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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

pauljames87 said:
I mean no offence but this if it affects you but good, government departments are full of it. I know we are. Loads of management , levels that we just dont need that could save fortunes without costing front line staff
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I agree totally. I came from a civil service background (I use to be Maggie Thatchers pay clerk as one of my varied roles) and the middle management especially in central offices is absurd even now. Makes you wonder how any decisions ever get made with so many managers at different levels getting involved. It is one aspect the NHS had been taking strides to sort (certainly in the local trusts I have dealings with)
 
HomerJSimpson said:
I agree totally. I came from a civil service background (I use to be Maggie Thatchers pay clerk as one of my varied roles) and the middle management especially in central offices is absurd even now. Makes you wonder how any decisions ever get made with so many managers at different levels getting involved. It is one aspect the NHS had been taking strides to sort (certainly in the local trusts I have dealings with)
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NHS procurement is shocking imo, now I appreciate that’s a sweeping comment, and there will be some trusts and individuals that are on their game, but myself and other Couriers I know are delivering plenty of PPE to some hospitals, repeatedly, and sometimes within a week or two of delivering to them before!

We are seeing at some hospitals they actually don’t have the room in their stores to stock our new deliveries and also see that what was delivered just weeks before, is still sitting there untouched!

I know a courier, who like me has been called to deliver some bulk PPE to some Midlands hospitals, and before getting the opportunity to quote, they have declared what they would pay.

The amount was double what we’d normally quote, even at the high end, when actually stating that’s far too much, the answer back has been;

“that’s what we pay, accept it and do the job or someone else will”!

I suppose it’s easy to spend money when it’s not your own, but the waste in idle product being stock piled and excessive costs is huge!

I’m struggling to accept any of the negative news stories regarding the lack of PPE, as an industry we’re delivering tens of thousands of it daily, and we’re seeing it stock piled in some places, so, is the lack of PPE in some hospitals just down to the procurement of it being totally incompetent covering those areas, not identifying who really needs it and looking into what’s been ordered prior, and if so, why is the govt constantly getting the flack, when we’re seeing, at the coal face, it’s nobody’s fault other than the management within the NHS’s procurement?
 
Fish said:
NHS procurement is shocking imo, now I appreciate that’s a sweeping comment, and there will be some trusts and individuals that are on their game, but myself and other Couriers I know are delivering plenty of PPE to some hospitals, repeatedly, and sometimes within a week or two of delivering to them before!

We are seeing at some hospitals they actually don’t have the room in their stores to stock our new deliveries and also see that what was delivered just weeks before, is still sitting there untouched!

I know a courier, who like me has been called to deliver some bulk PPE to some Midlands hospitals, and before getting the opportunity to quote, they have declared what they would pay.

The amount was double what we’d normally quote, even at the high end, when actually stating that’s far too much, the answer back has been;

“that’s what we pay, accept it and do the job or someone else will”!

I suppose it’s easy to spend money when it’s not your own, but the waste in idle product being stock piled and excessive costs is huge!

I’m struggling to accept any of the negative news stories regarding the lack of PPE, as an industry we’re delivering tens of thousands of it daily, and we’re seeing it stock piled in some places, so, is the lack of PPE in some hospitals just down to the procurement of it being totally incompetent covering those areas, not identifying who really needs it and looking into what’s been ordered prior, and if so, why is the govt constantly getting the flack, when we’re seeing, at the coal face, it’s nobody’s fault other than the management within the NHS’s procurement?
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That’s pretty common in most industries... somewhere down the line common sense and having an understanding of cost got flushed down the toilet.
You can explain profit and loss but few people really understand it.
If they wanted a quote fast they should have done their tender quickly with a time to reply window. I remember purchasing adding 3 months to a tender for new business. It would involve them visiting the site and generally an exchange of bragging about how big a company was .. It would normally go t@ts up.
 
Just watched something called the highwire which was investigating a claim by a New York ICU Dr who had noticed that C19 was not behaving like a pneumonia. They then cross referenced with an Italian Dr’s report and a Chinese medical paper. Basically suggesting it was similar to altitude sickness and it was more a blood disease as it attacked the bloods ability to collect oxygen and distribute it.
It concluded that the vents were not the ideal solution, forms of increasing oxygen in the system were discussed and their pitfalls ... well worth looking at.
 
harpo_72 said:
Just watched something called the highwire which was investigating a claim by a New York ICU Dr who had noticed that C19 was not behaving like a pneumonia. They then cross referenced with an Italian Dr’s report and a Chinese medical paper. Basically suggesting it was similar to altitude sickness and it was more a blood disease as it attacked the bloods ability to collect oxygen and distribute it.
It concluded that the vents were not the ideal solution, forms of increasing oxygen in the system were discussed and their pitfalls ... well worth looking at.
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Oh, I hope that someone high in the Government picks this up and has it investigated. If there is credence to it then get cracking on detailed investigation by the medically qualified.
Get some coordination and cooperation between countries on this.
Surely there is something about this virus that is evading our present knowledge. As someone put it, "Are we missing something in front of us?"
Good luck and thanks to all who are looking hard at this bloody awful virus.
 
Well test day has come, supposed to be this afternoon.
Still don‘t feel great, not as bad as the weekend but feel like I’m blowing out of my backside on a walk to the bathroom.
Day 7 stuck in this hotel room and it its a lovely day outside.
To put it into perspective it’s been nowhere near as bad as the flu, which floored me for days, but mentally it has been so much tougher, probably the unknown of the virus, so much information on the news and various websites all with conflicting reports.
Id consider myself fit and healthy enough, but you just never know.
 
Swinglowandslow said:
Oh, I hope that someone high in the Government picks this up and has it investigated. If there is credence to it then get cracking on detailed investigation by the medically qualified.
Get some coordination and cooperation between countries on this.
Surely there is something about this virus that is evading our present knowledge. As someone put it, "Are we missing something in front of us?"
Good luck and thanks to all who are looking hard at this bloody awful virus.
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Last night I caught a snippet end of interview (on Ch4 News? not sure) with a Dr or other expert talking about how the virus appears to be affecting different patients in different ways...I can't recall any detail...so maybe linked to the findings of the report?

And also read yesterday how the ventilators being produced by McLaren have been rejected - I think on the grounds that the understanding of the ventilation required has moved on and developed very quickly - and so these ventilators don't fit the bill. I think that was the gist of it.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Last night I caught a snippet end of interview (on Ch4 News? not sure) with a Dr or other expert talking about how the virus appears to be affecting different patients in different ways...I can't recall any detail...so maybe linked to the findings of the report?

And also read yesterday how the ventilators being produced by McLaren have been rejected - I think on the grounds that the understanding of the ventilation required has moved on and developed very quickly - and so these ventilators don't fit the bill. I think that was the gist of it.
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My understanding is that altitude sickness varies from person to person as well .. which might be why you see different responses.
I think the mask and oxygen systems ( little black box thing by Mercedes F1) might be of use.
Definitely worth spending some time considering all of this.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Last night I caught a snippet end of interview (on Ch4 News? not sure) with a Dr or other expert talking about how the virus appears to be affecting different patients in different ways...I can't recall any detail...so maybe linked to the findings of the report?

And also read yesterday how the ventilators being produced by McLaren have been rejected - I think on the grounds that the understanding of the ventilation required has moved on and developed very quickly - and so these ventilators don't fit the bill. I think that was the gist of it.
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Saw something similar about how certain genetic traits will affect how the body reacts to the virus, hence some barely knowing they have it and others succumbing. I think they're trying to identify what and how as this is all so new it wouldn't have been identified before.
 
AmandaJR said:
Saw something similar about how certain genetic traits will affect how the body reacts to the virus, hence some barely knowing they have it and others succumbing. I think they're trying to identify what and how as this is all so new it wouldn't have been identified before.
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BBC News - UK Biobank: DNA to unlock coronavirus secrets
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52243605
This is an interesting article about how scientists are trying to get some answers on that Amanda
 
BrianM said:
Well test day has come, supposed to be this afternoon.
Still don‘t feel great, not as bad as the weekend but feel like I’m blowing out of my backside on a walk to the bathroom.
Day 7 stuck in this hotel room and it its a lovely day outside.
To put it into perspective it’s been nowhere near as bad as the flu, which floored me for days, but mentally it has been so much tougher, probably the unknown of the virus, so much information on the news and various websites all with conflicting reports.
Id consider myself fit and healthy enough, but you just never know.
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Remember that in reality most are (80%+) are fine, very few healthy people have much to worry about. All the best.
 
Just had it confirmed that paycuts are being rolled out across my company, tiered so the highest earners get the biggest cuts. Mine is only 5% so not too bad while I'm not having to travel in anyway. We do have to consent to it though, and I'm not really sure what happens if certain people don't give their consent.
 
BrianM said:
Well test day has come, supposed to be this afternoon.
Still don‘t feel great, not as bad as the weekend but feel like I’m blowing out of my backside on a walk to the bathroom.
Day 7 stuck in this hotel room and it its a lovely day outside.
To put it into perspective it’s been nowhere near as bad as the flu, which floored me for days, but mentally it has been so much tougher, probably the unknown of the virus, so much information on the news and various websites all with conflicting reports.
Id consider myself fit and healthy enough, but you just never know.
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Sounds a bit like me Brian...a bit breathless but in normal circumstances, if it wasnt for the lockdown, I'd have gone to work...
Hope you feel better as quick as I did.
 
harpo_72 said:
Just watched something called the highwire which was investigating a claim by a New York ICU Dr who had noticed that C19 was not behaving like a pneumonia. They then cross referenced with an Italian Dr’s report and a Chinese medical paper. Basically suggesting it was similar to altitude sickness and it was more a blood disease as it attacked the bloods ability to collect oxygen and distribute it.
It concluded that the vents were not the ideal solution, forms of increasing oxygen in the system were discussed and their pitfalls ... well worth looking at.
Click to expand...

That sounds fairly convincing.
Anyone want to buy 40,000 ventilators. ;)
 
Orikoru said:
Just had it confirmed that paycuts are being rolled out across my company, tiered so the highest earners get the biggest cuts. Mine is only 5% so not too bad while I'm not having to travel in anyway. We do have to consent to it though, and I'm not really sure what happens if certain people don't give their consent.
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Are they just during this outbreak?

Everyone at my place was begging for furlough as they'd not really lose out when you consider travel and buying rubbish for lunch etc.

Obviously you're stil working, but I'd imagine 5% can be saved pretty easily atm.
 
Papas1982 said:
Are they just during this outbreak?

Everyone at my place was begging for furlough as they'd not really lose out when you consider travel and buying rubbish for lunch etc.

Obviously you're stil working, but I'd imagine 5% can be saved pretty easily atm.
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Yeah it's fine for now, but they've stated this will be until the end of the year. So when we're all back in the office I will try and agree it so I can work one day a week from home to offset some of the money I'll be losing out on. (My travel is around £11.20 a day.)
 
This period will certainly kill off the 25 year cultural battle about working from home! :-)

I've just been into Newport to do a click and collect from Tesco. (15 miles away) It's the first time the car has moved/I've left the village in over three weeks. Felt really weird. Getting paranoid about wiping down the shopping and washing hands multiple times.................
 
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