Taken from the Melb Victory game Thread, as at risk of hijacking.
The amazing approach to this is the UK. It's the complete opposite of the majority.
They know it's out of control now but are deliberately allowing it to spread further.
They figure by allowing the majority of the population to get it, and develop herd immunity that is the best approach long term.
Schools stay open for the meantime as by and large children are not getting sick from this at all but are super spreaders.
While telling those most at risk to lay low.
They figure they can flatten the curve this way.
When their health system starts to creak they will turn the tap off. Closing schools briefly etc until their health system can cope again.
Meanwhile those who have had it, developed immunity and haven't died keep the economy going.
It sounds brutal but that's exactly what they are doing, playing the longer game
It does not come without risk and could end very badly
Luckily we are one stage behind them and potentially may be able to not go to the extremes of a lock down (China) or their approach
The NZ Govt has done the right thing. Fudge sport for a few weeks/months. As El Grap has pointed out, the situation in Northern Italy - the wealthiest and best resourced area in the country, but now almost like a 'war zone' - shows this is not like the common flu. Sounds an awful situation to be in day to day. Naive and plain stupid to say it couldn't happen elsewhere incl NZ.
Every health worker in NZ must be ecstatic, about these tough new travel restrictions. Think of them. They are still going to be at the stressful coalface of this for the next few months, but these new rules should help slow the spread and workload.
Yes the UK response FOR THE MOMENT, very different and seemingly high risk.
My memories of the NHS (did one of those volunteer drug trials as a cash strapped youngun) from 20 years ago, were of an old health system creaking a bit at the seams then. Hope it works for them, really do - but going to be a potentially fascinating watch.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/uk-to-ban-mass-gatherings-in-coronavirus-u-turn
Johnson has been facing increasing questions about the government’s approach, which is markedly different to that of some other countries. The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt described the UK as an “outlier”.
On Thursday, Johnson played down the importance of banning mass gatherings, even suggesting Scotland’s decision to ban events with more than 500 people reflected the lack of resilience of its emergency services.
“The scientific advice, as we’ve said over the last couple of weeks, is that banning such events will have little effect on the spread,” he said.
The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, defended the approach on Friday, saying it was aimed at creating a “herd immunity” against Covid-19. That means allowing 60% of the population to catch the virus, but not so quickly as to overwhelm the NHS.
“Our aim is to try and reduce the peak, broaden the peak, not suppress it completely. Also, because the vast majority of people get a mild illness, [our aim is] to build up some kind of herd immunity so more people are immune to this disease and we reduce the transmission, [while] at the same time we protect those who are most vulnerable to it. Those are the key things we need to do,” he said.
As an aside I wasn't around but my great grand mother died of the Spanish Flu in 1918. Me Nan dropped out of school as a 14 year old in Hokitika to basically be a domestic servant for her Dad and older brothers. Different times.
Apparently Trump's German born grand father died of the Spanish Flu as well, but he didn't even know the other day.
One of the big differences between that pandemic and this one (which is pretty much solely killing the elderly), is that a large swathe of people in "middle age" ie 30-50 died.
