Worrying times

[NickFaulks]

A thousand people dead in Spain so far, while you're being breezy about death rates.

Not breezy, but if the tabloid headlines about deaths are wrong by a factor of perhaps ten, then I think that's worth mentioning. You don't. It isn't the first time we have disagreed, no worries.

[JustinHorton]

A thousand people dead in Spain so far, while you're being breezy about death rates.

Not breezy, but if the tabloid headlines about deaths are wrong by a factor of perhaps ten

Right but

(a) we're a way, perhaps a very long way, from knowing the final toll (if we can speak of such a thing) ;
(b) I'm a great deal less concerned with "tabloid headlines" than with expert projections.

[Daniel Gormally]

I guess if we've learned anything from this crisis, it's how selfish most people are.

Every time I go into town I see a steady line of cars going to the supermarket, when normally it's fairly quiet.

Who knew my town was full of hoarders and selfish shelf clearers.

[Matt Bridgeman]

I agree, getting an adequate weekly shop is increasingly going to become the bane of everyone’s existence. New tip of the day, either paper towels or plastic gloves should be available to use when people use petrol pumps. Apparently a bad area for germ spreading.

[NickFaulks]

Every time I go into town I see a steady line of cars going to the supermarket, when normally it's fairly quiet.

Who knew my town was full of hoarders and selfish shelf clearers.

They're probably thinking the same about you.

[Adam Raoof]

I agree, getting an adequate weekly shop is increasingly going to become the bane of everyone’s existence. New tip of the day, either paper towels or plastic gloves should be available to use when people use petrol pumps. Apparently a bad area for germ spreading.

Can I point people towards the vegan counter? Nobody ever hoards the fake bacon or quorn sausages, and they are actually quite nice!

[Matt Bridgeman]

I’m vegetarian, and I’m finding Quorn pieces have vanished, and Quorn mince is a rare find. I think people are generally hoarding like crazy.

[NickFaulks]

The March sales figures for freezers will make interesting reading.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Did Madagascar close down in time this year?

Sorry, what?

[Roland Kensdale]

Kevin Thurlow wrote:

"The Satan Bug" was an excellent book and ok film.

Full film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfsO4-u_-5Y

I watched this a week or so back. I enjoyed this as a child so a dose of nostalgia. Incidental music may be best part.

Richard Basehart in a trenchcoat tossing a vial around, dropping it on the seat of an out of control helicopter with one door open. If the vial breaks all life will eventually cease (other than him), ending with "a lonely albatross … or an isolated inuit ..." Cockroaches and rest of biodiversity not mentioned.

If you haven't seen it don't expect too much.

Of course might be healthiest to limit thinking about current crisis and anything vaguely related. Something more escapist may be better.

[Andy McCulloch]

In the board game 'Pandemic' Madagascar was always the first place to close its borders

Regarding freezers, I have been unable to purchase a chest freezer of any size. The earliest delivery offered was in 28 days.

[NickFaulks]

(b) I'm a great deal less concerned with "tabloid headlines" than with expert projections.

But has any "expert" ever explicitly multiplied a by b and got c? I think they have just dropped hints to the hungry media and let the armchair experts do the rest. This forum not being short of such experts.

80% of the population will get it, 2% of those tested positive will die. Great copy, but there's a gap.

[JustinHorton]

(b) I'm a great deal less concerned with "tabloid headlines" than with expert projections.

But has any "expert" ever explicitly multiplied a by b and got c? I think they have just dropped hints to the hungry media

You'd have to be a bit more specific about what you mean, I think: there's a limit to how exact they can be, as both of us appreciate.

(It's possible I do know what you mean. But bear in mind that the mathematics isn't necessarily done by the "hungry media" - it's also done by intelligent laypeople and people in the medical profession, who understand what terms like "worst-case scenario" and "up to" actually mean, and also underatand that there is a debate about what a percentage death rate means when different countries are carrying out different degrees of testing, enfocring different control measures and for that matter havehealth systems that can take greater or lesser amounts of strain.)

[Ian Thompson]

Regarding freezers, I have been unable to purchase a chest freezer of any size. The earliest delivery offered was in 28 days.

That wouldn't matter very much where I live. Neither Sainsbury's nor Tesco have any slots available for the next 3 weeks for home deliveries, or even for collections from stores. Ocado have blocked access to their website for anyone who hasn't already got a delivery booked for this weekend.

[NickFaulks]

(b) I'm a great deal less concerned with "tabloid headlines" than with expert projections.

But has any "expert" ever explicitly multiplied a by b and got c? I think they have just dropped hints to the hungry media

You'd have to be a bit more specific about what you mean, I think: there's a limit to how exact they can be, as both of us appreciate-

Then why did you edit out the part of the post where I was specific?

80% of the population getting it and a 2% "death rate" gives the impression that 1.6% of the population will die. But it's nonsense.