockdown therefore does not apply to them. On top of that "those dying would have died anyway" has been the mantra of many.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52584834


44% of 18-34 year old don't see it as a threat to them and over 30% of those 35-54. More worrying there are still a quarter of 55-75 YO's who are not worried it will affect them. They don't get it.

[Eeyore]

By the very fact that they are encouraging governments to test it in the first place, when they are very happy to pour scepticism on any remedy is interesting. You could be right in your suggestion, but usually in normal times, they would be quick to dismiss it totally. It just proves what extreme times we're living through now.

I think we need to stop thinking of the WHO in first world terms.

The herbal response wasn't general advice but specific to Africa. Unfortunately there aren't the resources to pay for first world medicines. That means there is an over reliance on herbal medicines.

What the WHO said was to test the efficacy and efficiency of herbal medicines before placing any reliance on them. In short what the WHO said was that at present the best advice is to practice social distancing and not rely on herbal medicines.

They are urging caution and re-enforcing sensible precautions, what they are not doing is urging people to trial this as a cure.

[Guz-kop]

That's the frustrating thing with all of this. The fact that we just don't know if we have had it or have it if we have no symptoms. There's hundreds of thousands of people that could probably go about their normal life and be fine but the unknown nature of it all has meant that's not been possible yet.

This isn't the purpose of  testing and with the current tests we have never will be. Priority really should be to supply health care workers with tests in the first instance and allow repeated testing in symptomatic key workers with negative tests. Whether you like it or not Joe bloggs working from home is not the priority but unfortunately testing was done so poorly to begin with, the govt are using as a face saving exercise

[Black Bull Nova]

What have the last few years told us, that there is a sizable minority of people who don't give a shit about anyone but themselves. Unfortunately Coronavirus is exactly the wrong thing to have when you have a society which is free that contains those persons.

What proportion of the population is it?

Don't know but we do know that 63 million people voted for Donald Trump which is a decent proxy for America.

It takes one person who thinks they are immune to behave in such a way that results in the deaths of several others. We don't usually get these moral dilemmas but it does ask questions about society that we have rarely dealt with in the last 75 years.

[CraigDS]

What proportion of the population is it?

About 14m voted Conservative in Dec so we can start there.

[Buggy Eyes Alfredo]

   

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

We’ve just been approved for gatherings here for 8 people or less. Just in time for Mother’s Day.

16 days now of no locally transmitted cases.

[12C]

Is Boris ever going to appear in these press conferences again? Man flu moaning c*nt.

Boris only does the ones where he can appear as Boris the beneficent, risen from the grave, To dispense good news like “you are all free to sunbathe”.

He swerves any questions if possible. Look at PMQ he was looking around for his public school bully chimps to screech support for his bullshit non answers and looked crestfallen when he realised he was on his own

[12C]

When this is all over, on top of the questions about Atletico Madrid and Cheltenham, someone needs to ask questions about why, in the first few weeks of this, certain lines were peddled to the media.

Most importantly the one that was trotted out about every death involving older people with underlying health conditions. From that moment on a good proportion of the population have been walking around thinking they are immune and the lockdown therefore does not apply to them. On top of that "those dying would have died anyway" has been the mantra of many.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52584834


44% of 18-34 year old don't see it as a threat to them and over 30% of those 35-54. More worrying there are still a quarter of 55-75 YO's who are not worried it will affect them. They don't get it.

Risk perception.
It’s why people live on the slopes of active volcanoes.

[thejbs]

Risk perception.
It’s why people live on the slopes of active volcanoes.

At least they have a reason - the land around active volcanos tends to be very fertile.

[12C]

This isn't the purpose of  testing and with the current tests we have never will be. Priority really should be to supply health care workers with tests in the first instance and allow repeated testing in symptomatic key workers with negative tests. Whether you like it or not Joe bloggs working from home is not the priority but unfortunately testing was done so poorly to begin with, the govt are using as a face saving exercise

Spot on mate. Look how no one seems to be noticing the fact that they are testing below 100k. Since Hancock “Met” his target.
Last night they even told us the whopper that because testing is going up, new cases are rising. Yet testing has plateaued for almost a week below 100k but new cases are rising.
Then Pesto tells us politely that the clowns in govt are shitting bricks because it is running amok in care settings and more importantly in some hospitals.
And they still say PPE is not a problem.

[12C]

At least they have a reason - the land around active volcanos tends to be very fertile.

True but they are weighting the benefits against the risk, and tend to downplay the risk, because the risk isn’t as imminent as the benefit.
A lot of people are wanting to picnic and sunbathe in the park with their mates because they don’t see the risk. They have been fed the line “only old people with underlying health issues” are at risk.
And given the selfish society we have currently...

[Lycan]

How long before the government will allow people to car share again does everybody reckon?

[killer-heels]

How long before the government will allow people to car share again does everybody reckon?

Not until June at the earliest.