thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--15 Iconic Sitcom Moments That Will Still Make You Absolutely Howl

BBC
If there’s one we need on TV these days, it’s some more sitcoms.
While we still have the likes of Derry Girls, Friday Night Dinner and Mrs Brown’s Boys, the current televisual landscape is a far cry from when the schedules used to be flooded with situation comedies that kept us all in stitches.
The likes of Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar Of Dibley and Only Fools And Horses attracted huge viewing figures and garnered huge fan bases back in the day, with many still fondly remembered.
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So in the absence of LOLs currently on the box, we’ve rounded up 15 classic moments from our favourite British sitcoms that are guaranteed to still make you howl, or your money back*.
*not really.
1. Geraldine jumps in the puddle – The Vicar Of Dibley
A romantic walk in the countryside took a surprise turn for Geraldine Grainger, thanks to a rather deep puddle.
2. Doris’ salad – Gavin And Stacey
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Doris was always greatly underused in Gavin And Stacey in our humble opinion, but she is still responsible for our favourite ever scene.
3. Mambo No. 5 – The Royle Family
Mambo No 5. is still an absolute bop, to be fair.
4. “Abort!” – Absolutely Fabulous
This scrap between Patsy and Saffy was the perfect mix of camp and catty, just like the series itself.
5. Del Boy falls through the bar – Only Fools And Horses
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While the Chandelier and Batman and Robin scenes will always remain some of the best Only Fools moments, this just pips them.
6. The David Brent Dance – The Office
If you tell trying us you haven’t ever drunkenly reenacted this then we don’t believe you.
7. Will (almost) loses his virginity – The Inbetweeners
As cringeworthy as it is hilarious, this scene of Will attempting to get down to business with his long-term crush still has us watching behind our hands.
8. Miranda falls in a grave – Miranda
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Laughing at someone falling over isn’t big and certainly isn’t clever, but it is always funny.
9. Margo in the mud – The Good Life
Likewise with this clip of Margo demonstrating why she wasn’t cut out for the outdoor life.
10. Mammy’s whisk – Mrs Brown’s Boys
Nothing to see here, just an old lady whipping some cream with a vibrator.
11. Frank Spencer rollerskating – Some Mothers Do Have Em
This scene was recreated during a Sport Relief special of the 1970s sitcom a few years back.
12. The cat in the freezer – One Foot In The Grave
Victor Meldrew couldn’t quite belieeeeeeeve it after making a rather dark discovery in the bottom of his freezer.
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13. Over the top – Blackadder Goes Forth
It’s not very often sitcoms throw up poignant moments, but the scene that saw Blackadder and his men go over the top of the trenches, provided a surprisingly moving ending to the series.
14. Jeremy wets himself – Peep Show
Jeremy’s failure to control his bladder was just one of the highlights of the farce that was Mark and Sophie’s wedding.
15. Hyacinth’s nautical buffet suffers a setback – Keeping Up Appearances
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--How Businesses Are Adapting To Help During Coronavirus

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How Businesses Are Adapting To Help During Coronavirus
Since the UK was hit by the coronavirus outbreak, businesses across the nation have been forced to adapt in the face of restrictions. Some businesses have repurposed to help their community and key workers during the crisis, from the car hire company offering free cars to NHS workers to the pub that has turned into a foodbank.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Katie Price Joins Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins For Showbiz Comeback

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Katie Price hasn’t chosen the easy option when it comes to making her big showbiz comeback.
The reality star is staging her return with a stint on the notoriously gruelling challenge show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Pricey has largely been out of the spotlight since she was declared bankrupt last year, later promising “a very exciting fresh beginning” in 2020.
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She has now been confirmed as one of the 12 famous faces who will be pushed to the limits in the challenging terrain of Scotland’s rugged West Coast to see if they have what it takes to pass SAS Selection.
Katie Price PA
They will be joined by ex-Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton, former Wimbledon footballer John Fashanu, Hollyoaks actress Nikki Sanderson, YouTube star Jack Maynard, Paralympian Lauren Steadman, Rudimental’s Locksmith and Radio 1Xtra DJ Yasmin Evans, as well as former boxing champion Tony Bellew.
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L-R: Joey Essex, Helen Skelton, Brendan Cole, Tony Bellew, Katie Price, Denise Lewis, Jack Maynard, John Fashanu, Nikki Sanderson, Lauren Steadman, Lady Leshurr and Locksmith. Pete Dadds/Channel 4
Chief instructor Ant Middleton and his team Foxy, Billy, Ollie and new member Jay will put the celebrities through the toughest course yet, in a derelict farmstead on the remote island of Raasay, where they will be exposed to punishing weather and volatile seas.
Ant – who recently prompted a backlash with his controversial comments about the coronavirus pandemic – said: “If these celebrities turn up with an ego, they won’t last 24 hours.
“There are no short cuts, there are no easy options. They think they know what’s coming but trust me, they are going to get the absolute shock of their lives.”
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It has been a difficult two years for Katie, who ended 2019 bankrupt, despite once being worth a reported £40 million.
She was fined and banned from driving for six months in February 2018 after being caught speeding, later turning herself in to police after she got behind the wheel two weeks before her ban was up. But in October, she was arrested again for being twice over the drink drive limit after crashing her car into a bush. Another driving ban followed.
Last June, Katie also pleaded guilty to hurling a “tirade of abuse” outside a school during a dispute with ex-husband Kieran Hayler’s new girlfriend, Michelle Penticost.
And just last month, Katie was ordered to pay damages of £25,000 to another of her ex-husbands Alex Reid, after he sued her for misusing private information about his sex life
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins will return to Channel 4 soon.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Health Chief Pledges 100,000 Coronavirus Tests A Day

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Health chiefs are aiming to check 100,000 people a day for coronavirus as part of a new project with private sector labs, one of the country’s top officials has said.
Medical director of Public Health England, professor Paul Cosford, made the claim amid growing criticism of the government failing to reach testing targets ministers have already set.
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Only around 8,000 hospital patients and NHS staff are being tested daily, despite pledges this would have reached 20,000.
Cosford said “everybody involved is frustrated” about the low level of checks being carried out so far but the rate of testing would “increase rapidly”.
The 100,000 tests would be the “antigen” tests, which show if someone has the virus, as opposed to the anti-bodies tests, which indicate whether someone’s body has fought off the disease and is immune.
PHE has already said it is aiming to reach 25,000 tests using its own facilities by the end of the month.
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Cosford told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the testing project would be in place “over the coming days and a small number of weeks”.
“Our role has always been to – and I speak from Public Health England (PHE) – make sure our labs are doing what they need to do and we’re rolling tests out to the NHS for clinical treatment of patients,” he said.
“There is some capacity that is available within that in order to start testing NHS staff and that’s being done.
“You’ve heard about the 2,000 yesterday – nowhere near where we need to get to but it’s a good start – and then there’s the drive-through systems that are beginning.”
Medical staff at an NHS drive through coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing facility in an IKEA car park, Wembley Aaron Chown - PA Images via Getty Images
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Asked why other testing facilities were not being used, Cosford said PHE is most closely involved in NHS testing before adding: “The second (strand) is how we can use all of those laboratories, all of that capacity, to boost up at least 100,000 tests a day, hopefully more.”
In other grim news, Cosford accepted that the UK death toll could rise sharply over the coming days.
Some 2,352 virus patients have died in hospital so far.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--How Often Should You Disinfect Your Surroundings For Coronavirus?

nadia_bormotova via Getty Images
Maybe you did a deep clean of your home when you found out just how serious the new coronavirus was. But now that you’re social distancing and not leaving the house very often ― maybe just a rare pharmacy run, a daily walk outside ― you might be wondering how often you should still be disinfecting.
First, it is important to understand why you need to disinfect surfaces in the first place. The virus spreads when a person coughs or sneezes respiratory droplets. These can spread “onto hard surfaces or onto our hands, which we then touch things with, transferring virus from our hands to the surfaces we touch,” said S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital.
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The virus can survive on different surfaces for various lengths of time. “And then we can pick it up,” Long said. “If we touch our face, we are at risk of infecting ourselves. So cleaning those ‘high touch’ surfaces, where lots of hands could be depositing and picking up viruses or other germs, is very important.”
The regularity of cleaning and disinfecting depends on your particular situation and what’s evolving around you.
Grace Cary via Getty Images
How often you should clean if no one in your house is sick
Even if no one in your household is ill, you should still “clean regularly and disinfect daily” as a baseline precautionary measure, said Alexa Mieses, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
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“There’s a difference between cleaning and disinfecting,” she said. “You should be doing a regular cleaning routine, which includes removing dirt and dust, and regular household cleaning products are fine for this.”
When you are disinfecting, however, you are trying to kill germs. “For this, you should use bleach or a cleaner with 70% alcohol,” Mieses said. She noted the Environmental Protection Agency has a list of approved disinfectants for Covid-19, but bleach and alcohol are the most commonly used in the home.
Long said just how often you should disinfect depends on whether you are in the high-risk category for Covid-19, how many people live in your home, and how often you all share common items and surfaces. Though there’s no hard and fast rule, he said, you should probably disinfect surfaces every time you have a visitor of any kind, and disinfect more frequently if you’re high-risk or have a family member working outside the home.
You probably don’t need to clean your whole house from top to bottom every day, but rather focus on “high-touch surfaces,” Mieses said.
“When we are talking about high-touch surfaces, we mean doorknobs, tables, sinks, light switches, remote controls, toilets, handles to anything, cabinets” or other items your family uses or touches frequently, Mieses explained. Car keys, sunglasses and other items you may touch a lot (and take outside the home) are good items to clean, too.
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How often you should clean if someone in your house has Covid-19 symptoms
If someone in your home is experiencing coronavirus symptoms, you will want to disinfect surfaces more — as often as those who aren’t ill might come into contact with them.
“If the person with symptoms is well enough, I would encourage them to clean and sanitise their own areas if they are self-isolating as much as they can,” Long said. “I would clean and disinfect the shared surfaces much more frequently.”
Mieses said you may want to wear gloves to “protect yourself from harsh chemicals and minimise your risk” of becoming infected with the virus. Wash your hands very frequently as well ― especially if you ever touch something the person with symptoms may have touched. Remember to wash for at least 20 seconds to effectively kill germs, and keep in mind that soap and water is better than hand sanitiser.
When disinfecting, give those high-touch surfaces extra attention, since “lots of hands could be depositing and picking up viruses or other germs,” Long said. “And don’t forget about phones as well.”
Chalffy via Getty Images
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Other ways to keep healthy in your home
For your own safety, Long said to make sure you do not mix disinfectants and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
“Also, no matter how often you are disinfecting, you still need to practice social distancing and wash your hands,” he said.
If you have any questions about your personal Covid-19 risk or best practices, Mieses said don’t be afraid to reach out to your family physician or primary care provider. Beyond that, focus on being smart.
“Stay at home, wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face, avoid shared equipment like fitness equipment,” she said. “But stay active during the pandemic. You can still go outside for a walk; make it part of your routine.”
You should also focus on mental wellness, in addition to physical health. “This is not the first time the world has encountered something like this, but it’s the first time for our generation,” Mieses said, adding that feelings of anxiety and depression are a typical response to what’s happening.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--16 Funny Tweets That Sum Up The Hell Of Video Conferencing

My research team met on Zoom today so we can keep up with work. I added a virtual background and decided to have fun with it. But, I fell off my chair. However, my team has such deep and abiding respect for me that they didn't find this funny at all. Not at all. pic.twitter.com/LbplC3R5gL


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Little Women Has A Game Of Thrones-Like Mistake You Completely Missed

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Until this point, you may have thought that the final season of Game of Thrones and Greta Gerwig’s 2019 period drama Little Women couldn’t be more different.
Some of the most viral aspects of Game of Thrones’ final series were the scenes featuring a coffee cup and a water bottle that mistakenly appeared in the background. And, even though Little Women came out months ago, a similar blunder was just spotted recently.
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PLEASE THE HYDROFLASK AND WATER BOTTLE I CANNOT pic.twitter.com/KxwFOSAfOL — mya (@DUNENATION) March 28, 2020
With Little Women being available digitally last month, fans have finally noticed a water bottle and tumbler in the background of a scene at the Laurence house. It’s either an accident, or the Laurences are really so rich because they invented bottled water or time travel.
TikTok user @madelynrancourt seems to be the first to discover it, posting about the apparent blunder days ago.
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The TikToker also pointed out that the Little Women cast actually broke down the scene for Vanity Fair, but failed to mention the water bottle.
Little women, littler water bottles. Sony Pictures and Vanity Fair
Check it out around the 2:52 mark...
After the revelation, people had some water cooler talk.
good morning to the water bottle in the back of that one shot in little women <3 — zara (@charizaraa) March 29, 2020
I FOUND THE CULPRIT OF THE LITTLE WOMEN WATER BOTTLE DEBACLE pic.twitter.com/2b32SPj2Ne — bella (@bellasophiab) March 29, 2020
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that water bottle in the background of the little women shot is A YETI...as a proud of owner of that exact yeti water bottle i had to share — izzy (@anvatavlorjoy) March 29, 2020
the hydroflask and water bottle in the back of that little women scene pic.twitter.com/X7PVTliiKm — alice (@chadwckbose) March 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--I Was A Young Jobseeker Before Coronavirus. I’m Worried I’ll Never Get Back On My Feet

Courtesy of the author HuffPost UK
On 1 December 2008, I was 13-years-old. I don’t remember much of that day – it was 12 years ago after all – but I remember seeing, on our school library’s clunky purple iMac, the front page of Yahoo! News: a picture of George W. Bush, and the headline “RECESSION”.
I wasn’t quite sure what recession meant, only that it was probably pretty bad. Loud whispers bounced off the popcorn walls around our tiny library from “classic George Bush” to “this would have never happened if Kerry was elected” to general indifference. The idea of a global financial crisis seemed so far away from the world my classmates and I lived in; a world of pending winter holidays, upcoming assignments, that new Twilight movie and awkwardly dancing to Beyonce’s Single Ladies at the school dance.
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At home, while my father sat me down and assured me we would be fine and his job was secure, many of my classmates were not so lucky.
I think coming of age during the worst global recession in a century means I had a sense of insecurity, particularly financial insecurity, embedded within me. I saw what the world was like for family, and for friends in their 20s, newly graduated and ready to take on the world only to be greeted by a world with no job prospects. I always hoped that when I reached my 20s, I would have a stable and financially secure future with a ‘safe’ job.
“Suddenly, it seemed like most jobs I applied to were on hold as businesses operated under stay-at-home orders, or, worse, shuttered.”
Yet here I am now, a decade later, jobless after a year recovering from serious injuries sustained in an accident. This was apparently the best time to get a job. However, I have yet to hear back from most of the 100 or so jobs I had applied to so far in 2020. And when I do hear back, it’s usually through a cold, unpersonalised rejection email. What’s wrong with me, I started to wonder, completely dejected and hopeless but determined to carry on.
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Then came covid-19.
Suddenly, it seemed like most jobs I applied to were on hold as businesses operated under stay-at-home orders, or, worse, shuttered. And now I can’t help but worry how long will it take for me to get back on my feet after coronavirus. What will a post-coronavirus job market even look like? That same insecurity that plagued me when I was a young teen has come back – except this time the future is no longer something abstract. It is real, and it is right ahead of me.
I thought back to how I had told myself in January that this was going to be ‘my year’ after an unexpectedly awful 2019. I’m not at all sure of that any more and I know I’m not alone. On social media, I found people my age across the globe – the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Malaysia – all in the same position I’m in. People who were seeking employment before the pandemic and are now worried about a prospective increase in competition for jobs in an oversaturated market once the pandemic settles. Jobseekers who had just found a job only to be let go due to the coronavirus and were now in the same uncertain purgatory they were in a mere few weeks ago. Others whose long careers were upended as fast as coronavirus had spread across the world.
“Maybe it’s not the trajectory of my life that I expected, but I’ve decided that’s okay.”
Our generation is going to be significantly impacted by everything happening right now, just like 2008. Except this time, our survival and the survival of others, particularly those in generations older than us, are at stake more than ever. We’re in a time of great uncertainty and anxiety. It’s something we’ve grown used to for a long time.
Despite all this, I am trying to make the best that I possibly can out of this situation. It’s obvious that the job market isn’t going to be up and running anytime soon, as the pandemic gets deadlier with cases continuing to mount across the world and social distancing orders set in. I’m freelancing, volunteering and collaborating on other projects. Maybe it’s not the trajectory of my life that I expected, but I’ve decided that’s okay.
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At least I can take comfort in knowing that we’re all in this together.
Tavleen Tarrant is a freelance journalist


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Tom Hanks Leads Tributes To Fountains Of Wayne Star Adam Schlesinger Who Has Died After Coronavirus

Tom Hanks Leads Tributes To Fountains Of Wayne Star Adam Schlesinger Who Has Died After Coronavirus Diagnosis

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Tom Hanks has led the tributes to Fountains Of Wayne star Adam Schlesinger, who has died at the age of 52 after contracting coronavirus.
The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning musician, also known for writing songs for the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, died in New York on Wednesday.
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Adam Schlesinger Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
A statement from his family on Tuesday said he was in hospital in New York fighting Covid-19, the illness caused by coronavirus.
They said that Adam – the bassist with rock band Fountains Of Wayne who are best known for the hit Stacy’s Mom – had been sedated and was on a ventilator.
Tom Hanks, who worked with Adam on musical comedy That Thing You Do!, was among the first to pay tribute after news of his death broke.
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The Hollywood star, who has battled Covid-19 himself, said he would not have launched his Playtone record label and production company without Adam’s help.
Tom Hanks SIPA USA/PA Images
He tweeted: “There would be no Playtone without Adam Schlesinger, without his That Thing You Do!
“He was a One-der. Lost him to Covid-19. Terribly sad today. Hanx.”
There would be no Playtone without Adam Schlesinger, without his That Thing You Do! He was a One-der. Lost him to Covid-19. Terribly sad today. Hanx — Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) April 2, 2020
Adam earned an Oscar nomination in 1997 for writing the title track on That Thing You Do!, which was directed by Tom.
One of the stars of the film, Ethan Embry, recalled being seated in a room with Hanks and actress Liv Tyler listening to songs being considered for the film.
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“When we heard Adam Schlesinger’s cassette it was instantly clear which track we would need to learn,” he said.
I remember the day all the Oneders, @LivTyler and @tomhanks sat in a room and played about 6 submitted tracks from different bands for That Thing You Do. When we heard Adam Schlesinger’s cassette it was instantly clear which track we would need to learn. — Ethan Embry (@EmbryEthan) April 2, 2020
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna had known Adam since the early 1990s and shared a moving tribute, calling him “the most brilliant, the most funny, the most clever, the most musical”.
1/2 about Adam pic.twitter.com/x2LMIvZ9qf — Aline Brosh McKenna (@alinebmckenna) April 1, 2020
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She also shared a song he had sent to her, while her Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator and star of the show Rachel Bloom paid tribute shortly after giving birth earlier this week.
She tweeted: “I have so much to say about Adam Schlesinger that I am at a complete loss for words. He is irreplaceable.”
In 2019, he won the Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics for Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal from the TV musical drama.
Adam also won a Grammy in 2009 for Best Comedy Album for co-writing the songs on A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!, with the songs performed by Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello.
US chat show host Colbert said on Twitter: “I’m so saddened to hear of the death of Adam Schlesinger due to Covid19.
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“From the Dana Carvey show to A Colbert Christmas Special, he was a great (and patient) and talented artist with whom it was my good luck to work. Peace.”
I’m so saddened to hear of the death of Adam Schlesinger due to Covid19. From the Dana Carvey show to A Colbert Christmas Special, he was a great (and patient) and talented artist with whom it was my good luck to work. Peace. — Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) April 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Eight Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

The global number of confirmed coronavirus cases is nearing one million.
Meanwhile, according to official records, in the UK:
2,921 people in hospital have now died after testing positive for coronavirus.
33,718 people in the UK have tested positive for Covid-19
More than 163,000 people have been tested for the virus.
Here’s the latest developments:
UK’s new 100,000 testing target
The UK will carry out 100,000 Covid-19 tests per day by the end of April, Matt Hancock has said, as he set a new target as part of the government’s testing strategy.
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After several days of intense scrutiny over failures in testing, the health secretary said he was setting out a new “five-pillar” strategy on the issue.
He said the UK would hit 100,000 tests per day, which can be made up of antigen tests that tell people whether they currently have Covid-19, as well as antibody tests to see whether people have previously had the infection.
Hancock said his five part strategy was:
– Swab testing in Public Health England (PHE) and NHS labs
– Using commercial partners, including universities and private businesses, to establish more swab testing
– Introducing antibody blood tests to determine whether people have had Covid-19
– Surveillance to determine the rate of infection and how it is spreading across the country
– Build an “at-scale” diagnostics industry to reach 100,000 tests by the end of April.
Hancock said the Government was working with nine potential providers on a new antibody test – which many argue is the key to releasing the lockdown – but that this would only be rolled out when clinicians were confident it was a valid test.
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The secretary of state also announced he has written off £13.4bn of historic NHS debt to help the health service fight coronavirus.
Meanwhile, HuffPost UK has revealed companies are selling coronavirus tests commercially online at a time when the government is struggling to provide vital testing to frontline NHS workers.
Some private companies have redirected sales of coronavirus tests kits to support the national fight against Covid-19.
But others are continuing to sell kits online to anyone who can afford to pay, with tests retailing for prices between £249 and £299.
CityDoc and Better2Know, both large established firms that provide private healthcare testing services, are advertising kits for sale – and say NHS staff are among those buying the tests.
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Boris Johnson still has coronavirus symptoms
Boris Johnson is still showing coronavirus symptoms, Downing Street has confirmed.
The PM’s official spokesperson told a Westminster briefing: “The PM continues to have mild symptoms, but he does still have symptoms.”
Asked if he would be leaving self-isolation on Friday, the spokesperson said: “We’re following the guidelines from Public Health England and from the chief medical officer which state that you need to self-isolate for a period of seven days, so no change in that.”
Johnson will look to find a way to participate in the “clap for our carers” celebration on Thursday evening despite remaining in self-isolation, No.10 said.
His spokesperson said: “The PM definitely wants to find a way of expressing his continued appreciation for the fantastic efforts that NHS staff are making and the PM would urge as many people as possible to take part tonight.”
US jobless claims double
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits last week shot to a record high for a second week in a row - topping six million.
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The 6.65 million figure is an increase from 3.3 million the previous week, the US Labor Department said on Thursday.
More than 80% of Americans are under some form of lockdown, up from less than 50% a couple of weeks ago, leaving state employment offices overwhelmed by an avalanche of applications.
Economists say the country should brace for jobless claims to continue escalating, partly citing generous provisions of a historic $2.2 trillion fiscal package signed by president Donald Trump last Friday and the federal government’s easing of requirements for workers to seek benefits.
British Airways and National Express scale back operations
British Airways has announced plans to introduce a modified version of the government’s job retention scheme, with workers to be furloughed on 80% of pay, because of the coronavirus crisis, the Unite union confirmed.
Unlike the government scheme, there will be no cap on earnings, said the union.
Workers will be able to divert their pension contributions into their pay for a short period of time and there will be no unpaid temporary lay offs or redundancies, said Unite, adding that a redundancy process that had already begun has been halted.
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Earlier, National Express announced it would temporarily suspend all bus services from midnight on Sunday.
The bus operator said it had kept a limited network of coach services running to help people with essential travel, but it is “no longer viable to continue to do so”.
Transport for London has cut London Underground train services by 50% – to be used only by frontline workers – and many national rail services have been scaled down as households are urged to stay at home to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
Workers feel ‘conned’ by being forced to take holiday during lockdown
Workers across the country are being forced to take days off during the coronavirus lockdown, with little to do except take their daily exercise, “watch Netflix” or even just carrying on working.
Several have contacted HuffPost UK to say they feel “upset”, “conned” and “frustrated”, describing employers’ decisions to enforce annual leave as “a slap in the face” and “unfair”.
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The workers affected all said they were lucky to still be in a job during a crisis which has seen thousands laid off and even more furloughed, and understand employers are in a difficult position.
But few see why they should be forced to take days off when they cannot do anything and the government is advising firms to allow workers to carry over days off into 2021, meaning the impact could be more spread out.
Doctors could be asked to decide which Covid-19 patients should receive life-saving treatment
Coronavirus patients could have their treatment withdrawn and offered to others who are more likely to survive, according to new guidance for doctors.
The British Medical Association’s (BMA) latest ethics advice said medics could be forced to make “grave decisions” should hospitals become overwhelmed with patients.
The document warned that decisions around rationing scarce resources, such as ventilators, could determine whether large numbers of patients will receive life-saving treatment or not.
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“Health professionals may be obliged to withdraw treatment from some patients to enable treatment of other patients with a higher survival probability,” the guidance states.
“This may involve withdrawing treatment from an individual who is stable or even improving but whose objective assessment indicates a worse prognosis than another patient who requires the same resource.”
Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA’s medical ethics committee, said: “Looking ahead to the coming weeks, if hard choices are required, we know they will be contested. There will be anger and pain.
“People who, in normal circumstances, would receive strenuous treatment may instead be given palliation in order to favour those with greater likelihood of benefiting.
“Nobody wants to make these decisions, but if resources are overwhelmed, these decisions must be made.”
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The new guidance came as the UK experienced its biggest day-on-day rise in deaths so far, with the death toll now standing at 2,352 – an increase of 563 in one day.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that a major London hospital almost ran out of oxygen for coronavirus patients on ventilators because it was treating so many patients who needed help breathing.
The paper said the incident – which happened last weekend – prompted a letter from NHS England warning hospital bosses to limit the number of patients who are put on mechanical ventilators and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines
NHS England reportedly told trusts that a sudden increase in patients receiving breathing support could risk a hospital’s oxygen supply failing, which could cut supply to all those relying on it.
Universal Credit applications skyrocket to 950,000 during UK lockdown
950,000 people applied for Universal Credit in the last two weeks EMPICS Entertainment
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The number of people applying for Universal Credit has surged in the two weeks since Boris Johnson put the UK into lockdown, with 950,000 attempting to get hold of the benefit.
The total in the aftermath of the drastic move to curb the spread of coronavirus is more than nine times higher the usual 100,000 applicants for a two-week period.
The surge reflects falls in income as well as unemployment as firms go bust or lay off staff because they cannot afford to wait for the governments’s bail-out scheme.
As businesses, shops, restaurants and bars are closed, the government has offered to pay 80% of employees’ wages if their company keeps them on – but there is no incentive for an employer to apply for this.
A YouGov survey on March 24 found that one in 20 people in Britain had already lost their job due to coronavirus.
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A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: “With such a huge increase in claims there are pressures on our services, but the system is standing up well to these and our dedicated staff are working flat-out to get people the support they need.”
Global coronavirus cases near one million
A health care worker prepares to collect a sample to test for COVID-19 ASSOCIATED PRESS
The number of coronavirus cases confirmed around the world is nearing one million.
As of 8am on Thursday, almost 938,000 incidents of Covid-19 had been recorded globally, according to the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre.
Data shows that the USA has had by far the most recorded cases of any country in the world, with almost 217,000 cases – nearly double Italy, which has the next highest number of incidents (110,574).
According to the records, China – where Covid-19 is believed to have originated – has had the fourth highest number of coronavirus cases, with around 82,000.
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The UK comes in eighth in the rankings, with almost 30,000 cases. However, the centre only records confirmed cases of coronavirus – meaning people who have been infected but not tested are not counted.
The UK government has been criticised for the number of coronavirus tests it has carried out, especially among NHS frontline staff.
On Wednesday, Downing Street said that only around 2,000 staff had been tested for the virus.
Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England (PHE), told the Number 10 daily press briefing that 10,000 tests per day were now being carried out around the UK and the aim was to get to 25,000 tests by mid-April.
Bus drivers on front line slam lack of coronavirus precautions
Bus drivers risking coronavirus to get vital key workers to hospitals and schools say they have been cast aside, with no protective kit and poor cleanliness in their cabs.
One driver who is now off sick and self-isolating with Covid-19 symptoms including persistent coughing, a sore throat and fatigue, told HuffPost UK her colleagues are not being provided with protective gear such as face masks and gloves, and says redundant “alcohol free” hand sanitisers were being used.
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She also alleges that a shortage of managerial staff and cleaners mean drivers are forced to work in potentially contaminated environments at a time when hygiene is paramount.
On numerous occasions, she had to deep clean her own compartment between shifts.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Newborn With Coronavirus Dies In US In 'Heartbreaking' Incident

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The governor of Connecticut has announced that a newborn in the state who tested positive for coronavirus has died.
“It is with heartbreaking sadness today that we can confirm the first pediatric fatality in Connecticut linked to #COVID-19,” wrote Governor Ned Lamont in a Twitter statement.
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“A 6-week-old newborn from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived.”
The governor stated that the newborn had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, on Tuesday night. The baby is believed to be among the youngest worldwide to have died as a result of the virus.
This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time. (3/3) — Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) April 1, 2020
Lamont implored people to stay home, to limit contact with others and to consider the impact of their actions on the lives of others.
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Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported the death of an infant under 1 in Chicago who had tested positive for COVID-19.
“There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant. A full investigation is underway to determine the cause of death,” said IDPH Director Dr Ngozi Ezike in a statement at the time. “We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. If not to protect ourselves ... to protect those around us.”
Only a small percentage of recorded cases of COVID-19 have been in children, and it’s rare for children who contract the virus to become seriously sick. One study in China, however, found that among children who do contract the virus, babies are particularly vulnerable to developing more severe illness.
As a whole, the risk of serious illness and death is statistically higher for older people and those with preexisting health conditions.
Connecticut is one of numerous places under a stay-at-home order to contain the virus and limit its spread. Nonessential businesses and schools have been temporarily shuttered there.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Stabbing Of Asian American Toddler And Family Deemed A Hate Crime: Report

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Federal investigators determined that the man who stabbed an Asian American family out shopping at a Sam’s Club last month committed a hate crime fueled by coronavirus panic, according to an FBI report obtained by ABC News.
Three members of a family were stabbed in Midland, Texas, on March 14, including two children ages 2 and 6.
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Suspect Jose Gomez, 19, admitted to police that “he stabbed the family because he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with the coronavirus,” according to the document. A Sam’s Club employee named Zach Owen was stabbed in the leg as he tried to stop the attack.
Gomez is being held on several bonds totalling $1 million as federal investigators pursue the case.
The World Health Organisation had declared the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, a pandemic three days earlier. Because the virus is believed to have originated in China, Asian Americans across the country have reported being harassed in public over baseless accusations that they personally had something to do with the crisis.
The FBI said it has already started to see a surge in coronavirus-related hate crimes across the country and warned that the US will only see more as the coronavirus spreads, according to the ABC News report.
“The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the US public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations,” the agency said.
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President Donald Trump has certainly not helped to discourage the connection, refusing to apologise for calling COVID-19 by the derogatory “China virus” nickname. Instead, he has issued tweets discouraging hate crimes against Asian Americans.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--'No One Is Protecting Us': Bus Drivers On Front Line Slam Lack Of Coronavirus Precautions

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Bus drivers risking coronavirus to get vital key workers to hospitals and schools say they have been cast aside, with no protective kit and poor cleanliness in their cabs.
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Lorraine, who works at a south London depot, is currently off sick with Covid-19 symptoms including persistent coughing, a sore throat and fatigue.
She believes she contracted it while on the job and is following NHS advice to self-isolate.
Before falling ill, the 57-year-old saw drivers were not being provided with protective gear such as face masks and gloves, and says redundant “alcohol free” hand sanitisers were being used.
“What germs is that supposed to kill?” she said.
Moreover, Lorraine alleges that a shortage of managerial staff and cleaners mean drivers are forced to work in potentially contaminated environments at a time when cleanliness is most paramount.
On numerous occasions, she had to deep clean her own compartment between shifts.
“The buses aren’t even clean – how about that?” she said.
“The manager’s not there, he’s at home because he has underlying health issues, so that’s not being sorted. Other managers are off and I don’t know why; some are able to work from home while we, the drivers, cannot.
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“More cleaners need to be brought in.”
A Transport For London spokesperson said the network, including all buses, is cleaned thoroughly, with all regularly touched areas, such as poles and doors, carefully wiped down with a strong disinfectant every day.
More than 2,700 people have so far signed a petition asking for drivers to be paid a full wage in the event that they have to self-isolate due being high-risk key workers.
Barry Lewis via Getty Images
Currently many fear they are only eligible for statutory sick pay which is less than £95 a week.
In addition to combating the illness, Lorraine is worried about staying financially afloat. She called the sick pay a “joke”.
“When everybody else was told to stay in their house, we’ve gone out there and carried people and when we’re sick, we have to get £100?” she said.
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“Even when I am well, I am not going to go back just to get a wage when they’re not taking my health seriously. We don’t even get gloves!
“They buy some stupid rubber gloves which quickly run out. You want me to drive your bus but you’re giving me no protection – no mask or anything!”
“I have Covid-19 because I've been driving the bus. I wasn’t sick before. If bus drivers were staying in, who would be taking people out?” - Lorraine, bus driver
Lorraine feels that, in some instances, frontline staff members are being deliberately discriminated against.
“I feel like most of the drivers are Black – we are the guinea pigs. That’s how I feel,” she said.
“Same with the doctors and nurses. I think it’s disgusting. Look how quickly the stars get tested, look how quickly Charles got tested, Boris Johnson – and they’re not on the frontline like we are. This country is a joke.
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“I’m sick because I’ve been driving the bus. I wasn’t sick before. If bus drivers were staying in, who would be taking people out? You can’t have another set of rules for us, whereby we have to go out and work, and then not protect us when we do.”
She added: “We’re going to lose a lot of bus drivers to the coronavirus outbreak. That’s the only time people want to sit up and pay attention but the companies are taking liberties with people’s lives.”
Henry Dyer, a bus driver at Stagecoach, echoed Lorraine’s concerns.
He hasn’t been given any protective provisions apart from a 50ml bottle of hand sanitiser which staff scramble to refill, between shifts, from a communal pump.
“The last two weeks have definitely been the most stressful since I started five years ago,” the 55-year-old told HuffPost UK.
“Most of the national conversation has been about NHS workers’ rights and it’s an important discussion. But what about us? Who’s looking out for our interests?” - Abellio driver
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He had to turn off his engine recently following an exchange with a passenger who did not want to stand two metres away from him in accordance with government advice.
“When I asked him to move down, the passenger told me he didn’t need to because of the plastic screen. I replied: ‘That screen is to stop crackheads from stabbing me, it’s not going to stop the coronavirus.’
“Telling passengers to leave the bus is not typical for someone like me.
“But if he’s not going to respect my social distance then he should catch the next bus where maybe there’s more room. This is my health; it’s a matter of life and death.”
TfL told HuffPost UK “enhancements” were being made to the perspex screen that shields drivers, to offer a higher level of protection.
It was only on Tuesday that managers put a sign on the seat immediately behind the drivers, secured with some tape, advising passengers to use alternate chairs, Henry explained.
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“But as passengers come on the bus, they’re nearer than 6ft away from you in any case – so drivers are still exposed,” he added.
While the UK remains on lockdown, Henry is proud to be on the frontline in the battle to contain the virus spreading, but has reservations about how seriously the general public is taking the matter.
“At the moment, I know that I’m getting people who need to be somewhere to where they have to go; I signed up for it and I don’t mind doing it,” he said.
“I’m prepared to take my own personal precautions the best I can while contributing to keeping this country country and keeping people alive.
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“But I think the vast majority out there are just taking the mick. They don’t need to be out and about in their numbers. A lot of people don’t seem to be taking this seriously.
“If it’s shopping then, in London at least, there’s nobody who isn’t walking distance from a corner shop. What is it they’re out on the streets doing?
“The government are not leading effectively. If someone had said to me two months ago that I’d be asking for soldiers on the street to keep people in their house, I would’ve laughed in their face. But I don’t think people are listening.”
“That screen is to stop crackheads from stabbing me – it’s not going to stop the coronavirus.” - Henry Dyer, bus driver
When the government released an extensive list of workers who are critical to the coronavirus response, it included bus drivers, cleaners and carers – work previously dismissed as “unskilled” under its plans for a new immigration system.
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Many hailed the move as overdue recognition of these workers’ value.
“You’ve got to remember this is the same government who, months ago, was saying that anyone who earns under £26k was unskilled and unessential. Right now they have to pay us a bit of respect – but let’s see if it’s still there when this blows over,” Henry said.
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Another bus driver Wayne told HuffPost UK: “It’s not nice the fact that we’re living in these times and we have to deal with this situation. We’re thrust out there as key workers, on the front line, and no one’s really paying us any mind.
“We’ve raised concerns with the firms; we’ve got to think about ourselves because they’re not thinking about us. The only thing they’re thinking about is not losing mileage and profit margins. Nothing else.”
An Abellio driver, who has asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job, also painted a bleak picture of working conditions for bus staff.
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Staff at his company have not been provided with face masks, he said.
Echoing Henry’s experiences, the driver said his company is neglecting to properly secure signage advising passengers to maintain a two-metre distance from the driver and refrain from occupying the seats closest to them.
He has a flimsy poster on his bus and, where it constantly falls on the floor between journeys, the driver has to stop what he’s doing to scrape it up – sometimes without gloves, which haven’t been provided.
On one occasion, frustrated with the situation, the driver reeled off bus ticket receipt paper and wrapped it around the seats that passengers shouldn’t occupy.
“We have been made aware of issues concerning a lack of social distancing around drivers and have acted on it,” a spokesperson from Unite said.
“This was initially through notices in buses and these notices are now being replaced by the full-time measure of cordoning off seats.”
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Buses are not cleaned properly, the driver also added – reflecting Lorraine’s concerns.
That, coupled with the lack of protective material available to them, exacerbates the risk drivers face at a time where Covid-19 cases are on the daily increase and a global emphasis is being placed on the importance of hygiene.
“We’re treated like numbers on a piece of paper, statistics, and not like human beings.” - Abellio driver
“We’re treated like numbers on a piece of paper, statistics, and not like human beings,” he told HuffPost UK.
“This job is already demanding as it is – I should not have to be going out of my way to ensure that my health and wellbeing isn’t damaged while doing an honest day’s work.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the government would subsidise 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 per month if they were furloughed.
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However, if he falls ill, this Abellio driver has been told that he will only be entitled to statutory sick pay of £94.25. In the event that he falls ill while working, he would be at a distinct disadvantage.
“I’m scared about catching coronavirus and what it’ll mean for my family. Not only could I pass on a virus that I would’ve contracted while working in these conditions but I won’t be able to provide financially,” he said.
“Bus drivers matter, too; most of the national conversation has been about NHS workers’ rights and it’s an important discussion. But what about us? Who’s looking out for our interests? We transport the NHS workers to the hospitals in the morning and bring them home.”
“Look how quick the stars get tested, look how quick Charles got tested, Boris – and they’re not on the frontline. This country is a joke.” - Lorraine, bus driver
He said that drivers aren’t even able to get refreshments in vending machines or at on-site coffee shops due to closures – and managers do not appear to care.
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“We’re hung out to dry, it’s a simple as that. This outbreak has really exposed how badly some employers treat their staff.”
The government is set to offer the bus industry a bespoke wage deal, allowing critical services to continue during the coronavirus lockdown, The Telegraph reported last week.
This comes after the death of a Nottingham bus driver, who had been self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms, spurred criticism from a trade union.
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) described the company’s measures to protect staff as “appalling” citing a lack of personal protection equipment.
The union also highlighted importance of safety measures for drivers after some have become infected.
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A Plymouth-based driver for Stagecoach, 60, was reported to be seriously ill in hospital with Covid-19 last week.
In Bristol, a driver died on Saturday after testing positive for the virus, and staff who came into contact with him are self-isolating.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) calling on government to take further steps to protect workers who are still going into work on Wednesday.
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Unions are concerned that many employees who can’t work from home are being exposed to unnecessary Covid-19 risk because their employers are not putting adequate safety measures in place.
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Unite regional officer for London buses John Murphy said: “Unite recognises that bus drivers are rightly concerned about their wellbeing and that of their families.
“This is why we are taking every opportunity to ensure our members receive the best protection available. through the pressure we have applied on operating companies and TfL, bus drivers in every bus garage in London has hand sanitiser and assault screens are being sealed.”
The union said there there is a proper and safe cleaning process in place, which is being applied.
“Obviously, we are monitoring this and where there are issues, we address them immediately. We need drivers to report this rather than suffer it, then we can and do deal with such issues,” Murphy added.
Unite said it is continually monitoring areas of improvement and pushing for the safest possible environment for members to continue carrying out their jobs.
“We have addressed several issues where we have been made aware. These issues include the lack of facilities, meal break arrangements and hygiene issues. Where we are informed of this, we address it.
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“It is easy to overlook the good work being done by our members in this time of crisis. However, members of Unite can rest assured that we are taking every possible measure to ensure our members are as safe as they can be and treated with the respect that their heroic actions deserve.”
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Claire Mann, TfL’s director of bus operations, told HuffPost UK she was “supporting” a temporary enhanced sick pay scheme for drivers that would be higher than SSP.
All drivers who are eligible will have payments backdated to March 17.
“This means those frontline staff who show coronavirus symptoms, or need to self-isolate, get their employer’s sick pay from day one to reduce the financial impact and reduce stress,” she said.
“It’s absolutely vital for us to keep as many services running as possible so that essential workers such as NHS staff can get to where they need to be.
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“This is why we are asking drivers who are not showing symptoms, or do not need to self-isolate in line with government advice, to continue working.”
“We’ve stepped up our cleaning regime across our entire transport network and are asking customers to follow additional rules on social distancing to further protect our staff,” she added.
A Stagecoach spokesperson said the company was speaking to trade unions and staff.
“Our bus drivers and support teams in London and right across the country are doing a fantastic job of keeping key workers moving as part of the national effort at this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.
“Even more so at this time, the health and safety of our employees and passengers is our first priority. We are strictly following government and public health guidelines, including those from the World Health Organisation, and we are following the enhanced cleaning and hygiene regimes specified by Transport for London.”
They also asked us to make clear that the employee in the video embedded in this article is not from their company.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--How Long Can Asymptomatic Coronavirus Carriers Infect Others?

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
One of the more puzzling aspects of Covid-19 has been the seemingly vast range of symptoms.
For thousands of people around the world, the virus has been deadly. But for an unquantified group of individuals (at least so far), the illness has been practically invisible.
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“There are some people who are truly infected, but they don’t get sick,” Stephen Gluckman, an infectious diseases physician at Penn Medicine and the medical director of Penn Global Medicine, told HuffPost.
These “asymptomatic carriers” ― who have no symptoms at all (or whose symptoms are so mild they go unnoticed) ― are not unique to Covid-19.
“When we get infections, there is often a spectrum from very sick to modestly sick to not sick at all,” Gluckman said.
Unfortunately, that represents the full extent of what health experts know with any certainty about asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 at this time.
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It is not yet clear how many people are asymptomatic carriers of the disease. Nor is it clear how much they are contributing to the spread of the epidemic, though preliminary research suggests they might play a significant role. Similarly, it is not known how long those carriers may be contagious.
“There is no easy, simple answer,” Dr. Faheem Younus, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, told HuffPost.
The best we can all do right now is act like we’re already a carrier of the virus and follow current recommendations for preventing transmission.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that people who have been infected with Covid-19 are at their most contagious at the peak of their symptoms. This means that the days people feel their worst ― that may include a cough or a fever ― are when they’re most likely to spread the virus.
But that does not mean it is the only time they are contagious. People can “shed” or emit the virus in the incubation period before they show symptoms, which is generally from two to 14 days after their initial exposure. One recent model found the median incubation period for Covid-19 was five days and that 98% of people who develop symptoms after an exposure do so within 11½ days.
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Research also suggests that Covid-19 patients continue to shed the virus for days after their symptoms clear. In general, individuals who are suspected of having Covid-19 are asked to remain in isolation for at least three days after they have recovered and for at least a week after their symptoms first appeared.
Younus pointed out that children are often asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 and can pose a particular risk to those closest to them.
“The longer the duration, the closer the contact, the lower the host’s immunity, the higher the risk of catching the infection,” Younus said.
All Royalty-Free licenses include global use rights. via Getty Images
Gluckman told HuffPost that he imagines researchers will have a better understanding of asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 in the next month or so, if not sooner, as more studies come out of places like China, South Korea, Europe and the United States. But that kind of research relies on testing for the virus, which is the only way to capture silent cases of the illness.
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“We will learn more about this novel coronavirus as more studies are conducted in a robust peer-reviewed fashion,” Younus echoed. “But that seems like a 2021 phenomena.”
For now, uncertainty about how many asymptomatic carriers there may be — and how long those carriers pose a risk to others they come into contact with — is why we should adhere to social distancing measures.
If you’re exposed to someone with coronavirus and you get infected, you could spread the virus long before you realise you’re sick (if you even realise it at all). And given that Covid-19 has spread throughout communities, you may not even know you’ve been exposed.
“People have to be vigilant about avoiding close contact with other individuals ... and not assuming that just because someone isn’t sick, they’re not carrying the virus,” Gluckman said. “We have to be very, very, very aggressive about self-isolating.”
This story has been updated to include more information about COVID-19 infections and will continue to be updated as more knowledge about the virus becomes available.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Is Losing Your Sense Of Smell A Coronavirus Symptom? Here's What We Know So Far

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By now, most of us can probably list the recognised symptoms of coronavirus off the top of our heads: a new, continuous cough and a fever. But if you’ve suddenly lost your sense of smell, you might be wondering if that has something to do with Covid-19, too.
Anosmia, the complete loss of ability to smell, and hyposmia, a reduced ability to smell, are yet to be listed as symptoms of the virus by the NHS.
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“Like many viruses that give infections of the upper respiratory tracts, there is a range of symptoms,” NHS England’s national medical director, Steve Powis, told HuffPost UK, in relation to questions about anosmia. “The two commonest are by far cough and a fever and that is exactly why they are the two symptoms that we are asking people to self-isolate if they get those symptoms.”
However, a growing number of people are reporting a loss of smell. Some also claim to have experienced loss of taste, but academics have pointed out taste perceptions often change as the result of what we can smell.
So is this linked to coronavirus? Here’s what we know so far.
Is it likely you’ve contracted Covid-19 if you’ve lost your sense of smell?
A number of conditions can cause anosmia and hyposmia – from the common cold to sinusitis and hay fever, states the NHS. So if you’re experiencing these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got Covid-19.
But Professor Carl Philpott, a smell expert based at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, says it does makes sense that a Covid-19 infection might cause this symptom.
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“With viral shedding [the release of the virus] highest in the nose, it’s not surprising that the ‘unprotected’ smell receptor tissue at the top of the nose is vulnerable to infection,” he says.
Getty/HuffPost UK
Doctors are also reporting a rise in people presenting with total anosmia – also known as smell blindness. Professor Claire Hopkins of the British Rhinological Society says she’s seen four patients with the symptom just this week, where she usually sees no more than one a month.
And scientists at King’s College London have labelled loss of smell or taste a “key symptom for Covid-19 cases”. The scientists have been analysing data collected by The Covid Symptom Tracker app, where more than 1.8 million individuals have self-reported symptoms to aid research.
Data from the app shows 59% of people who’ve tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK reported loss of smell and taste, compared to only 18% of those who tested negative for the disease.
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“These results were much stronger in predicting a positive Covid-19 diagnosis than self-reported fever,” the Kings College researchers said.
The UK research into anosmia and Covid-19 is still in its infancy, though. Professor Philpott points out some limitations to the Kings College research, highlighting the fact that many app users won’t have been tested for Covid-19. There’s also no data on the timing and severity of this symptom, he adds, and the research is only a snapshot over one week.
However, it does add to the “emerging evidence” from elsewhere around the world, says Prof. Philpott. In an open report addressed to Public Health England, ENT UK, the professional membership body representing ear, nose and throat clinicians, summarised the growing global evidence that anosmia might be a Covid-19 symptom.
“There is already good evidence from South Korea, China and Italy that significant numbers of patients with proven Covid-19 infection have developed anosmia/hyposmia,” they wrote. “In Germany it is reported that more than two in three confirmed cases have anosmia.”
Should you be worried if you can’t smell, then?
Suddenly losing your sense of smell can be disturbing, but it may ease your worries to know that anosmia has been recognised in individuals with mild cases of Covid-19, including those who’ve shown no other symptoms.
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“In South Korea, where testing has been more widespread, 30% of patients testing positive have had anosmia as their major presenting symptom in otherwise mild cases,” the ENT UK report reads. “Iran has reported a sudden increase in cases of isolated anosmia, and many colleagues from the US, France and Northern Italy have the same experience.”
Social media is also full of testimonials from people saying they experienced temporary anosmia, but their sense of smell has since returned.
“So far with Covid-19, the smell loss appears to be transient but only as time elapses will we know how many people have a more permanent loss,” Prof. Philpott adds.
Losing your sense of smell doesn’t mean developing other symptoms is an inevitability, but of course, that can still happen. So while we wait for more research on the topic, make sure you’re clued up on other signs of infection and what to do if you feel you can’t manage your symptoms at home.
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What should you do if you’ve lost your sense of smell?
The government advice remains that you only need to self-isolate if you have a high temperature or a new, continuous cough.
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“We have nothing to add on this at this stage,” a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told HuffPost UK when asked about the emerging evidence around anosmia. “Our guidance on self-isolation has not changed and can be found on gov.uk.”
However, considering the fact that people with anosmia may have Covid-19 with no other symptoms, some experts are urging those affected to self-isolate anyway, as a precautionary measure, to limit the spread of the disease.
Professor Tim Spector, the lead researcher working on King’s College London’s app, said: “When combined with other symptoms, people with loss of smell and taste appear to be three times more likely to have contracted Covid-19 according to our data, and should therefore self-isolate for seven days to reduce the spread of the disease.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--Why We Are Dangerously Obsessed With The Coronavirus Death Toll

As a scientist, I am used to thinking about graphs holistically. It’s not wise to obsess over individual data points. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Numbers are seductive: they impose order onto events which feel chaotic in isolation. When we corral them into neat graphs, we take comfort in their inherent precision – especially during this global pandemic, when our lives have become distressing and unstable.
We especially look to the numbers to help predict the future. Where are we in comparison to countries, like Italy, that got so crushed by Covid-19 that their healthcare systems buckled? Gazing at the graphs can give us a glimpse into that murky crystal ball. As scary as the future might look, it’s preferable to being completely in the dark.
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But when we are given different numbers from different sources, the crystal ball becomes even murkier. Given how reliant we are on those curves for forecasting the epidemic’s course and ensuring that the appropriate hospital infrastructure is in the right place at the right time, it’s disconcerting when doubt is cast on the veracity of our daily Covid-19 stats. Recently we’ve seen discrepancies between the Office for National Statistics figures and those released daily by the government.
The figures are different because each uses a different definition: the ONS relies on information recorded formally in death certificates (which has an inbuilt lag period of nearly a week) whereas the government collates a daily round-up of all hospital figures, themselves likely tallied using different local parameters. If a patient dies in their house or at a care home, the government figures won’t include that death; but the ONS figures won’t necessarily include everyone who died today, in real time, in hospital.
Does the discrepancy actually matter? In the grand scheme of things, not really. As a scientist, I am used to thinking about graphs holistically. It’s not wise to obsess over individual data points. What a scientist wants to see is the entire picture, or at least a decent stretch of it — the shape of the curve, not an individual daub of paint.
This is exactly the reason why some nutritionists recommend not obsessing over your morning weight reading on the scales, but instead keeping a rolling weekly average and gauging your slimming success (or failure) on those more robust numbers instead. There have been plenty of dips in Covid-19 death curves worldwide which ultimately turned out to be red herrings; only when our own curve has shown itself to be flattening over a number of days will we be able to feel more confident that we are beating this virus.
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It is of paramount importance, however, that we do not grow complacent at that fateful inflection point. If we abandon strict social distancing measures too soon, the curve will simply un-flatten. Constant vigilance will be required to keep the virus under control, both among citizens within our borders and in visitors from other lands.
“This is exactly the reason why some nutritionists recommend not obsessing over your morning weight reading on the scales, but instead keeping a rolling weekly average.”
There are still so many unknowns: we still don’t know if the coming summer in the Northern hemisphere will dampen viral spread as is the case for respiratory viruses like influenza. We don’t know if prior exposure to the virus will confer lasting immunity to reinfection. We don’t know if the long-awaited vaccines, not deployable for at least 18 months, will actually work, and we don’t know how effective the barrage of experimental drugs currently in testing will turn out to be.
It’s conceivable that we might be looking at intermittent periods of lockdown for quite a long period of time before we come to some sort of biological agreement with this novel pathogen. The worst thing we can do right now is to underestimate it.
We are in our current dire position because as a global community, despite pleading from scientific experts, we failed to properly resource pandemic readiness. Once we think we have Covid-19 under control, there won’t be time to relax for long. We will need to take a good, hard look at our spending priorities. Because it’s not a question of if the next pandemic will arrive – it is when. And no daily death toll can tell us that.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--I Just Got Out Of The Covid-19 ICU. Here's How I Made It Through

Courtesy of the author HuffPost UK
I live with two unrelated roommates even though I’m 51-years-old, I have multiple day jobs (nursing, and working with high school students) that support my art (performing comedy), and until two weeks ago I hated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a stunning array of well-thought-out political reasons but now I’m not sure whether I’m in love with him or want him to be my dad.
In other words, I’m a typical New Yorker.
Despite my 15-plus years in the five boroughs, there are days when my Wisconsin-born soul unexpectedly ― and quite inconveniently I might add ― intrudes on my Brooklyn life. Like last week, when I found myself leaning against a stretcher gasping for breath in a local paediatric ER turned covid-19 ER. I felt not just the substantial terror of “Oh shit, this is serious” but also the embarrassment of “Can we please not make quite such a big deal about this? And also, “PS, can you please quit looking at me?”
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It’s a Midwestern thing. Making people worry feels like bad manners.
But I’d had a bad cough for a few days and then had grown steadily more short of breath. I hadn’t initially suspected covid-19 since I hadn’t really had a fever. But red-faced with the embarrassment of, OMG, needing something and blue-lipped with lack of oxygen, I headed to the Manhattan hospital where I’ve received extremely competent medical care in the past.
I walked in with a red flannel button-up shirt tied midlevel around my face. If any of the initial assessment staffers thought I looked like a middle-aged genderqueer version of an Old West bank robber, they were kind enough not to share their impression. Instead, the triage nurse said dryly, “I applaud your efforts,” handed me an actual disposable mask that hadn’t been part of anyone’s wardrobe in the last hour, and took my vitals.
For a moment, it seemed like a regular Thursday morning in any emergency room. But then a tech clad head to toe in plastic protective gear called my name and motioned me to follow her. We stepped through a heavy door.
“Oh,” I said. “Oh, this is where you’re keeping the pandemic.”
I tried to keep my eyes on my own paper as the tech walked me past row after row of beds separated by opaque plastic walls that had been pulled out from freestanding columns like portable movie screens turned sideways. Each makeshift cubicle was stuffed with various pieces of equipment, a patient who was trying very hard to breathe, and one or more staff members in their astronaut-esque gear.
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And then I was in my own room, leaning against a stretcher, with an ER doc ― who looked as exhausted as if she’d just completed the New York City Marathon even though it was not yet 9 a.m. ― staring intently at me.
“I’m worried about how rapidly you’re breathing.”
“Ah... yes,” I said, trying to lighten the mood a little although my comic timing was being annoyingly hampered by the whole gasping-for-air business. “We ... ah... share... this concern.”
Tired and Kind Doctor (whose name I cannot remember despite having inquired about it three times) asked if I would be okay with being intubated. I can remember thinking that it was a weird time to have a theoretical conversation about such a serious matter. What was she doing, taking a survey? But then I noticed the gathering of health care providers outside the room, suiting up in their protective gear and circling like scrub-clad extraordinarily helpful jackals. This was alarming.
I also suddenly realised that no one had ever asked for my insurance info.
This scared me even more.
I was lucky: I responded to non-invasive efforts, so the Helpful Jackals moved on to address the dozens of similar situations I heard going on around me.
The first rule of the COVID-19 floor is that there are no visitors on the COVID-19 floor. Courtesy of Kelli Dunham
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No visitors were allowed in the area of the ER set aside for patients whose symptoms placed them squarely in the “presumed covid-19” category. I messaged folks to let them know where I was, asking my sister and my girlfriend to pass along the info since I’d forgotten an extra phone battery. After I shut off my cellphone, I had some time to think.
I thought about my girlfriend’s smile.
I thought about how my students were dealing with the pandemic, even – or perhaps especially – the kid who makes the most fun of my tattoos.
I thought about my 86-year-old mother who has been on chemo for a rare blood disorder nearly five years and how pissed off she would be if I died before her.
And how she would smile if she knew that’s what I was worried about.
And then without other distractions and surrounded by the alarming sounds of respiratory distress (including my own), I could no longer not think about what I was trying not to think about.
I’ve been a nurse for more than two decades but the vast majority of my experience managing severe respiratory distress has been in my personal rather than professional life.
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In 2010, my then-partner Cheryl was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which ― with treatment ― has a five-year survival rate of 86%. In a grossly ironic (for real this time, Alanis) instance of the cure being worse than the disease, the standard chemo treatment that Cheryl received caused her to develop pulmonary side effects.
When her symptoms became so severe that she had to be admitted to the hospital, I moved in alongside her, sleeping curled up in a blanket on the radiator next to her bed. I was lucky to be able to do that: I had supportive friends and short legs.
Cheryl struggled to breathe for three months, cycling through the intensive care unit, the stepdown unit and then back to the ICU. The memory of standing outside her hospital room yelling, “I’m here, honey! Just look at my face!” while they put her on a BiPAP machine, a single tear running outside the mask and down her cheek, is one of the most searingly painful of my life, perhaps even more painful than the moment she died in my arms.
In that instant of physical separation, I had felt so helpless, like I was doing nothing for her.
After wrestling my respiratory rate into something more compatible with ongoing life, the staff moved me upstairs into the ICU. The next few days were as unpleasant as you might imagine – struggling to breathe, reliving those terrible moments in the hospital with Cheryl and negotiating all the random death-related worries that popped into my head.
“Damn, I wish I’d given someone my Facebook passcode to shut down my page,” I thought. “I don’t want people writing corny shit on my wall.”
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And then ― with its usual flair for the dramatic ― the city serves up a stunning sunset over the Manhattan skyline as seen from the ICU. Courtesy of Kelli Dunham
Despite the logistical isolation and the very real physical distress, however, there were moments of connection that kept me from feeling truly alone.
My girlfriend called and said, “You don’t have to talk. We’ll just stay on the phone.”
My roommates texted me photos of our ridiculous cats doing ridiculous things.
Friends sent video messages of their choreographed quarantine dance moves.
A nurse took an extra moment to look into my eyes and not just at my vitals on the monitor.
A respiratory therapist putting me on high flow oxygen started our interaction with “I know this is scary but ....”
The director of pulmonary care laughed at my attempted (but not funny) joke.
After a little less than a week, I was able to breathe well enough to leave the hospital and I am acutely aware of how lucky ― and privileged ― I am. I had economic and logistical access to medical attention that will likely become much more scarce in New York in upcoming weeks. I speak the language of health care and feel comfortable enough in the hospital setting to advocate for myself, even when I was quite sick. I have a job and an apartment to return to.
Covid-19 – like most crises – has magnified social and economic inequities and left the planet’s most vulnerable citizens exponentially more vulnerable. On the macro level, if we really believe that everyone deserves the kind of care and support Prince Charles and Tom Hanks are getting, it’s the responsibility of all decent humans to collectively scrap like hell to make that a possibility.
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If I’m being honest, I was hoping for a slightly different flavour of global crisis, maybe involving a giant gorilla, a great soundtrack, lots of sexy costumes and The Rock saving us all in the end.
Or at the very least, a scenario in which we could hug.
But to paraphrase my Midwestern mom, we can’t work with the pandemic we’d like to have, we have to work with the pandemic we’ve got. And this becomes our everyday challenge: What does it mean to show up for the people we care about when the nature of the crisis requires us to be physically apart?
I doubt that anyone I referenced earlier understands what a profound difference their small actions made to me, just as I didn’t understand – until this past week – how being present while just out of reach for Cheryl could have made any difference in her distress.
We can’t say that these small moments of connection through plastic, masks or Wi-fi mitigate any of the actual human tragedy. But these moments can reinforce our faltering humanity. And while this is far from enough, it is a profound and stunning improvement over no connection at all.
This article first appeared on HuffPost US Personal


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--How To Plan For A Positive Birth In The Midst Of A Global Pandemic

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You probably didn’t anticipate giving birth in the midst of a global health crisis. Right now, you may be feeling anxious about catching the virus, nervous about changes to your birth plan and scared about the possibility of labouring without your birthing partner. All the while, there’s uncertainty about how the situation may develop.
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It’s tough, but Siobhan Miller, founder of The Positive Birth Company, says it is still possible to have a positive pregnancy and birth experience amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Often anxiety and panic comes from a period of feeling out of being control, so I try to help women take control of what they can and let go of what they can’t,” she tells HuffPost UK. Here’s how to do it:
Accept the unpredictability of birth
Over a fifth of local midwife-led maternity units had been closed, with more than a third of areas also either stopping or restricting home births, according to the Royal College of Midwives. Those numbers may increase as the NHS shifts from usual protocols in its best attempts to tackle the virus.
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JGI/Tom Grill via Getty Images
Miller says she’s heard from many women who are upset because their birth plans have had to change. But recognising that birth plans are never set in stone may help you accept what is happening.
“I think it’s important to remember that actually, even if this wasn’t going on, there’s a chance that you might not get exactly wanted anyway. There’s lots of variables,” she says.
“You might have been planning a home birth, but even before coronavirus was a thing, there’s always a chance that you wouldn’t be able to have a home birth because the midwife isn’t available, or things might not have progressed in the way that you’d hoped.
“Or you might have your heart set on a birth centre water birth, but then you get to the birth centre and there aren’t any pools available. All of those things can happen on a regular day anyway.”
Trying to have an open mind about how you give birth is key during any pregnancy, but particularly important in this ever-changing situation, she adds.
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Tatyana Antusenok via Getty Images
To reclaim some sense of control, Miller recommends thinking about your preferences for different birth scenarios – a home birth, a water birth, a hospital birth and a caesarian birth – writing these down, then giving the list to your midwife or doctor.
“Having only one plan where you’re mentally thinking ‘I didn’t get what I planned’ or ‘things are going wrong’, all feels very negative,” Miller says. “By writing a list, even though you can’t be certain exactly how things are going to go (and that’s the case whenever), you’ve enabled yourself to have some control over how things might go in each different setting.”
Attend antenatal classes – but get creative
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has advised pregnant women to attend antenatal care appointments during the outbreak, but some appointments may now be conducted by telephone or using videoconferencing, so you should consult your midwife about any changes to scheduled sessions.
Louise Broadbridge, an NHS midwife, points out that the Covid-19 situation has had a larger knock-on effect on group classes.
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“The vast majority of couples look forward to their planned antenatal classes. These classes offer and opportunity to gain information about labour and birth as well as connect and forge strong friendships with others having a baby at the same time,” she tells HuffPost UK. “But as the coronavirus has taken hold these classes, worldwide, have been cancelled, leaving a big gap in knowledge and preparation.”
To fill those crucial gaps and provide couples with a sense of community, Broadbridge has been providing free, digital antenatal classes. The two-and-a-half hour sessions allow women and their partners to ask any questions, plus connect with other parents-to-be. You can book your class space online.
Louise Broadbridge
If you’re unable to attend one of Broadbridge’s classes, she advises searching for other digital sessions being held by midwives in your own area.
Create a restful birth place
You might not be giving birth where you’d imagined, but working through a “five senses checklist” will help to make any location feel more personal, says Miller.
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“How you feel is a space is influenced by your senses, what you can smell, what you can see, what you can hear,” she says. “All of those factors contribute to whether or not you feel comfortable and relaxed, or whether you feel anxious or scared.”
If you’re facing the prospect of a hospital birth instead of a home birth, Miller recommends taking a blanket or throw from home, which you can place over hospital sheets to make them feel less clinical. Other packing ideas include pillow cases, battery powered tea lights, your favourite snacks, an eye mask, a room spray and a small speaker, so you can drown out the background hospital noise in your room with calming sounds.
“I tell birth partners that this is a job that they can take charge of,” says Miller. “Midwives are really supportive of people doing these things as well.”
Youngoldman via Getty Images
Make a plan if you’re giving birth alone
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has reassured women that birth partners are not being banned from maternity wards. However, some women are reporting hearing different regulations from their healthcare providers and an online petition has been launched to protect women’s rights to a birthing partner.
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Officially, only birthing partners showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be prevented from entering maternity wards, but Miller points out “a lot of women are still facing the very real possibility of having to give birth alone”.
“Even if your birth partner doesn’t have any symptoms, if you’re a second, third time or fourth time mum, you normally rely on somebody else to look after your children so that your partner and can be with you during labour and birth,” she says. “But because everyone’s in lockdown, you’ve now got a problem where women are having to go into birth without their partner because their partner is having to stay at home with their children.”
If you’re facing the prospect of giving birth alone, Miller says small tasks like packing your hospital bag together with your partner may help you feel less isolated. Your partner might want to add a note into your bag for you to read later, or record a series of voice messages on your phone.
Thanks to technology, you may even be able to set up a phone and video call your partner during labour and birth.
JGI/Tom Grill via Getty Images
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Miller also recommends downloading the Freya birth app, which costs £2.99 and is designed to guide women through birth. You press a “surge” button whenever you’re having a surge (or contraction) and Freya’s clam voice counts you through your breathing. You press the app again when the surge has finished and it helps you to keep track of your progress, helping you to know when it’s time to call a midwife. In between surges, the app plays guided meditations, or can be synched up with your Spotify to play your own music.
“Obviously it will never replace a physical birth partner, but I think it’s the next best thing,” says Miller. And she recommends “skin to skin” contact as soon as you return home to help baby and parent bond, providing your partner is well.
Embrace the solitude after birth
Some parents are making the difficult decision to isolate from one another or their other children when it’s time to bring the baby home from the hospital. Diversity star Ashley Banjo wrote about his experience of this on Instagram, revealing he and wife Francesca are taking extra precautions to ensure the rest of the family don’t get ill after she gave birth in a busy, central London hospital.
There’s no doubt this will be hard, but utilising technology will help the family to feel connected – and provide a way to introduce those eager grandparents to your latest arrival. Miller recommends taking time to appreciate the solitude, too.
“One of the biggest problems that women face outside of this coronavirus time, is that they get inundated with visitors after they’ve had their baby,” she says.
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“Every midwife says you should be spending two weeks at home resting; you shouldn’t be entertaining. Once you go home with your baby you should spend one week in bed and one week on the sofa and really try to rest, but so many women don’t do that – and it can leave them very run down.”
Instead of lamenting lost time with grandparents, try to appreciate this happy moment in your cocoon, with those you live with.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--The Simple 'Game' That Can Stop Tantrums Once And For All

“Discipline usually means punishment, but that should be recast,” says Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, a founder of the Yale Parenting Center and professor of psychology and child psychiatry there. Kazdin has worked with severely aggressive and antisocial children—and families facing everyday issues. His methods are simple—no traveling to Yale or spending big bucks to try them.
First, he asks parents to ask ourselves, “What are the three or four characteristics I want my children to have?” (If you are married or partnered, you should do this exercise together.) For example, how about raising an honest kid? Then first of all, we need to model honest behavior. Then, we need to watch for instances of our child acting honest. When we see an example of that, point it out. That immediately reinforces the behavior and development of the trait as the kid grows up.
Now, Kazdin jokes that this “doesn’t work fast enough” when our kids are losing it in front of an ice cream truck. So he recommends a “tantrum game”— which sounds ridiculous at first, but makes sense. He swears you can do it with kids as young as one and a half years old.
When you’re at home and everyone is feeling calm, tell your kid that he or she is going to have a pretend tantrum. “Here’s how it works: I’m going to tell you that you can’t do something, but you really can. It’s just pretend. When you have a tantrum, you’re going to get mad, but you’re not going to hit Mommy, and you’ll get a point on this chart.” (The point of having a tantrum chart? “The parents do better if we have a point system,” Kazdin jokes. So obviously feel free to ignore the chart, because I certainly do.) The next step: “Mom or Dad leans over and makes a mischievous smile. The smiling is important,” Kazdin explains, because it helps to set the tone that this is a “game.” It also helps parents feel calmer when their kid starts freaking out, even if it is a game.
Then you tell your kid, “You cannot watch TV tonight,” and watch him go nuts.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-02--How Matt Hancock Got The Government Back On Front Foot On Coronavirus

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Levelling. Up.
What a difference a day makes. Or rather, what a difference an electric jolt of criticism makes. After the incoherent and evasive Downing Street press conference 24 hours earlier, Matt Hancock had a back-to-work vigour about him as he led the government’s message on coronavirus on Thursday.
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But most of all it was Hancock’s rigour that was most striking, someone who finally felt totally across the detail of this huge and fast-moving national fight against the invisible enemy. It was the first time any minister, including the PM, had stepped up to set out a clear and precise strategy for the weeks ahead.
His two big announcements - a £13bn write-off of NHS trust debt and a new pledge to increase virus testing to 100,000 a day for England - were solid and practical moves. Just as important though was the fact that he had a routemap for the path ahead, his ‘five pillars’ designed to mobilise the private and public sectors in accelerating the tests needed.
The honesty was welcome. “I am going to level with you about the challenges we face,” he said, and for once, this didn’t seem like an empty Americanism. When he added that “there will be bumps in the road and criticisms made, some of them justified” it was a much needed recognition that governments are fallible and all the better when they admit it.
As the lockdown has begun to bite, the bitter politicking has increased, with both the government’s defenders and its critics guilty of accusing each other of bad faith. Yet in contrast to Tory cheerleaders, whose attitude to criticism is to yell ‘don’t you know there’s a bloody war on?!’, Hancock was smart enough to see it as an asset not a threat.
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“My approach to tackling this is to listen to all complaints and work out what we can do better and whether people have got a point,” he said, praising Labour for pushing ministers harder on economic protections for workers. A keen observer will note however that Hancock didn’t also directly admit to any errors on his part, he simply alluded to the need to change tactics by saying the original plan was more detailed now “and we need new partners”.
There’s an old saying in politics that ‘if you’re explaining, you’re losing’, but in fact it was refreshing to hear someone go through methodically each issue in turn: why the UK was not like Germany in diagnostic testing, why some antibody tests were mistaken (a three out of four failure rate for one) and why he had prioritised patient testing before NHS staff (itself an admission that rationing had been needed).
Hancock’s tribute to the first generation immigrant health professionals who had “paid the ultimate price for their service” was accompanied by a heartfelt crack in his voice. And the praise for “this diverse and caring” institution was long overdue, especially after bogus claims that migrants freeload off the NHS.
Even the format of the press conference was a welcome change, with follow-up questions not just allowed but actively invited (I understand Hancock had insisted on that in the run-through beforehand). Far from waging a war with the media, he praised newspapers for praising NHS staff and even gave the tabloids the footballer-bashing headline. Compared to an inexperienced No.10 team (something many forget), it was a reminder that Hancock had actually served as a Downing Street aide.
Yes, there was quite a lot of ‘I’ and ‘my’ (“I’ve just been through it...i get that”, “I return from illness more determined than ever”, “my five pillar strategy”, “my plan to boost testing”). But many of the public who simply want someone, anyone, to look like they have a grip on this thing could be quite forgiving of that.
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Of course, no minister should be hailed as a hero for simply doing their job. And it remains to be seen if these testing pledges can be delivered. There remain big problems with Universal Credit not being paid fast enough, the self-employed having to wait weeks for help, NHS and social care staff still lacking protective equipment. Yet when Hancock said he would rather not ‘over-promise’, it sounded a long way from Boris Johnson’s own 250,000 tests-a-day boast from just a fortnight ago.
The press conference was 75 minutes long, with 15 questions after a speech and presentation. It reminded me of those ‘take-all-comers’ monthly press briefings we used to have with Tony Blair, in the exact same wood-panelled room in Downing Street.
And maybe that’s not a coincidence. Rishi Sunak talked recently about his plan to ‘right this ship’ of state after the coming economic storm, and suddenly he was a potential future PM. But Hancock is proving he may well have what it takes, to one day become the ship’s captain himself.
Quote Of The Day
“It was absolutely necessary to stop people from dying. Half a million people would die..as health secretary, I was not prepared to see that happen.”
Matt Hancock explains why the ‘lockdown’ was so vital
Thursday Cheat Sheet
Matt Hancock unveiled a new ambition to deliver 100,000 coronavirus tests per day by the end of April, with community testing to follow so that “anyone who needs a test shall have one”.
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The number of UK hospital deaths from Covid-19 rose by 569 to 2,921.
Both Hancock and No.10 suggested that “immunity certificates” could be granted to people who build up resistance to the disease.
The Chancellor unveiled plans to bolster business interruption loans for small businesses and announce on Friday a new scheme for larger companies.
Comedian Eddie Large, of the double act Little and Large, died at the age of 78 after contracting coronavirus.
Ministers announced a major overhaul of building regulations in an effort to boost fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
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