Originally Posted by dave_j (Post 12832613)

This pandemic, as time from the Spanish Flu pandemic, very simplistically demonstrates is a one in a century event. But this really is a probability and there's nothing to prevent a new viral pandemic ocurring next year, or even now.
This virus attacks lung function and has highlighted the need for mechanisms that assist lungs to absorb oxygen, in this case the much vaunted ventilator.
There's no way to know what useful piece of technology will be needed the next time nature decides to take on the human species.
What is evident is that the virus needs to spread from individual to individual in order to generate a 'pandemic'.
It's not clear to me why low tech items like face masks and gowns haven't been stockpiled in sufficient quantity to provide protection to medical staff during a period that would be defined by a long term pandemic.
These items aren't particularly exciting, but they have been shown to be absolutely necessary in excessive quantity.
If I still lived in the UK I might wonder why disgusting amounts of money have been wasted on a pair of useless aircraft carriers, nuclear powered submarines etc etc, when there's a real need for simple things like a few buildings full of beds that can be used in an emergency. This failing isn't confined to the UK alone. Like the current pandemic, it infects political decision making worldwide.
"Ahhh.." I hear you say, "Nobody saw this coming, so there's nobody at fault."
But this isn't true. We have armies of people who game play the next world war in order to anticipate the needs therefrom and this is driven by the profit motive under the false guise of protecting the population. Where were those game playing experts examining the next global health threat?
I suspect that there existed a small army of Joe Bloggs's shouting from the rooftops of their sheds in the UN that they'd seen evidence of the pandemic starting but such news doesn't win elections or fatten wallets and was ignored.

Originally Posted by Teaandtoday5 (Post 12832621)

but if there were warehouses full of stockpiles of this stuff, and no pandemic would there be questions/investigations/condemnation of the waste of NHS resources on unnecessary equipment when people are dying on waiting lists, etc?
After all if the national emergency was of a diffferent nature we might be decrying the running down of our armed forces.
Although there was someone on R4 yesterday who had been involved in a large government’war game’ about a pandemic. He was surprised how little action had been taken as a result of that.

Originally Posted by dave_j (Post 12832613)

This pandemic, as time from the Spanish Flu pandemic, very simplistically demonstrates is a one in a century event. But this really is a probability and there's nothing to prevent a new viral pandemic ocurring next year, or even now.
This virus attacks lung function and has highlighted the need for mechanisms that assist lungs to absorb oxygen, in this case the much vaunted ventilator.
There's no way to know what useful piece of technology will be needed the next time nature decides to take on the human species.
What is evident is that the virus needs to spread from individual to individual in order to generate a 'pandemic'.
It's not clear to me why low tech items like face masks and gowns haven't been stockpiled in sufficient quantity to provide protection to medical staff during a period that would be defined by a long term pandemic.
These items aren't particularly exciting, but they have been shown to be absolutely necessary in excessive quantity.
If I still lived in the UK I might wonder why disgusting amounts of money have been wasted on a pair of useless aircraft carriers, nuclear powered submarines etc etc, when there's a real need for simple things like a few buildings full of beds that can be used in an emergency. This failing isn't confined to the UK alone. Like the current pandemic, it infects political decision making worldwide.
"Ahhh.." I hear you say, "Nobody saw this coming, so there's nobody at fault."
But this isn't true. We have armies of people who game play the next world war in order to anticipate the needs therefrom and this is driven by the profit motive under the false guise of protecting the population. Where were those game playing experts examining the next global health threat?
I suspect that there existed a small army of Joe Bloggs's shouting from the rooftops of their sheds in the UN that they'd seen evidence of the pandemic starting but such news doesn't win elections or fatten wallets and was ignored.

Originally Posted by dave_j (Post 12832613)

...If I still lived in the UK I might wonder why disgusting amounts of money have been wasted on a pair of useless aircraft carriers, nuclear powered submarines etc etc, when there's a real need for simple things like a few buildings full of beds that can be used in an emergency.....

Originally Posted by BristolUK (Post 12832718)

As indeed would most people But then they'd go and vote for the party that wouldn't prioritise things that way because they'd be misled about the party that would.

Originally Posted by Shard (Post 12832732)

The US is now projecting total deaths at 100-200,000 (heard 240,000 too) although that does imply a 'end date'. I can't say I've seen a similar such projection for the UK. I've heard "we're hoping to keep deaths below 20,000" but no real range. Anyone know the Canada equaivalent?

Originally Posted by dave_j (Post 12832733)

Investing for possible emergencies should be apolitical..

Originally Posted by Jsmth321 (Post 12832754)

53 new cases, 4 more deaths, for a total of 35 deaths now, number of patients in hospitals has dropped.

4,399 acute care beds available for COVID-19 patients largely because they cancelled 11,276 non-urgent elective surgeries between March 17 and April 2.

498 active cases.

641 recovered cases.

Originally Posted by Jsmth321 (Post 12832810)

This guy is an idiot. BC Solicitor General even called him an idiot.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6777373/b...site-hospital/

My question is if he thinks this is a hoax/doesn't exist, why does he wear a mask in parts of his video?

Originally Posted by Jsmth321 (Post 12832741)

Ontario says their projected models show 3,000 to 15,000 people dying, and that is just one province. Not sure if Canada has a projected model for the country as a whole.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...ions-1.5519575

"Provincial health experts say they expect COVID-19 could kill 3,000 to 15,000 people in Ontario over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the ramifications of which could last up to two years."

Originally Posted by BEVS (Post 12832815)

I cannot watch the vid. Are we sure its not his underpants ?