Coronavirus Impact

[Wongo]

Wondering star, has any govt been so unprepared, yep, french, Italian, Spanish, chinese, American! You getting the idea. No one could have prepared for a previously unknown pandemic.
Seem to be doing pretty well at the moment, 2000itu beds still free, 10000 general use beds still free, nightingale overflow available if needed, with no one in them yet! Let’s hope they are never put into proper use.

Government dithered at the beginning and the care home situation is appalling.

 

[Amarillo]

Back to chickens, your conscience mate. If you think it’s right crack on, am sure you will anyhow, most right minded sensible folk would probably say you are doing a journey that you don’t need to.

If you were doing an analysis of the likelihood and consequences of various scenarios, what would you highlight as unacceptable risk?

 

[clarinetbcn]

What is so important about the Webasto study is that for the first time it showed that most people who become sick go through a period of several days before feeling sick where they are just as highly contagious as they will be when symptoms finally appear. We missed the boat of widespread testing, isolating and tracking of contacts, so now everybody is on lockdown to stop the spread of the virus by contagious non-symptomatic people who are unaware of their status.

I think it's interesting that on the one hand there is widespread condemnation of what are seen as unnecessary trips by others, while at the same time people are unwilling to wear a mask that doesn't provide much self protection but offers some protection to others.

 

[Keith Smith]

A problem with masks is that, especially in people who are unused to wearing one, people fiddle with them potentially transferring virus from hand to mouth. The mask can also become wet from condensate which encourages more touching of the mask. You can get moulded paper masks with a foam bridge seal which work better in many ways but are more expensive which may be why they are used less. Respirators are in a different league for personal protection but they can drip condensate from the exhalation valve and I would imagine that would be teaming with virus in an infected person.

 

[T6 CFO]

What is so important about the Webasto study is that for the first time it showed that most people who become sick go through a period of several days before feeling sick where they are just as highly contagious as they will be when symptoms finally appear. We missed the boat of widespread testing, isolating and tracking of contacts, so now everybody is on lockdown to stop the spread of the virus by contagious non-symptomatic people who are unaware of their status.

I think it's interesting that on the one hand there is widespread condemnation of what are seen as unnecessary trips by others, while at the same time people are unwilling to wear a mask that doesn't provide much self protection but offers some protection to others.

I don’t think anybody is arguing that non-symptomatic people are passing on the virus. What was being discussed is masks and there value. There are no doubt circumstances where they are desirable. We just don’t all agree on their general use for the reasons given in the discussion about masks.

Because we don’t agree on masks and let’s be clear I’m all for continual re examination of the evidence as are our experts.

So in my view there are as many if not more negatives in wearing a face mask for general use as positives and there are no positives in making unnecessary trips in accordance with the principles of the regulations.

I’m clear. I’m guessing from your linking of the issues that you agree with these trips. Or is that not the case?

Edit: As we come out of lock down and social distancing is no longer the main tactic I can see that they may have a place. On public transport springs to mind. Politics may have a bigger say than the science.






Mike

 

[SimonC]

Now then chaps. Don't break the cycle :

Yellow van: I’m going to get some chickens!
Other van: Don’t do it!
Blue van: Conspiracy! WHO! Face masks!
Two-tone van: Thumbs up.
Another van: Actually no, your reasoning/use of data is incorrect because ..
Yellow van: I’m going to get some chickens!
Other van: …

… and repeat.

 

[Borris]

Now then chaps. Don't break the cycle :

Yellow van: I’m going to get some chickens!
Other van: Don’t do it!
Blue van: Conspiracy! WHO! Face masks!
Two-tone van: Thumbs up.
Another van: Actually no, your reasoning/use of data is incorrect because ..
Yellow van: I’m going to get some chickens!
Other van: …

… and repeat.

Battenberg van: You're nicked.

 

[Amarillo]

Battenberg van: Your nicked.

Yellow van: good, now you've dealt with Blue Van, I'm off to get my chickens.

 

[Lightning]

I think she has a valid point.

When the coronavirus crisis is over, it should be payback time for the young | Polly Toynbee

Older generations must foot the bill for this crisis – not those already heavily indebted and lacking opportunities, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

www.theguardian.com

 

[Jay gas]

I think she has a valid point.

When the coronavirus crisis is over, it should be payback time for the young | Polly Toynbee

Older generations must foot the bill for this crisis – not those already heavily indebted and lacking opportunities, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

www.theguardian.com

Everyone is going to have to pay the bill for the virus

 

[Velma's Dad]

Everyone is going to have to pay the bill for the virus

I agree. One of the dishonesties of some politicians since the 2008 crisis has been that the solution is just to "tax the wealthy" or "go after tax avoiding companies". A con trick, implying that someone else - another socio-economic class, another age bracket - will foot the bill, but you in my "base" (for Corbyn's Labour it was younger, largely urban voters) won't have to pay.

 

[Mickyb123]

It’s an interesting discussion with care homes! Generally they charge an aweful lot of money to provide the care! The private care homes dont do it for nothing, they do it for profit, it’s a business. As such said businesses have a duty to ensure they have enough stocks of what they need! So choice, PPE stocks in store or profit dividend for shareholders. In that case why is it Govt failing ? Something to think about.
A bit like well run hospital trusts have what they need, poorly run trusts are the ones now running around trying to put the blame elsewhere.
JG is right though, we thought last few years of austerity were tight, next few years are going to be very hard

 

[pjm-84]

Agreed but of course the young don't want to pay, except for their mobiles, Spotify accounts and cappuccinos. Crumbs I was skint when I was young and didn't have all these expenditures and I started work at 18. I moved out of my parent's home at 20. It was quite easy to do as my mother took a 1/3 to 1/2 of my wages for housekeeping.

 

[Mickyb123]

Bet your mum did all your shopping, cooking, paid for all the bills out of that 50% though. So basically that was depending on your age, beer money or cappuccino money.
Try starting work at 17 in your own flat, had much less than 50% of my wages left.
eeeee in my day!

 

[Lightning]

Agreed but of course the young don't want to pay, except for their mobiles, Spotify accounts and cappuccinos. Crumbs I was skint when I was young and didn't have all these expenditures and I started work at 18. I moved out of my parent's home at 20. It was quite easy to do as my mother took a 1/3 to 1/2 of my wages for housekeeping.

Not to mention the all that Avocado on toast, cutting out this alone could solve their problems.

My lucky postwar gilded generation is the one being protected at the cost of everything else. Born into a brand new NHS, gifted free university education and jobs in a hugely expanding white-collar sector, we benefited from fine pensions and the mighty windfall of outrageously inflating property values for homes bought originally for a modest price.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Mobile phones! We never had any kind of phone at home, if I wanted to talk to my mates I had to walk down the road to the phone box.

(And then we 'ad to lick road clean wi' tongues - apparently Tim Boooke-Taylor co-wrote that immortal sketch).

 

[Jodalo]

Mobile phones! We never had any kind of phone at home, if I wanted to talk to my mates I had to walk down the road to the phone box.

(And then we 'ad to lick road clean wi' tongues - apparently Tim Boooke-Taylor co-wrote that immortal sketch).

Ah yes, the good old phone box. Urine and fag-ends! Happy days.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Ah yes, the good old phone box. Urine and fag-ends! Happy days.

Fag ends! You were lucky!

 

[Amarillo]

I agree. One of the dishonesties of some politicians since the 2008 crisis has been that the solution is just to "tax the wealthy" or "go after tax avoiding companies". A con trick, implying that someone else - another socio-economic class, another age bracket - will foot the bill, but you in my "base" (for Corbyn's Labour it was younger, largely urban voters) won't have to pay.

What are the options to cut a deficit and reduce debt?

VAT
Income tax
National insurance
Cuts in public services

What else?



From what I recall, pension contributions are made before tax and NI.

Tax but not NI is payable on pension income.

One simple way to raise revenue would seem to be to charge NI on pension income.

This time next year we should be free of EU restrictions on VAT bands. Could we see a proliferation of VAT bands, perhaps more foods, like cake and tortilla chips, with VAT? An even higher rate of VAT on super luxury items like private aeroplanes?

Gift taxes to close loopholes in intergenerational wealth transfer?

What other ways could government pluck the goose with the minimum amount of squealing?

 

[T6 CFO]

And for anyone who didn’t see it. Very few.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Velma's Dad]

What else?

Inflation. Used "successfully" by governments in the 1960s and 1970s.

Defaulting. But pushes up the cost of future borrowing (maybe that's a good thing?).

 

[calibeach76]

That's really interesting. You don't work for Audi, do you?

Common problem with Audi's which mine had. Rear wipe motor. £400 / New alternator / £530 / oil sensor £150.... first service was £430 (in 2005). My sister bought one and had her's scrapped. I think it was 8 years old and worthless. £27k to £0 in 8 years. Serious Multitronic box issues and it kept cutting out. Common problems. Rattles and trim issues. Great on day 1, very tired after a few years.

The biggest issue I had with Audi was keeping me waiting in the showroom for 90min pretending to reprogramme the keyfob batteries and charging £37 for the privilege. (Keyfob kept falling apart). I subsequently found out that starting the car, reprogrammed the fob in 2005. So the drive to the garage reprogrammed the keyfob. 5year / 66k miles and I was happy to get rid in 2008 and went back to BMW.

Nope I don't work for them! I don't proclaim that they are perfect but can only go on my experience plus what I take from them for my fleet of 39 cars. We ditched BMW for Audi and VW on our fleet in 2014 and car for car the Audis have been much better. Most of our cars do 100k over 4 years. Ask a policeman which car they'd take on traffic the V6 A6 orthe BMW and in my experience to a man they'd all take the Audi too. BMW 15 years plus ago were a great machine but there's not a range I'd take now.

 

[WelshGas]

What are the options to cut a deficit and reduce debt?

VAT
Income tax
National insurance
Cuts in public services

What else?



From what I recall, pension contributions are made before tax and NI.

Tax but not NI is payable on pension income.

One simple way to raise revenue would seem to be to charge NI on pension income.

This time next year we should be free of EU restrictions on VAT bands. Could we see a proliferation of VAT bands, perhaps more foods, like cake and tortilla chips, with VAT? An even higher rate of VAT on super luxury items like private aeroplanes?

Gift taxes to close loopholes in intergenerational wealth transfer?

What other ways could government pluck the goose with the minimum amount of squealing?

I think variable VAT rates could be very beneficial in many ways.
It could be used to tackle the Obesity crisis and Climate change.
0% on basic food stuffs, and what is basic? Maybe a simple panel of citizens picked by postcode and asked to pick from a list once a year?
Or dependant on air/road miles travelled?
I don’t know, but I’m sure something could be devised.

 

[Joker 1299]

I think she has a valid point.

Thought sexy Sue was back, for a moment!

 

[Mr T]

Policing guidelines. England only.