WHO: You're doing it wrong, still

[Eddy Edson]

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 16 March 2020

www.who.int

We have also seen a rapid escalation in social distancing measures, like closing schools and cancelling sporting events and other gatherings.

But we have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing – which is the backbone of the response.

Social distancing measures can help to reduce transmission and enable health systems to cope.

Handwashing and coughing into your elbow can reduce the risk for yourself and others.

But on their own, they are not enough to extinguish this pandemic. It’s the combination that makes the difference.

As I keep saying, all countries must take a comprehensive approach.

But the most effective way to prevent infections and save lives is breaking the chains of transmission. And to do that, you must test and isolate.

You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected.

We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test.

Test every suspected case.

If they test positive, isolate them and find out who they have been in close contact with up to 2 days before they developed symptoms, and test those people too.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Yes. Just watching Helen Whately MP (Health Minister) and the woman's waffling.

This would be a really good time for MPs to learn how to say "yes, that's right" and the like, but they seem incapable of doing that. The answer to the question "if I have a wedding planned in three weeks time, so that should be off?" is "yes"; and if you intended to have the grandchildren visit their grandparents this weekend, don't. She eventually said that, I think.

As for testing, I presume we're still limited in how many people we can test at the moment. (I'd have thought if South Korea can do it we could ask them how and copy it, but doubtless that's just naivety on my part.)

 

[grovesy]

Yes. Just watching Helen Whately MP (Health Minister) and the woman's waffling.

This would be a really good time for MPs to learn how to say "yes, that's right" and the like, but they seem incapable of doing that. The answer to the question "if I have a wedding planned in three weeks time, so that should be off?" is "yes"; and if you intended to have the grandchildren visit their grandparents this weekend, don't. She eventually said that, I think.

As for testing, I presume we're still limited in how many people we can test at the moment. (I'd have thought if South Korea can do it we could ask them how and copy it, but doubtless that's just naivety on my part.)

Sorry but it does not matter what subject theses Government MP's are wheeled out to discuss on TV , they are there trot out the Party Line .
It has been interesting to see comments from former MP Andy Burnham , he was Health Minister during SARS. He said it is best to leave the messaging to the Scientists, as when MP's speak they tend to confuse things.