Well I didn’t but Charlie has the coronavirus and is now working from (one of) his home(s) and self-isolating with the Duchess of Rothesay. (That’s Camilla, they are in Scotland)
He appears to be a model for over 70s maintaining good health, exercising and “eating to live” in order to reduce the effects of Covid19. Although he had attempted to use the “namaste” he did forget and slip into a handshake at times. Unfortunately his job is meeting people so it’s not possible to identify who gave it to him.
The timeline means his last meeting with the Queen is outside the infectious period. She is following the government’s advice to “shield” and is with her nearly 99 year old husband at Windsor Castle. In light of Charles’s infection, perhaps we should update this song from the 1930s
In better news, the government called for 250,000 volunteers to help out by doing things like delivering medicines and groceries to those at home, taking patients to appointments or even phoning older people to prevent emotional problems caused by isolation. 24 hours later, some 405,000 had signed up.
A call went out to retired and just about to qualify doctors and nurses to help out. Emergency provision of hospital beds including “nationalising” the private hospitals and converting an exhibition centre into a field hospital for 4000 may have taken the capacity of the NHS to a point where it can cope with the surge which is expected to peak in two to three weeks. This “raising the ceiling” along with the unprecedented restrictions on movements to “flatten the sombrero” is hoped to result in the NHS being able to stay within capacity.
During the prime minister's daily press conference, Prof [Chris] Whitty [the government’s chief medical adviser] said that if everyone kept to social distancing rules, the outbreak was "probably manageable" although he conceded it would be a "close-run thing" for the NHS.
"At this point in time, as of today, there is not enormous pressure on critical care compared to a bad or even normal winter's day," he said. The expectation is that pressure will increase over the next two or so weeks.
This message was echoed by infectious diseases expert Prof Neil Ferguson, who was questioned by the science and technology MPs' committee on Wednesday.
He said keeping people inside and increasing NHS staff and beds was likely to prevent intensive care units (ICUs) from being overwhelmed nationally.
Prof. Ferguson leads the team at Imperial College whose reports have informed the policies in both the UK and USA. (A shame that the leader of one of those seems determined to be misinformed.) As well as the obvious food shops and pharmacies, essential shops allowed to stay open include pet stores (for their food) and bicycle shops (!!!). Now presumably to the joy of many, off-licences (shops that sell alcohol) have been added.
While most people are being cooperative, there are some idiots.
British Transport Police are now patrolling the main railway stations challenging people and advising if the travel is not essential. New powers are going through Parliament to enable them to fine people if they are not complying with the lockdown measures.
A big problem is that building sites have not been ordered to close down. Some responsible builders like those working on Crossrail (the Elizabeth Line) in London have. For others their workers are often “self employed” single person contractors who are not (yet) eligible for unemployment pay or part of the government’s new scheme which gives employees 80% of their pay if their employer keeps them “on the books” but sent home.
Most supermarkets, with the notable exception of my local Lidl’s where the staff were not keeping the recommended 2 metres separation from customers, have been helping keep the “social distancing” by restricting entry. Panic buying is still denuding shelves of bread, eggs, flour, pasta, rice and other items. Luckily a closeby “corner shop” had supplies of wholemeal bread so at least I can eat tonight!