huffingtonpost--2020-05-19--The UK's Coronavirus Debt Situation Explained In A Way That Won't Make Your Head Hurt

No one likes being in debt .
The dark cloud of money owed to others has hung over most of us at one time or another , and getting out from under its shadow normally involves discipline , graft and a depressing lack of fun stuff .
Sounds grim – do we have any other options ?
Fair enough .
Where ’ s this debt coming from ?
Where is the government getting this money from ?
If you are a bit short on cash , you might ask a mate for a tenner to tide you over until payday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll say yes and if they ’ re decent to boot , they won ’ t expect anything in return aside from their original £10 outlay .
Bonds are issued over set time limits – anything from one month to 30-plus years .
The longer the bond , the more money the buyer can expect as their investment is being tied up for longer and there is more risk of something going wrong .
How do they pay it back ?
How long are we talking ?
“ If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison is with what the position was at the end of the second Second World War and if you look at the debts we then , it took decades to pay it off – not until the beginning of this century.
” Which option will the government go for ?
But the PM may clash with the current chancellor , Rishi Sunak .
A Treasury document drawn up for the chancellor and dated May 5 said measures including income tax hikes , a two-year public sector pay freeze and the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fund the debt .

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No one likes being in debt. The dark cloud of money owed to others has hung over most of us at one time or another, and getting out from under its shadow normally involves discipline, graft and a depressing lack of fun stuff.
But what about when that dark cloud is hanging over a government?
Largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been estimated the UK will have to borrow £372.2bn this year, a sum so vast it’s pretty incomprehensible.
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The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal the UK government borrowed £36.1bn in September, £28.4bn more than in September 2019 and the third-highest borrowing in any month since records began in 1993.
And if you thought that was a lot, in April the figure was £62.1bn, £51.1bn higher than the same month last year.
At some point, the government – and in turn we – will have to pay it back.
Statista
Sounds grim – do we have any other options?
Unfortunately not. One person who knows quite a bit about the British economy at times of crisis is Lord Alastair Darling, Labour’s chancellor during the financial crash of 2008.
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“We just have to accept this is an extraordinary event – we’ve never seen anything like it before in modern times and it’s going to take a long time to recover,” he told HuffPost UK in May.
“The priority is actually making sure we’ve got an economy when we come through the other side of it.”
Statista
Fair enough. Where’s this debt coming from?
As Lord Darling alludes to, the government has made a number of decisions aimed at ensuring that, once we make it through the coronavirus crisis, we still actually have an economy.
One of the costliest interventions is the furlough scheme which sees the government pay a sizeable chunk of wages to those who are temporarily unable to work because of the lockdown.
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“You need to keep as many businesses going as possible,” says Lord Darling.
“You need to keep people in work as far as you possibly can so that, when things get better, we can get growing again rather than looking around a completely shattered landscape.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak this week overhauled the furlough scheme which, when it was launched, was only supposed to last until October.
Speaking in the Commons, Sunak said employer contributions for hours not worked due to coronavirus restrictions will fall to 5%. Workers will only have to work 20% of their hours, he said.
Other schemes such as Eat Out To Help Out obviously cost money and with no end in sight to restrictions and an uncertain winter ahead, the debt will only increase.
Where is the government getting this money from?
If you are a bit short on cash, you might ask a mate for a tenner to tide you over until payday. If they’re nice they’ll say yes and if they’re decent to boot, they won’t expect anything in return aside from their original £10 outlay.
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If you’re a government it’s a bit trickier. Your “mates” are other governments and it’s unlikely they’ll lend you some money without expecting something in return, which could entail any number of things in the cutthroat and often shady world of geopolitics.
Also, there’s the not-so-small matter of government debts being quite a bit larger than £10 – see above.
So what they do is issue bonds. Someone – usually a large financial institution such as a bank or a pension fund – then buys that bond.
This gives the government some cash to spend and in return, the buyer gets a set amount of money as interest – usually every six months – plus a payout when the bond matures.
Bonds are issued over set time limits – anything from one month to 30-plus years. The longer the bond, the more money the buyer can expect as their investment is being tied up for longer and there is more risk of something going wrong.
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They’re generally seen as one of the safest investments you can make but the returns are slow and steady and usually far lower than riskier investments like the stock market.
How do they pay it back?
In essence, a government has two options. The first is the closest to how a household would pay off a debt – reduce your spending and try and up your earnings.
For a government this means cutting public services so the money raised through taxes pays off the debt.
Sound familiar? That’s because it was the preferred method of the Conservatives (and for a while their Lib Dem partners) when they took power in 2010 – AKA “austerity”.
But a government has another option – grow the economy, generate taxes and hope this creates more money than the interest rate on the debt.
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Ricardo Reis, professor of economics at LSE, uses the analogy of a student loan to explain how this works.
“When you were 18 you maybe borrowed some money. At that time your income was ridiculously low, but by now your income is much higher.
“Therefore it makes perfect sense to borrow when you were 18 and pay a fraction of what your income is now.”
And bingo – it’s taken quite a few years but you’ve paid off your debt and because your earnings have increased, you’ve barely felt that little wedge of cash coming out of your payslip each week.
Empty streets and boarded up shops and restaurants in Soho, London. Empics Entertainment
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How long are we talking?
It’s too early to say but and the scale of the coronavirus crisis isn’t yet totally clear. The last financial crisis in 2008 took around 18 months to recover from, but according to Lord Darling, this isn’t a helpful comparison.
“Yes, there are similarities but this is much, much worse,” he says.
“If you’re looking at debt levels, the better comparison is with what the position was at the end of the second Second World War and if you look at the debts we then, it took decades to pay it off – not until the beginning of this century.”
Which option will the government go for?
It’s too early to say for sure and the fact remains that we don’t even know how big the debt will be or when we could start paying it back.
Boris Johnson has ruled out using austerity measures as part of the government’s response to the economic damage caused by coronavirus.
Instead, the prime minister suggested he would plough on with plans to ramp up government spending, suggesting it could “encourage” the economy to “bounce back” after the crisis.
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AKA, option 2.
But the PM may clash Sunak. A Treasury document drawn up for the chancellor and dated May 5 said measures including income tax hikes, a two-year public sector pay freeze and the end of the triple lock on pensions may be required to fund the debt.
This approach was backed by an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which in July said Britain could face decades of tax rises to repair its battered public finances.


huffingtonpost--2020-04-28--Can Iceland's Experience Help Solve The Coronavirus Mystery?

As of April 17 , there had been 1,739 cases of coronavirus and eight deaths in Iceland – figures that are very low in contrast to ( and due to ) the high number of tests being carried out .
It is calculated that around 10 % of the population has been tested , a figure that is five times the rate of testing carried out not only in Spain , but also in Germany , one of the European countries that has managed this crisis most effectively .
Again , the population factor is important here , but there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iceland is home to biopharmaceutical company deCODE Genetics .
Leading the field of population genetics studies for over two decades , the company is now offering all Icelanders free and voluntary coronavirus screening , even for those who don ’ t have any symptoms .
To Kári Stefánsson , the company ’ s founder , there ’ s no mystery about Iceland ’ s coronavirus strategy .
“ We have screened more than anyone else , we have had aggressive tracking of the contacts of those infected , and we have been very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” explained Stefánsson in an interview with TRT World .
In addition to tackling the root of the epidemic in the country , these preliminary screenings have made it possible to ascertain that around 50 % of people who tested positive were asymptomatic , at least at the time of taking the test .
But this is just the most superficial data .
The Icelandic company has been able to trace the source of every infection on the island and has identified 40 different strains of the virus .
This is what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , ” clarifies Spanish geneticist Juan José Tellería , a professor at the University of Valladolid who is very familiar with the Nordic project .
As Tellería explains , “ Ever since it appeared in Wuhan , there have been little mutations in the virus that create different families.
” deCODE is “ first studying the variants of those viruses in Iceland , seeing which strain they belong to , and thus identifying which area of the world that virus comes from.
” This is one side of it .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to cross-reference data on strains with data on patients and their evolution , to see whether differences in the development of the illness between patients has a genetic origin , either due to the genetics of the patient , of the coronavirus , or a relationship between both , ” he adds .
In other words , the project aims to find out which mechanisms the virus uses to act , and whether genes play a specific role in the fact that COVID-19 is extremely lethal in some patients , while it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What makes this initiative so promising are the baseline conditions found in Iceland – a small , very genetically stable population – and the company deCODE , which has studied the genome of nearly one-third of the inhabitants .
“ As far as I know , it ’ s a case that ’ s completely one of a kind worldwide ; there ’ s no similar experience , ” notes Tellería .
“ Genetically speaking , it ’ s a very homogeneous population , because nearly everyone is a child , grandchild , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been living on the island for hundreds of years , so family networks can be established among almost all of the country ’ s citizens , ” he points out .
Moreover , he adds , “ it ’ s a practically closed population , because there ’ s been very little immigration.
” According to Tellería , what deCODE has done over the years is take advantage of this “ low genetic variability ” to “ identify risk factors in common diseases such as high cholesterol , heart disease , asthma , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population is so homogeneous doesn ’ t mean there ’ s not a lot of work still to be done , although it does make things easier .
“ Bear in mind that if we compare the genomes of any two individuals , there are three million differences , so it ’ s really difficult to determine which genes are responsible for certain traits , ” says Tellería .
This genetic advantage , as well as good funding , has allowed deCODE “ to study and monitor a huge amount of information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Icelandic citizens have put themselves forward , citizens whose medical records are also held by the company .
Consequently , “ they can cross-reference millions of data sets that enable them to identify genetic variants related to common pathologies , ” explains Tellería .
While Tellería doesn ’ t hide his fascination with the Icelandic research – “ the deCODE case is studied at the university ” – he also acknowledges that a similar experiment would be impossible in Spain .
“ The Mediterranean population is hugely heterogeneous , because the Mediterranean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he points out .
“ If there ’ s something that characterizes us , it ’ s genetic heterogeneity.
” In any case , if the Icelandic initiative gets results in the future , the population of the Mediterranean ( and the rest of the world ) will also benefit .
“ Definitely , ” agrees Tellería .
“ Cross-referencing genome data from the virus and patients means being able to find out how the virus and host interact , and that is universal .
”

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Tourists with masks walking down Bankastraeti street in downtown Reykjavik, April 3, 2020.
With a population slightly smaller than that of New Orleans, Iceland has now become a coronavirus research lab. But the country’s small population (around 360,000 inhabitants) isn’t the main factor to consider.
As of April 17, there had been 1,739 cases of coronavirus and eight deaths in Iceland – figures that are very low in contrast to (and due to) the high number of tests being carried out. It is calculated that around 10% of the population has been tested, a figure that is five times the rate of testing carried out not only in Spain, but also in Germany, one of the European countries that has managed this crisis most effectively.
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Again, the population factor is important here, but there’s more to the story. Iceland is home to biopharmaceutical company deCODE Genetics. Leading the field of population genetics studies for over two decades, the company is now offering all Icelanders free and voluntary coronavirus screening, even for those who don’t have any symptoms.
To Kári Stefánsson, the company’s founder, there’s no mystery about Iceland’s coronavirus strategy. “We have screened more than anyone else, we have had aggressive tracking of the contacts of those infected, and we have been very aggressive in putting people in quarantines,” explained Stefánsson in an interview with TRT World. In addition to tackling the root of the epidemic in the country, these preliminary screenings have made it possible to ascertain that around 50% of people who tested positive were asymptomatic, at least at the time of taking the test. But this is just the most superficial data.
They know where every infection in the country comes from
The Icelandic company has been able to trace the source of every infection on the island and has identified 40 different strains of the virus. This is what’s called “a genotyped study of the coronavirus,” clarifies Spanish geneticist Juan José Tellería, a professor at the University of Valladolid who is very familiar with the Nordic project.
As Tellería explains, “Ever since it appeared in Wuhan, there have been little mutations in the virus that create different families.” deCODE is “first studying the variants of those viruses in Iceland, seeing which strain they belong to, and thus identifying which area of the world that virus comes from.” This is one side of it.
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What role do genes play in COVID-19?
On the other hand, “the intention is to cross-reference data on strains with data on patients and their evolution, to see whether differences in the development of the illness between patients has a genetic origin, either due to the genetics of the patient, of the coronavirus, or a relationship between both,” he adds. In other words, the project aims to find out which mechanisms the virus uses to act, and whether genes play a specific role in the fact that COVID-19 is extremely lethal in some patients, while it’s barely apparent in others.
What makes this initiative so promising are the baseline conditions found in Iceland – a small, very genetically stable population – and the company deCODE, which has studied the genome of nearly one-third of the inhabitants. “As far as I know, it’s a case that’s completely one of a kind worldwide; there’s no similar experience,” notes Tellería.
“Genetically speaking, it’s a very homogeneous population, because nearly everyone is a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of people who had already been living on the island for hundreds of years, so family networks can be established among almost all of the country’s citizens,” he points out. Moreover, he adds, “it’s a practically closed population, because there’s been very little immigration.”
Genetic studies to combat diseases
According to Tellería, what deCODE has done over the years is take advantage of this “low genetic variability” to “identify risk factors in common diseases such as high cholesterol, heart disease, asthma, and allergies.” However, just because the population is so homogeneous doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work still to be done, although it does make things easier. “Bear in mind that if we compare the genomes of any two individuals, there are three million differences, so it’s really difficult to determine which genes are responsible for certain traits,” says Tellería.
This genetic advantage, as well as good funding, has allowed deCODE “to study and monitor a huge amount of information” from genetic studies for which thousands of Icelandic citizens have put themselves forward, citizens whose medical records are also held by the company. Consequently, “they can cross-reference millions of data sets that enable them to identify genetic variants related to common pathologies,” explains Tellería.
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If there’s something that characterizes the Mediterranean population, it’s genetic heterogeneity
While Tellería doesn’t hide his fascination with the Icelandic research – “the deCODE case is studied at the university” – he also acknowledges that a similar experiment would be impossible in Spain. “The Mediterranean population is hugely heterogeneous, because the Mediterranean was the highway of classical times,” he points out. “If there’s something that characterizes us, it’s genetic heterogeneity.”
Furthermore, very few genome studies have been done in Spain. “They’re only done for clinical use,” says Tellería; in other words, only with patients where a specific mutation is being sought for medical purposes.


huffingtonpost--2020-05-06--Boris Johnson Hints UK Could Begin Easing Lockdown As Soon As Monday

Coronavirus has changed everything .
Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone , our evening politics briefing .
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Speaking during prime minister ’ s questions in the Commons , the PM said he planned to give a statement on Sunday setting out plans for the next day .
He did not specify which measures might be dropped or amended first as ministers were “ continuously ” receiving data from health and science experts .
“ We will want , if we possibly can , to get going with some of those measures on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reply to Labour leader Keir Starmer .
“ I think it would be a good thing [ ... ] if people had an idea of what ’ s coming the following day .
That ’ s why I think Sunday , the weekend , is the best time to do it.
” It is not yet clear what the public can expect as the Cabinet will meet on Thursday to agree the government ’ s next moves .
Transport secretary Grant Shapps suggested last week that work start times could be staggered so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be easier .
And schools will restart in a “ phased manner ” , education secretary Gavin Williamson has previously said , though he did not give a date .
Challenging the PM at the despatch box , Starmer said : “ There are millions of people on furlough , as the prime minister knows , millions with children struggling with caring responsibilities .
“ If they are to return to work and if their children are to return to school , they need reassurance , I think we can all feel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
And that means they do need to know what the government ’ s plan is for the next stage.
” Johnson said he could not give a full answer to MPs now because “ we have to be sure that the data is going to support ” plans SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford , speaking via video conference , meanwhile , said the lockdown must remain in place “ for as long as it ’ s needed ” as he called for people to avoid travelling to beauty spots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with leaders in Scotland to “ get the un-lockdown plan completely right ” and added : “ It ’ d be an economic disaster for this country if we were to pursue a relaxation of these measures now in such a way as to trigger a second spike – on that point I ’ m in complete agreement with him .
”

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Boris Johnson has said the government could begin to ease the UK’s coronavirus lockdown from Monday.
Speaking during prime minister’s questions in the Commons, the PM said he planned to give a statement on Sunday setting out plans for the next day.
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He did not specify which measures might be dropped or amended first as ministers were “continuously” receiving data from health and science experts.
“We will want, if we possibly can, to get going with some of those measures on Monday,” he said, in a reply to Labour leader Keir Starmer.
“I think it would be a good thing [...] if people had an idea of what’s coming the following day. That’s why I think Sunday, the weekend, is the best time to do it.”
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It is not yet clear what the public can expect as the Cabinet will meet on Thursday to agree the government’s next moves.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps suggested last week that work start times could be staggered so social distancing on trains and buses might be easier.
And schools will restart in a “phased manner”, education secretary Gavin Williamson has previously said, though he did not give a date.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, to attend his first weekly Prime Minister's Questions since recovering from coronavirus ASSOCIATED PRESS
Challenging the PM at the despatch box, Starmer said: “There are millions of people on furlough, as the prime minister knows, millions with children struggling with caring responsibilities.
“If they are to return to work and if their children are to return to school, they need reassurance, I think we can all feel that, reassurance that it will be safe to do so. And that means they do need to know what the government’s plan is for the next stage.”
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Johnson said he could not give a full answer to MPs now because “we have to be sure that the data is going to support” plans
The PM also acknowledged it would spark an “economic disaster” should lifting restrictions see cases of Covid-19 surge again.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, speaking via video conference, meanwhile, said the lockdown must remain in place “for as long as it’s needed” as he called for people to avoid travelling to beauty spots.


huffingtonpost--2020-05-06--Coronavirus Sees Pet Scams Treble As Brits Are Sold Animals That Don't Exist

Reports of animal scams tripled in April to 524 cases across the UK , according to Action Fraud .
There has been a surge in people looking for puppies and kittens as they spend more time at home and may be seeking companionship .
But criminals are exploiting the fact buyers can ’ t visit and collect animals in person during lockdown , and are instead sending them photographs before persuading them to part with their money for pets that never materialise .
In some cases , fraudsters are using the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions not only to exploit victims for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them out of additional money by asking for the cost of insurance , vaccinations and delivery .
HuffPost UK has learned that , in one case , a victim bought and paid for a cat before being informed there would be a delay handing it over because the seller was in hospital with coronavirus .
The person who notified the victim claimed to be from The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons .
But when the buyer called the college back , it became clear the scammer had simply stolen the vet ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In another case , someone bought a puppy online and paid a deposit .
They were then contacted by a courier company which said there would be an additional £850 delivery cost because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Detective Superintendent Alex Rothwell from City of London Police , which hosts the national Action Fraud reporting centre , told HuffPost UK : “ We know that criminals are adaptable and they will use every opportunity they can to defraud people .
We have to be prepared for them to exploit every angle of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives in unusual circumstances and are at home on their computers more , searching for things to buy , and are often making purchases without being able to see what they are buying in person.
” “ Unfortunately , scammers are playing on the emotions of people wanting to buy pets during the lockdown and are using the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to explain why people can ’ t go to view the animal first as they would in normal circumstances .
“ Instead , criminals are showing people photographs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to sell .
After they have paid the money , the animal never materialises and they can no longer get hold of the seller.
” “ We are all vulnerable to fraud in different ways and fraudsters have the ability to target people in specific ways – one of which is exploiting their love of animals.
” Pet scams have been reported to Action Fraud from all over the UK , with a spike in April when 524 people were targeted by the fraud – more than three times the number reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want to scare people at a time when many are already anxious , but urged : “ Think before you click .
Take five minutes to consider if what you are thinking about buying is something you can verify from a different source before you divulge information or make a purchase .
“ While it is perfectly plausible you can ’ t see an animal in person during the lockdown , you can ask for further evidence that they have the pet such as a video call .
If you feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead with the purchase .

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Cruel scammers are exploiting Brits’ love of animals and desire for company amid the coronavirus lockdown by selling them fake pets through online adverts.
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Reports of animal scams tripled in April to 524 cases across the UK, according to Action Fraud. There has been a surge in people looking for puppies and kittens as they spend more time at home and may be seeking companionship.
But criminals are exploiting the fact buyers can’t visit and collect animals in person during lockdown, and are instead sending them photographs before persuading them to part with their money for pets that never materialise.
Courtney Hale via Getty Images
In the last two months, 669 people have lost a collective £282,686 after paying for pets they had seen advertised online but never received, Action Fraud has revealed.
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In some cases, fraudsters are using the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions not only to exploit victims for an initial payment, but to con them out of additional money by asking for the cost of insurance, vaccinations and delivery.
HuffPost UK has learned that, in one case, a victim bought and paid for a cat before being informed there would be a delay handing it over because the seller was in hospital with coronavirus.
The person who notified the victim claimed to be from The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. But when the buyer called the college back, it became clear the scammer had simply stolen the vet’s name and workplace as a cover.
In another case, someone bought a puppy online and paid a deposit. They were then contacted by a courier company which said there would be an additional £850 delivery cost because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The victim attempted to contact the seller to ask for a refund but could no longer get through to them.
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Prystai via Getty Images
Detective Superintendent Alex Rothwell from City of London Police, which hosts the national Action Fraud reporting centre, told HuffPost UK: “We know that criminals are adaptable and they will use every opportunity they can to defraud people. We have to be prepared for them to exploit every angle of this national crisis.
“People are living their lives in unusual circumstances and are at home on their computers more, searching for things to buy, and are often making purchases without being able to see what they are buying in person.”
Google searches for “buy a puppy” soared by 120% in the month after lockdown and “adopt a puppy” saw a rise of 133% in online searches.
Detective Superintendent Alex Rothwell City of London Police
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Rothwell told HuffPost fraudsters are using the lockdown as an excuse for not allowing customers to visit or collect animals in person.
“The majority of reports we are getting are about online shopping scams where people are ordering items and the goods are simply not arriving,” he said.
“Unfortunately, scammers are playing on the emotions of people wanting to buy pets during the lockdown and are using the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to explain why people can’t go to view the animal first as they would in normal circumstances.
“Instead, criminals are showing people photographs of animals that they don’t actually have to sell. After they have paid the money, the animal never materialises and they can no longer get hold of the seller.”
He added: “Criminals are often posting these fake ads on social media or using social media to direct people to fraudulent websites.
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“We are all vulnerable to fraud in different ways and fraudsters have the ability to target people in specific ways – one of which is exploiting their love of animals.”
Pet scams have been reported to Action Fraud from all over the UK, with a spike in April when 524 people were targeted by the fraud – more than three times the number reported in March.
Rothwell said he didn’t want to scare people at a time when many are already anxious, but urged: “Think before you click. Take five minutes to consider if what you are thinking about buying is something you can verify from a different source before you divulge information or make a purchase.
“While it is perfectly plausible you can’t see an animal in person during the lockdown, you can ask for further evidence that they have the pet such as a video call. If you feel any doubts, don’t go ahead with the purchase.
“It is also worth remembering that if you pay with a credit card, there is some consumer protection that comes with that.”
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huffingtonpost--2020-06-11--Lockdown A Week Earlier Would Have Halved UK Coronavirus Death Toll, Says Neil Ferguson

Coronavirus has changed everything .
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Boris Johnson could have cut the coronavirus death toll by half if lockdown measures were brought in just one week earlier , leading scientist Neil Ferguson has said .
The professor of mathematical biology , who works at Imperial College London , said in March the epidemic was doubling every three to four days .
The prime minister announced lockdown on March 23 but Ferguson - who was himself forced to resign as a scientific adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman to visit him at his London home - said restrictions seven days earlier would have halved the number of deaths .
Speaking to the Commons science and technology committee on Wednesday , he said : “ The epidemic was doubling every three to four days before lockdown interventions were introduced .
“ So , had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier , we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half.
” Ferguson added , however , that based on what was known about transmission and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were warranted .
Speaking on March 16 , a week before imposing restrictions such as school closures and business shutdowns , the PM said the government ’ s actions were “ based scrupulously on the best scientific advice ” .
Johnson asked people to avoid all unnecessary contact and said those with symptoms should isolate for two weeks .
He also told the public the government was choosing the “ right moment ” for fresh measures , saying : “ And if you ask , why are we doing this now , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later ?
Why bring in this very draconian measure ?
“ The answer is that we are asking people to do something that is difficult and disruptive of their lives .
“ And the right moment , as we ’ ve always said , is to do it when it is most effective , when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease , reducing the number of victims , reducing the number of fatalities.
” An Imperial College London study modelling the potential progress of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without lockdown and was published on March 30 by Ferguson , is thought to have strongly influenced the PM ’ s view .
The latest figures from the government show the number of people who have died across the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by at least 109 in 24 hours .
It brings the working total to 40,992 .
According to the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) the number of people who have died with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate is now 51,089 .

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Boris Johnson could have cut the coronavirus death toll by half if lockdown measures were brought in just one week earlier, leading scientist Neil Ferguson has said.
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The professor of mathematical biology, who works at Imperial College London, said in March the epidemic was doubling every three to four days.
The prime minister announced lockdown on March 23 but Ferguson - who was himself forced to resign as a scientific adviser when he broke lockdown rules by allowing a woman to visit him at his London home - said restrictions seven days earlier would have halved the number of deaths.
Speaking to the Commons science and technology committee on Wednesday, he said: “The epidemic was doubling every three to four days before lockdown interventions were introduced.
“So, had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half.”
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Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson speaks at a news conference in London, Britain January 22, 2020, in this still image taken from video. REUTERS TV via REUTERS REUTERS . / Reuters
Ferguson added, however, that based on what was known about transmission and fatalities at the time, the measures were warranted.
Speaking on March 16, a week before imposing restrictions such as school closures and business shutdowns, the PM said the government’s actions were “based scrupulously on the best scientific advice”.
Johnson asked people to avoid all unnecessary contact and said those with symptoms should isolate for two weeks.
He also told the public the government was choosing the “right moment” for fresh measures, saying: “And if you ask, why are we doing this now, why now, why not earlier, or later? Why bring in this very draconian measure?
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“The answer is that we are asking people to do something that is difficult and disruptive of their lives.
“And the right moment, as we’ve always said, is to do it when it is most effective, when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease, reducing the number of victims, reducing the number of fatalities.”
Tuesday, March 17, 2020, chancellor Rishi Sunak, left, and Boris Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Imperial College London study modelling the potential progress of the virus, which predicted 260,000 deaths without lockdown and was published on March 30 by Ferguson, is thought to have strongly influenced the PM’s view.
The latest figures from the government show the number of people who have died across the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by at least 109 in 24 hours. It brings the working total to 40,992.
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According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of people who have died with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate is now 51,089.


huffingtonpost--2020-06-08--ICUs, Mortuaries And Prisons: The NHS Heroes Sent Into The Unknown When Covid-19 Hit

“ I literally love it , ” Emily explained .
“ You ’ re going in there and your job @ @ @ @ @ people and do it to the best of your ability .
My attitude is that @ @ @ @ @ kind and give your best .
”

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Nurse Matthew Knight has worked for the NHS in north-west London for the past 18 years. Usually, he can be found in the pre-assessment unit at Northwick Park Hospital, preparing patients who are set to go under the knife.
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“I’m the person that will do the MOT test on patients to make sure they’re fit for surgery,” he said. “So I will check their blood pressure, do swabs to make sure they don’t have any infections and do blood tests on them.”
But by mid-March, with coronavirus deaths in the UK rapidly increasing, Matthew and his colleagues knew that the unit would be shut down as the hospital focussed on fighting Covid-19.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen after that,” the 37-year-old said. “Were we going to come into work and just do stocking or tidying up?”
On March 20, he found out. “My manager called me in and said: ‘I know you might say no, but I have to ask the question. How do you feel about working in the mortuary?’
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“I thought about it for about two seconds before I agreed,” he said.
“I had worked in A&E before, I had seen dead bodies before, so I could handle it. My manager was shocked, but I was OK with it.”
Matthew is just one of what is thought to be thousands of medics who have been redeployed during the Covid-19 pandemic as the NHS has focused its resources on fighting the virus that has killed more than 40,000 people in the UK.
On March 23 – the day Boris Johnson announced the country would be going into lockdown – Matthew started his first shift in the mortuary.
Matthew Knight was redeployed to the mortuary at Northwick Park Hospital, in Harrow. Supplied: LNWH. Supplied: LNWH NHS Trust.
Usually, mortuary staff at Northwick Park Hospital tend to five or six patients a day. At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, they were seeing between 25 and 30.
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Matthew was one of several staff redeployed to the department to help deal with the increase.
“The first person I saw was someone who I actually knew. Which was a shock to me – a big shock,” he said. “At first I thought: ‘Is this a joke? Are they just testing me out to see if I can handle it?’ But no, it obviously wasn’t a joke.
“I held myself together, even though it was obviously very, very traumatic.”
During his time in the mortuary, the nurse saw “a lot” of patients he had pre-assessed for surgery during his almost two decades at the hospital.
“It was very hard at first,” he said. “But I can’t stress enough that I had a fantastic team around me. They were so good, really supportive. They kept my head above water.”
As the mortuary dealt with an influx in patients, it was Matthew job to check-in each one, taking their name and measurements and checking for pacemakers and cannulas.
“Me, personally, I’m a very caring person, I like caring for people,” he said. “And this is somebody’s loved one. So I like to give people respect and the final treatment I can give them. Especially patients I actually did know.
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“I know it was difficult, but in a way it was comforting that I was sending them off on their last journey – making sure they were OK, making sure they were decent, looked presentable. Treating them with respect, really.”
Despite the impact the role has had on him, Matthew – who lost two of his own close relatives to coronavirus – said he would do it again, describing it as “rewarding” work.
“Being in the mortuary, it puts things in perspective,” he added. “Life is too short. Life is too short to hold onto grudges, to argue about trivial things.
“There were certain family members I didn’t talk to for a long time – I speak to them now. I look at the world differently.”
Like Matthew, Alex – a junior physiotherapist at Northwick Park Hospital – was redeployed to deal with the hospital’s huge influx in coronavirus patients.
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Junior physiotherapist Alex Bereziuk was moved from outpatients to the ICU Supplied: LNWH NHS Trust
In mid-March, a critical incident was declared at the hospital after it ran out of intensive care beds amid a major surge in Covid-19 patients.
Originally Alex, who was working in the outpatients unit before Covid-19 hit, was redeployed to the pharmacy unit, delivering medication to patients who were shielding.
But as coronavirus cases continued to rise – and the hospital expanded its intensive care unit to deal with more and more seriously-ill patients – the 26-year-old was asked to join a “proning” team on ICU.
Proning plays a key role in treating some coronavirus patients, Tariq Husain – a consultant at Northwick Park Hospital who led the intensive care unit at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak – explained.
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“If we can’t get enough oxygen into someone on a ventilator, we sometimes turn them from lying on their back to lying on their front,” he said. “That’s called proning.”
In normal circumstances, you can expect to find one patient lying on their front in intensive care.
Tariq said: “With the Covid pandemic, the main issue was getting oxygen into people’s lungs. Proning people became a very common thing that we did, so much so that we set up proning teams.”
Alex – who had worked on ICU once before as a student – was on one of these teams, which was made up of anaesthetists and fellow physiotherapists. At one point, they were proning 15 or 16 patients each shift.
“It was quite intimidating to start with,” Alex said. “Our training helped us a lot – but it was different in terms of the volume of patients in intensive care and the turnover of patients in there, with some of them sadly passing away.
“Before, when I had worked in intensive care, I think only one patient had passed away. In Northwick Park, we were hit quite badly. So the turnover of patients was quite hard to deal with.”
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It was an “intense” job, Alex said. “I think at the time, it was more about – not surviving – but getting through each shift and focusing on that, rather than all the negative aspects that were happening. And focussing on the patients that we could help.”
Alex Bereziuk and other medics in PPE Supplied: LNWH NHS Trust
For Tariq, it is the staff who were redeployed to the ICU – like Alex – who were the “true heroes” of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Stepping inside intensive care in normal circumstances would be pretty scary on your first day in a new job,” he said.
“But working in intensive care and then the enormity of what was happening – it was extraordinary, actually. I think that they’re the true heroes of it all.”
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After two months in ICU, Alex has now been redeployed again to a newly-formed Covid rehabilitation team, which gives “really intense physiotherapy” to coronavirus patients who are well enough to be moved from intensive care to other wards.
“It’s been quite nice,” he said. “I’ve seen some of the patients I was proning on intensive care while they were sedated get better and have been able to do a bit of rehabilitation with them in ICU.
“Now they have been discharged to the wards – where I am now – so I have followed them through the whole process.
“There’s some patients I have seen since day one of their admission, and we have got them all the way back through to walking and sent them home. It’s really rewarding.”
But NHS staff weren’t just redeployed within hospitals when the coronavirus outbreak hit. Some were sent to prison.
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Emily Stephenson is a sexual health nurse in Guildford. Yet at the start of the coronavirus crisis, she was drafted in to work at HMP Downview, a closed category women’s jail in Surrey.
It was the middle of March when she found out she would be redeployed, with sexual health clinics forced to streamline services to adhere to social-distancing guidelines.
Sexual health nurse Emily Stephenson was redeployed to a prison in Surrey Supplied: Emily Stephenson
“I was thinking I was probably going to be sent to a hospital or something and I was quite nervous about it,” the 44-year-old said. “I didn’t really want to go to a hospital – I didn’t want to see people dying. It was just awful.
“Then I got the call from my boss saying they wanted to send me to one of the Surrey prisons. Of course, I was really excited that I wasn’t being sent to a hospital. I was like: ‘This is amazing, I’m so pleased, so relieved.’
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“Then I put the phone down, walked downstairs and said to my family: ‘Oh hold on, I’m going to prison.’”
Emily was one of seven nurses who were redeployed to prisons in Surrey to cover staff shortages as the service prepared for possible coronavirus outbreaks among prisoners.
“I sat there and I thought: ‘Oh my goodness, I see things that happen on the news and I think they’re terrible people that go into prisons. How am I going to feel when I go in there?’”
But despite her reservations, she has found the experience “amazing” – and is even considering a future career in prison nursing.
“I literally love it,” Emily explained. “You’re going in there and your job is to look after these people and do it to the best of your ability. My attitude is that you have got to be kind and give your best.”
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To date, there haven’t been any cases of coronavirus in the prison, Emily said. Instead, her work has been focused on providing healthcare to the prisoners, while trying to limit face-to-face contact amid social-distancing rules.
“I’m a big believer in rehabilitation and supporting people, even if I just make a difference in the five or 10 minutes I see them,” she added.


huffingtonpost--2020-05-14--The Tragic Death Of Belly Mujinga And The Psychology Of Spitting In The Coronavirus Era

The attack on Mujinga , who leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter and husband is now being investigated by police – though it was only reported a full seven weeks later .
Questions remain as to whether evidence that could have helped catch the perpetrator has been lost , as well as how to protect public-facing workers .
Tragically , Mujinga , who had been signed off work in the past with respiratory problems , was sent back out onto the concourse after the attack on her , despite pleading to be allowed to finish her shift inside the ticket office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separated her from the public .
He said : “ One of the problems of spitting is that as an offence it ’ s unpredictable , you can ’ t defend against it , and it violates social norms .
We were taught as children : don ’ t spit .
We ’ re taught that spitting is bad , that is spreads diseases .
It violates everything we are taught about decent human behaviour in public and that ’ s why it shocks people.
” Without PPE , he said , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For bus drivers you can have screens and we do that anyway , shop workers can have screens , ” he said .
“ But where you ’ ve got mobile workers on their feet such as concourses or in hospitality where they ’ re not behind a counter and they ’ re not protected , that ’ s the real weak point , that ’ s the interface.
” “ So for that moment , where there is an aggressive conflict between the person and uniform , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration out on that person .
Either traditionally , by calling them a pig or verbally abusing them or saying something about their parentage or heritage .
But now spitting is for some seen as a powerful embodiment and weaponisation of their own physical presence .
“ Another reason why I think some elements of society see spitting as a great weapon is because it ’ s only one spit but the potential for cross infection and cross contamination amongst several people could be quite huge .
It ’ s a very effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also a psychological weapon – it ’ s a form of terror .
It ’ s the fear of not knowing if this person is telling the truth , or if they are just bluffing .
“ Years ago you used to have to spend months down the gym or abuse anabolic androgens [ steroids ] .
Now you can have the abilities of a superhero without having to put hours in at the gym and getting muscular and built .
Your body can be a very effective – and potentially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And for some people who don ’ t value uniformed services , maybe feel marginalised and see themselves as part of an underclass , they see this as evening the game a little bit .
“ I don ’ t know if there could have been a racial element in there as well in Belly ’ s case , that ’ s a possibility , but the spitter may just have been spitting at the uniform , not at the person , not at the individual .
They ’ re spitting at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everybody is fed up with or feels doesn ’ t give good service.
” “ We shouldn ’ t let the employers off the hook here .
Although this is an unpredictable violent act , they still do have a duty of care to their workers that things like this when they do happen are dealt with quickly .

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In an unprecedented age where the world struggles in the grip of a coronavirus pandemic, a minority of individuals are choosing to weaponise their own bodies – by claiming to have the virus and infecting others by spitting or coughing on them.
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A highly contagious virus, Covid-19 has changed the way we live, limiting our contact with others and killing nearly 300,000 people around the globe.
While spitting itself has long been known as a hostile act, capable of spreading disease, the threat of spreading this particular virus is becoming increasingly common, with results that could well be fatal.
Victoria station ticket collector Belly Mujinga, 47, died of coronavirus after being spat at while on duty by a man who claimed to have Covid-19 PA
This has been illustrated most starkly by the case of railway ticket officer worker Belly Mujinga, who was on duty on the concourse at London’s Victoria Train Station on March 21 when a member of the public approached her and a colleague and assaulted them by coughing and spitting in their faces.
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The male informed the women he had coronavirus before fleeing the scene. A week after the assault, both women fell ill and were found to have contracted coronavirus. Mujinga, who had underlying health issues, was admitted to hospital in Barnet on April 2 and died three days later. Her colleague is still recovering.
The attack on Mujinga, who leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter and husband is now being investigated by police – though it was only reported a full seven weeks later. Questions remain as to whether evidence that could have helped catch the perpetrator has been lost, as well as how to protect public-facing workers.
Tragically, Mujinga, who had been signed off work in the past with respiratory problems, was sent back out onto the concourse after the attack on her, despite pleading to be allowed to finish her shift inside the ticket office where a pane of glass would have separated her from the public.
Though it cannot be proved that Mujinga contracted the virus through the attack, more and more incidents like it are being reported. Last month, three men were jailed for coughing, spitting or threatening to infect people – including police officers – with coronavirus.
They included Bevan Burke, 22, who was arrested after spitting at a shopkeeper who had banned him from a Birmingham store for shoplifting, and shouting: “I have corona... you’re going to die.”
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As Burke was later being transported to police custody, he began coughing and blowing towards officers and again said: “I’ve got confirmed coronavirus and now you’ve got it. I hope you and your family die.”
Bevan Burke was jailed for 42 weeks at Birmingham Crown Court having admitted assaulting emergency workers and the shopkeeper, as well as shoplifting at the convenience store on January 10 .
Craig Jackson, professor of occupational health psychology at Birmingham City University, terms the act of spitting at another human being a biological and psychological assault.
He said: “One of the problems of spitting is that as an offence it’s unpredictable, you can’t defend against it, and it violates social norms. We were taught as children: don’t spit. We’re taught that spitting is bad, that is spreads diseases. It violates everything we are taught about decent human behaviour in public and that’s why it shocks people.”
While Jackson concedes that spitting at members of the uniformed forces is not a new trend, he says the options to protect such workers as Mujinga are severely limited in the current climate.
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Without PPE, he said, there is little else that can be done. “For bus drivers you can have screens and we do that anyway, shop workers can have screens,” he said. “But where you’ve got mobile workers on their feet such as concourses or in hospitality where they’re not behind a counter and they’re not protected, that’s the real weak point, that’s the interface.”
Sadly, attacks on staff like Mujinga are commonplace. Linda Freitas, who has worked at Victoria station for 13 years, told the Press Association: “I don’t think people realise how much abuse we get.”
She said: “We have occasions where people become aggressive, it’s very bad, it’s scary.”
Of Mujinga’s death, she said: “I was so shocked. You never think it’s going to happen to someone that you work with.”
Freitas added she was “anxious and a bit scared” about the prospect of more commuters travelling back to work after the relaxation of lockdown on Wednesday.
Another railway worker at the station, who gave her name as Gabby, said that Wednesday was the first day staff had been given masks to wear.
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She said: “There’s not much being done to check all the staff. Today is the first day we have had masks.”
And a security worker who asked to remain anonymous said: “I think they’re trying to cover themselves. This should have been done right at the beginning.”
Professor Craig Jackson terms the act of spitting at another human being a biological and psychological assault Birmingham City University
Professor Jackson believes the act of spitting at uniformed workers is borne out of their representation of authority in moments of conflict, rendering the victim in the spitter’s mind as “fair game”.
He said: “They represent authority and they unfortunately are seen by individuals as being the manifestation of elements of that authority that members of the public don’t like or disagree with.
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“So for that moment, where there is an aggressive conflict between the person and uniform, it’s fair game – you can take your frustration out on that person. Either traditionally, by calling them a pig or verbally abusing them or saying something about their parentage or heritage. But now spitting is for some seen as a powerful embodiment and weaponisation of their own physical presence.
“It’s both biological and psychological because of the uncertainty. I couldn’t think of a more hateful act. Being spat at is just synonymous with hatred and disgust.
“Another reason why I think some elements of society see spitting as a great weapon is because it’s only one spit but the potential for cross infection and cross contamination amongst several people could be quite huge. It’s a very effective weapon in some cases. It’s also a psychological weapon – it’s a form of terror. It’s the fear of not knowing if this person is telling the truth, or if they are just bluffing.
“Years ago you used to have to spend months down the gym or abuse anabolic androgens [steroids]. Now you can have the abilities of a superhero without having to put hours in at the gym and getting muscular and built. Your body can be a very effective – and potentially, in some cases – lethal weapon. And for some people who don’t value uniformed services, maybe feel marginalised and see themselves as part of an underclass, they see this as evening the game a little bit.
“I don’t know if there could have been a racial element in there as well in Belly’s case, that’s a possibility, but the spitter may just have been spitting at the uniform, not at the person, not at the individual. They’re spitting at this representation of whatever train company it was that everybody is fed up with or feels doesn’t give good service.”
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Spitting at uniformed workers has long been a problem, with the police in particular regularly requesting protective equipment – namely spit hoods – to deal with the hazard. The hoods are used in custody suites but they are not permitted to be carried on the beat, with human rights groups including Amnesty International calling them a “cruel and dangerous” form of restraint.
In a 2018 Metropolitan Police Federation survey, one officer said he was forced to take a two-week course of preventative drugs after he was spat at in a custody suite, and as a result of the side effects was not allowed to hold his newborn daughter.
In Mujinga’s case, the use of a spit hood would not have been possible and it is debatable whether an eye wash station would have made any difference. While face masks are now being issued at the station, Professor Jackson believes the government needs to do more to educate the public about the dangers of spitting and make it as anti-social as offences such as drink driving.
He said: “We shun drink drivers now, we look down on them but, years ago, we didn’t. There has been a very successful campaign in Scotland and England for making people look down on drink drivers. You could do the same with spitting.”
He said: “When you finish your work at 5pm, your health, both psychological and physical, should be no worse than it was at 9am. And if it is, there is something legally, morally and ethically wrong with that job.
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“We shouldn’t let the employers off the hook here. Although this is an unpredictable violent act, they still do have a duty of care to their workers that things like this when they do happen are dealt with quickly.


huffingtonpost--2020-06-18--'We'll Meet Again' Singer Who Raised British Spirits During WW2 Dies

The singer was widely known as the Forces ’ Sweetheart having entertained troops with morale-boosting visits to the front line during the Second World War .
Dame Vera ’ s family said they were “ deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain ’ s best-loved entertainers ” in a statement on Thursday .
They added : “ Dame Vera Lynn , who lived in Ditchling , East Sussex , passed away earlier today , 18 June 2020 , surrounded by her close family.
” The family also said further information regarding a memorial service “ will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performed for troops during the war , often at great personal risk , in countries including Egypt , India and Burma .
Her most famous song was “ We ’ ll Meet Again , ” but she also had hits with “ The White Cliffs Of Dover , ” “ There ’ ll Always Be An England , ” “ I ’ ll Be Seeing You , ” “ Wishing ” and “ If Only I Had Wings , ” which she sang to help raise British spirits during the Blitz .
Dame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and toured the world performing .
In May this year , she became the oldest artist to score a top 40 album in the UK , when her greatest hits album 100 re-entered the chart at number 30 , boosted by commemorations for the 75th anniversary of VE day .
In May , she urged the nation to “ remember the brave boys and what they sacrificed for us.
” She added : “ They left their families and homes to fight for our freedom and many lost their lives trying to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged the British public to “ rediscover that same spirit that saw us through the war ” amid the coronavirus pandemic , in a special message before she turned 103 in March .

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Dame Vera Lynn has died at 103, her family have said.
The singer was widely known as the Forces’ Sweetheart having entertained troops with morale-boosting visits to the front line during the Second World War.
Dame Vera’s family said they were “deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers” in a statement on Thursday.
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Dame Vera Lynn Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock
They added: “Dame Vera Lynn, who lived in Ditchling, East Sussex, passed away earlier today, 18 June 2020, surrounded by her close family.”
The family also said further information regarding a memorial service “will be announced at a later date”.
Dame Vera was born in East Ham, east London, on 20 March 1917.
She performed for troops during the war, often at great personal risk, in countries including Egypt, India and Burma.
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Dame Vera pictured in 1956 PA
Her most famous song was We’ll Meet Again, but she also had hits with The White Cliffs Of Dover, There’ll Always Be An England, I’ll Be Seeing You, Wishing and If Only I Had Wings, which she sang to help raise British spirits during the Blitz.
Dame Vera later had her own TV show and toured the world performing.
In May this year, she became the oldest artist to score a top 40 album in the UK, when her greatest hits album 100 re-entered the chart at number 30, boosted by commemorations for the 75th anniversary of VE day.
She remained an outspoken supporter of military veterans throughout her life.
Dame Vera was an outspoken supporter of military veterans throughout her life PA
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In May, she urged the nation to “remember the brave boys and what they sacrificed for us”.
She added: “They left their families and homes to fight for our freedom and many lost their lives trying to protect us and our liberties.”
Dame Vera pictured with the Queen in 1992 PA
She also encouraged the British public to “rediscover that same spirit that saw us through the war” amid the coronavirus pandemic, in a special message before she turned 103 in March.
The Queen also referenced the title of Dame Vera’s most beloved wartime song when she told the country, separated from families and friends during the coronavirus lockdown: “We will meet again.”
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huffingtonpost--2020-06-10--Revealed: Children Beg To Go Back To School After Being Locked Down In Abusive Homes

Tom remembers fracturing his arm after his father threw him around and attacked him .
When he went to school @ @ @ @ @ hold his hand up to answer a question and when he explained to his teacher @ @ @ @ @ arm , he was sent to the school nurse – who in turn sent a @ @ @ @ @ them to take him to the doctor .
He then got in trouble all over @ @

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Youngsters are begging to return to school to escape the nightmare of domestic abuse as figures reveal calls to helplines have soared to an average of one an hour.
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The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) say calls are up by nearly a third since the beginning of lockdown, from 140 to 185 a week.
In one heartbreaking call, a 10-year-old boy told Childline: “We should be allowed back to school now so my step-dad stops hitting mummy.”
One 16-year-old girl told the helpline: “I want my parents to break up. They are constantly arguing and they have both started drinking a lot more.
“They say some pretty horrible things to each other. It’s been like this for ages. Since the lockdown, my mum has been physically abusive and I’m really worried because they have both spent the night in jail before.
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“I have no school work to do and my mum is not working and everything feels like it’s getting worse.”
Some children are living with the nightmare of domestic abuse during lockdown Tom Hull
Another girl told Childline: “I really wish I was back living with my foster carers, but I’m stuck at my mum’s place ’cause of the lockdown.
“My step-dad makes mum drink every night and I hear them shouting and throwing stuff at each other – it makes me so uncomfortable.
“I don’t like being alone with my step-dad either – he tries to kiss me really hard on the neck and other private places. Last time, it made a bruise.
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“He said I’m not allowed to ‘snitch’ on him as everyone will be cross with me. I don’t know what to do.”
Some children are living with the nightmare of domestic abuse during lockdown Tom Hull
The NSPCC says the increased risks of domestic abuse during the Covid-19 lockdown highlights the devastating impact on young people.
Since lockdown began, 1,500 adults have told the NSPCC’s helpline about their fears for children trapped in their homes. Some 58% led to referrals or a referral update to the local authority.
May saw the highest number of contacts to the helpline about domestic abuse – 1,017 – since recording changed in 2016.
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It is feared the plight of some children may be going under the radar during the lockdown as they are not attending school and other organisations where people might have spotted signs that something was wrong.
Although schools have been open to vulnerable children throughout lockdown, the worry is that some youngsters will fall through the cracks; or their parents will choose not to send them to school, or that they may be facing living in an abusive household for the first time.
Tom, 50, an abuse survivor, told HuffPost UK how he was physically and mentally abused for 10 years by his parents from the age of six and how going to school had been his only respite from the constant fear.
He admitted he doesn’t know how he would have survived the current situation being locked down with his parents and he can empathise with the ordeal faced by children trapped in similar situations.
“I was withdrawn from society and locked up in my room,” he recalled. “I was allowed to come out to eat, but that was about it.
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“I was sometimes allowed out for short intervals but that would normally constitute some other form of abuse so in some ways. Being locked up was almost a relief as I knew I would not get physically hit.”
“Like a caged animal, I didn’t know any different – what it was like to be outside that cage. I didn’t know what real life was.” - Tom, 50, an abuse survivor
Tom told HuffPost UK how he was mentally tormented by his controlling mother and lived in constant fear of his violent father, but because his parents were church-goers and religious, to the outside world, they seemed much nicer people than they actually were.
“It started seriously when I was about six, but there were things that went on before that,” he said. “Like a caged animal, I didn’t know any different – what it was like to be outside that cage. I didn’t know what real life was.”
Tom remembers once dropping a ball so it landed on the garden and his father struck him with a spade several times to punish him. Being attacked with the spade formed a regular part of his punishments and he still bears the scars.
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If he did anything that his parents deemed as wrong, such as mentioning he had spoken to someone at school, he would be punished and denied food and was locked up and not allowed to go to the toilet, wash or bathe.
“It becomes your normal and the good bits of my life were when I was not being hit and the bad bits were when I was being physically hit. I just lived in constant fear.”
fiorigianluigi via Getty Images
Tom remembers fracturing his arm after his father threw him around and attacked him. When he went to school, he was unable to hold his hand up to answer a question and when he explained to his teacher that he had a sore arm, he was sent to the school nurse – who in turn sent a letter to his parents asking them to take him to the doctor. He then got in trouble all over again.
“I suffered years of physical and mental abuse,” Tom told HuffPost UK. “My father predominantly carried out the physical abuse while my mother was the instigator of the mental abuse and made out everything I did was a bad thing so my father would physically abuse me.
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“It was almost like a double act.”
Tom also faced the fear of a vicar, a friend of his parents, visiting the home as he touched him inappropriately for more than four years. “I could not speak out about it as my parents thought he was great and my parents would be in the same room and see.
“It was a case of trying not to squirm away from him as that would lead to me being punished later by my parents.”
Feeling he had no one to turn to for help and only realising when he was about 11 that his life was significantly different from that of other children, Tom began planning his way out from the age of 13 and finally escaped the family home three years later.
DiMaggio/Kalish via Getty Images
Since leaving his abusive childhood, Tom has forged a successful career and personal life and is now a loving and supportive father to a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son.
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He told HuffPost UK he never talks about his past with anyone and hides it as he fears being judged.
He described himself as feeling like “a spoilt picture that you want to screw up and throw in the bin”.
Tom said he can relate to the children currently trapped in abusive situations in lockdown as he says the abuse is “intense and constant” and that “even when you are not experiencing physical abuse, you are living in constant fear of it”.
“I used to dread the school bell ringing signalling the end of the school day as it meant I had to go home.” - Tom, 50, an abuse survivor
“The only break you ever get from it is when you go out to do something – which for me was going to school.
“I used to dread the school bell ringing signalling the end of the school day as it meant I had to go home. And I would dread the school holidays.
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“For children in abusive households, being at school is often the only time they get to access other people and their teachers are like a safety net. To lose that must be horrendous.
“I always hoped someone would notice what was happening to me and teachers are people these children usually have regular contact with and can trust.”
Many people are worried about the risk of children being exposed to coronavirus by returning to school – but Tom says these fears need to be balanced against the harm some children may be being subjected to in their homes.
The NSPCC argues that the increased risk during the coronavirus crisis further highlights the need for the government to amend the law to recognise the daily nightmare of violence and coercive control for some children.
It wants young people who escape abuse to have access to specialist support to recover.
The charity says the Domestic Abuse Bill, which is at committee stage, fails to do this in its current form despite repeated calls from experts including the domestic abuse, children’s and victims’ commissioners – as well as the Home Affairs Select Committee.
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New analysis of 11 serious case reviews submitted to MPs set to scrutinise the Bill shows children have been seriously harmed and even killed because domestic abuse was not considered to be a child protection issue.
During lockdown, fears about the virus are being exploited to cut off kids’ contact with family and friends and to monitor their movements under the pretext of keeping them safe from the virus.
One mother who called the NSPCC helpline described how her former partner had taken her baby son away and she didn’t know what to do.
“He stormed into the house the other day saying he was going to take the baby for a few days – he said he wouldn’t get to see him until the summer because of the lockdown.
“When I refused, he pushed me against the wall and took off with the baby and house keys. I’ve not heard from him since.
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“I’m really worried about my baby’s safety. My ex can be a bit rough when he handles him and he sometimes tells him to ‘shut the f*** up.’ I told my social worker what’s happened and they’re trying to locate him so I can get my baby back.”
Even when children aren’t always the ones to suffer physical harm, they have told Childline they feel trapped. In some cases, it has led to depression, suicidal thoughts and self harm.
“The smallest things make him angry and he starts shouting. I’m terrified of him and I’ve had enough. I can’t take it any more – please help me.” - A 14-year-old boy calling Childline
One 14-year-old boy told Childline: “I really need your help. My dad has been physically abusing my mum. He has an anger problem and it’s getting out of hand.
“The smallest things make him angry and he starts shouting. I’m terrified of him and I’ve had enough. I can’t take it any more – please help me.”
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Emily Hilton, NSPCC senior policy and public affairs officer, told HuffPost UK that before coronavirus: “Many of these children would have been able to go places like school or out with their friends and get some respite.
“But [now] they are not able to physically meet people the same or have that safety net.
“Children are not really having much interaction with the wider world. Instead, they are constantly at home where abuse might take place.”
Action for Children told HuffPost UK it is deeply concerned about the record rise in contacts to the NSPCC’s helpline.
“Under normal circumstances, these children would be much more visible,” said head of policy and research Eleanor Briggs.
“But at the moment, a lot of children are not in school and are ‘hidden’ and this is a very dangerous time for children experiencing domestic abuse in their household.
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“This alarming new evidence shows that for thousands of children exposed to horrifying physical and psychological abuse under lockdown, the ‘stay at home’ message sadly did not mean ‘stay safe’.
Eleanor Briggs, Action for Children’s head of policy and research Action for Children
“The lockdown’s impact on our most vulnerable children trapped behind closed doors shows just how vital it is the government gets this Bill right and recognises them as innocent victims, not just witnesses.
“Throughout the crisis, our frontline workers have been carrying out doorstep visits at a safe distance to give eyes on families we know are at risk, but what these children desperately need in the long term are the right laws to keep them safe.”


huffingtonpost--2020-05-04--This Is What Some Of Europe's Biggest Cities Look Like As Lockdown Measures Start To Ease

Over the weekend , people across Spain were allowed out of their homes for the first time in seven weeks @ @ @ @ @ tough restrictions .
Joggers , cyclists and walkers took to the streets in droves and @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile France , which has seen almost 25,000 deaths , is preparing for some restrictions @ @ @ @ @ – when pre-school and primary-age children could return to the classroom and most shops could @ @ @ @ @ Ultimately , unless and until we have a vaccine then I suspect that we are @ @ @ @ @ with some degree of constraint because of the nature of the virus , ” he @ @

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As the death toll across some of Europe’s worst-affected countries continues to fall, residents are carefully taking their first steps outside for more than a month.
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Italy, Spain and France have all suffered more than 20,000 fatalities each, and have been living under some of the world’s most restrictive lockdown rules since the start of the crisis.
Tens of millions of people have been forced to remain inside to help stop the spread of coronavirus, with families split up and businesses shuttered.
But even as employees tentatively return to work and shops start to open, stark warnings have been issued about what needs to be done to avoid a second wave.
A man exercises along Trocadero Square, close to the Eiffel Tower, on Saturday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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In Italy – the hardest-hit country in Europe, with almost 29,000 deaths – millions of people returned to work on Monday morning, easing some aspects of the world’s longest lockdown.
Around 4.5m people have now returned to work, construction can resume and relatives can reunite.
“I woke up at 5.30am – I was so excited,” said Maria Antonietta Galluzzo, a grandmother taking her three-year-old grandson for a walk in Rome’s Villa Borghese park, the first time they had seen each other in eight weeks.
“He has grown by this much,” she said, holding up three horizontal fingers.
The easing comes as the daily rate of new Covid-19 cases worldwide has been sitting in a 2% to 3% range over the past week, down from a peak of around 13% in mid-March.
Commuters wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus stand on the platform at Atocha train station in Madrid. ASSOCIATED PRESS
But Italian PM Giuseppe Conte said his country, where the coronavirus has killed almost 29,000 people and more than 1,000 new cases are reported daily, was still in the “full throes of the pandemic”.
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Friends in the country are still barred from meeting up, most shops must stay shut until May 18, and schools, and cinemas and theatres remain closed indefinitely.
A woman waves the Italian flag in Milan on Monday as Italy starts to ease lockdown measures. MIGUEL MEDINA via Getty Images
“It is good to be back, but the world has totally changed,” said Gianluca Martucci, pulling up the shutters on the small warehouse of a catering business in the backstreets of Rome.
“The government has been very wise so far, but I worry that we might be starting up a little too soon – I don’t know if the country could survive a second wave.”
Men line up at a barber's in Barcelona. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Hairdressers, ironmongers and other shops tentatively opened for business on Monday as Spain began a four-phase plan to reopen the country by the end of June, while the 24-hour death toll from coronavirus stayed under 200 for the second day in a row.
Red Cross workers handed out masks at Madrid’s metro stations as wearing such protection on pubic transport became mandatory. Passengers crossing from the holiday islands of Ibiza to Formentera were tested for the virus before boarding.
PM Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that six million masks were due to be distributed in Spain, one of the nations worst hit by the global pandemic.
Workers measure the distance between circles to help passengers at Paris' Gare du Nord train station maintain social distancing. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The death toll climbed by 164 in the previous 24 hours to 25,428 and cases reached 218,011, according to health ministry data on Monday. However, in a sign of how the rate of infection is abating, several regions registered no new cases.
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Although the figures were positive, the long May holiday weekend may have led to delays in data notification, chief health emergency officer Fernando Simon said, warning against complacency.
In central Madrid, hardware store owner Jorge Garcia stuck posters explaining the new regulations to his windows before reopening for the first time in 50 days.
“We are starting to get going little by little,” he said as he fixed black-and-yellow caution tape across his doorway and set out bottles of hand sanitiser for his customers.
Other businesses such as beauty parlours and bookstores, and restaurants for takeaway orders only, were allowed to reopen on Monday.
In the next stage, outdoor areas of bars and restaurants can open at half occupancy, while groups of up to 10 people will be allowed in public places and homes.
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People sit on a seafront promenade during a sunset in Barcelona. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Over the weekend, people across Spain were allowed out of their homes for the first time in seven weeks as the government began easing tough restrictions. Joggers, cyclists and walkers took to the streets in droves and some beaches were packed.
Spain imposed a strict lockdown in mid-March, confining most of the population to their homes for all but essential trips.
Meanwhile France, which has seen almost 25,000 deaths, is preparing for some restrictions to lift from May 11 – when pre-school and primary-age children could return to the classroom and most shops could reopen their doors.
Up to 70% of the Paris Metro system is expected to start moving once again, but bars and restaurants will remain closed.
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Cyclists park their bikes near the Arch of Constantine monument in central Rome. VINCENZO PINTO via Getty Images
Despite the movement, president Emmanuel Macron warned on Friday that easing the national lockdown would be only a first step towards fully exiting restrictions.
“May 11 will not be the passage to normal life. There will be a recovery that will need to be organised,” Macron said in a speech at the presidential palace.
“There will be several phases and May 11 will be one of them.”
Pedestrians crossing the Toledo bridge in Madrid on Sunday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The government has said it is prepared to slow or delay the unwinding of the lockdown if the virus infection rate spikes markedly higher, with administrative departments divided into “red” and “green” zones.
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North-eastern France, including the Paris region, has been especially hard hit, while swathes of the west and south of the country have barely been impacted, raising a dilemma for the government over how to ease the lockdown ahead of the busy summer tourism season.
Here in the UK Boris Johnson is expected to reveal a road map on Sunday, detailing exactly how restrictions will be eased in order for Britons to safely return to work.
But the government has also stressed that the nation’s battle with coronavirus will continue after lockdown measures are eased.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove has said Britons will need to live with “some degree of constraint” until a vaccination becomes available.
“Ultimately, unless and until we have a vaccine then I suspect that we are going to have to live with some degree of constraint because of the nature of the virus,” he said.
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huffingtonpost--2020-05-04--UK Will Have Much Higher Rate Of 'Invisible Children' After Lockdown, Say Health Visitors

As well as doing child development checks and helping new parents with things like breastfeeding , the specially-trained nurses and midwives also help to identify children and families who might need additional support because of social , health or educational vulnerabilities .
These are children who health visitors would have had a better chance of finding if they were able to go into people ’ s homes and “ build up a relationship ” with the parents , Morton said .
“ If you pick up a phone , it can feel a bit like you ’ re going through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It isn ’ t going to work quite as well , we know that .
But people are working to do that better and I ’ m sure it ’ s better than nothing .
“ Domestic violence and abuse and vulnerabilities are much easier to pick up on in person , ” she said .
“ It ’ s that interpersonal relationship you build – someone starts to trust you .
And over the course of a visit , people will say : ‘ While you ’ re here , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing the water ’ questions .
She added : “ We know it takes many many times for parents who are experiencing domestic violence to actually ask for help – it ’ s quite a long journey before people feel confident or safe to talk about the things that are worrying them the most.
” “ For example if 26 % of the children in your area live in crowded homes – as is the case in Newham – making sure there is space for them to play outdoors , or getting them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” How are health visitors working under lockdown ?
“ As a professional , you always worry you have missed something , ” Jones said .
“ That ’ s a normal feeling .
This situation has made people more conscious to ask more questions and make sure that any families we are concerned about , we ’ re raising with other services.
” “ They can ’ t go out , they can ’ t meet other mums , they can ’ t go to baby groups .
They ’ re possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have that special bonding time with their baby .
“ That , among with many other factors – such as finances – are testing people ’ s mental health when having a baby is already a huge challenge in normal climates .
This is really adding a lot of additional layers of challenge .
”

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The UK will have a much higher rate of “invisible children” when the country finally emerges from the coronavirus lockdown, health visitors have warned.
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In line with social-distancing guidelines, health visitors – who usually support families with babies and young children in their homes – have been forced to move most of their vital work online and over the phone.
As well as doing child development checks and helping new parents with things like breastfeeding, the specially-trained nurses and midwives also help to identify children and families who might need additional support because of social, health or educational vulnerabilities.
They are now only able to hold face-to-face appointments with families deemed the most at risk.
But Alison Morton – director of policy and quality at the Institute of Health Visiting – said shortcomings in the new system meant that early signs of some children’s vulnerabilities could be missed during lockdown.
“The virtual contact is the best we can offer in most cases at the moment,” Morton said.
“But they do have their limitations and we do know that there is going to be a much higher rate of what the Children’s Commissioner calls ‘invisible children’.”
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These are children who health visitors would have had a better chance of finding if they were able to go into people’s homes and “build up a relationship” with the parents, Morton said.
“If you pick up a phone, it can feel a bit like you’re going through a checklist,” she continued. “It isn’t going to work quite as well, we know that. But people are working to do that better and I’m sure it’s better than nothing.
“But we want to be monitoring the impact of using that kind of a method and how it affects outcomes and the number of children being identified.”
Among the issues Morton worries could be missed are mental health problems, childhood illnesses and domestic violence.
“Domestic violence and abuse and vulnerabilities are much easier to pick up on in person,” she said. “It’s that interpersonal relationship you build – someone starts to trust you. And over the course of a visit, people will say: ‘While you’re here, would it be okay…’ Those casual ‘testing the water’ questions.
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She added: “We know it takes many many times for parents who are experiencing domestic violence to actually ask for help – it’s quite a long journey before people feel confident or safe to talk about the things that are worrying them the most.”
In response to these issues, the Children’s Commissioner has published a series of local about child vulnerability in the local area.
The hope is that these profiles will help councils to understand which children are likely to be at risk in their area and how many.
“Local authorities should be factoring this information into their decision making when it comes to Covid-19 responses,” the Commissioner said.
“For example if 26% of the children in your area live in crowded homes – as is the case in Newham – making sure there is space for them to play outdoors, or getting them into schools, should be a priority.”
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Last Saturday, the government announced an extra £76m in emergency funding to support survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and modern slavery during the pandemic.
AHMET YARALI via Getty Images
How are health visitors working under lockdown?
The comments from the Institute of Health Visiting come after health visitors were forced to completely transform the services they offer to adhere to social-distancing rules.
Health visitors are now offering their sessions on Skype and over the phone, while in some areas parent groups that usually meet in person are being held virtually.
Sophie Jones, area manager for Public Health Nursing in south Somerset, said she was “really proud” about how the health visitors she manages have stepped up to the mark during lockdown.
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“They have pulled things out of the bag I didn’t even know was possible,” she said, describing how teams managed to transfer most of their services online in a matter of days.
While some appointments would have taken 45 minutes in person, they are now taking 90 minutes on the phone as health visitors try to offer extra support.
“As a professional, you always worry you have missed something,” Jones said. “That’s a normal feeling. This situation has made people more conscious to ask more questions and make sure that any families we are concerned about, we’re raising with other services.”
But she – like Morton – is worried about how the impacts of lockdown are hitting the families health visitors care for.
“We know that we’re going to have to put a big recovery plan in place,” Jones said.
“We know there’s going to be issues that arise out of this – including a decline in mental health because of isolation and this permanent high level of cortisol stress.
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“That’s within our ‘universal’ families now too – it’s within everybody.”
It’s a worry echoed by Eileen O’Sullivan, a specialist health visitor in parent and infant mental health, who works in south Warwickshire.
The impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown is likely to have a “far-reaching and lasting impact”, she said.
“The families we have been speaking to anecdotally are struggling with their mental health,” O’Sullivan said. “Specialists are seeing an increase in referrals. It’s just a massive impact.
“A lot of the mums that I have been speaking to are also talking about ‘lost maternity leave’ in the sense that it’s just not what they anticipated it was going to be and they’re almost mourning the loss of that,” O’Sullivan said.
“They can’t go out, they can’t meet other mums, they can’t go to baby groups. They’re possibly home-schooling other children when they thought they would have that special bonding time with their baby.
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