thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Struggling To Clean Your House Right Now? Stop Feeling Bad About It

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The excuse we often give for not cleaning our bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, our entire flat, even, is that we don’t have enough time. Sure, we’d love to spend an hour hoovering every little corner each week – but what with work and all our other social engagements, it just doesn’t fit in our schedule. Soz.
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But now? Now, those of us who aren’t key workers (or parents) have all the time we could possibly need on our hands. Buckets of the stuff. We have too much time. So why are those menial, every day tasks like cleaning and tidying up so hard to do? We all want to be isolating in a clear, calm space... don’t we?
While it may feel like we have loads of time, the mental load of coronavirus can take over when we set our sights on cleaning, says life coach Kate Ibbotson, a professional declutterer (yep, she trained with the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers) and author of A Tidy Mind.
“Home working can be more intense with no commute or social time with colleagues,” she says. “And for those who have been furloughed or otherwise are not working? They may have time but the mental load of what’s going on can carry heavy weight. Fear and uncertainty drain us of energy.
“So whilst, we feel we should be decluttering or cleaning our home, overwhelm often leads to procrastination or paralysis.”
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Psychologist Dr Glenn Mason agrees that with more time on our hands, it’s easy to slip into procrastination and say, “I’ll just do it later”. And when we don’t do it later, we feel guilt.
“If you’re noticing guilt showing up, you’re probably in cycle of self-criticism and communicating to yourself in negative way,” he says. “Try talking to yourself in a kind manner, like how you might to a friend or someone you care about. Showing yourself compassion can help reduce the intensity of guilt.”
Feeling guilty about not cleaning only leads to more overwhelm, Ibbotson says. “It’s okay to slow down. It’s ok to be in survival mode rather than ‘growth’ mode.” But, she says, improving our home environment can positively impact our minds, too: “Never have our homes been so central to our lives – so they should be a sanctuary.”
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In any day its helpful to include activities that lead to achievement, says Dr Mason. This helps promote good mental health. “For some cleaning might bring enjoyment, for others a sense of achievement,” he says.
We should let go of the pressure to achieve a lot, says Ibbotson, but do a brain dump of all the cleaning and decluttering tasks that ideally need attention. Getting it all out in a list will get it out of your head.
And then what? “Get them in some kind of priority order. Finally, break them down into bitesize chunks – ideally tasks that you can dip in out of or do for 30 minutes at a time. Accept that you may need to break off but as long as you’re moving forward, you’ll feel a sense of achievement.”
Don’t let those cleaning and tidying tasks start to build up where they feel too overwhelming to complete, adds Mason.
And if you really, really just cba?
Psychologist Dr Lesley Prince, associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, questions our obsession with cleaning and tidying. “I have tidied up to some extent, but only as far as I felt like it,” she tells us.
“Tidy home tidy mind? How about messy house, interesting mind? Or, chaotic house, complex mind? I create things, and that needs tools and materials, and that leaves a certain amount of chaos in its wake. I prefer to be creative than tidy.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--No, Face Masks Do Not Replace Social Distancing. Here's Why.

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Medical professionals want people to know that wearing some sort of face protection ― whether store-bought or homemade ― is not an excuse to forgo social distancing mandates.
“As far as face masks versus social distancing by at least 6 feet, the face masks do not replace social distancing,” said Peter Gulick, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at Michigan State University.
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He added that makeshift masks may be useful in situations like supermarkets and pharmacies where you cannot always guarantee the two metre rule, but these masks should not be used as a replacement for the rule.
“They are not to be used so that you can get closer to other people,” Gulick said.
Here’s why, and how both measures are needed to slow the spread of the virus.
A mask is supposed to help people not to catch your germs
Daniel Balakov via Getty Images
Recommendations from the World Health Organization and the CDC early on in the coronavirus outbreak stated that it wasn’t necessary to wear a face mask unless you were sick, when it would prevent you spreading germs or the virus to other people.
Now that’s true even if you do not feel sick. Experts have learned that many people infected with Covid-19 are asymptomatic, with some research even suggesting that up to 50% of people with coronavirus may not display symptoms.
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It’s been suggested that we should behave like we already have coronavirus at this point. By covering your face in public, you are helping others to stay safe from anything you may be carrying. So it’s more about their protection than your own own.
Your mask may not be filtering out all of the virus
Safeguarding with a face mask is better than none at all, but it still isn’t a guarantee ― especially with face masks you make at home.
“In terms of the protection conferred by DIY cloth masks and bandanas, the evidence is overall inconclusive,” said Lili Barsky, a Los Angeles-area urgent care provider.
Barsky added that masks do not protect our eyes, another possible means by which the virus can be transmitted. “The Covid-19 particles are also thought to be small enough to be able to pass through these masks or get retained in the fabric, and even medical grade masks do not provide 100% protection,” she said.
Gary Slutkin, former chief of intervention development at the World Health Organization, also said that masks are not airtight. “They leak air along the sides and are hard to wear correctly. The virus can still get to you through the air if you are too close,” he said.
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So, don’t expect masks to be a cure all. They can, however, serve a purpose as a supplement to other healthy steps you take, explained Aimee Ferraro, an expert in epidemiology.
Ferraro said that in most cases, the coronavirus is spread through larger respiratory droplets that can be blocked at least partially by some sort of covering over the mouth and nose.
“In addition, there is a concept of harm reduction with infectious diseases that indicates decreasing the dose of a pathogen can allow your body more time to develop effective immunity,” she added. Face masks do offer a means of helping to reduce the “dose” of coronavirus that gets transmitted.
“Anything is better than nothing to reduce your risk for coronavirus infection,” Ferraro said.
Above all, know that covering your face is not a free pass to hang out with people
Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman via Getty Images
If you want to keep yourself and your community as coronavirus-free as possible, you need to keep social distancing. Face masks or any other protective measures do not replace the essential space you need to keep from others, according to Philip Robinson, director of infection prevention at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California.
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“Each person who self-isolates reduces their risk of infecting others dramatically,” Robinson said, adding that in 30 days’ time, a single individual who does not practice social isolation runs the risk of infecting hundreds of people.
“By reducing physical contact by 75%, that individual’s infection risk plummets to 2.5 people,” he said.
The bottom line is that “a mask may help to reduce the spread of the virus, but wearing a mask does not make you completely safe,” said David Fein, founder and medical director of the Princeton Longevity Center.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--What Living In A Buddhist Monastery Taught Me About Getting Through Quarantine

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When I told my Jewish, slightly over-protective, hyper-logical mother that I had decided to spend my college semester abroad learning to meditate at a Buddhist monastery in India, her concerns, comments and questions were as follows ― numerically ordered to indicate her level of worry:
What if you decide to convert to Buddhism and stop being a Jew? What if my grandchildren aren’t Jewish because you’re now a Buddhist and no longer a Jew? How are you going to manage your anxiety? Why wouldn’t you just go to France, where you speak the language? Why can’t you meditate in America? What will you do if you get sick? Is it like Eat Pray Love? Is this really necessary? How often can you call home? And most importantly, do they have toilet paper?
My reasoning behind the choice to spend my semester abroad this way had been less linear – more driven by gut and curiosity than by the constant ping-pong of “what ifs” that lives inside my brain during most waking hours.
As I sat in the dean’s office finishing my final registration papers and second-guessing myself into going to Paris or Dublin instead, something in me signed on the dotted line faster than my brain could tell my pen to halt. When else am I going to get a chance to live in a Buddhist monastery in the northeast of India with 36 other college kids trying to figure out what life is all about?
I wish I could tell you that it proved the most magical three months of my life. That I came back glowing, lighter, relieved of my neuroses and a fan of curry. That I ate and that I prayed and that I loved. That meditation stilled me and cleared the gunk. But that isn’t the truth.
Instead, I found myself face-to-face with my own anxiety ― with my fear of uncertainty, with my attachment to material comfort, with my shaky sense of self, with my inability to sit still, and with the ways I didn’t like myself.
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The months I spent in India left me unhinged and dismantled. So much so that I had to come back to the US three weeks earlier than the rest of the group, my insomnia and panic attacks making it impossible for me to continue to the independent study part of the program.
It turns out, as many have said, this is exactly what’s supposed to happen on a spiritual pilgrimage to India.
Your states of mind are reflected back to you more loudly than you can bear to see them. And you can’t look away. It makes you raw, pulls off a layer of your skin. The impulse to let the layer grow back is almost a compulsive urge. But they tell you not to let it grow back. They tell you to let yourself stay exposed and vulnerable. They say this is how you learn to tolerate yourself. And then eventually, love yourself.
“Clearly,” I thought, “these people have never suffered from an anxiety disorder.”
At the monastery, we lived like monks ― no phone, no computer, no TV. We were each given one plate, one spoon, one fork and one knife, which we had to wash after every meal and bring with us to the next one. We followed the five Buddhist precepts, which I am certain were not created with angsty college kids in mind ― no alcohol, no sex, no gossip, no stealing and no killing (this one was the least difficult to abide by, though the mosquitos were incessant).
In Buddhism, the five precepts are considered the basis of morality ― like the Ten Commandments in Judaism or the Five Pillars in Islam. But for us, they were there to disarm; to remove the buffers between us and the feelings we deemed too itchy to feel. With nothing or no one to take the edge off, we were asked to confront our emotional allergies to loneliness, growth, change, lack of resolution, uncertainty and loss of control.
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Each day, a bell woke us at 4:30am, and we groggily walked to the Buddha Hall for morning meditation, followed by silent breakfast. After breakfast, we had two academic classes, followed by lunch, yoga, teatime and evening meditation. On most days, we were in bed by 8pm, exhausted from the day’s heat and our emotional scavenging.
Despite the early bedtime, the days felt endless. Aside from the basic tasks of daily living, there was nothing to really do at the monastery. Nothing to plan or schedule or scroll through ― the concept of productivity rendered almost entirely obsolete. The days seemed tranquil and cozy and pleasant. My brain, on the other hand? Not so much.
I can’t help but see parallels between my time in the monastery and the quarantine we find ourselves in now ― the toilet paper is scarce, it’s unclear when one day ends and another begins, and my anxiety is once again by my side, begging for attention.
This time is not voluntary, but in many ways, it is an opening. For those of us who are being forced to spend more time alone, this is an opportunity to go inward, to get quiet, to get intimate with our own, often unruly, minds.
Although I am living at home with my mom, being with my own thoughts this closely, for this many days, can be excruciatingly uncomfortable. In some moments of antsiness and boredom and low self-esteem, I would rather do anything other than sit here. I want to grab for things I am convinced can make the loneliness better ― productivity which leads to validation from others, busyness which keeps me moving just fast enough so I don’t have to acknowledge that I feel sad, scheduling back-to-back virtual hangouts so I can quell the small voice inside that tells me that people don’t like me.
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When I left India, I had a sense that it was a gift that my crutches and coping mechanisms were not available to me. Even in these difficult moments, I feel the same gratitude for this quarantine. I have no choice but to self-soothe instead of relying on external fixes. I am infusing my heart with courage as I practice tolerating my uncomfortable and unpleasant emotions without numbing them, escaping from them or distracting myself.
I am remembering that people, places and things cannot fill a void of low self-esteem or reverse my tendency for self-criticism. I am getting to know the types of thoughts that go through my head and the feelings that pulse through my body like I would get to know a new friend. I am trying so hard not to judge myself for what I notice.
I am reminded that my anxiety, whether it’s caused by a chemical imbalance or a flurry of “what if,” worst-case-scenario thoughts, is simply a messenger. When I slow down, and my distractions are at a distance, anxiety wells up to tell me that there is some grief to be felt and some loss to be weathered.
Every morning, I’ve been rereading something one of the monks told me after evening meditation ― “Hardship is the greater of the two blessings. The purifying rather than the blissful, insightful ones that we all like. The ones that make it so hard you want to run away are perhaps the blessings we are all waiting for ― the ones we don’t want, but really need.”
At the monastery, the idea that there was nowhere to go completely terrified me. In quarantine, I am working to see it as a gentle reminder that I am good enough as I am, that this moment is good enough as it is, and that I am right where I am supposed to be. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. You’re OK and safe right here,” I whisper to myself when the restlessness overtakes me.
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Amid all the uncertainty, one thing I know for sure. In the middle of the night, when my heart pounds and my thoughts are racing, I am the person I am with. That’s the person who is keeping me company and the one I am getting another opportunity to befriend.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Police Launch Investigation Into Officer Over Threat To Fabricate Offence

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Lancashire Police have launched an investigation into an officer caught on camera threatening to fabricate an offence against a young man.
The police force has also apologised for the unnamed officer’s “completely unacceptable” language and behaviour, as shown in a video widely shared online.
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A young man, believed to be from Accrington, said he was out picking up a quad bike he had bought when he was pulled over by police on Friday afternoon.
In the video, filmed in Accrington, the driver is heard saying: “You’re harassing me, what for? I’ve done nothing wrong...”
While failing to keep a two-metre distance, the officer shouts at him: “Sit in your car and shut up.”
He adds: “I’ll lock you up… I’ll make something up… who are they going to believe, me or you?”
The following day, Lancashire Police apologised for the officer’s behaviour and announced they will be conducting an investigation.
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Chief Constable Andy Rhodes said in the statement: “The footage shows language and behaviour from one officer which were completely unacceptable and for this I apologise without reservation.
“We recognise the impact that this behaviour will have had, both on the young man concerned, and on the hard-earned trust and confidence of the wider public, particularly the comments about making offences up.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Coronavirus: Families To Be Allowed To Attend Funerals To Mourn Loved Ones

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Families have been told they can attend funerals to mourn their loved ones and be allowed to visit their graves.
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At the daily press briefing in Downing Street on Saturday, local government secretary Robert Jenrick asked councils to keep cemeteries and graveyards open, or to reopen them if they are currently closed.
He also urged councils to keep parks open after some closed their gates in recent weeks.
Jenrick announced funerals can take place with close family members present.
He pointed to the death of 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, from Brixton in south London, who died after contracting Covid-19 on March 30.
He said the tragedy was compounded after Ismail’s family were not able attend his funeral four days later because they were self isolating, after two of his six siblings had displayed mild symptoms.
“That is not right and it shouldn’t have happened,” Jenrick added.
“For clarity, funerals can go ahead with close family present.
“Social distancing measures must be respected, but families must have the opportunity to say a respectful goodbye to those that they love.”
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Florist Emma Glynn making a funeral tribute in Barbican as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in London, Britain, April 15, 2020. REUTERS
He also said he had “made it clear” to councils that all parks must remain open after some closed their gates in recent weeks.
Victoria Park in east London reopened on April 11 after being shut for two weeks, while Brockwell Park in south-east London had closed on April 5 after Lambeth Council claimed 3,000 people, many sunbathing or in large groups, had visited the day before.
Jenrick warned people must abide by social-distancing rules and not congregate in the green spaces.
He said lockdown measures were harder for those without gardens or open spaces and that “people need parks”, adding they needed to be accessible for “the health of the nation”.
In response to this announcement, Marie Curie Chief Executive Matthew Reed said the news is “very welcome”.
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“It is heartbreaking that the virus has been robbing families of the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones,” Reed said.
“We hope that allowances can also be made, where possible and appropriate, for wider family and friends too.
“Funerals and visiting places of rest are an important part of the grieving process; people need the opportunity to grieve both individually and together.”
“Grief can feel very isolating, especially now, when emotions can be even more intense,” he added.
“We would strongly encourage the government to consider a national day of remembrance so that we can all join together as a nation to remember those who have died since the outbreak, both from coronavirus and from other conditions.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--NHS Fundraiser Captain Tom Moore To Open New Nightingale Hospital in Yorkshire

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Captain Tom Moore will be the guest of honour at the opening of a new Nightingale hospital in his native Yorkshire next week.
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The 99-year-old will praise the efforts of NHS staff by video-link and said he had been “amazed by the amount of kindness and generosity from the UK public”, who have so far contributed more than £23 million to his efforts.
“I think the amount raised demonstrates just how much we all value the dedication and sacrifices made by our NHS workers. I have fought during a war and they are now fighting in a war too”, he said.
The Nightingale Hospital Northwest (Manchester) REUTERS
The Second World War veteran added: “I’m honoured to be opening the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber and to get to thank many of the NHS workers directly.
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“I know that having extra beds available for the sick, if needed will be reassuring to those workers, as it would have been to me when I was on the front line.”
The money raised by Captain Moore will buy food parcels and counselling sessions for NHS staff and electronic tablets to let patients talk to their loved ones.
He initially aimed to raise just £1,000 for the NHS by walking 100 lengths of his Bedfordshire garden before turning 100 on April 30.
Ian Lush, chairman of NHS Charities Together, said its around 160 members had already received £35,000 each, with the money covering staff wellbeing and helping patients and their families.
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Lush told the BBC: “For example we’re paying for extra counselling for staff because they’re going through a really traumatic time, we’re paying for food packages, for well-being packs they can pick up after a shift and take home so they don’t have to worry about shopping.
“And for patients things like electronic tablets they can use in the wards, we’re paying for extra WiFi as well, so they can communicate with their loved ones who aren’t able to visit them. And that’s making a real difference too.”
Talking about conversations with frontline staff, he said: “They were also the people who came to us and said ‘It’s tragic that these patients, sometimes at the end of their lives, can’t talk to their families, if you can get us some tablets to have on the wards and pay for better WiFi then we can arrange for them to at least see their families and communicate with them.’
“So that very much came from the front line.”
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Captain Moore completed his 100th lap on Thursday, but as donations continue to pour in, he has vowed to keep going with his challenge – which has captured the hearts of the nation.
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Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said: “Inviting Captain Moore to be our guest of honour at the opening of NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber is the least we can do to thank him for his inspiring service and example, and no doubt there will be further ways in which we will be able to express our gratitude.
“Just like the amazing campaign Captain Moore has inspired, the Nightingales are a symbol of how people have come together as part of a nationwide effort to prepare – should they be needed now or in the months to come – for the greatest global health emergency in more than a century.”
He has been personally thanked by the Duke of Cambridge, who described him as a “one-man fundraising machine”, while prime minister Boris Johnson has said he is looking at ways to recognise his “heroic efforts”.
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A Spitfire flypast is also reportedly being organised to mark his centenary year, with the Daily Telegraph reporting a team of aircraft restorers are looking to run a Second World War-era display at the end of the month.
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At the Downing Street press conference on Saturday, local government secretary Robert Jenrick added: “I can’t think of a more worthy person to be the guest of honour at the opening of the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate next week.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Calls For Government To Pull Immigration Bill Debate Amid Coronavirus Crisis

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The government is facing calls to pull a debate on a controversial immigration bill from its agenda, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, over fears it will pass without proper scrutiny as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
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The Liberal Democrats have raised concerns about the scheduling of the “extremely damaging and controversial” bill which, if passed, would end the current right to free movement under EU law.
It was confirmed on Sunday, April 12, that parliament would return on April 21 following demands from the opposition that MPs be recalled to scrutinise the government’s efforts on coronavirus.
With social distancing measures set to remain in place for weeks, it is not yet clear what form parliament will take, but last week commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg’s team said technological solutions were being prepared to ensure MPs can scrutinise the government as it responds to the pandemic.
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – first introduced to the House of Commons on March 5 – repeals the rights to free movement that exist under EU law.
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The UK will then have the ability to operate an Australian-style points-based immigration system from January 1, 2021.
Irish citizens will be able to continue to freely enter and reside in the UK without requiring permission to do so after free movement ends, and the government has said that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK will be guaranteed by the end of thee transition period on December 31, 2020.
The Immigration Bill has already passed its first reading, with the second reading – where MPs debate the the proposed changes to the law – scheduled for Tuesday.
Leon Neal via Getty Images
Freedom of movement was one of the biggest points of contention throughout the referendum and ensuing Brexit process, with rhetoric about the country being at “breaking point” popularised by leavers such as Nigel Farage.
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But as the coronavirus crisis unfolds, the conversation about immigration has turned to recognition of the contribution migrant workers – thousands of whom are from the EU – make to the NHS and other key industries.
Just this week it was revealed that 180 fruit and vegetable pickers were flown from Romania to the UK to keep up with demand – despite a government plan to send furloughed workers into the fields.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated how much we rely on doctors, nurses, carers and other essential workers from all over the world. They are protecting us and putting their lives on the line every single day.
“The prime minister rightly thanked a Portuguese nurse who looked after him in intensive care last week. Yet by ending free movement, the government would make it harder for other nurses like him to come to work in the NHS and charge them thousands of pounds in fees for the privilege.
“Ending free movement would be extremely damaging and controversial, especially at a time when we should be celebrating the enormous contributions people who move to the UK make to our public services, our economy and our society.
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“The government must pull the Immigration Bill from the parliamentary agenda next week, abandon its plans to end free movement, and instead focus all its efforts on tackling the coronavirus pandemic.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Through the new points-based immigration system we will attract the best and brightest from around the world, regardless of nationality.
“Our new fast-track NHS visa will make it easier, cheaper and quicker for the best global medical professionals to come and work in our fantastic NHS.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Government Promises Councils Extra £1.6bn Funding To Fight Coronavirus

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Councils across England have been promised an extra £1.6b in funding to help them tackle the coronavirus crisis, after some local authorities raised concerns that services could suffer.
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As the pandemic continues to impact every area of life across the UK, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned that the current situation could lead to councils taking “extreme cost-cutting and rationing measures soon”.
The health emergency has piled pressure onto many different council services, including support for those living with disabilities and social care. Meanwhile, sources of income such as parking fees have plummeted as the population stays at home.
Local government secretary Robert Jenrick announced the funding at the daily briefing at Downing Street on Saturday, adding that cash boost will bolster the backing councils have received to cope with the pandemic to £3.2 billion.
An extra £300 million will go to devolved administrations, with Scotland getting £155 million, Wales £95 million, and Northern Ireland £50 million.
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Jenrick said: “I promised local government would have the resources they need to meet this challenge.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with local government and my priority is to make sure they are supported so they can continue to support their communities through this challenging time.
“Up and down the country council workers are the unsung heroes as we tackle this virus.
“They are in the front line of the national effort to keep the public safe and deliver the services people need.”
In a letter to Jenrick before the extra funding was announced, the LGA said “radical action” to prevent councils “rationing spending” was needed
The organisation said that unless more funding was received, the situation would end up “harming both the long-term continuity of existing services and the Covid-19 response at a time when both are so vitally needed, something we all wish to avoid”.
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The letter also stressed the loss of income being generated by councils.
It said: “Local authorities are suffering severe income loss from a range of services from leisure, parking, bus operations, planning and commercial waste.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Watch Live: Government Delivers Daily Coronavirus Update

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The number of people who have died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus has risen to 15,464 – an increase of 888 over 24 hours.
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The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Friday, but the true number of deaths may be significantly different. Here’s a quick primer on what all the different numbers mean and how to understand them.
Meanwhile, as of 9am on Saturday, 357,023 people have been tested for coronavirus, with 114,217 coming back positive.
As of 9am 18 April, 460,437 tests have concluded, with 21,389 tests on 17 April.
357,023 people have been tested of which 114,217 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 17 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 15,464 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/yZmas1wSvS — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 18, 2020
A further 784 people died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 13,918. Patients were aged between 26 and 100 years old with 38 of those (aged between 44 and 96 years old) having no known underlying health condition.
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Fifty-six more people died in Scotland, bringing the total to 893 deaths. Health officials said that as of Friday evening, 1,793 patients were in hospital with either confirmed or suspected coronavirus, a decrease of six.
Public Health Wales has announced 28 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed fatalities in Wales to 534, and confirmation of 292 new cases.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--UK Coronavirus Deaths Increase 888 In 24 Hours To 15,464


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-18--Nine Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

A senior clinician at the country’s maiden Nightingale hospital has called for military expertise to help protect the mental health of staff and volunteers at the “exhausting” facility.
Professor James Calder, who had a 14-year military career, said it was crucial to call on veterans who have worked in challenging situations around the globe as the UK rapidly expands its hospital care capacity to deal with the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Calder, 52, from Winchester, added: “Being a clinician it’s been incredibly impressive looking at how a very effective, high quality intensive care unit has been set up in – effectively – a warehouse.
“Somebody said you’re on the train and laying the tracks ahead of you as you are going along – and that’s absolutely right, you just have to make sure the train doesn’t go too quickly and run away with you.”
He said part of the success has been through dedication to staff welfare, many of whom are working “pretty exhausting” 12-hour shifts.
But he said Nightingale workers have borrowed a technique deployed on military operations where staff are paired with a buddy upon arrival for their shift, encouraging them to look out for one another throughout.
He said: “If you have eyes with each other when you first go on a shift, you introduce yourselves, and speak to each other after the shift. If they get upset, have a difficult time with a patient or a death, they sit down and have a cup of tea. It worked very well in the past in the military and it’s working very well here.
“We are using their knowledge over many years working with the military to produce a package that is safe for our staff.”
Prison release scheme paused after six inmates freed too early


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Trump Boasts He Likely Saved 'Billions' Of Lives In A Nation With 330 Million People

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Donald Trump busted his boastful exaggeration record Saturday when he claimed he likely saved “billions” of lives with his measures against Covid-19. The entire population of the US is just 330 million.
Trump claimed Monday he saved “tens of thousands” or possibly “hundreds of thousands” of lives because in late January he restricted foreign nationals from entering the country if they had been in China the previous two weeks. The restrictions did not apply to Americans, however, allowing a conduit for the disease to enter the US.
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Trump made his outlandish billions claim at his press briefing Saturday. Based on some models, the Covid-19 death toll in the US was predicted to reach 100,000 to 220,000, he noted. “I really believe it could have been billions of people [who died] had we not done what we did,” he added. “We made a lot of good decisions,” he claimed.
"It could have been billions of people if we had not done what we did" -- Trump absurdly claims that his move to restrict travel from China saved a billion or more lives pic.twitter.com/GbkI4ozs8F — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 18, 2020
There are eight billion people in the entire world, so it’s possible Trump was taking credit for saving an extraordinary number of lives around the world for some unknown reason. The US has nearly a third of the 2.3m Covid-19 cases around the globe — the highest in the world — but only 4.2% of the Earth’s population. The US also has the highest number of deaths — 36,000 — of any country. So whatever measures the nation is taking don’t appear to be particularly successful.
Trump, however, declared Saturday that the US has “produced dramatically better health outcomes than any other country with the possible exception of Germany.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Rolling Stones Tell It Like It Is In Global Concert With You Can't Always Get What You Want Performa

Rolling Stones Tell It Like It Is In Global Concert With You Can't Always Get What You Want Performance

The Rolling Stones came through with a particularly poignant presentation in these hard times, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, in their performance Saturday in the international Global Citizen concert.
Sometimes, you get what you need.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts performed “together,” each from their own homes, in the global, multi-network extravaganza, One World: Together At Home.
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Watts played “air drums,” and Jagger encouraged everyone to sing along.
🤘 If you start us up, we’ll never stop fighting for global health. Take action with The @RollingStones: https://t.co/26xVXSb0qy #TogetherAtHome pic.twitter.com/Dpze2tNyCW — Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) April 19, 2020
The group effort was organised by the World Health Organization and non-profit group Global Citizen to pay tribute to front-line workers amid the Covid-19 crisis.
“I’m so grateful for the healthcare workers, the medical workers, all the grocery store workers and delivery people, the postal workers, all the other nonprofits that are working so hard,” said Lady Gaga.
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“This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world, and I hope a reminder of the kindness that’s occurring right now.”
.@LadyGaga reminds us to “smile” and be compassionate toward one another during these difficult times. Watch her incredible performance for One World: #TogetherAtHome and do your part to fight COVID-19 by taking the pledge to stay home: https://t.co/26xVXSb0qy. pic.twitter.com/01jWBBpexI — Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) April 19, 2020
The multi-nation, multi-artist concert was aimed at encouraging donations to WHO’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Corporate and other donors have already contributed some $150 million, The Guardian reported.
The Stones were one of the favorites of the night. Fans particularly went gaga over Watts.
THIS IS AWESOME!!!
The Rolling Stones, right in the comfort of our living rooms, from their living rooms!!!#OneWorldTogetherAtHome pic.twitter.com/T6xTio0hBC — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) April 19, 2020
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My new favourite iso vibe is Charlie Watts playing the armchair drums and still pulling it off as a legit performance @RollingStones #TogetherAtHome pic.twitter.com/vx4jwbJyQ0 — Rosie Swanton (@rosieroserosie) April 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--'Not True' Decision To Reopen Schools On May 11 Has Been Taken, Say Ministers

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The government has not decided to reopen schools on May 11 ministers have said, amid reports a plan to ease the coronavirus lockdown is being formulated.
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Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: “We have stressed that the reporting in today’s newspapers that schools will reopen on May 11, that is not true, we have not made that decision.”
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, also said this morning that “no decision” had been taken.
No decision has been made on when we will reopen schools.
I can reassure schools and parents that they will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so. — Gavin Williamson (@GavinWilliamson) April 19, 2020
It has been reported by BuzzFeed and other publications that the government could allow children to go back to school in three weeks time under a phased plan to lift the lockdown.
According to the reports, non-essential retail shops and industries could reopen in early to mid-May and other social distancing measures would be relaxed over the summer.
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But people deemed to be most vulnerable to the virus could face strict restrictions until a vaccine is found.
The government has extended its initial three-week lockdown by a further three weeks as it attempts to control the spread of the virus.
More than 15,000 patients have now died in hospital after testing positive for the disease.
Asked about when pubs and restaurants would be back in business, Gove said today: “The other inference that I draw from your question, which is that areas of hospitality will be among the last to exit the lockdown – yes, that is true, they will be among the last.”
Gove also told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “It is the case that we are looking at all of the evidence, but we have set some tests which need to be passed before we can think of easing restrictions in this lockdown.
“It is entirely understandable, of course, that there should be a public debate about how we approach these difficult choices.”
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The government has said no decision has yet been taken as to when schools will reopen. Peter Cade via Getty Images
Infectious disease expert Jeremy Farrar said today he hoped some lockdown measures could begin to be lifted within around three or four weeks’ time if the numbers of infections and hospital patients drop “dramatically”.
The director of the Wellcome Trust told Sky News: “I would hope they will get there in three-four weeks time because it’s clear that the lockdown can’t go on for much longer.
“The damage it’s doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health… the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that’s damaging all of our lives.
He added: “So the lockdowns cannot go on forever, we must lift them as soon as we can but we can’t lift them too soon and we can’t just make arbitrary dates.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Together At Home Concert: 14 Key Moments, From Stunning Performances To Unmade Beds

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It’s fair to say that the One World: Together At Home event, which took place on Saturday night, was a huge success.
The eight-hour broadcast was curated by Lady Gaga, and saw some of the biggest names in music teaming up to entertain us all amid the global coronavirus pandemic, and encourage us to stay at home and practise social-distancing.
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Over the course of the event – highlights of which will be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday night, along with a select few new additions just for UK viewers – we were treated to tear-jerking performances, powerful speeches and one or two hilarious moments, too.
Here are just some of the highlights from the Together At Home broadcast...
1. Taylor Swift moves us to tears with her stunning performance
While her recent Lover album saw Taylor Swift heading in a much more in-your-face and pop-oriented sound, it also contained more subdued moments like this ballad, Soon You’ll Get Better.
The track is a somber recollection of Taylor’s feelings during her mother’s battle with cancer, so it’s already a heart-wrenching listen, but took on another meaning in the current climate, when so many thousands of people have lost their lives due to Covid-19.
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Frankly, we don’t know how Taylor made it to the end of this stunning performance, but she has our total respect.
2. Lady Gaga puts on a show as she revisits an old classic
As well as helping put the entire thing together, Lady Gaga couldn’t help but treat fans to a musical rendition too.
Anyone who’s heard her Cheek To Cheek album or seen her Jazz And Piano Vegas residency will know that Gaga is no stranger to an old standard from the great American songbook, and added a new track to her repertoire with this rendition of Smile.
While we wait for her recently-delayed new album Chromatica, we’ll take any new Gaga music we can get, quite frankly.
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3. Charlie Puth wins praise for rendition of See You Again (but raises eyebrows with his untidy room)
CHARLIE PUTH SOUNDS AMAZING AND SEE YOU AGAIN IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SONG TO EVER EXIST. #TogetherAtHome pic.twitter.com/wUhK18f70J — || 𝗦 || CEO of Louis' smile (@lwt28infinity) April 18, 2020
Like Taylor’s Soon You’ll Get Better, Charlie Puth’s See You Again is another track that took on a whole new meaning in the current climate, and there’s no denying he did a great job with his performance.
Unfortunately, many couldn’t help but notice that the Grammy-nominated singer didn’t exactly give himself the best backdrop, belting it out right in front of his unmade bed, which did not go unnoticed by fans.
Fortunately, he saw the funny side of the whole thing:
Ooops I forgot to make my bed 🙃 — Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) April 18, 2020
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Honestly...I don’t think I’ve made my bed since 2008. — Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) April 18, 2020
4. Sir Elton John gives a salute to healthcare workers
“This is for everyone out there who’s been working on the front line,” he said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Fittingly, he then launched into a rousing version of one of his signature tunes, I’m Still Standing.
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5. Beyoncé delivers an impactful speech about how coronavirus is affecting Black communities
By surprise Beyoncé gave a speech at the event #TogetherAtHome pic.twitter.com/KRlhYTSrDq — BEYONCÉ NEWS (@BeyonceHiveNews) April 19, 2020
Although she ultimately chose not to perform during the event, Beyoncé still made a surprise appearance, and ended up delivering one of the most powerful moments of the night with her speech.
“A recent report in my home city, Houston, Texas, showed that of Covid-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57 per cent of fatal cases are African-American,” the star said. “Please protect yourselves. We are one family and we need you, we need your voices and your abilities and your strength all over this world. “I know it’s very hard but please be patient, stay encouraged, keep the faith, stay positive and continue to pray for our heroes. Good night, and God bless you.”
6. Christine And The Queens’ performance is... a mood
While many stars like Lady Gaga, Elton John and even the usually-somber Billie Eilish opted for more upbeat tunes to entertain us, there’s no denying that the new Christine And The Queens song captures the mood of a lot of people right now.
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Singing live in her sitting room, the singer delivered an emotional version of her current single People, I’ve Been Sad, voicing what so many are feeling during these times.
7. Jennifer Lopez shows off some powerful vocals...
We have to admit, so much of Jennifer Lopez’s performance abilities is put down to choreography, showmanship and spectacle that her voice is often overlooked.
With this homage to Barbra Streisand, J-Lo showed off another side to herself as a performer, and it was actually pretty damn excellent.
8. ...and so does Lizzo
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Again, so much of Lizzo’s appeal centres on her empowering nature and entertainment value – two things the world truly need right now, we should stress – that it’s sometimes forgotten that she also has an unbelievably powerful voice.
Watch the clip above and try and tell us she’s not got one of the best voices in music right now.
9. Jennifer Hudson reminds us of the one good thing to come out of Cats
Because Cats ended up being completely panned, Jennifer Hudson never really got the ability to perform this show-stopping track from the musical at any high-profile events.
Reminding us that there’s at least one reason the Andrew Lloyd Webber show has stood the test of time, this version of Memory is undeniably fantastic, even if it does trigger one or two dodgy CGI memories.
10. Billie Eilish nails it once again as she teams up with her brother Finneas
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Known for her moody and, at times, quite unsettling tunes like Bury A Friend, Everything I Wanted and her recent James Bond theme No Time To Die, Billie Eilish said she’d decided to shake things up to try and put a smile on people’s faces.
“I love this song, it’s always warmed my heart and made me feel good... and I wanted to make you guys feel good,” she said, before launching into her version of Sunny, accompanied as ever by her brother Finneas.
11. The Rolling Stones tell it like it is with You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Performing together for more than 60 years will definitely make you in sync with one another, even if you’re not playing in the same room (or, indeed, the same time zone).
That’s what The Rolling Stones proved with this performance of their hit You Can’t Always Get What You Want, a sentiment we’re all well aware of at the moment.
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12. Luis Fonsi dusts off Despacito and we are not mad at it at all
We’ll admit it, there was a time around 2017 when we thought we’d be over the moon if we never heard Despacito again. But we have to admit, this was definitely a highlight of the Together At Home broadcast.
Sidenote: Does Luis Fonsi actually live with his entire band?
13. Kacey Musgraves delivers a message of hope with her rendition of Rainbow
Kacey Musgraves said she’d been inspired to perform this cut from her Grammy-winning album Golden Hour after “seeing everyone’s rainbows in their window”.
And while this rendition of Rainbow didn’t pack in powerhouse vocals like Jennifer Hudson or Lady Gaga, the simplicity and hopeful messsage of this song still brought a tear to our eye.
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14. And finally, *what* an ending
Honestly, what can we say? Some of the biggest and most impressive vocalists and musicians in the world teaming up for this stunning version of The Prayer was always going to make sure things went out with a bang.
But trust us, this is even more incredible than you might think.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Pubs And Restaurants Will Be Last To Reopen After Lockdown, Confirms Michael Gove

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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Pubs, restaurants and hotels will be among the last to reopen when the government relaxes the coronavirus lockdown, Michael Gove has confirmed.
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The Cabinet Office minister said on Sunday ministers would make a “balanced judgment” about what changes could be made to the current social distancing measures.
Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show whether hotels, pubs and restaurants would be back in business before the winter, Gove said: “Areas of hospitality will be among the last to exit the lock down, that is true, they will be among the last.”
Gove also said it was “not true” that the government had decided to reopen schools on May 11.
BuzzFeed reported on Saturday the government was considering a “three stage” relaxation of the lockdown.
According to the report, non-essential retail shops and industries could reopen in early to mid-May and other social distancing measures would be relaxed over the summer.
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But people deemed to be most vulnerable to the virus could face strict restrictions until a vaccine is found.
The government has extended its initial three week lockdown by a further three weeks as it attempts to control the spread of the virus.
More than 15,000 patients have now died in hospital after testing positive for the disease.
Ministers are under pressure to detail an exit plan to end the lockdown, with Labour leader Keir Starmer calling for a “road map” out of restrictions.
Gove told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge this morning the government was “looking at all of the evidence” before it could think of easing restrictions.
“It is entirely understandable, of course, that there should be a public debate about how we approach these difficult choices,” he said.
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Infectious disease expert Sir Jeremy Farrar said today he hopes some lockdown measures could begin to be lifted within around three or four weeks’ time if the numbers of infections and hospital patients drop “dramatically”.
Dominic Lipinski - PA Images via Getty Images
The director of the Wellcome Trust told Sky News: “I would hope they will get there in three-four weeks time because it’s clear that the lockdown can’t go on for much longer.
“The damage it’s doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health… the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that’s damaging all of our lives.
“So the lockdowns cannot go on forever, we must lift them as soon as we can but we can’t lift them too soon and we can’t just make arbitrary dates.”
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Gove also strongly defended Boris Johnson after a wide-ranging report in The Sunday Times claimed the prime minister had missed five meetings of the key Cobra committee in the run-up to the outbreak.
The report also stated a number of opportunities had been missed by the government in January, February and March to try and lessen the impact of the gathering crisis.
Controversy has raged over the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, and low levels of testing as the disease took hold.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Beyoncé Outlines How Coronavirus Is Disproportionately Affecting Black Communities In Powerful Toget

Beyoncé Outlines How Coronavirus Is Disproportionately Affecting Black Communities In Powerful Together At Home Speech

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Beyoncé highlighted how coronavirus is disproportionately affecting Black Americans in a powerful speech during the One World: Together At Home concert.
The Grammy-winning singer is one of many famous faces who appeared during the eight-hour broadcast, and while she chose not to perform, she did deliver one of the stand-out speeches of the night.
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“Tonight, we celebrate true heroes,” she began. “Those who are making the ultimate sacrifice to keep us all safe, fed and healthy. To the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are away from their families to take care of ours, we continue to pray for your safety.
“To those in the food industry, delivery workers, mail carriers and sanitation employees, who are working so we can be safe in our homes, we thank you for your selfless service.”
Beyoncé during the Together At Home broadcast YouTube/Global Citizen
Beyoncé continued: “Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home. African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis.
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“Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing Black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.”
“A recent report in my home city, Houston, Texas, showed that of Covid-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57 per cent of fatal cases are African-American,” the star added.
“Please protect yourselves. We are one family and we need you, we need your voices and your abilities and your strength all over this world.
“I know it’s very hard but please be patient, stay encouraged, keep the faith, stay positive and continue to pray for our heroes. Good night, and God bless you.”
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Unfortunately, the story is much the same in Britain, where a study published earlier this month found that a third of coronavirus patients were Black or Asian, despite those groups making up only 13% of the UK population.
The research found that some 14% of those with the most serious cases were Black and the same amount were Asian, sparking calls for further probes into structural inequality and health outcomes.
Lord Simon Woolley, chair of the landmark Race Disparity Audit’s advisory group told HuffPost UK: “This should be a wake up call for the government in regard to how it responds.
“There must be a minister with responsibility for race that needs to sit around these decision making tables ensuring how they mitigate the disproportionate impact that is occurring for Black and minority communities; this has to be at a cabinet level.”
The eight-hour One World: Together At Home event – curated by Lady Gaga – was broadcast live on YouTube, with select highlights being shown across many channels in the US in a two-hour condensed broadcast.
On Sunday night, BBC One will also air some of the key performances, as well as new ones specific to British viewers, including Little Mix, Tom Jones and Rag’n’Bone Man.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Seven Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The prime minister has been heavily criticised following the publication of a damning report which stated he had missed five Cobra meetings at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and a study has revealed that thousands more people have died in care homes than the official figures state.
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The latest figures show:
As of 5pm on Saturday, 16,060 people had died in UK hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus – an increase of 596 in 24 hours.
As of 9am on Sunday, 372,967people have been tested for coronavirus, with 120,067 coming back positive.
As of 9am 19 April, 482,063 tests have concluded, with 21,626 tests on 18 April.
372,967 people have been tested of which 120,067 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 18 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 16,060 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/sO9IRInBsu — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 19, 2020
Here’s the latest:
Downing Street accuses Sunday Times of ‘errors’ and ‘falsehoods’ over PM coronavirus story
Quoting a Whitehall source, the Times claimed Boris Johnson’s administration dragged their feet and “missed the boat on testing and PPE” (personal protective equipment).
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The article also claimed the Johnson administration “just watched” as the death toll mounted in Wuhan, China and the prime minister did not attend five meetings of the key government’s key Cobra committee in the build-up to the coronavirus outbreak.
In a lengthy blog posted on Gov.uk, a government spokesman said: “This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.”
Delivery of 84 tonnes of PPE for the NHS delayed
The delivery of 84 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been delayed, Sky News has reported, and will not arrive in the UK on Sunday despite desperate shortages.
It is not yet known what has caused the delay, but the broadcaster said the shipment – which contains some 400,000 surgical gowns – was due to arrive from Turkey today.
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The government has been heavily criticised for shortages in PPE for frontline staff, and on Friday Matt Hancock was forced to admit that supplies of gowns may not last the weekend.
A government spokeswoman said: “We are continuing to work to ensure the shipment is delivered as soon as possible.”
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick set out details of the consignment at the daily Downing Street press conference on Saturday, describing it as a “very significant additional shipment”.
He said: “Supply in some areas, particularly gowns and certain types of masks and aprons, is in short supply at the moment and that must be an extremely anxious time for people working on the front line.
“But they should be assured that we are doing everything we can to correct this issue and to get them the equipment that they need.”
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Health bosses said the shipment would provide only enough PPE to last “a few days”.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said it “may be enough to avert an absolute crisis over this weekend” but “it doesn’t solve the longer term problem”.
Beyoncé outlines how coronavirus is disproportionately affecting black communities in powerful speech
Beyoncé during the Together At Home broadcast YouTube/Global Citizen
Beyoncé highlighted how coronavirus is disproportionately affecting Black Americans in a powerful speech during the One World: Together At Home concert.
The Grammy-winning singer is one of many famous faces who appeared during the eight-hour broadcast, and while she chose not to perform, she did deliver one of the stand-out speeches of the night.
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She said: “Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home. African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis.
“Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing Black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.”
“A recent report in my home city, Houston, Texas, showed that of Covid-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57 per cent of fatal cases are African-American,” the star added.
The disproportionate impact of coronavirus on minorities isn’t just an American problem – a study recently found that a third of coronavirus patients in the UK may be Black or Asian, nearly three times the 13% proportion of the population that they make up.
PM reportedly missed five Cobra meetings at start of outbreak
The government has been accused of failing to prepare for the crisis despite receiving clear warnings. WPA Pool via Getty Images
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The PM missed five Cobra meetings held at the start of the outbreak, according to a damning report by the Sunday Times, with the government accused of failing to adequately prepare for the crisis despite scientists’ warnings.
The nation’s leadership has also been heavily criticised for failing to act on securing PPE before the outbreak worsened, with “missed opportunities” pointed out by organisations such as the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA).
The group’s chief executive Dr Simon Festing told the paper that orders of protective equipment had “undoubtably” been sent overseas and said its offers of help – available through February and March – were not seized upon by the government until April 1.
The Sunday Times quoted a senior Downing Street aide, who was not named, saying: “There’s no way you’re at war if your PM isn’t there.
“And what you learn about Boris was he didn’t chair any meetings. He liked his country breaks. He didn’t work weekends.
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“It was like working for an old-fashioned chief executive in a local authority 20 years ago. There was a real sense that he didn’t do urgent crisis planning. It was exactly like people feared he would be.”
No. 10 have heavily refuted the claims made in the report, stating that Johnson had been “at the helm” of the response to the crisis.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.
“Guided by medical and scientific expertise, we have implemented specific measures to reduce the spread of the virus at the time they will be most effective.
“Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support in needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.”
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Thousands more care home deaths that official figures show, NCF claims
The organisation has estimated more than 4,000 deaths in care homes so far. Daisy-Daisy via Getty Images
There have been thousands more deaths in care homes in England and Wales than official statistics show, a leading organisation in the sector has claimed.
Current figures for care home deaths across the two nations currently stand at 217, but the National Care Foundation (NCF) – which represents not-for-profit care providers – has estimated that there are around 4,040 deaths yet to be included in the statistics.
According to a BBC report, the organisation collected data from care homes looking after more than 30,000 elderly and disabled people in the UK, representing 7.4% of all people living in such facilities nationwide.
In those specific homes, the NCF found, there were 299 coronavirus-related deaths in the week between April 7 and April 13. That number is treble the figure from the previous week, and double that of the total recorded across the whole of March.
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More than 6.5m jobs to be lost as a result of lockdown, study predicts
A quarter of the UK's jobs could be temporarily lost. Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
Britain’s coronavirus lockdown will take more than 6.5m jobs out of the economy, according to estimates contained in a new study.
Research by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex says this equates to around a quarter of the UK’s total jobs, with more than half the positions in certain sectors to be lost. While most of the losses are expected to be temporary, the likelihood of some becoming more permanent depended on the length of the lockdown. Accommodation and food services are predicted to suffer the worst rate of cuts, with 75.1% of jobs lost, or around 1.3m positions. The study shows the knock-on effects of certain industries on other sectors, with the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector tipped to lose one job in 10 due to reduced demand from the accommodation and food sector. The institute’s modelling reflects the capacity of some people to work from home, which leaves some sectors less affected than others. While the study predicts job losses will be mostly temporary, Professor Matteo Richiardi, an expert on modelling labour markets who led the research, warned the risk of jobs being permanently lost depends on the duration of the lockdown. “If this is short, say a few months, the links between employers and employees of affected industries might not be severed, and individual careers might not suffer too much,” he told The Observer newspaper. “Under a longer lockdown, losses of human capital and scarring effects will occur. The economy will still bounce back, but at a higher cost for individuals.” Leaders caught ‘off guard’ by pandemic threat, says Nato chief
picture alliance via Getty Images
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The Nato general leading the group’s response to the coronavirus in Europe has conceded all key figures were caught “off-guard” by the outbreak. Defending Nato’s work in reaction to the virus, including co-ordinating the distribution of PPE through various European countries, Lieutenant-general Olivier Rittiman said “no-one” fully understood the depth of the crisis that lay ahead in the early days of the outbreak. “I think that everybody was taken a little bit off-guard by this crisis,” Rittiman, the commander of Nato’s Europe Covid-19 Task Force, told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday. “No-one was really completely understanding the full expanse of the health crisis we are facing.” Rittiman said it was not fair of former defence minister Tobias Ellwood to have said last week that Nato needed to “wake up” to the Covid-19 threat. The general said the organisation had so far deployed 4,000 medics and 250 field hospitals – amounting to some 25,000 beds – across various nations. “We are providing this co-ordination mechanism with the rapid air mobility, over 100 flights have been conducted to ship the equipment. So saying that Nato is slow to wake up or is not doing anything is not fair because we are doing quite a lot,” he said. Rittiman conceded there is a global shortage of PPE, but said Nato is appropriately managing the delivery of equipment to different nations, after which domestic distribution is “a national decision”. Some US lockdown measures ease amid pressure from protestors and president
Hundreds protested in cities across America on Saturday. ARIANA DREHSLER via Getty Images


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Michael Gove Says Criticism Of Boris Johnson's Coronavirus Response 'Slightly Off Beam'

“There are one or two aspects of the Sunday Times report that are slightly off-beam,” he said.
The Cabinet Office minister refused to issue a “point by point” rebuttal of the story, but defended the PM’s leadership.
“The prime minister took all the major decisions. Nobody can say that the prime minister wasn’t throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus,” he said.
Gove added that Johnson, who is recovering from hospital treatment for coronavirus, was “in cheerful spirits”.
Jon Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said Gove’s description of the story as “off beam” was “possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed exposé in British political history”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Gogglebox Star Jonathan Tapper Was Left 'Fighting For His Life' After Contracting Coronavirus

Former Gogglebox star Jonathan Tapper was left “fighting for his life” after contracting coronavirus, his wife Nikki has revealed.
Jonathan – who appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside his family until 2018 – has diabetes, which can cause more intense Covid-19 symptoms and complications.
In a new interview with the Daily Star, Nikki revealed that while the whole family has been infected, it’s Jonathan who has been affected the most severely.
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“One night Jonathan came home from work and was unable to move,” she explained, stating her husband first experienced symptoms a month ago.
“He had a cough and high temperature. He laid down on the sofa and – with no exaggeration – he stayed there for two weeks in our lounge room.”
The Tapper Family as seen during their time on Gogglebox Channel 4
Nikki continued: “We tended to him as best we could, but at times he seemed unable to breathe. Having spoken to the doctors, they urged us to stay home, but they said to quickly get an oxygen monitor, which fixed to his finger.”
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She went on to say that Jonathan’s diabetes gave them cause for concern, particularly as his symptoms worsened.
“I rushed downstairs and couldn’t believe how pale he was, heaving with every breath,” she said.
“I tried to keep calm, asking him all the time if he could breathe. I felt that I couldn’t think straight because I was so unwell myself at the time too. Amy [their daughter] was crying.
“But I kept vigil through the night and monitored his oxygen levels and luckily, with the help of [NHS helpline] 111, we got through to the next day. I’ve never been so afraid.”
The Tapper Family at the NTAs in 2017 David M. Benett via Getty Images
Fortunately, the Tapper family is now on the mend, and resting at home.
The Tappers were among those to have appeared on Gogglebox since its inception in 2013, eventually stepping down after 11 series, five years later.
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Josh Tapper, Nikki and Jonathan’s son, bowed out of the show slightly earlier than the rest of his family, after landing a job at 10 Downing Street.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Peter Kay's Car Share Breastfeeding Joke Sparks Almost 200 Complaints

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The BBC has received a wave of complaints about a joke in the latest episode of Peter Kay’s Car Share.
Earlier this month, the comedian revealed he was resurrecting his sitcom for a one-off audio-only special, in a bid to “cheer up” the nation while we’re all on lockdown.
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However, a total of 175 people have now contacted the BBC’s executive complaints unit (ECU) about a joke relating to breastfeeding in the episode.
During a chat between main characters John and Kayleigh about children’s soft play areas, the latter commented that she once saw a woman breastfeeding a three-year-old in public.
Peter Kay and Sian Gibson in Car Share BBC
“How did you know he was three?” Peter’s character questioned, to which Sian Gibson’s responded: “He had balloons.”
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John then remarked: “Is that you call them? Breastfeeding at three?”
Kayleigh then insisted: “Swear down. Hanging off the tit with his teeth in Timbaland’s,” while John suggested there’s “a time and a place”.
“They say breast is best,” Kayleigh concluded. “But you have got to draw the line somewhere.”
As reported by Digital Spy, many felt the segment shamed those who choose to breastfeed their children in public, as well as parents who practise extended breastfeeding.
A BBC representative declined to comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
Peter Kay’s Car Share concluded in 2018, with two special episodes, one of which was almost completely improvised.
The finale was generally well-received, although some also took issue with a joke in the improvised episode, which was deemed transphobic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--From The Simpsons To Gavin & Stacey – How Suitable Are Our Favourite TV Homes For Self-Isolating In?

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During the past few weeks of lockdown, a number of celebrities have been going about their business as usual but broadcasting from home, meaning we haven’t had to miss out on some of our favourite shows.
It’s also meant we’ve been able to have a good nose around famous people’s living rooms, which we have done with absolutely no shame.
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Lockdown has also meant we’re enjoying a lot more TV than normal, with our minds often wandering to some of the fictional homes on screen and pondering how well-suited they’d be for self-isolating in.
With those thoughts swirling round in our heads, we decided to investigate...
Monica and Chandler’s apartment (Friends)
NBC via Getty Images
Pros: Well for starters, it’d be clean, and those pastel walls would be nice and calming. Plus, we’ve all seen how pretty Monica’s guest bedroom is, so at least you’d have somewhere serene to go and be alone when things got “a bit much”.
Cons: In The One Where Ross Dates A Student, Rachel and Phoebe end up fighting over who gets to stay across the hall – despite it being the far inferior apartment – because Monica is such an overbearing host (“no crumbiiiies!”). And let’s be real, over the 10 years Friends was on the air, writers gave us no reason to believe Joey would follow any social-distancing guidelines, and you just know he’d be dropping by unannounced whenever the mood took him.
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The Simpsons’ family home (The Simpsons)
Fox
Pros: You’d be well cared for with Marge and would get to have some cerebral conversations with Lisa. And we suppose there’d never be any dull moments.
Cons: So… you know that episode, Homer’s Enemy? No one wants to end up like Frank Grimes, do they? And that house would really start to hurt your eyes after a couple of hours, let alone weeks at a time.
Pam and Mick’s gaff (Gavin & Stacey)
BBC
Pros: The major, major pro is having the thought of having the always-cool-and level-headed Mick around during one of the most stressful times we’ve ever lived through. Imagine a daily pep talk from the Shipman patriarch if you were having a wobble? Plus, the house itself is fabulous and massive – and it has a garden! Surely the ideal self-isolation environment.
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Cons: We’ve spoken at length about our love for Pam Shipman in the past, and there’s no question she’d bring the laughs. But living with her would also probably bring a little bit of anxiety with it too, namely due to her shouting “OH MY CHRIST!” at the daily briefing every afternoon.
The Rovers Return (Coronation Street)
ITV/Shutterstock
Pros: OK, so we’re talking specifically about the flat above the Rovers rather than the pub itself… although such close proximity to a bar wouldn’t exactly be a minus while we’re all on lockdown, either. Also, with past tenants including Liz McDonald, Bet Lynch and Vera Duckworth, who knows what they might have left behind to play dress-up with.
Cons: It’s not exactly the most spacious of residences (have we ever actually seen the upstairs?), and with the only outdoor space being the Rovers smoking area we can probably think of a few more Soapland houses we’d rather self-isolate in.
The Byers’ family home (Stranger Things)
Netflix
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Pros: Well, it’d be a dream for anyone who loves a bit of 80s nostalgia. From Joyce’s wardrobe to Jonathan’s record collection, there’d be plenty of entertainment. And if Dungeons & Dragons wasn’t your thing when you entered lockdown, it would be by the end.
Cons: Where do we start, really? For one thing, they’ve got the Christmas lights up all year round, which isn’t going to help us when we’re trying to envisage being outside in the summer to get us through. Meanwhile, Winona Ryder’s character isn’t exactly known for being calm and collected, is she? And… what’s that other thing again? Oh yes, the constant threat of Will summoning some class of monster from another dimension is hardly what anyone needs on top of everything else going on in the world right now.
Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment (Sex And The City)
HBO
Pros: If nothing else, Carrie would undoubtedly have some great gossip, and know how to whip up a strong Cosmopolitan.
Cons: Again, we don’t think this is one that would be near the top of our wishlist. Not only is there not a great deal of space, Carrie famously never cooked or even had any food in her flat, so watching her deal with suddenly being at home 24/7 probably wouldn’t be a pretty sight. And if that doesn’t put you off, perhaps the thought of her musing to herself “I couldn’t help but wonder, with the country on lockdown, is it time we unlocked our hearts” as she works from home, definitely would.
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Geraldine’s vicarage (The Vicar Of Dibley)
BBC
Pros: We know this might seem like a curveball, but stay with us, as this would actually be one of our top picks. Dawn French’s character would be brilliant company, the place itself is cosy and you know if nothing else there’d be a decent supply of chocolate if you felt like an impromptu treat. And then there’s the surroundings – who wouldn’t love doing their one hour government-approved walk in all of that beautiful nature?
Nigella Lawson’s house (Nigella’s various cooking shows)
Pros: If there’s anything we’ve learned from watching Nigella cooking in her home over the years it’s that she’s got beautiful interiors, she’s great company and has a lovely garden. Plus, think of all the gorgeous food.
Cons: No one needs to be woken up at 1am by the sound of your housemate creeping to the fridge for a late-night snack, even if said housemate is the fabulous Nigella Lawson.
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Kim and Kanye’s Calabasas home (Keeping Up With The Kardashians)
Pros: Of course, all of the properties on Keeping Up With The Kardashians are completely over-the-top and lavish, so would be pretty near the top of TV homes we’d want to self-isolate in. The most distinctive of the lot is probably the home Kim Kardashian and Kanye West currently share in Calabasas, California, which is totally minimalistic and spacious, meaning you’d have plenty of room and, in theory, a calming location.
Cons: Still, when you’re living with Kanye West, how calming can a location ever truly be?
Simon Cowell’s house (The X Factor)
Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/Shutterstock
Pros: And while we’re on the subject of lavish TV homes, they don’t come much more fabulous than Simon Cowell’s gaff, which we’re treated to whenever he has the contestants over for the Judges’ Houses stage of The X Factor. Given Simon’s taste, you just know everything in there would be state-of-the-art, and he could regale you with plenty of insider gossip.
Cons: You’d never really be able to look at a potted plant without fearing that Sinitta was going to emerge from it sporting its leaves as a bikini.
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Jenny and Lee’s caravan (Gogglebox)
Channel 4
Pros: What it lacks in space, this home would make up for in fun. We already know that Jenny and Lee are self-isolating together so they can continue to film Gogglebox, and given what we’ve seen of them over the last few series, the laughs would be guaranteed.
Cons: You’d never be able to prepare yourself a nice face-pack without Lee potentially dipping his nachos into it...
The Spellman residence (Sabrina, The Teenage Witch)
CBS
Pros: On a more practical level, this house on its own is already the stuff of dreams. Sabrina’s room is frankly 90s teenage #goals, and how is anyone supposed to get bored with Salem the cat and Aunt Hilda for company? And then there’s the fact there’s all that magic flying around.
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Cons: Well, a closet leading to another realm is hardly the best thing to have in your house when you’re trying to stick to social distancing rules, and that’s without getting into the thought of Aunt Zelda brandishing a jigsaw and suggesting some “quality time” together.
Babe and Bondi’s beachside apartment (Instant Hotel)
Netflix
Pros: What’s not to love really? An unfortunate oven-related incident may have meant that Babe and Bondi’s place only made it to second place in the Instant Hotel finale, but it still has a lot going for it. For one thing, imagine taking a stroll around Bondi for your hour of exercise, and we all got to see how the garden can be put to good use on the show. Not only that, but Babe and Bondi would be an absolute scream – and did we mention (you guessed it) the margaritas?!
Cons: There is probably a limit to how many margaritas a person can drink while on lockdown, if we’re being honest.
Downton Abbey (Downton Abbey)
Shutterstock
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Pros: Well, for obvious starters it’s absolutely massive, with huge grounds, so you wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into anyone when you were taking your daily walk.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Here's What We Know About How The Coronavirus Crisis Began

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From disinfectants to warm weather, Donald Trump has repeatedly lobbed curveballs into scientific conversations about coronavirus during his daily White House press conferences.
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Faced with a startling death toll in his own country, the US president has tried to direct attention to China – the initial epicentre of the outbreak – and its handling of the virus, including claims it could have escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.
On Thursday evening, speaking to reporters, he speculated about “whether they [scientists in a lab in Wuhan] made a mistake or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one – or did somebody do something on purpose?”
Hours earlier, Trump’s own intelligence officials had confirmed the virus had originated in China, with the director of National Intelligence stating: “The intelligence community [the IC] also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the Covid-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified.”
Against a backdrop of the president’s repeated suggestions that the virus could have originated from a laboratory setting, the statement added: “The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
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But that theory is just a theory. Scientists may not fully understand the nature of the global outbreak of Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus, but there are plenty of ways in which it could have originated.
Here’s what we know now.
Horseshoe bats have been implicated in previous coronavirus outbreaks. Remus86 via Getty Images
Scientists largely agree that the new coronavirus came from bats
Researchers already know that the new virus, SARS-CoV2, has a genetic makeup very similar to those of other known bat viruses ― namely the ones that caused Sars and Mers, two deadly coronaviruses that began spreading in 2002 and 2012 respectively.
Sars, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, was first reported in China, while Mers, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, was first reported in Saudi Arabia.
A Febuary 3 paper published in the journal Nature concluded that the new virus is “96% identical at the whole-genome level to a bat coronavirus,” based on its genome sequence.
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Dr Chris Beyrer, an epidemiology professor at Johns Hopkins University, told HuffPost the virus’s natural origins were beyond dispute.
“Once we had the full genome sequence, it lines up so closely with Sars and with Mers there’s no – that is not in debate. This is a bat virus,” he said.
Bats are known for being natural reservoirs of many viruses. The new virus probably came from Chinese horseshoe bats, a small variety with a flattened, leaflike nose.
There is no evidence the virus was engineered in a lab
A widely cited March 17 paper in the journal Nature said it was “improbable” that the new virus had “emerged through laboratory manipulation of a related [...] coronavirus.”
Dr Kristian Andersen, a professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research and an author on the paper, also discouraged the idea that the virus had been man-made, saying in a statement: “We can firmly determine that SARS-CoV-2 originated through natural processes.”
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To Dr Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of paediatrics and infectious diseases at Stanford University, the idea that this virus is a synthesised bioweapon amounts to nothing more than a silly conspiracy theory.
“The science shows that this came from animals,” she said.
Scientists at the California-based Scripps Research Institute looked at the genetic template for the spike proteins that protrude from the surface of the virus, which the virus uses to attach the outer walls of its host’s cells and then enter the cells.
Live Science reported that researchers analysed these spikes and compared SARS-CoV-2 to SARS-CoV (the virus that caused the original Sars outbreak), making changes to the genetic code that would result in Covid-19.
But in the computer simulations, the mutations in SARS-CoV-2 didn’t effectively bind the virus to human cells, posing the question: if scientists had developed Covid-19 on purpose, why would they choose a mutation that doesn’t work according to computer modelling?
Scientists therefore concluded that the novel coronavirus was very likely to have mutated organically, due to the fact it appears to have what would have been predicted by computers as an ineffective design. In other words, a manmade virus would have been more obviously geared on a microscopic level towards infecting human cells.
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Pangolins are said to be the most illegally trafficked mammal on Earth. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Experts theorise that it jumped from bats to an intermediary creature before infecting humans
A prevailing theory is that the virus made its way from bats to people via another animal, largely based on the earlier outbreaks of Sars and Mers.
The virus that caused the 2002-03 Sars panic is thought to have jumped from bats to civets – a catlike animal native to Asia and Africa – before jumping to humans. The virus that caused Mers likely jumped from bats to camels before infecting its first humans.
Researchers including a team studying the virus at the University of Michigan have suggested that the intermediary animal in the current pandemic might be the pangolin, an unusual mammal prized for its meat and its scales, which are used in some traditional Chinese medicine. Smugglers are widely known to trade the creatures despite a ban on trafficking in China and around the world.
But scientists are far from certain that pangolins were involved in the current crisis. One study cited by The Guardian looked at cell receptors that allow the virus to infect humans; pangolins were found to have similar receptors to humans’, but so did pigs, civets, cows, buffalo, goats, sheep and pigeons.
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It’s also possible, although not as likely based on available evidence, that the virus jumped straight from bats to humans.
Chinese officials have said the virus likely began spreading to humans at a wildlife market in Wuhan
The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market is a wildlife and seafood market in the industrial city of Wuhan that brings humans into close contact with all sorts of animals, which are in close contact with each other.
In addition to typical seafood options, it’s known to offer a wide array of live and butchered wild animals, including baby crocodiles and ostriches. Scientific American called such markets “perfect viral melting pots” in a recent feature on a renowned Chinese bat virus researcher.
“Typically, because the bats are the smallest animals, and they are airborne animals, their cages are typically above the others,” Beyrer said. As a result, urine and faeces from the bats can easily contaminate the other animals.
He added: “And the people are very important because the people who handle these animals, who slaughter and butcher them, are all the same people.”
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A widely cited January 24 paper in the journal The Lancet said that of the first 41 Covid-19 patients, 27 of them – nearly two-thirds – had been exposed to that particular seafood market. The genetic material of the virus was also found at the market – more evidence that it provided a launchpad. From there, it continued to spread between people.
Given the potential of wildlife markets for spreading new diseases, the United Nations is calling on China to shutter them for good.
It’s worth noting that the term “wet market” has been widely used to describe the Huanan market, but most wet markets do not sell wild animals, which is why the term “wildlife market” is more accurate. Wet markets are named for the ice used to keep seafood and other items cool.
A worker in Wuhan, China, takes away an escaped giant salamander just caught in Huanan Seafood Market on Jan. 27. The market was shut down due to its connection to the first 2019-nCoV cases. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
But there is also some reason to believe the market was not the only starting place, and the virus had begun circulating earlier
The seafood market scenario is not perfect.
The earliest known Covid-19 patient started showing symptoms in Wuhan on December 1, 2019, but he did not have any known connection to the market, according to the Lancet paper, which was authored by a large group of Chinese researchers.
“No epidemiological link was found between the first patient and later cases,” the paper noted.
And although the bulk of the first 41 patients had contact with the market, generally as workers there, 14 had no link to it.
One of the authors of the Lancet paper, Bin Cao, told Science magazine in a late January email: “Now it seems clear that [the] seafood market is not the only origin of the virus. But to be honest, we still do not know where the virus came from.”
China has also suppressed information on the virus that could provide clarity. Back in January, a doctor who tried sounding the alarm about an impending crisis was forced to sign a document admitting to spreading “rumours”. Others who spoke out in the beginning of the crisis have vanished. China withheld alarming data about infections among health care workers for more than a month, and excluded asymptomatic patients from its total infection tally.
Maldonado said her colleagues in Wuhan have mainly been focused on dealing with the clinical aspects of the crisis so far, and theorised that “the story will probably evolve over time”.
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“Most of the early cases did come from that marketplace,” she said, but noted that “we don’t know [if] there may have been earlier cases” that came from elsewhere.
A theory exists that the virus came from a lab accident as researchers in Wuhan were studying bat coronaviruses...
US intelligence officials are looking into whether the current crisis was sparked by an accident at a lab where scientists study bat viruses.
“We are actively and vigorously tracking down every piece of information we get on this topic and we are writing frequently to update policymakers,” an intelligence official told Yahoo News, which noted that the intelligence community “has not come down on any one theory”.
A Washington Post article by columnist Josh Rogin described alarming warnings back in 2017 about conditions at Wuhan labs: “Two years before the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the world, US Embassy officials visited a Chinese research facility in the city of Wuhan several times and sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the lab, which was conducting risky studies on coronaviruses from bats
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“The cables have fuelled discussions inside the US government about whether this or another Wuhan lab was the source of the virus – even though conclusive proof has yet to emerge.”
... but, right now, scientists think it’s pretty unlikely
First of all, the fact that bat viruses are being studied in China does not automatically mean the labs are up to something nefarious.
“There are a number of labs in the world that are studying coronaviruses and for which we should all be deeply grateful,” Beyrer said. “We know that there are many, many more [coronaviruses] in nature. Many of them are pathogenic for humans. They need to be studied.”
It may be technically possible for safety protocols to have broken down so badly that a new coronavirus broke free, Beyrer acknowledged, but there is no evidence that happened here. France released a statement to combat the idea “recently circulating in the United States press,” stating unequivocally that “there is to this day no factual evidence” supporting the theory the virus escaped from a lab.
It might take a while for scientists to be sure how and when the pandemic started, but the market seems to have played a large part in its widespread transmission.
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There’s also the matter of the pangolin (or other intermediary animal).
“Nobody studying bat coronaviruses would keep pangolins in their lab,” Beyrer said. “They’re not a research animal. That’s further evidence that we need to keep focusing on the abattoir.”
It’s going to take a while to figure out how this virus evolved and why it’s so deadly
“That question may take several months or longer, as people will have to try to find more animals, and look for viruses, and sequence those viruses, and then understand how those genes and those viruses work, and how those are different from the genes in the human virus, and then try to understand how those create symptoms,” Maldonado said.
The current crisis may also prove to be a watershed moment for the global wildlife trade, which thrives on human desire to consume exotic game for food or medicine regardless of the potential cost.
Bats are known to carry many viruses that don’t cause them illness. But if they are coming into regular contact with humans and other animals that are not part of their natural habitat, that gives these viruses an opening.
Human activity has also forced different bat species to live much closer together than they otherwise would, allowing viruses that normally live in one species to spread to others.
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