No, common sense prevails, not a liberal ideal. there is no chance of me getting seriously ill or dying anytime soon, sorry if that disappoints.

Shrink wrap your knives and forks, laminate your copy of The Socialust Worker, stay at home, whatever makes you feel safe.

[url=https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=tablet-android-samsung&source=android-browser&q=tesco+panic+buying#ip=1but don't keep encouraging this hysteria...[/url

That's the point - even the experts don't agree. We had some shouty expert on QT on Thursday - Prof John Ashton telling the world the government experts were wrong. Ashton is Labour, but I don't actually think that was behind his outbursts and this shouldn't be political despite the usual whining mob on here. Some experts think it'll be gone by summer, others thinks it's here for years with seasonal peaks. Every expert has their own view...many of them conflict and they're all a damn sight better informed than any of us. Seems to me it's going to spread whatever and flattening the curve while isolating the vulnerable is about the best anyone can do - but the timing seems to be crucial.

Taking all things into account it seems likely the majority of us will contract it at some point. For 90% of us it'll be mild to a right 'orrible b'stard according to most evidence. About 10% will require medical or hospital intervention and something between 2-5% will die, mainly the most elderly and those with severe medical complaints. If I have one frustration - I want to hear what the 'pre-existing conditions' are when people succumb. I have a vested interest as I'm sure many of us do.

We are heading for a shutdown - most likely in the next 7 days if not sooner. Many people are heading for financial disaster. I'd like to see lenders ordered into mandatory 2 month mortgage/loan holidays (or part-holidays), landlords to vastly reduce rents (not all can afford to lose rental income entirely), perhaps even to dip into the deposit scheme. Business and utility rates waived for 2 months. To be fair some banks/buildings societies are quietly offering mortgage holidays - but if/when the shutdown comes it must be mandatory. Stick those 2 months on at the other end - what difference does it make.

Many people WILL lose their jobs in the next few weeks. Everyone in the travel & hospitality industries is bricking it right now. Airlines, tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, etc are laying off staff already. Many will go bust - some already have, Flybe being a bigger example but make no mistake some of the major airlines are on thin ice. Then think of the industries that rely on those sectors - catering, transport, events providers, cleaning, laundry...the supply chains are huge, many millions globally. Retail is in big trouble, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, etc...the list is almost endless.

My daughter's school closed for 2 days last week for a 'deep clean' after a child's parent had been 'in contact' with someone who'd been to Italy and was a confirmed case. Well intentioned, but utterly pointless several days on. Horse...bolted.

Moron's gonna moron, and a rabid press are going to report only the most extreme cases to make it look even worse.

I went into Sainsburys the other morning to get some milk for work, and had a look down some of the aisles. I've got to ask questions about all this panic buying... Where are all the industrious, even mildly intelligent folk these days?

Every pack of toilet roll was gone, but the moist toilet tissue wipes were untouched. Then if you went round to the next aisle, there was a fully stocked aisle of tissues and kitchen roll, which would do the job of toilet roll equally as well.

The pasta/rice aisle was a similar story. Pasta and rice was decimated, but things like sauce, passata and stock, to cook it with, was fully stocked.

Anyway, if food starts running out, I've still got a decent stock of winter veg in the garden. You know, being a commie, and all that.

You do realise that when things get really bad, the state militia will be coming round to your place with forks and a wheelbarrow, that is if they dont take them as well.

I have a feeling we're soon going to start hearing about the next phase of the crisis. The "blocked toilet epidemic" with a shortage of plumbers.

Yeah, the Daily Mail is a bugger to flush.

You cant actually use the Daily Mail instead of toilet roll as it's already full of cr@p, wouldn't want to touch it through fear of contamination



I notice that their main headline is "lets pull together", from a paper that is usually so quick of the mark to castigate any minority groups, immigrants, jobless, disabled, teenagers etc, etc

Let's pull together for our elderly, Britain! They know who their customer base is.

"So long as they're not black, brown, European, claiming benefits, homeless or disabled."

You can tell things are going to be bad - the BBC and ITN are running good news stories about human decency, and looking out for each other.

Update from schools is that the majority of support staff have been advised to work from home. Only teaching staff are asked to attend, and they are to treat the day as a normal teaching day. Each school will be monitored daily. Regarding closures, it's not a matter of if, but when.

I knew this summer rugby move (1996) would not last. LOL