thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Eugenics Must Not Be Allowed To Sneak Through The Backdoor With Coronavirus

Now is the time to think about dying, author Diana Melly writes. Getty Creative
The NHS response to Covid-19 has been incredible. It has shown the strong commitment by the medical profession and society more generally to the principle of the sanctity of human life.
This is encouraging to see in the face of an orchestrated campaign by advocates for the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia for disabled people and those with terminal and chronic illnesses.
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I do not doubt that it would be easy in this time of national crisis to embrace such a view. Doctors will face difficult decisions over the coming weeks and months as the capacity of the healthcare system is pushed beyond its limits. But we must resist these siren voices, because we can’t allow a return to the eugenics movement and its dark past.
The eugenics movement started in Britain during the late 19th Century, arising in the context of social Darwinism and the theory of the survival of the fittest. It quickly spread to other Western countries. It led to abuses such as the sterilisation of people with mental illness or learning difficulties in the USA during the 1920s. The movement reached its awful peak in Nazi Germany during the late 1930s with the euthanising of disabled people and those who had learning disabilities.
The underlying philosophy was of racial and genetic superiority and anyone who did not fit this model, or that was considered to be less than perfect, had “a life not worthy to be lived”. This dangerous philosophy ultimately resulted in the slaughter of six million Jews and five million other people in the horrors of the Holocaust.
Following the war, eugenics was discredited because of these atrocities. However, in recent years, a new eugenics movement has begun to appear with the opportunity provided by scientific advancement to alter the genetic make-up of human beings and to “breed out” disability and genetic conditions. The re-emergence of the idea that some lives are not worth living is being applied to vulnerable people who are deemed to have become a burden on society.
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Worryingly this view has been given oxygen by former BBC Today presenter John Humphys, writing in the Daily Mail: “I know I’m among the vulnerable group for coronavirus, but just don’t believe all lives are equal.”
Similarly, Max Hastings, speaking on BBC World at One, stated that the elderly are “becoming a dead weight on the NHS”. Such thinking and sentiments are troubling.
Already stories are beginning to emerge of GPs contacting their patients with existing health conditions to ask whether they would want a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order to be included in their notes.
This might simply reflect a desire to ensure that if one of their patients with another serious medical condition also develops Covid-19, or gets admitted to hospital for another reason, there is no lack of clarity over the patient’s wishes. But whatever the reason, we must be cautious when extending clinical judgements to the subjective measure of quality of life.
We have already heard reports of DNR notices being placed on groups of vulnerable patients, such as those in care homes, in a carte blanche manner and without any consultation with the patients involved or their wider families. This has now been forbidden by the health secretary, and care homes have been instructed to rip up existing agreements. But concerns remain about whether vulnerable people will receive life saving treatment should they be admitted to hospital with Covid-19, and whether they will even be admitted in the first place.
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Although such examples do not constitute euthanasia or assisting suicide because doctors are not actively hastening the end of patients’ lives, there is a danger that the same eugenicist thinking can feature.
Disabled rights spokespeople such as Baroness Campbell or Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson have expressed concerns that disabled people are increasingly being seen as “expendable”.
While we live through these unprecedented times, inevitably, very difficult decisions have to be taken about who to treat in a context of grossly overstretched healthcare resources. But we must be aware of the danger of changing medicine in a way which would be detrimental to the most vulnerable in society.
In responding to the Covid-19 virus, we must ensure no back door is left open to the dangerous philosophy of eugenics.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--How To Host A Baby Shower During The Coronavirus Pandemic

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The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation and postponement of countless events, from graduations to weddings to birthday parties. And for expectant parents, the idea of having a traditional baby shower is pretty much off the table right now.
Of course, families are prioritising health and safety, but just because we all have to stay home for a while doesn’t mean parents-to-be can’t have memorable baby showers. We asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share their ideas for socially distant ways to celebrate this pregnancy milestone right now, and they delivered. Read on for some creative baby shower inspiration.
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Send Gifts To The Parents-To-Be
“Use Amazon to purchase and deliver the gifts. People could always drop something off at the house, keeping proper distance.” ― Dana Larmore Hlusko
“Our neighbourhood did a sprinkle shower. Everyone signed up for a spot, and the women gave a gift to the mum-to-be every hour on the hour throughout the day. And then on every half hour, the men dropped off a gift for the dad. So every half hour, the doorbell rang, and we dashed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We put a sign out front. It was a fun little surprise for the couple.” ― Amber Scharf
“Have gifts delivered to the house of the mum!” ― Barb Cza-Bla
Organise A Zoom Shower
“I just had a Zoom baby shower/birthday party and it worked out a lot better than we all thought! The organisers posted decorations to our place, and my husband and daughter decorated the room. They also ordered cupcakes to be delivered. They made a guest book with messages printed and posted to me, and I received it the day before. And then we played some games. It was all just a bit over an hour and it was great!” ― Tiffany Chang
“We did a virtual baby shower for my sister-in-law. We used Zoom, and she opened gifts for us to enjoy. We talked, and it’s been the best part of the lockdown thus far.” ― Jessalynn Porter
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MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images via Getty Images Expectant mother Carolyn Nash had a virtual baby shower on May 23, 2010. She lives in Florida, but friends from Colorado and Chile participated.
“We did a fun Zoom shower for my sister-in-law. Games, a toast and saw her nursery.” ― Daniela Lopez Barragan
“Planning on having a virtual shower, even if stay-at-home lifts in June. Going to use Zoom and Webbabyshower.com to do the planning. Saved a ton of money, too, not having to book a venue. I will miss my family, but their health is very important to me. I would rather have them see their new addition to the family than the inside of a hospital, traveling cross-country.” ― Amber Hartman
“I just got invited to a Zoom baby shower. Gifts sent ahead of time so she can open with us. I think we’re playing games, too.” ― Lisa Price McDonald
Host A Facebook Live Event
“My husband and I hosted our own shower on Facebook Live. Everyone that would have been invited to the actual shower was invited to a private ‘virtual shower’ on Facebook. (If they didn’t have an account, there is an option to save the video and share it later.) When it was time for the shower to begin, we streamed live video, and everyone that was watching was able to comment or chime in at any time. The nice part is that we didn’t have to worry about people talking over each other like in a traditional video chat. ... We then opened gifts via live stream. We hosted the whole thing in our nursery, and it was over in an hour and 40 minutes. Afterward, all that was left was to clean up all of the tissue paper, put items away, and start writing out thank you cards.” ― LeRae Hinz
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“I’m due May 4th. Our shower was cancelled, so we are opting to have a virtual one instead. We posted our baby needs list and then we will open the gifts we get in the mail on a determined date over Facebook Live. I am also planning on a few fun virtual games during the shower; a virtual shower is great for those who don’t have family within driving distance.” ― Jessica Wilkes
“Create a Facebook event. On the day/time you choose, they can open all the gifts people sent ahead of time and stream it, so people can still see and make them feel celebrated.” ― Kristina Hermanson
Play Games
“We played a couple of games where people could just type in their answers ― guess the circumference of my belly in inches, and ‘The Price Is Right’ with baby items like bottles, diapers, etc.” ― LeRae Hinz
“You can make a virtual trivia game using Kahoot. Add questions such as when the baby is due, how parents met, what is the baby’s room theme/decor, and whoever gets the most points gets a gift like an eGift Card.” ― Wanda I Betancourt
Arrange A Drive-By Shower
“We did a driveway/drive-by baby shower. We placed two boxes by the curb, one for diapers and one for gifts, and I sat up by the garage and waved as people went by or stopped to drop off gifts. We asked everyone who left diapers to write their name and number on the box, so we could enter them in the diaper raffle. For the family and friends that wanted to walk up, we had ‘no touch activities’ like guess the date and time the baby will arrive and how many diapers are in the diaper cake tower. Hand sanitiser was everywhere, as well as disinfectant spray if needed.” ― Kristina Savoy
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“I own a Yard Card business. Set up a Yard Card with your local business and do a drive-by shower!” ― Christen Forsyth Garrett
Courtesy of Christen Forsyth Garrett Christen Forsyth Garrett's local "Yard Card" business gives families under quarantine a way to celebrate a new baby.
“Send invites out, include advice cards, cards to guess baby’s birth date and weight (prize is a gift card for the guest), do a diaper raffle so everyone who brings diapers has a card with their name on it. The day of the shower, set up tables at the end of the driveway with boxes for the raffle tickets for the diaper raffle, birth date and weight guesses, and advice notes. Have bottles of juice and cookies in baggies for refreshments. People drop off all the games and advice cards and gifts, and get a refreshment.” ― Jenny Milburn Seitz
“Maybe mum can make a wish list on Amazon and have friends and family send items? Drive-by parades are great!” ― Amanda King
Send Supplies To The Guests
“We’re doing a Zoom ‘cheers baby!’ toast with my family this weekend. We passed out bottles of champagne on doorsteps.” ― Michelle Lorentzen
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“My aunt has thrown great virtual baby showers for my cousins using Google Hangouts. She sends each guest a small cake, decorations, party favours, and games. We all ship our gifts to the mum-to-be, and she opens them during the party. Then we play games, chat and eat cake. It’s a lot of fun!” ― Kate Thornton Wert
“Have the host send out a meal to guests from where the shower would have been held anyways!” ― Barb Cza-Bla
“I am dropping off favours to the guests since we already had the favours done.” ― Daniela Lopez Barragan
Consider Charitable Giving
“Consider using this time to support mums in need as well. The New Mum Project is a registered charity that supports mums in Toronto. You can donate through a site like Wish & Give to give some of the funds to mum and donate some to get favourite charity.” ― Gwen Broda
Plan A “Sip And See” Or “After-Baby Shower”
“We had to cancel a baby shower for my husband’s cousin. We requested gifts be mailed to her home so she can use them, and will host a sip and see in the fall.” ― Clare Herlihy Dych
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“Please consider having an after-baby shower ― wonderful for multiple reasons! I had other reasons for having an after-shower! I had high-risk pregnancies (I lost four babies at different stages from three months to six months) and finally carried my beloved ones to term! So I really enjoyed having an after-baby shower ― it was a fantastic time with friends and family when my babies were a month young!” ― Diane Gabrele
“We were going to do a sprinkle for No. 3, our first boy. But I think we are doing a meet-the-baby party after instead.” ― Lauren Sanford
“We had to cancel my baby shower because I ended up delivering seven weeks early, so we did a meet-the-baby party about two months later.” ― Nickol Correa


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--What It’s Really Like to Parent A Newborn Baby Under Lockdown

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The first weeks at home with a new baby are, for most new parents, a whirlwind of visits and presents, cuddles and family snapshots. Not so for those mums and dads in the unenviable position of coming home from hospital with a tiny baby in the midst of a global pandemic.
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Parenting a newborn can be a pretty isolating experience at the best of times. Doing it under lockdown – with zero in-person support from friends and family, as well as seriously restricted access to primary care – takes the stress of bringing new life into the world to a whole new level.
HuffPost UK speaks to four families isolating with their newborn about making the best of a situation that no amount of pre-natal planning could have prepared them for.
‘You don’t even get to go to the loo by yourself’
Sarah Knights gave birth to her son, Jackson, six weeks ago via Caesarean section, a traumatic experience that left her anaemic and easily exhausted. Caring for both Jackson and her 19-month-old daughter, Willow, when her husband, Wayne, returned to work after paternity leave was “just horrendous”.
“I have to have the baby on me because he won’t stop crying if I put him down anywhere and Willow wants me to play with her, but she’s got the attention span of a goldfish,” says the 34-year-old education manager from East Sussex. “I was praying for him to be furloughed.”
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Sarah Knights Sarah Knights with Jackson and Willow.
Fortunately, Wayne was furloughed a few days later and it’s been much easier with him at home. It looks like he’ll be called back in to work soon for a limited period – his company is planning to rotate its furloughed staff – but Sarah feels more confident now about how she’ll cope on her own with Willow and Jackson. “If it’s three weeks I can bear it because there’s an end in sight.”
‘It’s been amazing for me to see his progress’
Carlos Harper, 33, and his wife, Shalonda Sherman live in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Their son, Jordan, was born just five weeks ago. Carlos expected to return to his 60-hour-a-week job as a hotel manager after a short period of paternity leave. But with the hotel now closed to guests because of the Covid-19 crisis, he’s working much shorter hours, mainly from home.
“The one blessing that I see out of all of this is my ability to spend more time with Jordan,” says Carlos. “He didn’t know or care about who I was for the first two weeks, he just wanted his mom, but now he loves spending time with me.”
Provided Carlos, Shalonda and baby Jordan.
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Shalonda’s parents were able to visit their daughter and grandson in hospital but none of Carlos’s family has met Jordan yet. It’s a source of real regret to him. “By the time I was five weeks old there were probably 45 people that were able to pick me up and he’s only had two of us,” says Carlos.
If circumstances were different, Jordan would have “gotten a lot more love from people in person”, he reflects. Carlos and Shalonda are finding the lack of family contact tough – before Covid-19 changed everything, they had been planning for Shalonda’s parents move in with them – but are trying to see the positives.
“As my wife says, ‘This is how God intended it: for us to have a lot of time with our baby boy before anyone else.’ So we’re making do with what we have.”
‘There are days when it’s so hard’
Sanna Kamptz, 40, works in finance in London and is a “first-time single mum” to nine-week-old Noah. In the first few weeks of Noah’s life, Sanna, who is originally from Sweden, spent time with visiting family and local friends, but is now totally isolated with her son. “It’s a lot more challenging being on your own. It’s the fact that you can’t even meet up with a friend for a coffee. You can’t even have that break,” she says.
Robert Hollingworth Sanna Kamptz and baby Noah.
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Noah had immunisations at eight weeks as per the normal NHS vaccination schedule, but the health visitor cancelled her most recent home visit. “I was a little bit upset because it’s for me as well. You go, ‘What if something’s wrong?’ It helps to have it face-to-face, not just over the phone. But she was really good and we talked a lot of things through.”
Sanna takes Noah out for some fresh air every day – “I’d go crazy if I didn’t” – but is concerned about the potential for one of them to contract the virus. “What’s good is that it doesn’t have a serious impact on small babies because if it did I would be terrified about leaving my flat. If I were to get it, what happens to him?”
‘If I could go back to work, I would’
Yamina Simms, 29, is a management consultant from High Wycombe, currently on maternity leave with her seven-week-old son, Rupert, and 12-year-old daughter, Jade. She had been planning to return to work when Rupert was 12 weeks but, with her company furloughing 50% of its staff and all childcare provision closed, that’s no longer an option. “I’m a stay-at-home mother for the foreseeable future, which is just bloody bizarre,” she says.
Provided. Yamina Simms and her son Rupert.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Yamina’s husband, Ali, 28, spends the majority of his working day on conference calls, during which time Yamina “hides in the tiny front room so that the baby can’t be heard on the phone”.
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Their daughter is busy with schoolwork and is an obsessive reader so Yamina is mostly alone with Rupert. “It’s just watching the hours go by until my husband gets off work so I can have some adult conversation, at which point I have absolutely nothing to talk about because I do nothing!” says Yamina.
She’s missing the outside world too. “I remember with my eldest I was bored at the baby groups but I passed the days by walking for hours and hours with the pram, something I absolutely can’t do now. I’ve not been doing my ‘Boris walks’ because it’s too hard to social distance on the paths with a bulky pram.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Meet The Couples Having Zoom Weddings During A Global Pandemic

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Around the world, social distancing and lockdown restrictions are changing the ways people can get married, but couples are refusing to let Covid-19 cancel their weddings.
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Thanks to group video apps such as Zoom, thousands of people are deciding to tie the knot regardless, while their loved ones watch on remotely. In some countries, these weddings are legally binding thanks to witnesses and officiants being permitted to attend in person.
Elsewhere, these at-home ceremonies are an important place-holder, until such time that registry offices reopen and couples can make their commitment to each other official.
Here are the stories of five couples who’ve decided that in the battle between virus and love, love wins.
Mallory and Sam, Utah, US
Kaitlyn J Photography
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Mallory Curnow Day, 32, married her partner Sam Curnow, 37, in their back garden in Salt Lake City, Utah on 10 April. They wanted to keep the date, rather then postpone the wedding, because it marked the anniversary of their first date.
Their original wedding was supposed to be a 50 person affair, with friends and family coming from all over the country to the aviary nearby their home.
“There was going to a live band, dancing, a giant charcuterie board and a sit down dinner,” Mallory tells HuffPost UK. “But ultimately, getting married on that day was more important than a big party.”
The ceremony was moved to their back garden, which Sam (who was recently furloughed) spent hours decorating with the help of his mum, Dallas. Social distancing rules in Utah meant the couple were able to have six people attend in person, while the rest of their guests watched on Zoom.
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Mallory Curnow Day
“Since most of our wedding party couldn’t come we delivered them care packages that included a meal from our caterer, cupcakes, hand sanitiser, home-made masks and toilet paper,” says Mallory.
The couple had some reservations about how they would entertain their in-person guests as well as those watching remotely, but say the day ran surprisingly smoothly.
“The wedding was so much fun,” says Mallory. “It was intimate, deeply personal and we made sure it still had the trappings of a traditional wedding with a picnic-style dinner, flowers, cupcakes and Champagne.”
Sophie and Ben, London, UK
PA
Sophie Austin and Ben Jackson decided to get married from their one bedroom flat in Croydon, London on 28 March when their planned ceremony could no longer go ahead. Due to the UK lockdown rules, no one could attend in person – not even their pastor or official witnesses.
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Instead, more than 200 friends and family gathered on a Zoom call to hear them say their vows. The couple now consider themselves hitched, but they’re looking forward to making their marriage legally binding when the lockdown is over. They’ve postponed their original wedding plans to September.
Sophie, 26, was unable to wear her planned wedding dress as it was at the shop, which had closed for lockdown. But she says having a ceremony at home was “absolutely amazing” nonetheless.
“I think it really drew back the sparkliness and extra stuff of a wedding and made it really obvious what was important: the two of us saying the vows to each other,” she told PA. “Even though we didn’t have everyone here it made it more intimate and special.”
Describing the ceremony, Ben, 25, added: “It’s still real. In that moment we didn’t really notice it, we were focused on what we were saying.”
Cynthia and Mykail, Montreal, Canada
Cynthia Yoboué
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Cynthia Yoboué and Mykail B, both 29, were due to get married on 11 April at Montreal Courthouse. They planned to have 30 guests, including their parents, who were due to fly in from Ivory Coast. The group had then planned to head to a restaurant. Cynthia and Mykail also planned a larger religious ceremony with all of their friends and family in Ivory Coast in July, but now do not know if that will be able to go ahead.
Amid the uncertainty, they decided to go ahead with their courthouse ceremony, but Montreal’s rules meant they could have just five people in the room: themselves, an officiant and two witnesses. Mikail’s younger brother had to stay outside the courthouse in the car, connected on Zoom.
Their parents and other loved ones watched on Zoom from around the world, calling in from countries including Ivory Coast, France, Canada, Cape Verde, Switzerland, South Africa, Cameroon, Senegal.
“Because I am Christian and it happened during the Easter weekend, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I was convinced that God would stay by our side no matter the risks and doubts,” Cynthia tells HuffPost. “Getting married was the most important thing.”
Despite the screens, the day was emotional and enjoyed by everyone involved. “Honestly, we didn’t expect that much and basically it was just cries all the time, both on our side and the guests’” says Cynthia.
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“It was super moving and because of the emptiness of the room, that out-of-the-ordinary scene (us and a screen), and all the voices crying and screaming together, we felt like time stopped.
“We also felt relieved and genuinely happy when it was done.”
Zoe and Rachel, Devon, UK
Rachel Taylor-Knee / SWNS.COM
Zoe Taylor, 41, and Rachel Knee, 38, simply had to still get married on 5 April – they’d each had the wedding date tattooed on their feet and engraved it into their rings.
After finding a celebrant that would perform the ceremony online, they gathered friends and family together on Zoom for a full ‘virtual wedding’ in their garden in Thorveton, Devon. Zoe made an aisle and the pair hung bunting on their fence panels to make it feel special.
The ceremony included a remote reading from their maid of honour, vows, an exchange of rings and even a first dance – with 100 guests watching online.
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While the wedding won’t be legally binding until they sign official paper work at the registry office, the couple say they will always consider 5 April to be their wedding day.
“It was the date that was important and we just wanted to make it the best occasion that we could. But it was better than we could ever have managed,” Zoe told SWNS.
“It’s been an amazing day – we couldn’t have wished for it to go any better. We had people join us who couldn’t even make the original day.”
Robert and Meredith, Ontario, Canada
Robert Kiley
Robert Kiley and Meredith Martin, both 32, kept having to change their wedding plans to keep up with the restrictions in Kingston, Ontario, Canada where they live.
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“We originally had 300 people on our guest list, then the Ontario provincial government put a ban on groups of more than 250 in light of Covid-19, so we altered the list, then it went down to 50, so we again limited attendance. Finally, five people became the health officials recommendations.”
The pair went ahead with a scaled down version of their church wedding on 3 April, with themselves, an officiant and two witnesses attending in person, two metres apart. The pair didn’t mind scaling back their plans.
“I am an elected official, a city councillor, and I want to lead by example. We also cared about following the health directives because we wanted to help keep our community and guests safe,” Robert tells HuffPost.
Roughly half of the guests they originally invited managed to watch the ceremony via Zoom. The day was nothing like they’d originally imagined, but was still “very special”.
“We enjoyed it a great deal. Though we weren’t dressed up and nearly no one was with us, the most important parts remained: our commitment to each other before God and our community,” Robert says. “We felt very present with each other despite the constant changing of previous rearrangements. And we hope to have a service for our family as soon as possible, where we can dress up and have some semblance of what we originally envisaged.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--18 Photos Of Disastrous Quarantine Haircuts You Need To See

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All over the world, people are sheltering in place due to the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, many people are seeing their true (hair) colours shining through, and for others it’s growing to great lengths.
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While many stylists strongly advise against giving ourselves haircuts, some people are just not willing to let nature run its course. Their options are limited: Cut your own hair, have whomever you’re quarantined with cut your hair or, well, that’s pretty much it.
And those are both risky choices in their own ways:
I just gave my husband his first #coronacut aaaaaand now I know why people are projecting divorce rates to skyrocket post-pandemic. — hafs' (@hafs__) April 15, 2020
The risky activity has even inspired its own Instagram account, aptly named Corona Cuts, which chronicles and features user-haircuts. The results, as you can probably imagine, are all over the map. Some are good, some are bad, some are worse. But we have to give these people props for taking matters into their own hands, quite literally.
After all, it’s just hair, right?
Below, 18 brave souls don their DIY ’dos:
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I mean, a global pandemic is bad news for a lot of businesses, but it is REALLY bad news for my barber... 💇♂#coronacut pic.twitter.com/bITnFWdz0s — Kien Tan (@kien1974) April 11, 2020
Let Lorna cut my hair tonight, after she finished she said it looks good from a distance. Thank fuck for social distancing #CoronaCut pic.twitter.com/ItGJ6o0ai7 — David Bowler (@Bowler39) April 9, 2020
I am STRUGGLING right now. Not major shit, but ya boy fucked up:
Decided to give myself a #coronacut and though my trimmer could make it through.
INCORRECT! It died 3/4 of the way through. I have to be at work in less than 9 hours. #EssentialWorkers
Here’s the results: pic.twitter.com/QJMWqzKvFW — Connor Bryant (@JConnorBryant) April 13, 2020
Is it growing in any? Maybe?
I cannot bring myself to look at his skull/my handiwork. Please don’t tell! #coronacut pic.twitter.com/yA76tgoIhC — LeAnne Cantrell (@kidsensela) April 9, 2020
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gave my man a quarantine fade 💖 pic.twitter.com/bHi6O7msOD — badgirlkiki (@badgirIkiki) April 8, 2020
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Well, this was a huge mistake for everyone concerned. pic.twitter.com/d7ZbD6XTPl — Will Tooke (@willtooketv) April 12, 2020
When you let your 3 teenagers freely cut your hair and beard...and leave it for the weekend. 😂 #coronacuts pic.twitter.com/WIOgc55ddf — Shelisa Welde (@OHEWelde) April 11, 2020
Maybe this will make you feel better.#CoronaCuts pic.twitter.com/Cvga0kWFaH — Mendy Pellin (@MendyTV) April 13, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--I Don’t Need A Self-Isolation Project. I Need Time To Grieve My Friend's Death

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
There’s a distinct breath-stealing, gut-punch feeling in the morning moment when grief comes barging in before your eyes even adjust to the light of a new day.
It’s the heaviness of emptiness — the weight of a void in your life where something that mattered to you used to exist.
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I woke up with that feeling on 12 March.
I was supposed to spend the day tying up loose ends and packing for an Antarctica assignment, but the World Health Organization had just declared a global pandemic less than 24 hours before and countries around the world were increasingly implementing travel restrictions. The dangers of catching and spreading the coronavirus were becoming clearer, and the risks of canceled flights and closed borders were suddenly greater. So a few hours after the announcement, on the eve of my departure, I decided to postpone.
Now, instead of catching my flight to Ushuaia — coincidentally dubbed the “City at the End of the World” for its southernmost position at the tip of Argentina — I was scrolling a newsfeed filled with posts about empty store shelves and impending lockdowns, wondering whether I wasn’t already witnessing the end of the world right here from home.
I still had deadlines to meet, so I sat down to work as if it were any other Thursday. But the gnawing heaviness persisted for hours, then days, intermittently drowned out only by the voices of people I was interviewing over the phone. Each time I hung up, the heaviness returned. And when I caught my mind drifting in the direction of despair, I remembered the last time I’d experienced similar all-consuming emotions.
A year ago, almost to the exact day, a friend was tragically killed — along with all of the other 156 people on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff. He had been my first roommate in a new city, at a pivotal point in my life when I had taken the leap to live in Jordan. He was kind, selfless, and humble. He had a quirky sense of humour and a huge heart.
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And like so many of the passengers on that ill-fated flight, he had dedicated his time to humanitarian causes. He was working with refugees in Jordan when I first met him in 2017, and he was en route to deliver a training in Kenya for his job with another humanitarian organisation when the plane went down on March 10, 2019. He didn’t deserve such a horrific end to such a sweet existence.
His death was like dynamite — it rocked my foundational understanding of everything I thought I knew about life and left sad, scattered fragments in its wake. But I didn’t allow myself time to grieve immediately after. Instead, I tried to power through and produce work at my usual pace — and that had a devastating impact on my mental and physical health.
So this year, when productivity and marketing emails started streaming in after the pandemic announcement, proposing all the ways we should maximise our time, I furiously deleted them and unsubscribed to anyone insisting that I find ways to fill my days. I wasn’t interested in “apps to turn your phone into a productivity machine.” I didn’t need reorganising tips from Target or “habits to dramatically improve productivity.” I wasn’t looking for life planning workshops, shoes to WFH in or tips for how to “clean that dirty liver.” (But I do have a lot of questions: Who is life planning when we can’t even leave the house? Why would anyone wear shoes while working from home? And who are these people up in my inbox calling my liver dirty?)
I didn’t need a Pinterest project or any other fill-my-time, fix-my-life thing people were peddling. I needed a chance to mourn.
This time, it wasn’t a friend’s death that initially prompted the grief I was feeling (though I have since lost a colleague to COVID-19 and my grandfather to other health issues). It was the omnipresent layers of loss we were suddenly and globally submerged in: the daily death tolls blasting across our screens, swift shutdowns of businesses, the absence of physical connection, the abrupt loss of our pre-pandemic lives.
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For some, like front-liners and other essential workers, there is the increased risk and demands of additional hours and isolation from loved ones. For others, including teachers and students, there is the loss of the in-person communities they cherish. For many, and especially those without access to support or health care, there’s a genuine concern about starvation and safety. For everyone, the coronavirus cancelled life as we knew it. For these reasons and so many others, it’s natural to feel a deep need to grieve.
But while the world is locked down, many of our usual outlets for processing emotions — such as get-togethers, gym activities, time outdoors and travel — are restricted or shut down entirely.
So I decided that if I’m required to shelter-in-place with grief, I’d better get comfortable with it.
Recognising familiar feelings of grief early on helped me avoid descending to the same depths of darkness I had plummeted into following my friend’s death last year. This time around, I knew that pushing through projects wouldn’t fast-track my grief — it would only prolong it.
And while I’d love to pick up a paintbrush or finish writing the TV series that’s been on my to-do list for the past two years, that’s not feasible for me and many others in this moment. The pandemic hasn’t evenly distributed a surplus of time, money and energy to everyone. Some of us are now spending more effort and hours chasing down work to replace income lost and scrambling to ensure our families are fed something — so we might not have the energy or resources at the end of the day to prepare a picture-perfect #coronachef meal.
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Others are putting in long hours at essential jobs and can’t even step foot into their own houses, let alone have the chance to tackle a home improvement project. Grief, fear and trauma can dramatically deplete energy and creativity, so even folks who do have extra time may find they don’t have the desire to dive into a #quarantineproject. (There’s nothing wrong with doing those things if you’ve got the time and resources. Just understand that not everyone does, and no one should be expected to operate at their pre-pandemic pace.)
Last year I learned that fighting grief was futile, so instead of searching for distractions or escape, this time I sat still and acknowledged it. I let the anger, heartbreak, disappointment, sadness and fear flow through me. I sobbed between interviews. I screamed at the mirror. I sprinted in the street, trying to convince my legs to hurt more than my heart. I let my feelings bubble up instead of shoving them down. You don’t realise how much mental energy you’re expending on resistance until you see how much freer you feel after acceptance.
Grief is not linear or logical, and sometimes it comes in waves. You can’t follow a checklist or sensical steps to some specific endpoint, and there’s no “right way” through it. Over the course of the last year, I came to understand that grief isn’t a constant — which is both good and bad news: It’s not the same forever, yet it never fully goes away. Some days it’s dormant, and other days it storms in and sends tears rushing down your face.
Productivity can’t protect us from it. But I believe acceptance of grief can diminish the element of surprise. When we make the conscious decision to accept it in whatever form it shows up, we sap some of its strength and gain back a bit of our serenity.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Downing Street Accuses Sunday Times Of 'Errors' And 'Falsehoods' Over PM Coronavirus Story

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Downing Street has accused the Sunday Times of “falsehoods” and “errors” after the newspaper published a damning report on the government’s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Quoting a Whitehall source, the Times claimed Boris Johnson’s administration dragged their feet and “missed the boat on testing and PPE” (personal protective equipment).
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The article also claimed the Johnson administration “just watched” as the death toll mounted in Wuhan, China and the prime minister did not attend five meetings of the key government’s key Cobra committee in the build-up to the coronavirus outbreak.
In a lengthy blog posted on Gov.uk, a government spokesman said: “This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.
“The Government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.
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“Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.
“The prime minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.”
The tone of the statement, posted on the official gov.uk website, was much more aggressive than that used by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove on Sunday morning TV appearances when he described the article as “off beam”, PA Media reports.
Gove had confirmed the Sunday Times report that the PM had not attended five meetings of the key Government committee Cobra in the run-up to the crisis, but insisted this was not unusual.
oversnap via Getty Images
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That stance was echoed by the Government spokesman who said: “It is entirely normal and proper for Cobr to be chaired by the relevant secretary of state.
“At this point the World Health Organisation had not declared Covid-19 a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’, and only did so only on January 30.
“Indeed, they chose not to declare a PHEIC the day after the Cobr meeting.”
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News: “There are serious questions as to why the Prime Minister skipped five Cobra meetings throughout February, when the whole world could see how serious this was becoming.
“And we know that serious mistakes have been made, we know that our frontline NHS staff don’t have the PPE, that they’ve been told this weekend that they won’t necessarily have the gowns which are vital to keep them safe. We know that our testing capacity is not at the level that is needed.
“We know that the ventilators that many hospitals have received are the wrong types of ventilators and there are big questions as to whether we went into this lockdown too slowly, and now we hear the Prime Minister missed five meetings at the start of this outbreak. It suggests that early on he was missing in action.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Four Ways The UK Has Advanced The Fight Against Coronavirus In The Last Week

The NHS Blood and Transplant Service (NHSBT) is appealing to those who are recovering from Covid-19 to give convalescent plasma which contains antibodies which stop the virus growing.
The number of the helpful antibodies rises steadily in the blood stream of those who have been ill and is thought to peak between 21 and 28 days after recovery, according to the NHS.
For now, donations will be used in clinical trials but the hope is that in future they could be used by doctors treating those suffering with the disease.
Donors must have tested positive for the illness either at home or in hospital, but should now be three to four weeks into their recovery, ideally 29 days.
According to an email sent by NHSBT, plasma can be taken by a machine similar to those used in regular platelet donation.
A donation session will take around 45 minutes to give two units of plasma, and can be repeated as regularly as every fortnight.
Anybody who gives will have to temporarily stop any usual blood or platelet donations.
3. A UK vaccine task force to ‘accelerate’ research was launched by the government


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Gavin Williamson Defends Boris Johnson For Skipping Coronavirus Cobra Meetings

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Boris Johnson took charge of the UK’s response to coronavirus “from the moment” the illness was identified in China, Gavin Williamson has said.
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According to The Sunday Times, the prime minister did not attended five meetings of the key government’s key Cobra committee in the build-up to the coronavirus outbreak.
An investigation by the newspaper has claimed a number of opportunities were missed by the government in January, February and March to try and lessen the impact of the gathering crisis.
But speaking at today’s Downing Street press conference, the education secretary rejected the criticism levelled at Johnson.
“The prime minister from the moment that it became clear that there were challenges in terms of coronavirus developing in China has absolutely been leading our nation’s effort to combat the coronavirus,” he. said.
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Williamson said the PM had been “making sure that resources or money is not a concern for any department, especially the health service”.
He added that “many Cobra meetings” are led by the departmental minister not the PM.
“The focus the prime minister was putting on this and has continued to put on this has meant that this is the whole government effort,” Williamson added.
Screen grab of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). PA
A total of 16,060 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Saturday, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Earlier today, Michael Gove said Johnson was “in cheerful spirits” as he continued his own recovery from the virus which had left him hospitalised.
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The Cabinet Office minister said it was “off beam” to suggest the PM had not had grip the crisis.
Jon Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said Gove’s description of the story as was “possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed exposé in British political history”.
It came as a delivery of 84 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers care due to arrive in the UK from Turkey today was delayed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Watch Live: Education Secretary Gavin Williamson Leads Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Watch Live: Education Secretary Gavin Williamson Leads Daily Coronavirus Briefing
Education secretary Gavin Williamson hosts the daily coronavirus conference as Boris Johnson faces criticism over his handling of the outbreak. The education secretary is expected to give an update on when children will be allowed to go back to school under a plan to lift the lockdown. It comes as ministers were forced to deny reports of plans to re-open schools in three weeks' time this morning.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--Lords Authorities 'Considering' Paying Peers £323 Daily Allowance To Work From Home

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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Members of the House of Lords have been told to “show leadership” and stay away from Westminster to avoid spreading coronavirus.
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In a letter to peers on Sunday, Lord Fowler, the Lord Speaker, urged members of the upper House to work from home using video conferencing tools to take part in virtual meetings.
The House of Lords returns to work on Tuesday.
Under current rules, peers cannot claim their £323 daily allowance, a tax-free sum of £48,000 per year, unless they physically turn up to parliament.
Fowler, who left London as the outbreak hit the capital and has been working from his home on the Isle of Wight, said today a change to this would be “considered”.
“There is the issue of allowances, which currently cannot be claimed for participation in virtual proceedings,” he said.
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“This includes not only activity in the virtual sessions for questions, statements and debates, but also the virtual activities of select committees, many of which have continued to work hard during the recess, getting on with the work the House has appointed them to carry out.
“This issue will be considered by the House of Lords Commission, which I chair, soon after the House resumes and I will report back to you on the result of our deliberations.”
A number of high profile politicians, including Boris Johnson, have tested positive for the illness.
In March, professor Neil Ferguson, one of the leading experts who advises the government on coronavirus, warned “there is a lot of COVID-19 in Westminster”.
In his letter, Fowler said peers, many of whom are over 70 and therefore more vulnerable to the virus, “need to show leadership and as the coronavirus situation remains critical”.
“We must do all we can to keep other colleagues safe and, very importantly, protect the staff who will have to be present to enable the House to sit. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to follow this advice,” he added.
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“It is clear that we are still very much in the grip of a public health pandemic. The government advice is clear and everyone in the nation has been asked to stay at home. I would like to emphasise that point.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--UK Coronavirus Deaths Increase 596 In 24 Hours To 16,060

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The number of people who have died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus has risen to 16,060 – an increase of 596 over 24 hours.
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The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Saturday, but the true number of deaths may be significantly different. Here’s a quick primer on what all the different numbers mean and how to understand them.
Meanwhile, as of 9am on Sunday, 372,967people have been tested for coronavirus, with 120,067 coming back positive.
As of 9am 19 April, 482,063 tests have concluded, with 21,626 tests on 18 April.
372,967 people have been tested of which 120,067 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 18 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 16,060 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/sO9IRInBsu — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 19, 2020
NHS England announced 482 new coronavirus-related deaths bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 14,400.
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Of the 482 new deaths announced today, 118 occurred on April 18, 243 occurred on April 17 and 62 occurred on April 16.
The figures also show 56 of the deaths took place between April 1 and April 15, and the remaining three deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new death taking place on March 20.
NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago. This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19, for post-mortem examinations to be processed, and for data from the tests to be validated.
The figures published today by NHS England show April 8 currently has the highest total for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day – 801 – although this could change in future updates.
One person in Northern Ireland has died in a hospital setting with coronavirus in the past day, the Public Health Agency has said, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in the region to 194.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--UK 'Past The Peak' But Coronavirus Will Hit Country With 'Further Waves', Says Government Adviser

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The coronavirus lockdown could be lifted in four weeks time given the “damage” it is causing, a leading scientific expert who advises ministers has said.
Jeremy Farrar, who sits on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said on Sunday the UK was “probably just past the peak” in many parts of the country.
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But he warned there would be “further waves” of the virus in the future and that while a vaccine could be created “towards the end of this year” there was an “enormous logistics” challenge to produce enough for the entire world.
Farrar’s comments came as Michael Gove denied suggestions the government has drawn up plans for a three-tiered relaxation of lockdown measures which would see some schools and businesses allowed to reopen in mid-May.
He told the BBC ministers do not want to “take steps too early” despite the rate of infection appearing “to be flattening”.
The Cabinet Office minister also confirmed this morning Boris Johnson had not attended five meetings of the key government Cobra committee in the build-up to the coronavirus outbreak. But he insisted criticism of the prime minister over this was “grotesque”.
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National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain trumpet player Tian Hsu, 16, takes part in a socially distanced orchestra performance of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" from a window of her home in south west London. ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Monday, the UK will enter its fifth week in lockdown. Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust, told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “I would hope they will get there in three-four weeks time because it’s clear that the lockdown can’t go on for much longer.
“The damage it’s doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health… the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that’s damaging all of our lives.
“So the lockdowns cannot go on forever, we must lift them as soon as we can but we can’t lift them too soon and we can’t just make arbitrary dates.
Asked whether the UK was past the peak of the virus, he added: “We should not see this as a discrete episode. I think the probability of what we must be planning for is that there would be further waves of this in the future.
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“But for this first wave I think the number of new infections stabilised maybe a week or two ago, the number of hospitalisations maybe a week or so ago… we’re probably just past the peak in many parts of this country, as is true in many parts of the world.”


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

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


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-19--I Don’t Need A Self-Isolation Project. I Need Time To Grieve


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Nancy Pelosi Gives Fox News Viewers An Earful On Why Trump's A 'Weak Leader'

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) didn’t hold back on Sunday when asked why she called Donald Trump a “weak leader,” especially in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on Fox News, Pelosi said she reflected in prayer on Easter before her comments.
“What I decided was the president has made many mistakes,” she said on the right-wing network. Trump ignored science, dismissed criticism of his early inaction as a “hoax” and claimed the virus would “miraculously” go away, she said.
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But those issues can be reviewed later, Pelosi said.
But now, she said, Trump is blaming others, including her and the nation’s governors ― and that prompted her to call him weak.
“Leaders take responsibility,” Pelosi told Chris Wallace. “So I said he’s a weak leader. He doesn’t take responsibility. He places blame on others.
Pelosi called on Trump to make decisions based on science:
Trump later fired back at the speaker, calling her “dumb” and saying she will be “overthrown.”
Fox News has come under fire because a number of its most prominent hosts initially downplayed the threat of the pandemic, echoing Trump. More recently, the network has come under criticism for giving voice to those who want to end the shutdowns and reopen the economy, even at the expense of American lives.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--We're Only Allowed Outside Once A Day, But Women Are Still Being Harassed

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Any trip outside at the moment feels sacred, whether it’s for a restorative exercise session or an essential supermarket shop. But those outings can take a dark turn, as some women have reported increasing experiences of street harassment since the UK lockdown began.
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Journalist Micha Frazer-Carroll, 25, based in Hackney, London, has endured this and says it’s “especially jarring” in the current climate, considering going outside can already feel intimidating.
“I spend a lot of my day alone, and when I do go outside, I’m already on red alert about the danger of germs,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Throw being heckled, catcalled or followed by men into the mix, and it makes me feel that bit more scared about going outside at all.”
Sarah Giblin, 35, based in Manchester, has also been catcalled several times while enjoying her daily jog. She hasn’t experienced this “in years” and wonders whether the emptier streets mean the risk of getting singled out is higher.
“Usually I do everything I can to blend in and not be noticed,” she says. “But since I’m the only one running, I get the usual range of comments: ‘smile love’, ‘no make up today’, ‘beautiful runner!’ It’s all pretty meaningless, but being the only one on the street means the vibe has changed.”
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Giblin, who’s a backpack designer, has spent the last 42 days alone in her studio flat, which makes harassment even harder to deal with.
“On days when I’m fine, I can brush [the comments] off with ease,” she says. “On other days when I’m not ok, they have a greater impact. I’m looking forward to being one of many in the city centre again, so I disappear into the crowd and people leave me alone to think, be, live and walk freely.”
And Kate Oliver, 28, based in north London tells HuffPost UK she was catcalled by a man who shouted “give us a twirl” at her as she walked past, wearing a dress and carrying heavy shopping. She hadn’t been out the house for three days at that point.
“I was really annoyed,” she says. “As if it isn’t hard enough to move through spaces as women anyway, now it’s happening on our one chance a day to be outside.”
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Comments and casual sexism can have a real impact on mental health, even if women brush them off. But some say they have also experienced more threatening behaviour during lockdown.
“I’ve only been out twice as I’m asthmatic,” says Julie McGuigan, 42, from Birmingham. “I was clearly nervous and a man lunged towards me while I was trying to keep my distance from people, then laughed. He was trying to intimidate me and get a reaction. I’m sure he wouldn’t have done the same if I had been male.”
Maya Tutton, who runs the Our Streets Now campaign to end street harassment alongside her sister, Gemma, believes this behaviour may have amplified in some areas because the pandemic has made inequalities within our society “more stark”.
“The fact that we don’t all enjoy our time in public space equally, without fearing harassment, is unjust – and makes calls of us being ‘all in it together’ ring false,” she tells HuffPost UK.
Tutton believes public sexual harassment continues because there’s not enough awareness about the problem, and insufficient legislation to stop it. “Coronavirus can’t stop this from happening, and in some ways can make it worse because of the fewer number of people around to witness it,” she adds.
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This week is International Anti-Street Harassment Week, so the Tutton sisters are renewing their calls for better awareness and legislation around it. You can sign their online petition to make street harassment a criminal offence in the UK, as it is elsewhere in the world.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus Today

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus Today
America saw protests against stay-at-home orders intensify over the weekend as Governor’s criticised Donald Trump’s demands to open the economy back up. In Britain, the government’s handling of the crisis is under pressure, as weekend reports gave a sense of drift and lack of action in the critical early part of the pandemic. Meanwhile, New Zealand is opening back up after reporting minimal deaths and a so far successful strategy in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. And Ellie Goulding gatecrashed a wedding, singing the first song for a NHS worker who’s wedding had been postponed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Why Some Coronavirus Patients Get Sicker Than Others

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There’s a critical point, somewhere around the second week of coronavirus symptoms, where patients usually start to recover. Sometimes, though, they don’t. Some people can take a turn for the worse even after they’ve started to feel somewhat better. The progression of symptoms is one of the more mysterious elements of this illness.
While the symptoms can escalate quickly, the more “prolonged course” of Covid-19 makes it unlike influenza or other similar respiratory illnesses, said William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
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“Once on a ventilator, patients also seem to be on those ventilators for longer than comparable patients who had the flu and were also seriously ill,” he said.
Why do patients who appear better suddenly get worse? And who is more susceptible to this longer progression of symptoms?
Covid-19’s Path Through The Body
To understand why some people recover at a better rate than others, we first need to understand the mechanics of how coronavirus infects the body.
As you probably know, the novel coronavirus is a respiratory virus. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or touches a surface, another person can pick up the virus when they inhale respiratory droplets or come into contact with a surface where those droplets have landed, according to Kirsten Hokeness, professor and chair of the Department of Science and Technology at Bryant University and an expert in immunology.
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Once in your nose or mouth, the virus then latches on to cells that express a protein called ACE-2; these cells can be located deep in the back of the throat and high up in the nasal passage.
“This is an important receptor in regulating blood pressure that the spikes on the surface of the virus have found a way to unlock,” Hokeness said. Once the virus “unlocks the receptor,” it can get inside the cell and use its machinery to replicate, she added.
“Once it makes its many copies, the new viruses then exit that cell and go on to infect more and more cells,” she said. “In some cases, the virus may stay more localised here, and in other cases, the virus replicates and then makes its way down into the lungs and starts to infect the lung cells, as well.”
On the way, as the virus is multiplying, it nestles into the lining of the bronchial tubes, causing inflammation and producing cough, Schaffner said.
“In the meantime, the body’s inflammatory response is revving up, becoming more active in trying to combat the virus,” he said. “We get a sore throat, cough, and fever as a manifestation of that.”
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A cough is meant to expel mucus; a fever slows the path of the virus down, making replication slower. This is still on the “milder end” of the spectrum, Schaffner said.
After a week to 10 days of fighting it out with the virus, Hokeness said many people’s immune systems will be able to overcome it.
“This is enough time for the innate and adaptive immune responses to do their job, subside and develop the memory component of the response,” she said, meaning they develop at least short-term immunity.
“If, however, the battle rages on and the virus becomes a vicious competitor that the immune system has difficulty controlling, the virus can continue to spread and involve more of the lungs,” Hokeness said.
When the virus exits the bronchial tubes and heads to the lungs, it can “disrupt the function of the lung tissue,” causing pneumonia, Schaffner added. That’s usually a sign that the virus is no longer considered “mild.”
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People can still get better when this happens, but it often takes longer. They may start to decline in week two if the virus does not subside ― even if, at some points, they seem to feel like they’re recovering. And it’s not always the virus to blame.
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Why People Can Get Worse In Week Two
As the virus travels to the lungs, remember that the immune response is in high gear trying to overpower Covid-19. “The army follows the enemy,” Schaffner said.
Hokeness compares it to a see-saw: the balance of “a good immune response and a damaging” one.
“Viruses that are aggressive or pathogenic, like Covid-19, test the immune capacity,” she said. Sometimes, the immune system fights with a lot of vigour, and manages not to cause damage to the person’s body. That usually takes a little over a week, on average.
But with this virus, which no human has encountered before, it is not always as simple as 10-day fight. Because the immune system weakens with age, people who are older have a higher risk of getting seriously ill. Those who have underlying chronic conditions ― like diabetes, cancer, autoimmune illnesses or high blood pressure ― also have compromised immune systems that leave them more vulnerable to the body’s surging inflammatory response. Sometimes, unfortunately, it can be a mystery; even young, healthy people can get very ill at this phase.
“Around week two is when the immune system should be resolving, and the virus should be just about cleared,” Hokeness said. “For those that have underlying conditions, or who are older and whose immune system may not be functioning properly, they may not be able to handle this balance. There may initially be some relief, but then the virus escapes and persists and the immune response goes somewhat out of control.”
As the immune response is “reenergised” to keep fighting the virus, “you get collateral damage,” Schaffner said. “You get an over-response. The response is not like a rifle that just targets the virus. It is more like a shotgun, and as you get those shotgun blasts, the inflammatory response can damage its own tissue.”
Similar distress can happen in other areas of the body outside of the lungs, as well. A study in medical journal The Lancet noted that Covid-19 is also capable of causing damage to other organs, like the heart, liver and kidneys.
This is a pivotal time where there is a delicate balance between a good immune response and a damaging one, Hokeness said. “If the virus can be controlled and the immune response can subside, individuals will begin to recover. If the scales are tipped, and a damaging immune attack begins, this is when things get critical.”
According to a recent study, this second week and second wave of symptoms often prompts patients who will likely need ICU care to head to the hospital.
Patients in the intensive care unit often develop Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), which is when “inflammation and fluid begin to accumulate in the spaces around the air sacs,” Hokeness said.
“If immune cells keep causing damage and producing more pro-inflammatory chemicals, the fluid can’t drain normally, and the air sacs then fill with fluid,” she explained. This frequently causes a “drowning feeling” in patients, and the blood’s oxygen levels to drop. The need for a ventilator can arise quickly after admission to the hospital, sometimes within a day.
kupicoo via Getty Images
How Can Critical Patients Be Helped?
Schaffner said all the supportive care a person gets in the ICU is meant “to tide you over while the inflammatory response fights the virus and dies down.” This includes supplemental oxygen or intubation, if needed. “Then, as the tissue repairs itself, with some luck, we can take out the breathing tube,” Schaffner said. “We can discontinue that treatment and you can start breathing for yourself again. You can recover.”
In the meantime, researchers are looking into what sorts of added treatments might be effective ― including plasma therapy, where Covid-19 patients can receive infusions of antibodies from those who have fought off the virus and recovered. This is now being tried in places like New York and Texas.
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Schaffner said that clinical trials of drugs will be important, too. Take hydroxychloroquine, for example, which has been in the news a lot lately as a possible treatment down the road.
There are two theories as to how this drug might actually work, Schaffner said. It may inhibit the virus’s attachment to cells to slow the infection. It is also used to treat autoimmune conditions like lupus, and may help “modulate the immune system.” For this reason, the drug may help that overreactive inflammatory response in Covid-19. “We just don’t know, though,” Schaffner said.
Right now, the research on hydroxychloroquine’s effectiveness is extremely mixed, though the drug has been shown potentially effective in a lab setting and doctors treating Covid-19 have observed some success in using it. The drug also comes with side effects like heart rhythm disturbances, which may prove problematic for those with underlying conditions, Schaffner said.
On top of that, there are people who need this drug for conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, who will run into shortages if everyone believes it’s a miracle cure for Covid-19, and at this point, there is no evidence of that.
There are many questions researchers need to interrogate in coming weeks and months. “If we want to treat this virus with a drug, when is the best time to administer it?” is one Schaffner is keen to see answered.
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“It’s being used, and we are giving this to people who are very sick,” he said. “But is that the stage of the illness where it is effective? Or is it past the time? Should we treat them early, at an earlier stage, to prevent intensive care? We won’t do this until we do rigorous clinical trials.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--All The Well-Known Faces Teaching Your Kids On BBC Bitesize This Term

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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.
Parents, brace yourselves. The Easter holidays are over but while school is still technically out, lessons aren’t.
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But the challenge of homeschooling might be getting a little bit easier this term, now that a bevy of big names – alongside 200 bona fide teachers – have stepped up to play their part in the BBC’s new Bitesize Daily service.
Are your kids struggling to focus on homework? Maybe learning nature with David Attenborough or Spanish from Sergio Aguero might help their focus (and give you a little break).
The bumper 14-week curriculum launches this Monday morning so here’s everything you need to know about it.
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How will the new BBC curriculum work?
Six 20-minute programmes will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button every day, targeting six different age groups – with teachers, experts and famous faces covering off what children should be learning that day.
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The schedule aims to offer 14 weeks of curriculum-based learning for kids across the UK. From Bitesize Daily, parents and their children will be directed online to BBC Bitesize for an “age-appropriate” ‘daily drop’ of videos, quizzes, podcasts and worksheets for subjects including maths, English and science.
The Bitesize shows will be split into age groups 5-7, 7-9, 9-11, 11-12, 12-13 and 13-14. BBC Four will also be devoting a block of programming each weekday evening to shows that support GCSE and A-Level curriculums.
As well as this, BBC Sounds has launched two new daily education podcasts. Each episode lasts 10 minutes and will be a guide to help families who are homeschooling to navigate all this new education content and find the right material for their kids.
HuffPost UK Getty/HuffPost UK
Who are the famous faces?
Sir David Attenborough, known the world over for his natural history documentaries, is set to be involved, helping youngsters learn about the oceans, mapping the world and why animals look the way they do.
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Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker will also be dropping into Bitesize Daily lessons.
Physicist Professor Brian Cox will bring science lessons to life as he covers topics including the solar system, force and gravity.
Manchester City’s star striker, Sergio Aguero, turns his attention to languages as he sets about getting kids across the country counting in Spanish.
Danny Dyer, EastEnders actor and a direct descendant of King Edward III, delivers the facts on Henry VIII as he brings history to KS1 pupils.
Strictly star and former shadow chancellor Ed Balls goes back to his roots in economics to deliver a KS3 maths class.
Liam Payne, Mabel and a host of other music stars take part in a week-long Musical Big Read.
This is an extension of Bitesize’s weekly Book Club that will run throughout the 14-week term and see stars including Anita Rani and Oti Mabuse read books aimed at both primary and secondary kids. That’s all we know so far – but we’re expecting some other famous faces to pop up and will keep this updated.
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And the teachers?
Both in front of and behind the camera, more than 200 teachers have come together to help the nation’s kids keep learning while schools are closed. In week one students will meet; Mr Burton (Educating Yorkshire), Ms Webb (primary school), Mr Brown (secondary school), Ms Armit (seconday), Mr Mycock (secondary) and Mr McPartlin of Britain’s Got Talent fame.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--BBC Addresses Together At Home Criticism After Presenters Appear In Studio

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The BBC has addressed criticism over their decision to have in-studio presenters for their coverage of the One World: Together At Home concert.
Originally taking place overnight on Saturday, the BBC showed select highlights of the event on Sunday, interspersed with clips of Dermot O’Leary, Claudia Winkleman and Clara Amfo in a studio.
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Although the hosts all stuck to social distancing guidelines during the broadcast, some viewers questioned whether it was necessary for them to be recording out of their homes in the first place, particularly as the US broadcast was presented by stars filming themselves.
In response to this, the BBC has issued a statement insisting that they adhered to the rules surrounding social distancing at all times.
The BBC's Together At Home team BBC
“This was a live two hour broadcast with numerous pre-recorded and live inserts and it was safer for the production team to work in a single controlled space that operates within the government guidelines of social distancing than to have multiple recording locations for the presenters,” a rep for the broadcaster told The Mirror.
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“Only essential workers were present in the studio, they remained at least 2m apart from one another and were advised of the health and safety protocols in advance.”
One World: Together At Home featured performances from a range of high-profile stars including Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, John Legend and Lady Gaga, who also helped put the event together.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Piers Morgan Says Trump Is Failing America With Self-Serving Briefings

Long-time Donald Trump chum and supporter Piers Morgan lashed out at the president on Sunday for failing America amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Morgan, who won Trump’s reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice in 2007, said he’s been watching the president’s daily press briefings on the pandemic with mounting horror.
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“All that’s required from the president in those moments, and any world leader, frankly, is they’ve got to be calm, they’ve got to show authority, they have to be honest, they have to be accurate, entirely factual with what they’re telling the people and they have to have an ability to show empathy,” Morgan told Brian Stelter on CNN’s Reliable Sources.
“On almost every level of that, Donald Trump at the moment is failing the American people,” he added.
Morgan said it seemed as if Trump believes it’s more important to win the election in November than defeat the outbreak.
“No, it’s not, Donald Trump,” Morgan said. “What is more important right now is saving American lives.”
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Morgan also said the tricks that populist leaders like Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used to get elected don’t work in a crisis.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Piers Morgan And Susanna Reid Clash In Furious Victoria Beckham Row

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Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid found themselves at loggerheads on Monday morning, when they clashed in a discussion about Victoria Beckham.
Nothing like starting the week with a row, is there?
During Monday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, the two discussed tabloid reports over the weekend, which claimed that some 30 members of staff at Victoria’s fashion brand had been put on the government’s furlough scheme.
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Unsurprisingly, Piers was unimpressed by the reports, beginning: “Talking about altruism and generosity, how nice it was to read over the weekend that Victoria Beckham has decided to furlough thirty of the staff of her failing fashion business.”
Victoria Beckham at her London Fashion Week show earlier this year Gareth Cattermole/BFC via Getty Images
He also accused her of “losing money year year after year” with her fashion label, and being “bailed out” by her “rich husband”, David.
Later in the show, he continued: “This furlough scheme was not for prima donna millionaires like you. Running a vanity project like her fashion business that makes no money.”
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Piers Morgan slated Victoria during Monday's GMB ITV
However, Susanna then interjected to suggest that Piers was “picking” on Victoria, pointing out the reports claimed the former Spice Girls singer is also forgoing her own salary, and had also been donating to food banks.
Referring to the reports, she noted: “I feel comfortable with the fact the furlough scheme is about saving jobs. That is the point of the furlough scheme.
“She is topping up their pay because the furlough scheme only pays 80%.”
“I wonder whether this is personal against Victoria Beckham rather than a British business,” Susanna added.
Susanna Reid ITV
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A representative for Victoria told Express.co.uk: “We are working hard to ensure our much-valued VB team are protected during this unsettled time by keeping our business healthy.
“Having carefully assessed all our options, we have made the decision to furlough a proportion of staff on an enhanced package.”
Earlier this month, ITV received a warning from TV watchdog Ofcom about “relying on a ‘combative dynamic’ between presenters”, after an incident involving Piers sparked more than 1,600 complaints, and an apology from the broadcaster.
“We remind ITV that there are compliance risks in relying on a ‘combative dynamic’ between presenters as a way to provide challenge and context for the broadcast of content which may cause offence,” they said.
“This approach can provide significant context, as in this case. However, depending on the particular circumstances, this may not always provide sufficient context to comply with the code.”
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Good Morning Britain airs every weekday from 6am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Coronavirus Is Robbing Women Of Their Chance To Become Mothers

With the closure of IVF clinics, women are being robbed of their chance to become mothers. Getty Creative
Fertility clinics across the UK are now officially closed for treatments. This was of course put in place as a result of the lockdown measures that require all of us to play our part by staying at home and preventing the spread of Covid-19. On this, I stand in full solidarity with the Government and echo the call to ensure that we are testing and protecting our NHS staff and all care workers as they work to fight coronavirus.
However, for the thousands of women and couples facing an indefinite suspension on treatment that may have taken them months or even years to arrive at, the trauma and distress caused simply cannot be underestimated. While I understand the current suspension, we must prioritise the re-opening of IVF clinics and provide a clear exit strategy detailing when and how this is going to happen.
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There are a number of reasons for this. There is no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection from coronavirus and should take different precautions to the rest of the population, and there is currently no data suggesting an increased risk of miscarriage or early pregnancy loss in relation to Covid-19. Most importantly, for women with a low egg reserve, time really is of the essence, and an indefinite delay could ultimately deny many of them the chance to have a biological child.
“Much has been written on the effects of the lockdown on mental health, but this will be multiplied hugely for all women denied access to fertility treatment.”
Much has been written on the effects of the lockdown on mental health, but this will be multiplied hugely for all women denied access to fertility treatment. At my clinics we have fielded countless calls from those devastated by an indefinite delay, many with depressive and even suicidal thoughts, whom we have had to refer to mental health departments and counsellors for urgent help. Fertility treatment is a process that can take months or years to reach, and so this wait is adding to an already stressful and overwhelming journey.
I urge our government to prioritise fertility services and allow IVF clinics to re-start treatment as soon as possible. Understandably, some NHS fertility clinics may be required to direct resources to the Covid-19 fight, but independent IVF clinics, including those approved to treat NHS patients, are simply standing still and should be allowed to start helping both NHS and self-funded patients.
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As medical facilities, we are well placed to employ social distancing and safety measures. There are already scientific papers being published that highlight how an effective and safe exit strategy can be achieved with suitable safety measures. As medical professionals, we can absolutely achieve this to protect our patients, staff and the public – it is in our DNA.
It has also been stated that IVF treatment is to be avoided to reduce the risk of women being hospitalised through OHSS (Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome – due to over-stimulation with drugs), which could add a burden to our NHS. I have long campaigned for our sector to adopt safer, lower drug approaches to treatment, and this risk can be eliminated by adopting “OHSS-free” drug regimens and the elective freezing of all embryos. It is also possible to identify women at higher risk of infection and bleeding and adopt clinically proven strategies to avoid complications.
The government lockdowns throughout Europe are already being relaxed in phases. In addition, Germany is continuing with some IVF treatments, while Denmark re-started IVF treatments last week. We can learn and adopt approaches from these countries so that the UK could also follow suit once our lockdown is relaxed. Rather than a total ban on IVF, evidence-based clinical protocols can be used to restart treatment safely and responsibly. This should start with a priority given to women with low egg reserve, who are most at risk of losing their chance to become biological mothers.
There is no equivalent ban on natural conception for the fertile, and therefore the indefinite suspension has left women across the country feeling as if they are being unfairly penalised for their infertility. The World Health Organisation classifies infertility as a disease and IVF is an essential medical treatment for many women. Countless couples, single women and same sex partners need fertility treatments to achieve what so many of us take for granted.
At a time when saving lives is the focus, creating life should also remain important. It is a collaborative process that will require all of us working together – professionals, regulators, professional bodies, the department of health and social care, as well as patient support groups. I urge our government to prioritise this vital service and act to protect women’s health across the UK.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Piers Morgan Forced To Apologise To Lady Gaga After Her One World: Together At Home Event Raises Ove

Piers Morgan Forced To Apologise To Lady Gaga After Her One World: Together At Home Event Raises Over £100m

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You’re about as likely to hear an apology from Piers Morgan as you are to find pasta on the supermarket shelves these days, but the Good Morning Britain presenter did just that on Sunday evening.
And the lucky recipient? Take a bow, Lady Gaga.
Piers Morgan and Lady Gaga Rex
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Piers had a slice of humble pie after the US singer helped raise $127m (£102m) for coronavirus relief when she helped organise the One World: Together At Home event.
The live-streamed virtual concert, a collaboration with Global Citizen, saw musicians from around the world performing from inside their homes.
When Gaga originally announced the planned event, Piers dismissed her involvement, asking: “Has she found a cure?”
But after the BBC showed highlights from the event on Sunday evening, the presenter did a 180 and apologised to the Stupid Love singer.
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I owe you an apology @ladygaga - this was a great initiative that raised a fortune, entertained people, & will help save lives. It was also a perfect illustration of a major star using their profile properly in this crisis. Congrats & sorry for originally questioning it. 👏👏 https://t.co/W28gfykVuR — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 19, 2020
“I owe you an apology @ladygaga,” he tweeted. “This was a great initiative that raised a fortune, entertained people, and will help save lives.”
He continued: “It was also a perfect illustration of a major star using their profile properly in this crisis. Congrats.”
Following the weekend’s event, Gaga celebrated the money raised, tweeting: “I am so humbled to have been a part of this project. Thank you @GlblCtzn. Thank you @WHO. I love you.”
The money raised will support the Covid-19 Response Fund, powered by the UN Foundation, which will globally fund essential PPE, supplies and testing kits.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-20--Seven Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

Unions are calling for a minute’s silence next week to remember all the health, care and other key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.
Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, who between them represent more than a million NHS and public service workers, including porters, refuse collectors and care staff, are urging the nation to join the tribute at 11am on April 28.
The minute’s silence, on International Workers’ Memorial Day, will allow everyone to pay their respects and show support for the families of those who have died, said the unions.
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This is the ultimate tribute to remember workers who’ve lost their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe and vital services running.
“Every year the sacrifice of workers around the world is recognised, but this year has a special significance because of the pandemic.”
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said the government “is looking into the idea”.
“I have responsibility for ceremonials and things like minute-silences, and we are actively looking into that and think it is a good idea,” he told the BBC.
Asked whether it could be an official government-led event, he said: “Yes, I think it could be but we will make an announcement on that at an appropriate time.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed the idea, saying the party “wholeheartedly” supported the call.
Royal College of Nursing general secretary Donna Kinnair said: “We’ve become used to hearing a great roar on a Thursday night for key workers, but this respectful silence will be a poignant reminder of the risks they run to keep us safe.
“I hope the public gets behind this with the same affection they show when applauding our people.”
Many have had virus with no symptoms, report suggests