thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Nannies 'Scared' Of Coronavirus Risk After Boris Johnson Tells Them To Go Back To Work

The latest government guidance says paid childcare such as nannies can return to work in people's homes. Tsikhan Kuprevich via Getty Images
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Nannies in the UK feel “scared” and “saddened” by the government’s new guidelines calling for them to return to work, claiming not enough is being done to protect them and their families.
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Since March, registered childminders and nannies have been unable to work, except for those providing care for vulnerable children or children of key workers, such as doctors or nurses.
But under the new guidelines, they have been able to return to work from Wednesday, with guidance telling them to keep two metres from people in the household for whom they are not providing care, as much as possible.
The move comes as the government hopes that reopening childcare providers will help more people get back to work as lockdown restrictions are lifted.
However many are refusing to go back into work this week, pointing out that “social distancing is nearly impossible with babies and children.“
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Tricia Pritchard, Managing Director of BAPN - The Association for Professional Nannies, said she has received non-stop calls from nannies who are suffering from “a lot of confusion and stress”.
“The government’s guidance was very clear from the beginning: you shouldn’t be mixing households,” she told HuffPost UK.
Many nannies have refused to return to work, saying they are scared of putting their families and themselves at risk of catching the coronavirus. SeventyFour via Getty Images
“So there’s been a great deal of concern for nannies who are being forced into work when they aren’t safe.”
Although employers are required by law to carry out a risk assessment to ensure the health and safety of a workplace, they only need to do so if they have five or more employees.
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Nannies have as a result faced the decision between choosing between going into work or putting their safety at risk.
“We often hear about nannies being paid cash in hand, with no work contract, working more than 50 hours a week at barely above minimum wage,” said Pritchard.
Even before Sunday’s announcement, many nannies had been reportedly denied furlough by their bosses and told to come into work or risk being dismissed.
“What the government is saying is that if you are working for a large company, then you have the right to be safely employed.
“But if you’re a nanny and you’re working for a couple of households, then you’re on your own.”
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Toni, 34, would take her two young children along as she worked her two nannying jobs.
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She has been on furlough during lockdown, and she says she is “really anxious” about the new rules and will refuse to go to work for at least another three weeks.
“We don’t have any PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and yet we’ve got to go in and out of households,” she told HuffPost UK.
“If I get sick then who will my children have? As a parent, it’s not a gamble I am willing to take.
“If I don’t get furloughed again, I’m really scared. Do I choose between not having any money or do I risk my health?”
Although people are currently forbidden to mix households under current regulations, nannies are having to work in separate households where they have little to no control over who goes in and out.
The new guidelines come as the government hopes that reopening childcare providers will help more people get back to work. Chris J Ratcliffe via Getty Images
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“One nanny I spoke to this week works in a busy household where there are 12 people coming in and out,” said Pritchard.
Pauline, 50, from Cambridgeshire, has worked as a nanny for over 30 years and claims it is “frankly ridiculous” that nannies are expected to return to work with no provisions made for their safety.
“I am shocked and saddened by the government’s lack of clarity,” she told HuffPost UK. “I feel like we are being thrown under the bus.
“Nannies are in an unenviable position where unscrupulous employers have been making them work throughout lockdown, not out of necessity but convenience.
“Most of us are feeling resentful. Bosses should have the legal obligation to provide a risk assessment.”
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She says she will only be going back to work once her employers have assured her that no one else will be entering the workplace and once a rota has been drawn up for using the shared spaces of the house.
“The lockdown has shone a light on how undervalued nannies are,” said Pritchard. “They really are at great risk.“


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Barack Obama’s Cryptic Tweet Sets Twitter Alight With Speculation

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One word was all it took for former President Barack Obama to set social media alight on Thursday.
“Vote.,” he tweeted:
Vote. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 14, 2020
It’s unclear exactly why Obama issued the call to vote, some six months before the 2020 presidential election.
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But many people suggested it was in response to Trump’s earlier single word post referencing his so-called “Obamagate” conspiracy theory that alleges Obama in 2016 led attempts to sabotage his incoming administration.
OBAMAGATE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
Others theorised that Trump’s recent attacks on in-mail voting and his widely criticised handling of the coronavirus pandemic could have prompted Obama to respond. They also noted how Obama’s post garnered more than four times the number of “likes” as his successor’s tweet.
One-word response from Obama as Trump, Fox News, and the right-wing media machine target him and his admin with this "OBAMAGATE" conspiracy theory: https://t.co/dxQF9ZXIIn — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 14, 2020
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Weird how an ex-President is telling people to vote while the current one is encouraging people not to vote. — Denise Wu (@denisewu) May 14, 2020
This is amazing. Trump has tried to reduce this race to one-word tweets like “Obamagate” and so President Obama is tweeting the only word in all of this that matters: “Vote.” — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) May 14, 2020
Vote like our lives depend on it. Because our lives depend on it.https://t.co/HPQzihpz1q https://t.co/8Sz1shxr0f — Adam Rifkin 🐼 (@ifindkarma) May 14, 2020
OMG, how to decipher this? https://t.co/dcFcGAuxjd — David Emery 😷 (@debunker) May 14, 2020
I'm loving the new "I'm tweeting every day and you can't stop me from being awesome" Obama. https://t.co/6GfyLvlDnu — Aurora Browne (@aurorabrowne) May 14, 2020
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NEXT ON HANNITY: Socialist Obama Encourages Mass Voter Fraud with Order for Illegals to Stuff Ballot Boxes https://t.co/DP1aEGya0u — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 14, 2020
The subtweet of this... 😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/txoQW4xOsG — Adam Holisky (@AdamHolisky) May 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Miranda Hart Reveals The Mortifying Real-Life 'Miranda Moment' She Suffered In Lockdown

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With her love of cocooning in a duvet and her fruit friends and vegeta-pals, it could be argued that sitcom character Miranda was the original queen of self-isolation.
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However, the show’s star has now revealed a story from her time in lockdown that’s as ridiculous as anything that ever happened to her hapless namesake.
Miranda Hart in the BBC sitcom Miranda BBC
Revealing her real-life “Miranda moment” as she appears on Friday’s edition of The Graham Norton Show, Miranda Hart, tells the chat show host: “My dog is 13 now and has gone deaf so instead of saying gently, ‘Wee Wees’ when she is outside, I have to shout it at her.
“The other day I couldn’t get her back, so wearing just a towel I was shouting ‘Peggy, Wee wees’ at the top of my voice. It was only afterwards that I realised someone was filming a live Zoom PE class and I was in the background!”
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Still, at least this didn’t happen to her towel.
Oh, it turns out something similar has indeed happened to her in lockdown, as Miranda tweeted earlier this week:
In other news... went into the garden. Yawned and stretched. As arms went up, the towel around my waist fell to the floor. Wasn’t wearing pants. Thank you. — Miranda Hart (@mermhart) May 13, 2020
The BBC sitcom celebrated its 10th anniversary at the tail end of last year, with Miranda later hosting a reunion special from the London Palladium on New Year’s Day to mark the occasion.
Speaking about the celebrations, Miranda tells Graham: “It felt very British and a bit awkward celebrating myself and then I thought, ’Fuck it – the show did really well and I am allowed to celebrate it and be proud of it.
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“The biggest surprise was what it meant to people. After the second series, I started getting letters – particularly from teenage girls and young women who said the show really helped them with their anxieties and helped them accept themselves. Subconsciously, there was clearly more going into the writing than I realised – it was kind of cool to acknowledge that.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Queer Eye's Karamo Brown Re-Proposed To His Fiance After Wedding Was Cancelled

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Karamo Brown found a poignant way to celebrate his relationship with fiance Ian Jordan after the coronavirus crisis forced the two men to scrap their forthcoming wedding.
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The Queer Eye culture guru posted a short video to Instagram this week in which he proposes to Jordan a second time. The romantic re-engagement took place at the couple’s Los Angeles home, which also happened to be Ian’s birthday and their 10th anniversary.
In the accompanying caption, Kamaro explained that his time in self-isolation with Jordan has made him fall “even deeper in love.” By popping the question again, he was able to present his fiance with a second engagement ring to replace the original, which had been lost.
Many of Kamaro’s famous pals chimed in with their heartfelt congratulations.
“And I’m crying,” wrote “Vanderpump Rules” alum Billie Lee. “Oh my god! Congrats a million times. Your love inspires me so much.” Queer Eye co-star Tan France added: “AWW, CUTE.”
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Kamaro first proposed to Ian at a surprise birthday party in 2018.
“He is my today, tomorrow and everything,” he told E! News of his fiance at the time.
And while the Covid-19 pandemic may have delayed his nuptials, Brown is about to be as busy as ever on the professional front.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Asian American Doctors Created A Video To Challenge Covid-19 Racism

Joyce Park, a dermatologist, and Audrey Sue Cruz, an internal medicine hospitalist, hold up signs in a video put together by Asian American doctors to combat xenophobia. Instagram
When the coronavirus pandemic first started getting bad in the US, Christina Chen, an internal medicine physician in Rochester, Minnesota, had a handful of experiences at supermarkets that hinted at what was to come for Asian Americans like herself across the country.
As she walked out of a grocery store, a man parked next to her cautioned her against wearing a mask in public since it would “only scare others more.” Later, she got even more unwanted attention inside another store.
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“I was in a checkout line with a few other people with paper towel products in our carts,” Chen told HuffPost. “From behind me, I hear, ‘First they bring the virus, and now they’re taking all our supplies!’”
“It was nothing to directly attack me, but these comments only perpetuate the feeling of blame,” Chen added. “They make you feel like a pest, and no one should be made to feel that way.”
Chen’s experiences have become sadly commonplace. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, people in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have been widely scapegoated for the virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China. The online reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate said that since its inception on March 18, it’s received more than 1,500 reports of discrimination primarily targeting Asian Americans.
Last month, Chen and fellow doctor Audrey Sue Cruz decided to speak out against the hate. The women reached out to Asian American health care workers they knew and asked if they’d like to collaborate on an Instagram video.
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Released last month, the video shows each doctor holding up a sign with racist comments they’ve had directed at them, as well as their responses.
“You’re a selfish disease carrier,” psychiatrist Vania Manipod’s sign reads.
“But I’m on the frontlines risking my life to save yours,” Cruz’s sign says.
Cruz, the co-creator of the video, said personal experiences fueled her desire to speak out. She recounted an encounter she had with a new elderly patient on a telehealth call recently.
“The visit was going very well and I had obtained her history and addressed her medical concerns. Toward the end of the visit, she asked me what my nationality is. I answered that I am Asian American. The patient stated ‘Can you believe what your people did?! I usually wouldn’t choose to see an Asian doctor but you seem nice.’”
Cruz said she was left speechless.
“I asked her if she had any other medical concerns and she said no, so I ended the visit promptly,” the doctor said. “It was very disappointing to have to experience this. But it shows that not even health care providers are immune to this sort of behaviour.”
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Psychiatrist Vania Manipod and physician Austin Chiang are among the participants in the video spotlighting racism spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. Instagram
According to the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, more than 2 million Asian American and Pacific Islander workers are on the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis.
For many like Cruz, the rise in racism against Asians ― and the “Chinese virus” rhetoric repeated by President Donald Trump ― has put them in a strange, oftentimes uncomfortable position at work.
Scott Fujimoto, an interventional radiologist in Loma Linda, California, featured in the video, said that Asian Americans dealing directly with the pandemic feel “revered, but also paradoxically feared.”
“My hope is that people who watch the video see how nonsensical this is for Asian American doctors,” he said. “I read an article by Chen Fu, a doctor in New York, which said Asian American doctors are ‘both celebrated and villainised.’ When I talk to others in health care work, that’s the sense I get from them.”
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“I really hope people see this and realise that no matter your race, profession, or cultural background, all humans deserve respect and, above all, to choose kindness and compassion” as they interact with others.
Chen said she hopes viewers are reminded of how counterproductive racist reactions are during a health crisis.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Canadian Woman Now Married To Man Who Saved Her In Las Vegas Shooting

Instagram / tragedytolove Chantal Melanson and Austin Monfort, who met when he saved her during the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, are now married.
Austin Monfort didn’t make the best first impression when he met Chantal Melanson at a Las Vegas country bar in September 2017.
“I was with my girls and I gave him a hard time for not wearing cowboy boots at a country bar,” Melanson, who’s from Alberta, told People.
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Despite that setback, Monfort, 24, did enough right that Melanson, 29 asked him to meet her the next night at a country music festival outside the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
That’s where a gunman opened fire on 22,000 concertgoers from his room, killing at least 58 people and injuring hundreds.
Monfort’s first instinct was to protect Melanson.
“I felt a sense of responsibility for Chantal,” he told People. “She was with me and not her friends. I felt like not only did I have to get myself out, but also her. Keeping her calm and getting her out kept me calm, and didn’t allow me to panic.” He guided her away from the mayhem and to safety.
Melanson appreciated Monfort’s actions.
“I remember laying on the ground just looking into Austin’s eyes, trying to make sense of everything,” she said. “Next thing I knew, Austin was holding my hand and we were running through the entire grounds trying to make it to safety.”
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Monfort’s concern didn’t end there. He and Melanson not only stayed together the rest of the night, but they kept in contact over the following months.
What started in tragedy bloomed into love.
They dated long-distance for a while, since Monfort lived in San Diego and Melanson was in Edmonton. They got engaged in California in March 2019, and had a quickie courthouse wedding for visa purposes in November. They planned a traditional ceremony for May 8 in Las Vegas, but that’s now been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Still, the couple is happy they are together and are currently isolating themselves in California.
“I felt safe with him — I didn’t want to leave his side,” Melanson said. “In many ways, he did save my life.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--32 Too-Real Tweets About Quarantine Fitness

Everyone keeps saying it is very important to keep up with your routines during this quarantine, so I want to let you know that, at this time, I will continue to not work out just like before.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Kids Are So Over Zoom. Here's What To Do About It

Marija Babic / EyeEm via Getty Images Many kids have lost total interest in video calls, like Zoom.
In the past month, my 5-year-old has gone from being excited about video calls for school and virtual “play dates” to basically hating it all. Sometimes he’s into it — like yesterday, when he was totally engrossed in a 30-minute class with his teacher and six friends. More often, he whines and mopes beforehand, then immediately after slips into a funk. That goes for official school meetings and for more casual digital hangouts with family and friends.
Zoom fatigue (or whatever your preferred video call platform) is a real issue for both adults and kids, which is, of course, a problem. Millions of children across the world are doing the bulk of their schooling online right now, a scenario that could well continue into the next academic year. But lots of them are feeling, just, meh about the whole thing.
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Are your kids completely over Zoom? Here’s what that is all about — and what you can do to help them through it.
First, understand that they might just be really sad
I’ve noticed that my 5-year-old gets especially upset on the morning of his weekly full-class Google Hangout. It’s a sweet idea — they ask each other questions and sing some songs. Afterward he crashes, without fail. He’ll have a totally unrelated meltdown. Or pick a fight with his brother. Or just kind of sink into a crappy mood.
Educational experts say video calls can be a sudden reminder to kids of how different things are in their worlds right now. They might be navigating their new at-home routines pretty well at this point, but seeing their friends and their teacher virtually can quickly snap them out of it.
“They’re tired of not being able to see people face to face,” said Lee Scott, chairwoman of the educational advisory board at The Goddard School, a private early education provider. “It’s a reminder they can’t do that.” Scott added that video chat removes all of the spontaneity that’s such a hallmark of kid friendships, particularly for the younger set.
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“In natural friendships, they think, ‘Oh, I’ll go over and say “hi” to so and so,’” Scott said. They can’t do that at all right now, and video calls can be a hard reminder of that change.
So don’t try to fix it
“Children have experienced a loss. This is really sad for them,” echoed Nermeen Dashoush, an assistant professor of early childhood education at Boston University and chief curriculum officer at MarcoPolo Learning. Don’t underestimate how difficult that is to cope with emotionally, she said.
Instead of trying to fix their sadness by setting up more online playdates, help give them the vocabulary they need to express their feelings — and be open to hearing about what they’re going through.
“I do think that sometimes as parents we try too much to try and make things better for our kids,” said Dashoush, herself a parent who added that she often does the same thing. “A lot of research says, though, that what really helps is trying to help kids identify their feelings.” Then be on the lookout for more pronounced withdrawal, which could be a sign your child is struggling with depression or anxiety.
Give them some control over when they have video calls
Different teachers, classrooms, schools and districts have different expectations for what remote learning looks like, and what kind of daily schedules they’re setting. But if your kid is really pushing back against Zoom, it might be time to just give them a break.
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“I do think there needs to be a healthy mindset around all of this,” said Stephen Cochrane, an associate professor for the California School of Education at Alliant International University. “Parents shouldn’t be too fearful that their child is going to slip and fall behind.”
So cancel Zoom dates with friends and family for a few days, and talk to your kid’s teacher about what they’re experiencing in order to come up with some strategies that can give them the time and space they need, while also staying on top of their schoolwork. That might mean calling into school meet-ups when they need to, but then spacing out the rest of their work a bit more.
“Let them have a say in how they break things up,” said Scott. “Give them some choices about how and when they do schoolwork that is required.”
Plan social calls with clear structure
If your kid is getting bored on Zoom calls with friends and family, it can be really helpful to give them a specific thing they’re going to do or talk about ahead of time. Maybe you have them play games with a friend, or have them cook a favourite recipe, suggested Scott. An older friend or relative might enjoy reading your kid a book. Maybe it’s a virtual dance party.
And that’s not just for younger kids. Older children might enjoy watching a movie with their friends, and there are extensions and apps that they can use to make it more of a viewing party.
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“Try and have a plan,” Scott said.
Remember, in a lot of ways this is even harder for kids than it is for adults
Adults had at least been following the Covid-19 news before everything shut down, but kids’ worlds changed in an instant.
“A lot of them went to school one day, and the next day it was just ... over,” said Dashoush. So be patient with them if they just don’t feel like hopping on another Zoom call. Be open with them (in a developmentally appropriate way, of course) about how this all feels for you emotionally, too. Acknowledge that this feels really forced for a lot of us.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Government Set To Miss Another Target As Just 1,500 Of 18,000 Required Contact Tracers Hired

Health Secretary Matt Hancock BEN STANSALL via Getty Images
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Ministers look set to miss another Covid-19 target as just 1,500 contact tracers have been hired out of a pledged 18,000.
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Health secretary Matt Hancock had said he would recruit an “army” of 18,000 tracers, to track the people coronavirus sufferers have had contact with, by “mid May”.
But, speaking on Friday, Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said just 15,000 have come forward so far and “earlier in the week” just 1,500 of that number had actually been hired.
It means the government has just 8% of the tracers it says it needs in place.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “I don’t think we’ve got to 18,000 just yet, I think there’s about 15,000 applications, we’re looking to as you say get up to 18,000.”
Pushed again on how many had been appointed, he added: “As of this morning I’m not sure of exactly how many of the 15,000 have been hired. Earlier in the week it was about 1,500. It would have gone up since then.”
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Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. ASSOCIATED PRESS
A functional test, track and trace operation is viewed as key to protecting the UK from a second peak of the disease.
Hancock has already faced sharp criticism for repeatedly failing to meet the 100,000 tests-a-day target he set himself.
The daily figure for tests has been frequently under 100,000 since April 30 – the target deadline day – and on even that date the government faced claims the total was artificially inflated by including the number of home test kits sent out, as opposed to completed.
On Thursday, ministers said 126,064 tests had been carried out on Wednesday, the highest number to date but only the third time in May that the number has gone above 100,000.
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It comes as Boris Johnson begins to ease the lockdown, asking people who cannot work remotely to return to the workplace.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--More Than 12,500 Care Home Residents In England And Wales Have Died Of Coronavirus

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More than 12,500 care home residents have died of coronavirus in England and Wales since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Between March 2 and May of this year, a total of 45,899 people died in care homes according to the latest figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Covid-19 was involved in a total of 12,526 deaths, accounting for 27.3% of all deaths in care homes.
The statistics also show that 23,136 more care home residents died between December 28, 2019, and May 1, 2020, than had died in the previous year.
Of these deaths, 12,526 mentioned “novel coronavirus [Covid-19]”, which is 17.1% of all deaths in care home residents in the year-to-date.
These figures reveal a startling rise in the number of non-coronavirus related deaths year on year – a phenomenon currently being investigated by the ONS.
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Meanwhile, the statistics show that the number of care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 within care homes had overtaken deaths within hospitals.
Between March 2 and May 1, coronavirus was the leading cause of death in male care home residents, accounting for 30.3% of all deaths, and was the second leading cause of death in female care home deaths, after dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 23.5% of deaths.
Data published by the ONS in April showed that Covid-19 had – at that point – killed men at double the rate of women.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s was the most common main pre-existing condition found among deaths involving Covid-19 – involved in 42.5% of all deaths of care home residents involving COVID-19.
Across England, the South East saw the highest number of coronavirus deaths in care home residents, accounting for 25.7% of deaths among the care home population.
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More than 12,500 care home residents have died in England and Wales after contracting coronavirus. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The South West had the lowest proportion of deaths involving Covid-19 accounting for 12.9% of deaths in care home residents. When comparing Wales with the English regions, it had the lowest number (532) of deaths involving Covid-19 among care home residents.
In England, the age-specific mortality rate was at least 6.5 times higher for care home residents aged 85 and over than for non-care home residents for deaths involving coronavirus, and for all deaths.
However, the ONS did point out that higher mortality is to be expected among care home residents as poor health and frailty is a dominant reason for needing residential care in the first place.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Every death from this virus is a tragedy and we are working around the clock to give the social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this unprecedented global pandemic.
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“This includes continuing to make sure millions of items of PPE are available to care workers, using our increased testing capacity to test care home residents, staff and their families, regardless of symptoms and our new £600m Infection Control Fund to help prevent spread in care homes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: Boris Johnson 'Changes Mind On Obesity', And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

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The prime minister has reportedly had a change of heart in how to tackle the obesity crisis, after apparently attributing his serious bout of Covid-19 to being overweight.
The news comes as more than 33,000 people have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus, with 233,151 people testing positive.
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Statista
Here’s the latest:
Boris Johnson to reportedly launch ‘much more interventionist’ approach to tackling obesity
Prime minister Boris Johnson. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boris Johnson is reportedly preparing to launch a new strategy designed to lower rates of obesity as part of the fight against coronavirus.
According to The Times, the PM – who in April was hospitalised with the virus and spent three days in intensive care – told senior ministers “I’ve changed my mind on this”, and is preparing a “much more interventionist” drive against obesity.
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Researchers at Glasgow University have previously found that being obese doubles the risk of needing hospital treatment for coronavirus, with an increase in BMI aligning with the risk of having a severe case of Covid-19.
Around a third of Britons are believed to be clinically obese, and figures released by the NHS on Thursday revealed that a quarter of coronavirus patients who have died in hospitals in England had diabetes.
The Times reported that Johnson is understood to be convinced that his weight was a major contributing factor to his hospitalisation.
In a column for the paper, The Spectator’s political editor James Forsyth wrote that the PM said “it’s all right for you thinnies” when talking about Covid-19 in Downing Street, and is said to be “obsessed” with encouraging more people to cycle to work.
Infection rate in London has dropped far below ‘R’ value in other regions, researchers say
The R value in London could have fallen as low as 0.4. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The number of people being infected with coronavirus in London each day could have fallen as low as 24, while the North East faces 4,000 infections each day, researchers have said.
According to modelling carried out by Public Health England and the University of Cambridge’s MRC Biostatistics Unit, the infection rate – known as the R value – across England has fallen.
Sky News reports that researches have seen the R number fall to 0.75. In his address to the nation on Sunday evening, the PM said the R value would have to stay below 1 to continue loosening lockdown.
According to research, the North East and Yorkshire has an R rate of 0.8, the South West 0.76, the North West 0.73, the South East and East of England 0.71 and in the Midlands 0.68.
London’s average rate has reportedly fallen to 0.4, which means that for every 10 people who are infected, they are likely to pass it onto four people.
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When R drops below 1 it means the virus isn’t spread at a high enough rate to sustain an outbreak, so the number of infections gradually drops. The closer the number is to zero, the faster the virus declines.
While the new research has been shared widely, some experts have warned that it should be treated with caution.
Asked if 24 new cases a day in the capital is robust, Dr Sebastian Funk – a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, there is some variation around this and there is some uncertainty in this, but what we have observed in London is that case numbers and death numbers have come down faster than in other parts of the country – albeit from a considerably higher level.
“So I think it… well, I would say it is a little bit higher than that, but it is probably lower than the rest of the country.”
Asked whether the R rate should be looked at regionally, Funk said: “I absolutely do so, yes.
Homeless to be kicked out of accommodation as government reportedly drops funding
The government has reportedly dropped its funding for the 'Everyone In' initiative. Barry Lewis via Getty Images
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Hundreds of homeless people could be kicked out of temporary accommodation as the government reportedly scraps the funding for the ‘Everybody In’ scheme.
Manchester Evening News (MEN) revealed on Thursday evening that hundreds of people in Manchester could be forced onto the streets, including some 400 who have been made homeless over the course of the pandemic.
Thousands of people across the UK have been temporarily housed, and questions over their fate once lockdown started to lift have lingered ever since the unprecedented scheme to help the homeless self-isolate was announced at the end of March.
A leaked report to the region’s combined authority, seen by the MEN, reveals the Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government (MCHLG) has “drawn a line” under the ‘Everyone In’ initiative, telling councils it will no longer be funded. No public statement has yet been made by the government.
In Greater Manchester alone, almost 5,000 people are expected to be classed as homeless between the start of April and the end of July – including more than 70 prisoners each month who are released with no address to return to.
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Rail passengers urged not to travel without advanced ticket and face covering
Passengers on Avanti West Coast trains could be refused without advance tickets and face coverings. PA
Rail passengers have been urged not to travel without an advanced ticket, with those using the West Coast Mainline asked to wear face coverings.
Avanti West Coast made the announcement as part of new social distancing on its services linking London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham, the BBC reported.
New measures are to come into effect on Monday, with passengers potentially being refused travel if guidelines are not followed.
“We’re appealing to our valued customers to help us and other passengers by only travelling with a reservation,” said Avanti West Coast’s managing director Phil Whittingham.
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“If everyone does this, we’ll be able to keep social distancing in place on board, both for our customers and our people.
“If customers do turn up without a reservation, we’ll do our best to help but we can’t guarantee they’ll be able to take the train they want.”
Other measures include only allowing carriages to reach a quarter of their usual capacity, asking passengers to book in advance on the Avanti, and to avoid using station facilities.
All staff will wear face masks, waiting rooms will be closed, enhanced cleaning on board and most shops will be closed.
Trump refuses to wear mask during visit to mask supplier, suggests testing is ‘overrated’
Donald Trump visits medical supply distributor Owens and Minor Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images
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Donald Trump has said testing for Covid-19 might be “overrated” during a visit to a mask factory, throughout the course of which he refused to wear a mask.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Normal People Star Paul Mescal Delighted After Sia Shares Video Of His Hidden Talent

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Normal People star Paul Mescal was left shocked and delighted after Sia shared a video of his hidden talents.
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The singer was impressed after seeing a clip of the actor covering her song Chandelier.
Paul posted a video of his piano-led rendition of Sia’s 2014 hit on his Instagram earlier this week, which was quickly praised by fans.
Paul Mescal and Sia BBC/Shutterstock
However, his biggest fan came in the form of actual Sia herself, who later reshared the video on her own Instagram, revealing she’d been enjoying the BBC’s adaptation of Normal People.
She wrote: She wrote: “I’m watching Normal People right now and you’re incredible in it.
“And now this! Congratulations and hope to meet one day!”
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Responding to her post, Paul told his fans: “Lads Sia shared this!! Holy God!”
The BBC adaption of Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel has become one of the most talked-about shows of the year, with viewers enjoying the complicated love story of Paul’s character Connell and Daisy Edgar-Jones’s Marianne.
Paul stars in Normal People alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu
Paul recently revealed he was isolating alone at his home in east London, having moved in about two weeks before the start of lockdown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe Was The 'Perfect Tonic' To Life In Lockdown For Viewers

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With the last few months having been decidedly bleak, Charlie Brooker’s return to TV could not have come at a better time for viewers.
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The satirist was back with a special “Antiviral” edition of his hit show Screenwipe on Thursday night, which took a sideways look at events during the coronavirus pandemic.
Charlie Brooker BBC/Netflix/Matt Holyoak
The episode saw him poke fun at politicians including prime minister Boris Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock, as well as offering an acerbic take at some recent news stories.
It also featured the return of Diane Morgan as reporter Philomena Cunk.
And for fans watching, Charlie’s comical look at the news provided some much-needed laughs and was the “perfect tonic” to life in lockdown.
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Loving #AntiviralWipe
The perfect tonic for this lockdown lunacy. @charltonbrooker — Adrian Harris (@AdeHarris) May 14, 2020
Just caught up. Fucking genius as usual. So many layers to it and still the people he's taking the piss out of won't realise it's happening 🤣🤣🤣#AntiviralWipe — @googlygirl (@googlygirl86) May 15, 2020
Charlie Brooker's #AntiviralWipe was easily the best thing about lockdown so far. Seeing him host again is a huge silver lining in this shitshow pandemic. Loved every second. Nice to see a @Konnie_Huq cameo too! — Stephanie 🌻 (@MissStevens89) May 14, 2020
That “happy birthday twice” gag alone was genius and worth the 4 year wait for new Wipe. Charlie Brooker is a national treasure #AntiviralWipe — Sagal Abdi-Wali (@Sagal_AW) May 14, 2020
I have to say that @charltonbrooker's #AntiviralWipe is the best bit of lockdown telly I've yet seen. Absolutely bang-on. And because Wipe has always been Charlie in His Room, in front of a telly, no audience, it still works perfectly.
(And Nice Konnie Huq is in it as well) — Dando Shaft 🚧📉 (@lennylaw) May 14, 2020
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Charlie Brooker’s #antiviralwipe needs to be put on the GCSE History curriculum when we look back at this #COVID19 shitfest 👏 pic.twitter.com/fPKUg5JVxG — Lucy Sempey (@LucySempey) May 14, 2020
I can’t even begin to tell you how much joy @charltonbrooker’s #AntiviralWipe (BBC2) brought me tonight. I really, really needed this undiluted shot of common sense and satire🙏 pic.twitter.com/G46BgdYlS0 — Hannah Foulds (@HanFoulds) May 14, 2020
Charlie Brooker’s #AntiviralWipe brilliant! I find it hard to laugh right now , but this hit the spot. — Caroline Castle (@Prospectally2) May 14, 2020
Charlie Brooker is the most fantastic human being. #AntiviralWipe was as superb as expected. — Adam (@Adam_GeorgePR) May 14, 2020
They especially enjoyed his descriptions of politicians...
Apprentice finalist
Eastenders baddie
Estate agent boy #AntiviralWipe pic.twitter.com/aFk8ja43gT — Max Bevis (@MaxBevis) May 14, 2020
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"Your sister's first boyfriend with a car" - such a brilliant description of Matt Hancock #AntiviralWipe — David Baddiel (@Baddiel) May 14, 2020
So Chris Whitty (Prof. COVID) looks like Tin Tin, if he had prematurely aged after watching his dog drown #AntiviralWipe @charltonbrooker pic.twitter.com/2r29r3JzeP — Isabelle Plasschaert (@isabelleplass) May 15, 2020
Nothing about Charlie Brooke’s superb anti viral wipe last night ? His renaming of Matt Hancock and the rest of the goons had everyone pissing selves #AntiviralWipe #GMB pic.twitter.com/fSzAiVX4Kk — Kev aka mr Qwerty Keyboard the veggie T.Rex... (@kevinsm17554523) May 15, 2020
A sad doctor resembling Tintin, prematurely aged after watching his dog drown.
Creased! 🤣🤣🤣#AntiviralWipe pic.twitter.com/cS9cMtwmiG — Catrin Newman (@catrinnewman) May 14, 2020
Charlie Brooker describing Matt Hancock as “Your sister’s first boyfriend with a car” is the most accurate description yet. 🤣👏🏼 #AntiviralWipe — Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) May 14, 2020
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As the Black Mirror creator also looked at some notable events before the pandemic hit the UK, people’s minds were blown that they actually happened this year.
January. Was that this year, or last year? #AntiviralWipe — Jamie (@jneish30) May 14, 2020
Catching up on #AntiviralWipe - how does January feel so far? It's surreal how naive I was, along with many of us. It feels like another life. A life of carefree door handle licking. — Seaneen Molloy (@ms_molly_vog) May 14, 2020
@charltonbrooker Thank you for the #AntiviralWipe crazy to think back to January... also cute to see the family! @Konnie_Huq and kids were great 💖💜 — Kirsty Braik-Scivyer (@eclipse1473) May 14, 2020
My absolute hero!!!
Why does January feel decades ago?!
Comedy and factual champion!!! #AntiviralWipe — Nadine Irons (@irons_nadine) May 14, 2020
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Charlie filmed Antiviral Wipe from his home, where he was assisted by his wife, former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, who he asked to make a ventilator out of kitchen items during one skit.
For two months my shielded lockdown has been waiting for this #AntiviralWipe @charltonbrooker asking @Konnie_Huq to make a ventilator from kitchen items. The best lockdown TV information.
"Your sister's first boyfriend with a car" - such a brilliant description of Matt Hancock pic.twitter.com/MKnyfRSMS1 — Elizabeth Costello (@ElizabethC50) May 14, 2020
.@charltonbrooker asking @Konnie_Huq to make a ventilator from kitchen items is the best bit of lockdown TV yet. I've missed this show. And Blue Peter. #AntiviralWipe pic.twitter.com/j9kWLgNfVg — Will Hingley (@Will_Hingley) May 14, 2020
He actually used Konnie Huq on the show as well! #AntiViralWipe pic.twitter.com/MgBTqwsToL — Damo ⚡ (@_thedamien) May 15, 2020
Some viewers noticed a comical touch in the credits, where she was listed as autocue operator, area manager and head of hair and make up.
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Konnie Huq credited as Autocue Operator is peak lockdown #AntiviralWipe pic.twitter.com/GIFdpjSfkq — Paul Doctor (@paulwdoctor) May 14, 2020
The show was also praised for making some important points about the pandemic.
This by Charlie Brooker is spot on:
“The virus is indiscriminate ... I say that but key workers, ethnic minorities and the impoverished are more disproportionately affected.”
“We may all be all in this together, but sadly, some are more in this than others.” #AntiviralWipe — Scott Bryan (@scottygb) May 14, 2020
Charlie Brooker's #AntiviralWipe was absolutely terrific. Funny, thought-provoking, beautifully made. Congrats to the whole gang. — Richard Osman (@richardosman) May 14, 2020
After Antiviral Wipe aired, Charlie posted on Twitter thanking his team for “pulling together and working so diligently and brilliantly on this very unusual show”.
Just want to take a moment to thank our entire #AntiviralWipe team for pulling together and working so diligently and brilliantly on this very unusual show. — Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker) May 14, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Donald Trump Refuses To Wear Mask At Mask Supplier, Suggests Testing Is 'Overrated'

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President Donald Trump on Thursday griped about the pressure he’s facing to increase the ability to test people for the coronavirus, saying that testing might be “overrated” anyway.
“We have the best testing in the world. Could be that testing is, frankly, overrated. Maybe it is overrated,” Trump said during a visit to Owens & Minor, a medical supply company in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that distributes masks and other products.
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“You know, they always say, ‘We want more, we want more,’ because they don’t want to give you credit. Then we do more, and they say, ‘We want more,’” he added.
Trump did not wear a mask during his visit, and neither did his chief of staff, Mark Meadows. Everyone else did, according to the pool report from S.V. Date, HuffPost’s senior White House correspondent.
President Donald Trump visits medical supply distributor Owens & Minor in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on May 14. Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
Hundreds of Trump supporters lined the road along the president’s route to the plant on Thursday, and thousands appeared to be at the plant itself to greet him. Many were not wearing masks.
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Even though the federal government’s own health experts recommend wearing masks, Trump has refused to do so.
“I don’t think that I’m going to be doing it,” he said after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines to encourage mask usage.
Trump has also reportedly said he would look ridiculous wearing a mask and that he worried it would send the wrong message, contradicting his (unscientific) predictions that the end of the pandemic is just around the corner.
Thursday’s visit was one of Trump’s few trips out of Washington, DC, since the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the country. In early May, he went to a mask factory in Arizona and also refused to wear a mask ― despite a sign near the factory floor that read, “Please wear your mask at all times.”
Vice President Mike Pence also faced significant criticism when he visited the Mayo Clinic and did not wear a mask ― even though it was the policy of the facility.
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People watch as a motorcade with President Donald Trump drives past on Thursday, May 14, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Evan Vucci/Associated Press
Trump has been playing down the significance of testing people to see whether they have the coronavirus, even though medical experts and scientists said it’s key to overcoming the pandemic. In addition to the volume of tests, experts said it also matters which populations are getting tested and whether there is adequate contact tracing to track who has been infected.
At the same time, he has boasted that the US has “the best testing in the world” ― a claim that is absolutely not true.
But there is one place where testing is readily available: the White House. After several staffers who have had close contact with the president and vice president tested positive for COVID-19, tests are now readily available at the White House that take just minutes to get results (although the reliability of those results has been questioned).
Staffers will also now have to wear masks most of the time, a policy that the president said he put into place himself. Trump, however, will continue not to wear one.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: BAME People 'Thrown To The Wolves' With New Back-To-Work Guidelines

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New government guidelines urging those who can’t work from home to return to work will disproportionately impact Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people who are already at greater risk of dying from coronavirus, campaigners are warning.
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Boris Johnson, in his speech on Sunday night, actively encouraged those who cannot work from home to return to their jobs this week, while avoiding public transport where they can.
However, campaigners say the new measures will hit BAME communities hardest as they are less likely to be in jobs where they can work from home and will be forced to use public transport if they are pressured to return to work.
People from minority ethnic groups are also more likely to be in occupations where they are at higher risk of being exposed to Covid-19 – jobs such as care workers, security guards, bus drivers and taxi drivers.
Ethnic minority groups are at greater risk of dying from coronavirus than the white population according to the latest analysis by the Office for National Statistics.
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Anti-racist campaigners say the government’s new policy encouraging people to return to work is particularly dangerous for BAME people and have described the easing of lockdown measures as “premature”, “reckless” and “irresponsible”.
Sabby Dhalu, co-convener for Stand Up To Racism, told HuffPost UK she believes the new guidelines are “herd immunity by stealth” and she fears it will lead to a spike in coronavirus cases which will disproportionately affect people from BAME communities.
Sabby Dhalu, co-convener for Stand Up To Racism Sabby Dhalu
“These new guidelines are throwing people from BAME communities under the bus and the government is failing them by putting their lives at risk,” said Dhalu.
“The government’s easing of the lockdown is reverting back to the policy before lockdown which was creeping herd immunity and letting this virus rip through communities.
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“People have been put in the very difficult position of choosing to make an income by risking their life going back to work and no one should be put in that position.
“Any further increase in the death and infection rate will carry on disproportionately impacting BAME communities.”
Graph below shows if lockdown continued daily deaths would have fallen to zero by 7 June. Instead govt chooses to risk more deaths which will disproportionately impact on BAME communities. Criminal #coronavirusqa https://t.co/bUY2BucK26 — Sabby Dhalu (@SabbyDhalu) May 11, 2020
She said she felt the lockdown measures should have been stronger and easing them now is “way too premature”.
“It is herd immunity by stealth by urging sections of the workforce to return to work without enforcing any health and safety measures,” she added.
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“Many workers not working from home will be forced to use public transport and this will impact on BAME communities harder.”
Stand Up To Racism is calling for a public inquiry to expose the neglect of BAME communities amid the coronavirus pandemic by looking into issues such as institutional racism, and socio-economic factors such as poverty.
Charity So White, a campaign group led by people of colour tackling institutional racism within the charity sector, has been documenting the various ways BAME communities have been disproportionately impacted throughout the coronavirus crisis – including in health, housing and employment.
Yasmin Mahmoudi, an organiser at Charity So White Yasmin Mahmoudi
Organiser Yasmin Mahmoudi told HuffPost UK the group is alarmed by what the easing of lockdown could mean for BAME workers.
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She said the government’s revised “Stay Alert” slogan shunts responsibility onto individuals for protecting themselves against the virus and that more people will now be faced with the stark choice between keeping themselves safe and economic survival.
“I feel people from BAME backgrounds are being thrown to the wolves.” - Yasmin Mahmoudi, Charity So White
“I feel people from BAME backgrounds are being thrown to the wolves,” said Mahmoudi.
“These are people in society who already have the least and face so many disadvantages and now they are facing pressure to return to work.
“A lot of the jobs done by BAME people are public-facing roles with interaction which can’t be done from home.
“It is a class issue as well, as people from BAME communities tend to disproportionately be in lower paid jobs.
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“We condemn any plans to ease lockdown while it is still unsafe to do so and whilst protections for workers and the most marginalised members of society remain woefully inadequate.
“It is as if the government is prioritising returning the economy to business as usual at the risk of these BAME workers’ lives.”
Professor Azeem Majeed, head of primary care and public health at Imperial College, London, told HuffPost UK that people who are least able to work at home have the highest Covid-19 death rates among people of working age and that these are the people being encouraged to return to work.
They are roles in which BAME people are over-represented.
He believes a rigorous occupational health risk assessment is essential for everyone before they return to work to reduce their risk of infection.
Azeem Majeed, professor of primary care and head of the department of primary care and public health at Imperial College, London, Azeem Majeed
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“I think for any job, we need thorough risk assessments before people return to work,” he said. “This is a duty of care.
“People’s roles need to be assessed and it needs to be made sure they will not be put at risk. Perhaps those at high risk can be put in roles which are not public-facing.”
“The first thing we need to do is get the infection rate down in the community and then there needs to be testing and contact tracing.” - Professor Azeem Majeed, Imperial College, London,
Majeed believes the weeks in lockdown have been “wasted” as he feels a proper contact tracing system should have been put in place long ago.
“The first thing we need to do is get the infection rate down in the community and then there needs to be testing and contact tracing.”
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Marsha de Cordova, shadow women and equalities secretary and MP for Battersea, said there was “appallingly little mention of them” or the equalities impact in the government’s Covid-19 plans and recovery strategy.
She told HuffPost UK: “Any gaps in the government’s safety at work guidelines will mean low-paid workers with the poorest employment rights are most at risk.
“This includes many BAME workers who are disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
“We have already seen how Covid-19 has exposed and amplified social and economic inequalities in our society.
“The government must ensure that employers work with trade unions to maintain safe workplaces that are adequately risk assessed so that all communities are protected.”
Marsha de Cordova, shadow women and equalities secretary and MP for Battersea. Marsha de Cordova
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More than 70 BAME British figures have united to call for an independent public inquiry into the disproportionate deaths from Covid-19 among Britons from minority backgrounds.
Signatories include industry experts and people in public life such as Phil Wang, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Saloum N’jie, Bonnie Greer, Farooq Chaudhry, Matt Henry, Shaun Escoffery and Jermaine Jackman.
They have written to the prime minister calling for more transparency and for an inquiry to be broadened to include a focus on the levels of exposure BAME staff are facing and whether employers are fulfilling their duty of care.
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is preparing to mount a legal challenge on behalf of its members and says it is crucial that workers such as couriers, cleaners and delivery drivers are protected from the virus.
Jason Moyer-Lee, IWGB general secretary, said to HuffPost UK on the issue of BAME workers: “The prime minister has acknowledged the danger of taking public transport and going into work, but has nevertheless encouraged those who have no alternative to do so.
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“The impact of this will not be spread evenly through society – it will disproportionately hit low-paid and BAME workers.
“That’s why the IWGB has been campaigning and taken urgent legal action against the government to protect incomes and health and safety as much as possible.”
Public Health England told HuffPost UK it is currently working on a rapid research review into factors impacting health outcomes for Covid-19. This work includes reviewing disparities in health outcomes of coronavirus between different ethnic groups.
A Public Health England spokesperson said: “The data on Covid-19′s impacts on different communities is rapidly evolving.
“Actions to address these inequalities do not rest with one agency but require collaborative actions at multiple levels of society.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Drag Race & Selling Sunset Return | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown

Drag Race & Selling Sunset Return | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown
This week in entertainment, the twelfth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race US struts to the finale. Netflix’s Selling Sunset returns for series two with ridiculous properties and equally ridiculous drama. Eurovision isn’t happening this year, so we quizzed each other on the previous competitions and contestants.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Alert Issued About COVID-19 Illness In Children As Trump Presses To Open Schools

A family wearing masks waits to cross the street amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 14 in New York City Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
Surging cases of a mysterious illness in children linked to COVID-19 has triggered an alert by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn physicians what to look out for.
Seventeen states have reported cases of what’s now labelled multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which can affect several organs and has been fatal in rare instances. New York has reported 102 cases. Three of the children died, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.
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There’s also growing alarm across Europe about the cases. Paris scientists noted a 20-fold increase in the illness similar to Kawasaki disease in children, 82% who had contracted COVID-19. Italy has reported a 30-fold hike. The CDC alert also noted a study of recent cases in Britain.
The troubling news comes as President Donald Trump is pushing for schools to reopen. On Wednesday, Trump criticised health expert Dr Anthony Fauci’s warning Tuesday against reopening schools too quickly as he noted the troubling COVID-19 complications for children. Trump called Fauci’s advice “not an acceptable answer” and urged that “all schools open as soon as possible.”
NEW: Case definition for Kawasaki-like syndrome created based on 102 children in New York. First standardized criteria for a condition that is being called pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome: pic.twitter.com/q3TCnlSB3Y — Matt McCarthy (@DrMattMcCarthy) May 14, 2020
The CDC alert urges physicians seeing instances of the inflammatory syndrome to report them to local departments so cases, treatments and outcomes can be tracked. Children with the disease have had persistent fever and a variety of other symptoms, including low blood pressure, multi-organ complications and inflammation, the CDC alert said.
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“The children who get sick with this can have cardiovascular collapse and require supportive measures to maintain their blood pressure, or respiratory collapse requiring breathing support with a mechanical ventilator,” Kentucky Health Commissioner Dr Steven Stack told CNN earlier this week.
During Fauci’s testimony Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions, Senator Rand Paul derided the health expert as not the “end all” of coronavirus advice. Paul noted that the illness didn’t seem to be a big deal for children.
Fauci replied: “I have never made myself out to be the end all and only voice in this. I’m a scientist, a physician and a public health official. I give advice according to the best scientific evidence.” He noted he leaves economic advice to others.
Fauci then warned of the troubling information about the “strange inflammatory syndrome” among children with COVID-19 and cautioned that there is still much unknown about the coronavirus.
“I think we better be careful, if we are not cavalier, in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects,” he said.
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(Check out the comments by Rand and Fauci below.)
Sen. Rand Paul: "I don't think you're the end all. I don't think you're the one person that gets to make a decision."
Dr. Anthony Fauci: "I have never made myself out to be the end all and only voice in this. I'm a scientist, a physician and a public health official." pic.twitter.com/Nqlg3zOqn3 — CSPAN (@cspan) May 12, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Queer House Party Is The Ultimate Lockdown Escapism During Covid-19

Holly Whitaker Photography Queer House Party, run by the campaigner Harry Gay, runs every Friday night on Zoom
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
“Honestly, the cheap drinks, the lack of misgendering or agro from any other club goers, plus no queue for the toilets,” says Teddy, 30, a playwright from east London. “It’s also amazing how accessible they’ve made it – with British Sign Language interpretation, and the funds they’re raising for The Outside Project.”
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We might still be in lockdown – but this is Queer House Party, a weekly virtual club night taking place on Zoom every Friday night and keeping the dance floor alive – proving how queer culture marches resiliently on in the face of adversity.
“I’ve been isolating on my own for two months, so Queer House Party was a way to perk myself up,” Teddy tells HuffPost UK. “It gave me an excuse to get out of my pyjamas and turn a look. It also became a communal thing I could do with friends around the country. We all video chat as we get ready then dance ‘together’ all night.”
Fredde Lanka Queer House Party draws the queer community together once a week
Another set of partygoers, Kevin and his husband Andrés, a writer and educator, who are both 30 and live in Edinburgh, say they joined Queer House Party to feel better connected – as well as to exploit the opportunity for cheap drinks. “It was handy not having to travel anywhere, and being able to buy your night’s drinks from Lidls,” says Kevin.
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“We didn’t really know what to expect,” Kevin confesses to HuffPost UK. “We were keen to join the house party when it opened, so arrived early in case there was a queue to get access (I don’t know why we thought there would be a Zoom queue).”
Luckily, there was no queue. “We spotted friends from Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland,” says Kevin, “and we were able to get a kebab delivered to our flat for when we left the party at midnight.”
Both Kevin and Teddy are attracted to how inclusive the space feels and how guests are encouraged to decant alcoholic drinks into discreet containers to show solidarity to sober friends. There’s the opportunity to turn your camera on or off, so introverts needn’t be on show to others if they don’t want to be, and increasingly, daytime Queer House Party events are being thrown at the weekend to entertain a crowd who aren’t naturally alert for the club night’s runtime of 9pm-1am on Fridays and the ‘after parties’ that run on later.
“I LOVED the fact that I could get dragged up and do my turn from my bedroom without having to leave the house or traipse around half of London with a suitcase of drag rolling behind me. I didn’t even have to get the night tube home,” says performer Fagulous, who performed in one of Queer House Party’s live cabaret slots recently.
They ordinarily do a Kate Bush routine in full falsetto, but ran into problems during the home performance that only added to the fun. “Fine when you’re in a gay bar, but my neighbours would not have been impressed with me screeching Wuthering Heights at 11 o’clock at night,” says Fagulous.
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Once the challenges of orchestrating a live performance from a bedroom have been overcome, Fagulous says Queer House Party has also been a real help professionally. “I’ve been surprised at how creatively draining the lockdown’s been, so I’m quite thankful to the venues that have approached me. It’s helped sharpen my creativity, and given me the space to focus on generating new content without pressure.”
“I think it’s important to note that our community is built out of necessity,” says Harry Gay, organiser, who has worked in various support roles for the LGBTQ+ community ranging from supporting people in the asylum process to supporting homeless queers. “Seeking connection and strategies for resistance and resilience is not luxury, it’s vital for survival,” he says.
Gay often grabs the mic and makes announcements about support groups and charities in need of donations due to Covid-19, and other wider issues facing queers and minority groups throughout the night: serious interjections between the escapist melodies of the pop and disco anthems.
One topic Gay is currently promoting is the visibility of trade unions for queers and other minority groups that feel, or have ever historically felt, misrepresented, unfairly treated or misjudged in the workplace.
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JOIN A UNION, SOLIDARITY FOREVER 🏳🌈✊ pic.twitter.com/8RtO3iLpEi — Queer House Party (@queerpartyhouse) May 11, 2020
“We’ve historically been excluded from spaces so we’ve always been great at creating our own, looking for people and communities in which we can see ourselves,” Gay continues. “As traumatic as this can be, the end result is pretty beautiful - I love being part of a strong, supportive and powerful community that fights for each other… clubbing has been the catalyst for all types of queer organising, we are really lucky to be part of this tradition.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--How I Cope: Rewatching Eurovision Finals With Thousands Of Others Helps Me Feel Connected To The Wor

How I Cope: Rewatching Eurovision Finals With Thousands Of Others Helps Me Feel Connected To The World

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You’re reading How I Cope, a series sharing self-care tips as we all adjust to the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the time of year I should be stocking up on snacks and drinks, putting together some class of scorecards and inviting all of my like-minded friends over for a night of organised fun. Yes, this weekend was supposed to be the grand finale of Eurovision 2020.
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Of course, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Song Contest has been cancelled, which is more than a little ironic, given the Eurovision ethos of unity and the power of togetherness would provide some much needed relief from the harsh reality we’re all living through right now.
Fortunately followers of the event, including myself, have found a way to get their fix of the joy, silliness and – on occasion – decent mix provided by the Eurovision Song Contest every weekend.
It’s a simple enough idea, with fans around the world tuning in to watch a past live final (announced 15 minutes before it debuts on YouTube) at the same time every Saturday night, and tweeting along with the whole thing using the official hashtag #EurovisionAgain, to bring that sense of community and togetherness that Eurovision does so well.
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There’s even an online vote afterwards, so die-hard fans can do their bit to make sure their unsung Eurovision heroes finally get the attention they deserve – even if it is a full 20 years later in some cases.
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND via Getty Images Conchita Wurst representing Austria performs the song "Rise Like A Phoenix" after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 Grand Final in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 10, 2014. AFP PHOTO/JONATHAN NACKSTRAND (Photo credit should read JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
By the end of the first stream, the official Eurovision Again page had 500 followers on Twitter, a number which had more than doubled by its second week. Almost two months later, and more than 9,000 people are following the account, with each stream racking up thousands of views on YouTube (many of whom are catching up later in the week, rather than tuning in live every Saturday night). #EurovisionAgain has even becoming the top UK trending topic on more than one occasion, above mainstream shows like Britain’s Got Talent.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Former participants in the Eurovision Song Contest, Austria's Conchita Wurst, Swedish Mans Zelmerlow, Israeli singer Gali Atari, Greek singer Eleni Foureira and Ukrainian singer Verka Serdyuchka, from left, perform during the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest grand final in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
The European Broadcasting Union – who help put the event together each year – have even given it their stamp of approval, helping negotiate with various global broadcasters each year to get a new contest online every Saturday night.
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Admittedly, I went into my first week a little tentatively, not sure exactly how much fun there was to be had in watching a Eurovision final on a random Saturday night – particularly one that took place the best part of a decade ago.
That said, a few songs in (and, I’ll concede, a few home-made margaritas), and I was hooked, and loving reading everyone else’s takes on Twitter. By the time the moment came to vote, I couldn’t grab my phone fast enough, and even found myself gripped as the actual Eurovision vote played out on screen, even though I already knew full well who was going to win.
In the end, it was the perfect three-hour escapism during those early days of lockdown, and looking through my Twitter timeline that night, I clearly wasn’t the only one who felt that way:
Well @EurovisionAgain was a great way to take our minds off things for the evening - really enjoyed tonight's watch-along! My top 3: Finland / Ukraine / Norway, but Denmark was a solid winner.#EurovisionAgain — Mark Siddall (@marksiddall84) March 21, 2020
Thanks to twitter I've had a really lovely evening tonight with #SaveTheDay and #EurovisionAgain - this place can be really great sometimes. Keep well lovely tweeples ❤ — Jo Malley 🇪🇺 (@marciehatter) March 21, 2020
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Well that has cheered me right up. Let’s do this again @robholley! #EurovisionAgain — Lydia (@LydiaMizon) March 21, 2020
Quite the evening. Thanks so much to @robholley for organising @EurovisionAgain! Eurovision fans are the best and it's been so fun hearing all your memories of my favourite contest! 😍 #eurovisionagain — Alex (@disFag_) March 21, 2020
Well that was so much fun! Thank you @EurovisionAgain @robholley for making self isolation more enjoyable on a Saturday night ❤ #EurovisionAgain — Martin Perkins (@MartinPerkins) March 21, 2020
That was a fun way to spend a Saturday night indoors isolating. Thank you, @EurovisionAgain and @robholley 😊
Hope it becomes a regular thing #eurovisionagain — michael. 🇲🇹🇧🇬🇦🇿🇳🇴 (@MichaelM238) March 21, 2020
Shoutout to @robholley for organising @EurovisionAgain 🎉 it was exactly what we all need to help us deal with the tragedy of this week and in general to help us all not go insane in quarantine ❤ #EurovisionAgain pic.twitter.com/z2BSZ2RFht — Verity (@verity_w) March 21, 2020
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Eurovision can get a bit of a rough ride, particularly here in the UK, and is often dismissed as something a bit naff and cheesy. But what many might not realise is that it was actually set up for a very specific purpose, in an attempt to try and bring Europe back together after the devastation of World War II.
More than 60 years later, people still turn to Eurovision for those same reasons, putting their cynicism aside and forgetting the conflicts and tribulations that we’re constantly bombarded with in the real world – for a few hours at least.
It’s fitting, then, that even at a time of true global turmoil – that has even caused the event itself to be cancelled for the first time in its history – that Eurovision is still able to bring comfort to people who need it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--What Happens To Your Body And Brain When You Go Vegan Or Vegetarian

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Vegetarian and vegan diets are nothing new, but more and more people are eating less meat these days, or at least thinking about it.
Many are ditching meat with other ethical, environmental and health reasons in mind, too. Meatless diets have been associated with increased nutrient intake and lower risk of some chronic diseases. And meat production ― particularly beef production ― isn’t doing any favours for the health of our planet. Greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based agriculture are actually so sizeable that a report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year recommended reducing meat consumption in order to adapt to climate change.
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But how exactly does a meat-free diet affect your body? We reached out to some experts to find out what happens when you adopt a plant-based diet so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Before we get into that, an important note: When we say a vegetarian diet, we’re referring to a diet that’s free of any meat and fish. But vegetarianism has many variations ― some people still eat dairy and eggs (lacto-ovo vegetarians), some allow eggs but no dairy (ovo-vegetarians), and some allow fish and sometimes dairy and eggs (pescatarian). Vegan diets don’t include any of those items.
Here’s what you can expect when you go on a plant-based diet:
Your bowel habits will probably change.
Eating more plant-based foods like vegetables, beans and whole grains increases your fibre intake. This will help prevent constipation, improve bowel function and probably result in more regular bowel habits.
“Bowel regularity is beneficial for overall health and well-being,” said Colleen Chiariello, a registered dietitian and chief clinical dietitian at Northwell Health’s Syosset Hospital.
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At the same time, you may become more bloated than usual, especially if you’ve recently upped your intake of vegetables or if you’re consistently filling up on Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and other vegetables that are known to produce excess gas.
When switching to a vegetarian diet, Chiariello advised incorporating a range of fruits and vegetables, not just the same ones. Staying hydrated is important too, as drinking more fluids can minimise gas from certain fruits and vegetables.
Keep in mind that if the gas is minimal, you probably don’t need to worry too much. “A little bit of gas is worth the benefit of colon health,” Chiariello said.
You’ll probably be consuming more nutrients.
When you stop eating meat and switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet, you may be eating a lot more nutrient-rich foods.
“This increases the intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre in the diet,” said Kim Rose, a registered dietitian based in Florida. “Fibre is not only an important part of a healthy digestive system; it has the potential to improve cholesterol, make you feel full for a longer period of time, give the body energy, and assist in the prevention of constipation and diarrhoea.”
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Alexander Spatari via Getty Images "There are multiple health benefits to going vegetarian if the vegetarian diet is rich in plant-based whole foods rather than just the reduction or absence of animal-based foods,” one registered dietitian said.
Unhealthy eating behaviours can develop if you’re not mindful of them.
A plant-focused diet has many potential benefits, but it’s not necessarily healthier than a non-vegetarian or non-vegan diet ― especially if you’re eating a ton of processed foods.
“It really all depends on the foods chosen and the individual nutrition needs of the person who is going vegetarian,” said Emily Hamm, a registered dietitian at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. “Research shows that there are multiple health benefits to going vegetarian if the vegetarian diet is rich in plant-based whole foods rather than just the reduction or absence of animal-based foods.”
Tim Radak, a registered dietitian in North Carolina, recommended carefully planning any dietary change in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies and other negative effects.
For example, “a soda and cheese pizza are vegetarian, but certainly do not promote health,” he said.
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For some people, a diet that’s restrictive in any way can be hard to maintain and can even be associated with disordered eating patterns.
“Consider the reason ― is it for ethical reasons like animal rights? Or is it because you feel it will be a healthier lifestyle?” said Rachel Fine, a registered dietitian in New York.
Instead of fully avoiding any one type of food, she recommended making decisions and choices based on how certain foods make you feel physically, emotionally and ethically.
You probably won’t have any trouble getting enough protein.
Many people fear plant-based diets, thinking they won’t be able to get enough protein without meat. But the truth is, lots of these foods are high in protein. It’s good to be mindful of protein intake, but you probably won’t struggle to consume enough protein if you’re being mindful.
“A variety of nuts and seeds — such as pistachios and quinoa, beans and peas, and soy-based products — such as tofu and tempeh, are good sources of protein that also contain an array of vitamins and minerals that will properly nourish,” Rose said.
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But there is a caveat here: You’ll want to pay attention to the source of the protein you reach for since many of the meat-replacement products some vegetarians rely on are heavily processed and can be high in sodium.
monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images When switching to a vegetarian diet, incorporate a range of fruits and vegetables, not just the same ones.
You may need to take dietary supplements.
While you might consume a lot more nutrients than usual after transitioning to a vegetarian diet, you still may need to take dietary supplements to avoid certain nutrient deficiencies.
Many vegetarians or vegans take supplements for vitamin B12, which is available mostly in animal products and only in a small number of plant-based foods. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, weakness, neurological disorders and other problems. Other supplements common among vegetarians or vegans are iron, vitamin D and calcium. But this all depends on your individual body and diet.
“Check with your dietitian and health care provider if you are concerned about your vitamin or mineral status and tell your health care providers if you follow any dietary restrictions,” Hamm said. “Lab work and a nutrition-focused physical assessment will reveal if there are deficiencies.”
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Your heart health may improve.
“Much of the fibre found in produce is soluble, which has been shown to improve cholesterol,” Fine said. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and binds with cholesterol in the small intestine so that the cholesterol leaves the body through your faeces rather than being absorbed into your bloodstream, where it can contribute to plaque build-up in the arteries.
A lot of foods consumed in a plant-focused diet are beneficial to heart health, too. Fine pointed out that flax seeds and canola oil are good sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. And olive oil, avocado, almonds, peanuts and other nuts are good sources of healthy fats that protect your heart.
You may have a reduced risk of cancer.
Plant-based foods contain phytochemicals — naturally occurring chemical compounds that not only contribute to the colour, taste and smell of plants but also protect human health and help our bodies fight off disease. Some research shows that these phytochemicals may protect against certain types of cancer.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Insurance Premiums Soar By Up To 1000% For Households Caught In Grenfell Cladding Scandal

Michelle Henry at the Brindley House tower block in Birmingham, where the removal of defective insulation and cladding could cost £10m. Michelle Henry
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Thousands of people living in high-rise blocks covered in dangerous cladding are facing “astronomical” hikes to insurance premiums as official figures show the removal of the flammable material remains at a virtual standstill because of the coronavirus outbreak.
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At the Brindley House tower block in Birmingham, flat owners have this year seen their joint insurance annual bill swell to 11 times its original cost in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster three years ago.
If residents in the city’s tallest building, a 182-flat mix of private and social housing, accepted the quote they would have to pay more than £2,500 per home on insurance alone.
The bill, now close to £500,000 for the building, comes after a string of other costs caused entirely by changes in the aftermath of Grenfell. Many now fear bankruptcy and losing their homes despite being blameless.
Campaigners argue the insurance industry is using the cladding crisis to boost its profits by lessening its exposure to a perceived risk, but the sector contends it has to change its calculations as more materials are found to be “unfit for purpose”.
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READ MORE: Coronavirus Misery For Thousands Still Trapped In Grenfell Cladding Scandal
The UK Cladding Action Group (UKCAG) has told HuffPost UK the surge in insurance premiums is “widespread”, with standalone buildings without group cover seeing the charge rise.
Meanwhile, efforts to remove dangerous cladding are largely in stasis, despite the government committing £1.6bn to carry out work on all affected buildings because of the stalemate between the state, building owners and developers over who should pay for remediation.
Official figures published today show 307 high rises are still covered in the material blamed for the spread of the Grenfell inferno. In April, as the UK was in lockdown, aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding was taken off just five buildings in England above 18 metres.
The total number of buildings in line for repair is significantly higher since the government’s fund will pay for the removal and replacement of all unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings, not just ACM. Estimates suggest 500,000 people are living in homes with flammable cladding or insulation.
Brindley House is thought to be facing the country’s highest insurance charge, but the eye-watering premium is not unique among buildings with cladding. According to UKCAG, the spike at the Decks in Runcorn is slated as £124,000, taking the cost to £254,000. The cost at Altitude 25 in Croydon could double to £200,000 and Islington Gates, also in Birmingham, faces a £160,000 increase to £190,000.
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Brindley House, built in the 1970s and managed by flat owners for the last four years, is currently uninsured. It puts leaseholders in breach of mortgage and lease agreements and, in theory, they could face eviction despite the cladding issues not being their fault.
The cost of the insurance comes as the bill to remove the defective insulation and cladding could be between £5m and £10m. Other costs include £180,000 a year for a “waking watch”, the 24-hour fire patrols that are now common among dangerously clad buildings.
Since the developer of the building has gone bust, residents will be relying on the government fund to remediate the defective material. The scheme, however, is yet to open to applications.
Michelle Henry, one of the residents who sits on the board of directors at Brindley House, says the Covid-19 crisis has added to their burden since some residents are furloughed or have lost their jobs. But the pandemic might also buy them time to get the many issues resolved as all industries face a slowdown.
Her signwriting business has effectively been mothballed by coronavirus – as has her plan to move to New Zealand with her husband – and working on Brindley House “has become a full-time job in itself”.
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She told HuffPost UK: “I have spoken to other leaseholders who are at breaking point. Worrying about the financial implications is causing them sleepless nights. I have even had one mention that they don’t think life is worth living any more. What do you say to that?”
HuffPostUK/Statista
Infographic supplied by Statista.
Earlier this month, HuffPost UK reported that the government cash does not cover the temporary fire safety measures those in dangerous buildings have been forced to implement just to stay in their homes.
The most common measure is 24-hour fire wardens, or round-the-clock waking watches. Freedom of Information requests showed at least 380 blocks of flats have watches in place, costing some people as much as £840 a month.
The Grenfell disaster, where 72 people were killed, and the subsequent focus on inadequate fire safety have revealed other defects that blameless owners of flats are having to pay for. They include inadequate fire breaks, timber balconies or walkways and defective fire doors.
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A string of regional campaign groups have been formed to fight for dangerous cladding to be removed, including the BrumLAG, Manchester Cladiators and Leeds Cladding Scandal. They argue that the government should underwrite the cost of the growing number of faults, including the insurance increase, but fear the current size of the fund is inadequate. This week these victims of the building safety crisis paid tribute to those on the Covid-19 frontline in a video.
Insurers argue the rise in insurance costs for properties with combustible materials on the outside of the building is rational given the increased risk caused by the declaration that some materials are unfit for purpose.
An Association of British Insurers spokesperson said: “Insurers understand that this a difficult and stressful time for residents.
“Insurers continue to insure high-rise buildings with inappropriate cladding and other combustible material on and work with their building owners to ensure alternative fire risk measures are in place until remediation happens.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--I Spent Ten Years Building My Small Business. Covid-19 Destroyed It In Eight Weeks

My wife and I started the company ten years ago this October and we’ve worked hard to get our business where it is today. Three years ago we reached an important milestone: a full year in which we didn’t have to seek out any new clients. One hundred percent of our business that year came from returning clients and referrals. Ditto for the following year. And last year we were so busy that we were turning new clients away.
After nearly a decade of constant effort, I felt our work was finally paying off. We were just starting to get a taste of what it meant to live the American dream.
That all ended the moment the coronavirus wave came crashing down.
The day after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, our first client asked to cancel their service agreement with us. “Advertising just isn’t a luxury I can afford right now,” they said. The next day the same request came from two more clients. The following week we lost our second-biggest client. The hits kept coming and by last week, nearly half the income my family depends on had evaporated completely. Ten years of blood, sweat and tears lost in a matter of eight weeks.
And still I know the worst is probably yet to come.
I used to get excited every time the business phone would ring because it almost always meant a new customer or a new sales order. Now I dread the sound. Today it invariably means another client is calling to bid adieu.
I don’t blame our clients, of course – they’re almost all business owners themselves and are facing unprecedented circumstances of their own. One CEO told me he even had to let his brother go. But knowing our clients are justified in leaving doesn’t make the bitter pill any easier to swallow.
Perhaps the hardest part of watching our company crumble is feeling helpless to prevent it from collapsing further. I’m normally a proactive person and when something is broken, I’m quick to jump in with a fix. In this case, I’m not even sure where or when to begin. My go-to method of putting my head down and pushing forward isn’t working this time because replacing old clients with new ones has proven nearly impossible. Most companies aren’t looking for new advertising opportunities at a time like this – and those that are lack the requisite finances to do so.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Why Letter Writing – And Receiving – Is More Important Than Ever

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The letter drops into the porch about midday. I’m sitting on the sofa, working from home, when I hear it and get up to pick the post from the floor. It’s a homemade envelope and I recognise my friend’s writing. I feel warmth in my belly.
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On the back of the envelope, she’s written, “Thank you Royal Mail workers!” with hand-drawn stars circling the words. Inside is a handmade card: a beautiful big flower, and pink painted strips. I see her handwriting again – distinct and familiar – with words of positivity and hope for our future meets.
I immediately feel a boost to my day. It’s a highlight, for sure. She’d taken time to make the card, write the card, send the card. And while WhatsApp messages from friends checking in are so appreciated right now, there’s something more intimate about a handwritten letter.
And in the weeks that follow, I do the same; make my own cards at home, write letters and poems, and send them to the people I’m missing the most. I find the activity calming, even before I pop the results in the postbox.
Why is it that post feels so personal right now? So needed and appreciated, more than ever before?
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Arman Zhenikeyev via Getty Images
“Doing something nice for someone else makes you happy, especially if you know they’ll really like it,” says Deborah Smith, a positive psychologist and mindfulness expert. “Taking the time to handwrite a letter shows you care, that you’ve made an extra effort and you’ve really considered the other person.”
And, as handwriting a letter takes more time than writing an email or text, you’re also more likely to take time to think about what you write and how you write it, she says – so it becomes more personal and meaningful. “It’s something that the receiver is more likely to keep, remember and treasure than an email.”
The actual art of letter writing itself is a mindful activity, which is great for our wellbeing – especially during a pandemic. “Handwriting is a wonderful way to tap into your own inner mind,” says Smith, the author of Grow Your Own Happiness. “It can be a very therapeutic exercise. It’s also great to have time away from a screen and to connect with pen and paper.”
Smith suggests writing a gratitude letter to feel even more benefits. “Think about someone you feel grateful towards and allow yourself to fully express yourself on paper – it’s an incredibly powerful exercise for the writer and receiver,” she says.
If you’re worried about whether sending post is giving Royal Mail workers more work during these testing times, don’t be. Letters and cards are a valued part of what they offer, a spokesperson tell HuffPost UK.
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Shane O’Riordain, at Royal Mail, tells us: “During the coronavirus crisis, it’s clear people are increasingly looking to connect with friends and loved ones in a truly meaningful way. A carefully crafted, handwritten letter really stands out against the backdrop of Zoom calls and WhatsApp chats at this time. The uplifting effect of receiving a handwritten card or letter can be palpable.”
Letters are important to Royal Mail’s business, he adds. “We’re very grateful to our hardworking colleagues at this time as they continue to keep the UK connected. Letters play a key role in this. To help manage the workload, we’re supporting our people by putting even more resources into the operation.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--8 Amusing Tweets To Bring A Smile To Your Face This Friday

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This Tuesday marked day 50 of lockdown. We’ll let that sink in a moment.
If you’re feeling a bit flat, or just exhausted by everything that’s going on in the world right now, you’re not alone.
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To bring you some light relief, here are eight tweets that brought a smile to our faces this week – hopefully they’ll do the same for you too.
SquatchPhotography via Getty Images Here is a smiley dog to help you warm up.
1. 8-year-old sums up how we’re feeling in lockdown
“Okay I am sorry just sometimes I’m tired and I yell.” Get that on a mug.
An important message from my 8 year old about schooling from home. pic.twitter.com/kTGL8LJEVh — Gorilla Librarian (@GorillaLibrn) May 12, 2020
2. Cats remain the champions of social distancing
It’s basically impossible for cats to resist the urge to sit within shaped outlines on the floor, as proven by these cheeky fellas spotted sitting in the circular markers designated for humans in Quezon City, Philippines. Peak cat.
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These stray cats were spotted occupying the circle marks intended for the implementation of social distancing protocols in front of a store in Brgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City on Sunday amid enhanced community quarantine. pic.twitter.com/EqOORqCJMa — The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) May 13, 2020
3. Cafe imposes pool float hats on customers
You can visit this German cafe, but if you rock up for a cheeky cappuccino, it’s likely you’ll be made to wear a hat constructed out of brightly coloured pool noodles.
It’s certainly one way to enforce social distancing – but whether these customers will ever return to the cafe remains a mystery.
Oh my god, this is amazing. A German cafe is making people wear swimming pool noodles as hats to enforce social distancing.
Pic via Cafe & Konditorei Rothe on Facebook https://t.co/fMgqgbTdt6 pic.twitter.com/ds0whysqqi — Katy Lee (@kjalee) May 14, 2020
4. Hundreds of goats raid residential area
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I’m dead 😂☠ When I got back from the store all the goats had broken through the fence and were recking havoc on our street
This is the craziest thing to happen all quarantine 🐐🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/Hc7XpuiBdT — Zach Roelands (@zach_roelands) May 13, 2020
5. At least one person is thriving in lockdown
This tiny tot has been making pizza in lockdown – and he’s having an absolute blast. We thoroughly enjoyed the sporadic, aggressive dough slapping and his clear love of cheese, which ends up in his mouth, not on the pizza.
If you’re having a rough week take a minute to watch this little dude make homemade quarantine pizza...💪🌎❤🍕😇😉pic.twitter.com/Aar5wDWSND — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) May 12, 2020
6. A very Normal (People) conversation about tea
We loved Normal People, but we also acknowledge there were points where not an awful lot happened. A lot of fussing over nothing.
Performer Louise White portrays this perfectly when she acts as both Marianne and Connell talking about... tea.
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7. The happy spaghetti spoon
There are always moments of beauty reminding us that actually, deep down, a spoon with a spaghetti hoop face on it is enough to make us smile.
my wife witnessed a miracle today & yelled across the house with an urgency that had me sprinting. I thought something terrible had happened but when i came into the kitchen she said: Look... pic.twitter.com/KHw0XsQLJU — Matthew Burnside (@MatthewBurnsid7) May 12, 2020
8. Mabel and Olive have their appraisals on Zoom
Sports broadcaster Andrew Cotter has been sharing amusing clips of his dogs Mabel and Olive throughout lockdown. And this one of them in a Zoom meeting to discuss their work performance is comedy gold.
Watch it through to the end, then ask yourself: are you a Mabel or an Olive?
Still having the company meetings online. pic.twitter.com/aR3LfuSdKl — Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) May 11, 2020