Another Drive4show 'Anything goes' thread

[super_realist]

First topic message reminder :

Kobe beef isn't that a real thing.Not familiar with the gent but Basketball is a great spectator sport in that there is a score every few seconds and always a result .
Lowry has done very  well to say the least in view of the stick he gets.Good lad

Do you think so? It's certainly a great sport to play, but it's pretty boring to watch. 75% of the game is irrelevant. It only becomes slightly interesting in the last quarter when the match is won and lost. I thinks that's the problem with American sport. They concentrate so much on there being frequent scoring, that it becomes routine and lacks excitement when they do score.
I prefer moments of brilliance in sports rather than just constant routine points.

[super_realist]

I bet that odious little twerp Greta is loving the lack of air travel.

I'm sure her totalitarian possy are loving the prospects of what's playing out these days.

Whilst they completely ignore the extra electricity and heating and Internet use from everyone working at home

[navyblueshorts]

I didnt say there's no problem Navy, I said that for the majority of people this is not something which is going to cause many health problems, hence the hysteria is uncalled for. That's echoed by health experts. Try reading what I wrote for once instead of doing a GPB and going on a tirade.

Clue, the key phrase is "for the majority"

Yes, sir, Mr. Virologist, sir! Listen very carefully - it's not just about you.

Again Mr Illiterate, I didn't say it was just about me, I didn't even imply it.

Whatever. The WHO, PHE, CDC etc all say this is significant, but you know better. You don't understand virology or epidemiology, but just carry on; whatever floats your boat. I have neither the time nor the inclination to demonstrate the shortcomings of what you're saying - your attitude reeks the same as those that refuse vaccination because they're 'alright Jack', forgetting or not giving a scheisse about the fact there's others can't be vaccinated.

For phucks sake. All I have said is that for the majority of people, this virus is not a significant health risk. That's precisely what all these experts you say I think I know better than are saying.
Stop being so dishonest and stop trying to misrepresent my position.

[navyblueshorts]

I honestly think he was kiddy fiddled by a catholic priest in ireland  

Such things are funny are they?

[kwinigolfer]

Based upon what little we know, which is incredibly little (deliberately?), I agree with super.

Any company making the sort of decisions on data published so far would be out of business in a hurry.
Certainly the US, especially having disbanded the very unit that would have sniffed out what was going on in Wuhan and raised the alarm three months ago, has been caught on its heels and is shooting from the hip on a daily (hourly?) basis.

Meanwhile, haven't heard much in the past few days about the scientists in Utrecht who seemed to think they might have a suitable vaccine to test.

[JAS]

The world is probably now going to be quite a different place post pandemic. I went to cash on my share investments 2-3 weeks ago. I got burnt but got out early enough to preserve just under 80% of my pre crisis capital. Originally I thought, get out, wait 2-3 weeks for things to bottom out then pile back in for the recovery. Now I’m thinking 3-4 months before shares find a bottom and when they do there will have been casualties. Airlines and holiday companies, by no means alone though, are obvious candidates, totally starved of cash flow. A month ago EasyJet was riding a nice uptrend over £15 a share, at one point this morning it was under £6. Over the coming months, despite being a fairly well run business it could realistically go under, as could Ryanair & TUI, then what? Will new airlines replace them? Will govts bail out their flagship airlines (BA, Air France, Lufthansa etc) if no there’s then a huge unemployment cloud hanging over airline manufacturers, airports, hotels, resorts etc. The human impact of the disease and trying to minimise it is obviously the most important but what is becoming clear is that the post pandemic economic impact of this is waiting in the wings and will be devastating when it comes.

[kwinigolfer]

BA look to be putting a brave/smug face on it, don't you think JAS, snarking at the idea of a bail-out for competitors?
The airlines in the US will get clobbered also, and this on top of the 737Max nonsense. But they're probably pretty well capitalised after years of stonking profits.

Airlines are so integral to a country's trade/commerce that I can't believe there won't be some bail-out, at least for flagship outfits. Then, where do you stop?
It can't be good for the GB industry to have seen T.Cook & FlyBe go belly-up in such quick succession, they'll need some stability.

[kwinigolfer]

In more reassuring (?%*!) news, USA Today is reporting a surge in the purchase of guns & ammo.
Presumably to keep one's family safe when those bog roll burglars come by. MAGA.

[super_realist]

In more reassuring (?%*!) news, USA Today is reporting a surge in the purchase of guns & ammo.
Presumably to keep one's family safe when those bog roll burglars come by. MAGA.

Any guesses on how long it will be before some wooden toothed yank shoots another over bread or toilet rolls?

[kwinigolfer]

Sydney is ahead of the game:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-51903149/australian-man-charged-over-supermarket-assault

[navyblueshorts]

In more reassuring (?%*!) news, USA Today is reporting a surge in the purchase of guns & ammo.
Presumably to keep one's family safe when those bog roll burglars come by. MAGA.

Yeah. Making America Grate Again.

[kwinigolfer]

The world is probably now going to be quite a different place post pandemic. I went to cash on my share investments 2-3 weeks ago. I got burnt but got out early enough to preserve just under 80% of my pre crisis capital. Originally I thought, get out, wait 2-3 weeks for things to bottom out then pile back in for the recovery. Now I’m thinking 3-4 months before shares find a bottom and when they do there will have been casualties. Airlines and holiday companies, by no means alone though, are obvious candidates, totally starved of cash flow. A month ago EasyJet was riding a nice uptrend over £15 a share, at one point this morning it was under £6. Over the coming months, despite being a fairly well run business it could realistically go under, as could Ryanair & TUI, then what? Will new airlines replace them? Will govts bail out their flagship airlines (BA, Air France, Lufthansa etc) if no there’s then a huge unemployment cloud hanging over airline manufacturers, airports, hotels, resorts etc. The human impact of the disease and trying to minimise it is obviously the most important but what is becoming clear is that the post pandemic economic impact of this is waiting in the wings and will be devastating when it comes.

JAS,
US Airlines are reported to be going cap in hand to the government for $50B in aid - can't believe other major flag carriers wouldn't be asking for similar subsidies in an effort to level the playing field.

And: If BoJo coughs up cash for BA, imagine Virgin, EasyJet and the rest will be in the same queue.

[beninho]

Businesses, restaurants,bars, theatres you should all stay open. People we advise you do not go into these establishments. Also reports that have only just realised that its initial policy would cause a lot of deaths.

[beninho]

Businesses, restaurants,bars, theatres you should all stay open. People we advise you do not go into these establishments. Also reports that have only just realised that its initial policy would cause a lot of deaths.

Also just read there is a daily eu video call for health ministers. We have refused to join in. Good old brexit.

[super_realist]

Businesses, restaurants,bars, theatres you should all stay open. People we advise you do not go into these establishments. Also reports that have only just realised that its initial policy would cause a lot of deaths.

UK death rates don't look too different to anywhere else whilst in infected cases per million people the UK is actually very low indeed.

[beninho]

Isn't widely held that we are a few weeks behind Italy and other European countries? And as it's not some sort of instantaneous death, we will see the increases over coming weeks. Whatever it is, it's still pretty grim, and it seems the govt haven't handled it that well, at least initially. Only a few days ago, the off the record briefing they like had Johnson claiming it was all media driven.

[super_realist]

Italy being the main one, I haven't seen any mention that we are too far behind other European countries.

I don't see that the government has handled it particularly badly, sounds like you are just trying to score points against a government you don't like very much. Seems that the speed of infection has caught every country out, so I'm not sure it's particularly fair to blame initial responses when it was being talked down by so many experts. Ireland for example has twice the amount of people infected (per million people) as we do in the UK. So it's not as if you can claim that living on an island gives us protection when Oirland has a higher rate of infection is a far less densely populated country.
 
Would you prefer a militarily policed curfew like Paris?

[Soul Requiem]

Isn't widely held that we are a few weeks behind Italy and other European countries?  And as it's not some sort of instantaneous death, we will see the increases over coming weeks. Whatever it is, it's still pretty grim, and it seems the govt haven't handled it that well, at least initially. Only a few days ago, the off the record briefing they like had Johnson claiming it was all media driven.

So the EU have handled it well and we should follow their lead?

[beninho]

My concerns.
1- the apparent lack of testing. It seems the focus is only on people of high risk and being hospitalized. This leads to unreported numbers, and then, claims such as realist above, that we are below other countries. Also how can you stop the spread if you aren't aware who is positive and in what areas.
2- the communication from the govt. Forced into daily briefings, after dropping unofficially to journos and even making announcements behind a paywall.
3- Why the wait to stop the gatherings. Led by the premier league and sports rather then actually leading.
4- as I posted earlier, it seems they were looking at wrong information, based on pneumonia rather then listening to WHO and other countries.
5- yesterday announcement about advising to not go to restaurants etc, but not actually closing them down. Leading to massive issues for these industries.
6- why have they not acted on evictions, and mortgage payments etc.

Don't expect anyone to agree, but just my issues from what I've read.
X

[superflyweight]

My concerns.
1- the apparent lack of testing. It seems the focus is only on people of high risk and being hospitalized. This leads to unreported numbers, and then, claims such as realist above, that we are below other countries. Also how can you stop the spread if you aren't aware who is positive and in what areas.
2- the communication from the govt. Forced into daily briefings, after dropping unofficially to journos and even making announcements behind a paywall.
3- Why the wait to stop the gatherings. Led by the premier league and sports rather then actually leading.
4- as I posted earlier, it seems they were looking at wrong information, based on pneumonia rather then listening to WHO and other countries.
5- yesterday announcement about advising to not go to restaurants etc, but not actually closing them down. Leading to massive issues for these industries.
6- why have they not acted on evictions, and mortgage payments etc.

Don't expect anyone to agree, but just my issues from what I've read.
X

I suspect the insurance industry have heavily lobbied for the government not to close these establishments down.

[Soul Requiem]

My concerns.
1- the apparent lack of testing. It seems the focus is only on people of high risk and being hospitalized. This leads to unreported numbers, and then, claims such as realist above, that we are below other countries. Also how can you stop the spread if you aren't aware who is positive and in what areas.
2- the communication from the govt. Forced into daily briefings, after dropping unofficially to journos and even making announcements behind a paywall.
3- Why the wait to stop the gatherings. Led by the premier league and sports rather then actually leading.
4- as I posted earlier, it seems they were looking at wrong information, based on pneumonia rather then listening to WHO and other countries.
5- yesterday announcement about advising to not go to restaurants etc, but not actually closing them down. Leading to massive issues for these industries.
6- why have they not acted on evictions, and mortgage payments etc.

Don't expect anyone to agree, but just my issues from what I've read.
X

1. That isn't a UK only thing, it's happening all over the world including the EU.
5. Closing them all down would result in different problems altogether. Do you want closures of such industries or no advice at all?

The rest of your points are economy led, there is whether people like it or not a balancing act here between firstly protecting the vulnerable and trying to protect the economy as much as possible. There's too much short term thinking going on.

[beninho]

Thanks for the response requim.

If the testing issue is the same all over then, there are lots of issues and inaccuracies. But then this should be clearer when announcing numbers, by everyone. To stop the claims of we are better because we have less numbers.

Regarding 5, I've read numerous people who feel that closing would have been more beneficial due to insurances. I'm not in these industries but I can see where the confusion may come from, for them and for employees.

Thanks again.

[Soul Requiem]

Thanks for the response requim.

If the testing issue is the same all over then, there are lots of issues and inaccuracies. But then this should be clearer when announcing numbers, by everyone. To stop the claims of we are better because we have less numbers.

Regarding 5, I've read numerous people who feel that closing would have been more beneficial due to insurances. I'm not in these industries but I can see where the confusion may come from, for them and for employees.

Thanks again.

The problem with lockdown is the lack of testing but then the alternative isn't exactly appealing either. Health workers are in the firing line as it is but reducing their risk at this point in time is crucial to the long term so from that POV I do understand governments going against WHO. Culture is important to consider as well, lets be honest here we Brits are not exactly the most sociable country in the world especially in comparison to Italy where community is more of a thing.

No doubt closures would be beneficial for insurance reasons but where do you draw the line? I'd suggest that the supermarkets rather than restaurants are the bigger risk at the moment.

[super_realist]

Thank goodness Dippy Diane is not the home secretary. Can you imagine the figures she'd be coming out with?

[JAS]

Thank goodness Dippy Diane is not the home secretary. Can you imagine the figures she'd be coming out with?

I did ponder what it would be like now if the result had gone the other way in December.

On the one hand I think there would be more compassion and a weighting toward people rather than businesses, on the other (and I say this as someone who did vote for him)...on a crisis of this magnitude Corbyn would either reveal a statesman like side that we’d never seen before or (more likely) he’d be paralysed by indescision. Either way the right wing press would be calling for him to be strung up outside Parliament and stoned because it would all be his fault (in conjunction with the Chinese of course).

Doesn’t really matter what the result was in December now because rest assured now, over the spring and summer we’re going to see a dose of good old state aid Socialism on a level not seen since the 70s. Isn’t it ironic...don’t you think??

[super_realist]

Socialism? More like East Germany if it goes on for long I think JAS.

[JAS]

Socialism? More like East Germany if it goes on for long  I think JAS.

Pretty sure it will now and the economic implications are huge. That’s what I was saying yesterday giving the example of the airline industry. A lot of good well run companies will go to the wall without some sort of state aid or waivers of some of their liabilities. I reckon it’ll probably take as much if not more of a Taxpayer bailout than in 2008. The people would surely not stand for another 10 years of austerity. If my assumptions are correct then either way were in for a very different world ahead.
In some ways I’m glad we didn’t get a left of centre govt in December. The economic nuke thats about to hit, if it had hit a lefty govt, left leaning politics would have been discredited forever, regardless of whether the situation was beyond their control or not. Let’s see how this lot manage a required bailout situation out of an economic crisis.

[super_realist]

Left leaning politics hasn't been destroyed JAS, only the lunatic politics that Corbyn wanted to instigate.
There's nothing particularly wrong with being left of centre, it's being rampantly left wing which is as bad as being rabidly right wing.
I don't think anyone would really object if we simply had two parties who were left and right of centre, but just not to such crazy lengths as those of Corbyn and his momentum mob or the ERG.
We will elect another left of centre government, but it will be nothing like what Corbyn wanted, thank goodness.

[superflyweight]

There's a possibility (admittedly remote because it will rely on adoption of an entirely new way of thinking and approach) that this could lead to the introduction of a form of "Universal Basic Income". Would certainly provide an important saftety net in an economy that increasingly promotes "gig" working.

[Soul Requiem]

Socialism? More like East Germany if it goes on for long  I think JAS.

Pretty sure it will now and the economic implications are huge. That’s what I was saying yesterday giving the example of the airline industry. A lot of good well run companies will go to the wall without some sort of state aid or waivers of some of their liabilities. I reckon it’ll probably take as much if not more of a Taxpayer bailout than in 2008. The people would surely not stand for another 10 years of austerity. If my assumptions are correct then either way were in for a very different world ahead.
In some ways I’m glad we didn’t get a left of centre govt in December. The economic nuke thats about to hit, if it had hit a lefty govt, left leaning politics would have been discredited forever, regardless of whether the situation was beyond their control or not.  Let’s see how this lot manage a required bailout situation out of an economic crisis.

Or it will be used the other way round as an example of why Brexit was necessary. I wouldn't agree with that myself but you can be assured that many will.

[beninho]

Brexit will be delayed, well the transition will have to be extended.

[Soul Requiem]

Brexit will be delayed, well the transition will have to be extended.

Raab confirmed today that won't be happening.

[JAS]

Socialism? More like East Germany if it goes on for long  I think JAS.

Pretty sure it will now and the economic implications are huge. That’s what I was saying yesterday giving the example of the airline industry. A lot of good well run companies will go to the wall without some sort of state aid or waivers of some of their liabilities. I reckon it’ll probably take as much if not more of a Taxpayer bailout than in 2008. The people would surely not stand for another 10 years of austerity. If my assumptions are correct then either way were in for a very different world ahead.
In some ways I’m glad we didn’t get a left of centre govt in December. The economic nuke thats about to hit, if it had hit a lefty govt, left leaning politics would have been discredited forever, regardless of whether the situation was beyond their control or not.  Let’s see how this lot manage a required bailout situation out of an economic crisis.

Or it will be used the other way round as an example of why Brexit was necessary. I wouldn't agree with that myself but you can be assured that many will.

I have heard today that ministers from the different EU nations are meeting regularly to coordinate a response and our lot were invited but refused. Yeah we can go it alone... “Lets get the virus done!!”

[beninho]

Brexit will be delayed, well the transition will have to be extended.

Raab confirmed today that won't be happening.

I saw he glossed over the question, didn't realise he had confirmed it. It's pretty obvious thing to do, even if a few nutters will go mad about it.

[beninho]

Brexit will be delayed, well the transition will have to be extended.

Raab confirmed today that won't be happening.

I saw he glossed over the question, didn't realise he had confirmed it. It's pretty obvious thing to do, even if a few nutters will go mad about it.

Just read a govt statement confirming that, transition will end in December, so no change. So bloody stupid.

[JAS]

Another thing I don’t agree with is the lazy and alarming statistics publishing and making us appear not as bad as elsewhere. Simply stating the number of cases and number of deaths is very misleading. If the are going to go for figure comparisons they should tabulate as follows both in numbers and %ages

Total population
Amount Tested
Number Positive
Number Negative
Then break down the positives into vulnerable/non vulnerable groups and list for both vulnerable and non vulnerable
Died
Still affected
Survived/cleared

That way the vast swathe of non vulnerable might stop panicking and the vulnerable would have a more realistic appraisal of their chances and so might focus their attention on staying safe but oh no, our alarmist idiotic press in the clamour to sell newspapers are blasting out death tolls like it’s an impending apocalypse... cretins!!

[super_realist]

There's a presumption there that every other country is reporting in a different way and is somehow more transparent than the UK.
I've just read a report on the BBC which states the number of deaths, the number of positive tests, the number of negative tests and therefore the number of total tests.
What else do you want them to do?
Everything I have read has stated that all the deaths have an underlying health concern.

The only issue (and this will be the same in every country) is that not everyone who has it will be tested. You are simply advised to stay isolated, but because you aren't tested you aren't part of the official stats.

There is no correct method of controlling the virus which is the same in every country.

[navyblueshorts]

Businesses, restaurants,bars, theatres you should all stay open. People we advise you do not go into these establishments. Also reports that have only just realised that its initial policy would cause a lot of deaths.

No idea what you're trying to say here, Ben.

[navyblueshorts]

Isn't widely held that we are a few weeks behind Italy and other European countries?  And as it's not some sort of instantaneous death, we will see the increases over coming weeks. Whatever it is, it's still pretty grim, and it seems the govt haven't handled it that well, at least initially. Only a few days ago, the off the record briefing they like had Johnson claiming it was all media driven.

They're handling it fine. No-one knows what the best policy is, but at least ours is driven by virologists, epidemiologists, behavioural scientists and clinicians on best current data.

[navyblueshorts]

My concerns.
1- the apparent lack of testing. It seems the focus is only on people of high risk and being hospitalized. This leads to unreported numbers, and then, claims such as realist above, that we are below other countries. Also how can you stop the spread if you aren't aware who is positive and in what areas.
2- the communication from the govt. Forced into daily briefings, after dropping unofficially to journos and even making announcements behind a paywall.
3- Why the wait to stop the gatherings. Led by the premier league and sports rather then actually leading.
4- as I posted earlier, it seems they were looking at wrong information, based on pneumonia rather then listening to WHO and other countries.
5- yesterday announcement about advising to not go to restaurants etc, but not actually closing them down. Leading to massive issues for these industries.
6- why have they not acted on evictions, and mortgage payments etc.

Don't expect anyone to agree, but just my issues from what I've read.
X

This is the problem. You think the EPL and Wayne Rooney have a scooby about this?? You think they aren't testing? "Apparent lack of" - in other words, you don't know what they're actually doing and why should they tell you? Forced into daily briefings? This is a moving situation - you'd rather they hadn't upped the briefing rate just to score points?

[navyblueshorts]

My concerns.
1- the apparent lack of testing. It seems the focus is only on people of high risk and being hospitalized. This leads to unreported numbers, and then, claims such as realist above, that we are below other countries. Also how can you stop the spread if you aren't aware who is positive and in what areas.
2- the communication from the govt. Forced into daily briefings, after dropping unofficially to journos and even making announcements behind a paywall.
3- Why the wait to stop the gatherings. Led by the premier league and sports rather then actually leading.
4- as I posted earlier, it seems they were looking at wrong information, based on pneumonia rather then listening to WHO and other countries.
5- yesterday announcement about advising to not go to restaurants etc, but not actually closing them down. Leading to massive issues for these industries.
6- why have they not acted on evictions, and mortgage payments etc.

Don't expect anyone to agree, but just my issues from what I've read.
X

I suspect the insurance industry have heavily lobbied for the government not to close these establishments down.  

Mistake if they did, because unlikely they're now covered for loss of trade.

[navyblueshorts]

There's a possibility (admittedly remote because it will rely on adoption of an entirely new way of thinking and approach) that this could lead to the introduction of a form of "Universal Basic Income".  Would certainly provide an important saftety net in an economy that increasingly promotes "gig" working.  

Isn't that what Yang was proposing in US Democratic primaries earlier? Saw an article yesterday I think, arguing that he may well have had a good point in light of this.

[navyblueshorts]

Brexit will be delayed, well the transition will have to be extended.

Raab confirmed today that won't be happening.

He's been proved to be an idiot though.

[Plunky]

My concerns.
1- the apparent lack of testing. It seems the focus is only on people of high risk and being hospitalized. This leads to unreported numbers, and then, claims such as realist above, that we are below other countries. Also how can you stop the spread if you aren't aware who is positive and in what areas.
2- the communication from the govt. Forced into daily briefings, after dropping unofficially to journos and even making announcements behind a paywall.
3- Why the wait to stop the gatherings. Led by the premier league and sports rather then actually leading.
4- as I posted earlier, it seems they were looking at wrong information, based on pneumonia rather then listening to WHO and other countries.
5- yesterday announcement about advising to not go to restaurants etc, but not actually closing them down. Leading to massive issues for these industries.
6- why have they not acted on evictions, and mortgage payments etc.

Don't expect anyone to agree, but just my issues from what I've read.
X

I suspect the insurance industry have heavily lobbied for the government not to close these establishments down.  

Mistake if they did, because unlikely they're now covered for loss of trade.

Insurance industry is unlikely to lobby for this because it's not an industry-wide issue.  There's such a huge variety of policies out there.  Some will cover business interruption (up to a point) resulting from any communicable disease present within 25 miles of premises (regardless of whether govt has closed them down), others will have a communicable disease endorsement which sounds good but it may only respond to certain known diseases, some policies will be quiet on the issue leading to  plenty of work for lawyers going forward.  In any case, the insurance companies will  pass the worst of it on to their reinsurers who will probably quietly pay up.

[dynamark]

Testing is largely irrelevant in the general population because if you have it theres naf all you can do about it,As is happening test the sick and the front line staff when you can then act on the information.
Thank goodness we got the right govt to handle this
Hope all are well and positive

[pedro]

Isn't widely held that we are a few weeks behind Italy and other European countries?  And as it's not some sort of instantaneous death, we will see the increases over coming weeks. Whatever it is, it's still pretty grim, and it seems the govt haven't handled it that well, at least initially. Only a few days ago, the off the record briefing they like had Johnson claiming it was all media driven.

They're handling it fine. No-one knows what the best policy is, but at least ours is driven by virologists, epidemiologists, behavioural scientists and clinicians on best current data.

I hope the politicians remember what precendence has now been set when thousands start to die from the common flu (again) next winter.

[beninho]

Last records I've found on seasonal flu say 1600 died in 2018/19. I would assume more will die then that. Though 28k died in 2014/15.

[pedro]

I know corona is not the same as the flu, but they are comparable in how they spread and who’s in the danger zone.

My point is just that there’s a heck of a difference between shutting the world down and doing zip (as we do most years).

From a medical pow I can’t disagree with what has been done but it is equally evident that panic has hit.

[super_realist]

Isn't widely held that we are a few weeks behind Italy and other European countries?  And as it's not some sort of instantaneous death, we will see the increases over coming weeks. Whatever it is, it's still pretty grim, and it seems the govt haven't handled it that well, at least initially. Only a few days ago, the off the record briefing they like had Johnson claiming it was all media driven.

They're handling it fine. No-one knows what the best policy is, but at least ours is driven by virologists, epidemiologists, behavioural scientists and clinicians on best current data.

I hope the politicians remember what precendence has now been set when thousands start to die from the common flu (again) next winter.

It's incredibly naive to suggest that the two are even slightly analogous. Winter flu happens every year, its not something which can be stopped. The government already offer flu jabs. Why should they compensate people for getting a natural disease?
Surely you are not so naive you can't see the difference between this and flu? This isn't a precedent in the slightest in regards to flu.
Even though both have similar effects for the healthy and a very good recovery rate for both, you'd have to be stupid to think the impact of winter flu is as deserving of government help as this current situation. You are correct about the irrational panic though.

[dynamark]

Fair point Pedro and we will only be able to make the comparison between everyear flu and this only after it has calmed down ,and the world has been shut.
I doubt we will ever see any figures but I would be very interested to know what proportion of the underlying illness group deaths are smoking related and I notice overweight are included.
I have a few friends 65 plus who have some background illness but were all heavy smokers.
Friend who was 82 yesterday 'joked' that he gave up smoking - when he was 74 !

[Soul Requiem]

A simple comparison like that won't really explain anything. The big difference between Covid-19 and seasonal flu is the relative unpredictably of one and the predictability of the other not to mention the possible mutation of the former which is the biggest worry.

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