Forum Topics

Monday relaxing lock down?

I know that on Monday France is relaxing (not dropping completely) lock down for all but the regions with the worst virus problems. The expectation is that the UK does some slight relaxing also. Looking at the infection rates this is surprising.The rolling 7 day average of new cases for the worst affected European countries since first week of April to now:Spain - gone from 6,000 to 2,500 new casesItaly - gone from 4,500 to 1,500 new casesFrance - gone from 6,500 to 1,000 new casesUK - gone from 5,000 to 5,000 new casesThere is not much in these numbers that indicate that (1) the way the UK is applying lock down is being that successful; (2) the UK is ready for any form of relaxing the guidelines - quite the reverse in fact.I'm unclear as to why some are reporting a readiness to relax our lock down. Other countries, where regions are not showing the right levels of improvement, are not relaxing anything.

Alan Clark ● 2372d77 Comments ● 2366d

OpenSAFELY: factors associated with COVID-19-related hospital death

Unreliable and patchy data has been a serious problem with understanding the Covid pandemic. This study is a significant step forward as it looks at the electronic medical records of over 17 million UK patients to establish what factors contributed to deaths of hospital patients with Covid.The chart on page 11 is a handy summary with factor risk increasing to the right.Some takeaway points are:Under 40s have extremely low risk of dying.Obesity is a major factor.Men are more at risk.Black and Asian people are more at risk.Smokers have a slightly lowered risk.https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.06.20092999v1.full.pdf

Andy Riley ● 2367d5 Comments ● 2366d

Queen Mary college Covid data

QMC are collecting data to try to analyse the risk factors involved in catching Covid-19 and/or being badly affected by it.If anyone is interested in signing up the link is:https://www.qmul.ac.uk/covidence/You fill in a questionnaire about your lifestyle, medical history etc and will be contacted at monthly intervals for follow-up.Could be useful.

Susan Kelly ● 2366d0 Comments ● 2366d

Spare emergency food package

As I am classed as vulnerable I have been receiving the government food boxes. I do not require them and have cancelled but this hasn’t kicked in yet I do not require them and have cancelled but this hasn’t kicked in yet  A friend has been taking mine to a food bank for the last few weeks but cannot do so at the moment. Can anybody make use of this all find a good home for it. It would need collecting from Grove Park near Chiswick station.

Krysia Gdaniec ● 2367d6 Comments ● 2366d

Acton Recycling Centre and street sweeping

Why not open Acton Recycling Centre if Garden Centres can open? We need to be able to dispose of our larger recycling and garden clippings! It is a necessary service for residents. Why has it been closed for so long? And while I am discussing the council - when will they ever sweep the gutters? We have garden centres springing up in the leaf mulch collected in them. It degrades the road surfaces and the pavement edges, plus it is a trip hazard and unsightly. Come on Ealing Council - time to get back to work where it is outdoors and safe to do so!

A Maurin ● 2371d20 Comments ● 2366d

Trump

Did you see that press briefing at the White House with the female American- Chinese journalist asking the Great One awkward questions about the virus? Reply from Trump - 'Go and ask the Chinese'. When the journalist asked why he'd said that to her especially and wouldn't back off even though the Orange One was trying to move on to another question, Trump threw a hissy fit, ended the briefing and stalked off.What will it take for people in the USA to see what this bullying, misogynistic, ill- mannered, ignorant prat is?

Vanessa Smith ● 2367d36 Comments ● 2366d

Is it mating season for foxes?

I had to get up in the middle of the night to throw some foxes out of my garden because it sounded like WW3 was kicking off out there. It looked as if one fox was standing 'cavey' in the drive.

Susan Kelly ● 2367d17 Comments ● 2366d

Anyone on Vodafone

Vodafone are helping power research into C-19 therapy. You can help by downloading an app called Dream Lab. Then when your phone is charging Dream Lab will use its'computing ability to power some of the research. The more people sign up the more powerful it will be. As I understand it Vodafone will not charge for the data used. See https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/dreamlab. They do cancer research as well but I selected C-19 research

Iris Hill ● 2367d5 Comments ● 2366d

SES Electrical Contractors

I have no connection to this company but I can’t recommend them highly enough. I called them last night at about 7pm and by 0830 this morning the engineer had arrived, identified and fixed the problem. Polite clean and professional. This is a local business struggling to restart, please support them if you can.

Tim English ● 2367d0 Comments ● 2367d

Good outcome would be under 20,000 deaths from coronavirus

The health chief says a good outcome for UK would be Under 20,000 deaths from coronavirus.  This is an astonishingly high and terrifying figure in comparison to other countries. I don’t understand the reasoning behind this figure.

Sean Wales ● 2412d40 Comments ● 2367d

Exceptionally high tide, Sunday 10 May

Some of you may be aware that the high tide on Sunday afternoon was exceptionally high.  Many people have said that they can't remember seeing one that high.  There was a surge from the North Sea caused by an unseasonably strong northerly wind pushing the water southwards towards the Thames estuary. The Environment Agency (EA) issued a Flood Alert, forecasting a tide level at Richmond of 4.81m AOD (Above Ordnance Datum).  The surge developed more strongly than forecast, reaching 5.00m AOD at Richmond. The EA said this morning that even though the tide was above their forecast, it was still just below the Barrier closure threshold.  They claim that the only flooding was on areas like Chiswick Mall that are effectively the flood plain in front of the flood defences.It seems that the tide must have exceeded 4.8m AOD at Chiswick Mall, way above the 4.1m of the road by the brewery.  Similarly at Strand on the Green, where the towpath at the Bull's Head is 4.3m AOD. If anyone knows what level the tide actually reached (even it's not an actual measurement but something like 'level with the 2nd step at my front door' ), I'd be interested to hear about it, either here or by email to info@thamestides.org.ukIf in fact there was any flooding of buildings on Sunday afternoon, I would be interested to hear about it and to pass on details to the EA.Just a reminder that real-time information about tides on the Thames including the text of any Flood Alert is available on my website at thamestides.org.uk/now.

Richard Jennings ● 2367d10 Comments ● 2367d

Latest ONS Death Registrations 2020 up to Week 18 (May 01)

England & Wales - where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate:All Ages:      33,365Under 65:      3,908Number of deaths (all ages) that are above the 5 year average (prior to 2020) for given period where COVID-19 is not mentioned on the Death Certificate i.e. unexplained additional deaths. Period being lockdown date to Week 18:   12,771All worth it?!

Michael Brown ● 2367d0 Comments ● 2367d

POSTAL DELIVERIES RAMILLIES RD

No post at all this week except Oz with the specials . Oz did not know of a problem but I am expecting lots of things . Any ideas ???

John Martin ● 2372d6 Comments ● 2367d

Used battteries

Can’t take old battteries into Robert Dyas for recycling. Who else takes them please?

Susan Jacques ● 2368d8 Comments ● 2367d

BBC weather obsession

Does anybody else think it odd that the BBC often cut the Downing St briefing about 5 mins before the 6 o’clock news to bring us a weather forecast? Especially when we get the same forecast at 6.30pm? Very odd.

Pippa Meldrum ● 2373d16 Comments ● 2367d

Summer holidays

  Obviously this summer holiday plans have been shelved and was looking at a few places in the UK. I think Cornwall and the usual south coast riviera will be mobbed and prices are already ridiculous, so I was thinking, where can I go that is quiet with nice long beaches to walk or enjoy if nice warm weather. I am surprisingly being drawn to  Scotland and Norther Ireland. I however suspect by mid summer we will be in 2nd wave lockdown so back garden looking favourite which then leads to my real question, when do I seriously think about booking  a nice family holiday abroad. I am thinking Easter is looking a realistic possibility if the airlines have not all gone bust.

James Smith-Jones ● 2368d5 Comments ● 2367d

Memories of VE Day

Have other senior posters memories of VE Day, May 8th 1945? If so I hope they are happier than mine. I was 12, living in Leeds, and can't recall what my parents and I did during the day, but in the evening, we went to 'the pictures'.  The trams were illuminated, and we took one to a cinema I had not been to before, as we had seen all the films at nearby cinemas. The show was a piece of Hollywood froth called 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling, starring June Haver and Dick Haymes. Before the film there was a newsreel. These arrived in small provincial cinemas about ten days late, so the content was a shock. We had heard reports of the horrors of Belsen, and seen grainy photos in the  local newspaper, but to see the awful scenes in close-up and detail was beyond anything else. People in the cinema were shouting, screaming, weeping, vomiting even, and that memory has stayed with me for 75 years. I can truly say it changed the way I saw the world.

Arnold Saxton ● 2374d52 Comments ● 2367d

Found - Metro Debit Card in Eastbourne Road

Mr. D P James.Give me a shout if it's yours.

Alex Houseman ● 2368d0 Comments ● 2368d

R.I.P. Richard Penniman

Just wanted to register the passing of Richard Penniman, a.k.a. Little Richard, one of rock'n'roll's true originals. Great songs, great moves and completely crazy, imbued with the true spirit of rock'n'roll at the precise time the teenager was being invented. R.I P. Richard.

Colin Jordan ● 2368d16 Comments ● 2368d

Dentists

Dr Ralph Gilhooly has brought to the attention on the opening page of ChiswickW4 the difficulties all Dentists are facing with the current COVID-19 please read and watch.    There are a large number of people at present who need help and treatment but the necessary PPE does not match the dentists requirements.   Without the protection there will be no Dentists - so is there a company locally who may be able to work with Dr Gilhooly to assist with the problem and get all Dentists back to help their patients.

Janice White ● 2372d23 Comments ● 2368d