So it is all doom and gloom (probably quite rightly) Could there be some positives coming out of it?
Human behaviour change? better hygiene all round, less carbon due to more wfh and less business flying?
Stop the trade of live animals in the wet markets.
Well I’ve got a stack of paperwork to catch up on and I haven’t watched the Sopranos yet
Wet Market is my bedroom safe word.
Good things?
Make our government grow up and stop playing around
Make people be more self sufficient
Societal changes to help end people living paycheck to paycheck
Normalisation of homeworking and reduction in rush hour traffic
Maybe... We'll see
Less Tory voters?
The absolute rejection of anything these bastards are planning for the NHS and the welfare state. When we see what’s about to happen in the states I think finally we’ll realise that we have to act
Employers will get to see that lots of people can be trusted to work from home and still be productive.
The wholesale abandonment by the government of the elderly Will solve the pensions and housing crises at a stroke
Less Tory voters?
Fewer? Anyway, I’d happily support this.
Employers will get to see that lots of people can be trusted to work from home and still be productive.
This is absolutely a positive. The UK needs to accept that workers can be trusted, we are not in t’mill anymore and we don’t need nannying nor bullying.
And positively helps mental and physical health, cuts down on pointless commuting and simplifies the UK age old transportation “system”
This is absolutely a positive.
Only if people don’t bollocks it up by spending a week watching the Sopranos instead of working
Employers will get to see that lots of people can be trusted to work from home and still be productive.
This will hopefully come about at our place.
Also, zombies. Part of me wants it to turn into a full on zombie plague, just becuase.
I guess it depends on what happens, and whether our 'government' give the public the opportunity to drive the outcome. We could come out of this with a new sense of community, solidarity and pride at what we achieved, along with a massively amplified sense of empathy and compassion for others who perished or lost people. This will only happen though if the public feel they trusted and involved. If we're reduced to lab rats in some experiement with no power over our futures then the very opposite could happen.
Definitely a change in working behaviour for many jobs.
And the shops will be much quieter as everyone works their way through 50kg of rice and pasta, 10 gallons of uht milk and 6 miles of bog roll.
Very little and it will be swiftly forgotten, as a live issue at least.
Hopefully change behaviours around travel and working from home.
Helped me identify which colleagues and acquaintances are self absorbed bellends. A few surprises, I'll be honest
Immediately come to mind ...
1. Less pollution (carbon footprint whatever).
2. Less activities - places become quiet.
3. Less excitement - everyone stays at home.
4. New communication technology made available to masses - meeting via Skype etc.
5. Less human contact.
6. More realisation that the supply chain must be changed/improved.
7. Less consumption of wild animals, insects (which I hope this include fish stocks (I truly hope so).
8. Stress test to emergency situation (could be a preparation of future zombie apocalypse).
9. New medical technology ...
10. More preppers ... yes, you are not laughing at them now.
I think you could hope that we would reflect on recent events, especially in terms of how animals are kept and abused, the fragility of an economic system which is so interdependent, the real threat of a biological attack given the rapid spread of C19, and the reassess the importance of having a robust, well-staffed and funded health system. Will any of that happen? Not likely - in fact, maybe 'politicians' like Farage, Trump etc. will use this to further scapegoat and demonize certain groups to further their isolationist agenda, while using the threat of future pandemics to erode civil liberties. By far the scariest fact for me is how this system which we've built up can be knocked off balance so quickly.
Employers will get to see that lots of people can be trusted to work from home and still be productive.
I hate WFH as I just get distracted by domestic chores e.g. today I did the washing, sewed up some holes in the wires ski trousers, went and collected a prescription, fiddled with the garden watering system, etc etc.
Luckily I'm back in the office next week.
More films on telly. No Football! for a while.
For once Chewie I agree with most of that.
Not sure about supply chains being changed/improved - the cost of transporting goods compared to the value of the actual goods these days is a fraction of what it used to be.
As for preppers, well the sooner they head off to the woods on some remote island ... 😊
@fatmountain - I was going to say the realisation that "our" economy and therefore society is just part of a global one and that isolationism isn't helpful to any part of that.
A growing sense that “I’m alright Jack so **** everyone else” is not a dignified national-level ethos. Although judging by the panic buying cretins, I may be disappointed.
Hopefully people will come to realise that being force fed lies that are tailored to their existing prejudices is a bad thing and they should think for themselves.
6. More realisation that the supply chain must be changed/improved.
What it needs is people not to panic-buy then there wouldn't be a problem.
Oh, and hopefully a realisation that endless economic growth is, ultimately, a ****ing insane thing to work towards.
Dirty bastards might start washing their hands by habit.
I might get round to playing some Red Dead Redemption 2 and finally finish sorting through the 10’s of thousands of photos I have on my PC.
What it needs is people not to panic-buy then there wouldn’t be a problem.
Panic buy is not that of a problem but being supplied from overseas etc, yes.
UK might be business as usual but the overseas counterparts might simply stop all. If you depend on them entirely you are screwed. All eggs in one basket etc.
Also I really feel that part of the ocean should be off limit to ALL countries where fishing is concerned. I really do. There should be an ocean zone in the world that is off limit to all fishing. Catching smaller fish such as sardines etc should be restricted or ban in certain time of the year. No small fish no big fish/mammals etc.
Just like in the far east there are certain trends that people start to compete with animals in food consumption. i.e. consuming insects that should be left to animals.
I was in a night market where plenty of insects are sold as food. Fair enough if they grown the insects themselves but taking them from the wild and Not putting some back is a selfish act that will only deplete animal food source. Think about it. There are certain food that is not meant for human but for animals only.
Me and father (his ancestral town) was visiting local night market and I was trying to try some insects until my father told me that the insects were for the animals, and we should leave some food to the animals and not take all. I realised at that time a simpleton like my father knew more than me. We should not compete with animals for food.
I have no sympathy if the virus originated from animals, insects etc as I think they have evolved defensive mechanism to protect themselves from extinction. They cannot fight human but their virus come to their protection as the virus need to live in the animal. Killed the animals, you "killed" the virus but not before they "wipe out" a big chunk of human beings. I suspect the future virus will be million times strong ... zombie virus.
I fear that it will be for the most part very much be this:
Very little and it will be swiftly forgotten, as a live issue at least.
But.... if lots die then a large shift in wealth from the boomer generation to millenials in the form of housing and cash.
A possible move away from business get togethers and needless conferences. (there is only one job that hasn't had a red line drawn through it on the calendar and that's because it'll be live steamed to the 1500 attendees, who are not attending.)
Shorter, localised supply chains.
A further drop of house prices in Italy as the market gets flooded further with properties.
Shorter, localised supply chains.
This 👆
Shorter, localised supply chains.
Yes please.
From fruit and veg to furniture, building materials, cars, everything.
Thankfully we've made a decision to work more closely with our near neighbours on this. Oh. Wait.
Some folk will get to know their elderly relatives a lot better when they are washing them as the social care system won't cope.
Thankfully we’ve made a decision to work more closely with our near neighbours on this. Oh. Wait.
Yeah, but one of the mainstays of the brave new world is going be an awesome trading agreement with.....err..... Australia!
Okay for certain products and I'm totally for it but it down to what the consumers want, and where it's produced or grown. Unfortunately its never going to be practical or possible to have everything local.
The end of anti-vaxers
Less Tory voters?
That is an awful thing to say and you should be ashamed. It is "fewer Tory voters"
Employers will get to see that lots of people can be trusted to work from home and still be productive.
I can't stand Christmas.
I'm reckoning this year's one will be a lot more tolerable if most people are indoors due to covid hitting again.
Yeah, that and anti vaxers being shown to be dangerous charlatans.
What I’d like to see, but I won’t hold my breath:
More respect and better pay for nursing staff and other health staff.
Less interest in the rich and super rich, who swan off when the going gets tough and leave others to fend for the vulnerable in our society.
A better work life balance, where families can look after their children if needs be and not be a slave to work.
People realising that there are plenty of wonderful places nearby and not travelling everywhere all the time to go on holiday. Maybe then investing their time locally to improve their communities and local areas.
Less interest in the rich and super rich, who swan off when the going gets tough and leave others to fend for the vulnerable in our society.
I’d recommend more, much more interest in them. That should hopefully enable moves towards.....
A better work life balance, where families can look after their children if needs be and not be a slave to work.
The tax-dodging, bonus-pocketing (even when the companies they are running are going down the shitter), disdainful opportunists who just happened to land on their feet due to luck or school tie or silver spoon need hounding.
Indeed, I guess I meant less fawning over the rich.
-Hopefully a massive boost to the NHS wrt the resources it needs for the next wave, and not used as a political bargaining chip.
-A realization that modern society isn't as robust and advanced as we humans think it is, society is a fragile concept...
But i suspect that in reality little will be learned once this crisis has blown over :0(
But i suspect that in reality little will be learned once this crisis has blown over :0(
I suspect this too....
Standard reaction having got away with a close shave.....?
Have a mega piss-up, wake up with a hangover, forget all about what it was we were celebrating then get up on Monday morning and start arseholing along as before.
Charles is 71 and Eizabeth 93. That'd be a start.
Yeah, but one of the mainstays of the brave new world is going be an awesome trading agreement with…..err….. Australia!
You're forgetting fiji and Papua new ginuea!
More respect and better pay for nursing staff and other health staff.
We were discussing this earlier... If all the bankers, brokers, lawyers, footballers, designers, artists were to go on strike for a month life would continue happily. If it were the nurses, doctors, teachers, and other service workers were to walk for a week society would be crippled.
Dirty bastards might start washing their hands by habit.
Actually that might be the one lasting legacy.
I've learned that sneezing into your sleeve is actually pretty nice if you're wearing a big comfy jumper.
I’ve learned that sneezing into your sleeve is actually pretty nice if you’re wearing a big comfy jumper.
But rubbish when you forget you're wearing a polo shirt...😳
Brexit karma
Dirty bastards might start washing their hands by habit.
<6. More realisation that the supply chain must be changed/improved.>
The supply chain is actually very robust, as mentioned earlier it's the panic buying that's the issue - you have no chance of coping with that. If anything is going to be a problem in the short term it will be the transportation side of things.
My company is going through the process of reviewing how our office space is used and I can see this will move home working to the top of the list. We are having a test day on Monday and if that goes well why wouldn't you. It would also solve our car park issues.
We can live in hope that masses of Southampton motor vehicle commuters will work from home, while there will no school runs in the cars either, making the roads safer and more pleasant for cyclists.
It's getting to the stage where I'm contemplating changing my route to work even on days I leave home at ~0600, there's so much more sub 0700 traffic on the a3024 than there was ~10 years ago!
It might take out Murdoch...
I haven’t watched the Sopranos yet
I can tell you what happens in the end - NOTHING!!!
I reckon there will be a population explosion in approx 9 months time as too many people will have too much idle time on their hands.
Not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, tbh, but it will more than offset the higher death rate.
(I speak from personal experience having been born 9 months after the great freeze of 1963!)
To be honest guys it out a bit crap to be wishing certain people to die from this.
Companies will get better at doing remote meetings. Ive been trying to attend meetings by video rsther than fly for a while now and while in some cases it works it is still patchy. There isnt any good reason for that given how good affordable equipment is now
markgrayfish
I reckon there will be a population explosion in approx 9 months time as too many people will have too much idle time on their hands.
At least that won't get blamed on the Baby Boomers... 🙂
Oh boy, so in addition to all the lives saved by coronavirus' impact on industry:
you reckon there's gonna be extra sprogs running around, gobbling up global resources?
Still, at least the reduction in air travel should have a dramatic effect on Climate change:
For a while at least people won't be touching/using their phones as much whilst out and about or preferably at all.
I reckon the media will focus more attention on the infection potential they have even more so in the weeks to come.
To be honest guys it out a bit crap to be wishing certain people to die from this.
Agreed that we shouldn't wish it on people, but there isn't any harm in seeing the potential irony of certain people hypothetically dying from it, surely?
To be honest guys it out a bit crap to be wishing certain people to die from this.
Exactly that sentiment.
Folk will learn that it is possible to clean their bums with less loo roll.
I guess the plethora of Coronavirus threads might take over the whole front page, meaning there's no room for any more ebike threads?
Agreed that we shouldn’t wish it on people, but there isn’t any harm in seeing the potential irony of certain people hypothetically dying from it, surely?
I'm struggling to see the irony in it. Anyway, I'm surely any chuckling will be supressed either being at death's door yourself or watching friends or relatives die.
This thing reminds of the popular Danse Macabre motifs in medieval churches an cathedrals. Whether you're the Queen, Rupert Murdoch, me or any normal person this is one thing we're all in together. So I guess reminding us of our shared world and humanity might be a good thing to come out of this.
I’m struggling to see the irony in it.
It's a hoax cooked up by the Democratic Party to make President Trump look bad, but nobody told his Chief of Staff.
Trump calls coronavirus Democrats' 'new hoax'
Mark Meadows, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, to self-quarantine over coronavirus fears
Less food waste - more left overs, less chucking stuff out, more thinking about what you are buying and eating.
Quieter roads - for a while, although the haranguing of road cyclists might see a spike.
The nation pulls together - ok given the past few years have been very much focused on them and us this might be unicorn territory. No wonder they're consulting behavioural scientists - might be the definition of irony. Group spends years pushing division has to then get through a crisis by getting everyone to follow a set of common values.
more thinking about what you are buying and eating.
More likely that people will eat whatever is available if there is a real economic crisis.
Quieter roads
People will avoid public transport, so will use cars whenever possible.
The nation pulls together
Until toilet paper runs out, then it will be the war of all against all.
It'll be a lot quicker being served at the bar tonight.
More likely that people will eat whatever is available if there is a real economic crisis.
That's partly the point, there is a lot of food thrown out, if you cant afford to throw out you won't
People will avoid public transport, so will use cars whenever possible.
Most people seem to already. Less cars will be off the back of less people moving around.
Until toilet paper runs out, then it will be the war of all against all.
OK, you've got me pulling together was always going to be unicorn thinking. It's more likely to fall apart when enough of the population decide they've been infected and want back at it. We'll just have to keep monitoring Piers Morgan for when that point is.
I probably shouldn't develop that theory any more to minimise the risk of cross infection from the conspiricy thread.
Sadly I fear few positive changes will come from this. As with any national disaster there will be plenty of plaudits towards the NHS, social care staff and other front line emergency services but they will not be rewarded or respected any more.
Very quickly the status quo will return and everything will just carry on until the next disaster. Ultimately the rich and powerful don't really want a fair world.
My fear is if we have a worst case scenario which lays out the reality of our public services there will be civil unrest. People dying due to lack of beds/equipment and staff, prison riots due to lack of staff, crime surging due to lack of police etc.
Or a new fairer society may form with less super rich as they decide to share the wealth out, adult politicians making ethical policy, neighbours looking out for each other...... never going to happen
Might help Trump to not retain his presidency. A great and lasting gift to the world.
Immediately - People actually washing their hands properly (fed up with seeing people tinkling the tips of their fingers under a tap, with no soap and running off, because they're too busy).
That the next door neighbours can't get hold of their drugs That they start to consider others around them and become a lot more environmentally aware.
In the future - As mentioned less food waste, more caring for neighbours and people around them, families start spending more time with their children and taking them out into our precious green spaces instead of working, working, working to get that extra load of tat from China, or a bigger, faster car etc. Generally for people to be more considerate in general and stop thinking of just themselves. Not only better pay for health workers, but respecting them and teachers. Could go on and on really. Oh and seeing cyclists as a nuisance on the road and trying to mow us all down.
I'd like to think that people's approach to flexible working will be enhanced.
Maybe a shift away from the likes of trump, Johnson and all populist leaders and a greater sense of social conscience.
So I guess reminding us of our shared world and humanity might be a good thing to come out of this.
Pity that many of the ‘new populist’ leaders have actively undermined those things to get where they are.
Want people to like you? Don’t be an asshole.
Want people to trust you? Don’t tell lies.
I would welcome a reasonable scale tourist season. So many people come here for holiday now they degrade the environment and countryside. A year off would be nice.
Here being basically Fort William.
People at international shows / exhibitions / meetings might think twice before grabbing you by the throat / hand and slavering all over you as some sort of social convention. It would make a change to not catch some sort of lurgee every time.
And, as above, reduced pollution already, this time over northern Italy:
I also wonder what it might do to the aviation industry and its disproportionate environmental impact. It might sound brutal, but the sheer speed of spread of this thing is essentially a product of international air travel.
It would also be nice, though maybe unrealistic, to think that a shared crisis might help bring nations together in a cooperative approach, but so far that ain't happening, as per Gordon Brown's observations yesterday.
We are probably going to reach the stage when receptionists at A&E departments will be able to tell people with trivial complaints to **** off without being criticised, and eventually the number of people presenting with athlete's foot or a sprained eyelash will learn to go and sort themselves out.
sprained eyelash
<Vicky Pollard voice>
“Yeah, but like, this girl on Insta like totally died like literally of a sprained eyelash, it was horrible and the hospital like didn’t lift like a single finger it were dissgusstin......”
Might help Trump to not retain his presidency. A great and lasting gift to the world.
Conversely, there's every chance the crisis will mean he can legitimately postpone or cancel this year's elections.
Conversely, there’s every chance the crisis will mean he can legitimately postpone or cancel this year’s elections.
He’s not the fittest 73 year old I’ve ever seen though.
Perhaps in the face of/reality of a naturally occurring organism (apologies if its called something else) being as impactful to human life as it is, maybe the world (richest/scariest) countries will stop wasting money on nuclear weapons and spend it on health & social care instead. Maybe, just, maybe, improving the lives of everyone.
Unfortunately, sighs, I shall not hold my breath. Be nice though if HM Gov took a lead on this (they won't)...bet all the advancements in weapons tech etc couldn't half be put to better use. Anyway, thats my two-penneth worth.
Conversely, there’s every chance the crisis will mean he can legitimately postpone or cancel this year’s elections.
No, it's a legal requirement to elect the President on the specified day in November. It would take Congress to change that. However, technically the President is elected by the Electoral College, not the popular vote. Each state decides the details of how their electors are appointed. What Trump might be able to do is convince Republican state Governors to cancel the popular vote and directly appoint electoral college electors.
