Coronavirus worries?

[Lencoboy]

I've read that severe anxiety can cause certain individuals to feel CV-like symptoms and other, even if it's not actually CV.
Can be a so-called 'self-fulfilling prophecy' in certain instances.

I've noticed that the BBC News channel now seem to be giving the total confirmed CV cases here in the UK much less attention ATM, mostly concentrating on the death toll.
IIRC, a similar phenomenon seemed to be occurring from around early July 2009 onwards when the UK was approaching the height of the Swine Flu epidemic, where the news media started to shy away from reporting the daily total confirmed cases.

Not that I'm demanding to know the total number of confirmed cases ATM (as I've come to the conclusion that said stats don't really tell us the full story), but more of a personal observation. Interesting as the reporting situation seems to be following the same pattern at this stage as that of the Swine Flu at the same time period after it first entered our shores.
Or could it be sheer coincidence?

[dorabella]

Well if that's what the BBC are concentrating on then the fatality stats went down yesterday - according to Worldometer. New confirmed cases have taken a rise but perhaps as Lencoboy observes, the BBC don't want to concentrate on that. Recovery rates still not being recorded though in any specific fashion and differing stats according to JHU and Worldometer and PHE doesn't even bother to cite any recoveries. I don't expect that we'll see anything reliable reported unless it creates dramatic headlines ....

[Lencoboy]

Well if that's what the BBC are concentrating on then the fatality stats went down yesterday - according to Worldometer. New confirmed cases have taken a rise but perhaps as Lencoboy observes, the BBC don't want to concentrate on that. Recovery rates still not being recorded though in any specific fashion and differing stats according to JHU and Worldometer and PHE doesn't even bother to cite any recoveries. I don't expect that we'll see anything reliable reported unless it creates dramatic headlines ....

Wow, did the fatality stats really go down yesterday or is it still likely just a blip?

Perhaps one likely reason for the latest rise in newly confirmed cases could be due to more people being tested = more confirmed 'positive' cases.

It's a real shame we're still being kept in the dark over our recovery stats though, one would have thought stacks more people would have recovered by now. And those stats still haven't been updated for well over a fortnight. Perhaps it's a deliberate ploy to make people stay at home in the meantime? Who knows?

[Kirbear]

I have also just read that the deaths in the midlands have overtook London!  and I’m from the midlands!! Panic attack imminent.......

Me too but the Midlands covers such a vast area and a larger population than London so there’s no wonder really. It contains three major cities at least too.

[dorabella]

Me too but the Midlands covers such a vast area and a larger population than London so there’s no wonder really. It contains three major cities at least too.

Agree Kirkbear - the Midlands stats include Birmingham - UK's second city, covers wider area and population than London and is running about 2 weeks behind London. Numbers of confirmed cases taken against total population are running at low percentage similar to London. I have family in the Sandwell area, and the confirmed case numbers there are parallel with London Haringey where I live - both boroughs with similar size populations.

The low recovery rates are I think, those who are actually discharged from hospital. I don't think any of the stats include those who isolate and recover at home because these are not officially tested as far as I know. If they were tested then number of confirmed cases would shoot up and recovery numbers would shoot up dramatically. Lack of organised testing at start and end of virus reporting (except for hospital admissions) is to blame. What is hard to quantify is exactly who the current 48K of confirmed cases are - all those in hospital only or do they include for example people who use the NHS online test but don't end up in hospital?? Where is the government drawing its data from.

If I believed in conspiracy theories then like Lencoboy I would see this as a government ploy to deflect from the fact that there is no systematic testing and also to frighten the populace into doing as they are told. Doesn't seem to be working with a percentage of the younger generation though.

TESTING TESTING TESTING - when are they going to get their backsides into gear???

[Lencoboy]

Me too but the Midlands covers such a vast area and a larger population than London so there’s no wonder really. It contains three major cities at least too.

You've beat me to it, Kirbear!!

I do reckon that a lot of people tend to perceive the metropolitan 'county' known as the West Midlands that spans (from west to east) Wolverhampton, the Black Country, Birmingham, Solihull and then, Coventry, as the 'be-all-and-end-all' of the entire Midlands region. Said region (also including the East Midlands) consists of numerous other 'cities' and larger towns such as Worcester, Shrewsbury, Telford, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, etc.

[Lencoboy]

Agree Kirkbear - the Midlands stats include Birmingham - UK's second city, covers wider area and population than London and is running about 2 weeks behind London. Numbers of confirmed cases taken against total population are running at low percentage similar to London. I have family in the Sandwell area, and the confirmed case numbers there are parallel with London Haringey where I live - both boroughs with similar size populations.

The low recovery rates are I think, those who are actually discharged from hospital. I don't think any of the stats include those who isolate and recover at home because these are not officially tested as far as I know. If they were tested then number of confirmed cases would shoot up and recovery numbers would shoot up dramatically. Lack of organised testing at start and end of virus reporting (except for hospital admissions) is to blame. What is hard to quantify is exactly who the current 48K of confirmed cases are - all those in hospital only or do they include for example people who use the NHS online test but don't end up in hospital?? Where is the government drawing its data from.

If I believed in conspiracy theories then like Lencoboy I would see this as a government ploy to deflect from the fact that there is no systematic testing and also to frighten the populace into doing as they are told. Doesn't seem to be working with a percentage of the younger generation though.

TESTING TESTING TESTING - when are they going to get their backsides into gear???

Conspiracy Theory, Aaarghh!! (though I forgive you for suggesting so on behalf of me)

But it is just one of several scenarios I have been surmising, though it could all be completely wide of the mark, of course!!

[dorabella]

Sorry Leoncoboy - didn't mean to imply that you are a conspiracy theorist. Far from it.

We could all be wide of the mark - but I think that none of the reported data really add up. Far more likely that the government - being guided by a narrow set of scientific experts - doesn't know what to report for the best. If that lot of Imperial College 'herd theorists' had not been influencing them so early on we might be looking at a different scenario now. They abandoned test and trace too early on, and now haven't a clue what the real situation is. Scientific face-saving and government news deflection too much to the fore at present.

But I may be wrong.....

[fishman65]

You've beat me to it, Kirbear!!

I do reckon that a lot of people tend to perceive the metropolitan 'county' known as the West Midlands that spans (from west to east) Wolverhampton, the Black Country, Birmingham, Solihull and then, Coventry, as the 'be-all-and-end-all' of the entire Midlands region. Said region (also including the East Midlands) consists of numerous other 'cities' and larger towns such as Worcester, Shrewsbury, Telford, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, etc.

Yep I'm in the east of the midlands region, bordering east anglia, though where the dividing line is I'm not sure.

[fizzymoon86]

Do any UK members here happen to know what the situation is right now in terms of routine GP appointments?

I'm still battling a chest infection and my concern is - what if I do need to see a doctor to get some anti-biotics.... Is the situation that doctors appointments are just not possible right now?
And everyone has to ring 111?

I'm trying my best to not bother the NHS but this pain in my chest is really quite bad - and I do believe it's a genuine as part of a throat/chest infection I've had.
Perhaps I need to try to just suffer through it and not contact the Doctor, but I must admit I'm having a real hard time dealing with this right now on top of my anxiety.

From my understanding, GPs are conducting telephone appointments so I think you call up your surgery as normal and then they get a doctor to call you and assess your symptoms over the phone. They can prescribe antibiotics this way as well I believe.