channel4uk--2020-04-03--Exams grades in England to be decided by teacher assessment, mocks and coursework

You might think that one of the benefits of the lockdown is that exams had to be cancelled .
But @ @ @ @ @ public exams it ’ s brought heartache .
Many have been left in limbo , @ @ @ @ @ will be graded .
Today the exam regulator in England said GCSE and A-Level grades @ @ @ @ @ mock exam results , teacher assessments and coursework .
Wales will do similar .
In @ @ @ @ @ .
Northern Ireland have yet to publish their plans .

You might think that one of the benefits of the lockdown is that exams had to be cancelled. But for students due to sit public exams it’s brought heartache. Many have been left in limbo, not knowing how their studies will be graded.
Today the exam regulator in England said GCSE and A-Level grades would be awarded based on mock exam results, teacher assessments and coursework. Wales will do similar. In Scotland teachers will estimate grades. Northern Ireland have yet to publish their plans.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--‘All our ICU patients are in their 50s or younger’ – frontline Welsh doctor who recovered from virus

A critical care consultant in the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport is urging the public to keep listening to government @ @ @ @ @ , Dr David Hepburn warned the hospital had run out of space in intensive care @ @ @ @ @ theatres .
This – in an area which has seen the highest levels of confirmed @ @ @ @ @

A critical care consultant in the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport is urging the public to keep listening to government advice.
Earlier this week, Dr David Hepburn warned the hospital had run out of space in intensive care and had moved into operating theatres. This – in an area which has seen the highest levels of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Wales.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--US suffers more coronavirus deaths in one day than any other country

Cases and deaths from Covid-19 are continuing to rise alarmingly in the US , with New York State alone reporting @ @ @ @ @ one day .
Cases and deaths from Covid-19 are continuing to rise alarmingly in the @ @ @ @ @ State alone reporting more than 560 fatalities in one day .
The Centers for Disease @ @ @ @ @ to suggest all Americans wear a mask outside .
Yet healthcare workers are still saying @ @ @ @ @ personal protective equipment .

Cases and deaths from Covid-19 are continuing to rise alarmingly in the US, with New York State alone reporting more than 560 fatalities in one day.
Cases and deaths from Covid-19 are continuing to rise alarmingly in the US, with New York State alone reporting more than 560 fatalities in one day.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to suggest all Americans wear a mask outside. Yet healthcare workers are still saying they do not have enough personal protective equipment.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--‘We do feel frightened for ourselves and our families’ – emergency doctor Emeka Okorocha

Dr Emeka Okorocha , an accident and emergency doctor in east London , spoke about what life is like on @ @ @ @ @ Emeka Okorocha , an accident and emergency doctor in east London , spoke about what @ @ @ @ @ NHS frontline for him and his colleagues .

Dr Emeka Okorocha, an accident and emergency doctor in east London, spoke about what life is like on the NHS frontline.
Dr Emeka Okorocha, an accident and emergency doctor in east London, spoke about what life is like on the NHS frontline for him and his colleagues.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--Family of UK’s youngest coronavirus victim unable to attend his funeral

For the family of the youngest victim , yet more pain as 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab ’ s mother was @ @ @ @ @ his funeral .
Daily updates of the rising number of deaths from Covid-19 are a @ @ @ @ @ to stay at home .
For the family of the youngest victim , yet more @ @ @ @ @ Abdulwahab ’ s mother was forced to stay away from his funeral because two of @ @ @ @ @ signs of having the virus .
And two more nurses die from the virus .

For the family of the youngest victim, yet more pain as 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab’s mother was forced to stay away from his funeral.
Daily updates of the rising number of deaths from Covid-19 are a terrifying reminder of the message to stay at home.
For the family of the youngest victim, yet more pain as 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab’s mother was forced to stay away from his funeral because two of his younger siblings are showing signs of having the virus. And two more nurses die from the virus.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--Debenhams expected to go into administration

Debenhams is expected to become the latest high-profile business casualty of the coronavirus crisis .
Debenhams is expected to become @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus crisis .
The firm , which was already in financial difficulties , @ @ @ @ @ administration next week putting thousands of jobs at risk .
As hundreds of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ , the government has instructed banks to stop offering firms their own loans before allowing @ @ @ @ @ .

Debenhams is expected to become the latest high-profile business casualty of the coronavirus crisis.
Debenhams is expected to become the latest high-profile business casualty of the coronavirus crisis. The firm, which was already in financial difficulties, is likely to go into administration next week putting thousands of jobs at risk.
As hundreds of thousands of businesses face a funding crisis, the government has instructed banks to stop offering firms their own loans before allowing access to the government-backed scheme.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--Government ‘keep throwing up random numbers’ on testing

All our ICU patients are in their 50s or younger ’ – frontline Welsh doctor who recovered from virus

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‘Tourists getting in the way of wildfire recovery on Maui,’ says former state representative


channel4uk--2020-04-03--100,000 a day tests target ‘realistic’ – ‘test czar’ Prof John Newton

Earlier Cathy Newman spoke to the government ’ s newly appointed test czar , Professor John Newton , about whether @ @ @ @ @ target of carrying out 100,000 tests a day was a realistic one .

Earlier Cathy Newman spoke to the government’s newly appointed test czar, Professor John Newton, about whether the government’s stated target of carrying out 100,000 tests a day was a realistic one.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--England’s chief nurse implores people to stay at home, as two nurses die

Built in just nine days , the Nightingale Hospital has 4,000 beds for coronavirus cases .
Prince Charles officially opened @ @ @ @ @ in Scotland .
Such is the scale of the crisis , the Queen will address @ @ @ @ @ And as the number of deaths continued to soar , the government – stung by @ @ @ @ @ – pledged to carry out a 100,000 tests daily in the UK by the end @ @ @ @

Built in just nine days, the Nightingale Hospital has 4,000 beds for coronavirus cases.
Prince Charles officially opened it remotely from his home in Scotland. Such is the scale of the crisis, the Queen will address the nation this weekend.
And as the number of deaths continued to soar, the government – stung by criticism over its testing regime – pledged to carry out a 100,000 tests daily in the UK by the end of this month.


channel4uk--2020-04-03--FactCheck: How long can the coronavirus survive on surfaces and in the air?

One of the most common questions people ask FactCheck is how long the coronavirus can survive on surfaces and in the air while it is still infectious .
A widely published story last week quoted a US government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) publication which said that parts of SARS-CoV-2 , the virus which causes the disease COVID-19 , were found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship after 17 days : “ SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before disinfection procedures had been conducted… ” This caused some anxiety on social media , as people believed the virus could last anywhere for more than two weeks .
But the next sentence of the publication is also important : “ Although these data can not be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces , further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted.
” This means that more research is needed to determine whether what they found 17 days later can actually result in infection .
Experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centre pointed out that it was genetic material called RNA which was detected , as opposed to the whole functional virus , which we know can definitely infect people .
There is currently no evidence to suggest these types of genetic traces can cause infection .
Rather than looking at how long traces of the virus can survive , a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 17 March looked at how long the functional , infectious virus can persist in five conditions – in aerosols ( most similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stainless steel , copper , and cardboard .
This study found that the virus did not survive in any condition tested for longer than three days .
On certain surfaces , such as copper , the virus survived for hours rather than days .
No functional virus was found on cardboard after 24 hours .
The virus survived the longest – up to three days – on plastic and stainless steel .
In aerosol form – tiny particles floating in the air – the virus survived for three hours .
But experts commenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are limits to what this tells us : the experiment was carried out using a nebuliser to produce the aerosol , whereas typical human coughs produce large droplets which would fall to a surface more quickly than nebuliser aerosol .
More research with COVID-19 patients is needed to find the extent to which small particles are produced by coughing .
Lastly , the study found that the infectivity of the virus samples decreased on surfaces over time – so even if a virus is present on a surface after three days , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surface was after one hour .
The findings mirrored those found about the behaviour of other coronaviruses such as SARS , and didn ’ t change the assumptions about COVID-19 that had been made before the publication .
Experts interpreting the findings suggested that leaving surfaces for four days would be maximally cautious for anyone worried .
The UK government recommends washing surfaces with disinfectants as they can kill the virus within minutes – and to wash hands regularly .

One of the most common questions people ask FactCheck is how long the coronavirus can survive on surfaces and in the air while it is still infectious.
A widely published story last week quoted a US government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publication which said that parts of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the disease COVID-19, were found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship after 17 days:
“SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted…”
This caused some anxiety on social media, as people believed the virus could last anywhere for more than two weeks. But the next sentence of the publication is also important:
“Although these data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces, further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted.”
This means that more research is needed to determine whether what they found 17 days later can actually result in infection.
Experts commenting on this to the Science Media Centre pointed out that it was genetic material called RNA which was detected, as opposed to the whole functional virus, which we know can definitely infect people. There is currently no evidence to suggest these types of genetic traces can cause infection.
Rather than looking at how long traces of the virus can survive, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 17 March looked at how long the functional, infectious virus can persist in five conditions – in aerosols (most similar to air), and on plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard.
This study found that the virus did not survive in any condition tested for longer than three days.
On certain surfaces, such as copper, the virus survived for hours rather than days. No functional virus was found on cardboard after 24 hours.
The virus survived the longest – up to three days – on plastic and stainless steel.
In aerosol form – tiny particles floating in the air – the virus survived for three hours. But experts commenting on the study pointed out that there are limits to what this tells us: the experiment was carried out using a nebuliser to produce the aerosol, whereas typical human coughs produce large droplets which would fall to a surface more quickly than nebuliser aerosol.
More research with COVID-19 patients is needed to find the extent to which small particles are produced by coughing.
Lastly, the study found that the infectivity of the virus samples decreased on surfaces over time – so even if a virus is present on a surface after three days, it is less likely to give infection than the surface was after one hour.
The findings mirrored those found about the behaviour of other coronaviruses such as SARS, and didn’t change the assumptions about COVID-19 that had been made before the publication.
Experts interpreting the findings suggested that leaving surfaces for four days would be maximally cautious for anyone worried.
The UK government recommends washing surfaces with disinfectants as they can kill the virus within minutes – and to wash hands regularly.


FactCheck Q&A: the new coronavirus “blood tests”

The Health Secretary , Matt Hancock , says he wants to see 100,000 coronavirus tests per day by the end of this month .
New blood tests will form part of the testing drive .
But these tests have already created confusion and controversy , with government officials at loggerheads with journalists over the science .
Here ’ s what we know and what we don ’ t know .
What are the different kinds of test ?
The tests being used on many hospital patients and some NHS workers now are called polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – genetic material from the virus – which should tell us if someone is infected now .
But swabs must be taken from the patient ’ s nose or throat and sent away to labs for testing , which takes time .
And independent experts have told FactCheck that as many as 30 per cent of results could be false negatives , so many patients have to be tested more than once to get an accurate result .
The new test Mr Hancock wants to roll out alongside the swab test is done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it as “ the blood test ” but it is more commonly known as an antibody or serologic test .
This antibody test does not detect the presence of the coronavirus itself .
It shows whether the immune system has created antibodies to fight it .
The government has previously said it has ordered millions of kits .
They should be available for use soon but are apparently still being assessed by officials .
Why do we need a new kind of test ?
The antibody test tells us whether someone has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past .
Amongst other things , this means that key workers who have been infected coronavirus – perhaps without experiencing symptoms – may be able to return to work without fear of catching it again .
In theory , if someone has the antibodies to fight a virus , they should be immune to it in the future – at least for a while – though scientists have yet to prove if and how this might work in the case of coronavirus .
Does the blood test show if you have coronavirus now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week when the Professor Jonathan Van-Tam , the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England , appeared on ITV ’ s Peston show .
In a video clip which quickly went viral , Professor Jonathan Van-Tam told Robert Peston he had got the science wrong , saying : “ The blood tests test whether you have had it .
They can not ascertain whether you have it at the moment.
” The journalist had said : “ The point about these tests is they don ’ t just tell you whether you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you immunity , but in theory they will also be able to speed up the testing very considerably of people who have actually got the virus.
” He went further in a blog on the Spectator website , writing that antibody tests “ can be used to identify whether someone who has symptoms actually has the virus ” .
“ They would therefore be a cheap , efficient alternative to the laboratory tests that the government is struggling to scale up… ” Scientists and manufacturers contacted by FactCheck were clear that antibody tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the viral tests we are using now – they can only complement them .
This is because the body only produces antibodies several days after you catch the virus .
If you are given an antibody test in the first few days , the result might be negative even if you have the illness .
FactCheck spoke to Biopanda Reagents , a Belfast-based manufacturer and supplier of Covid-19 antibody testing kits .
The company has produced a graphic that shows how the testing process works .
The first antibody , called IgM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detectable after several days of infection : The immune system produces another antibody later ( IgG – the red line ) and this provides long-term immunity .
We can see from the graph that there is an initial period lasting several days when you might have the coronavirus , and may have already developed symptoms – this is the blue line – but you would not test positive for the IgM antibody .
Han Yan from Biopanda told us : “ I have to stress that the timescale is presented only to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the humoral immune response , as every person ’ s immune response differs .
“ As you can see , there is a window period where a person can be infected , and even show symptoms , but during which the antibody test will not come back positive .
However , during this time , a PCR test should detect the presence of the virus .
“ With all this in mind , we would never recommend our antibody test as a way of replacing RT-PCR for early-mid stage diagnosis of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So if the antibody test is being used to diagnose current infection , it must be used with RT-PCR , and with other clinical information such as scans of the lungs .
It is best used to provide evidence of historic infection .
“ If you want rapid diagnosis of current infection , you ultimately have to look for evidence of the virus itself , and not the body ’ s immune response.
” Why use both ?
While antibody or “ serologic ” tests may not be the best choice for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from China suggests combining them with PCR testing can dramatically improve the chance of an accurate result .
A study of blood samples from 173 patients in Shenzhen found that an antibody test started to give more accurate results than a PCR test after the first five and half days of illness .
Combining the blood test with the PCR test enabled doctors to detect 98.6 per cent of coronavirus cases compared to 51.9 per cent with a single PCR test , according to a review in the New England Journal of Medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests can improve early diagnosis of Covid-19 .
Because of the high false-negative rates with PCR , serologic tests will be a useful supplement to RNA detection.
” So some scientists think it ’ s too simplistic to say that antibody tests can not show current coronavirus infection .
Dr James Gill , a locum GP and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Warwick Medical School , told FactCheck : “ The best test for an early infection is combining the antibody test AND the PCR swab taken from the patient .
”

The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, says he wants to see 100,000 coronavirus tests per day by the end of this month.
New blood tests will form part of the testing drive. But these tests have already created confusion and controversy, with government officials at loggerheads with journalists over the science.
Here’s what we know and what we don’t know.
What are the different kinds of test?
The tests being used on many hospital patients and some NHS workers now are called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
They detect the presence of RNA – genetic material from the virus – which should tell us if someone is infected now.
But swabs must be taken from the patient’s nose or throat and sent away to labs for testing, which takes time.
And independent experts have told FactCheck that as many as 30 per cent of results could be false negatives, so many patients have to be tested more than once to get an accurate result.
The new test Mr Hancock wants to roll out alongside the swab test is done on samples of blood. He referred to it as “the blood test” but it is more commonly known as an antibody or serologic test.
This antibody test does not detect the presence of the coronavirus itself. It shows whether the immune system has created antibodies to fight it.
The government has previously said it has ordered millions of kits. They should be available for use soon but are apparently still being assessed by officials.
Why do we need a new kind of test?
The antibody test tells us whether someone has had coronavirus at some point in the past.
Amongst other things, this means that key workers who have been infected coronavirus – perhaps without experiencing symptoms – may be able to return to work without fear of catching it again.
In theory, if someone has the antibodies to fight a virus, they should be immune to it in the future – at least for a while – though scientists have yet to prove if and how this might work in the case of coronavirus.
Does the blood test show if you have coronavirus now?
This point proved hugely controversial this week when the Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, appeared on ITV’s Peston show.
In a video clip which quickly went viral, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam told Robert Peston he had got the science wrong, saying: “The blood tests test whether you have had it. They cannot ascertain whether you have it at the moment.”
The journalist had said: “The point about these tests is they don’t just tell you whether you’ve got the kind of antibodies which give you immunity, but in theory they will also be able to speed up the testing very considerably of people who have actually got the virus.”
He went further in a blog on the Spectator website, writing that antibody tests “can be used to identify whether someone who has symptoms actually has the virus”.
“They would therefore be a cheap, efficient alternative to the laboratory tests that the government is struggling to scale up…”
Scientists and manufacturers contacted by FactCheck were clear that antibody tests alone cannot provide a complete alternative to the viral tests we are using now – they can only complement them.
This is because the body only produces antibodies several days after you catch the virus.
If you are given an antibody test in the first few days, the result might be negative even if you have the illness.
FactCheck spoke to Biopanda Reagents, a Belfast-based manufacturer and supplier of Covid-19 antibody testing kits.
The company has produced a graphic that shows how the testing process works. The first antibody, called IgM (the green line) is only detectable after several days of infection:
The immune system produces another antibody later (IgG – the red line) and this provides long-term immunity.
We can see from the graph that there is an initial period lasting several days when you might have the coronavirus, and may have already developed symptoms – this is the blue line – but you would not test positive for the IgM antibody.
Han Yan from Biopanda told us: “I have to stress that the timescale is presented only to give a very general idea of the dynamics of the humoral immune response, as every person’s immune response differs.
“As you can see, there is a window period where a person can be infected, and even show symptoms, but during which the antibody test will not come back positive. However, during this time, a PCR test should detect the presence of the virus.
“With all this in mind, we would never recommend our antibody test as a way of replacing RT-PCR for early-mid stage diagnosis of COVID-19 because of the risk of false negatives…
“So if the antibody test is being used to diagnose current infection, it must be used with RT-PCR, and with other clinical information such as scans of the lungs. It is best used to provide evidence of historic infection.
“If you want rapid diagnosis of current infection, you ultimately have to look for evidence of the virus itself, and not the body’s immune response.”
Why use both?
While antibody or “serologic” tests may not be the best choice for early diagnosis on their own, evidence from China suggests combining them with PCR testing can dramatically improve the chance of an accurate result.
A study of blood samples from 173 patients in Shenzhen found that an antibody test started to give more accurate results than a PCR test after the first five and half days of illness.
Combining the blood test with the PCR test enabled doctors to detect 98.6 per cent of coronavirus cases compared to 51.9 per cent with a single PCR test, according to a review in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The authors concluded: “Serologic tests can improve early diagnosis of Covid-19. Because of the high false-negative rates with PCR, serologic tests will be a useful supplement to RNA detection.”
So some scientists think it’s too simplistic to say that antibody tests cannot show current coronavirus infection.
Dr James Gill, a locum GP and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Warwick Medical School, told FactCheck: “The best test for an early infection is combining the antibody test AND the PCR swab taken from the patient.”