Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Vimto90]

Johnnydun

My word.

What an absolute self indulged snoglesnoodle.

[The OP]

12 minutes ago, johnnydun said:

I was 19 years offshore, working mainly in Valves then on to Pumps.

It would be quite easy to cause a major incident if I didn't rebuild a pilot or relief vavle correctly, it is also quite easy to operate a valve willy nilly, if you felt the urge to of course. I did have one error about 15 years ago that shut down the whole Brent field, but that's a story for another day.

I think the NHS staff are grossly underpaid for what they do, this needs to be recognised more than a clap imo. I am not dissing the NHS staff for what they do at all.

I can see why people would be confused as f**k about what your position is here. You lead out with a big clickbaity statement - “they’re just doing their jobs”.  You ended up with an empathetic point about less clapping, more money and I am sorry for the offence I have caused. In between I think you declared yourself society’s true hero for travelling by helicopter and not blowing up your workplace, but it is difficult to follow.

Edited March 28, 2020 by The OP

[johnnydun]

9 minutes ago, Vimto90 said:

Johnnydun

My word.

What an absolute self indulged snoglesnoodle.

 

5 minutes ago, The OP said:

I can see why people would be confused as f**k about what your position is here. You lead out with a big clickbaity statement - “they’re just doing their jobs”.  You ended up with an empathetic point about less clapping, more money and I am sorry for the offence I have caused. In between I think you declared yourself society’s true hero for travelling by helicopter and not blowing up your workplace, but it is difficult to follow.

I am sorry if I have not been clear.

I just think that the NHS staff's job has not changed, in a sense of they signed up to care for and treat patients, while at the same time avoiding infections themselves. They have always been good at their job, as I said before, the NHS saved my life.

They are grossly underpaid for what they do for a job, if folk feel the need to clap them, do it every day as they are caring for and treating patients as they always do.

I don't see myself as a hero, I was just making a comparison to another essential service, one I could relate with.

I hope this clears it all up.

[Guest JTS98]

8 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

Any UK resident stll abroad shouldn't be given any leeway. The FCO advised against all but essential travel on the 16th of March. It also advised all UK nationals to return.

If you are still abroad now it's your own fault if the border is closed to you.

It did not. Advised all holiday makers to return. Not nearly the same thing.

People working abroad were given clear advice to remain where we are, except in certain countries. I believe all UK nationals in Myanmar were advised to leave.

Avoid spreading false information by reading.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-advises-all-british-travellers-to-return-to-the-uk-now

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/coronavirus-travellers-race-home-amid-worldwide-border-closures-and-flight-warnings

https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news_coronavirus.php?id=1824648

Edited March 28, 2020 by JTS98

[Ludo*1]

Don't know if this has been talked about before, but the Global Health Security index which is run by the John Hopkins institute that's been commented on quite a lot of late has us ranked as the 2nd most prepared country in the world for an outbreak like this. It ranks the US as 1st and Italy as 31st for context. Well worth a scan as this was compiled late last year. We'll see how accurate it is in real time.

https://www.ghsindex.org/

[Guest JTS98]

7 hours ago, Savage Henry said:

 

The FCO frequently advises all but essential travel to the USA. It’s a meaningless phrase which travellers know fine well. But once that changed to sentences with adverbs stronger than ‘should’, they start meaning business.

That they are in the process of arranging repatriation flights means nobody has any excuse.

 

No, you're off the mark there.

The advice to UK nationals living abroad has been to stay where we are, with a few specific exceptions.

UK High Commission where I am has been very clear. UK nationals living here should stay here for now.

There are - surprisingly - still commercial flights operating from Malaysia to the UK. I could book one and go home, but the advice is not to do so.

Edited March 28, 2020 by JTS98

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

YAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[madmitch]

9 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

Don't know if this has been talked about before, but the Global Health Security index which is run by the John Hopkins institute that's been commented on quite a lot of late has us ranked as the 2nd most prepared country in the world for an outbreak like this. It ranks the US as 1st and Italy as 31st for context. Well worth a scan as this was compiled late last year. We'll see how accurate it is in real time.

https://www.ghsindex.org/

The UK wating until  three weeks after the first community transmission before going into lockdown will have seriously messed with their ability to cope.  NZ went into lockdown three days after the first community transmission case i.e. not tied to cases that were traced to kiwis coming  back in from overseas. 

[Guest JTS98]

2 hours ago, Dee Man said:

Here's a letter from your future. 

Basically, if you don't die, you're going to become a fat b*****d:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/a-letter-to-the-uk-from-italy-this-is-what-we-know-about-your-future

Genuinely having the opposite experience here.

I'm getting 15 minutes of exercise three times a day. I'm drinking nothing but water, black coffee, black tea, and I'm eating well because I use my supermarket trips to just buy healthy food. Once back home there's no opportunity to get junk in.

Ten days into lockdown I'm pretty sure I'm fitter than I started and am feeling the benefits of eating, drinking, and sleeping well.

I'd advise everybody to leave the bevvy and chocolate/crisps aisles at the supermarket alone. You'll feel a lot better for staying away from that shite through this. Worth keeping in mind that any weight you put on now will still be there when this is finished.

There is much we cannot control just now, but diet is something we can.

Edited March 28, 2020 by JTS98

[Tight minge]

Don't know if this has been talked about before, but the Global Health Security index which is run by the John Hopkins institute that's been commented on quite a lot of late has us ranked as the 2nd most prepared country in the world for an outbreak like this. It ranks the US as 1st and Italy as 31st for context. Well worth a scan as this was compiled late last year. We'll see how accurate it is in real time.
https://www.ghsindex.org/

Think we can already say it is flawed.

In fairness though, it really is a pretty impossible thing to predict given changes in governments and policies and what it is 'indexing against?'

Singapore has been outstandingly prepared for this, purely because of the plans they stored from the experience from the SARS outbreak. That's not to say that a different virus/contagion wouldn't have fucked the country.

[jagfox]

[SlipperyP]

5 hours ago, Tight John McVeigh is a tit said:

 

Do you not find as an expat in the last 15 years, the embassies and their services have generally turned to shit to the point now it's nearly worthless speaking to them?
 

 

In my last job, I was unfortunate to be involved with the Hua Hin bombing on Mothers Day, which injured 17 of our customers, 5 seriously injured. I had to deal with the Embassies from nations, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Belgium, Sweden & UK.

All send representatives to the hospital or accommodation apart from the UK, they send 1 bunch of flowers.  They didn't want to know...

Dutch were far the best.

[Granny Danger]

6 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

Teachers, especially new teachers, are my main gripe with this, my sister being a perfect example.

Decide to be a teacher > uni for 4 years > 1 year probation > complain about pay.

I hope NHS frontline staff get some bonus at the end of this. Whether that is in the form of a pay rise / cash bonus / additional personal allowance I don't know, but it would be of more use than a clap.

Yes some sort of tangible recognition for the people involved would be good.  But above all, and I think all NHS staff would agree, is to stop the decimation caused by years of Tory austerity.

This has been covered elsewhere but merits repeating.  Many of those presently gushing praise for the NHS and indulging in the clapping the other evening will quite happily vote Conservative at the next GE and the ones after that despite their record on the NHS.  Anyone who thinks that Tory policy on healthcare is going to change in the medium-to-long term is kidding themselves on.

[Tight minge]

Think with the cuts and changes around 2008 they lost the personal touch.

Every interaction I have had with the embassies in the last fifteen years has been shit. Prior to that they used to fantastic. In fairness cuts ripped them apart. As for out sourcing their visa applications, that's extra crap. Arranged a visa for my wife a few years ago to go on holiday to the UK. I wasn't allowed to enter the centre. They charged £100+ for the visa. Asked the wide if she wanted text updates on the application. She said yes, they said that will be £2.00 a text. Told them no. They then offered email, exact same scenario, £2.00 an email.

The following year applied for a Shenghen via at the French embassy absolute breeze, friendly service, visa in 4 days (UK took several weeks) and the icing was as the UK was still a member of the EU, the visa was free.

The UK clearly was strapped for cash.

As for their travel advice, it's general at best and mostly over cautious (which is of course understandle.

[pandarilla]

Yes some sort of tangible recognition for the people involved would be good.  But above all, and I think all NHS staff would agree, is to stop the decimation caused by years of Tory austerity.
This has been covered elsewhere but merits repeating.  Many of those presently gushing praise for the NHS and indulging in the clapping the other evening will quite happily vote Conservative at the next GE and the ones after that despite their record on the NHS.  Anyone who thinks that Tory policy on healthcare is going to change in the medium-to-long term is kidding themselves on.

Neither you nor i has any idea how this might change things in the medium to long term. We're barely at the start.

I'd agree that it won't change tory ideology per se, but it could well change our country's response to all sorts of things.

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

Neither you nor i has any idea how this might change things in the medium to long term. We're barely at the start.

I'd agree that it won't change tory ideology per se, but it could well change our country's response to all sorts of things.

The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.

Not my words btw.

[philpy]

The wife is convinced me and her had it at the start of the year [emoji85]. I had really bad flu - sore as f**k all over, chest infection, sweating like f**k and severe headaches, as did she. Sorry, but unless it can be proven otherwise, in my eyes covid19 didn't exist in fucking January.

[tongue_tied_danny]

[bendan]

9 minutes ago, Tight John McVeigh is a tit said:

The following year applied for a Shenghen via at the French embassy absolute breeze, friendly service, visa in 4 days (UK took several weeks) and the icing was as the UK was still a member of the EU, the visa was free.

The UK clearly was strapped for cash.
 

I agree that the UK Visa centres are shite, but the free Schengen visa is because of EU rules on you traveling with your family to another EU country (i.e. not the UK). A French person taking their non-EU spouse to the UK would not have to pay for a UK Visa.

It does seem true though that Britain doesn't care too much about citizens overseas. Might be because there are too many.

[Tight minge]

I agree that the UK Visa centres are shite, but the free Schengen visa is because of EU rules on you traveling with your family to another EU country (i.e. not the UK). A French person taking their non-EU spouse to the UK would not have to pay for a UK Visa.

It does seem true though that Britain doesn't care too much about citizens overseas. Might be because there are too many.

 

Yes, that is of course true, but just added to the overall experience of utter crapness.

 

Absolutely every service from the embassies are generally more expensive and take longer than nearly everywhere else and the advice gets less and less and more automated (as Slippery P mentions).

 

It is what it is, just a little embarrassing especially when before the embassies were fantastic.

 

The only benefit is we are one of few countries where we can have two passports. Which is great.