News Thread 2

JayMoyles wrote:

The panic buying phenomenon has hit up here now - the toilet roll aisle was barren when I popped into the supermarket yesterday.

Fighting over it on Monday here

Balladeer wrote:

Countries are calling off their cricket matches.  This is feeling real.

I'm only half-joking.  I'm also working from home today as my company tests Coronavirus operational capabilities, so that might have something to do with it.

I know what you mean though as I was looking forward to watching a big derby game in football this weekend then the whole season gets indefinitely suspended (totally the right call) this morning. For me it just makes that concern go up a few notches when something you are so used to watching weekly is affected like this.

Aye, the string of events being cancelled and the deluge of doom and gloom on Twitter about it really has me feeling concerned for what's going on. I don't even think there's any confirmed cases in my county, but I'm still feeling a bit more worried about it all. Probably shouldn't spend as much time on Twitter as I have been lately, mind you.

Yep I've been trying the same the last couple days but it's tough to break that habit.

I think I'll be working from home next week. We're planning to move all teaching online within the next couple of weeks anyway, so I've already configured my home PC to remote access everything I need.

There's definitely limited supplies in our supermarkets but hopefully people will stop stockpiling once they feel like they've picked up enough dried/tinned foods. Or bog roll... Luckily I made sure we picked up a pack the day the BBC started running a smorgasbord of articles about panic buying.

I was in the city centre today and it was so much quieter than usual. I think people will start taking to social distancing measures, even though our government is touting a pretty weak strategy right now people are adapting. Also, worth remembering that in Italy just under 90% of people agree with the current quarantine methods and just under 80% would be in favour of harsher ones. So the vast majority of people are prepared to do what's been proven to work in Asia. And hey, work on a vaccine continues apace.

There have been ridiculous accusations and conspiracy theories coming out of America and, in response, China but that's sadly nothing new.

Y'all need to do what I do and follow about three people on Twitter. London, incidentally, seems roughly as busy as ever.

I'm WfH next week. So's half the firm. There's an accepted reduction in efficiency, but... Jesus Christ.

masofdas wrote:

JayMoyles wrote:

The panic buying phenomenon has hit up here now - the toilet roll aisle was barren when I popped into the supermarket yesterday.

Fighting over it on Monday here

...Jesus Christ. The shelves at my local Sainsbury's were stripped bare, and you saw people going around with five packets of pasta. Do people even eat that much pasta? Very silly. (The Lady was also deprived of her beloved chickpeas, which I can't stand but she was gutted.)

The_Jaster wrote:

I know what you mean though as I was looking forward to watching a big derby game in football this weekend then the whole season gets indefinitely suspended (totally the right call) this morning. For me it just makes that concern go up a few notches when something you are so used to watching weekly is affected like this.  

I'm glad it's not just me. The Australian cricket competition has only been curtailed once since WWII, so that gives an idea of how serious it is.

I might be self isolating, as Dad has been home since Friday and I've picked up whatever he's got. I don't have all the symptoms, mainly the lack of temperature which seems the main one and I just feel groggy overall.

That I'm not sure what to do as I feel I could do anything still and don't want to seat around when work is so busy but I also don't want to make others ill, if I do go in.

Argh fuggit, sorry Mas. Most of us will get it eventually, but if you do have it I hope it doesn't hit you too hard.

It's better just to follow the guidelines that are on the NHS website dude, I'm just getting over a little cough I had as well and have stayed in since last week so I know how you might be feeling.

No matter how bad it might feel your health is more important than your work.

masofdas wrote:

but I also don't want to make others ill, if I do go in.

I think that's the biggie for me. I'd hate to pass on the virus to somebody in a much more vulnerable position of health than where I'm at.

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Trump is a real piece of shit The TL;DR: He's trying to get the U.S. exclusive access to vaccines. The German companies said no.

Hope you feel better soon Mas.

Yeah sounds similar to you Jas, just a little cough and any other time think it would be fine to continue like normal. As the guidelines have and talking to one of the managers in work, I will now be off for 7 days.

Good to hear you got the time off.

That's it.  The office has all been told to WfH.  Expect my average daily postcount to rocket...

Aye, I’ve just got the same news this evening which I can’t say I’m thrilled about. I get the reason, but my main source of socialising is from work, plus the gym sounds like it’s going to have to shut so it’s gonna be a rough period...

I'm with ya. I get my exercise from walking to work, and most of my daily conversation and social interaction from my workmates. Plus, here I get distracted and have one less monitor, so I'm much less productive. It's absurd.

Also the text telling me to WfH had the words 'Prime Minister Boris Johnson' in.

We've been told "in order to test our collective preparedness for working from home, all office-based colleagues are asked to work from home from 3pm on Wednesday". I'm not office based though, so I've still to crack on in my "customer facing, business critical role". As long as the secondary schools stay open, I'll still be at work. 

I get a lot of my daily conversation from socialising at work too. Someone decided to start a WhatsApp group for when we do self-isolate. But, after thirteen messages, two pictures of somebody's ugly cat and one link to a Sun article, I've stuck it on mute.

I hope you're all doing okay. Surprisingly, it seems as though I'm actually better off over here in Asia than if I was in the UK with y'all!

First day working in my pants today. A lot of our systems can't keep up with the traffic but I'm sure that'll change. It will have to.

I'm on a temp contract still my team didn't have capacity to do proper interviews. Looks like, because of my experience, they want me to be a prime player in transitioning academics to online workspaces - so they're pushing for my contract to be extended. Phew.

I'm hearing that things could be like this for quite some time. If there's any online Switch shenanigans to be had to take the edge off, I'm down!

Nicely done Muss! I'm hoping that everyone else's jobs are okay.

I'm fortunate to have been extended until July. Like Balla, I hope everyone else is secure too.

I found out that my Mum's company is in real trouble, but she's the supply chain coordinator so if they think they can pull through they'll need her. She's having an operation tomorrow but is allergic to general anaesthetic, which means there is always a risk. I'm sure she'll pull through but they're injecting immuno-suppressants into her spine, which is going to put her in the high risk category. She just talked to me about her Will, so that made everything pretty real.

Hope everyone's folks are ok. My partner and I are leaving flyers around our flats to let elderly people know that we'll shop for them when they're shut down.

Top work Muss

I'm off for these 7 days as that's what told but seen a manger at work is isolating for 14 days. I do hope I'm better within these 7 days but dam this temperature, it's like a Katy Perry song.

Yowch. Get better soon boss.

Also, this is our regular reminder that Muss is better than us(s). Top work indeed. Keep posting about it: I could do with being guilt-tripped into something positive.

Muss wrote:

I'm hearing that things could be like this for quite some time. If there's any online Switch shenanigans to be had to take the edge off, I'm down!

Aye same here, and I think it's high time we bring back the Mario Kart sessions anyway maybe even throw in some Smash bros as well?

For anyone looking for a shot of good news. You may have heard reports today of a Japanese company, Fiji (Yes the actual camera company) - well one of there other areas seems to be drugs and they have an anti-influenza drug which is already in circulation and is being shown to help fight off the disease.

In addition, today an Australian lab provided the first peer-reviewed findings about how the immune system fights the disease. They tracked a mild case throughout her recovery and noted that her body dispatched the same sort of defense as one would against influenza. So those drugs may very well work as a treatment that helps us get back to normal faster in the wait for a vaccine.

The Jaster wrote:

Aye same here, and I think it's high time we bring back the Mario Kart sessions anyway maybe even throw in some Smash bros as well?

I would love some MK sessions or Smash. It's been too long!