buzzfeed--2020-04-05--People With Mental Health Conditions Say The Coronavirus Has Plunged UK Treatment Services Into Cris

People With Mental Health Conditions Say The Coronavirus Has Plunged UK Treatment Services Into Crisis

In January , Paul , a 27-year-old multimedia producer in London , confided to a friend that he was feeling suicidal .
His friend rang the police , who detained Paul under the Mental Health Act for his own safety .
It was then that a psychiatrist gave him a diagnosis that , for the first time , seemed to make sense of the emotional difficulties Paul had grappled with since he was a teenager : borderline personality disorder .
The psychiatrist referred Paul ( not his real name ) for dialectical behaviour therapy , a form of talk-based treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hoping to get started last month when he was informed by his NHS mental health provider that the treatment has been put on hold indefinitely because of the coronavirus outbreak .
It felt like a huge setback at a critical time .
“ It makes you lose hope a bit that things are going to change , ” Paul said in an interview .
Paul is one of dozens of people with experience of mental illness who contacted BuzzFeed News after we published an article about one reporter ’ s struggles with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two weeks , we spoke to 10 of them at length , by telephone , email , and WhatsApp , about their concerns about the disorienting new reality imposed by the pandemic .
All said they ’ re worried about whether they , and others like them , will be able to continue accessing during the lockdown the treatments , supports , and structures they depend on to manage their lives — and to where they ’ ll turn if their mental health starts to deteriorate .
Their names have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could speak freely about difficult psychiatric histories .
The coronavirus outbreak will be psychologically taxing for everyone who endures it : Lives are being upended , livelihoods threatened , loved ones endangered , and there is profound uncertainty about when the disruption will end and the damage that will be left in its wake when it ’ s over .
But it ’ s especially alarming for the millions of British adults who were already grappling with a diagnosable mental disorder .
In the past few weeks , as Britain enforced strict social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources to fight the spread of COVID-19 , mental health services across the country have been severely disrupted , forcing many vulnerable people into a deeply unsettling situation .
Face-to-face contact for the vast majority of people has been suddenly halted and many of the services they used are now suspended .
Many NHS mental health providers were already severely stretched before the pandemic and could be overwhelmed in the coming months .
Not only will they have to continue supporting existing users under extraordinarily difficult circumstances , but there is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a direct result of the pandemic .
“ COVID-19 , and the national measures being announced to delay the spread of the epidemic , will inevitably have a significant impact on both demand for and capacity to deliver support for people with mental health needs , learning disability , or autism , ” NHS England warned the chief executives of mental health providers in an official communication last month .
“ The impact on people ’ s mental health will endure beyond the epidemic.
” “ We are facing a hugely challenging time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with preexisting mental health problems , ” Geoff Heyes , head of health policy and influencing at Mind , a leading mental health charity , told BuzzFeed News .
Mental health providers are rushing to put in place temporary measures , but the sector had a slow start .
It was only in mid-March , when the virus had already taken hold in the country , that NHS England issued official guidance to the trusts responsible for mental health services instructing them to urgently start contingency planning .
NHS trusts were urged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secure consistent supplies of medications ; to add capacity so that 24/7 phone lines would be available for people in crisis ; to provide digital tools to communicate with patients remotely ; and to “ prepare for 20 % fewer staff ” .
The guidance documents were blunt about the appalling circumstances now facing the sector : “ People will be at risk of mortality through suicide , injury through self-harm and of self-neglect , and therefore any changes to services need to have patient safety as the paramount concern , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak will have a “ significant impact ” on the system ’ s capacity to support people in need , and that staff will have make “ difficult decisions ” in the face of diminished capacity .
NHS England did not respond to a request for comment for this article .
Since that guidance was issued , NHS trusts across the country have reduced to a core service , according to a review of dozens of public statements by those trusts .
While the trusts insist they ’ re doing as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance is still available around the clock for people in crisis and that the most vulnerable people in the community are still seen in person , vast numbers of people will experience a jarring change in therapeutic relationships that are essential to controlling their conditions .
Talk therapies , group workshops , and other outpatient services that are deemed non-essential have been scaled back or put on hold to enforce social distancing and so that staff can be redeployed to critical areas .
In hospitals , psychiatric inpatients have been barred from having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies , ” NHS England instructed trusts last month .
Instead of face-to-face appointments , they ’ re now offering phone calls , video conference apps and other online solutions for assessments , follow-up sessions , and other communications with patients .
It ’ s far from ideal therapeutically .

In January, Paul, a 27-year-old multimedia producer in London, confided to a friend that he was feeling suicidal. His friend rang the police, who detained Paul under the Mental Health Act for his own safety. It was then that a psychiatrist gave him a diagnosis that, for the first time, seemed to make sense of the emotional difficulties Paul had grappled with since he was a teenager: borderline personality disorder.
The psychiatrist referred Paul (not his real name) for dialectical behaviour therapy, a form of talk-based treatment designed for people with BPD. He was hoping to get started last month when he was informed by his NHS mental health provider that the treatment has been put on hold indefinitely because of the coronavirus outbreak. It felt like a huge setback at a critical time.
“It makes you lose hope a bit that things are going to change,” Paul said in an interview.
Paul is one of dozens of people with experience of mental illness who contacted BuzzFeed News after we published an article about one reporter’s struggles with isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak. In the last two weeks, we spoke to 10 of them at length, by telephone, email, and WhatsApp, about their concerns about the disorienting new reality imposed by the pandemic.
All said they’re worried about whether they, and others like them, will be able to continue accessing during the lockdown the treatments, supports, and structures they depend on to manage their lives — and to where they’ll turn if their mental health starts to deteriorate. Their names have been changed in this article so that they could speak freely about difficult psychiatric histories.
The coronavirus outbreak will be psychologically taxing for everyone who endures it: Lives are being upended, livelihoods threatened, loved ones endangered, and there is profound uncertainty about when the disruption will end and the damage that will be left in its wake when it’s over. But it’s especially alarming for the millions of British adults who were already grappling with a diagnosable mental disorder.
In the past few weeks, as Britain enforced strict social distancing measures and the NHS urgently reprioritised resources to fight the spread of COVID-19, mental health services across the country have been severely disrupted, forcing many vulnerable people into a deeply unsettling situation. Face-to-face contact for the vast majority of people has been suddenly halted and many of the services they used are now suspended.
Many NHS mental health providers were already severely stretched before the pandemic and could be overwhelmed in the coming months. Not only will they have to continue supporting existing users under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, but there is expected to be an influx of new patients as a direct result of the pandemic.
“COVID-19, and the national measures being announced to delay the spread of the epidemic, will inevitably have a significant impact on both demand for and capacity to deliver support for people with mental health needs, learning disability, or autism,” NHS England warned the chief executives of mental health providers in an official communication last month. “The impact on people’s mental health will endure beyond the epidemic.”
“We are facing a hugely challenging time for our mental wellbeing, particularly people with preexisting mental health problems,” Geoff Heyes, head of health policy and influencing at Mind, a leading mental health charity, told BuzzFeed News.
Mental health providers are rushing to put in place temporary measures, but the sector had a slow start. It was only in mid-March, when the virus had already taken hold in the country, that NHS England issued official guidance to the trusts responsible for mental health services instructing them to urgently start contingency planning.
NHS trusts were urged to immediately identify their most vulnerable patients; to secure consistent supplies of medications; to add capacity so that 24/7 phone lines would be available for people in crisis; to provide digital tools to communicate with patients remotely; and to “prepare for 20% fewer staff”.
The guidance documents were blunt about the appalling circumstances now facing the sector: “People will be at risk of mortality through suicide, injury through self-harm and of self-neglect, and therefore any changes to services need to have patient safety as the paramount concern,” NHS England said. It acknowledged that the outbreak will have a “significant impact” on the system’s capacity to support people in need, and that staff will have make “difficult decisions” in the face of diminished capacity.
NHS England did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
Since that guidance was issued, NHS trusts across the country have reduced to a core service, according to a review of dozens of public statements by those trusts.
While the trusts insist they’re doing as much as they can to ensure that acute assistance is still available around the clock for people in crisis and that the most vulnerable people in the community are still seen in person, vast numbers of people will experience a jarring change in therapeutic relationships that are essential to controlling their conditions.
Talk therapies, group workshops, and other outpatient services that are deemed non-essential have been scaled back or put on hold to enforce social distancing and so that staff can be redeployed to critical areas. In hospitals, psychiatric inpatients have been barred from having visitors.
“Maximise delivery through digital technologies,” NHS England instructed trusts last month. Instead of face-to-face appointments, they’re now offering phone calls, video conference apps and other online solutions for assessments, follow-up sessions, and other communications with patients. It’s far from ideal therapeutically.


buzzfeed--2020-04-29--Anti-Vaxxers Claim This Politician’s Flu Shot Was Fake, But They’re Only Using Half The Footage

As part of a push to encourage people to get their flu shot , Palaszczuk received her vaccination in front @ @ @ @ @ , she re-enacted it once again for the cameras — this time , with a @ @ @ @ @ It kicked off a conspiracy theory that the premier had lied about getting a jab @ @ @ @ @ footage broadcast by 7NEWS Brisbane on TV and shared to its social media profiles , @ @ @ @ @ against Palaszczuk appears to have the cap on .

As part of a push to encourage people to get their flu shot, Palaszczuk received her vaccination in front of television cameras.
Then, she re-enacted it once again for the cameras — this time, with a cap on the needle.
It kicked off a conspiracy theory that the premier had lied about getting a jab at all.
In the footage broadcast by 7NEWS Brisbane on TV and shared to its social media profiles, the syringe that is pressed against Palaszczuk appears to have the cap on.


buzzfeed--2020-04-30--News O'Clock: Once Upon A Time In COVID-land & Calming Virtual Hikes

You can listen to today 's episode above !
Another option : check it out on the iHeartRadio app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to your favorite shows .
Check out the full episode transcript here : Hayes Brown : Zayn and Gigi Hadid are going to be parents and the internet has exploded .
There have been 1 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US and that 's a lot .
And the show must go on .
We 're talking with Buzzfeed news 's Krystie Yandoli about how Hollywood is making it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casey , I have not been able to stop thinking about UFO 's this week .
CR : Okay , well that checks out .
HB : Hey but also ... Yeah .
But I mean those videos at the Pentagon put out on Monday are pretty freaking wild .
You have to admit that 's true .
CR : Confession .
I have not watched those , but I do watch Roswell , New Mexico .
So same difference .
HB : Yeah , those bitch ass aliens .
So I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these Pentagon videos , but some of them are really weird .
The Pentagon kept them a secret and so I do n't know if it were n't for the ... Everything .
I feel like we 'd be talking about this a lot more .
CR : Yeah , I do n't like that it was a secret .
That 's never fun .
Secrets are n't fun , especially when it involves aliens .
HB : Potential aliens .
I feel like part of the reason though , they have n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were leaked before by the Blink-182 front man , so the true alien conspiracy parts of the internet have already seen this footage now just the pentagon being like , `` Yeah , those vids , they 're real . ''
CR : Okay .
I 'm a firm believer that aliens are real because I think we 'd be stupid to think that there is n't other life out there but what do you think ?
HB : I think that I agree .
The Drake equation is probably a legit way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just so many stars out there that how could there not be more life out there , but that 's enough nerd cuts for now .
Time to pivot to the Corona update .
Today we have three things you need to know .
CR : Do you have any more of the good news you had yesterday ?
I loved that .
HB : Ah .
Number one .
There have been 1 million confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US as of yesterday and that 's way more than the president predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February .
Donald Trump : When you have 15 people and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero .
That 's a pretty good job we 've done .
HB : President Trump said on Twitter last night that the number of cases in the US is so high because our testing is in his words , `` So much better than any other country in the world , capital W. '' That 's absolutely not the case with most experts sure that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , still both on people who are sick and people who 've already died .
So not so much for the good news to start off .
CR : Great .
You know what ?
I was too hopeful there .
HB : Okay .
Number two .
We learned today just how badly the US economy has been hit by this crisis .
US GDP or gross domestic product shrank by 4.8 % in the first quarter of this year , which for the non-economists in the audience , is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is in fact the opposite of the kind of number you want to see .
Things are supposed to be even worse by the end of quarter two with prediction of the economy shrinking by as much as 35 % .
The weirdest thing though , as economist Justin Wolfers pointed out on Twitter , nearly half of the loss for these first few months was because of less spending on healthcare .
CR : Okay .
What ?
How ?
No !
HB : I know it does n't track , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and elective surgeries being canceled , as a result , hospitals have been just hemorrhaging money .
Those elective surgeries usually bring in big bucks either from patients or insurance companies , so now we have hospitals out here laying off workers and facing closures .
CR : It makes sense to me just about elective surgeries .
I think I was reading a while back about those who are looking for top surgery and I do n't believe that is considered quote unquote `` essential '' right now .
So I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even when it should be spent , people still need surgeries .
HB : And number three .
If you think things are going not great in the US , may I introduce you to a little country called Brazil ?
Brazil 's president Jair Bolsonaro has been out trumping Trump by continuing to say that the Coronavirus is n't that big a deal .
Brazil had 5,000 known Covid-19 deaths yesterday , which is higher than China 's official toll .
When presented with this though Bolsonaro told reporters , `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me to do ? ''
So far he 's been against social distancing measures and has openly mocked the idea that he could get sick even as he 's met with supporters and coughed loudly while meeting with them .
He also fired his health minister and his justice minister quit at least partially over the anti-science approach to Covid that Bolsonaro has taken .
CR : It sounds like this was two months ago , people have done this already .
We 've gone down this path .
We know it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And yet he 's out here leaving sad breadcrumbs of dead bodies behind him for others to follow as they continue down this Covid path .
That got dark fast .
CR : That got really dark .
I did n't like it .
Okay .
It 's time for good news bad news .
CR : As you might guess from the name , this is where I bring you some of the most `` awe '' and some of the most , `` Oh my God , no '' stories from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Love can still blossom these days , even across borders .
There 's a couple living on either side of the US Canada border , and they found a way to make it work despite the pandemic .
This is a romcom and you ca n't tell me otherwise .
Okay , so basically , Savannah Coop , 25 lives in British Columbia and her fiance , 26 year old Ryan Hamilton , lives in Bellingham , Washington .
So they met via the dating app because apparently , which I found fascinating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border , your Tinder area match can just set you up via that way , which makes sense .
CR : So they fell in love , they got engaged , but unfortunately they still live in separate countries and when social distancing came into effect and Coronavirus was everywhere , they were not allowed to cross borders .
So they are literally have not been able to see each other , except they found a way to do it and it 's that they stay on six feet apart on either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no fence and they go on cute little dates .
CR : I know , it 's adorable .
And police officers and border control have gotten to know them because they 're like , `` Hey , what are you guys doing ?
And they 're like , `` Oh you know , just going on dates . ''
And so now they get nice little waves from officers passing by .
HB : That 's really sweet and I really liked that .
Oh my gosh .
Imagine though setting your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's an entirely other country . ''
Do you really want to go to another country for this right now ?
CR : Okay .
Well I 've actually been to Bellingham , Washington and I feel like you would drive a distance to go find someone if there is n't anyone there .
It 's a lot of beautiful nature around you but maybe less people .
I should n't be saying that coming from me because when I was using Tinder and I 'm in LA , I have refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not dating anyone on the West side .
HB : Wow .
Five miles .
But I was living in DC which is the last time I was using Tinder ... Two miles .
I 'm sorry .
Do you want me to go where ?
I 'm sorry .
No thank you .
CR : Listen , I support you 100 % .
So bad news for any One Direction fans who thought you might still be able to get with Zayn Malik .
He and Gigi Hadid announced yesterday that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gigi had been off and on for forever , since 2015 and most recently Gigi was with Tyler C from the bachelor , that was a wild time .
But Zayn and Gigi reconnected late last year and they 've been quarantining together and we now know that they are going to have a little baby , which fans have been all over because she recently celebrated her 25th birthday and she had all these Instagrams about it and so did her sister Bella and all the fans were digging into all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she is pregnant .
HB : Wait , wait .
What kind of clues did get sprinkled on Instagram there ?
CR : So she had those big balloons that say the number .
So she had two and five .
And one balloon , the string on it was blue and for the other balloon the string was pink .
And then Bella posted a picture of Gigi opening presents and one of the pink bags had a sunflower emoji over it and some fan found that bag online and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , '' on it so she put the emoji over it to block it and I 'm like kudos to the detectives out there .
You are truly doing great .
HB : Doing the most .
CR : They are doing the most .
But honestly I just want to talk about how this baby is just going to be surrounded by so many famous people because the Hadids are just ... We know Yolanda from Housewives and she used to be married to David Foster , who I 'm sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
And then we 've got Bella who 's been on and off with The Weeknd and then we 've got Anwar who is with Dua Lipa I mean , Oh my God .
HB : That is so many famous ...
If Bravo has n't already gotten this little baby their own reality show by the time it emerges into the world , some executive producer has completely fallen down on the job .
CR : Oh 100 % and if Yolanda is n't pitching that around I mean , come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Oh Yolanda , I could go so many places with that , but I wo n't .
Anyway , when we come back , we 've got Krystie Yandoli with us to dish on how Hollywood is cranking out hits during the Coronavirus .
Sit tight .
CR : Welcome back .
It 's time for say more .
This is where we get to talk some of the best people out there into spending some quality time with us .
HB : The lights of Hollywood have dimmed , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people still crave movies and television shows .
So how is Tinseltown still cranking out entertainment fodder for us ?
CR : We 've got Buzzfeed news entertainment reporter , Kristie Yandoli here to tell us all about it .
Hello Krystie .
Krystie Yandoli : Hey guys , how you doing ?
CR : Good .
We 're so glad you could join us today .
You published a story over the weekend titled how the Coronavirus is changing television production .
What did you expect to find when diving in versus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , this is such a constantly evolving situation , so to be honest , when I first started reporting on this , I was talking to crew members and seeing how productions had shut down , but then those conversations quickly evolved into how some shows were staying alive despite the quarantine .
So I was n't really sure what I was expecting .
I had seen some Jimmy Fallon clips and some Late Night clips , but I was super curious as to not only how that stuff was getting made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapting .
If Late Night was adapting , other people were probably thinking about it as well .
HB : So one of the things I loved in your story was the details about how Keeping Up with the Kardashians is still going strong .
Do reality shows have an edge these days over scripted shows ?
KY : I do n't know if it 's reality shows specifically , definitely influence markets and talent who are used to curating their content for Instagram and for the internet do have an edge and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that it 's reality shows , but it 's definitely true for the Kardashians .
Their producer told me she 's not worried at all about the episode that will come out about the Kardashians in the quarantine because they 're already so well equipped and talented at curating their own content .
So maybe it 's reality stars , but it 's definitely the Kardashians .
HB : I love , by the way , that you mentioned that basically the production crew just threw iPhones at the Kardashians , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they have so far .
KY : Yeah , the feedback I 've heard from producers in general , which is n't really surprising to any of us who 've used iPhones , is that the quality of the iPhone video that you 're going to get is really just as good as any professional camera .
Obviously the tools are different , but the quality is so great that everyone was like , we do n't want to give people brand new tools they 're not used to learning .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so here 's some iPhones .
And I think with the Kardashians , it 's such a different situation .
They 're executive producers on their own show , they 've been doing this for 18 seasons and this is just the show .
They 're obviously so good at doing this in life , in general that producers gave them iPhones to use for video footage and were just like , `` Yeah , come up with some things . ''
CR : You also wrote about how American Idol is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just want to know everything about that .
How are they going to actually achieve that ?
KY : I was on the phone with both executive producers and the show runner for such a long time , we were chatting for a half hour because I had the same questions .
I was like , `` Logistically speaking , this is so technical and nerdy , but please tell me how 's this is going to happen ? ''
And I think that 's honestly ... Not to say that other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing their fair share of challenges , but to produce a live show with 20 contestants across the United States and then you have the bands and the coordinators and the producers , that 's a serious technical feat to be able to do all of that .
From what I understand , it involves a lot of communicating .
A lot of people directing on Zoom .
Unlike the Kardashians , it 's not just like they gave all of these contestants iPhones and they 're like , `` Okay , cool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : It 's like they 're deeply involved with every single contestant .
It 's a competition show , so everyone has to have the same exact equipment .
It has to be fair because the judges are judging in real time on Zoom .
So not only do the producers want the judges to be able to hear everything perfectly and see everything perfectly , but that needs to be the same for every single contestant just so that it 's a level playing field .
Yeah , it sounds incredibly complicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time and they 're going to keep rolling with it .
So I am thoroughly impressed with the fact that not only are they pulling it off , but they 're pulling it off well .
HB : I 'm shocked too because that 's giving me a headache , just thinking about trying to pull that off .
You mentioned the fact that the judges are going to be judging live over Zoom , we 're doing this podcast remotely , everyone 's on Zoom constantly now , anyway .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the new normal for shows that do n't need a huge set or massive production costs ?
KY : That was my question for every single producer .
I was like , `` What does the future look like ? ''
And the truth is they do n't know .
Nobody knows anything right now and everyone 's just in survival mode trying to get through their seasons , trying to finish whatever currently they 're working on .
And I do n't think this is anyone 's preference .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been amazing and able to help people get through this survival mode .
But I actually do think it was the Keeping Up with the Kardashians executive producer who told me people want really glossy high quality content .
And that was a really popular trend right before the quarantine started , was like , `` We do n't want to watch janky stuff on our televisions .
We want high , high quality . ''
But then I think it was the Samantha Bee producer told me , `` We 're learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unskilled and it 'll be hard to go back to normal without incorporating this in some way . ''
KY : So I do n't know .
The truth is , I do n't know .
And I do n't think they know , but I think that there are possibilities where certain things will be incorporated and whatever a new filming , shooting structure looks like might involve some of this stuff .
But I think people miss being on set .
I think people will want to produce the highest quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is all over , '' but I think these are great questions because we do n't know what the world is going to look like .
We do n't know what television production is going to look like , but I do n't think that the future involves only Zooming from our houses forever .
CR : One of the things I 've been sure about is that we 're going to see a surge in animated shows because of this lockdown .
Did you come across anything in your reporting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
KY : I love your theory .
I support your theory without any evidence of my own .
KY : I think that tracks , we have ... Again , think about the tools we have at home .
What can you do from home ?
People can illustrate things , people can speak into microphones .
I did n't talk to anyone , but that 's a great story idea that I can definitely pursue for you .
CR : Thank you .
It makes sense because right now in Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but a lot of pilots are n't going out because of them being live action and not only do I think that people are going to be pitching more animated shows .
The other day , One Day at a Time , which is a live action show said they 're going to do an animated episode and then two SNL episodes ago , Kyle Mooney had an animated sketch instead of live action .
So it seems like not only will there be new animated shows , but they 're going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see if current live action shows have to make some sort of switch so they can make content for viewers .
KY : Casey , you are 100 % onto something .
You noticed that trend before I did , I would love to read or write that story .
I think you 're right .
CR : Please do , Krystie .
Do it .
KY : Again , these things I think are temporary fixes for now , but yeah , I think that we could see a surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're on Zoom and we 're using mics and we 're using iPhones .
It 's something we can do in the interim .
So yeah , I agree with you .
Totally .
HB : Krystie , I have actually one last question for you .
So we 're getting a new episode of Parks and Rec pretty soon .
One where we 're going to be seeing Leslie Knope and all the characters and how they 're dealing with quarantine .
Here 's my question for you .
What do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look back on this era of television five years from now ?
KY : Oh my God .
I think about it a lot because I am a potato on my couch .
If I 'm not doing work , I 'm watching TV and I 'm also a person living in the now and I just think that unfortunately a lot of the things that we 're watching right now in production that 's coming out will remind us of this time , whatever this time means for you .
Five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because whatever the new normal is , we 'll be back to filming and shooting and producing in person .
That 's what I hope for the world .
But yeah , it 's going to be weird .
It 's going to be weird to look back on video clips of Jimmy Fallon and his house in Long Island with his family handwriting his stage cards .
I hope that feels weird to us , but I guess we will see .
CR : Oh , we will see .
Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
KY : Thank you for having me .
I hope you guys are staying safe and healthy and sane .
HB : It 's time for the list because if you know Buzzfeed at all , you know how much we love lists and today we 're looking at four virtual hikes you can take around the US .
CR : And they 're all on YouTube and they are super high def .
It 's basically all of the joy of looking at stuff in nature without getting all sweaty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do have to admit that the other day I went on a walk and I did get a sunburn just to feel alive .
So I guess I would n't mind the bugs if it means going on a hike .
Also , I do regret the sunburn .
HB : Okay , well I can not endorse intentional sunburn .
HB : Please join us as we experience the relaxation of these virtual hikes .
HB : Number one .
The Kuli'ou'ou Ridge trail in Oahu , Hawaii .
The video will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rainforest so you can look out over the coast and it 's gentle waves away from the tourists and bustle of Waikiki and that you peer more deeply into your own soul .
CR : Number two .
The Historic Railroad hiking trail in Mead River , Nevada .
This trail is near the Hoover Dam , exploring the canyons and ridges of the mountain West .
It also takes you through the tunnels carved into the mountains when they were building it back in the 1930s .
HB : Number three .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harbor , Michigan .
If you 're somehow missing winter already , good news .
This will take you on a snowshoe hike in Michigan 's upper peninsula .
The bear trees all around you , the sound of fresh fallen snow crisp under your snowshoes .
CR : And number four .
The Baker River Trail in the Mount Baker area of Washington .
Filmed in the fall , this hike takes you through the illustrious autumn trees and blissful waterfront trail views along the Baker River .
CR : Okay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I 'm using it to ask you Hayes , what 's a Justin Amash ?
HB : Okay .
First of all , props for getting his name right .
A lot people say A-Mash and he is a Congressman from Michigan .
CR : Okay , so why was he trending on Twitter ?
HB : Oh , because he 's running for president now , apparently .
CR : Okay .
Correct me if I 'm wrong , but Joe Biden is going to be the democratic nominee .
HB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CR : And Trump is the Republican nominee .
HB : That 's how it usually works with incumbents .
CR : Then what the hell is Amash doing ?
HB : He 's looking to run as a third party campaign on the Libertarian party ticket against both Biden and Trump .
CR : Of course .
That makes sense for the year 2020 .
HB : Yep .
So Amash was a Republican forever and [ inaudible 00:23:04 ] libertarian , which appeals to the people in West Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But with Trump 's love of deficit spending and the whole impeachment thing , Amash said , `` Fuck this , '' to the Republican party and is now an independent .
CR : And again , he 's running for president .
HB : Look , everyone is as baffled as you are right now .
CR : Okay .
Make this make sense for me .
Is this good or bad for Trump winning reelection ?
HB : Well that 's kind of a toss up that depends on who you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like him for his morals and ideals , et cetera .
But probably he will pull votes from Trump for people who love the idea of going back to traditional Republican , lower taxes , lower spending , more freedom for all kind of stuff .
So who 's to say ...
I will say this though , this morning , Trump tweeted out about this news saying that he thinks Amash would , quote , `` Make a wonderful candidate , especially since he is way behind in his district and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He almost always votes for the do nothing Dems anyway .
I like him even more than Jill Stein . ''
And honestly , I got to say for Trump , that 's a pretty solid burn .
CR : Okay .
Well , you know what , thanks for filling me in , I guess .
CR : That 's it for today .
Join us tomorrow for another Thursday in paradise .
And by paradise we mean your living room .
HB : And remember , if you do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine , you 're not a failure .
Just really shitty at doing puzzles , and that 's okay .
CR : Be sure to subscribe to News O'clock on the iHeart radio app , Apple podcasts , or wherever you go for your sound stories .
HB : And please take the time to leave us a rating and review .
It helps us figure out what you 'd like about the show versus what you love about the show , and tell all your friends so they can set their alarms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O'clock .

You can listen to today's episode above! Another option: check it out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Check out the full episode transcript here:
Hayes Brown: Zayn and Gigi Hadid are going to be parents and the internet has exploded. There have been 1 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US and that's a lot. And the show must go on. We're talking with Buzzfeed news's Krystie Yandoli about how Hollywood is making it work during the lockdown.
Casey Rackham: The date, April 29th 2020.
HB: The time, News O'clock.
HB: Hello friends. I'm Hayes Brown.
CR: And I'm Casey Rackham.
HB: Casey, I have not been able to stop thinking about UFO's this week.
CR: Okay, well that checks out.
HB: Hey but also... Yeah. But I mean those videos at the Pentagon put out on Monday are pretty freaking wild. You have to admit that's true.
CR: Confession. I have not watched those, but I do watch Roswell, New Mexico. So same difference.
HB: Yeah, those bitch ass aliens. So I know that they're probably not aliens in these Pentagon videos, but some of them are really weird. The Pentagon kept them a secret and so I don't know if it weren't for the... Everything. I feel like we'd be talking about this a lot more.
CR: Yeah, I don't like that it was a secret. That's never fun. Secrets aren't fun, especially when it involves aliens.
HB: Potential aliens. I feel like part of the reason though, they haven't broken through is some of these videos were leaked before by the Blink-182 front man, so the true alien conspiracy parts of the internet have already seen this footage now just the pentagon being like, "Yeah, those vids, they're real."
CR: Okay. I'm a firm believer that aliens are real because I think we'd be stupid to think that there isn't other life out there but what do you think?
HB: I think that I agree. The Drake equation is probably a legit way to think about this. There's just so many stars out there that how could there not be more life out there, but that's enough nerd cuts for now. Time to pivot to the Corona update. Today we have three things you need to know.
CR: Do you have any more of the good news you had yesterday? I loved that.
HB: Ah. Number one. There have been 1 million confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US as of yesterday and that's way more than the president predicted back at the start of this in February.
Donald Trump: When you have 15 people and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero. That's a pretty good job we've done.
HB: President Trump said on Twitter last night that the number of cases in the US is so high because our testing is in his words, "So much better than any other country in the world, capital W." That's absolutely not the case with most experts sure that there are many, many undetected cases out there, still both on people who are sick and people who've already died. So not so much for the good news to start off.
CR: Great. You know what? I was too hopeful there.
HB: Okay. Number two. We learned today just how badly the US economy has been hit by this crisis. US GDP or gross domestic product shrank by 4.8% in the first quarter of this year, which for the non-economists in the audience, is not a number you want to see. That is in fact the opposite of the kind of number you want to see. Things are supposed to be even worse by the end of quarter two with prediction of the economy shrinking by as much as 35%. The weirdest thing though, as economist Justin Wolfers pointed out on Twitter, nearly half of the loss for these first few months was because of less spending on healthcare.
CR: Okay. What? How? No!
HB: I know it doesn't track, but with hospitals overwhelmed with Covid cases and elective surgeries being canceled, as a result, hospitals have been just hemorrhaging money. Those elective surgeries usually bring in big bucks either from patients or insurance companies, so now we have hospitals out here laying off workers and facing closures.
CR: It makes sense to me just about elective surgeries. I think I was reading a while back about those who are looking for top surgery and I don't believe that is considered quote unquote "essential" right now. So I mean, yeah, there's less spending even when it should be spent, people still need surgeries.
HB: And number three. If you think things are going not great in the US, may I introduce you to a little country called Brazil? Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro has been out trumping Trump by continuing to say that the Coronavirus isn't that big a deal. Brazil had 5,000 known Covid-19 deaths yesterday, which is higher than China's official toll. When presented with this though Bolsonaro told reporters, "I'm sorry, what do you want me to do?" So far he's been against social distancing measures and has openly mocked the idea that he could get sick even as he's met with supporters and coughed loudly while meeting with them. He also fired his health minister and his justice minister quit at least partially over the anti-science approach to Covid that Bolsonaro has taken.
CR: It sounds like this was two months ago, people have done this already. We've gone down this path. We know it's not the right path.
HB: And yet he's out here leaving sad breadcrumbs of dead bodies behind him for others to follow as they continue down this Covid path. That got dark fast.
CR: That got really dark. I didn't like it. Okay. It's time for good news bad news.
CR: As you might guess from the name, this is where I bring you some of the most "awe" and some of the most, "Oh my God, no" stories from around the internet. Good news. Love can still blossom these days, even across borders. There's a couple living on either side of the US Canada border, and they found a way to make it work despite the pandemic. This is a romcom and you can't tell me otherwise. Okay, so basically, Savannah Coop, 25 lives in British Columbia and her fiance, 26 year old Ryan Hamilton, lives in Bellingham, Washington. So they met via the dating app because apparently, which I found fascinating is when you're that close to the border, your Tinder area match can just set you up via that way, which makes sense.
CR: So they fell in love, they got engaged, but unfortunately they still live in separate countries and when social distancing came into effect and Coronavirus was everywhere, they were not allowed to cross borders. So they are literally have not been able to see each other, except they found a way to do it and it's that they stay on six feet apart on either side of the border where there's no fence and they go on cute little dates.
HB: Oh.
CR: I know, it's adorable. And police officers and border control have gotten to know them because they're like, "Hey, what are you guys doing? And they're like, "Oh you know, just going on dates." And so now they get nice little waves from officers passing by.
HB: That's really sweet and I really liked that. Oh my gosh. Imagine though setting your Tinder and realizing, "Oh that's an entirely other country." Do you really want to go to another country for this right now?
CR: Okay. Well I've actually been to Bellingham, Washington and I feel like you would drive a distance to go find someone if there isn't anyone there. It's a lot of beautiful nature around you but maybe less people. I shouldn't be saying that coming from me because when I was using Tinder and I'm in LA, I have refused to go past five miles because I'm not dating anyone on the West side.
HB: Wow. Five miles. But I was living in DC which is the last time I was using Tinder... Two miles. I'm sorry. Do you want me to go where? I'm sorry. No thank you.
CR: Listen, I support you 100%. So bad news for any One Direction fans who thought you might still be able to get with Zayn Malik. He and Gigi Hadid announced yesterday that they're having a baby. Zayn and Gigi had been off and on for forever, since 2015 and most recently Gigi was with Tyler C from the bachelor, that was a wild time. But Zayn and Gigi reconnected late last year and they've been quarantining together and we now know that they are going to have a little baby, which fans have been all over because she recently celebrated her 25th birthday and she had all these Instagrams about it and so did her sister Bella and all the fans were digging into all the clues that were leading them to believe that she is pregnant.
HB: Wait, wait. What kind of clues did get sprinkled on Instagram there?
CR: So she had those big balloons that say the number. So she had two and five. And one balloon, the string on it was blue and for the other balloon the string was pink. And then Bella posted a picture of Gigi opening presents and one of the pink bags had a sunflower emoji over it and some fan found that bag online and it says something like, "Welcome little one," on it so she put the emoji over it to block it and I'm like kudos to the detectives out there. You are truly doing great.
HB: Doing the most.
CR: They are doing the most. But honestly I just want to talk about how this baby is just going to be surrounded by so many famous people because the Hadids are just... We know Yolanda from Housewives and she used to be married to David Foster, who I'm sure his family is still in the mix there. And then we've got Bella who's been on and off with The Weeknd and then we've got Anwar who is with Dua Lipa I mean, Oh my God.
HB: That is so many famous... If Bravo hasn't already gotten this little baby their own reality show by the time it emerges into the world, some executive producer has completely fallen down on the job.
CR: Oh 100% and if Yolanda isn't pitching that around I mean, come on.
HB: Yolanda is on it. Oh Yolanda, I could go so many places with that, but I won't. Anyway, when we come back, we've got Krystie Yandoli with us to dish on how Hollywood is cranking out hits during the Coronavirus. Sit tight.
CR: Welcome back. It's time for say more. This is where we get to talk some of the best people out there into spending some quality time with us.
HB: The lights of Hollywood have dimmed, but the show must go on and the people still crave movies and television shows. So how is Tinseltown still cranking out entertainment fodder for us?
CR: We've got Buzzfeed news entertainment reporter, Kristie Yandoli here to tell us all about it. Hello Krystie.
Krystie Yandoli: Hey guys, how you doing?
CR: Good. We're so glad you could join us today. You published a story over the weekend titled how the Coronavirus is changing television production. What did you expect to find when diving in versus what you actually found?
KY: Well, this is such a constantly evolving situation, so to be honest, when I first started reporting on this, I was talking to crew members and seeing how productions had shut down, but then those conversations quickly evolved into how some shows were staying alive despite the quarantine. So I wasn't really sure what I was expecting. I had seen some Jimmy Fallon clips and some Late Night clips, but I was super curious as to not only how that stuff was getting made, but also how other shows were adapting. If Late Night was adapting, other people were probably thinking about it as well.
HB: So one of the things I loved in your story was the details about how Keeping Up with the Kardashians is still going strong. Do reality shows have an edge these days over scripted shows?
KY: I don't know if it's reality shows specifically, definitely influence markets and talent who are used to curating their content for Instagram and for the internet do have an edge and leg up. So I don't know that it's reality shows, but it's definitely true for the Kardashians. Their producer told me she's not worried at all about the episode that will come out about the Kardashians in the quarantine because they're already so well equipped and talented at curating their own content. So maybe it's reality stars, but it's definitely the Kardashians.
HB: I love, by the way, that you mentioned that basically the production crew just threw iPhones at the Kardashians, "Here you deal with this," and they have so far.
KY: Yeah, the feedback I've heard from producers in general, which isn't really surprising to any of us who've used iPhones, is that the quality of the iPhone video that you're going to get is really just as good as any professional camera. Obviously the tools are different, but the quality is so great that everyone was like, we don't want to give people brand new tools they're not used to learning. This is already a stressful enough situation, so here's some iPhones. And I think with the Kardashians, it's such a different situation. They're executive producers on their own show, they've been doing this for 18 seasons and this is just the show. They're obviously so good at doing this in life, in general that producers gave them iPhones to use for video footage and were just like, "Yeah, come up with some things."
CR: You also wrote about how American Idol is still going to be doing live shows and I just want to know everything about that. How are they going to actually achieve that?
KY: I was on the phone with both executive producers and the show runner for such a long time, we were chatting for a half hour because I had the same questions. I was like, "Logistically speaking, this is so technical and nerdy, but please tell me how's this is going to happen?" And I think that's honestly... Not to say that other shows that are still airing aren't experiencing their fair share of challenges, but to produce a live show with 20 contestants across the United States and then you have the bands and the coordinators and the producers, that's a serious technical feat to be able to do all of that. From what I understand, it involves a lot of communicating. A lot of people directing on Zoom. Unlike the Kardashians, it's not just like they gave all of these contestants iPhones and they're like, "Okay, cool. Send us footage."
KY: It's like they're deeply involved with every single contestant. It's a competition show, so everyone has to have the same exact equipment. It has to be fair because the judges are judging in real time on Zoom. So not only do the producers want the judges to be able to hear everything perfectly and see everything perfectly, but that needs to be the same for every single contestant just so that it's a level playing field. Yeah, it sounds incredibly complicated and it aired last Sunday for the first time and they're going to keep rolling with it. So I am thoroughly impressed with the fact that not only are they pulling it off, but they're pulling it off well.
HB: I'm shocked too because that's giving me a headache, just thinking about trying to pull that off. You mentioned the fact that the judges are going to be judging live over Zoom, we're doing this podcast remotely, everyone's on Zoom constantly now, anyway. Do you see a world where maybe this is the new normal for shows that don't need a huge set or massive production costs?
KY: That was my question for every single producer. I was like, "What does the future look like?" And the truth is they don't know. Nobody knows anything right now and everyone's just in survival mode trying to get through their seasons, trying to finish whatever currently they're working on. And I don't think this is anyone's preference. I think that Zoom and technology and iPhones have been amazing and able to help people get through this survival mode. But I actually do think it was the Keeping Up with the Kardashians executive producer who told me people want really glossy high quality content. And that was a really popular trend right before the quarantine started, was like, "We don't want to watch janky stuff on our televisions. We want high, high quality." But then I think it was the Samantha Bee producer told me, "We're learning all these new tools, we're unskilled and it'll be hard to go back to normal without incorporating this in some way."
KY: So I don't know. The truth is, I don't know. And I don't think they know, but I think that there are possibilities where certain things will be incorporated and whatever a new filming, shooting structure looks like might involve some of this stuff. But I think people miss being on set. I think people will want to produce the highest quality content they can quote unquote "when this is all over," but I think these are great questions because we don't know what the world is going to look like. We don't know what television production is going to look like, but I don't think that the future involves only Zooming from our houses forever.
CR: One of the things I've been sure about is that we're going to see a surge in animated shows because of this lockdown. Did you come across anything in your reporting that will let me gloat about being right?
KY: I love your theory. I support your theory without any evidence of my own.
CR: Thank you.
KY: I think that tracks, we have... Again, think about the tools we have at home. What can you do from home? People can illustrate things, people can speak into microphones. I didn't talk to anyone, but that's a great story idea that I can definitely pursue for you.
CR: Thank you. It makes sense because right now in Hollywood it's supposed to be pilot season, but a lot of pilots aren't going out because of them being live action and not only do I think that people are going to be pitching more animated shows. The other day, One Day at a Time, which is a live action show said they're going to do an animated episode and then two SNL episodes ago, Kyle Mooney had an animated sketch instead of live action. So it seems like not only will there be new animated shows, but they're going to be... I would be interested to see if current live action shows have to make some sort of switch so they can make content for viewers.
KY: Casey, you are 100% onto something. You noticed that trend before I did, I would love to read or write that story. I think you're right.
CR: Please do, Krystie. Do it.
KY: Again, these things I think are temporary fixes for now, but yeah, I think that we could see a surge in that for the exact reason that we're on Zoom and we're using mics and we're using iPhones. It's something we can do in the interim. So yeah, I agree with you. Totally.
HB: Krystie, I have actually one last question for you. So we're getting a new episode of Parks and Rec pretty soon. One where we're going to be seeing Leslie Knope and all the characters and how they're dealing with quarantine. Here's my question for you. What do you think it's going to be like to look back on this era of television five years from now?
KY: Oh my God. I think about it a lot because I am a potato on my couch. If I'm not doing work, I'm watching TV and I'm also a person living in the now and I just think that unfortunately a lot of the things that we're watching right now in production that's coming out will remind us of this time, whatever this time means for you. Five years from now that will feel weird because whatever the new normal is, we'll be back to filming and shooting and producing in person. That's what I hope for the world. But yeah, it's going to be weird. It's going to be weird to look back on video clips of Jimmy Fallon and his house in Long Island with his family handwriting his stage cards. I hope that feels weird to us, but I guess we will see.
CR: Oh, we will see. Well, thank you so much Kristie for joining us.
KY: Thank you for having me. I hope you guys are staying safe and healthy and sane.
HB: It's time for the list because if you know Buzzfeed at all, you know how much we love lists and today we're looking at four virtual hikes you can take around the US.
CR: And they're all on YouTube and they are super high def. It's basically all of the joy of looking at stuff in nature without getting all sweaty and covered with bugs. But I do have to admit that the other day I went on a walk and I did get a sunburn just to feel alive. So I guess I wouldn't mind the bugs if it means going on a hike. Also, I do regret the sunburn.
HB: Okay, well I cannot endorse intentional sunburn.
HB: Please join us as we experience the relaxation of these virtual hikes.
HB: Number one. The Kuli'ou'ou Ridge trail in Oahu, Hawaii. The video will take you inland and up through the rainforest so you can look out over the coast and it's gentle waves away from the tourists and bustle of Waikiki and that you peer more deeply into your own soul.
CR: Number two. The Historic Railroad hiking trail in Mead River, Nevada. This trail is near the Hoover Dam, exploring the canyons and ridges of the mountain West. It also takes you through the tunnels carved into the mountains when they were building it back in the 1930s.
HB: Number three. The Nicole Bloom Memorial Trail in Eagle Harbor, Michigan. If you're somehow missing winter already, good news. This will take you on a snowshoe hike in Michigan's upper peninsula. The bear trees all around you, the sound of fresh fallen snow crisp under your snowshoes.
CR: And number four. The Baker River Trail in the Mount Baker area of Washington. Filmed in the fall, this hike takes you through the illustrious autumn trees and blissful waterfront trail views along the Baker River.
CR: Okay, we have time for one more thing and I'm using it to ask you Hayes, what's a Justin Amash?
HB: Okay. First of all, props for getting his name right. A lot people say A-Mash and he is a Congressman from Michigan.
CR: Okay, so why was he trending on Twitter?
HB: Oh, because he's running for president now, apparently.
CR: Okay. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Joe Biden is going to be the democratic nominee.
HB: So it would seem, yes.
CR: And Trump is the Republican nominee.
HB: That's how it usually works with incumbents.
CR: Then what the hell is Amash doing?
HB: He's looking to run as a third party campaign on the Libertarian party ticket against both Biden and Trump.
CR: Of course. That makes sense for the year 2020.
HB: Yep. So Amash was a Republican forever and [inaudible 00:23:04] libertarian, which appeals to the people in West Michigan, which is the people he represents. But with Trump's love of deficit spending and the whole impeachment thing, Amash said, "Fuck this," to the Republican party and is now an independent.
CR: And again, he's running for president.
HB: Look, everyone is as baffled as you are right now.
CR: Okay. Make this make sense for me. Is this good or bad for Trump winning reelection?
HB: Well that's kind of a toss up that depends on who you ask. Biden fans out there may like him for his morals and ideals, et cetera. But probably he will pull votes from Trump for people who love the idea of going back to traditional Republican, lower taxes, lower spending, more freedom for all kind of stuff. So who's to say... I will say this though, this morning, Trump tweeted out about this news saying that he thinks Amash would, quote, "Make a wonderful candidate, especially since he is way behind in his district and has no chance of maintaining his congressional seat. He almost always votes for the do nothing Dems anyway. I like him even more than Jill Stein." And honestly, I got to say for Trump, that's a pretty solid burn.
CR: Okay. Well, you know what, thanks for filling me in, I guess.
HB: Yeah, you're welcome. I guess.
CR: That's it for today. Join us tomorrow for another Thursday in paradise. And by paradise we mean your living room.
HB: And remember, if you don't finish the jigsaw puzzle you started during quarantine, you're not a failure. Just really shitty at doing puzzles, and that's okay.
CR: Be sure to subscribe to News O'clock on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you go for your sound stories.
HB: And please take the time to leave us a rating and review. It helps us figure out what you'd like about the show versus what you love about the show, and tell all your friends so they can set their alarms and never miss another episode of News O'clock.


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--Here's The Latest Information We Have About The Spread Of Coronavirus In The UK

The UK government has released an “ action plan ” for fighting the coronavirus , warning that the nation needs to be ready for the outbreak to potentially reach its peak in a number of weeks .
Prime minister Boris Johnson held a press conference on Tuesday , alongside the government ’ s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance , to field questions .
“ This country is going to get through coronavirus , no doubt at all , and get through it in good shape , ” the PM said .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease has the potential to spread extensively .
COVID-19 is the name of the illness seen in people infected with a new strain of the coronavirus not previously seen in humans .
It originated in Wuhan City , China , when the Chinese authorities alerted the World Health Organisation on Dec. 31 , 2019 .
Because it ’ s a new virus , the lack of immunity in the population — and the absence of a vaccine — means that COVID-19 has the potential to “ spread extensively ” , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that as of 9am on Tuesday there were 51 confirmed cases in the UK , up from 39 the day before .
The main symptoms are a cough , a high temperature , and , in severe cases , shortness of breath .
The “ great majority ” of people infected will have a “ mild-to-moderate but self-limiting illness , similar to seasonal flu ” .
But a minority of people who get COVID-19 will need hospital care , most often to treat pneumonia .
In a “ small proportion ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death .
Elderly people and those with underlying conditions are most at risk .
The illness is rarer in people under 20 years old .
This could kick off in the next few weeks .
If the disease does become established in the UK — and the PM said it was “ highly likely ” that the virus would spread — there will likely be a slow build-up of cases that eventually accelerates towards a peak .
That could take around nine or 10 weeks , according to officials , before the peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline over the following two or three months .
The government is planning a range of measures to limit the spread of the virus just ahead of this peak point in order to “ flatten it ” and make sure UK health systems can cope .
Worst case scenario modelling suggests that 80 % of people could become infected , with a death rate of around 1 % .
UK officials stressed that this was not a likely outcome and predicted the infection rate will be far lower .
There are four strands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Contain , delay , research and mitigate ” .
The UK is still in the containment stage , which effectively means trying to get rid of the virus completely .
However , as time goes on this is looking less likely .

The UK government has released an “action plan” for fighting the coronavirus, warning that the nation needs to be ready for the outbreak to potentially reach its peak in a number of weeks.
Prime minister Boris Johnson held a press conference on Tuesday, alongside the government’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, to field questions.
“This country is going to get through coronavirus, no doubt at all, and get through it in good shape,” the PM said. Here’s what we know so far.
The disease has the potential to spread extensively.
COVID-19 is the name of the illness seen in people infected with a new strain of the coronavirus not previously seen in humans. It originated in Wuhan City, China, when the Chinese authorities alerted the World Health Organisation on Dec. 31, 2019. Because it’s a new virus, the lack of immunity in the population — and the absence of a vaccine — means that COVID-19 has the potential to “spread extensively”, according to the UK government.
Health secretary Matt Hancock announced that as of 9am on Tuesday there were 51 confirmed cases in the UK, up from 39 the day before.
The main symptoms are a cough, a high temperature, and, in severe cases, shortness of breath. The “great majority” of people infected will have a “mild-to-moderate but self-limiting illness, similar to seasonal flu”. But a minority of people who get COVID-19 will need hospital care, most often to treat pneumonia. In a “small proportion” of these, the illness may lead to death. Elderly people and those with underlying conditions are most at risk. The illness is rarer in people under 20 years old.
This could kick off in the next few weeks.
If the disease does become established in the UK — and the PM said it was “highly likely” that the virus would spread — there will likely be a slow build-up of cases that eventually accelerates towards a peak. That could take around nine or 10 weeks, according to officials, before the peak lasts around two weeks and starts to decline over the following two or three months.
The government is planning a range of measures to limit the spread of the virus just ahead of this peak point in order to “flatten it” and make sure UK health systems can cope. Worst case scenario modelling suggests that 80% of people could become infected, with a death rate of around 1%. UK officials stressed that this was not a likely outcome and predicted the infection rate will be far lower.
There are four strands to the government’s strategy: “Contain, delay, research and mitigate”.
The UK is still in the containment stage, which effectively means trying to get rid of the virus completely. However, as time goes on this is looking less likely.


buzzfeed--2020-03-03--21 Reactions That Show How Australia Is Responding To The Coronavirus Outbreak

Like other countries around the world , Australia has been busy preparing for the worst when it comes to the @ @ @ @ @ are 33 confirmed cases in Australia — nine in Queensland , nine in NSW , @ @ @ @ @ in South Australia , two in Western Australia and one in Tasmania — as well @ @ @ @ @ WA .

Like other countries around the world, Australia has been busy preparing for the worst when it comes to the coronavirus.
Currently, there are 33 confirmed cases in Australia — nine in Queensland, nine in NSW, nine in Victoria, three in South Australia, two in Western Australia and one in Tasmania — as well as one recorded death in WA.


buzzfeed--2020-03-26--A "Communication Issue" Means The UK Hasn’t Been Working With The EU To Get More Ventilators

The UK has not been participating in an EU scheme to get more ventilators during the Coronavirus outbreak because of a “ communication issue ” , it emerged on Thursday , contradicting an earlier message that non-cooperation was because `` we are no longer members of the EU '' .
Earlier in the day opposition MPs had criticised the government for not joining forces with EU countries to get more of the devices , which are used to help people breathe by getting more oxygen into their lungs .
Under the EU 's `` joint procurement agreement '' , countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get medical supplies and stockpile equipment .
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the UK would not participate because `` we are no longer members of the EU '' .
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said the government was putting `` Brexit over breathing '' .
The UK left the EU on January 31 but is still following almost all EU rules and regulations as part of a “ transition period ” .
Later in the day , the line changed , with the government blaming communications rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial communication problem , the UK did not receive an invitation in time to join in four joint procurements in response to the coronavirus pandemic , ” a spokesman for the prime minister said on Thursday .
Most people who contract the coronavirus have mild symptoms but a significant minority , especially among the elderly and those with underlying health problems , develop respiratory difficulties which can be fatal .
“ As those four initial procurement schemes had already gone out to tender , we were unable to take part in these but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes on the basis of public health requirements at the time , '' the prime minister 's spokesperson said The news emerged during the UK government ’ s daily press conference , as ITV Political Editor Robert Peston tweeted the statement while Chancellor Rishi Sunak was announcing measures to financially help people who are self-employed .

The UK has not been participating in an EU scheme to get more ventilators during the Coronavirus outbreak because of a “communication issue”, it emerged on Thursday, contradicting an earlier message that non-cooperation was because "we are no longer members of the EU".
Earlier in the day opposition MPs had criticised the government for not joining forces with EU countries to get more of the devices, which are used to help people breathe by getting more oxygen into their lungs.
Under the EU's "joint procurement agreement", countries in the bloc will work together to get medical supplies and stockpile equipment.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the UK would not participate because "we are no longer members of the EU".
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said the government was putting "Brexit over breathing".
The UK left the EU on January 31 but is still following almost all EU rules and regulations as part of a “transition period”.
Later in the day, the line changed, with the government blaming communications rather than Brexit.
“Owing to an initial communication problem, the UK did not receive an invitation in time to join in four joint procurements in response to the coronavirus pandemic,” a spokesman for the prime minister said on Thursday.
Most people who contract the coronavirus have mild symptoms but a significant minority, especially among the elderly and those with underlying health problems, develop respiratory difficulties which can be fatal.
“As those four initial procurement schemes had already gone out to tender, we were unable to take part in these but we will consider participating in future procurement schemes on the basis of public health requirements at the time," the prime minister's spokesperson said
The news emerged during the UK government’s daily press conference, as ITV Political Editor Robert Peston tweeted the statement while Chancellor Rishi Sunak was announcing measures to financially help people who are self-employed.


buzzfeed--2020-05-01--These Kids Came Up With A Creative Way To Send Their Grandma A "Hug" Under Coronavirus Lockdown

Lorelle Keller is a grandmother who lives in Gatton , a small rural town in Queensland , Australia .
She has five children and 10 grandchildren spread out across the country .
Her daughter , son-in-law and their two children , 5-year-old Adam and 3-year-old Joel , live two hours ' drive away in Stanthorpe .
Keller has n't seen Adam and Joel since January , when they all went to Japan together for her son 's 40th birthday .
Since then , the coronavirus has spread around the globe , and Australia has been placed under strict lockdowns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't able to visit them for Easter , which they usually celebrate together as a family .
`` We miss them because we love having family around , '' Keller told BuzzFeed News .
Earlier this week , Keller was surprised to receive a package in the mail .
She opened it and pulled out two white sheets .
On them , Adam and Joel had drawn an outline of each other 's bodies , coloured in the details and put a big print out of photographs of their faces at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a note from the two grandchildren : `` We wanted to send you a hug until we can see you again . ''

Lorelle Keller is a grandmother who lives in Gatton, a small rural town in Queensland, Australia.
She has five children and 10 grandchildren spread out across the country. Her daughter, son-in-law and their two children, 5-year-old Adam and 3-year-old Joel, live two hours' drive away in Stanthorpe.
Keller hasn't seen Adam and Joel since January, when they all went to Japan together for her son's 40th birthday. Since then, the coronavirus has spread around the globe, and Australia has been placed under strict lockdowns.
The social distancing restrictions meant that Keller wasn't able to visit them for Easter, which they usually celebrate together as a family.
"We miss them because we love having family around," Keller told BuzzFeed News.
Earlier this week, Keller was surprised to receive a package in the mail. She opened it and pulled out two white sheets.
On them, Adam and Joel had drawn an outline of each other's bodies, coloured in the details and put a big print out of photographs of their faces at the top.
The parcel was accompanied by a note from the two grandchildren: "We wanted to send you a hug until we can see you again."


buzzfeed--2020-05-01--The Coronavirus Is A Disaster For The Media Industry, But Some Websites And Magazines Are Thriving

The coronavirus has been described as an extinction event for the media industry , but while overall advertising revenues are @ @ @ @ @ are adapting to the unprecedented times and seeing a boom in sales and new readers @ @ @ @ @ to industry insiders and experts around the world about how some titles are thriving by @ @ @ @ @ lockdown life .
Subscriptions to glossy magazines are up , sales of publications focusing on @ @ @ @ @ are soaring , and websites capitalising on hundreds of millions of amateur cooks , bakers @ @ @ @ @ are seeing record traffic .
“ Readers simply have more time now , ” said @ @ @ @ @ officer and president , international , Condé Nast .
“ They ca n't go out @ @ @ @ @ evenings , ” he told BuzzFeed News , so instead they “ opt for “ @ @ @ @ @ Condé Nast titles have grown throughout the crisis , while subscriptions to publications like the @ @ @ @ @ and the architectural magazine AD have hit record levels .

The coronavirus has been described as an extinction event for the media industry, but while overall advertising revenues are plummeting, some specialist outlets are adapting to the unprecedented times and seeing a boom in sales and new readers.
BuzzFeed News has spoken to industry insiders and experts around the world about how some titles are thriving by reflecting the new reality of lockdown life.
Subscriptions to glossy magazines are up, sales of publications focusing on puzzles or content for children are soaring, and websites capitalising on hundreds of millions of amateur cooks, bakers and gardeners stuck at home are seeing record traffic.
“Readers simply have more time now,” said Wolfgang Blau, chief operating officer and president, international, Condé Nast.
“They can't go out on weekends or in the evenings,” he told BuzzFeed News, so instead they “opt for “high-quality magazines.”
Sales for Condé Nast titles have grown throughout the crisis, while subscriptions to publications like the New Yorker, Vanity Fair and the architectural magazine AD have hit record levels.


buzzfeed--2020-04-07--The Senior Politician Now Running The UK Says He's "Confident Boris Johnson Will Pull Through"

In what appeared to be the first significant admission of failings in the UK 's initial coronavirus response , chief medical officer Chris Whitty told reporters that the government was learning lessons from Germany on testing for COVID-19 .
`` Germany got ahead in terms of its ability to do testing for the virus and there 's a lot to learn from that , '' Whitty conceded .
Last week , BuzzFeed News reported on why other countries such as Germany and even the US had been testing more than the UK — as Johnson 's government faced heavy criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early weeks of the pandemic , and for playing catch up ever since .
Raab also came under pressure to say whether or not health secretary Matt Hancock 's pledge to guarantee 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month still stood .
The target covered both antigen tests , which tell whether someone currently has the virus , and antibody tests , which tell whether they previously had it , but it 's now known that the latter tests wo n't be available by the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government intended to carry out 100,000 antigen tests a day , and appeared to distance himself from Hancock 's promise .
`` The health secretary set out that target , '' the foreign secretary said .
Earlier on Tuesday , Johnson 's office confirmed that the prime minister had not required mechanical or noninvasive ventilation , but had received `` standard oxygen treatment '' , relaying information provided by St Thomas ' hospital in London .
The prime minister does not have pneumonia , his spokesperson confirmed .
On Monday , Downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to intensive care after his condition had `` worsened '' .
Raab is currently well , but if he should become incapacitated himself then the chancellor Rishi Sunak will take charge , the spokesperson said .
The prime minister 's weekly audience with the Queen will not continue while Johnson is absent .
The royal household is being kept informed by the cabinet secretary , Mark Sedwill , and the PM 's principal private secretary .
In a tweet , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sent Johnson their regards , saying : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister and his family , who like so many in the UK and around the world are affected by coronavirus .
We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time . ''
The royal family 's Twitter account also stated that the Queen had sent a message to his family and his partner Carrie Symonds .

In what appeared to be the first significant admission of failings in the UK's initial coronavirus response, chief medical officer Chris Whitty told reporters that the government was learning lessons from Germany on testing for COVID-19.
"Germany got ahead in terms of its ability to do testing for the virus and there's a lot to learn from that," Whitty conceded.
Last week, BuzzFeed News reported on why other countries such as Germany and even the US had been testing more than the UK — as Johnson's government faced heavy criticism for failing to carry out enough tests in the early weeks of the pandemic, and for playing catch up ever since.
Raab also came under pressure to say whether or not health secretary Matt Hancock's pledge to guarantee 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month still stood. The target covered both antigen tests, which tell whether someone currently has the virus, and antibody tests, which tell whether they previously had it, but it's now known that the latter tests won't be available by the end of the April.
Raab refused to say whether the government intended to carry out 100,000 antigen tests a day, and appeared to distance himself from Hancock's promise. "The health secretary set out that target," the foreign secretary said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Johnson's office confirmed that the prime minister had not required mechanical or noninvasive ventilation, but had received "standard oxygen treatment", relaying information provided by St Thomas' hospital in London.
The prime minister does not have pneumonia, his spokesperson confirmed.
On Monday, Downing Street announced that Johnson had been moved to intensive care after his condition had "worsened".
Raab is currently well, but if he should become incapacitated himself then the chancellor Rishi Sunak will take charge, the spokesperson said.
The prime minister's weekly audience with the Queen will not continue while Johnson is absent. The royal household is being kept informed by the cabinet secretary, Mark Sedwill, and the PM's principal private secretary.
In a tweet, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sent Johnson their regards, saying: "Our thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family, who like so many in the UK and around the world are affected by coronavirus. We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time."
The royal family's Twitter account also stated that the Queen had sent a message to his family and his partner Carrie Symonds.


buzzfeed--2020-04-07--"We Are Bending The Curve": Australia Has Released Its Coronavirus Modelling

The Australian government has released to the public the scientific modelling it has relied on to make decisions about how @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus .
Modelling from the Peter Doherty Institute delivered to national cabinet earlier @ @ @ @ @ a press conference on Tuesday afternoon by the prime minister and chief medical officer .
@ @ @ @ @ scenario where if 90 % of the Australian population was infected by COVID-19 , the @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , only 15 % of those who needed a hospital bed in the intensive @ @ @ @ @ would get one .

The Australian government has released to the public the scientific modelling it has relied on to make decisions about how to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Modelling from the Peter Doherty Institute delivered to national cabinet earlier this year was presented in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon by the prime minister and chief medical officer.
It showed a worst case scenario where if 90% of the Australian population was infected by COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, only 15% of those who needed a hospital bed in the intensive care unit (ICU) would get one.


buzzfeed--2020-04-24--This Dancer Was Left With $100 After The Pandemic Hit. Now He's Working In A Respiratory Clinic.

Finally , a lead for a job came through : a friend ’ s parents were opening a respiratory clinic in Melbourne ’ s west to take on patients with respiratory illnesses who did not have COVID-19 .
“ They had all the nurses and everything but they were looking for people to help the everyday running of the clinic , ” he said .
“ It is for anyone with respiratory issues , from a cold and flu to a cough or asthma , and so they come to these clinics instead of going to their normal GP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also so they ’ re not put at [ COVID-19 ] risk.
” Figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the arts and recreation industries have been hardest hit by shutdowns .
The Grattan Institute has estimated while up to a quarter of Australian workers are likely to lose their jobs , a stunning 75 % of workers in the creative and performing arts will lose theirs .
The Australian government has promised $ 27 million to support the sector through the pandemic .
Germany has promised triple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 times that .
`` The optimistic part of me thinks people will have a greater appreciation for the arts and realise all the books , movies and games wouldn ’ t happen without creatives , '' he said .
`` The pessimistic side of me thinks because of the economic fallout of this pandemic things aren ’ t going to get better for a long , long time . ''
Dougan wishes people knew both how much work goes into training to be an artist and how much extra , unrelated work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I was [ training ] 50 to 55 hours a week when I was at uni and then I worked four nights a week to pay rent , '' he said .
`` People see art as indulgent because they only see the finished product , they don ’ t see the years of training and blood , sweat and tears . ''
Many arts workers are n't eligible for the government 's JobKeeper wage subsidy to keep Australians in work as — like Dougan — they work contract to contract .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a haphazard cash flow and rely on a mix of grants and donations to get by are unable to show the 30 % drop in profit needed to access the $ 1,500 per fortnight per employee relief payment for employers .
`` Ever since [ the 2015 cuts made by former arts minister George Brandis ] , someone has just been nailing the coffin shut for the arts , '' Dougan said .
`` For a lot of my peers this is the final straw and they will just quit . ''
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him too , he added .

Finally, a lead for a job came through: a friend’s parents were opening a respiratory clinic in Melbourne’s west to take on patients with respiratory illnesses who did not have COVID-19.
“They had all the nurses and everything but they were looking for people to help the everyday running of the clinic,” he said. “It is for anyone with respiratory issues, from a cold and flu to a cough or asthma, and so they come to these clinics instead of going to their normal GP, to take the pressure off the GPs and also so they’re not put at [COVID-19] risk.”
Figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the arts and recreation industries have been hardest hit by shutdowns. The Grattan Institute has estimated while up to a quarter of Australian workers are likely to lose their jobs, a stunning 75% of workers in the creative and performing arts will lose theirs.
The Australian government has promised $27 million to support the sector through the pandemic. Germany has promised triple that and the UK has promised almost 12 times that.
"The optimistic part of me thinks people will have a greater appreciation for the arts and realise all the books, movies and games wouldn’t happen without creatives," he said. "The pessimistic side of me thinks because of the economic fallout of this pandemic things aren’t going to get better for a long, long time."
Dougan wishes people knew both how much work goes into training to be an artist and how much extra, unrelated work goes into keeping yourself financially afloat.
"I was [training] 50 to 55 hours a week when I was at uni and then I worked four nights a week to pay rent," he said.
"People see art as indulgent because they only see the finished product, they don’t see the years of training and blood, sweat and tears."
Many arts workers aren't eligible for the government's JobKeeper wage subsidy to keep Australians in work as — like Dougan — they work contract to contract.
Similarly, many arts organisations that have a haphazard cash flow and rely on a mix of grants and donations to get by are unable to show the 30% drop in profit needed to access the $1,500 per fortnight per employee relief payment for employers.
"Ever since [the 2015 cuts made by former arts minister George Brandis], someone has just been nailing the coffin shut for the arts," Dougan said. "For a lot of my peers this is the final straw and they will just quit."
This might be the end of the road for him too, he added.


buzzfeed--2020-04-10--Here’s How The UK Plans To Go From 16,000 Tests A Day To 100,000 By The End Of The Month

Ministers are now keen to develop a homegrown antibody test in the UK , by offering grants and other support to organisations .
They have launched the UK Rapid Test Consortium , which comprises Oxford University and diagnostic companies Abingdon Health , Omega Diagnostics , BBI Solutions , and CIGA Healthcare , to develop a reliable antibody test as quickly as possible .
Professor Sanjeev Krishna , who is also working on an antibody test with the company Mologic , said : “ You can only really make decisions on how to manage this pandemic once you ’ ve got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s had it , who ’ s in the process of having it and who is at risk of getting it .
And if you need to make very targeted interventions to reduce upsurge in the NHS , to let society get back into some sort of regular routine , you ’ re going to have to rely on good testing.
” Antibody tests are already being used as part of a research programme operated by Public Health England at Porton Down , the government ’ s high-security lab campus in Wiltshire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ population — 800 so far — to better understand the rate of infection and how the virus is spreading across the country .
But the goal is to be able to do this on a mass scale .
So will the antibody test contribute to the 100,000-a-day target ?
Hancock wasn ’ t clear on this .
But John Newton from Public Health England , who is overseeing the government ’ s plan on testing , said it was highly unlikely that antibody tests would be part of that goal .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests by the end of April , ” Newton told MPs on the science committee .
“ We ’ re not relying on antibody tests to make up that target.
” Allan Wilson , president of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences , which represents NHS lab workers , agreed .
“ I don ’ t think any of these will be antibody tests , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
“ Matt Hancock was vague about the mix of the virus test and antibody test but now everyone is pouring cold water on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accurate .
I think [ the target ] will entirely be about testing for the virus on laboratory platforms.
” In that case , how on earth can the government increase the number of tests so fast ?
This is the million-dollar question .
Hancock has insisted it can be done — but only with the help of universities , research institutes , and major pharmaceutical companies to boost testing capacity .
Sir Paul Nurse , director of the Francis Crick Institute in London which has been turned into a testing lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a stretch ” .
Allan Wilson was blunter .
“ I frankly don ’ t think we will meet that 100,000 figure , ” he said .
“ I think it ’ s very challenging .
I think Hancock was pushed for a number after this mantra ‘ test , test , test ’ and he almost just plucked a figure out of the air that sounds impressive .
It was a political soundbite just to take the heat out of it.
” Wilson also criticised Hancock for failing to talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the figure on air : “ You ’ d think it would be nice to speak to the people who would be delivering that number before he went public with it.
” NHS leaders have warned about severe shortages of the key chemicals and swabs needed for the diagnostic test , amid intense global competition for the same components .
This includes the “ lysis buffer ” that allows labs to break open the virus from a sample so they can test it .
Scientists are finding innovative ways around these shortages and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast enough according to some .
Wilson said : “ Every country is fishing from the same pond .
We 're not at the front of that queue because we don ’ t have much of a diagnostic industry in the UK , certainly not one that can produce the kits for the high capacity platforms .
And we were late to market because the UK government decided to try other things before they decided ‘ Oh we better do some testing ’ and by that time , a lot of the companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply chain to other countries.
” So what are these “ mega labs ” and will they be able to do this many tests in just a few weeks ?
Three new labs are being set up by the government in Milton Keynes , Glasgow , and Alderley Park , Cheshire ; each will have the capacity to test tens of thousands of patient samples each day .
The lab in Milton Keynes is already fully operational , with 150 workers testing thousands of swabs every day , and automation robots being put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The other two labs will be operational in the next two weeks — but this leaves little time to meet the 100,000-a-day target .
Dubbed the “ Lighthouse Labs ” , they take their name from the PCR testing technology which uses fluorescent light to detect the virus .
They are being “ actively supported ” by pharma firms GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) and AstraZeneca , who are providing “ access to data and resources ” .
These companies are also exploring the use of alternative chemical reagents for test kits in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they won ’ t be staffed by NHS lab staff .
The workers are volunteer lab technicians from the local areas , all of whom have significant experience working in a similar facility , according to government sources .
They will all be trained to make sure they keep to required standards and will be working 24 hours a day , split across three shifts .

Ministers are now keen to develop a homegrown antibody test in the UK, by offering grants and other support to organisations. They have launched the UK Rapid Test Consortium, which comprises Oxford University and diagnostic companies Abingdon Health, Omega Diagnostics, BBI Solutions, and CIGA Healthcare, to develop a reliable antibody test as quickly as possible.
Professor Sanjeev Krishna, who is also working on an antibody test with the company Mologic, said: “You can only really make decisions on how to manage this pandemic once you’ve got some figures in place on who’s had it, who’s in the process of having it and who is at risk of getting it. And if you need to make very targeted interventions to reduce upsurge in the NHS, to let society get back into some sort of regular routine, you’re going to have to rely on good testing.”
Antibody tests are already being used as part of a research programme operated by Public Health England at Porton Down, the government’s high-security lab campus in Wiltshire. They are testing blood samples of the population — 800 so far — to better understand the rate of infection and how the virus is spreading across the country. But the goal is to be able to do this on a mass scale.
So will the antibody test contribute to the 100,000-a-day target?
Hancock wasn’t clear on this. But John Newton from Public Health England, who is overseeing the government’s plan on testing, said it was highly unlikely that antibody tests would be part of that goal.
“We do not expect to be doing antibody tests by the end of April,” Newton told MPs on the science committee. “We’re not relying on antibody tests to make up that target.”
Allan Wilson, president of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, which represents NHS lab workers, agreed. “I don’t think any of these will be antibody tests,” he told BuzzFeed News. “Matt Hancock was vague about the mix of the virus test and antibody test but now everyone is pouring cold water on the antibody test because it’s not accurate. I think [the target] will entirely be about testing for the virus on laboratory platforms.”
In that case, how on earth can the government increase the number of tests so fast?
This is the million-dollar question. Hancock has insisted it can be done — but only with the help of universities, research institutes, and major pharmaceutical companies to boost testing capacity. Sir Paul Nurse, director of the Francis Crick Institute in London which has been turned into a testing lab, admitted this week “it will be a stretch”.
Allan Wilson was blunter. “I frankly don’t think we will meet that 100,000 figure,” he said. “I think it’s very challenging. I think Hancock was pushed for a number after this mantra ‘test, test, test’ and he almost just plucked a figure out of the air that sounds impressive. It was a political soundbite just to take the heat out of it.”
Wilson also criticised Hancock for failing to talk to NHS scientists and lab staff before announcing the figure on air: “You’d think it would be nice to speak to the people who would be delivering that number before he went public with it.”
NHS leaders have warned about severe shortages of the key chemicals and swabs needed for the diagnostic test, amid intense global competition for the same components. This includes the “lysis buffer” that allows labs to break open the virus from a sample so they can test it. Scientists are finding innovative ways around these shortages and things are slowly improving, but not fast enough according to some.
Wilson said: “Every country is fishing from the same pond. We're not at the front of that queue because we don’t have much of a diagnostic industry in the UK, certainly not one that can produce the kits for the high capacity platforms. And we were late to market because the UK government decided to try other things before they decided ‘Oh we better do some testing’ and by that time, a lot of the companies had already committed their resources in the supply chain to other countries.”
So what are these “mega labs” and will they be able to do this many tests in just a few weeks?
Three new labs are being set up by the government in Milton Keynes, Glasgow, and Alderley Park, Cheshire; each will have the capacity to test tens of thousands of patient samples each day.
The lab in Milton Keynes is already fully operational, with 150 workers testing thousands of swabs every day, and automation robots being put in place to increase capacity even further. The other two labs will be operational in the next two weeks — but this leaves little time to meet the 100,000-a-day target.
Dubbed the “Lighthouse Labs”, they take their name from the PCR testing technology which uses fluorescent light to detect the virus.
They are being “actively supported” by pharma firms GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca, who are providing “access to data and resources”. These companies are also exploring the use of alternative chemical reagents for test kits in order to help overcome supply shortages.
But they won’t be staffed by NHS lab staff. The workers are volunteer lab technicians from the local areas, all of whom have significant experience working in a similar facility, according to government sources. They will all be trained to make sure they keep to required standards and will be working 24 hours a day, split across three shifts.