thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Stuck For Soap? Here's How To Get Your Hands On Some

Malte Mueller via Getty Images Bar of soap and suds
Soap stocks in supermarkets are dwindling and it’s hardly surprising. We’ve all been told to wash our hands more frequently than usual – and soap gets rid of coronavirus just as well as hand sanitiser.
So, how can you get your hands on some, when soap seems to be sold out in pharmacies, supermarkets and even online retailers like Amazon?
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It’s worth looking at brands you’d have previously considered more of a treat – yes, they may be a little pricier than your average soap, but really shouldn’t key workers, the vulnerable and the elderly have first dibs on the cheaper options?
Take one for the team by shopping around brands that still have stocks.
Online shops that are selling soap
& Other Stories – the clothing retailer – still has a selection of liquid hand soaps online. A 250ml bottle is £6, they come in pretty colours and a range of different scents, too. The brand is offering free home delivery and 100 days free returns on all orders, too, btw.
Or, try The Body Shop. You can buy 100g soaps for £2.50, with scents including satsuma, cocoa butter and British rose.
Aesop is on the spennier side, with hand washes starting from £7 and going up to £27. Neal’s Yard and L’Occitane will also both set you back a few quid – but your hands will smell lush.
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A cheaper option may to be to try M&S, where solid soaps and hand wash start from £2.50, or the handmade bar soap collection on Etsy and more niche sites like The Soap Kitchen.
You could also check out local gift stores in your area and see if they’re selling soap online for home delivery.
Can you make your own soap at home?
Shawn Dritz, from The Soap School, teaches people how to make professional-level soaps using practical equipment you’ll probably have to hand, in his soap masterclasses. “You can certainly make soaps from home,” he says. “The majority of the equipment you would need can be found in most kitchens.”
One simple, 10-minute YouTube tutorial uses olive oil, water, and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda). “You can make this at home really simply,” says Sarah Janes, from The Soap School, “with just three ingredients”. You’ll need a stainless steel pan, a hand blender, and a container to put the soap in.
It seems easy enough, but will a homemade soap do the job as well as shop-bought one?
Professor Sally Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine doesn’t believe it’s necessary to make your own. “Why do this?” she tells HuffPost UK. “Instead of using soap you can use a detergent – washing up liquid, bath and shower gel, or shampoo. All of these are called ‘surfactants’ because they are designed to release or loosen dirt, bacteria, viruses, and particulates from surfaces.”
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But, she adds, they don’t kill the virus sufficiently to make the hands or other surfaces safe. “To do that, we need to rinse the surface under running water when the soap and the virus will be washed off and down the sink,” she explains. “So all of them are effective provided that – like washing your hands – you rub the surface and thoroughly rinse.”
If you do fancy making your own soap at home (we have enough time, after all), go ahead – it could be a fun way to pass an afternoon. Prof Bloomfield didn’t say it doesn’t work; just know that if you’re looking for something to rid any potential virus off your hands, soap isn’t your only option.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Joe Wicks' YouTube PE Lessons Have Already Raised Thousands For The NHS In Just One Week

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Joe Wicks has revealed that his daily PE lessons have already raised £80,000 for the NHS.
Due to the coronavirus lockdown, Joe – known to his fans as The Body Coach – has been hosting daily work-out videos on his YouTube channel, which aim to get children moving while the UK’s schools are closed.
The fitness expert recently announced that rather than profiting from the videos, he’d be donating any ad revenue to the NHS, aiding the frontline workers who are currently helping those in need in the pandemic.
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On Wednesday, he revealed to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain, via video-link, that the amount he’s raised currently stands at £80,000.
Joe Wicks on Good Morning Britain ITV
He said: “In the past week alone on the past seven videos, the AdSense is at $100,000 [just over £80,000].
“Every penny from the workout that we do from this school stuff for now until forever… all of that money is going to the NHS. We are raising money through these workouts.”
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“The more we do it the more we raise. It’s amazing, I’m so proud of that,” he added.
If you missed the announcement today, I shared an update on how much money we've raised so far from advertising on YouTube 😀
Thanks to you and everyone that has taken part and watched the #PEWithJoe workouts... we've together raised just over £80,000 for the NHS 🙏🏻 — The Body Coach (@thebodycoach) April 1, 2020
He previously wrote on Instagram: “As a result of so many people viewing the #PEWithJoe workouts on YouTube the advertising revenue generated has been unlike anything I’ve seen or experienced on my channel before.
“So I’ve decided that as long as I’m the nation’s PE teacher, every single penny of the money generated on these videos is going to the place where we need it the most right now. All of it is going straight to the NHS, to support the real heroes right now.”
He added: “Thank you for watching, joining in and sharing… I’m loving being your PE Teacher and now you can watch again, knowing you’re not only staying fit, you’re also helping raise money for the NHS.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Bake Off Fans Notice Something Very NSFW About Alex Jones' Fondant Person

The latest edition of the Great British Bake Off’s Stand Up To Cancer celebrity specials wasn’t short on laughs (thanks Alison Hammond), but there was also a few sniggers from viewers, who picked up on an inadvertently rude bake.
Yes, Tuesday night’s episode saw The One Show’s Alex Jones unwittingly craft a fondant vagina as she worked on her showstopper.
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The celebrity bakers – who also included This Morning presenter Alison Hammond, vlogger Joe Sugg and singer James Blunt – had been challenged with making a tray bake that was decorated to represent their personality.
Alex opted to make a sponge with a swimming pool on top, but had a rather unfortunate moment when moulding her swimmer out of fondant icing.
Fans noticed something unusual about Alex Jones' Bake Off efforts Channel 4
Many fans were quick to pick up on how it appeared as if she’d stuck some genitalia on it...
Why did that icing person have a huge vagina #gbbo — Matt (@MattMurkyfuture) March 31, 2020
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I’m a bit behind but did Alex’s little person have her vagina fully on show or was that just my twisted mind? #GBBO — Julie Egan (@mcdougal25) March 31, 2020
WHY has Alex Jones made a fondant vagina? I’m calling the police #GBBO pic.twitter.com/nLUEdggqOV — mom (@ColonelGrace) March 31, 2020
Wait... did that little fondant figure have a giant vagina on show? #GBBO pic.twitter.com/hNH0urIM90 — Helen (@HelsTinyTiger) March 31, 2020
Um... did we all see a fondant vagina? #GBBO — kelly bowyer (@keljbow) March 31, 2020
Has Jones’s little person got a vagina on show!! #GBBO — Stuart Court (@st73u) March 31, 2020
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It wasn’t the only moment of innuendo on the show either, with a lot of jokes about “filling holes” when the bakers were asked to make some miniature Yorkshire puddings stuffed with beef and horseradish sauce.
Elsewhere on the show, Alex had a calamitous moment when she shattered a bowl as she got to grips with using an electric mixer.
Joe also served up the most drama the show has seen since #BinGate when he fainted during the first challenge.
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The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant was left in need of medical attention when he accidentally cut off the tip of his finger while trying to peel an apple for his tray bake in the signature challenge.
Joe Sugg fainted during his appearance on Celebrity Bake Off Channel 4
The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off returns next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4, with Kelly Brook, Robert Rinder, Carol Vorderman and Mo Gilligan all trying to win over judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Alison Hammond's Turn In The Bake Off Tent Was The Perfect Recipe For Laughs

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After giving us a taster of her cookery skills during a segment on Tuesday’s This Morning, we knew Alison Hammond’s turn on the Great British Bake Off would be the perfect recipe for laughs, and we were not wrong.
The presenter had viewers of the Channel 4 show in stitches as she joined Alex Jones, Joe Sugg and James Blunt in the tent for a celebrity special in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.
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Alison Hammond on Bake Off. The tent will never be the same again. #GBBO @AlisonHammond pic.twitter.com/34MaPfcwx6 — British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) March 31, 2020
Alison entered the competition with confidence, remarking that nothing ever comes close to her chocolate brownies, which the contestants were tasked with creating in the signature round.
“In three years, I don’t think we’ve met anybody with this much confidence,” judge Prue Leith remarked.
As she went about making her chocolate creations, she joked: “I’m literally a natural baker... and a natural eater, as well.”
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Alison then remarked: “Things are running so smoothly for me, this is actually boring TV.”
However, just moments later, she was perplexed when the sliding over door went under the appliance.
“Where’s the door gone?!” she asked.
Alison Hammond:“Everything’s going smoothly. This is gonna make really boring TV. Hold on, where’s the oven door gone?” 😂 #GBBO pic.twitter.com/owerAWYAqZ — London Calling (@LDNiscalling) March 31, 2020
After she placed first in the technical challenge, where the bakers had to make miniature Yorkshire puddings stuffed with beef and horseradish sauce, she bragged: “Wow, I’m good. I sound so big-headed.”
However, she started to come unstuck during the showstopper, when her police station made out of gingerbread did not go according to plan.
As it all started to fall apart, she said: “I might as well just sit down and eat,” picking up one of her policemen biscuits.
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When she later presented her efforts to Prue and fellow judge Paul Hollywood, he remarked: “It is a little bit like a five-year-old’s been given a load of biscuits to cut out,” causing Alison to erupt with laughter.
Sadly, Alison’s wasn’t crowned Star Baker, with that honour going to YouTuber Joe Sugg, who’d earlier fainted after cutting his finger in the kitchen.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Joe Sugg Collapses In Biggest Great British Bake Off Drama Since #BinGate

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This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of the Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off.
While Alison Hammond bringing the laughs to the celebrity Bake Off tent was no great surprise, what we hadn’t anticipated was that Joe Sugg would be the one to serve up the night’s biggest slice of drama.
But that’s exactly what happened when the YouTuber and Strictly Come Dancing finalist ended up hitting the deck in the middle of the first challenge.
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Near the beginning of the episode, Joe was left in need of medical attention when he accidentally cut off the tip of his finger while trying to peel an apple for his Signature Challenge, a tray bake.
But despite initially thinking he was alright to carry on as normal, Joe ended up needing some time out from the tent when he suddenly fainted in the middle of the action.
Joe Sugg fainted during his appearance on Celebrity Bake Off Channel 4
The moment left his fellow contestants in shock (although James Blunt’s “oh dear” wasn’t exactly an emotional outburst), with viewers tweeting along with the episode also expressing concern for the vlogger...
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Poor @Joe_Sugg. Less than 5 minutes in and he has cut his finger and passed out! That has to be the most dramatic start to Bake Off ever. #GBBO — Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) March 31, 2020
Oh boy.... @Joe_Sugg nearly cut off his arm then passes out! LOL pic.twitter.com/9tU8LNBOOA — BBXTRA (@BigBrotherXtra) March 31, 2020
First cake in and poor @Joe_Sugg has cut his finger and had to go for a lie down 🤣🤣😩 #GBBO @BritishBakeOff pic.twitter.com/THOPkDA8Ge — Jessica Lucy (@JessFromBristol) March 31, 2020
@Joe_Sugg you poor thing you! Just watching you on the bake off and can't believe you fainted! Bless you X — Robbie-Lee Valentine (@RLValentine) March 31, 2020
joe sugg the only person ever to faint within the first 5 minutes and then go on to win — emi | fan (@joesbuswell) March 31, 2020
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NO WAY DID @Joe_Sugg JUST FAINT ON BAKE OFF AWHHHH MY WEE BABES😭😂 — Lucy Skivington (@LucyLouWhoS) March 31, 2020
Alison Hammond thinking she broke the oven door
James Blunt talks to cakes
Joe Sugg faints within 5 minutes
Alex Jones catapults the mixer bowl
Perfect cure for isolation thanks 🤣😂 @BritishBakeOff#GBBO — Melissa Arthur (@Melfire16) March 31, 2020
omg poor joe sugg cutting his finger trying to cut an apple and passing out on bakeoff 😭😭 — hayds 🏹❣ (@haydxnj) March 31, 2020
When you woke up again the first thing you said was “did I faint? Oh good start... how long’s left?” And it made me chuckle 😂😂xx — Abigail ❤ (@Abigail_Gx) March 31, 2020
Joe Sugg's guide to getting a handshake
1) Cut your finger and faint
2) Carry on
3) ???
4) HANDSHAKE — Dave (@DavidMackayy) March 31, 2020
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Joe Sugg has just fainted to rival Gillian McKeith on I’m A Celeb #GBBO — Emma Kelly (@TooManyEmmas) March 31, 2020
Fortunately, despite finding himself at the centre of the biggest Bake Off drama since #BinGate (ahhh, simpler times), Joe did end up being crowned this week’s Star Baker, winning the coveted Stand Up To Cancer apron.
He triumphed over Alison, singer James Blunt and The One Show’s Alex Jones with his showstopper, inspired by an archaeological dig.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus - 1 April
London’s ExCel centre has been transformed into a temporary hospital for coronavirus patients, with NHS England saying that more sites are being considered across the UK as the number of cases of Covid-19 continues to rise. US President Donald Trump gave a sombre press briefing on the virus, warning of painful weeks ahead. Some Asian countries are imposing new restrictions after a surge in cases, while Germany aims to launch an app to help trace infection rates.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Foccacia And Ciabatta Bread Recipes You Knead To Try At Home

nndanko via Getty Images
‘Keep calm and bake bread’ appears to be the motto of the nation right now, with flour and yeast in short supply at supermarkets.
If you’re one of the lucky ones who already has the ingredients in the cupboard, though, and you’re craving the taste of some freshly-baked bread, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and make your own.
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Bread Ahead bakery has been sharing daily tutorials on Instagram, which have proven popular, reaching four million views in two weeks. The London-based baking school has now launched an online recipe book, available to buy and download online for a fiver.
In it, there are 18 recipes including their signature doughnuts, focaccia, cinnamon buns and chocolate brownies. Here are two recipes to get you started.
Ciabatta bread
Ingredients:
400g strong white flour
8g salt
6g fresh yeast (or a sachet of yeast will do the trick)
350g cold water
20g of olive oil for folding.
Iona Kong Ciabatta
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Method:
Place the flour and salt in a bowl and combine. In another bowl, add the yeast to the water, then mix until dissolved. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the liquid. Bring the mixture together to form a loose dough. Tip the dough onto your work surface, ensuring you scrape all of the dough out to leave a clean bowl. With the palm of your hand, mix the dough on your work surface for about a minute, then bring it back together with your scraper. Now you need to slap the dough. Pull the centre of the dough up and slap it down onto the table – you need to do this for about 8 minutes. Keep bringing the dough together with your scraper to ensure that the whole of the dough is developed evenly. Line your bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. You now need to fold the dough. Place your hands under one side of the dough, pull it up and stretch over to the other side. Do this from the bottom, the top and each of the two sides (this is considered a single fold). This will laminate air between the dough. Leave to rest for half an hour. Give your dough 3 more folds resting for 30 minutes each time. After the final fold, move to the fridge and leave for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 250°C/fan 230°C/gas mark 9 or as hot as your oven will go. Heavily flour the top of the dough and your work surface, then press your scraper round the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s not sticking. Turn the bowl upside down to release the dough. Line a tray with baking paper and sprinkle with polenta. Cut your dough into two slipper shapes, turn each over once on the floured surface, then transfer to the tray. Cover with a cloth and leave for 15 minutes. Place your tray in the oven and lightly spritz the oven chamber with a water spray. Bake for 16 minutes, then remove from the oven. Cool and enjoy a real taste of Italy.
Focaccia bread
Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour
10g salt
6g fresh yeast (or 3g instant/quick/fast-acting dried yeast)
400g cold water
80g olive oil for folding and topping
Sea salt flakes and seasonal produce (rosemary and olives) for topping.
Jason Bailey Focaccia
Method:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Idris Elba Leaves Quarantine Period Two Weeks After Coronavirus Diagnosis, But Says He's Now Strande

Idris Elba Leaves Quarantine Period Two Weeks After Coronavirus Diagnosis, But Says He's Now Stranded

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Idris Elba has revealed that he has now passed quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19, but says he and his wife Sabrina Dhowre lba are stranded as they’re unable to catch a flight home.
Last month, the couple entered self-quarantine after contracting coronavirus, but the actor has said they are now both “asymptomatic”.
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In a Twitter update posted on Tuesday night, he explained: “We’re both doing OK, still asymptomatic, and we’ve passed the quarantine period.
“However, we’re a little bit stuck in limbo. We can’t get a flight back home so we just have to sit still for a little bit. But other than that, we’re OK, and we’re so thankful for that. I think the worst of it has probably passed.”
Idris continued: “It’s weird because I never sit still. I never sit still, and Sabrina never sits still either. I think she’s finding it harder, she’s getting cabin fever, but we’re both good mentally, just trying to stay optimistic.
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“I hope you guys are too, man. Keeping yourselves sane and not getting too worried and too panicked. Take it from me, man. I thought I was definitely going to see the worst of [coronavirus] as an asthmatic, but thankfully I came through, and you can too.”
He also gave a “big shout out” to healthcare workers helping those in need and “doing your thing” during the pandemic, noting: “You lot are amazing, and should be fully appreciated.
“And to everyone that’s going through hard times financially right now, man, you know, just bear up. This is going to be a tough time for everyone, but try and keep your head up, basically. Alright?
“[This was] just a note to say, we’re still here, hope you’re good, we’re going to fight this thing and everything’s going to be cool. Thank you for everyone that sends us love and thoughts, we really appreciate it.”
Sabrina and Idris at the premiere of his film Cats Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
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Throughout his quarantine period, Idris has shared a number of video updates on social media with his followers, including a Q&A where he revealed that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson sharing their diagnosis publicly had inspired him to reveal that he had also contracted coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--The Derry Girls Have Filmed A Lockdown Video And It Could Not Be More Derry Girls

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If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent the last week rewatching all of Derry Girls again to keep your spirits up during lockdown.
So what a treat it was to see how the girls of the Channel 4 sitcom coped with a similar situation in the past.
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Erin and Orla (aka actors Saoirse Jackson and Louisa Harland) have shared a spoof message from a bunker in 1996.
Twitter/Channel 4
The video sees the pair having taken shelter in their mammy’s airing cupboard to escape the mass riots on the streets of Derry, amid peace negotiations breaking down in Northern Ireland.
“We’ve been ordered to stay in our homes by the authorities,” Erin says.
“You mean our mammies?” Orla responds.
Erin continues: “We’ve taken the brave decision to record our experiences for future historians.”
However, all Orla can think about is Coco Pops and missing her toes, leading to an argument that sees her decide to take up residence in her mammy’s wardrobe instead.
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Saoirse and Louisa recorded the sketch while in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the video appearing on Channel 4′s Twitter account.
Louisa explained they were able to film it as they live together, being close friends away from the sitcom.
She tweeted: “As me and S live together, we were able to do a bit for you. Stay home.”
As me and S live together, we were able to do a bit for you. Stay home #derrygirls https://t.co/68zfkvhGd0 — Louisa Harland (@louisa_harland) March 31, 2020
Set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Derry Girls has proved to be a huge hit since its debut in 2018.
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It has become Channel 4′s biggest comedy launch since 2004, the most successful comedy launch ever on catch-up service All4, and the most-watched show in Northern Ireland on record.
The show has also been reaching a new global audience since its debut on Netflix.
It was confirmed last year that a third series had been commissioned, and is set to air in 2020.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Alex Jones In Tears As The One Show Co-Host Matt Baker Signs Off After 10 Years With A G&T In Isolat

Alex Jones In Tears As The One Show Co-Host Matt Baker Signs Off After 10 Years With A G&T In Isolation

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It wasn’t the send-off anyone had planned, but it was still an emotional farewell for The One Show’s Matt Baker as he signed off from the BBC One show on Monday night.
His co-host Alex Jones was in tears as she paid tribute to Matt, whose last show was spent in isolation in his own home after a member of his family displayed symptoms for Covid-19 last month.
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Matt Baker BBC
He told viewers that he’d had a “superb” time working for the early evening programme for the last decade and that he had “loved every second of it”.
A teary Alex told him: “I know when you are going to speak just from the way you breathe because we have been together for that long now,” she said.
“We have had such a laugh along the way and I thank you honestly from the bottom of my heart.”
Alex Jones BBC
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Matt, with a gin and tonic in hand, added that he wanted to “thank each and every one of our viewers who have shown their support” for the programme.
“Now I’m going to get to watch The One Show like one of you guys, and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
In a video message broadcast during the programme, actor David Suchet said that he “can’t believe” Matt is leaving the programme.
“What pleasure you have given to millions of people but I want you to know that you have also given great pleasure to me,” the Poirot actor said.
“I have loved coming on the show. I have enjoyed so much being interviewed by you and I would like to send you my best wishes for the future.”
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Matt first appeared on the programme alongside Alex in May 2010 as a guest presenter when regular host Jason Manford took time off.
He then took over full time in November when the comedian quit the show.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Eight Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

More than 25,000 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, just weeks after the first case in the country was confirmed.
According to the latest official figures:
A total of 2,352 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Tuesday, the Department of Health said, up by 563 from 1,789 the day before.
More than 25,000 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus – though the number of people actually infected is likely to be much higher.
Coronavirus Statista
Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Unemployment skyrockets
The number of people applying for the universal credit welfare payment has surged in the two weeks since Boris Johnson put the UK into lockdown, with 950,000 attempting to get hold of the benefit.
The total in the aftermath of the drastic move to curb the spread of coronavirus is more than nine times higher the usual 100,000 applicants for a two-week period.
The surge reflects falls in income as well as unemployment as firms go bust or lay off staff because they cannot afford to wait for the governments’s bail-out scheme.
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As businesses, shops, restaurants and bars are closed, the government has offered to pay 80% of employees’ wages if their company keeps them on - but there is no incentive for an employer to apply for this.
A YouGov survey on March 24 found that one in 20 people in Britain had already lost their job due to coronavirus.
Wimbledon is cancelled
Wimbledon 2020 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers have confirmed.
The tennis tournament, due to begin on June 29, was called off completely by the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Wednesday, the first time since the Second World War.
It is with great regret that the AELTC has today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.
The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.https://t.co/c0QV2ymGAt — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 1, 2020
In a statement, bosses said: “It is with great regret that the AELTC has today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.
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“The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.”
Later in the day, the major COP26 climate change summit due to be held in Glasgow was postponed due to coronavirus.
The decision came after Downing Street held talks on Wednesday night with the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), and the news first emerged via a tweet from Finland’s climate change minister Krista Mikkonen.
‘Asia’s largest slum’ reports first case of coronavirus
A slum in India home to 1.5m people has reported its first case of coronavirus, according to reports.
A 56-year-old man from Dharavi, a densely populated area in Mumbai, is undergoing treatment in hospital.
The country is facing a crisis of epic proportions as labourers and waste pickers – most of them homeless or too poor to afford a meal – are among the hardest hit by prime minister Narendra Modi’s three-week nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus.
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Most of the estimated 4m-plus homeless people in India have had no way of earning a living since the lockdown began on March 25. With streets deserted, even begging is not an option, Reuters reports.
A man offers water to a child of a migrant daily wage labourer as he and his family make the journey on foot to their village following the imposition of the country's lockdown. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Many wander aimlessly, some find refuge at homeless shelters where ranks of people sleep beside each other.
While the plight of India’s migrant workers has garnered headlines, with thousands forced to walk miles to reach home since the lockdown began, many aid workers say the millions of homeless in India face a bigger risk.
Officials say the shutdown is necessary to stem the spread of the coronavirus. India has reported more than 1,500 cases and 38 deaths from the outbreak.
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Prince Charles records video message after self-isolating
The Prince of Wales has made his first appearance since coming out of self-isolation, following his coronavirus diagnosis, to record a video message in support of Age UK in response to the health crisis.
As Patron of @age_uk, The Prince of Wales shares a message on the Coronavirus pandemic and its effect on the older members of the community. pic.twitter.com/a6NEFPOtvQ — Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 1, 2020
Charles, who is patron of Age UK, said in the footage posted on royal social media accounts that he is now “on the other side of the illness” but is still in “a state of social distance and general isolation”.
Edinburgh’s August festivals cancelled
Edinburgh’s festivals have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Here’s a list of all the events, shows and festivals that have been axed so far.)
The Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, the Art Festival, the International Book Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo have all been scrapped.
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Fergus Linehan, festival director, Edinburgh International Festival, said: “We are hugely disappointed to announce this cancellation but given the current outlook we believe it is the correct decision.
“The Edinburgh International Festival was born out of adversity – an urgent need to reconnect and rebuild. The current crisis presents all at the festival with a similar sense of urgency. Work begins straight away on a 2021 festival season that will boost both our spirits and our economy.”
Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It’s heart-breaking that the Fringe and our sister August festivals will not take place as planned this summer. However, having taken advice and considered all the options, we collectively believe this is the only appropriate response.”
Crowdfunder for funeral of 13-year-old boy soars past target to hit £55,000
A sign points towards a Coronavirus testing pod as an ambulance arrives at the A&E Department of Kings College Hospital in Camberwell Richard Baker via Getty Images
A crowdfunder for the funeral of Britain’s youngest coronavirus fatality has smashed its £4,000 target to raise £55,000.
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Any additional money raised will be given directly to the family, said the organiser of the donations page, Mark Stephenson.
A spokesperson for King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “Sadly, a 13-year old boy who tested positive for Covid-19 has passed away, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this time.
“The death has been referred to the coroner and no further comment will be made.”
Ismail’s family said they were “beyond devastated” by his death, in a statement released through a family friend.
“Ismail started showing symptoms and had difficulties breathing and was admitted to King’s College Hospital,” they said.
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“He was put on a ventilator and then put into an induced coma but sadly died yesterday morning. To our knowledge he had no underlying health conditions. We are beyond devastated.”
News of the boy’s death came on the same day that NHS England announced a 19-year-old without any underlying health conditions had also died after contracting Covid-19.
Woman fined after trying to use trains
A woman arrested for trying to travel by train despite the country’s lockdown has been fined £660.
Marie Dinou, 41, from York, was the first person to be arrested on the railways after police were given powers to enforce the country’s “stay at home” policy.
She was found “loitering between platforms” at Newcastle Central station on Saturday, and refused to explain to police why she was apparently trying to travel, British Transport Police said.
She appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was fined £660 for failing to comply with requirements imposed under the Coronavirus Act 2020.
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She was also ordered to pay a £66 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
GP surgery asks sickest patients to agree they won’t be resuscitated
Ambulances lined up outside the ExCel centre that is being turned into a temporary 4000 bed hospital known as NHS Nightingale ASSOCIATED PRESS
Llynfi Surgery, in south Wales, apologised after sending letters to some seriously ill patients underlining “several benefits” of completing “do not attempt CPR” forms.
The letter warns that, as hospitals are inundated with Covid-19 patients, those with serious conditions such as incurable cancer, motor neurone disease, and untreatable heart and lung conditions were “unlikely to be offered hospital admissions” and “certainly will not be offered a ventilator bed”.
It goes on to ask the patients to complete the form as “scarce ambulance resources can be targeted to the young and fit who have a greater chance” of recovering from the virus.
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The Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board issued a statement which said that it did not order the letter be sent and said the surgery has apologised for “upset” caused to patients.
“A letter was recently sent out from Llynfi surgery to a small number of patients,” a spokesperson said. “This was not a health board communication.
“The surgery have been made aware that the letter has caused upset to some of the patients who received it. This was not their intent and they apologise for any distress caused.
“Staff at the surgery are speaking to those patients who received the letter to apologise directly and answer any concerns they may have.”
Donald Trump warns Americans of ‘roughest weeks’ in country’s history
President Donald Trump at a coronavirus news briefing SIPA USA/PA Images
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Donald Trump has warned Americans to brace for a “hell of a bad two weeks” amid predictions from the White House that between 100,000 and 240,000 people could die after contracting coronavirus.
The president said it was a “matter of life and death” for American’s to heed the administration’s social distancing guidelines.
“I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead,” Trump said.
“This is going to be one of the roughest two or three weeks we’ve ever had in our country,” he added. “We’re going to lose thousands of people.”
The jaw-dropping projections were laid out during a grim, two-hour White House briefing.
Officials described a death toll that, in a best-case scenario, would likely be greater than the 53,000 American lives lost during World War I.
Meanwhile, the model’s high end neared the realm of possibility that Americans lost to the virus could approach the 291,000 Americans killed in World War II.
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The figures come after Trump extended the country’s social-distancing rules – despite having earlier suggested that the crisis would be over by Easter.
“You know 100,000 is, according to modelling, a very low number,” the president said of coronavirus deaths on Tuesday.
“In fact, when I first saw the number … they said it was unlikely you’ll be able to attain that. We have to see but I think we’re doing better than that.”
During the conference, Trump also criticised the UK’s earlier coronavirus policy, saying that at the time, a lot of people were suggesting countries “just ride it out”.
“If you remember, they were looking at that concept - I guess it’s a concept if you don’t mind death, a lot of death - but they were looking at that in the UK, remember,” Sky News reported the president saying.
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“All of sudden they went hard the other way because they started seeing things that weren’t good. They put themselves in a little bit of a problem.”
Trump added: “They have a name for it, but we won’t even go by the name - it would have been very catastrophic I think if that would have happened.”
Briton dies aboard coronavirus-hit cruise ship
The Zaandam cruise ship, where a Briton is among four people who have died ASSOCIATED PRESS
A British national is among four people who have died on a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship embroiled in a bitter dispute over plans to disembark passengers in the US.
So far, two of the four people who have died on the Zaandam cruise ship have been confirmed to have had Covid-19.
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Meanwhile, nine other people onboard have tested positive for the virus and another 189 are suffering from flu-like symptoms.
“One of the deceased passengers is from the UK,” a spokesman for the Holland America cruise line, which operates the Zaandam, said in an email to the PA news agency.
“Due to US … laws, we cannot provide any additional medical and health details.”
The Zaandam, which is carrying more than 200 British nationals, and its sister ship the Rotterdam, passed through the Panama Canal on Monday after being denied entry to several ports.
Both ships are seeking to dock in Florida later this week.
The state’s governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday that Florida’s health care resources were already stretched too thin by the coronavirus outbreak to take on the Zaandam’s caseload.
But during a news briefing on coronavirus, Donald Trump said he would tell DeSantis to allow the ship to dock, saying: “I’m going to do what’s right. Not only for us, but for humanity.”
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In earlier developments:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Wife Sick After Husband Hid Coronavirus Symptoms To Visit Her In Maternity Ward

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A man who was feeling sick concealed his symptoms from the staff at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, so he would be allowed to visit his pregnant wife in the maternity ward.
Hospital officials say the man confessed only when his wife began showing coronavirus symptoms after giving birth this past week. On Monday, the hospital started checking the temperature of all visitors to the maternity centres.
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“The mother became symptomatic shortly after delivering. That’s when the significant other admitted his potential exposure and that he was feeling symptomatic,” University of Rochester Medicine spokesperson Chip Partner told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
In a statement provided to HuffPost, Partner said no involved staff members had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.
“One staff member developed symptoms, was quarantined at home, and later tested negative for COVID-19. The couple and their baby were asked to quarantine, pending testing results, to protect the community and were discharged from the hospital,” he said.
Following the incident, the University of Rochester Medicine group, which includes Strong Memorial Hospital, Highland Hospital and several other affiliate hospitals, announced a ban on visitors, with the limited exceptions required to undergo screening, per New York State Department of Health guidelines.
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Previously, the hospital relied on “purely an honour system,” Partner told Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
UR Medicine had already limited visitation two weeks ago, as did a number of other hospitals throughout the state, and would ask visitors on arrival if they had any COVID-19 symptoms or any potential exposure to the coronavirus.
Now a temperature check and screen for symptoms will be enforced.
One support person for pregnant patients is still permitted given they pass a twice-daily screening. They will not be allowed to leave the patient’s room without the patient at any time, according to the UR Medicine website. Guardians for minors are also allowed.
The UR Medicine group, as well as Rochester Regional Health, also announced Monday a new universal-masking policy. All providers, staff and visitors in health care facilities will be required to wear masks in an effort to reduce transmission and limit exposure of the virus to vulnerable patients and medical staff.
Earlier this month, several hospital operators said they would ban spouses, birthing coaches or other support people from delivery rooms as a COVID-19 safety measure. However, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) intervened with an executive order announced Saturday that all hospitals must allow a support person (who does not have a fever) to be present during birth.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Trump’s Coronavirus Claim Is His Biggest Lie Yet – And It Could Be Working

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Having sold himself as a great business and military leader despite bankrupt casinos and bone spurs, President Donald Trump faces his greatest challenge yet: making Americans forget the two months he dismissed concerns about a deadly pandemic as a “hoax.”
If recent polling showing a significant bump in his approval ratings is any indicator, though, Trump may well be succeeding ― setting himself on a path to reelection.
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“No question that the president’s job approval has increased as a result of his handling of the coronavirus crisis,” said GOP pollster Neil Newhouse. “Already about topped out among Republicans, President Trump has made gains among both Independents and Democrats.”
To make this work, Trump has been pushing the biggest lie of his adult life ― a revisionist history in which he did everything correctly, that nobody could have anticipated such an outbreak, and his leadership alone is saving millions of lives.
“It’s hard not to be happy with the job we’re doing. That, I can tell you,” he said last week.
“Nobody could have predicted something like this,” he told Fox News Monday morning.
“I can’t tell you what the unfortunate final toll is going to be, but it’s going to be a very small fraction of that,” he said Tuesday afternoon of expert estimates of 2.2 million dead if the country had done nothing to stop the virus. “So we’re doing an awfully good job, I think, with what we’re doing.”
Each of his claims is false. Trump scrapped the pandemic response team that President Barack Obama created after the 2014 Ebola outbreak, part of an overall effort to undo everything that his predecessor had accomplished. Trump ignored warnings from his own intelligence community that China was covering up the severity of the coronavirus epidemic in the city and province where it originated. Trump even ignored a step-by-step pandemic “playbook” the Obama administration had written.
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Instead, Trump discounted the threat the virus posed from January 22, when he told CNBC that “we have it totally under control,” straight through until March 15, when he called it “a very contagious virus” but again claimed it was one “that we have tremendous control over.”
Trump had based his re-election campaign on the strength of the economy and feared that worries about a pandemic would hurt the stock market. “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA,” he wrote in a February 24 tweet. “Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”
“History shows that it takes a personal experience of catastrophe to see that the leader has been telling lies.” - New York University history professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Nevertheless, thanks in part to his ability to command a nationwide audience in press briefings broadcast live each day, Trump has been able to push his new message to replace the old one.
“History shows that it takes a personal experience of catastrophe to see that the leader has been telling lies,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an authoritarianism expert and history professor at New York University. “In this case, Trump has artfully ‘dosed out’ reality, telling people everything is fine, then gradually telling them it’s not, with lackey medical professionals to back him up. So he may weather even this crisis.”
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White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham did not respond to a query about Trump’s new messaging. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh cited China travel restrictions that Trump imposed at the very end of January as showing he took“decisive action” from the start.
“Throughout this crisis, the president has always sought to keep the public calm, but has listened to his medical and scientific advisors in making firm decisions about keeping the country safe,” Murtaugh said.
Revising History From Two Months Ago
Key to turning Trump’s actual performance in those critical early weeks into electoral success likely hinges on two efforts underway.
First is redefining success. Trump early on promised Americans that he had “stopped” the virus from spreading in the U.S. through his ban on foreigners who had recently been in China from entering this country. That morphed into claiming that those few cases here were rapidly shrinking to zero and that the virus itself would disappear on its own with April’s warmer weather.
Those goalposts have now been moved clear across the planet. From the Feb. 26 boasts of having only 15 cases and zero deaths, Trump this week said success would mean hundreds of thousands of dead Americans.
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“If we can hold that down, as we’re saying, to 100,000 — that’s a horrible number — maybe even less, but to 100,000; so we have between 100- and 200,000 — we all, together, have done a very good job,” he said Monday at a press briefing in the White House Rose Garden.
And if Trump’s past is a guide ― he has claimed that running his casinos into bankruptcy starting in the early 1990s somehow represented a business success ― he will keep claiming he handled the crisis well, regardless of how many Americans wind up dying.
“I think he can move the numbers as high as he needs to with his base because he has primed them to accept whatever he tells them and to disbelieve everyone else,” Ben-Ghiat said.
The other piece of Trump’s strategy is relentlessly attacking those who point out his previous statements. Trump has done this repeatedly in his daily briefings, attacking reporters when they read his earlier remarks back to him verbatim.
“Instead of asking a nasty, snarky question like that, you should ask a real question,” he said to a journalist Monday.
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His campaign, meanwhile, had set upon the mission of trying to block Trump’s most egregious downplaying of the pandemic: His Feb. 28 description of the coronavirus fears as “a hoax” ― the most recent in a line of Democratic attempts to hurt his presidency.
Campaign officials, realizing the seriousness of Trump’s riff at a rally in South Carolina that evening, soon afterward began attacking journalists who described Trump’s use of “hoax” as misrepresenting what he said.
“Will she apologise for lying?” wrote a Trump campaign staffer on March 23 after Washington Post reporter Ashley Parker accurately described Trump’s use of the word in an NBC News report.
The campaign has even threatened to sue TV stations that were running an ad by the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA that used the audio clip of Trump saying “hoax” in a montage of his statements downplaying the virus.
“We will not stand idly by and allow you to broadcast false, deceptive, and misleading information concerning President’s Trump’s healthcare positions without consequence,” the campaign said in a letter.
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Of course, the response to that letter may foreshadow the steep hill Trump faces more broadly in re-writing the history of his coronavirus response. According to Priorities USA, not a single TV station complied with the campaign request to pull the ad, and the super PAC recently released a revised one, using the much higher number of coronavirus cases.
When The Big Lie Fails
Indeed, while Trump may be enjoying a bump right now in the public support, that newfound popularity could fade as his repeated lies about his performance come up against the reality of the coronavirus’ lethality.
Trump confounded the political class in both parties in 2016, seeming to suffer little consequence for repeated and readily disproven lies about himself, his opponents and the world at large.
Trump falsely claimed he had built “a massive empire,” a “phenomenal company,” starting with just a “very small loan” from his father. He boasted that he knew more about war than “the generals.”
In fact, Trump lost millions of dollars running an airline, vastly overpaid for a midtown hotel he wound up losing and bankrupted his casinos ― a near impossibility, given their business model ― nearly squandering the fortune his father had left him of nearly $1 billion in today’s dollars.
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And when the prospect of serving in the Vietnam War presented itself, Trump claimed the ailment of “bone spurs” to avoid the military ― even though he later could not recall which heel had suffered the malady.
“At some point, reality intrudes on the ‘Big Lie.’ But at this point we don’t know when.” - Norman Ornstein, of the
Trump countered endless media “fact checks” of his dishonesties by attacking the media instead ― a strategy he openly admitted to in an interview with Lesley Stahl of CBS News in 2016. “You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you,” he said.
Yet Trump was able to get away with all those lies, as well as a torrent of fresh lies since becoming president because they did not directly affect the lives of most Americans, NYU’s Ben-Ghiat said.
That will not be the case with the pandemic. In a span of just 30 days, 3,440 Americans had died by Tuesday afternoon, with 1,000 of those happening in the past two days. Which means that even Trump’s most loyal supporters, who crave his professional wrestling-style attacks on Democrats and the news media regardless of their accuracy, are likely to wind up personally knowing someone who has become gravely ill or died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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“The ‘Big Lie’ is not applicable in this case,” Ben-Ghiat said, referring to the maxim that people are more prone to believe a massive falsehood than a smaller one because they do not want to accept that their leaders are capable of telling consequential lies. “For example, saying the virus was a hoax, because people will personally get sick and communities will be devastated.”
She said she believes Trump can continue to hold his base supporters by gradually increasing his assessment of the pain and loss it will cause ― but she and others doubt that his message will fly with anyone beyond that group.
“At some point, reality intrudes on the ‘Big Lie.’ But at this point we don’t know when,” said Norman Ornstein, a scholar with the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank. “One interesting part of this is that the people who bought into the hoax idea, who are still resisting social distancing, are in the red states and in red areas in other states. They may be the ones who will really catch a wave that overwhelms them, especially in rural areas, with the virus a little bit later on.”
If that happens, Trump could quickly lose the “rally around the president” lift he has seen in recent polling. That boost has helped other presidents ― from Jimmy Carter in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 taking of American hostages in Iran, through Obama in 2012 with the landfall of Superstorm Sandy in the northeast. But it can fade away if the president is seen as failing to rise to the challenge.
“Read these polls with a most careful, cautious eye. They reflect the present in a time of crisis,” said Democratic pollster Peter Hart about Trump’s higher numbers, pointing out that Carter wound up losing in his reelection bid in a landslide. “The election is far ahead of us, but the challenges facing Donald Trump are as formidable as those that faced Jimmy Carter in 1980.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Trump's Task Force Still Won't Call For A National Stay-At-Home Order

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The White House coronavirus task force still won’t call for a national stay-at-home order, despite calls from medical professionals and researchers to do so to curb the spread of the virus in places.
As doctors Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx explained during Tuesday night’s task force update that the total number of deaths in the US could rise to 100,000 to 240,000, President Donald Trump avoided explaining why the administration hasn’t imposed a stay-at-home order yet.
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Instead, Trump talked about how the death toll would have reached up to 2 million people if he had done nothing at all.
“What would’ve happened if we did nothing? Because there was a group that said, ‘Let’s just ride it out,’” the president said. “What would’ve happened? That number comes in at 1.5 to 1.6 million, up to 2.2 ... 2.2 million people would have died.”
“You would have seen people dying on airplanes,” he added. “You would’ve seen people dying in hotel lobbies. You’d be seeing death all over.”
Earlier in the pandemic, Trump dismissed the severity of the virus and compared it to the flu. On March 9, Trump compared numbers of people who died of the flu in 2019 to the number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths at that time.
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On Tuesday, as the national death toll from the virus skyrocketed to 3,700, the president admitted that the coronavirus outbreak was worse than the flu.
So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
Public health experts have warned that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to worsen if the Trump administration does not take strict action and order all Americans to stay at home.
According to a tally kept by The Washington Post, governors in more than a dozen states are refusing to issue their own statewide orders, even as numbers of COVID-19 cases grow exponentially in their areas.
Florida, for example, has more than 5,000 cases, though Governor Ron DeSantis has called on only four counties in South Florida to abide by stay-at-home orders. DeSantis said at his own news conference Tuesday that he was waiting for the White House task force to recommend that to him first.
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Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has suggested that her residents stay at home “as much as possible,” but she did not issue a statewide order.
Despite governors looking to the White House for guidance, Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the task force, still said Tuesday that the administration was deferring any type of mitigation measures to “state and local health authorities.”
JUST NOW— Gov. Ron DeSantis says the White House task force hasn't told him to issue a statewide stay-at-home-order: "The task force is not recommending this. If they do, that’s something that would carry a lot of weight with me." — Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) March 31, 2020
During the White House news conference, Birx said that states, such as California and Washington, who had issued mitigation orders very early on in their outbreaks had been able to slow the outbreak dramatically.
Those states “really talked to their communities and decided to mitigate before they started seeing this number of cases,” Birx said.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Are You Even In Quarantine If You're Not Doing These 9 Things?

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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.
What day even is it today? That’s right, folks: it’s hump day. Every day. So, what better time than now for a round of quarantine bingo?
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We won’t believe you’re seriously in quarro (as the Aussies are calling it) if you’ve not done at least three of the following, before immediately posting picture evidence to Instagram using the Stay Home sticker.
Tick off six from this list to win a hypothetical banana. Get all nine and we would send you a free loaf tin, except our local supermarket just sold out.
Talking of which, let’s start the game.
Ralwel via Getty Images
1. Baking banana bread.
Not to be that early adopter braggard, but making my own banana bread was the first thing I turned to the night of Boris’s inaugural corona press conference in a vain attempt to regain control over our new normal.
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Now the whole world’s at it, even Gemma Atkinson of Hollyoaks and Strictly fame, who celebrated her debut loaf on Insta stories last night. Don’t judge.
Is Covid-19 sponsored by banana bread? — Angelica Malin (@jellymalin) March 29, 2020
The great thing about this teatime treat is that, yes, it reduces food waste – important now for obvious reasons – but also, you can’t really screw it up. And once you’ve mastered the basics, you can make it fancier – culinary sources tells me Nigella’s recipe (heavy on the rum) is a real goodie.
It does involve a toss-up, though: using up those brown rotters in your fruit bowl, but also your last two eggs – the foodstuff at highest premium now except for pasta. But our (vegan) news editor says you don’t actually need eggs in the mix – simply substitute more banana. I’ll just pop out to get some... oh, hang on.
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2. Doing all the jigsaws.
I don’t know about your work hangouts, but ours are dominated by banana bread recipes and my colleagues panning their webcams over the coffee and/or kitchen table to show off their latest Ravensburger 1000.
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Yes, the humble jigsaw is back, with sales rocketing and supplies already scarce. From cityscapes to seascapes to Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Frozen, it’s the all-ages past-time, only with no real payoff for the hours you spend collecting all those bits of blue sky.
I’m judging people on the number of puzzle pieces their jigsaws have... — Nicola Slawson (@Nicola_Slawson) March 31, 2020
As Ellen Degeneres found out, lose a piece and it’s game over. But at least it uses up this ‘time’ thing we seem to have so much of – and gives you something to piece together when you feel like, sob, you’re falling apart.
3. Working out with Joe. Or Adriene and Benji.
You’re either a A Body Coach household or a 30 Days Of Yoga fanatic. You can’t be both. Them’s the rules. I know which camp I’m in and there’s a dog there.
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4. Turning your spare room / garden / cupboard into a low rent gym.
Gym = fitness matt and one dumbbell. And yes, I’ll be sure to ignore anyone who tags me in Instagram’s #pushupchallenge. I’ve not changed overnight.
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5. Forgetting to brush your teeth till teatime.
We’ve been so busy washing our hands to Happy Birthday or Jolene, we’ve started skipping that other mainstay of personal hygiene: a shiny set of nashers. Hands up (mouths closed) if your teeth are feeling a bit... furry.
Don’t let this one drop, guys – for the sake of your nearest and dearest, as well as your own dental health. Now is not the time for halitosis or toothache.
See also: hair-brushing.
6. Pub quizzing in far too large a conference call.
Found yourself asking friends and family for the Zoom meeting code like it’s a totally normal app we’ve been using forever? How about getting notifications that your most respectable, professional acquaintance is ‘IN THE HOUSE’ – beers, beers, beers – not a minute past 5pm on a weekday?
The centre of this broken social scene is the virtual pub quiz, the only group hangout where the mute button comes into its own – especially during the music round. How else are you going to recognise that intro to The Police?
Word to the wise: download the lolz-heavy Snap Camera add-on with caution or you might end up like me – and this woman – trapped as Mrs Potato Head for the rest of time.
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my boss turned herself into a potato on our Microsoft teams meeting and can’t figure out how to turn the setting off, so she was just stuck like this the entire meeting pic.twitter.com/uHLgJUOsXk — Rach (@PettyClegg) March 30, 2020
7. Drinking alone. On screen.
Totally normal behaviour. Just go easy on the quarantinis.
8. Watching Tiger King.
No, I haven’t binged it all yet. There is such a thing as delayed gratification, even in self-isolation. But did you know that animal trainer Doc Mantle, who stars in Netflix’s new megahit, had a brief brush with pop culture two decades ago alongside none other than Britney Spears? Plus, have you seen the outfits? Now that’s what we call iso inspo.
9. Taking up running.
Pre-quarantine: can’t be bothered to move from the sofa, let alone go outside and run. In quarantine: suddenly you’ve downloaded Couch to 5K (the K standing for keeno) as you become desperate to spend your state-sanctioned exercise hour running round the park. Every. Single. Day.
Cue the regular runners wondering where the hell you all came from.
Why is that a lockdown has suddenly made all of England into runners?! Asking for a very annoyed constant runner xxx — Sophie (@Sophie1Hamilton) March 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--How To Tell If You Have Coronavirus Or If You're Experiencing Anxiety

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We’re navigating unprecedented times. As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, many of us have found ourselves stuck in a cycle of anxiety and fear. Is that tightness in your chest and the shortness of breath just your body reacting to the uncertainty around you, or could you have possibly picked up Covid-19?
Some of the symptoms associated with anxiety and Covid-19 can overlap. Because of that, it can be hard to determine what you’re experiencing in the moment when you’re spiralling. Here’s what you need to know.
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Anxiety Symptoms vs. Covid-19 Symptoms
“There are a few symptoms of Covid-19 that overlap with anxiety symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, loss of appetite and diarrhoea,” according to Kate Denniston, a licensed naturopathic doctor at Los Angeles Integrative Health.
While difficulty breathing is a major known symptom of both anxiety and Covid-19, there are a couple key things that’ll help you differentiate one from the other. In order to understand what you’re dealing with, Denniston suggested taking a few moments to check in with yourself and try to think about what you were focused on before your symptoms began.
“Maybe you’ve been focused on the news, financial stress or worry about finding the supplies you need,” she said. “Do you have a history of anxiety? If so, how does what you’re feeling now compare to anxiety you’ve experienced in your body before?”
If you were able to calm yourself down and find a steady breathing pattern within those few minutes, you may not be dealing with the coronavirus.
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“Shortness of breath associated with the Covid-19 infection is progressive in nature and can become life-threatening over a period of hours to days without medical care,” Sarah Johnson, chief medical officer at Landmark Recovery, said.
sam thomas via Getty Images
Another quick self-check you can do is to try talking, said Anthony Freire, the clinical director and founder of the Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling in New York. Freire, whose doctor believed he contracted the virus and has since recovered, said the most difficult part of dealing with the virus was the respiratory issues.
“They feel the same. Closed throat, can’t get enough air, shallow breathing,” he said. “If you’re experiencing shortness of breath, call someone. If you’re able to speak and they understand you, and you aren’t gasping for air, then it’s most likely anxiety.”
Another way to differentiate between Covid-19 and conditions with similar presentations include the presence of a persistent fever.
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“You might also experience other symptoms that won’t be present during an anxiety attack: a dry cough, aches and pains, tiredness and congestion,” said Ibinye Osibodu-Onyali, a licensed therapist in Murrieta, California.
fizkes via Getty Images
How To Handle Anxiety Surrounding The Coronavirus
First of all, understand that you aren’t alone in this struggle and that feeling anxious right now is completely normal.
“A little bit of anxiety is good because it keeps you alert. It is your body’s way of protecting you from harm,” Osibodu-Onyali said.
It’s that bit of anxiousness that will “trigger you to wash your hands, stay home and just be prepared,” she added.
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“If you had no anxiety whatsoever, you’ll probably stop observing social distancing and put yourself at risk,” Osibodu-Onyali said. “When there is a new situation, it is totally normal to be alert. Anxiety occurs because of all the unknown factors — no known cure, no known timeline about when social distancing will end and no previous experience with a pandemic.”
In order to deal with the anxiety experienced during this time, Osibodu-Onyali offered a few suggestions:
Create a schedule for yourself.
Millions of people have suddenly been thrust into working from home and homeschooling. Don’t just lounge in your pyjamas all day, but have a workable schedule for you and your family.
Turn off the news for a while.
Lots of people have the news on 24/7. All this does is it increases your anxiety. If you spend all day thinking about Covid-19, it gives the false impression that it is the only important thing in the world. Allow yourself to take a break.
Focus on what you can do.
There’s a lot we don’t know right now. But you can control what kind of person you can be during all of this: Someone who follows expert recommendations, brings a smile to others by posting positive messages on social media, reaches out to loved ones and creates structure in your home.
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Coronavirus Preventative Measures Worth Taking
While you’re working to keep the anxiety in check, don’t forget to also stay protected from Covid-19 through necessary health measures.
By now, you probably know the things you should be doing to prevent picking up the virus — like washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, not touching your face with unwashed hands and limiting contact with folks through social distancing — but don’t forget to practice self-care as well.
Try to eat healthy meals, said Linda Anegawa, a physician at PlushCare. You should also aim for at least seven hours of sleep and go for social distancing walks when you can ― especially if the weather is nice. Getting adequate sun exposure, therefore vitamin D, can keep you healthy, Denniston added.
If you are dealing with symptoms associated with Covid-19, call your doctor or make an appointment before heading to the hospital. Monitor your temperature and track any other issues you might be having so you can communicate it to a professional.
However, there are some cases where you should seek help right away, Johnson said.
“Symptoms that signal a medical emergency and need for immediate medical attention include respiratory distress, confusion and mental status changes or high fever,” she said. “Individuals with known health problems ― such as diabetes, immune disorders and heart disease, or those in higher risk age groups ― should consult with medical providers at the first concern for infection.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--8 Genius Alternatives To Online Food Shopping During The Lockdown

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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.
If you’ve tried to log on and do an online shop recently, you’ll have noticed it’s basically impossible to get food delivered to your door from a supermarket.
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With the UK on lockdown, most chains have, quite rightly, prioritised elderly and vulnerable people, as well as NHS workers, for online food deliveries. This means everyone else will struggle to get a slot over the coming weeks, or possibly months.
So how else can you get food into your cupboards? There are plenty of options if you’re willing to shop around.
Option 1: Head to the shops
Okay, so this may not be a genius alternative – but it’s an important one. For those who are able to, the message is clear: head to the supermarkets or local convenience stores if you can. If you live in a house full of people, only one of you should go. Once you get to the shops, you should maintain a two-metre distance from everyone else, including in queues and when browsing the aisles. This has been made easier by supermarkets laying down tape – two metres apart – on the floor, or introducing queueing systems outside the shop. Take a list so you know exactly what you need and can be quickly in and out.
Option 2: Find a farm
One feasible option for many is to find a farm near you, as some are now offering delivery services – this is even possible in big cities. A quick Google search for ‘farm delivery near me’ will show you where your nearest one is. Have a look on their websites to see what they’re offering, or give them a call.
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Products you can typically buy include meat and vegetable boxes, as well as dairy products and eggs. Some offer extras like crisps, biscuits and fruit juice. Bear in mind, this will be more expensive than your Tesco or Asda food shop.
Pixelci via Getty Images
Option 3: Switch to online recipe (or food) boxes
Recipe boxes are a good shout for those who have a bit more money to spend and fancy learning how to cook new dishes during the lockdown. Let’s face it, there’s never been a better time to try something new. Some recipe box options include: Hello Fresh, Mindful Chef and All Plants (100% plant-based meals).
As you can imagine, these delivery services are in high demand, so some state the menu options “aren’t as full as normal”. Check for updates on the websites before ordering.
You can also buy food boxes online – they don’t come as a complete recipe, but will give you some good fridge staples. Get fruit and vegetables boxes from places like The Organic Delivery Company or Greendale Farm Shop. The latter also offers cheese, seafood and meat boxes.
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Option 4: Find a wholesaler that delivers
Some wholesalers are shifting their business models to offer home deliveries too, as their primary customers – catering companies and restaurants – are no longer open. Bidfood is delivering to Battersea (London), Birmingham and Harlow, and is operating a click and collect service in other areas, says The Federation of Wholesale Distributors.
Meanwhile in Scotland, JB Foods is delivering to parts of Glasgow, Falkirk, Galashiels, and Edinburgh. Dunsters Farm wholesalers is operating a ‘call and collect’ and home delivery service across Greater Manchester.
Your best bet is to find a local wholesaler and call them to see if they’ll deliver right now – it’s worth a shot.
Option 5: Look for meat elsewhere
Get your meat options delivered from a local butcher – give yours a call to see if this is something they’re offering, or may offer in future. You could also try Farmison, a UK-wide meat subscription and delivery service, or HG Walter for London-based meat and veg deliveries.
alicjane via Getty Images
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Option 6: Virtually scour the food markets
Some markets are also offering food delivery services. For example, suppliers to New Covent Garden Market in London are delivering fruit and veg bundles across the city. Is there a local food market you’ve visited before? Search on its website or social media accounts to see if this is a service the suppliers are offering.
Option 7: Use your local milkman
Milkmen can deliver more than just milk. Sometimes they offer yoghurts, bread, and eggs, too – but it’s case-by-case so you’ll have to check locally.
Some milk delivery schemes are taking new customers who want a regular drop of milk and dairy products – try Milk and More, Fresh Pastures or search for your local milkman.
Option 8: Speak to local cafés and restaurants
In some cases, local cafés and restaurants are offering food deliveries – either takeaway options where the food is already cooked or recipe bundles so you can make the dishes at home. This will differ between areas so your best bet, again, is checking out the social media accounts and websites of your favourite local haunts to see what they’re up to.
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What are supermarkets doing about the high delivery demand?
We asked major retailers about the status of their online deliveries – find the supermarket you shop at below to see how they responded.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has contacted 270,000 customers which it identified as elderly or vulnerable, and has booked slots for 115,000 of these. As it stands, it’s able to give an additional 8,000 customers a day access to delivery slots over the phone – call 0800 636262.
“We are doing our very best to offer deliveries to everyone who wants one, but it’s important to remember home delivery is a very small part of the grocery market,” a spokesperson told HuffPost UK. If customers are able to go into store to shop, “we hope they will also shop for someone else who lives locally if they can,” they added.
Tesco
Tesco is expanding its home delivery. The store said it’s added more than 200 new vans and hired another 2,500 drivers and 5,000 store pickers to help handle increased demand following lockdown. The store has also introduced a limit of 80 items per online order to squeeze more orders onto each van.
“We ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online,” a spokesperson told HuffPost UK. “The government has asked us to prioritise some of our slots for people they’ve identified as most vulnerable and who don’t have their own support network.”
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Ocado
Demand is 10 times higher than normal at Ocado, says a spokesperson, “and no matter how hard we work, we do not have enough capacity to serve these unprecedented levels of demand.”
The store has temporarily paused its virtual queue to give priority access to a number of customers including vulnerable customers and SmartPass Anytime holders (specific to Ocado). Every 24 hours, a few delivery slots become available for the public, but these will be prioritised for vulnerable people.
Iceland
The store’s online delivery service continues to operate, but slots are in huge demand. “Our teams are working hard to make as many slots as possible available and maintain the current level of service,” says a spokesperson. Like others, the retailer is prioritising vulnerable and elderly customers.
Asda
A spokesperson said: “We’re doing all we can – and would continue to urge customers who are able to visit shops to think of how they can support others in their community and if they can shop for them – allowing us to maximise our online capacity for those who need it most.”
Morrisons
The store has expanded its home delivery with new measures to try and meet demand. This includes launching a range of simple-to-order food parcels and making more delivery slots available to customers through Morrisons.com and the Morrisons Store on Amazon Prime Now. The retailer said it will also be using 100 further stores to pick customers’ shopping over the coming weeks.
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Morrisons also plans to launch a customer call centre for orders to be taken over the phone so that people who don’t shop online can still order food. To meet demand, it’s recruiting around 2,500 pickers and drivers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--Students, Job Prospects Look Difficult, But This Isn't A Judgement On You

Now is a good time to plan for your future, do some research on careers and think about what interests you. Getty Images/iStockphoto
If you are in your final year at school, college or university, you are likely anticipating some big and unexpected challenges when it comes to your future. Locked out of the library and in your house, you are probably still waiting to hear about how you will get the qualifications that you have worked so hard for. But by the time you get to June or July you will be asking, what happens next? Will we still have careers after Covid-19?
No one is going to be able to give you a definite answer about how to plan for your future at the moment. What data we have suggests that young people entering the labour market are going to find it tougher than ever as employers cut back on jobs for school leavers, apprentices and graduates.
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As you face this situation you should remember that it is not a judgement on you. There will still be jobs out there, but if you don’t get one straight away, you won’t be alone! You can’t direct the global economy, but you can work on the things that you have some control over.
Firstly, try to recognise that this will pass and that you should remain positive. Yes, it is likely to impact on your plans. It may mean that it will be more difficult to find the job that you want. But you have some control over your life, and you can make choices about how you respond.
Secondly, seek help. Find a careers adviser through your school, college or university — we are still here offering careers support remotely. Careers professionals can help you to explore your options and find opportunities. Some of you will have serious and immediate concerns about your family, your finances and part-time work that has suddenly disappeared: your school, college and university can help you to deal with these problems as well.
Thirdly, try to consider how you spend your time while you are social distancing or self-isolating. Now is a good time to plan for your future, do some research on careers and think about what interests you.
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But, be careful of too much introspection. Your career is not just about what you do in the future, it is about what you do now. Our careers are how we make our own lives, but they are also how we influence the world around us. So, even though you might be in isolation, try to keep reaching out and participating in the world.
“Be careful of too much introspection. Your career is not just about what you do in the future, it is about what you do now.”
Continue to study. Although it may feel like you have been banished from education, most schools, colleges and universities are doing their best to provide you with an opportunity to learn. You may still have a chance to influence the qualification that you will receive. Do your best to keep studying and let your teachers and lecturers know when you are struggling.
Keep well. It is important to look after your physical and mental wellbeing. Thankfully there has been a lot of helpful information and online tools to support this, such as NHS Every Mind Matters, Mind and Student Minds. One of the most important things is to stay connected to your friends, family and peers. Ask them how they are, what they are doing and how you might support each other.
Do something to help others. During the crisis people will need help. There are several places where you can volunteer, and to help make this difficult time less difficult for others. These include mutual aid groups, the British Red Cross and NHS volunteering.
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You might also spend your time doing something that you enjoy or are good at for the pleasure of others. Start an online support group for your peers, write letters to care homes, share your best bread recipes online — you get the idea!
Reimagine your future. Many of us have found that the crisis has led to reflection about what we want to achieve in our lives. As the nation claps for the frontline NHS staff risking their lives to treat Covid-19 patients, it is only natural to examine your career plans under a new light — even if you didn’t know that you had a career plan before. In times of crisis it can be useful to think about what other rewards you are looking for from work, beyond money or status.
Speak for your generation. The crisis isn’t just going to impact on you, it will also impact everyone else who leaves education this year, and maybe next year as well. Speak up for yourself and those like you. The government needs to hear young people’s voices as it considers how to address Covid-19 and its aftermath.
Another way to look at this might be to consider how you will answer the following interview question: “Tell us about your experience of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020.”
What would you like your answer to be?
Korin Grant is a careers consultant at Loughborough University and co-author of the Graduate Career Handbook. She has more than 15 years’ experience working with students on employability and career development


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--I'm A Landlord Who Waived April's Rent. I'll Do It Until July If I Need To

Getty Images HuffPost UK
As told to HuffPost associate editor Connor Garel
I’m a landlord. It’s not my full-time job, but I own a semi-detached triplex in Toronto’s Little Italy, where I have eight tenants. There’s a single mom with two kids, a couple on the first floor and three other tenants.
I don’t know much about their personal situations. I don’t know their salaries. A few of them might be freelancers. What I do know is that, in an economic crisis like the one brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, tenants are some of the most vulnerable people out of all of us. That’s why I’ve decided to waive rent for April.
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And probably May.
June, too, if it gets that far.
About two weeks ago, when people started getting laid off, I started getting pretty anxious. Social distancing was costing small businesses their income, and those losses threatened to close them altogether. Thousands have lost their paycheque entirely. Some 500,000 Canadians applied for employment insurance just last week, and that figure has since ballooned to an estimated 1 million. I just couldn’t understand how they would pay rent.
“If rent were simply postponed, you’d come out of this thing with between $4,500 and $7,500 in debt.”
So I wrote a blog post, “9 Things Canadian Governments Can Do To Avoid A ‘Social Distancing’ Economic Tragedy.” In it, one of the goals of my proposed solutions was to reduce, or altogether eliminate, people’s rent. Then I asked myself: But what can I do?
As it turned out, this was something, as a landlord, I decided I could afford.
I’m very lucky that the money I make on my rental property is extra income I can get by without.
Altogether, my tenancies produce about three months of profit a year, at about $6,500 a month. That money is better left in my tenants’ hands than in my bank account, right now. So, on March 18, I wrote them and told them I was waiving rent.
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This isn’t something they asked me for, but I know the ones who are freelancers have more uncertain incomes, while the others are a bit more secure. I don’t believe this should be case-by-case situation, in which we ought to have people apply for help, or decide who should or shouldn’t get their rent waived.
B.C. just announced a $500 rental rebate to landlords on behalf of renters to help out. The federal government is planning to send $2,000 each month to Canadians affected by the virus. Directionally, that’s the way to go. Trying to parse who needs it and who doesn’t is just too hard given the urgency — April 1 is coming really fast. This is a situation in which everyone who has profit ought to be figuring out a way to use it to help other people.
And so in my note to them, I didn’t ask and I didn’t care whether they had the money to pay the rent. Instead, I wrote that, if their salary was secure, then they should consider using whatever surplus they have to spend locally and help keep people employed.
Say you’re renting a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto. Your rent is probably somewhere between $1,500 and $2,500. If rent were simply postponed, you’d come out of this thing with between $4,500 and $7,500 in debt.
You owe that money. But where is it going to come from? Who do you know that has three months of rent just sitting around in their bank account? Something like 40 per cent of all people don’t have enough money to deal with a $400 emergency. And that was before this crisis.
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In Denmark, they’ve closed their economy. For the next three months, they’re going to pay 75 per cent of everyone’s income and they’re paying the fixed costs of small businesses that had to shut. It’ll cost them an extraordinary amount of money — 13 per cent of the GDP, which would be something like $300 billion here in Canada — but they’re going to shut the economy down, and they’ll actually have one to come back to.
I keep thinking about that. Sure, it’s a lot of money. But what are we going to come back to if we don’t act? Boarded-up neighbourhoods?
Landlords have a clear responsibility not to kick out their tenants in crisis — not that there’s a realistic way to kick people out. But I would pose a different question: How is it that, in a public health emergency, we’ve allowed this to become a fight between landlords and tenants?
It’s highly unlikely that the cash transfer will be enough to cover everyone’s expenses, especially in Toronto or another urban centre. So I certainly understand why people are banding together over this thing.
I’ve already been in touch with Joe the Dog Walker, the guy who launched a petition asking the government to freeze rent payments. It’s been signed by more than half a million Torontonians, and he said my post was actually the inspiration for his campaign.
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Here’s the thing. This isn’t a situation where there’s a clear good guy and bad guy. It’s a situation of how we, as a society, can figure out how to share this burden equally. If I was a tenant, I’d be pissed. If I was a landlord whose tenant refused to pay, I’d be pissed. Landlords have mortgage payments, too, and the deferrals the banks are offering aren’t as easy to get as tenants seem to think they are. It’s a case-by-case thing.
I’ve heard some good stories about what landlords are doing to help, but I’ve also heard some bad ones. Many are willing only to defer, rather than waive or reduce, rent, and are asking for interest as well. A few reached out to me asking for advice after reading my blog post and tweet thread. What I’ve said is this: many of your tenants have suddenly and unexpectedly lost their entire income. That isn’t your fault, but it’s not theirs either.
They didn’t show up late, or do a bad job. It’s just gone. So if you insist that, despite all that, you should get every last penny of your income, plus interest, do you consider that fair?
“April 1 is going to be terrible. Everyone faces tough choices.”
This is a burden driven by a public health emergency. No one group should suffer most because of it.
What I’m doing isn’t particularly practical. It’s not a real solution. It’s not something every landlord can or should do. Many, a lot of them seniors, rely on rent for their own livelihood. Some landlords have complained that they’ve been asked to reduce rent, when banks aren’t willing to reduce their mortgages. This is completely fair — the banks should be doing much more. But any reduction at all helps, and I’d encourage people to reduce rent as much as they can afford.
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April 1 is going to be terrible. Everyone faces tough choices. I’m assuming no solution will have been found by then. But all levels of government and our major banks then have a few weeks to figure out an answer about rent before May 1.
I know there are some smart people across the government who are working their asses off right now. I know people at the banks are trying to figure this out. It’s a complicated problem. But people aren’t interested in jurisdictional problems, bank shareholders or federal-provincial challenges right now. They just want a solution. And they’re going to expect our leaders to find one.
We’re in a wartime, and in a wartime, you have to do things that aren’t easy.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Canada Personal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--How To Practise Gratitude In These Unsettling Times

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In these strange times, it can often feel like we’ve lost many things that bring us joy. We can’t see friends and family (at least not the ones we don’t live with), many of our outside passions and pastimes are banned in the lockdown, and we’re restricted to when we can leave the house.
So how can we be grateful – and is that even possible right now?
Gratitude is powerful. In fact, in psychological tests, it’s proven more powerful than any other virtue in boosting our health and wellbeing, says Kristján Kristjánsson, a professor of virtue ethics. “No one really knows why,” he says. “Some people think gratitude occupies some sort of a unique place as a ‘parent of all the virtues’.”
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In simple terms, gratitude means searching for good things in our lives – and by doing it we train our brains to automatically notice good things, and be more positive. This is especially helpful for those of us who tend to focus overly on negatives or worst-case scenarios.
wenmei Zhou via Getty Images
It’s an attitude that makes life better for ourselves and for others, Professor Robert Emmons, known as the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, tells me. A professor of psychology at the University of California and founding editor of The Journal of Positive Psychology, Emmons has studied this for years – but even he is struggling at the moment.
“Much of the coping advice I’m seeing right now advises practising gratitude,” says Prof. Emmons. “It’s well-intentioned – but likely too difficult, even impossible, in times of crisis. I myself have been struggling feeling grateful.”
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So how can we practise gratitude when it seems almost impossible?
Gratitude forecasting
Consider, instead, “gratitude forecasting”, says Emmons. “Imagine how grateful you will be when life returns to normal. Consider simple pleasures that you are currently deprived of, and then visualise experiencing those once again.”
This may be gathering with friends, seeing coworkers in person, dining out again, going to the park. “Perhaps these were things you used to take for granted,” he says. “Give thanks now for what you do not yet have but will.”
The ‘three things’
Professor Emmons says you don’t necessarily have to think of a set number of things you’re grateful for, as advice often suggests, but Chloe Brotheridge, an anxiety expert and author of Calmer You, believes this tactic can be helpful for certain personalities.
“Write down three things you’re grateful for each day and be as specific as possible,” she advises. “Or, at the end of the day, make a mental note of three things that went well that day. Another way to do this could be having a discussion over dinner with your family or partner – or friends on Whatsapp – about three things you’re grateful for about each other.”
The art of letters
Professor Kristjánsson says other good examples include writing a gratitude diary, where you note down every night the things you have been grateful for during the day, as above – or, alternatively, pen a gratitude letter. “This is where you express thanks to some perceived benefactor,” he says.
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Think of someone in your life you’re grateful for right now. Why? How do they boost your mood? What specific things have they done to help? Write this all down in a letter to them – and if you’ve got a stamp and can leave your house, pop it in the post box on your next daily walk.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-01--How You Can Help The NHS Without Leaving Your Home

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Thousands of people up and down the country are leaving their homes day in, day out to fight on the frontline of an invisible war.
NHS workers are routinely risking their lives to keep others alive – so it seems only right that we should join in supporting them during their darkest hour.
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Some of these actions are replacing actual support which should be coming from high up – and we mustn’t forget this. However, we’re now at a stage where staff are continuing to face shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), scrubs and other equipment, and something must urgently be done about it.
Donations, whether of physical supplies or money so that doctors can buy more equipment, are much-needed right now. For the UK, as ever, it’s all hands on deck. Here are some ways to help.
1. Stay Home
The best thing the public can do is stay home to help stop the spread of the virus. As one A&E nurse told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I don’t expect people to understand the devastation because they’re not seeing it first hand. We are.
“I just think that we as healthcare workers in the NHS are in a different universe to the public… Please believe me when I say this virus is a silent killer. And it will continue to destroy lives if we don’t all pull together and prevent the spread.”
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Staying home is one of the key ways we can halt the spread of this invisible killer. The good news is that it has had an effect.
During Thursday’s press conference, Boris Johnson confirmed the UK is ‘past the peak’ of Covid-19.
Natasha Hinde NHS support
2. Donate Equipment
NHS workers fear for their lives because of the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to them right now. It’s got to the point where schools, colleges and universities are having to step in and donate science lab goggles and other protective equipment to local hospitals.
To help get PPE and hand sanitiser to NHS staff as quickly as possible, the business secretary Alok Sharma has eased administrative requirements and barriers to imports of these tools. While this is positive news, doctors and nurses treating coronavirus patients are still facing “life-threatening shortages” of protective equipment, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
A crowdfunding campaign to buy urgent PPE, set up by NHS doctors, has reached over £2m in donations, with actor James McAvoy pledging his support by donating £275,000. You can donate here. One of the medics behind the project, Dr Salaj Masand, told the Guardian: “We are overwhelmed and speechless at the trust and faith people have put into us to deliver this.”
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3. Buy A Meal
“At weekends, overnight and evenings there is virtually nothing to eat except a crap vending machine with crisps and chocolate,” writes a UK consultant surgeon. “Seriously!”
This is precisely the reason why a small group of London-based tech workers and entrepreneurs have set up Meals For The NHS. They’re crowdfunding to pay for meals for NHS staff around the clock. The team have surpassed their initial target of £300,000, and now have more than £1m in donations. But are after more support from the public.
On average a meal costs £5 – therefore £500 will feed up to 100 hospital staff. The waiting list is already over 5,000 daily meals to deliver across 27 hospitals, and counting. You can find out more here.
Deliveroo is also enabling customers to buy food which is then driven to local hospitals for NHS staff. The takeaway delivery service aims to deliver 500,000 free meals to the NHS – you can donate anything from £5 to £500 to provide meals for local key workers. (Download the Deliveroo app and click the ‘support the NHS’ box on the homepage.)
4. Sew Scrubs
A&E nurse Ashleigh Linsdell is sharing scrub sewing patterns so members of the public can help to tackle the shortage of scrubs for NHS frontline staff. She set up a Facebook group with an approved scrubs pattern with the aim of producing 100 or more sets of adult nursing scrubs – but has already surpassed that figure.
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Linsdell also set up a fundraising page to raise money for people who want to help sew scrubs but can’t afford the basic materials.
Find out more here and offer your sewing skills to the cause. Each set of scrubs requires: 3.5m of 100% cotton or polycotton in navy or black.
5. Pay For A Therapy Session
‘Duty To Care’ is an initiative providing NHS workers with wellbeing support via free online consultations with CBT therapists, psychotherapists, mindfulness teachers, meditation experts, and nutritionists. It was set up by three professionals who have witnessed firsthand how stressful the current period is for NHS workers – Harriet Hunt, one of the co-founders, is married to an anaesthetist.
Wellbeing experts have offered reduced rates to Duty To Care, however the initiative aims to fund the rest of the cost through donations so NHS workers can access the support for free. You can find out more here.
6. Send A Moment Of Calm
Verdant Alchemy are gifting their bath salts to NHS staff. To nominate someone, simply email hello@verdantalchemy.co.uk with a valid NHS email and they will be sent free Epsom Salt therapeutic bath salts to help them de-stress.
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Peter Dazeley via Getty Images
7. Donate To NHS Charities Together
NHS Charities Together provides a forum for nationwide fundraising and advocacy campaigns for the NHS. At the moment, it’s promoting an urgent appeal for donations on Virgin MoneyGiving. So far, a staggering £83m has been raised of a £100m target.
Funds raised will go towards buying wellbeing packs and gifts for staff and volunteers on wards; and paying travel expenses, parking and accommodation for key workers.
8. Volunteer As A NHS Responder
Incredibly, 750,000 people signed up to become NHS volunteer responders after the health service issued an urgent callout. While recruitment to the scheme has been temporarily paused to process the influx of initial applications, those who have applied are now urged to regularly check their emails as they will receive further details from GoodSAM app so they can start volunteering as soon as possible.
9. Show Appreciation.
On Thursday 26 March, thousands of people up and down the country took to their windows, front doorways and balconies to clap for the nation’s key workers, including the NHS staff fighting on the frontline to keep us all safe.
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Annemarie Plas, a Dutch Londoner, was inspired to set up the event dubbed #ClapForOurCarers after seeing it happen in her home country, the Netherlands. She told HuffPost UK and since then it has become a weekly event.
So, if you feel up to it, we’ll see you at the window at 8pm this Thursday.