COVID 19 GLOBAL

[Stillearly]

For those with kids in the U.K. 

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2020/bbc-launches-biggest-education-offer-ever

The BBC is to deliver the biggest education offer in its history across more of its platforms. It will bring together BBC Two, CBBC, BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and online to deliver a new education offer to children, teachers and parents as a third national lockdown begins.

Reacting quickly to the news of UK schools moving to remote learning, the new offer from the BBC will ensure all children can access curriculum-based learning, even if they don’t have access to the internet.

Starting on Monday 11 January, each week day on CBBC will see a three-hour block of primary school programming from 9am, including BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily, as well as other educational programming such as Our School and Celebrity Supply Teacher and much loved titles such as Horrible Histories, Art Ninja and Operation Ouch.

BBC Two will cater for secondary students with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, with a least two hours of content each weekday.

Content will be built around Bitesize Daily secondary shows, complemented by Shakespeare and classic drama adaptations alongside science, history and factual titles from the BBC’s award-winning factual programming units.

Bitesize Daily primary and secondary will also air every day on BBC Red Button as well as episodes being available on demand on BBC iPlayer.

 

 

[Kathmandu]

11 hours ago, KWA said:

 

 Mud slinging has no part in professional reporting and thickness of skin makes no difference to this.

Tell it to Trump. Then start pointing fingers. 

[Esco]

33 minutes ago, Kathmandu said:

Tell it to Trump. Then start pointing fingers. 

Keep it to covid FFS. 

[lazarus]

Meanwhile...

Back on the Covid frontlines it's going from very bad to worse. The virus is running unchecked across much of the US. Failures all along the way by the federal and state governments have created an unfathomable societal health crisis.

Over 350,000 Americans have died of Covid since March 2020 and that number will continue to grow.

Los Angeles is running out of oxygen for patients as covid hospitalizations hit record highs nationwide

States in West and South have highest shares of residents hospitalized as Los Angeles hospitals turn away ambulances

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/01/05/covid-hospitalizations-los-angeles-oxygen/

...More than 131,000 covid-19 patients were hospitalized nationwide as of Tuesday, eclipsing the record set in the last week of 2020. Facilities across the West and South are especially burdened.

Los Angeles County has been so overwhelmed it is running out of oxygen, with ambulance crews instructed to use oxygen only for their worst-case patients. Crews were told not to bring patients to the hospital if they have little hope of survival and to treat and declare such patients dead on the scene to preserve hospital capacity. Several Los Angeles hospitals have turned away ambulance traffic in recent days because they can’t provide the airflow needed to treat patients...

...The United States has reached the worst stage of the pandemic to date, with the deadly results of holiday gatherings yet to arrive. Vaccine distribution is also off to a slow start, with at least 4.6 million inoculated, far short of the 20 million the Trump administration vowed to vaccinate by the end of 2020...

...In a directive Monday, the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency told EMTs to conserve oxygen by giving it only to patients with oxygen saturation levels below 90 percent. To ease the backup at hospitals, county officials also issued a plan to set up tents just outside to create temporary “ambulance receiving spaces.” Officials hope that makeshift system will free up ambulances now sitting idle outside hospitals because their patients can’t be admitted.

“We’re no longer a wave or surge, or surge upon a surge. We really are in the middle of a viral tsunami,” said Robert Kim-Farley, a medical epidemiologist at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health...

Edited January 6, 2021 by lazarus

[Binlid]

lmfao.

[Kathmandu]

17 hours ago, Esco said:

Keep it to covid FFS. 

Relax, Amigo FFS.

[jersey]

I always wonder why the People expect Politicians to be "Leaders", to be "Decisive",  to have a "Plan", and to react "Quickly", to any crisis.  Politicians (ALL Politicians), are good at one thing, POLITICS!  By its very nature, Politics requires compromise, co-operation, dis-information, deception, and delayed decisions. None of these things have any use in a Crisis.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the need for all of the above, I just don't get why the ranter expects this particular Politician to actually be a LEADER during this or any other crisis.  I understand he is frustrated as are we all, but the long road out of this Crisis and the next one is to vote in People who were proven Leaders (Military, Corporate, Etc.) before they became politicians.  That doesn't work all the time, but it's a lot better than the career politician.

[lazarus]

15 minutes ago, Kathmandu said:

Relax, Amigo FFS.

555...

***** screwed the U*A by not addressing Covid. ***** had Covid.

Now 21,096,346 'mericans have contracted Covid. 358,279 'mericans have dies from Covid.

Data source: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu

Superspreadator?

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by lazarus
head in sand

[Esco]

4 hours ago, lazarus said:

555...

***** screwed the U*A by not addressing Covid. ***** had Covid.

Now 21,096,346 'mericans have contracted Covid. 358,279 'mericans have dies from Covid.

Data source: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu

Superspreadator?

 

No president would have been able to stop covid in the US.

He could have done a better job in containing it no doubt, but the US population with all its "underlying morbidities" and massive gap between the rich and poor is almost perfectly suited for this horrible virus to spread I'm sorry to say. 

[lazarus]

11 minutes ago, Esco said:

No president would have been able to stop covid in the US.

He could have done a better job in containing it no doubt, but the US population with all its "underlying morbidities" and massive gap between the rich and poor is almost perfectly suited for this horrible virus to spread I'm sorry to say. 

The federal government -- under Trump's (lack of) leadership -- did not step up to the plate when needed. There were many many missteps.

The Nation Security Council pandemic response team  was disbanded in 2018. It had functioned efficiently when addressing the Ebola virus.

The initial rollout of Covid tests was boggled by the CDC and were not used at any significant level when they were ready.

PPE was lacking. There was little supply in reserve. Not even enough for frontline health care workers.

Trump told the country not to worry and the virus would go away.

...and ... yes...millions of Americans -- unfortunately many without health care insurance and/or good health sense --believed him. Not all of them poor with underlying conditions. 

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by lazarus

[Esco]

28 minutes ago, lazarus said:

The federal government -- under Trump's (lack of) leadership -- did not step up to the plate when needed. There were many many missteps.

The Nation Security Council pandemic response team  was disbanded in 2018. It had functioned efficiently when addressing the Ebola virus.

The initial rollout of Covid tests was boggled by the CDC and were not used at any significant level when they were ready.

PPE was lacking. There was little supply in reserve. Not even enough for frontline health care workers.

Trump told the country not to worry and the virus would go away.

...and ... yes...millions of Americans -- unfortunately many without health care insurance and/or good health sense --believed him. Not all of them poor with underlying conditions. 

 

Sounds like we are in agreement. 

And to put things in perspective; Boris in the UK was telling everyone it was perfectly safe to shake hands in the middle of the pandemic as well, little after he caught covid himself, and in other parts of Europe they insisted for many months that wearing the mask wouldn't help the spread either. In summary, leaders globally have failed to contain this fcukin thing. 

[Esco]

5 hours ago, jersey said:

I always wonder why the People expect Politicians to be "Leaders", to be "Decisive",  to have a "Plan", and to react "Quickly", to any crisis.  Politicians (ALL Politicians), are good at one thing, POLITICS!  By its very nature, Politics requires compromise, co-operation, dis-information, deception, and delayed decisions. None of these things have any use in a Crisis.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the need for all of the above, I just don't get why the ranter expects this particular Politician to actually be a LEADER during this or any other crisis.  I understand he is frustrated as are we all, but the long road out of this Crisis and the next one is to vote in People who were proven Leaders (Military, Corporate, Etc.) before they became politicians.  That doesn't work all the time, but it's a lot better than the career politician.

Great post. 

[KhunDon]

Heard that a woman who was shot during the “occupation” of the US Senate has died. 
Can’t find a link and it late. 
Found it. 
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/capitol-protests-live-trump-dc-riots-shooting-b1783488.html?amp

Edited January 7, 2021 by KhunDon
Add link to story

[Kathmandu]

1 hour ago, Esco said:

No president would have been able to stop covid in the US.... blah blah blah...

What a cop out. 

What did Trump do to stop the siege on the Capital today.

Who said anything about stopping Covid. Managing the crisis? Yes absolutely!! This President didn't do that.

[Esco]

29 minutes ago, Kathmandu said:

What a cop out. 

What did Trump do to stop the siege on the Capital today.

Who said anything about stopping Covid. Managing the crisis? Yes absolutely!! This President didn't do that.

Relax, amigo. 

[dcfc2007]

[Jambo]

1 hour ago, Kathmandu said:

What a cop out. 

What did Trump do to stop the siege on the Capital today.

Who said anything about stopping Covid. Managing the crisis? Yes absolutely!! This President didn't do that.

What is a megalomaniac person?

A megalomaniac is a pathological egotist, that is, someone with a psychological disorder with symptoms like delusions of grandeur and an obsession with power. ... We also use the word megalomaniac more informally for people who behave as if they're convinced of their absolute power and greatness.

                                ...........................................................

Which contributed to the pandemic now bordering on being totally out of control in the US as if the guy at the top doesn't take it seriously why would one expect his supporters to do so.

Edited January 7, 2021 by Jambo

[Murchie]

3 hours ago, Esco said:

Relax, amigo. 

I never knew you liked 🎣🎣🎣🎣

[KWA]

Papers just released of the Scottish Government cabinet meetings from 15 years ago show it was "was bracing itself for a flu pandemic which could kill up to 45,000 Scots in a "worst case" scenario."

There's currently ~ 10% of that number died from Covid in Scotland.  Couldn't have braced themselves very well I reckon.

[fygjam]

The following is an emotional, British bashing press release from the US FDA so if you're of a sensitive nature you should probably skip to the next post.

It goes out over the names of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs - Food and Drug Administration and the Director - Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

I'm not sure if those are journalists or experts with opinions.

FDA Statement on Following the Authorized Dosing Schedules for COVID-19 Vaccines

 

For Immediate Release:
January 04, 2021
Statement From:
Commissioner of Food and Drugs - Food and Drug Administration
Stephen M. Hahn M.D.
Director - Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)
Peter Marks M.D., PhD.

Two different mRNA vaccines have now shown remarkable effectiveness of about 95% in
preventing COVID-19 disease in adults. As the first round of vaccine recipients become eligible to
receive their second dose, we want to remind the public about the importance of receiving COVID19
vaccines according to how they’ve been authorized by the FDA in order to safely receive the level
of protection observed in the large randomized trials supporting their effectiveness.

We have been following the discussions and news reports about reducing the number of doses,
extending the length of time between doses, changing the dose (half-dose), or mixing and matching
vaccines in order to immunize more people against COVID-19. These are all reasonable questions
to consider and evaluate in clinical trials. However, at this time, suggesting changes to the FDA
authorized dosing or schedules of these vaccines is premature and not rooted solidly in the
available evidence. Without appropriate data supporting such changes in vaccine administration,
we run a significant risk of placing public health at risk, undermining the historic vaccination
efforts to protect the population from COVID-19.

The available data continue to support the use of two specified doses of each authorized vaccine at
specified intervals. For the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the interval is 21 days between the
first and second dose. And for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the interval is 28 days between the
first and second dose.

What we have seen is that the data in the firms’ submissions regarding the first dose is commonly
being misinterpreted. In the phase 3 trials, 98% of participants in the Pfizer-BioNTech trial and
92% of participants in the Moderna trial received two doses of the vaccine at either a three- or four
week interval, respectively. Those participants who did not receive two vaccine doses at either a
three-or four-week interval were generally only followed for a short period of time, such that we
cannot conclude anything definitive about the depth or duration of protection after a single dose of
vaccine from the single dose percentages reported by the companies.

Using a single dose regimen and/or administering less than the dose studied in the clinical trials
without understanding the nature of the depth and duration of protection that it provides is
concerning, as there is some indication that the depth of the immune response is associated with
the duration of protection provided. If people do not truly know how protective a vaccine is, there
is the potential for harm because they may assume that they are fully protected when they are not,
and accordingly, alter their behavior to take unnecessary risks.

We know that some of these discussions about changing the dosing schedule or dose are based on a
belief that changing the dose or dosing schedule can help get more vaccine to the public faster.
However, making such changes that are not supported by adequate scientific evidence may
ultimately be counterproductive to public health.

We have committed time and time again to make decisions based on data and science. Until
vaccine manufacturers have data and science supporting a change, we continue to strongly
recommend that health care providers follow the FDA-authorized dosing schedule for each COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public
health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines
and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible
for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products
that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

 

[coxyhog]

[KhunDon]

On 1/5/2021 at 6:32 PM, Stillearly said:

For those with kids in the U.K. 

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2020/bbc-launches-biggest-education-offer-ever

The BBC is to deliver the biggest education offer in its history across more of its platforms. It will bring together BBC Two, CBBC, BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and online to deliver a new education offer to children, teachers and parents as a third national lockdown begins.

Reacting quickly to the news of UK schools moving to remote learning, the new offer from the BBC will ensure all children can access curriculum-based learning, even if they don’t have access to the internet.

Starting on Monday 11 January, each week day on CBBC will see a three-hour block of primary school programming from 9am, including BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily, as well as other educational programming such as Our School and Celebrity Supply Teacher and much loved titles such as Horrible Histories, Art Ninja and Operation Ouch.

BBC Two will cater for secondary students with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, with a least two hours of content each weekday.

Content will be built around Bitesize Daily secondary shows, complemented by Shakespeare and classic drama adaptations alongside science, history and factual titles from the BBC’s award-winning factual programming units.

Bitesize Daily primary and secondary will also air every day on BBC Red Button as well as episodes being available on demand on BBC iPlayer.

 

 

Well it couldn’t be any worse than the debacle my son went through with his online lessons today, which were delivered live, via Microsoft Teams by his teachers. 
It was a shambles and a total waste of time, with none of the teachers able to  use the system. In fact, the kids (10 years of age) knew more about the Teams system than the teachers! 

I’m not blaming the teachers, they were trying their best, but they had absolutely no training on the system, as the school closure plans were only put in place by Boris late on Monday, which meant teachers were left scrambling around to get the system in place. 
We are now faced with 3 months of online learning, with a system that relies on kids having a computer, which many don’t, despite the promises made by government to hand out laptops or IPads, lousy broadband, or in many cases, no broadband at all. 
I can see schools staying closed to the vast majority of pupils well into the autumn, which means virtually no exams will be taken and the children losing a years schooling.

My son was studying for his SATS, which he would have taken in May, but they’ve been cancelled by government, with no mention of when they are likely to sit the exams, or if they ever will. 

The schools head teachers are being blamed by some, for school closures, despite them doing their utmost to keep them open, if only for frontline staffs children and to give eligible kids a meal at lunchtime. 

Even the catering companies who supply school meals were caught out and I saw on the TV yesterday, that well over £16 million was lost, as the meals suppliers had already made and frozen millions of meals ready for delivery this week, now, with the exception of meals for vulnerable kids and frontline staff kids, who will still be  going to school, the rest had to be chucked in the bin. 
The companies will repay the meals costs for meals ordered, to parents like myself, but are then expected to shoulder the loss themselves.  
 

As a BM is fond of saying,

”It’s a bloody shambles”. 😟

[roomark]

39 minutes ago, KhunDon said:

Well it couldn’t be any worse than the debacle my son went through with his online lessons today, which were delivered live, via Microsoft Teams by his teachers. 
It was a shambles and a total waste of time, with none of the teachers able to  use the system. In fact, the kids (10 years of age) knew more about the Teams system than the teachers! 

I’m not blaming the teachers, they were trying their best, but they had absolutely no training on the system, as the school closure plans were only put in place by Boris late on Monday, which meant teachers were left scrambling around to get the system in place. 
We are now faced with 3 months of online learning, with a system that relies on kids having a computer, which many don’t, despite the promises made by government to hand out laptops or IPads, lousy broadband, or in many cases, no broadband at all. 
I can see schools staying closed to the vast majority of pupils well into the autumn, which means virtually no exams will be taken and the children losing a years schooling.

My son was studying for his SATS, which he would have taken in May, but they’ve been cancelled by government, with no mention of when they are likely to sit the exams, or if they ever will. 

The schools head teachers are being blamed by some, for school closures, despite them doing their utmost to keep them open, if only for frontline staffs children and to give eligible kids a meal at lunchtime. 

Even the catering companies who supply school meals were caught out and I saw on the TV yesterday, that well over £16 million was lost, as the meals suppliers had already made and frozen millions of meals ready for delivery this week, now, with the exception of meals for vulnerable kids and frontline staff kids, who will still be  going to school, the rest had to be chucked in the bin. 
The companies will repay the meals costs for meals ordered, to parents like myself, but are then expected to shoulder the loss themselves.  
 

As a BM is fond of saying,

”It’s a bloody shambles”. 😟

Been through more or less exactly the same with my eldest today (High School age)

My youngest too I was sent some log in details for him for the next 6 weeks and it won't log in and I can't get another password for him , to make matters worse the school has completely closed even for Key worker kids 🙄

What an absolute shit time

[Yessongs]

Not that this is any big revelation, but my Son's GF is a Nurse here in the Capitol of Sacramento. Talked to her last night at 8:00pm local time. She told me there were 15 ICU patients that their families drove them to Sacramento, had rented a special ambulance for them, because there were no ICU beds in Los Angeles. Not good. 

[lazarus]

21 minutes ago, Yessongs said:

Not that this is any big revelation, but my Son's GF is a Nurse here in the Capitol of Sacramento. Talked to her last night at 8:00pm local time. She told me there were 15 ICU patients that their families drove them to Sacramento, had rented a special ambulance for them, because there were no ICU beds in Los Angeles. Not good. 

Imagine having a family member -- a mother, dad, or child -- seriously ill with Covid and finding out they can't be treated.

F**k.