Covid-19

[Jerome]

USA is going to overtake Italy in the next day or so and then China with regard to the number of confirmed cases. I would love to be wrong in this instance but my gut feeling tells me that's not going to be the case. All the medics, doctors, nurses and all staff related to the emergency services should be given something for their efforts once this is all over. And I don't mean a stupid certificate or medal but something they can actually use. Extra paid leave so that they can recuperate and rest. And the banks and insurance industry can pay for it. After all we bailed them all out in 2008. In fact we're still doing it. It's payback time.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

i agree...
the medics all over the world are doing a wonderful job at the moment in extremely trying and difficult circumstances.
theyre worth their weight in gold for sure.

theyre underpaid and overworked in normal circumstances...
things must change after this is over!

[Jerome]

The only thing that is going to change when this is all over is the insurance companies are going to up their premiums. Oh yes, and pay out less. Many people have income insurance protection - i.e. if you lose your income/job then the insurance companies pay you a certain amount for a certain period of time. Now they have decided they can't do this despite people paying for this protection for decades. People here went mad buying this policy after the last crash in 2007/2008. And the insurance companies were only to happy to sell it to them. No they are saying they won't pay. Bastards. BTW - I don't have any of these policies and for the moment I am still employed. But I feel for those who have all lost their jobs.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^
insurance companies: first hand experience.

filed a workers compensation claim against my employer on January 6th,
I only just got a call from their investigator this morning almost three months after I filed the claim!
I used up my remaining 1 week sick leave and 2.5 weeks holiday pay so ive not had any income since the end of January.
the only time they made any effort to 'touch base' with me was when I made an official complaint to the Ombudsman.
ive had no contact with my employer, they've given me the 'cold shoulder' since the get-go also.

and this is my first experience at being employed by a company, ive always been self employed,
yes its a headache and often a struggle with money working for yourself but at least I didn't have to put up with BS.
===============================================================

I also doubt I could even go back to my job at the moment anyway
and if I was still working I would probably have to quit for my health with Covid-19 as im in high risk group
with numerous chest infections over the last twenty-five years and now diabetes.

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apparently Australian scientists are unveiling a 'finger prick' test for Covid-19 and the results are available within 45 minutes as to whether you have or don't have it.
if this is true it could cut out the self isolation period of waiting.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

UK PM Boris Johnson has tested positive to the virus

Prince Charles also

[Jerome]

Irish government has initiated further measures to lock down freedom of movement etc. etc. good call - some people still don't get how big this thing is going to become unless we all start obeying some rules. It's all about a little bit of discipline people. What you do today affects where you will be tomorrow. Simple.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^

same here mate
dickheads (and that's being nice) are simply congregating as normal in various outdoor locations.
like you said Jerome, people need to start following the rules and have self discipline.

around lunchtime today Dani and myself went to one of the local shopping malls to get her daughter a birthday gift.
the only shops that were open were two supermarkets and one clothing shop...terrible.
we stopped to get lunch in the food mall which was take away only as sitdown meals are now banned in Australia.
I was talking to one of the food shop owners (he sells pizzas, kebabs etc), he had not had one customer all day, by the end of our
conversation he had tears in his eyes, didn't know what the future held for him...so sad.

anyway if your interested I didn't buy my lunch from his store, I had sushi.

[Ruby]

I don't believe we've seen or know the true numbers and extent - too many anomalies. The powers that be have known about this for some time too IMHO - they rolled out campaigns with barely the batting of an eyelid - we've just not been informed up to now, probably for fear of even greater panic. And I don't see how China, with 1,4 billion people living in humongous crowded cities, could have such a comparatively low infection rate. There are over 11 million in Wuhan alone. Unless I'm missing something. 

We've shut down earlier than a lot of other countries, at immense cost to all and sundry, and it's still going to knock us beyond present comprehension, and people still aren't listening, naturally. I feel terrible for all those who don't understand how to protect themselves or have the means to isolate - it's going to get very serious, very quickly.

Can't imagine what the medics in the hard hit places are going through right now - it's just too terrible for words.

[Jerome]

Yes, you right Ruby. We don't know the extent of the outbreak. This is due to governments 'managing' the numbers. Or is that massaging! There are people dying in African countries right now who won't make it onto the statistic sheets. Horrible to say that. Sounds so flippant, but this is the new reality. Millions of people are totally exposed with little shelter and even less food. Don't know how those countries are going to cope. No way has China reported the correct numbers. Or India for that matter. North Korea does not tell anyone anything anyway. UK and USA rising quickly. Ireland might seem relatively unaffected but if you look at the rate of infection versus the total population we are in deep shit. Should have locked down two weeks ago. And of course the people who always pay the highest price are the poor. Some very prominent 'businessmen' here in Ireland scoffed at the reaction to the virus saying that this was all just a flash in the pan and what is everybody worried about!!??!! Some of those same businessman are going to pay the piper in the next few weeks. It has been suggested before that high profile CEO's tend to have psychopathic personalities and traits - i.e. a total lack of empathy. It's all money, money, money. They don't seem to realise if there are no staff - there sure as hell won't be any money. They only look at what they stand to lose - not what they should protect. Hint for those CEO's who still haven't figured it out. Your staff are the most important gear in the machinery of your company.

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BTW the rant above needs to be read while listening to that superb Police track

Don't stand so
Don't stand so
Don't stand so close to me...

[CRAZY-HORSE]

LOL

schools now shut
public gatherings of no more than two
all parks, skate parks, playgrounds closed