buzzfeed--2020-04-17--The Heath Secretary Has Said Official Statistics Don't Show The True Number Of People Who've Died In

The Heath Secretary Has Said Official Statistics Don't Show The True Number Of People Who've Died In The UK's Care Homes

The health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that the number of deaths from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , in care homes is likely to be higher than those reported by the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) .
At a virtual meeting of Parliament 's health and social care committee on Friday , committee chair Jeremy Hunt said the ONS statistics show there have been 217 care home deaths to date .
`` Scotland thinks it 's a quarter of all its COVID deaths are in care homes , '' he said , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's about half of their COVID deaths are in care homes .
Does it really seem likely to you that less than 2 % of our COVID deaths are in care homes ? ''
In response , Hancock said the ONS figures were a couple of weeks behind , but added : `` I 'm absolutely sure that both the number and the proportion , I can say with a high degree of confidence that the number and the proportion are higher than what you say . ''
He then faced criticism from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveal care home deaths along with hospital statistics on a daily basis .
Hancock said the government was working to improve reporting on deaths in residential care .
“ I have asked the CQC to make sure we record the deaths of those who are residents of care homes , '' he said .
`` They started to collect that data yesterday and it will start to be published shortly.
” Hancock also defended the government 's record on testing after it emerged only 18,000 tests were carried out yesterday , well short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for the end of April .
Hancock described drive-through testing centres as a “ big policy success , ” but MPs grilled him on his failure to improve on numbers with just two weeks for the government to meet its pledge of 100,000 tests a day .
Hancock said around 18,000 tests had been carried out yesterday , with the majority in NHS laboratories , and said testing capacity was now at around 30,000 .
He insisted the government was still on course to hit its target of 100,000 tests per day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means it will have to more than double testing capacity in less than a fortnight .
The health secretary also announced that testing would be rolled out to other public service workers , including firefighters , police , the judiciary and prison officers , and critical local authority and Department for Work and Pensions staff from today .
In response , Conservative backbencher Laura Trott asked : `` We have capacity for 30,000 tests , and we 're carrying out 18,000 .
I know my local CCG has said they 've got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than are actually being carried out .
`` I know from today , from the expansion , which is very welcome , to local government , firefighters , etc , that will take up some of that excess capacity , but what is being done centrally to make sure we 're using resources where they 're needed ? ''
Hancock said using the capacity was a `` real challenge '' , and suggested that one reason the government was falling behind was a lack of uptake from health workers , adding that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers of people coming forward .
`` Within the NHS , the number of staff coming forward for testing is lower than was anticipated , '' he said .
`` You ’ ll understand why we had a priority order for the use of the test where it was patients first , then NHS staff .
Frankly , the number of NHS staff coming forward wasn ’ t as high as expected and therefore we extended it very quickly both to residents and staff in social care . ''
Hancock added that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure that supply and demand were adequately matched at centres around the country .
Labour MP Rosie Cooper told the health secretary that NHS staff were struggling to access the drive-through testing centres that the government had set up .
`` The testing centres that have been set up in out-of-town areas , '' she said , `` it could only have come from the centre — somebody who 's got no idea locally how people are supposed to travel miles and miles and miles to get tested — they might as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In response , Hancock said : `` We 've now got 22 , we 're going to have 50 right across the country , that 's precisely to get the testing capabilities out into the community , and then once we 've got those established , we 're going to have mobile units , and then when the technology is good enough we will have home testing kits as well . ''
The health secretary also admitted that he did not know how many NHS workers had contracted the virus so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimate of the proportion who are off work because they either have suspected COVID-19 or a household member does , which is a little over 8 % .
And obviously with the expansion of testing , we hope to be able to get that figure down . ''
Hancock told MPs that there were still ongoing problems with PPE supply .
`` We are tight on gowns , '' he said .
`` That is the pressure point at the moment .
We have another 55,000 gowns arriving today and we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gowns , but it is a challenge .
`` And this follows changing the guidance 10 days ago which increased the advice on the use of gowns but also said that they should be used for sessional use rather than for individual patient use .
And it is a big challenge delivering against that new guidance and we ’ re doing everything we possibly can . ''

The health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that the number of deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in care homes is likely to be higher than those reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
At a virtual meeting of Parliament's health and social care committee on Friday, committee chair Jeremy Hunt said the ONS statistics show there have been 217 care home deaths to date.
"Scotland thinks it's a quarter of all its COVID deaths are in care homes," he said, "France, Italy, Spain think it's about half of their COVID deaths are in care homes. Does it really seem likely to you that less than 2% of our COVID deaths are in care homes?"
In response, Hancock said the ONS figures were a couple of weeks behind, but added: "I'm absolutely sure that both the number and the proportion, I can say with a high degree of confidence that the number and the proportion are higher than what you say."
He then faced criticism from Hunt for the government's failure to reveal care home deaths along with hospital statistics on a daily basis.
Hancock said the government was working to improve reporting on deaths in residential care.
“I have asked the CQC to make sure we record the deaths of those who are residents of care homes," he said. "They started to collect that data yesterday and it will start to be published shortly.”
Hancock also defended the government's record on testing after it emerged only 18,000 tests were carried out yesterday, well short of the 100,000 tests-a-day target he has set for the end of April.
Hancock described drive-through testing centres as a “big policy success,” but MPs grilled him on his failure to improve on numbers with just two weeks for the government to meet its pledge of 100,000 tests a day.
Hancock said around 18,000 tests had been carried out yesterday, with the majority in NHS laboratories, and said testing capacity was now at around 30,000. He insisted the government was still on course to hit its target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month — which means it will have to more than double testing capacity in less than a fortnight.
The health secretary also announced that testing would be rolled out to other public service workers, including firefighters, police, the judiciary and prison officers, and critical local authority and Department for Work and Pensions staff from today.
In response, Conservative backbencher Laura Trott asked: "We have capacity for 30,000 tests, and we're carrying out 18,000. I know my local CCG has said they've got capacity for huge amounts of more tests than are actually being carried out.
"I know from today, from the expansion, which is very welcome, to local government, firefighters, etc, that will take up some of that excess capacity, but what is being done centrally to make sure we're using resources where they're needed?"
Hancock said using the capacity was a "real challenge", and suggested that one reason the government was falling behind was a lack of uptake from health workers, adding that the Easter bank holiday could have limited the numbers of people coming forward.
"Within the NHS, the number of staff coming forward for testing is lower than was anticipated," he said.
"You’ll understand why we had a priority order for the use of the test where it was patients first, then NHS staff. Frankly, the number of NHS staff coming forward wasn’t as high as expected and therefore we extended it very quickly both to residents and staff in social care."
Hancock added that the Department of Health staff were also working to ensure that supply and demand were adequately matched at centres around the country.
Labour MP Rosie Cooper told the health secretary that NHS staff were struggling to access the drive-through testing centres that the government had set up.
"The testing centres that have been set up in out-of-town areas," she said, "it could only have come from the centre — somebody who's got no idea locally how people are supposed to travel miles and miles and miles to get tested — they might as well be on the moon frankly."
In response, Hancock said: "We've now got 22, we're going to have 50 right across the country, that's precisely to get the testing capabilities out into the community, and then once we've got those established, we're going to have mobile units, and then when the technology is good enough we will have home testing kits as well."
The health secretary also admitted that he did not know how many NHS workers had contracted the virus so far.
"What I have is an estimate of the proportion who are off work because they either have suspected COVID-19 or a household member does, which is a little over 8%. And obviously with the expansion of testing, we hope to be able to get that figure down."
Hancock told MPs that there were still ongoing problems with PPE supply. "We are tight on gowns," he said. "That is the pressure point at the moment. We have another 55,000 gowns arriving today and we’re working on the acquisition internationally of more gowns, but it is a challenge.
"And this follows changing the guidance 10 days ago which increased the advice on the use of gowns but also said that they should be used for sessional use rather than for individual patient use. And it is a big challenge delivering against that new guidance and we’re doing everything we possibly can."


buzzfeed--2020-04-17--This Man Died A Week After Being Discharged From Hospital To His Care Home. His Family Later Found O

This Man Died A Week After Being Discharged From Hospital To His Care Home. His Family Later Found Out He Had The Coronavirus.

Arthur Whitby — a great-grandfather and former print worker who devoted his life to helping others — was 98 when @ @ @ @ @ home earlier this month .
Almost a week earlier , he had been taken to @ @ @ @ @ being admitted .
So it was a shock to his family when they received the @ @ @ @ @ after he died : The primary cause of death was COVID-19 .
The family had @ @ @ @ @ disease .
Neither , they said , did the care home .
Whitby is likely @ @ @ @ @ many elderly and vulnerable people who have returned to care homes from hospital without being @ @ @ @ @ despite medics suspecting they have it .
This week , the UK government changed the @ @ @ @ @ that all residents returning to care homes from hospital will get a test .
But @ @ @ @ @ little too late , as the virus has long been sweeping through care homes with @ @ @ @ @ staff .

Arthur Whitby — a great-grandfather and former print worker who devoted his life to helping others — was 98 when he died at his care home earlier this month. Almost a week earlier, he had been taken to hospital but was discharged without being admitted.
So it was a shock to his family when they received the death certificate a few days after he died: The primary cause of death was COVID-19. The family had no idea he had the disease. Neither, they said, did the care home.
Whitby is likely to be just one of many elderly and vulnerable people who have returned to care homes from hospital without being tested for the coronavirus, despite medics suspecting they have it.
This week, the UK government changed the rules on testing — saying that all residents returning to care homes from hospital will get a test. But many fear this is too little too late, as the virus has long been sweeping through care homes with grave consequences for residents and staff.


buzzfeed--2020-04-16--How The UK's Black And Asian Communities Are Being Hit Hard By The Coronavirus

Mohammad Rakib 's aunt Nazma Abidin recently died from COVID-19 .
“ My aunt 's immediate family , her children , and grandchildren were not permitted to see her and she died , alone in a hospital bed , just four days after testing positive , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
Rakib , who is of Bangladeshi heritage , lives in Tower Hamlets , in east London , where he has seen firsthand the devastating impact of the coronavirus on his community .
As well as the death of his aunt , he has witnessed friends , relatives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day continue to die from the virus .
“ My best friend lost her uncle and grandmother just 24 hours apart , ” he said .
“ A neighbour shared a message asking for prayers for his friend who lost his mother and older sister in the space of a week .
I now have another aunt in hospital and she too has tested positive for COVID-19.
” In minority communities such as Rakib ’ s across the UK , the impact of coronavirus is being felt disproportionately .
While everyone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the pandemic ’ s spread , in these communities the toll is even higher .
A report out last week from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre ( ICNARC ) suggested that ethnic minority groups are already being impacted more by the virus .
It found that 35 % of intensive care patients were from minority ethnic backgrounds — despite the fact that they make up just 14 % of the general population .
The research , taking data from around 2,000 seriously ill patients , found that 14 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black .
The research provides the first real quantitative data on the impact the virus is having on minority populations in the UK .
The government has now launched a formal review into why people from BAME backgrounds are being disproportionately affected .
“ That ’ s something that we ’ re looking at very carefully to try to understand , ” the government ’ s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told ITV News on Monday , adding that the impact was “ particularly noticeable among some of the healthcare practitioners that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of this ” .

Mohammad Rakib's aunt Nazma Abidin recently died from COVID-19. “My aunt's immediate family, her children, and grandchildren were not permitted to see her and she died, alone in a hospital bed, just four days after testing positive,” he told BuzzFeed News.
Rakib, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, lives in Tower Hamlets, in east London, where he has seen firsthand the devastating impact of the coronavirus on his community. As well as the death of his aunt, he has witnessed friends, relatives and neighbours suffer losses as hundreds of people per day continue to die from the virus.
“My best friend lost her uncle and grandmother just 24 hours apart,” he said. “A neighbour shared a message asking for prayers for his friend who lost his mother and older sister in the space of a week. I now have another aunt in hospital and she too has tested positive for COVID-19.”
In minority communities such as Rakib’s across the UK, the impact of coronavirus is being felt disproportionately. While everyone in the country is dealing with the fear over the pandemic’s spread, in these communities the toll is even higher.
A report out last week from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) suggested that ethnic minority groups are already being impacted more by the virus. It found that 35% of intensive care patients were from minority ethnic backgrounds — despite the fact that they make up just 14% of the general population.
The research, taking data from around 2,000 seriously ill patients, found that 14% were Asian and the same proportion were black. The research provides the first real quantitative data on the impact the virus is having on minority populations in the UK.
The government has now launched a formal review into why people from BAME backgrounds are being disproportionately affected.
“That’s something that we’re looking at very carefully to try to understand,” the government’s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told ITV News on Monday, adding that the impact was “particularly noticeable among some of the healthcare practitioners that we’ve seen who have unfortunately succumbed as a result of this”.


buzzfeed--2020-05-13--LGBTQ People Have Become The New Scapegoats For The Coronavirus

All of the above — scapegoating , opportunistic discrimination , and violence — has deep historical roots for a community long blamed for disasters .
Most recently , today ’ s outings and vigilanteism invoke the wave of violence against gay men in Russia in 2014 in which mobs used hookup apps to lure victims to private houses and beat them .
And in particular the decision in 2010 by Uganda ’ s Rolling Stone newspaper to publish the names and photographs of gay men , which many believe triggered the murder of David Kato , the most prominent activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the principal weapon used by governments against LGBTQ people for the last century at least .
The mechanism is always the same : wrap this minority in the most flammable , incendiary issue of the day and ignite it : from crop failure , famine , earthquakes , and HIV to the EU , communism , the breakdown of the family or democracy itself .
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ’ s administration in the 1930s declared the apparent femininity of homosexuality a threat to the machismo of fascism , and used it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men who were then taken to the island of San Domino off the Adriatic coast , and in a nod to today ’ s crisis , quarantined .
Or as one police chief said , in order to stop “ the spreading of degeneration ” that is “ disastrous to public health ” .
As McCarthyism raged in the US in the 1950s to oust apparent communists from public life , a tandem witch hunt , justified by the apparent `` security threat '' posed by sexual minorities , was deployed to oust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ Lavender scare ” .
At the height of the AIDS epidemic , Margaret Thatcher 's UK government weaponised the fear of sex , of the sexualisation of children and of the end of the nuclear family , to gag teachers from mentioning homosexuality in her notorious Section 28 legislation .
And in the last decade , Vladimir Putin was accused of staging phoney rallies in Ukraine where actors were draped in both rainbow flags and EU flags to align LGBTQ people with the threat of the West — and stoke antipathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident from the 1980s that resonates , above all , reflecting back onto today ’ s scapegoating to reveal how easily the wrong people can be blamed for a pandemic .
It comes from another grim chapter in the history of AIDS .
For decades , the finger of blame for the US epidemic was pointed at Canadian flight attendant Gaetan Dugas , referred to as “ patient zero ” .
Many condemned him for being the promiscuous node that sparked all the early cases ; particularly after Randy Shilts , the esteemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a seminal 1987 book about the emergence of AIDS — depicted Dugas as wantonly infecting thousands of men as he slept around , to hell with the consequences .
That was until the truth surfaced long after his death in 1984 .
The original report from the CDC that apparently had cited him as “ patient zero ” in fact had listed him as “ patient O ” — the letter — an abbreviation of “ out ” , as in outside the area ; in his case , “ Out-of-California ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him being the first person with HIV , or for being responsible for its rapid transmission .
The mistake was repeated so often as to go unnoticed and unchallenged .
It led to the more widespread use of the phrase “ patient zero ” that persists today — despite it never meaning anything of the kind .
But it is not the only stigmatising language repurposed from AIDS fresh for the coronavirus pandemic : newspaper headlines have screamed “ superspreaders ” for months over pictures of people out enjoying the sunshine ; photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those pictured really sat .
Social media has fuelled this too .
A picture of groups sitting in London Fields , a central London park , went viral last weekend long enough to ensure the park was trending on Twitter , and long before it was revealed to be two years old .
As fear and anger grows , with fingers wagging at the “ COVIDIOTS ” , social media platforms too slow to stop fake pictures or hate speech , and newspapers happy to name and shame LGBTQ people , even without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machinery of mob violence is there — waiting.●

All of the above — scapegoating, opportunistic discrimination, and violence — has deep historical roots for a community long blamed for disasters.
Most recently, today’s outings and vigilanteism invoke the wave of violence against gay men in Russia in 2014 in which mobs used hookup apps to lure victims to private houses and beat them. And in particular the decision in 2010 by Uganda’s Rolling Stone newspaper to publish the names and photographs of gay men, which many believe triggered the murder of David Kato, the most prominent activist in the country.
But scapegoating has been the principal weapon used by governments against LGBTQ people for the last century at least. The mechanism is always the same: wrap this minority in the most flammable, incendiary issue of the day and ignite it: from crop failure, famine, earthquakes, and HIV to the EU, communism, the breakdown of the family or democracy itself.
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s administration in the 1930s declared the apparent femininity of homosexuality a threat to the machismo of fascism, and used it to justify rounding up dozens of gay men who were then taken to the island of San Domino off the Adriatic coast, and in a nod to today’s crisis, quarantined. Or as one police chief said, in order to stop “the spreading of degeneration” that is “disastrous to public health”.
As McCarthyism raged in the US in the 1950s to oust apparent communists from public life, a tandem witch hunt, justified by the apparent "security threat" posed by sexual minorities, was deployed to oust gay people from government jobs: the so-called “Lavender scare”. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Margaret Thatcher's UK government weaponised the fear of sex, of the sexualisation of children and of the end of the nuclear family, to gag teachers from mentioning homosexuality in her notorious Section 28 legislation. And in the last decade, Vladimir Putin was accused of staging phoney rallies in Ukraine where actors were draped in both rainbow flags and EU flags to align LGBTQ people with the threat of the West — and stoke antipathy towards both.
But there is one incident from the 1980s that resonates, above all, reflecting back onto today’s scapegoating to reveal how easily the wrong people can be blamed for a pandemic. It comes from another grim chapter in the history of AIDS.
For decades, the finger of blame for the US epidemic was pointed at Canadian flight attendant Gaetan Dugas, referred to as “patient zero”. Many condemned him for being the promiscuous node that sparked all the early cases; particularly after Randy Shilts, the esteemed author of And the Band Played On — a seminal 1987 book about the emergence of AIDS — depicted Dugas as wantonly infecting thousands of men as he slept around, to hell with the consequences.
That was until the truth surfaced long after his death in 1984. The original report from the CDC that apparently had cited him as “patient zero” in fact had listed him as “patient O” — the letter — an abbreviation of “out”, as in outside the area; in his case, “Out-of-California”. It had nothing to do with him being the first person with HIV, or for being responsible for its rapid transmission.
The mistake was repeated so often as to go unnoticed and unchallenged. It led to the more widespread use of the phrase “patient zero” that persists today — despite it never meaning anything of the kind.
But it is not the only stigmatising language repurposed from AIDS fresh for the coronavirus pandemic: newspaper headlines have screamed “superspreaders” for months over pictures of people out enjoying the sunshine; photos often later found to distort how closely those pictured really sat. Social media has fuelled this too. A picture of groups sitting in London Fields, a central London park, went viral last weekend long enough to ensure the park was trending on Twitter, and long before it was revealed to be two years old.
As fear and anger grows, with fingers wagging at the “COVIDIOTS”, social media platforms too slow to stop fake pictures or hate speech, and newspapers happy to name and shame LGBTQ people, even without governments seizing the opportunity, all the machinery of mob violence is there — waiting.●


buzzfeed--2020-04-30--The Inside Story Of The UK's “Surreal” Race To Carry Out 100,000 Coronavirus Tests A Day

Countdown clocks have had mixed results in British politics recently .
The one at Conservative HQ ticking down to Brexit day last year embarrassingly ticked back up again when Boris Johnson missed his Oct. 31 deadline .
That didn ’ t deter Matt Hancock ’ s team at the Department of Health from installing their own clock counting down to today , April 30 : the date the health secretary boldly promised at the start of the month that the UK would carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests in a single day .
As the hours and minutes dropped down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race against time told BuzzFeed News that Hancock could still pull it off , but cautioned that it is possible he may miss his target by a few days .
They insisted the government was approaching capacity for 100,000 tests per day and would come close to conducting that number of tests on Thursday .
The health secretary will announce whether or not he has succeeded at a press conference on Friday , after the numbers are counted .
In the last internal meeting before target day , Hancock told his team that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had still put the UK in a strong position on testing : `` Whatever happens tomorrow , we 've done what we needed to do — we 've ramped up our testing capacity more than anyone believed we could , and given the UK the testing capacity it needs to beat this virus . ''
But others are more sceptical .
On Tuesday , only 52,000 tests were carried out in Britain , leaving a monumental uphill battle in the last 48 hours .
NHS Providers — the association for NHS trusts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday for a “ lack of clarity on the testing regime ” .
They accused ministers of making “ a series of frequent tactical announcements ” to expand testing criteria , and claimed the 100,000 target was a “ red herring ” .
“ A vast amount still remains to be done to reach a testing regime that can be described as fit for purpose , ” their report warned .
Hancock believes , even if he does miss that number by a few days , that his 100,000 target has accelerated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease some lockdown measures , by putting in place South Korean–style test and trace capabilities that will be central to the UK ’ s exit strategy .
The logic is simple : If the number of new COVID-19 cases per day falls below the government ’ s capacity to test new sufferers and those they ’ ve been in contact with , then theoretically those with the disease can be isolated , the outbreak can be brought under control , and some lockdown measures can start to be lifted .
The monthlong mad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was described by those working on it as at times “ like a French farce ” , at others “ surreal ” as a former senior military commander and executives from Amazon tried to solve logistical nightmares via Zoom , and like a game of “ whack-a-mole ” as new problem after problem cropped up .
Hancock and his team have privately compared April 30 to polling day , with a massive “ Get Out the Vote ” –style operation taking place to encourage people to leave their homes to get tested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are counted , compared by insiders to waiting for an exit poll to drop .
In a frenzied final drive to get people to testing sites or have kits sent to their homes , eligibility for testing was expanded massively to symptomatic over-65s and key workers .
Tory MPs and ministers were ordered to tweet out links to the testing application page , Conservative HQ sent out a mailshot to its members urging them to get tested , as Hancock , testing minister James Bethell , and their team anxiously studied the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
“ We are handing out tests to everyone and their mum to try and get demand up , ” one Conservative said .
There has been a “ massive ramp-up ” in the final hours , Whitehall sources claimed .
But NHS Providers have warned that this rapid expansion of testing eligibility in an attempt to hit the target meant there was no clear sense of who was getting tested , and whether NHS and care workers were being prioritised .
Hancock ’ s aides are also worried about the effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hitting the target .
Just as a rainy forecast raises fears of lower turnout on election day , Department of Health officials became concerned that the poor weather this week would suppress the number of people willing to leave their homes for the regional test centres .
The health secretary has staked his political reputation on meeting the target , having to bat away questions over whether he would resign if he comes up short , and clashing with the prime minister ’ s aides behind the scenes and in the newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Countdown clocks have had mixed results in British politics recently. The one at Conservative HQ ticking down to Brexit day last year embarrassingly ticked back up again when Boris Johnson missed his Oct. 31 deadline.
That didn’t deter Matt Hancock’s team at the Department of Health from installing their own clock counting down to today, April 30: the date the health secretary boldly promised at the start of the month that the UK would carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests in a single day.
As the hours and minutes dropped down to zero, those involved in the unlikely race against time told BuzzFeed News that Hancock could still pull it off, but cautioned that it is possible he may miss his target by a few days. They insisted the government was approaching capacity for 100,000 tests per day and would come close to conducting that number of tests on Thursday. The health secretary will announce whether or not he has succeeded at a press conference on Friday, after the numbers are counted.
In the last internal meeting before target day, Hancock told his team that even if they missed their target, they had still put the UK in a strong position on testing: "Whatever happens tomorrow, we've done what we needed to do — we've ramped up our testing capacity more than anyone believed we could, and given the UK the testing capacity it needs to beat this virus."
But others are more sceptical. On Tuesday, only 52,000 tests were carried out in Britain, leaving a monumental uphill battle in the last 48 hours. NHS Providers — the association for NHS trusts in England — criticised the government on Wednesday for a “lack of clarity on the testing regime”. They accused ministers of making “a series of frequent tactical announcements” to expand testing criteria, and claimed the 100,000 target was a “red herring”.
“A vast amount still remains to be done to reach a testing regime that can be described as fit for purpose,” their report warned.
Hancock believes, even if he does miss that number by a few days, that his 100,000 target has accelerated the ability of Britain to be able to ease some lockdown measures, by putting in place South Korean–style test and trace capabilities that will be central to the UK’s exit strategy.
The logic is simple: If the number of new COVID-19 cases per day falls below the government’s capacity to test new sufferers and those they’ve been in contact with, then theoretically those with the disease can be isolated, the outbreak can be brought under control, and some lockdown measures can start to be lifted.
The monthlong mad dash to “ramp up” testing was described by those working on it as at times “like a French farce”, at others “surreal” as a former senior military commander and executives from Amazon tried to solve logistical nightmares via Zoom, and like a game of “whack-a-mole” as new problem after problem cropped up.
Hancock and his team have privately compared April 30 to polling day, with a massive “Get Out the Vote”–style operation taking place to encourage people to leave their homes to get tested, and a time lag as the numbers are counted, compared by insiders to waiting for an exit poll to drop.
In a frenzied final drive to get people to testing sites or have kits sent to their homes, eligibility for testing was expanded massively to symptomatic over-65s and key workers. Tory MPs and ministers were ordered to tweet out links to the testing application page, Conservative HQ sent out a mailshot to its members urging them to get tested, as Hancock, testing minister James Bethell, and their team anxiously studied the data coming in to track demand across the country.
“We are handing out tests to everyone and their mum to try and get demand up,” one Conservative said. There has been a “massive ramp-up” in the final hours, Whitehall sources claimed.
But NHS Providers have warned that this rapid expansion of testing eligibility in an attempt to hit the target meant there was no clear sense of who was getting tested, and whether NHS and care workers were being prioritised.
Hancock’s aides are also worried about the effect the weather might have on their hopes of hitting the target. Just as a rainy forecast raises fears of lower turnout on election day, Department of Health officials became concerned that the poor weather this week would suppress the number of people willing to leave their homes for the regional test centres.
The health secretary has staked his political reputation on meeting the target, having to bat away questions over whether he would resign if he comes up short, and clashing with the prime minister’s aides behind the scenes and in the newspapers over his apparent “grandstanding”.


buzzfeed--2020-04-30--Face Coverings And Drug Treatments Will Help The UK Manage Coronavirus Until A Vaccine Is Found

Face coverings and drug treatments will be part of the UK 's long-term plan to manage the coronavirus before a vaccine is found , the government said on Thursday , as Boris Johnson promised to outline a `` comprehensive plan '' for easing lockdown restrictions next week .
Speaking at his first press conference since he was hospitalised with the virus , the prime minister said that the UK was `` past the peak '' of the outbreak and `` on the downward slope '' .
The first stage of Britain 's exit strategy from its current lockdown measures will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Johnson said , with a focus on reopening sections of the economy , letting more children go back to school , and making it easier for people to safely travel to work .
The key test for being able to relax some restrictions was being able to ensure that the average number of people infected by any one person with the virus — known as the reproduction rate or R number — remained below one , preventing an exponential second wave , Johnson said .
The prime minister signalled that face coverings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next months , despite government 's scientists previously advising that the evidence in favour of the public wearing masks was weak .
`` As part of coming out of the lockdown , I do think that face coverings will be useful both for epidemiological reasons , but also for giving people confidence that they can go back to work , '' Johnson said .
Drug treatments will play an important role in the UK 's ability to manage COVID-19 cases before a vaccine is found , the government 's scientific experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News .
A trial of the antiviral drug Remdesivir in the US has shown a benefit in terms of the time of recovery for patients .
`` This is a really promising first step , '' said chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance .
`` It 's definitely not a magic bullet to cure this , but it does show that drugs are going to be possible to have an effect on this virus and therefore there will be more that come along , and ultimately it may need to be a combination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this really effective . ''
The US study was `` very encouraging '' , chief medical officer Chris Whitty said , but he cautioned that more peer-reviewed research on the drug 's efficacy with coronavirus patients was needed .
`` I am very confident that if you look back at this disease from one or two years out , we will have significantly better treatments in the future than we have today . ''
Drugs trials in the UK are `` recruiting at an extraordinary rate '' , Whitty said .

Face coverings and drug treatments will be part of the UK's long-term plan to manage the coronavirus before a vaccine is found, the government said on Thursday, as Boris Johnson promised to outline a "comprehensive plan" for easing lockdown restrictions next week.
Speaking at his first press conference since he was hospitalised with the virus, the prime minister said that the UK was "past the peak" of the outbreak and "on the downward slope".
The first stage of Britain's exit strategy from its current lockdown measures will be shared with the public next week, Johnson said, with a focus on reopening sections of the economy, letting more children go back to school, and making it easier for people to safely travel to work.
The key test for being able to relax some restrictions was being able to ensure that the average number of people infected by any one person with the virus — known as the reproduction rate or R number — remained below one, preventing an exponential second wave, Johnson said.
The prime minister signalled that face coverings will become a key part of life over the next months, despite government's scientists previously advising that the evidence in favour of the public wearing masks was weak.
"As part of coming out of the lockdown, I do think that face coverings will be useful both for epidemiological reasons, but also for giving people confidence that they can go back to work," Johnson said.
Drug treatments will play an important role in the UK's ability to manage COVID-19 cases before a vaccine is found, the government's scientific experts said in response to a question from BuzzFeed News.
A trial of the antiviral drug Remdesivir in the US has shown a benefit in terms of the time of recovery for patients.
"This is a really promising first step," said chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance.
"It's definitely not a magic bullet to cure this, but it does show that drugs are going to be possible to have an effect on this virus and therefore there will be more that come along, and ultimately it may need to be a combination of drugs that comes together to make this really effective."
The US study was "very encouraging", chief medical officer Chris Whitty said, but he cautioned that more peer-reviewed research on the drug's efficacy with coronavirus patients was needed.
"I am very confident that if you look back at this disease from one or two years out, we will have significantly better treatments in the future than we have today."
Drugs trials in the UK are "recruiting at an extraordinary rate", Whitty said.


buzzfeed--2020-03-06--The UK Government Has Admitted There Are Supply Problems With The Pneumonia Vaccine

Britain is suffering a nationwide shortage of one of the two main vaccines — PPV23 — that helps prevent pneumonia , BuzzFeed News can reveal .
Some GP surgeries , which provide the pneumococcal jab , have run out completely and have not been informed when suppliers will replenish their stock , prompting patients to attempt to buy it from pharmacies .
But pharmacists at multiple branches of Boots told BuzzFeed News that they too have been out of stock for months , and had no idea when supplies will return .
One pharmacist at a central London branch said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November and have had to cancel appointments booked by members of the public at risk of pneumonia .
A pharmacist at another branch said the problem was “ everywhere ” .
The PPV23 vaccine — which protects against the 23 most common strains of pneumococcal bacterium — is recommended for everyone over the age of 65 , as well as people who live with a range of chronic conditions .
For the elderly without health problems , a single dose can be given , but all patients with long-term conditions may need the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is between 50 % and 70 % effective in preventing pneumonia , and therefore would help ensure patients in high-risk groups — such as people with HIV who are not virally suppressed — are not made more vulnerable to other infections , such as coronavirus .
Pneumonia has so far been found to affect 10 % to 15 % of patients hospitalised with coronavirus , although neither of the two vaccines available could have prevented these patients developing the life-threatening inflammation of the lung .
Dr Michael Brady , medical director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest HIV charity , explained : “ It ’ s slightly separate but interlinked — not having the pneumococcus vaccine doesn ’ t make you at any greater risk of getting coronavirus .
It ’ s more about accessing any vaccination you can to reduce your risk of getting another chest condition , which if you got it , might make things worse for coronavirus .
`` Everyone who ’ s got HIV who ’ s at risk of any chest infection should be able to access vaccinations that can protect them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ available.
” Those most at risk of dying from coronavirus are the elderly and those with underlying health conditions .

Britain is suffering a nationwide shortage of one of the two main vaccines — PPV23 — that helps prevent pneumonia, BuzzFeed News can reveal.
Some GP surgeries, which provide the pneumococcal jab, have run out completely and have not been informed when suppliers will replenish their stock, prompting patients to attempt to buy it from pharmacies.
But pharmacists at multiple branches of Boots told BuzzFeed News that they too have been out of stock for months, and had no idea when supplies will return.
One pharmacist at a central London branch said they hadn’t had PPV23 since November and have had to cancel appointments booked by members of the public at risk of pneumonia. A pharmacist at another branch said the problem was “everywhere”.
The PPV23 vaccine — which protects against the 23 most common strains of pneumococcal bacterium — is recommended for everyone over the age of 65, as well as people who live with a range of chronic conditions. For the elderly without health problems, a single dose can be given, but all patients with long-term conditions may need the jab every five years.
The vaccine is between 50% and 70% effective in preventing pneumonia, and therefore would help ensure patients in high-risk groups — such as people with HIV who are not virally suppressed — are not made more vulnerable to other infections, such as coronavirus.
Pneumonia has so far been found to affect 10% to 15% of patients hospitalised with coronavirus, although neither of the two vaccines available could have prevented these patients developing the life-threatening inflammation of the lung.
Dr Michael Brady, medical director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, Britain’s largest HIV charity, explained: “It’s slightly separate but interlinked — not having the pneumococcus vaccine doesn’t make you at any greater risk of getting coronavirus. It’s more about accessing any vaccination you can to reduce your risk of getting another chest condition, which if you got it, might make things worse for coronavirus.
"Everyone who’s got HIV who’s at risk of any chest infection should be able to access vaccinations that can protect them. It's bad that it's not available.”
Those most at risk of dying from coronavirus are the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--The US, Struggling Under The Pressure Of The Coronavirus, Is Still Taking Refugees From Australia

Three refugees flew from immigration detention in Australia to start new lives in the United States this week , despite the coronavirus pandemic placing a chokehold on international resettlement .
The men , two from Sudan and one from Pakistan , jetted together from Melbourne through Qatar to the US , where they parted ways before reaching their final destinations of Tennessee , Maryland and Pennsylvania .
The US took them under the refugee swap deal between the two countries .
The flights went ahead despite a global pause on refugee resettlements announced by the United Nations High Commission on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended its refugee program because of the coronavirus on March 19 , with the exception of emergency cases .
The ongoing operation of the resettlement program in the US leaves refugees in Australia and its offshore detention camps who have been accepted under the program with an invidious choice : to stay in detention , where many have been for the past seven years , or start a new life in the US as it is ravaged by a deadly pandemic .
For Sali , a Sudanese refugee who landed in Maryland on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 hours , the choice was easy .
“ Of course there is the coronavirus , but what can I do ?
If you die inside , is that better ?
It ’ s better to die outside .
You ’ re free , ” he told BuzzFeed News by telephone from the house where he will be in quarantine alone for the next fortnight .
Having explained that his family did not know his situation , and that he could not be fully identified in a news story , Sali was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He initially offered a code : Q1K 022 .
That is his “ boat ID ” — the number Australia assigned to asylum-seekers who sought safety on its shores in 2013 and 2014 , and who were sent to detention camps in Papua New Guinea and on Nauru .
Sali had been called by his boat ID since October 2013 , one of the many ways he said the Australian government treated him like an animal .
After initially insisting he be called by his Boat ID in this article , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Sudanese refugee , 30 , spent six years in brutal conditions on Papua New Guinea ’ s Manus Island before being transferred to an Australian detention centre for medical treatment .
For the last eight months , he said , he could not sleep at night and stayed in his room all day to avoid the ever-present guards .
He says he did not get proper medical treatment in Australia , even for the chest pains he has experienced for the last three years .
The only thing that gave him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was finally notified that he would fly out , four days before his journey , he felt happy .
“ I have been in jail for seven years and I was tired of that situation , ” he said .
In Maryland , Sali plans to continue his studies in electrical engineering , find a job , get married , have a family and eventually explore the US .
He used to play soccer as a striker back in Sudan .
He doesn ’ t know if he is still any good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his new country .
The coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout make those plans more complicated .
New arrivals receive support from casework organisations , including assistance with rent , health insurance , and finding work and health insurance , when they first land .
But the level of support varies depending on the state and the organisation .
Volunteer group Ads-Up , run and staffed by Australian expats in the US , works to contact new arrivals under the Australia-US deal and support them with advice , social contact and fundraisers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Winsor , told BuzzFeed News over 100 refugees already in the US had contacted them about the coronavirus , many because they had lost their jobs .
The group is running GoFundMe fundraisers for those families in the most critical need .
“ To say that feelings are mixed would be an understatement , ” Winsor said of the fact that resettlements are still going ahead .
“ On the one hand , people who ’ ve been indefinitely detained for upwards of seven years are finally getting a chance at freedom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s response [ to the coronavirus ] has been such a clusterfuck , and they ’ re dropping vulnerable refugees right in the middle of it with barely more than the clothes on their back.
” Australia ’ s neighbour New Zealand — which , like Australia , has successfully flattened the coronavirus curve — has a longstanding offer to take 150 people from the offshore population each year .
Australia has never accepted the offer , citing the ease with which people can travel between the two countries , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade to start up once more .
“ The dichotomy of either going to the epicentre of the coronavirus in the world with no support , and being indefinitely detained on the other hand , is a choice that the Australian government has forced on these people , ” Winsor said .
S , a refugee who spent six years on Manus Island and is now detained in Brisbane , is conflicted about his flight to the US later this month .
He was brought to Australia for treatment for numerous medical issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet seen a specialist .
He is worried about the number of coronavirus cases in America , and does not know if he will be able to receive the treatment he needs there .
He is thinking about asking to postpone his flight , but does not know when he would be able to go next .
“ I ’ m confused , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
“ I don ’ t know what I ’ ll do.
” Hundreds more refugees in Australia ’ s care could be confronted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many have been approved for resettlement and are waiting for flights .
Others have not yet heard back about their applications .
Others still had flights booked that were cancelled last-minute as the coronavirus crisis sharpened in February and March .
( Sali was originally due to fly on March 23 , but his flight was cancelled . )

Three refugees flew from immigration detention in Australia to start new lives in the United States this week, despite the coronavirus pandemic placing a chokehold on international resettlement.
The men, two from Sudan and one from Pakistan, jetted together from Melbourne through Qatar to the US, where they parted ways before reaching their final destinations of Tennessee, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The US took them under the refugee swap deal between the two countries.
The flights went ahead despite a global pause on refugee resettlements announced by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees in mid-March. The US also suspended its refugee program because of the coronavirus on March 19, with the exception of emergency cases.
The ongoing operation of the resettlement program in the US leaves refugees in Australia and its offshore detention camps who have been accepted under the program with an invidious choice: to stay in detention, where many have been for the past seven years, or start a new life in the US as it is ravaged by a deadly pandemic.
For Sali, a Sudanese refugee who landed in Maryland on Wednesday after a journey lasting more than 24 hours, the choice was easy.
“Of course there is the coronavirus, but what can I do? If you die inside, is that better? It’s better to die outside. You’re free,” he told BuzzFeed News by telephone from the house where he will be in quarantine alone for the next fortnight.
Having explained that his family did not know his situation, and that he could not be fully identified in a news story, Sali was asked what pseudonym he would prefer to use. He initially offered a code: Q1K 022. That is his “boat ID” — the number Australia assigned to asylum-seekers who sought safety on its shores in 2013 and 2014, and who were sent to detention camps in Papua New Guinea and on Nauru.
Sali had been called by his boat ID since October 2013, one of the many ways he said the Australian government treated him like an animal. After initially insisting he be called by his Boat ID in this article, he agreed to use his nickname, Sali.
The Sudanese refugee, 30, spent six years in brutal conditions on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island before being transferred to an Australian detention centre for medical treatment.
For the last eight months, he said, he could not sleep at night and stayed in his room all day to avoid the ever-present guards. He says he did not get proper medical treatment in Australia, even for the chest pains he has experienced for the last three years. The only thing that gave him hope was the US.
So when he was finally notified that he would fly out, four days before his journey, he felt happy.
“I have been in jail for seven years and I was tired of that situation,” he said.
In Maryland, Sali plans to continue his studies in electrical engineering, find a job, get married, have a family and eventually explore the US. He used to play soccer as a striker back in Sudan. He doesn’t know if he is still any good but hopes to join a team in his new country.
The coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout make those plans more complicated. New arrivals receive support from casework organisations, including assistance with rent, health insurance, and finding work and health insurance, when they first land. But the level of support varies depending on the state and the organisation.
Volunteer group Ads-Up, run and staffed by Australian expats in the US, works to contact new arrivals under the Australia-US deal and support them with advice, social contact and fundraisers. The group’s founder, Ben Winsor, told BuzzFeed News over 100 refugees already in the US had contacted them about the coronavirus, many because they had lost their jobs. The group is running GoFundMe fundraisers for those families in the most critical need.
“To say that feelings are mixed would be an understatement,” Winsor said of the fact that resettlements are still going ahead.
“On the one hand, people who’ve been indefinitely detained for upwards of seven years are finally getting a chance at freedom. On the other hand, the Trump administration’s response [to the coronavirus] has been such a clusterfuck, and they’re dropping vulnerable refugees right in the middle of it with barely more than the clothes on their back.”
Australia’s neighbour New Zealand — which, like Australia, has successfully flattened the coronavirus curve — has a longstanding offer to take 150 people from the offshore population each year. Australia has never accepted the offer, citing the ease with which people can travel between the two countries, and the fear it would cause the people-smuggling trade to start up once more.
“The dichotomy of either going to the epicentre of the coronavirus in the world with no support, and being indefinitely detained on the other hand, is a choice that the Australian government has forced on these people,” Winsor said.
S, a refugee who spent six years on Manus Island and is now detained in Brisbane, is conflicted about his flight to the US later this month. He was brought to Australia for treatment for numerous medical issues more than six months ago but has not yet seen a specialist. He is worried about the number of coronavirus cases in America, and does not know if he will be able to receive the treatment he needs there. He is thinking about asking to postpone his flight, but does not know when he would be able to go next. “I’m confused,” he told BuzzFeed News. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Hundreds more refugees in Australia’s care could be confronted by this choice in coming months. Many have been approved for resettlement and are waiting for flights. Others have not yet heard back about their applications. Others still had flights booked that were cancelled last-minute as the coronavirus crisis sharpened in February and March. (Sali was originally due to fly on March 23, but his flight was cancelled.)


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--Australia Will Reopen Pools, Small Cafes, Pubs, Cinemas And Interstate Travel By July

Pubs , pools , small cafes and restaurants , cinemas and interstate travel will be reopened by July in a three-step plan to ease coronavirus lockdowns announced by Australia 's prime minister on Friday .
Australia has recorded less than 7,000 COVID-19 cases to date .
Around 722,000 people have been tested and there are fewer than 900 active cases .
There have been 97 deaths , about half in New South Wales .
Morrison predicted the first stage of relaxing social distancing restrictions would boost the nation 's economy by more than $ 3 billion per month and restore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing local travel , permitting five visitors at once to a home and 10 to businesses and public places , and the reopening of cafes , restaurants and retail shops .
The second stage will allow gatherings of 20 in homes , businesses and public places , as well as the reopening of gyms , beauty parlours , cinemas , galleries and some interstate travel .
The third stage will eventually involve gatherings of up to 300 people , a return to workplaces and the consideration of all interstate travel , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline for implementation rests with state and territory governments , and will likely not be consistent across the country .
`` We know we need to be careful to preserve our gains , if we wish to reclaim the ground we lost , we can not be too timid , '' prime minister Scott Morrison said on Friday .
`` There will be risks .
There will be challenges .
There will be outbreaks , there will be more cases , there will be setbacks . ''
Morrison said the government had `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` put protections in place '' by increasing intensive care unit ( ICU ) beds and ventilators as well as providing more personal protective equipment ( PPE ) to medical professionals .
The chief medical officer Brendan Murphy stressed that Australians still needed to practice physical distancing and maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene .
`` No matter how mild your cold or your cough , stay home when you 're unwell , and please get a COVID test , '' Murphy said .
`` No more heroics of coming to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sore throat . ''

Pubs, pools, small cafes and restaurants, cinemas and interstate travel will be reopened by July in a three-step plan to ease coronavirus lockdowns announced by Australia's prime minister on Friday.
Australia has recorded less than 7,000 COVID-19 cases to date. Around 722,000 people have been tested and there are fewer than 900 active cases. There have been 97 deaths, about half in New South Wales.
Morrison predicted the first stage of relaxing social distancing restrictions would boost the nation's economy by more than $3 billion per month and restore 250,000 jobs. The first stage involves allowing local travel, permitting five visitors at once to a home and 10 to businesses and public places, and the reopening of cafes, restaurants and retail shops.
The second stage will allow gatherings of 20 in homes, businesses and public places, as well as the reopening of gyms, beauty parlours, cinemas, galleries and some interstate travel.
The third stage will eventually involve gatherings of up to 300 people, a return to workplaces and the consideration of all interstate travel, as well as travel to New Zealand.
The timeline for implementation rests with state and territory governments, and will likely not be consistent across the country.
"We know we need to be careful to preserve our gains, if we wish to reclaim the ground we lost, we cannot be too timid," prime minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.
"There will be risks. There will be challenges. There will be outbreaks, there will be more cases, there will be setbacks."
Morrison said the government had "strengthened" Australia's health system and "put protections in place" by increasing intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators as well as providing more personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical professionals.
The chief medical officer Brendan Murphy stressed that Australians still needed to practice physical distancing and maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene.
"No matter how mild your cold or your cough, stay home when you're unwell, and please get a COVID test," Murphy said. "No more heroics of coming to work with a cough and a cold and a sore throat."
More to come.


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--Here's What The UK Government Was Told By Scientists, Said In Public, And Did On The Big Coronavirus

Here's What The UK Government Was Told By Scientists, Said In Public, And Did On The Big Coronavirus Issues

4 Feb : The modelling group says it is “ unclear whether outbreaks can be contained by isolation and contract tracing .
If a high proportion of asymptomatic cases are infectious , then containment is unlikely via these policies.
” 17 Feb : A non-peer-reviewed paper later published on the Sage website describes “ contact tracing as “ a central public health response to infectious disease outbreaks , especially in the early stages of an outbreak when specific treatments are limited ” .
26 Feb : Matt Hancock tells MPs the government is testing a “ very large number ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries with coronavirus .
3 March : The government 's coronavirus action plan is launched .
We are now in the `` contain '' phase : `` detect early cases , follow up close contacts , and prevent the disease taking hold in this country for as long as is reasonably possible '' .
5 March : Jenny Harries tells the health select committee : “ we have a test that Public Health England developed very early on in the outbreak for symptomatic individuals at that time ... we can do 2,000 tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 13 March , it is going to be up to 3,200 with new labs coming on board ” .
9 March : Public Health England says the NHS will be brought in to ease the strain on its laboratories by helping to test samples from those displaying symptoms , doubling the number of tests that can be carried out each day from 2,000 to 4,000 .
11 March : Hancock is pressed by MPs about the testing regime .
An SNP MP asks “ for quicker and wider testing so that milder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread reduced ” .
He says “ We are absolutely ramping up the testing capabilities.
” 12 March : The UK moves from the “ contain ” to the “ delay ” phase of its coronavirus plan .
Health workers will no longer test people in their homes , but will continue to test people already in hospitals .
16 March : Whitty says the government is scaling up testing .
The UK has carried out about 44,000 tests , South Korea has tested more than 248,647 .
17 March : Vallance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea ’ s testing and tracing strategy .
“ I think that would have been an absolutely brilliant thing to have had in January , ” he says .
“ At the beginning , that sort of approach makes total sense.
” He says : “ Public Health England has a capacity of about 4,000 or so [ tests ] per day .
That is clearly not going to be enough going forward . ''
He adds the priorities are “ are patients in hospital in intensive care units ; those with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular ; isolated cluster outbreaks , to make sure that we can understand what is happening there ; and GP surveillance systems to try to get a handle on what is going on in the community ” .
Asked about the decision to stop community testing , he says “ that is what we had to do with the capacity we have .
We need to use the testing in the right place at the moment .
We simply do not have mass testing available for the population now ” .
18 March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry out 25,000 tests a day .
The next day he says daily testing will go “ from 5,000 a day , to 10,000 to 25,000 and then up at 250,000 ” .
24 March : The government announces it has bought 3.5 million antibody tests .
25 March : Professor Sharon Peacock , the director of the national infection service at Public Health England , tells MPs on the science and technology committee that mass testing in the UK will be possible “ within days ” .
Her prediction is dampened by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours later .
“ If they are incredibly accurate , we will work out the quickest way to release them .
If they are not accurate , we will not release any of them.
” Whitty adds that the delay in testing is due to a shortage of chemicals .
26 March : Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries rejects World Health advice to “ test , test , test ” , She says contact tracing and testing is still going on in “ high-risk ” establishments such as prisons and care homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is aimed at less economically advanced countries , it is “ not an appropriate mechanism as we go forward ” .
Yvonne Doyle , director of health protection for Public Health England , tells the health select committee the “ ship had sailed ” on contact tracing by mid-March : “ it became clear to us that there were what I call dead ends of contacts where you had a case , you tried to find the contact , and it just was not possible , because that gave us the indication that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She says the situation was different in South Korea — there were “ clusters of cases where the initial transmission was well understood , because they were in particular communities and actually it was quite regional “ .
“ They were using people ’ s personal details , including their bank accounts , and people were willing to convey that information in order to contact trace .
It was quite personal information .
We have looked at that , and SAGE looked at it and felt that it was not appropriate here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan “ for 1 million tests , which people can do themselves ... they will be able to take a blood test , send it back in the post and get it analysed .
That is an antibody test that tells you whether you have had the condition .
”

4 Feb: The modelling group says it is “unclear whether outbreaks can be contained by isolation and contract tracing. If a high proportion of asymptomatic cases are infectious, then containment is unlikely via these policies.”
17 Feb: A non-peer-reviewed paper later published on the Sage website describes “contact tracing as “a central public health response to infectious disease outbreaks, especially in the early stages of an outbreak when specific treatments are limited”.
26 Feb: Matt Hancock tells MPs the government is testing a “very large number” of people who have travelled back from countries with coronavirus.
3 March: The government's coronavirus action plan is launched. We are now in the "contain" phase: "detect early cases, follow up close contacts, and prevent the disease taking hold in this country for as long as is reasonably possible".
5 March: Jenny Harries tells the health select committee: “we have a test that Public Health England developed very early on in the outbreak for symptomatic individuals at that time...we can do 2,000 tests a day, and I think that by 13 March, it is going to be up to 3,200 with new labs coming on board”.
9 March: Public Health England says the NHS will be brought in to ease the strain on its laboratories by helping to test samples from those displaying symptoms, doubling the number of tests that can be carried out each day from 2,000 to 4,000.
11 March: Hancock is pressed by MPs about the testing regime. An SNP MP asks “for quicker and wider testing so that milder cases are diagnosed quickly, isolated and the spread reduced”. He says “We are absolutely ramping up the testing capabilities.”
12 March: The UK moves from the “contain” to the “delay” phase of its coronavirus plan. Health workers will no longer test people in their homes, but will continue to test people already in hospitals.
16 March: Whitty says the government is scaling up testing. The UK has carried out about 44,000 tests, South Korea has tested more than 248,647.
17 March: Vallance is asked by a select committee about South Korea’s testing and tracing strategy. “I think that would have been an absolutely brilliant thing to have had in January,” he says. “At the beginning, that sort of approach makes total sense.”
He says: “Public Health England has a capacity of about 4,000 or so [tests] per day. That is clearly not going to be enough going forward."
He adds the priorities are “are patients in hospital in intensive care units; those with respiratory illnesses in hospital, pneumonias in particular; isolated cluster outbreaks, to make sure that we can understand what is happening there; and GP surveillance systems to try to get a handle on what is going on in the community”.
Asked about the decision to stop community testing, he says “that is what we had to do with the capacity we have. We need to use the testing in the right place at the moment. We simply do not have mass testing available for the population now”.
18 March: Boris Johnson announces a plan to carry out 25,000 tests a day. The next day he says daily testing will go “from 5,000 a day, to 10,000 to 25,000 and then up at 250,000”.
24 March: The government announces it has bought 3.5 million antibody tests.
25 March: Professor Sharon Peacock, the director of the national infection service at Public Health England, tells MPs on the science and technology committee that mass testing in the UK will be possible “within days”.
Her prediction is dampened by Chris Whitty at the government press conference hours later. “If they are incredibly accurate, we will work out the quickest way to release them. If they are not accurate, we will not release any of them.” Whitty adds that the delay in testing is due to a shortage of chemicals.
26 March: Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries rejects World Health advice to “test, test, test”, She says contact tracing and testing is still going on in “high-risk” establishments such as prisons and care homes, but, suggesting the WHO advice is aimed at less economically advanced countries, it is “not an appropriate mechanism as we go forward”.
Yvonne Doyle, director of health protection for Public Health England, tells the health select committee the “ship had sailed” on contact tracing by mid-March: “it became clear to us that there were what I call dead ends of contacts where you had a case, you tried to find the contact, and it just was not possible, because that gave us the indication that there was sustained community transmission”.
She says the situation was different in South Korea — there were “clusters of cases where the initial transmission was well understood, because they were in particular communities and actually it was quite regional“.
“They were using people’s personal details, including their bank accounts, and people were willing to convey that information in order to contact trace. It was quite personal information. We have looked at that, and SAGE looked at it and felt that it was not appropriate here," she says.
She describes a plan “for 1 million tests, which people can do themselves...they will be able to take a blood test, send it back in the post and get it analysed. That is an antibody test that tells you whether you have had the condition.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--Here’s How Intensive Care Staff Make Sure COVID-19 Patients Don’t Die Alone

“ We do pass things on if we can , ” said Luke .
“ We tell the patient whether they ’ re awake or not , when we ’ re changing them , when we ’ re putting in a drip or sorting out the ventilator.
” He adopts the cheery , everyday tone he uses : “ ‘ Oh , your wife called , she is worrying about you .
You ’ re going to have to really get better soon.
’ ” The calls from family members can be practical , to help staff provide the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or wife hates needles , for example , so nurses can keep that in mind when taking blood .
But it can involve delivering the most important message of all : that they love them .
That always gets passed on , he said .
“ Any time that we have anybody call , we reiterate [ to the patient ] , ‘ We ’ ve had another call from your partner or your kids .
They ’ re missing you .
Hopefully they ’ ll see you soon so you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Messages can travel the other way , too .
If a patient ’ s condition is looking more hopeful , a member of staff will often let them know they ’ re going to tell their wife or son that they ’ ve come round .
Even the tiniest forward steps in treatment make all the difference to staff , he said — “ when someone can squeeze your hand , when someone can respond to you ” .
And if a COVID-19 patient ’ s condition improves markedly , it uplifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the most insane kind of feeling for everyone in the ward , ” said Luke .
“ It ’ s news the whole night – the whole week — that this patient might be able to leave .
It ’ s something to cherish.
” He remembers one patient in particular who was being prepared for discharge .
“ The whole ward was on fire .
It was palpable excitement .
Every time their stats went up to a higher level and we could bring the oxygen down everyone was like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
’ ” He made a note of what the first person said when they made it out of ICU .
“ They were able to mouth it , ” he said : “ Thank you.
” But the reason for such excitement , at that point in late April , was simple .
“ We didn ’ t have a single person leave for weeks.
” The proportion of patients improving and leaving ICU is increasing now , he said .
But every day , death remains the reality .
Luke , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into work after having cared for a patient for many days , sometimes weeks , and be told the news by a colleague : “ They didn ’ t manage.
” The unpredictable trajectory of COVID-19 means sometimes this can happen quite quickly , even after showing signs of recovery — but either way , they do everything possible .
“ For the majority of people we keep going even though the signs are hinting that they ’ re not doing well , because people can pull through , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all of this on clinicians , Luke began to depict what life for him and his colleagues has been like since March .
He spoke of the physical demands in the ICU , particularly for nurses , healthcare assistants , and junior members of staff .
“ The shifts are hard , ” he said , “ You have to wear this [ hazmat ] suit , you ’ re hot , you ’ re trying to hold someone or move something.
” They wear hazmat suits , he explained , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some COVID-19 patients are on kidney dialysis and need bedding to be changed regularly .
“ So you ’ re desperately changing all the bedsheets but at the same time your gloves are so soaked in sweat that they 're falling off and you ’ re trying to keep your visor on.
” Nurses in particular bear the brunt , physically , he said , with hours at a time in masks , goggles , double gloves , and visors , “ drenched in sweat ” doing the “ very best they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their sheer practical skill has left him astonished .
Early on , while attempting to wash and turn a patient while ensuring the lines and tubes didn ’ t become detached , a very experienced nurse intervened .
“ She just grabbed something from me and did the most amazing manoeuvre of washing and holding the patient up and was like , ‘ You need to hold this and you need to push as hard as you can !
’ ” Luke obeyed as quickly as he could as the nurse turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ You need to realise this is wartime nursing now .
’ ”

“We do pass things on if we can,” said Luke. “We tell the patient whether they’re awake or not, when we’re changing them, when we’re putting in a drip or sorting out the ventilator.” He adopts the cheery, everyday tone he uses: “‘Oh, your wife called, she is worrying about you. You’re going to have to really get better soon.’”
The calls from family members can be practical, to help staff provide the most effective care: telling them their father or wife hates needles, for example, so nurses can keep that in mind when taking blood.
But it can involve delivering the most important message of all: that they love them. That always gets passed on, he said. “Any time that we have anybody call, we reiterate [to the patient], ‘We’ve had another call from your partner or your kids. They’re missing you. Hopefully they’ll see you soon so you’re going to have to hold tight.’”
Messages can travel the other way, too. If a patient’s condition is looking more hopeful, a member of staff will often let them know they’re going to tell their wife or son that they’ve come round.
Even the tiniest forward steps in treatment make all the difference to staff, he said — “when someone can squeeze your hand, when someone can respond to you”. And if a COVID-19 patient’s condition improves markedly, it uplifts the whole department.
“It’s the most insane kind of feeling for everyone in the ward,” said Luke. “It’s news the whole night – the whole week — that this patient might be able to leave. It’s something to cherish.”
He remembers one patient in particular who was being prepared for discharge. “The whole ward was on fire. It was palpable excitement. Every time their stats went up to a higher level and we could bring the oxygen down everyone was like, ‘It’s going to happen!’” He made a note of what the first person said when they made it out of ICU. “They were able to mouth it,” he said: “Thank you.”
But the reason for such excitement, at that point in late April, was simple. “We didn’t have a single person leave for weeks.”
The proportion of patients improving and leaving ICU is increasing now, he said. But every day, death remains the reality. Luke, like all the staff, will come into work after having cared for a patient for many days, sometimes weeks, and be told the news by a colleague: “They didn’t manage.”
The unpredictable trajectory of COVID-19 means sometimes this can happen quite quickly, even after showing signs of recovery — but either way, they do everything possible. “For the majority of people we keep going even though the signs are hinting that they’re not doing well, because people can pull through,” he said.
Without intending to talk about the effect of all of this on clinicians, Luke began to depict what life for him and his colleagues has been like since March. He spoke of the physical demands in the ICU, particularly for nurses, healthcare assistants, and junior members of staff.
“The shifts are hard,” he said, “You have to wear this [hazmat] suit, you’re hot, you’re trying to hold someone or move something.” They wear hazmat suits, he explained, because they ran out of surgical gowns. Some COVID-19 patients are on kidney dialysis and need bedding to be changed regularly. “So you’re desperately changing all the bedsheets but at the same time your gloves are so soaked in sweat that they're falling off and you’re trying to keep your visor on.”
Nurses in particular bear the brunt, physically, he said, with hours at a time in masks, goggles, double gloves, and visors, “drenched in sweat” doing the “very best they can” and trying to help each other. Their sheer practical skill has left him astonished. Early on, while attempting to wash and turn a patient while ensuring the lines and tubes didn’t become detached, a very experienced nurse intervened.
“She just grabbed something from me and did the most amazing manoeuvre of washing and holding the patient up and was like, ‘You need to hold this and you need to push as hard as you can!’” Luke obeyed as quickly as he could as the nurse turned to him again. “She said, ‘You need to realise this is wartime nursing now.’”


buzzfeed--2020-03-11--Boris Johnson Has Summoned Major Tech Companies To Downing Street To Help In The Fight Against Coron

Boris Johnson Has Summoned Major Tech Companies To Downing Street To Help In The Fight Against Coronavirus

Boris Johnson has summoned the senior executives of major tech companies to a private meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday night to `` request you and your company 's assistance in our country 's response '' to the coronavirus .
Representatives from all the major social media companies will attend the `` Tech CEO Round Table '' , BuzzFeed News understands .
They will be asked to commit `` data , assets and expertise '' to the UK 's fight against the outbreak .
The meeting , which will take place at 7pm on Wednesday will be chaired by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cummings .
A source said Downing Street would ask tech companies to ensure the public receives the best coronavirus advice at the top of searches , and to help combat disinformation .
A draft agenda of the meeting seen by BuzzFeed News said senior ministers , scientific and medical experts and Number 10 advisers will brief the tech companies about the government 's plan to deal with the virus and its `` projections '' for the next stages of the outbreak .
The prime minister 's team will seek to `` align on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` pledge of support '' from the tech companies present .
The objectives of the meeting are to produce an action plan with tech companies that will `` help inform the public and decision makers '' , `` model the spread of the disease and impact of interventions '' , `` track the spread and allow members of the public to avoid exposure '' , `` help allocate staff , resources and devices across the medical system '' , and `` help communities help themselves '' .
Tech firms will be asked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , `` modelling and analytics '' , `` dashboards / visualisations '' and `` reaching vulnerable and isolated groups '' .
The meeting will follow the Budget speech in the Commons , in which chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil a raft of measures aimed at combating the outbreak .

Boris Johnson has summoned the senior executives of major tech companies to a private meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday night to "request you and your company's assistance in our country's response" to the coronavirus.
Representatives from all the major social media companies will attend the "Tech CEO Round Table", BuzzFeed News understands. They will be asked to commit "data, assets and expertise" to the UK's fight against the outbreak.
The meeting, which will take place at 7pm on Wednesday will be chaired by the prime minister's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings.
A source said Downing Street would ask tech companies to ensure the public receives the best coronavirus advice at the top of searches, and to help combat disinformation.
A draft agenda of the meeting seen by BuzzFeed News said senior ministers, scientific and medical experts and Number 10 advisers will brief the tech companies about the government's plan to deal with the virus and its "projections" for the next stages of the outbreak.
The prime minister's team will seek to "align on vision and objectives" and seek a "pledge of support" from the tech companies present.
The objectives of the meeting are to produce an action plan with tech companies that will "help inform the public and decision makers", "model the spread of the disease and impact of interventions", "track the spread and allow members of the public to avoid exposure", "help allocate staff, resources and devices across the medical system", and "help communities help themselves".
Tech firms will be asked for their help with "back end data", "modelling and analytics", "dashboards / visualisations" and "reaching vulnerable and isolated groups".
The meeting will follow the Budget speech in the Commons, in which chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil a raft of measures aimed at combating the outbreak.


buzzfeed--2020-03-27--A UK Website Was Selling Coronavirus Test Kits To British Consumers For Home Use. That’s Illegal.

But SureScreen said it knew nothing about MediResales until BuzzFeed News approached it on Friday morning .
The firm provides coronavirus tests only to businesses and it makes clear on its own website that the kits can not be supplied to private consumers .
David Campbell , a SureScreen director , told BuzzFeed News that his company had contacted its local trading standards office , the MHRA , and the police , and was trying to track down who was behind MediResales .
`` We are absolutely outraged that our name should be associated with such a naked attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We don ’ t believe this test is actually our test , as we are very careful who we supply to , but if it proves to be , we will do all within our power to track down the company which is putting it up for sale and the supplier to them.
” He added : “ To be clear , our test costs just £6 and is not available for use by the general public . ''
Companies can only sell such tests to individual consumers if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sale would be illegal .
But MediResales said on its website that the test it was selling was for home use .
A BuzzFeed News reporter was able to go through all of the purchasing steps , providing personal details , and reached the final checkout page of the process using PayPal , Apple Pay , and Google Pay .
The reporter did not buy the kit and it is not known whether MediResales would in fact supply such kits to a member of the public .
The MHRA confirmed that it hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson said : “ the MHRA does not issue declarations of conformity for in vitro diagnostic devices .
We will be following up with the company concerned.
” The MHRA website says there are no CE-marked tests for home use , and it is illegal to supply such products direct to the public .
CE Marking is a mandatory European designation for certain product groups , such as devices used to take and test blood , to indicate they meet essential standards .
It ’ s not clear who is behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook page , it listed an address in Derby , which , according to information on Companies House — the UK ’ s official register of companies — appears to be the premises of serviced and shared offices .
More than 100 companies are listed at the same address .
The URL MediResales.co.uk was registered four days ago , on March 23 , according to publicly available information on WHOIS domain registries .
Its Facebook page was created the following day .
On Thursday , Facebook ’ s ads library said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though it wasn ’ t possible to see how much the page had spent on them .
One Facebook user showed BuzzFeed News a screenshot of one of the ads they 'd seen on their timeline .

But SureScreen said it knew nothing about MediResales until BuzzFeed News approached it on Friday morning. The firm provides coronavirus tests only to businesses and it makes clear on its own website that the kits cannot be supplied to private consumers.
David Campbell, a SureScreen director, told BuzzFeed News that his company had contacted its local trading standards office, the MHRA, and the police, and was trying to track down who was behind MediResales.
"We are absolutely outraged that our name should be associated with such a naked attempt to profit from this pandemic,” he said.
"We don’t believe this test is actually our test, as we are very careful who we supply to, but if it proves to be, we will do all within our power to track down the company which is putting it up for sale and the supplier to them.”
He added: “To be clear, our test costs just £6 and is not available for use by the general public."
Companies can only sell such tests to individual consumers if they have regulatory approval, without which a sale would be illegal.
But MediResales said on its website that the test it was selling was for home use. A BuzzFeed News reporter was able to go through all of the purchasing steps, providing personal details, and reached the final checkout page of the process using PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
The reporter did not buy the kit and it is not known whether MediResales would in fact supply such kits to a member of the public.
The MHRA confirmed that it hadn’t issued certificates to MediResales. A spokesperson said: “the MHRA does not issue declarations of conformity for in vitro diagnostic devices. We will be following up with the company concerned.”
The MHRA website says there are no CE-marked tests for home use, and it is illegal to supply such products direct to the public. CE Marking is a mandatory European designation for certain product groups, such as devices used to take and test blood, to indicate they meet essential standards.
It’s not clear who is behind the MediResales.co.uk. On both its website and Facebook page, it listed an address in Derby, which, according to information on Companies House — the UK’s official register of companies — appears to be the premises of serviced and shared offices. More than 100 companies are listed at the same address.
The URL MediResales.co.uk was registered four days ago, on March 23, according to publicly available information on WHOIS domain registries. Its Facebook page was created the following day.
On Thursday, Facebook’s ads library said that the page was “currently running ads”, though it wasn’t possible to see how much the page had spent on them.
One Facebook user showed BuzzFeed News a screenshot of one of the ads they'd seen on their timeline.


buzzfeed--2020-05-12--This Woman Says Her Photos Were Stolen In A Viral Post About The COVID-19 Death Of Her Uncle David.

This Woman Says Her Photos Were Stolen In A Viral Post About The COVID-19 Death Of Her Uncle David. She Doesn’t Have An Uncle David.

A woman called “ Sara Faith ” made an explosive claim about the circumstances of her Uncle David ’ s @ @ @ @ @ shared tens of thousands of times in recent days .
But Sara Faith does not @ @ @ @ @ used actually belong to a woman called Sarah-Louise Cooper from Manchester in England , BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t have an uncle called David , ” she said .
The @ @ @ @ @ thousands of times by the account , spread a growing conspiracy theory about medics manipulating @ @ @ @ @ deaths .

A woman called “Sara Faith” made an explosive claim about the circumstances of her Uncle David’s death in a Facebook post shared tens of thousands of times in recent days.
But Sara Faith does not exist.
The profile pictures used actually belong to a woman called Sarah-Louise Cooper from Manchester in England, BuzzFeed News can reveal.
“I don’t have an uncle called David,” she said.
The post, shared tens of thousands of times by the account, spread a growing conspiracy theory about medics manipulating death certificates to inflate coronavirus deaths.


buzzfeed--2020-05-12--This Celebrity Chef Lost His Job Then Immediately Posted QAnon Conspiracy Theories On Instagram

The last month has n't been great for many .
Pete Evans is likely to count himself among them .
The Australian celebrity chef and television presenter has previously courted controversy for making unfounded health claims about his recipes and platforming anti-vaxxers .
But even for him , Evans has been subject to an abnormally large number of public scandals in recent weeks .
His company was fined $ 25,000 after Evans claimed the `` BioCharger '' wellness gizmo that he was selling on his website for $ 14,990 could address the coronavirus .
Experts slammed his new cookbook of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And then finally , multiple news outlets reported he had lost his lucrative job hosting reality cooking show My Kitchen Rules — the gig that made him a household name in Australia .
What has received less attention , though , is his social media activity .
Evans frequently shares what he 's been doing on his Facebook page ( 1.49 million likes ) and Instagram account ( 231,000 followers ) .
In the past month , his content has taken a darker turn .
This week , after news broke of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evans shared content relating to the QAnon conspiracy theory , a baseless belief that US president Donald Trump is in charge of an investigation into a secret group of satanic , cannibalistic pedophiles among political elites .

The last month hasn't been great for many. Pete Evans is likely to count himself among them.
The Australian celebrity chef and television presenter has previously courted controversy for making unfounded health claims about his recipes and platforming anti-vaxxers. But even for him, Evans has been subject to an abnormally large number of public scandals in recent weeks.
His company was fined $25,000 after Evans claimed the "BioCharger" wellness gizmo that he was selling on his website for $14,990 could address the coronavirus. Experts slammed his new cookbook of ketogenic recipes for being unsustainable and unbalanced. And then finally, multiple news outlets reported he had lost his lucrative job hosting reality cooking show My Kitchen Rules — the gig that made him a household name in Australia.
What has received less attention, though, is his social media activity. Evans frequently shares what he's been doing on his Facebook page (1.49 million likes) and Instagram account (231,000 followers).
In the past month, his content has taken a darker turn.
This week, after news broke of his departure from My Kitchen Rules, Evans shared content relating to the QAnon conspiracy theory, a baseless belief that US president Donald Trump is in charge of an investigation into a secret group of satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles among political elites.


buzzfeed--2020-05-12--A Rail Worker Died Of The Coronavirus After Being Spat At By A Man Who Said He Had COVID-19

A member of staff at London 's Victoria station died from the coronavirus after being spat at by a man who said he had COVID-19 .
Belly Mujinga , 47 , a mother to an 11-year-old daughter , was working on the concourse of the station on March 22 when the man spat and coughed on her and a colleague .
`` The man asked her what she was doing , why she was there , and she said they were working , '' her husband , Lusamba Gode Katalay , said .
`` The man said he had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported it to their supervisor .
Belly came home and told me everything . ''
Within days , both women fell ill. Mujinga 's condition grew worse , and on April 2 she was taken to Barnet Hospital by ambulance , where she was put on a ventilator .
She died three days later , 14 days after she was assaulted at Victoria .
Mujinga had an underlying respiratory condition , which she had taken time off work with in the past .
The last time her husband saw her was when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and just 10 people were allowed to attend her funeral , in line with current UK government guidelines .
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Mujinga 's bereaved family .
British Transport Police are now investigating the incident , while Mujinga 's trade union , the TSSA , has criticised her employer for putting her to work on the frontline .
A spokesperson for UK prime minister Boris Johnson described Mujinga 's death as a `` tragic case '' and a `` really shocking incident . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules around prosecutions , issuing guidance saying coronavirus cases should be treated as the highest priority .
`` It is despicable for a key worker to be attacked in this way while serving the travelling public , '' he said .
`` Our thoughts are with Mrs Mujinga ’ s family at this terrible time . ''
Manuel Cortes , TSSA general secretary , said he was `` shocked and devastated at Belly ’ s death , '' and `` she is one of far too many frontline workers who have lost their @ @ @ @ @

A member of staff at London's Victoria station died from the coronavirus after being spat at by a man who said he had COVID-19.
Belly Mujinga, 47, a mother to an 11-year-old daughter, was working on the concourse of the station on March 22 when the man spat and coughed on her and a colleague.
"The man asked her what she was doing, why she was there, and she said they were working," her husband, Lusamba Gode Katalay, said. "The man said he had the virus and spat on them. They reported it to their supervisor. Belly came home and told me everything."
Within days, both women fell ill. Mujinga's condition grew worse, and on April 2 she was taken to Barnet Hospital by ambulance, where she was put on a ventilator. She died three days later, 14 days after she was assaulted at Victoria.
Mujinga had an underlying respiratory condition, which she had taken time off work with in the past. The last time her husband saw her was when she was taken away in the ambulance, and just 10 people were allowed to attend her funeral, in line with current UK government guidelines.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Mujinga's bereaved family.
British Transport Police are now investigating the incident, while Mujinga's trade union, the TSSA, has criticised her employer for putting her to work on the frontline.
A spokesperson for UK prime minister Boris Johnson described Mujinga's death as a "tragic case" and a "really shocking incident."
The spokesperson said the government had strengthened the rules around prosecutions, issuing guidance saying coronavirus cases should be treated as the highest priority.
"It is despicable for a key worker to be attacked in this way while serving the travelling public," he said. "Our thoughts are with Mrs Mujinga’s family at this terrible time."
Manuel Cortes, TSSA general secretary, said he was "shocked and devastated at Belly’s death," and "she is one of far too many frontline workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus."