UK Testing - Dont hold your breath - Page 3

Are you a professional writer of utter drivel or just a gifted amateur? 

Ah, another BoJo/Trump supporter?  I hate to disappoint you, but I don't fit into either of your 'assessments' - and I'm not given to unqualified insults either.  Of course, it's easy to criticise from the sidelines, whilst offering no evidenced-based contribution yourself.

Regards,

Kim

Hi Kim,  thanks for your response, I do respect your views even if I do not fully agree with all of them.

It's not that I want to hear only good news about the UK governments handling of the situation rather a balanced view. If you look back to where I came into this thread I just pointed out that with all the negative comments being posted how come the UK is doing okay versus other countries? There are none or very few posts complementing all the good work that has gone on, with the NHS, the general public and yes the government. Just trying to balance the doom and gloom of some posts.

Rgds,

Aitch.

This went ahead simply because it was an income generator for the tax-man and of course it was a huge commercial requirement for many business. It should not have gone ahead. Just my opinion.

Regarding all your Diatribe and Keep in mind my youth, the attached is just for you!

Enjoy

Thanks Aitch.  I agree that some posts may not have been as balanced as they might have been.  However, all my posts have been evidence-based; in most instances, I've chosen to share links to source data.  Other occasions, I've deliberately given a "layman's" description of scientific and mathematic tools, because I appreciate that the source data may "turn off" some people very quickly!

I'd like to reiterate that the Covid-19 course I did last month with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is well worth doing.  I've previously shared a link to the re-run of the course that they've scheduled for the end of May - it will be broadly the same as the original course, updated to take account of the most current data.

In the meantime, however, I can make no apology for highlighting the failings of the UK government.  I understand the criticism of those who believe the Spanish government should have cancelled "Women's Day" celebrations on 8th March, especially as Spain's first diagnosis of Covid-19 was on 1st March (my husband and I were in Valencia when the "Fallas" was cancelled on 12th March and all other tourist attractions were closed; we returned home and self-isolated from 13th March, as Spain went into lockdown).  However, whilst the UK's first "documented" case of Covid-19 was on 29 February, they still didn't impose a "semi" lockdown until 23 March.  The reason I refer to the first UK case as "documented" is because there were much earlier cases in the UK: on 29 January, two Chinese nationals fell ill at a hotel in York and on 6 February, a British businessman in Brighton was diagnosed with the virus, after catching it in Singapore.  These cases make the UK position look even worse, but I haven't mentioned them before because I expect that there have been similar cases in the very early stages of infection in other countries.

I really hope that the UK (I have vested interests there!) and the rest of the world can turn this around sooner, rather than later.  I hope that the criticism levelled at the UK is proven wrong - the current stats suggest otherwise, but unprecedented efforts invested in testing and contact tracing may turn the current forecasts around, but it will have to be at a level (and quality) of testing that far exceeds the UK government's current aspirationsand capabilities.

Kind regards,

Kim

Play nicely !

I'm just grateful that there are so many experts on here, why hasn't the UK government listened to Kim and UK handyman instead of the medical panels, the Chief scientist, Chief medical officer, and the many universities involved in these decisions.... Next time we will know. 

Think that whatever your thoughts that the daily briefings in the UK are beginning to be a waste of time, getting the statements from Raab or Hancock is almost worthless now, we know what is coming. It is getting to the stage similar to TV shows that follow the same format night after night. They never answer a single question, Hancock especially appears to be looking into the headlights and doesn't seem to know what is going on, really wish the reporters would not let them of the hook and follow up and put the boot in , they get them on the ropes then hold back, they must be fed up of never getting  a straight answer, always what is going to happen, but when will it??. Rant over.!!.

Hi Balmer9,

Why the sarcasm?  Ignorance may be bliss in your world, but I prefer to be educated about the most significant health threat in my lifetime.  

After the first confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 in the UK on 29th February, the UK government touted their "herd immunity" theory in the media, eventually announcing it as their strategy to tackling the disease, on 12th March and swiftly received heavy criticism from the WHO and the world's scientists for that approach. It's a mystery to me why Sir Patrick Vallance was still pushing his unproven "herd immunity" theory 2 days later - perhaps he had to toe a party line that put the economy above saving people's lives.  Vallance was made to look even more ridiculous when, only 1 day after his interview on Sky News, the government did a U-turn and Matt Hancock denied that herd immunity had ever been part of their strategy - video evidence proves otherwise.

As for "all the many universities involved in these decisions", if the UK government had taken notice of them from the start, why did more than 200 of the UK's university scientists have to write an 'open letter' to the government on 14th March, also criticising the government's approach?

I've already given links and references to all of the information I've shared on this forum, so I'm not doing it again.  The information is in the public domain and available to every one of us.  So the next time you feel the urge to criticise me, you'll have no excuse for doing so from your current state of ignorance.

Regards, 

Kim