Take a bow Doncaster Council 🙂

In November 1970, officials in Oregon, USA decided to blow up a rotting whale carcass. The whole thing went horribly wrong.

Why do we bring this up? Well, this story can teach us 3 things about #coronavirus ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9MOeRESkzx

— Doncaster Council (@MyDoncaster) April 6, 2020

Nearly everything she says there in that article is qualified as being based on how previous viruses have behaved. That bit is not,

Given she says “a viral infection” not ‘this viral infection’ she’s clearly referring to CV-esque viruses in general rather than specifically to CV.

The question still stands. Any of the people with domain knowledge tell is if the prof above is right or even better point to a credible link a layman can follow explaining it?

Dazh, that tweet is brilliant!

NEW Sir Keir Starmer says Labour would support a ban on all exercise and even a ban on going to work in “non-essential work places” if people do not obey the lockdown #coronavirus.

It’s the obvious next step. It has had to be taken elsewhere, we have the chance to avoid it here, but it requires everyone acting sensibly, rather than trying to get away with whatever they can within the current laws, advice and instructions.

JOhnson – eff him. He has the blood of thousands on his hands.

Paging Mattoutandabout, is this you?
‘Overnight all my paying work disappeared’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-52142423

I wanted to report bigmountainscotland’s post for thread derailment but the “REPORT” link isn’t there.

Makes you think…

Does the report link go if someone has used it?

it requires everyone acting sensibly, rather than trying to get away with whatever they can within the current laws, advice and instructions

Which, by and large, people are doing. Hopefully they will continue next weekend, but IMO we’re far enough through the looking glass that any notion of Easter bank holiday will have little impact.

Wonder how much blood Matt Hancock has on his hands…

Is what you’re saying that the un-elected less salubrious part of our national government have used this global pandemic to “clean house” and execute those in their own organisation that have displeased them. And that so far, the one and only victim of this is the deputy ambassador to Hungary?

Paging Mattoutandabout, is this you?
‘Overnight all my paying work disappeared’

Not our Matt…

So, the PM is still ‘in charge of the government’, but today’s cabinet meeting has been cancelled. Bonkers. Take a week off, get well, let someone else chair this week’s cabinet work. Government is needed now, it can’t be put on hold while Johnson recovers in hospital.

Is what you’re saying that the un-elected less salubrious part of our national government have used this global pandemic to “clean house” and execute those in their own organisation that have displeased them. And that so far, the one and only victim of this is the deputy ambassador to Hungary?

Nope, but clearly I’m not allowed to discuss any of this for whatever reason…

Loving that Doncaster tweet. So, how much dynamite do we need again?

So, how much dynamite do we need again?

All your suggestion would do is distribute stinking bits of Doncaster over the entirety of South Yorkshire.

Nope, but clearly I’m not allowed to discuss any of this for whatever reason…

How should I have interpreted the phrase “Wonder how much blood Matt Hancock has on his hands…” followed by a link to the death of said deputy ambassador, which also highlighted his previous professional positions in the Arab world.

Obviously I cannot go into details. But this was my day job last week. Just announced…

https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-vir-biotechnology-enter-collaboration-to-find-coronavirus-solutions/

Vir screen antibodies from recovered patients, select the best single clones and then develop them as potential therapeutics. Think of it as biotechnology upscales the manufacture of the serum. My expertise is the Clinical Development of these agents.

Still feeling as if I have altitude sickness today…

Wouldn’t want to deviate from the topic…

Perhaps you could dig up the tweet in question

In the meantime, here is a more on topic tweet:

2012-18 Sir Patrick Vallance was president of research and development at GlaxoSmithKline. After weeks of doing nothing govt give them job of making tests, which they’ve never done before. Like Dyson has never made ventilators, but is a Tory donor. #corruption

— Mr Ethical (@nw_nicholas) April 2, 2020

Well done TiRed, I am more than a little envious of your skills.

There’s a whole thread on Dyson. Anyway, TPP designed it, Dyson are building it and it utilises their motor tech. TPP know a thing or two about designing medical devices.

Similarly, GSK will not be working alone.

Still feeling as if I have altitude sickness today…

Pummelled and productive – sorry to see you’re still having a bad do but it’s good to see it’s not hampering your ability to sort stuff. Well not too badly?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/frenchman-gets-lost-in-pyrenees-on-cross-border-trek-for-cigarettes

Re Chris Whitty

According to the Mail Online this morning (sorry!) he is out of isolation and back at work.

Apparently he’s the guy that suggested Boris might want to get his cough checked out.

About that isolation thing…

Meanwhile, the #HealthSecretary came out of #SelfIsolation after how many days? Then on @bbcquestiontime he sat next to CEO of @thercn & attended opening of #NightingaleHospital & coughed openly right next to @CNOEngland #DoAsIsayDontDoAsIDo @MattHancock
#StayHomeSaveLives https://t.co/EukeA4QUCX pic.twitter.com/QIVo3QFNv1

— Prof David Evans, OBE (@David_T_Evans) April 6, 2020

Bigmountainscotland. I think you need to make a distinction between Vallence, who has been very much part of the problem with his backing for the UK’s herd approach back in early March and GSK. Vallence is part of the problem, GSK potentially part of the solution and we shouldn’t object to GSK being given work they are well placed to do just because it looks like nepotism.

I gave my opinion on Vallence about 30 pages back, he should hang his head in shame and resign for the mess he’s contributed to. IIRC something like 200 scientists wrote to challenge his approach at the time and they were right.

I know I shouldn’t feed the troll, but a fundamental part of gsk’s work is the development, optimisation and validation of analytical tests, probably to a higher level than routine diagnostic ones used in the nhs.
so I’m sorry but I cannot think of better people to be doing that work

Perhaps not, but a bit of transparency never hurts!

What transparency do you need? Az are working with the government too

There’s clearly not enough transparency for me to express all I’d like on this forum…

To not make use of GSK as part of the response to this problem would be criminally negligent.

TiRed – whilst it clearly isn’t good times, it is interesting times to be a scientist!! Good luck with that project – it looks fascinating.

@ bigmountainscotland
Ref the coughing.

You do not need to self-isolate if you just have a cough after 7 days. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.

Have a read of the infomative link Drac posted.

@ bigmountainscotland
Ref the coughing.

You do not need to self-isolate if you just have a cough after 7 days. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.

Have a read of the infomative link Drac posted.

To save others a few clicks:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

Well that’s me told, thank goodness for herd instinct eh!

Good work by the way TiRed, don’t confuse my frustrations at being muted for exposing uncomfortable truths about the dodgy so-and-so’s chosen to rule us as a criticism of your important work, appreciate these are trying times for everyone.

For people who enjoy comparing countries:

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/total-covid-deaths-per-million?tab=chart&country=AND+AUS+CHN+FRA+DEU+IRL+ITA+NLD+NZL+KOR+ESP+SWE+GBR+USA

it is interesting times to be a scientist!! Good luck with that project – it looks fascinating.

Clearly we have not had enogh of experts 😉 . BTW Vallance is not an expert in epdemiology or herd immunity, he had a team advising him (SAGE). Experts may disagree, but normally have informed opinions. His job has been to convey the SAGE advice.

Doing things at scale is what Industry does, don’t be surprised at that BMS. I don’t speak for GSK, but am proud to work for them. I also share many of your frustrations, particularly with politicians.

Good paper here about how this virus goes about its business

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2196-x

and summed up well by this guy https://twitter.com/PeterKolchinsky/status/1246975275021348865

I’m afraid I agree with him, the level of speciality and sheer deviousness is exactly why I became a virologist too, sadly now lapsed

Obviously, the dust hasn’t settled yet, but it appears at least provisionally that the herd immunity advise was bad. Someone will need to be accountable for that. There will be a big post-mortem.