Liquidate entire portfolio until virus is over?

Thrugelmir

NorthernJoe said:

UK government taking a radically different approach to most other major economies 

Just in a different phase.  There's no understanding yet of why the death rate is accelerating in Italy or Spain. Until there's access to the data that summarises the underlying medical conditions that the unfortunate were suffering from. Impossible to predict what the impact might be in the context of the UK. With only 21 directly related deaths so far. UK data in isolation is too small a sample make extrapolations. 

Thrugelmir

Alexland said:

It might seem harsh but it seems the people who are dying are generally in the later stage of their life anyway with other accumulated conditions and is it really worth damaging the economy into a depression for the next generations?

And if were to be your family members that were to die before their time?  

masonic

Thrugelmir said:

There's no understanding yet of why the death rate is accelerating in Italy or Spain. Until there's access to the data that summarises the underlying medical conditions that the unfortunate were suffering from. Impossible to predict what the impact might be in the context of the UK. With only 21 directly related deaths so far. UK data in isolation is too small a sample make extrapolations. 

I'd go further - any death rate estimate is currently quite meaningless, since the denominator is not known. There is clearly a lot of community transmission going on that suggests confirmed cases are a massive underestimate of the true number infected.

Alexland

Thrugelmir said:

And if were to be your family members that were to die before their time?  

It might well be, as my parents are both old and one has asthma and another a heart condition. I didn't want this problem but the world must now choose the least worst option.

masonic

Thrugelmir said:

Alexland said:

It might seem harsh but it seems the people who are dying are generally in the later stage of their life anyway with other accumulated conditions and is it really worth damaging the economy into a depression for the next generations?

And if were to be your family members that were to die before their time?  

There should be more focus on preventing that, by providing support to at risk groups so that they can isolate themselves and avoid becoming infected. So far all of the effort has been focused on those already infected.

Alistair31

masonic said:

Thrugelmir said:

Alexland said:

It might seem harsh but it seems the people who are dying are generally in the later stage of their life anyway with other accumulated conditions and is it really worth damaging the economy into a depression for the next generations?

And if were to be your family members that were to die before their time?  

There should be more focus on preventing that, by providing support to at risk groups so that they can isolate themselves and avoid becoming infected. So far all of the effort has been focused on those already infected.

Agreed. I have parents in their late 60’s. A grandmother who is 94, and her three sisters in their late 80’s. If we’re all together come Christmas I will be very surprised. The Chinese Wuhan virus is brutal. 

Thrugelmir

masonic said:

Thrugelmir said:

There's no understanding yet of why the death rate is accelerating in Italy or Spain. Until there's access to the data that summarises the underlying medical conditions that the unfortunate were suffering from. Impossible to predict what the impact might be in the context of the UK. With only 21 directly related deaths so far. UK data in isolation is too small a sample make extrapolations. 

I'd go further - any death rate estimate is currently quite meaningless, since the denominator is not known. There is clearly a lot of community transmission going on that suggests confirmed cases are a massive underestimate of the true number infected.

Number of reported infections is no longer relevant either. Many people aren't going to be aware that they've even had it. 

masonic

Thrugelmir said:

masonic said:

Thrugelmir said:

There's no understanding yet of why the death rate is accelerating in Italy or Spain. Until there's access to the data that summarises the underlying medical conditions that the unfortunate were suffering from. Impossible to predict what the impact might be in the context of the UK. With only 21 directly related deaths so far. UK data in isolation is too small a sample make extrapolations. 

I'd go further - any death rate estimate is currently quite meaningless, since the denominator is not known. There is clearly a lot of community transmission going on that suggests confirmed cases are a massive underestimate of the true number infected.

Number of reported infections is no longer relevant either. Many people aren't going to be aware that they've even had it. 

Yes, that was essentially the point I was trying to make. With countries like ours advising people not even to alert anyone unless their symptoms get severe, there will be no reliable statistics.

EdGasketTheSecond

Maybe the UK's stance is to resolve the pension hole and social care problem on the cheap.

Thrugelmir

masonic said:

Thrugelmir said:

masonic said:

Thrugelmir said:

There's no understanding yet of why the death rate is accelerating in Italy or Spain. Until there's access to the data that summarises the underlying medical conditions that the unfortunate were suffering from. Impossible to predict what the impact might be in the context of the UK. With only 21 directly related deaths so far. UK data in isolation is too small a sample make extrapolations. 

I'd go further - any death rate estimate is currently quite meaningless, since the denominator is not known. There is clearly a lot of community transmission going on that suggests confirmed cases are a massive underestimate of the true number infected.

Number of reported infections is no longer relevant either. Many people aren't going to be aware that they've even had it. 

Yes, that was essentially the point I was trying to make. With countries like ours advising people not even to alert anyone unless their symptoms get severe, there will be no reliable statistics.

I would imagine that the NHS would prefer to focus their limited resources on those that actually need treatment.