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Reply | Goodbye my friends
at 15:04 19 May 2020
Saddened to read this and struck by your bravery, Lord Bony. Safe journey, you Jack bast@rd. |
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Reply | Corona Virus
at 04:29 1 Apr 2020
You really need to chill out on the conspiracy theories, you know.
One of your favourite case studies, Singapore, is publishing all information on all the drugs it’s evaluating. Including the chloroquine and variants. Latest up to the minute clinical data published by the Singapore Ministry of Health is here:
https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/clinical-evidence-summaries
This is really easy to understand so I recommend to all who are interested. They update all the time on all the various clinical options available.
Singapore has some of the best treatment/recovery rates in the world for the most serious cases, and they are largely using other anti viral drugs (particularly HIV related treatments). If there was real clinical value in using chloroquine they would a) be using it themselves and b) telling everyone about it.
There may be a role for anti malarial drugs if they helpfully boost the bodies own response, but the data is very limited and the guidance in the link above is that a parasite borne virus (like Malaria) is very different to a Coronavirus like transmission. Singapore is getting much better response rates from other drugs (as listed in the link above). |
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Reply | Corona Virus
at 04:01 21 Mar 2020
None of this is true.
We have the same advice in Singapore, only wear masks if you have symptoms. Certain premises, like hospitals, ask everyone to wear masks if you enter the building but otherwise no need. On the subway at the moment my unscientific surveys report about 90% of people mask free.
There has been no mandatory provision of masks and hand wash to employees by companies. |
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Reply | How Singapore dealt with it...very interesting
at 01:34 21 Mar 2020
Another article today on the lessons from Asia. This repeats many of the things I said above about the Singapore response.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51970379
We are Now seeing the second wave of Covid infections from imported cases. 30/40 from today are actually UK infections of Singaporeans now since returning home. The 14 day quarantines will hopefully have that under control in the next 10 days or so (as they were implemented a week ago). |
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Reply | How Singapore dealt with it...very interesting
at 02:06 20 Mar 2020
Yes, there are some intrusions. We all know there is a lot of surveillance - but means there is very little crime. You’ll get caught! But it is very much in the background (I’ve never spoken to a policeman in 4 years of living here - other than once when they pulled over to chat to my 3 year old who was pointing excitedly at their police car).
On Covid, if you are served with a “stay home notice”, you can’t leave your house for 14 days. There is some monitoring and random checks undertaken. If you are Singaporean, there is a prison sentence waiting if you breach the stay home notice. If you re an ex pat, you will have your residence privileges revoked and kicked out of the country at 24 hours notice. And they will do it for sure - it has happened 5 or 6 times during this Covid crisis already.
But that means we all know the deal - if you have a stay home notice, you stay home! That’s why we have such low levels of community transmission.
The small land mass, island nature and population size makes it easier in some ways. But it also means very concentrated urban living, we all live close together, That makes the lack of community spread all the more impressive.
The real thing is people largely trust the leaders to do the right thing. We had a bit of panic buying, but the PM addressed the nation on TV, and it calmed everyone down immediately. Textbook messaging - clarity and consistency of message with calming words. Took all the panic out and we all went back to business as usual. The antithesis of Trump. |
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Reply | How Singapore dealt with it...very interesting
at 01:55 20 Mar 2020
Nonsense. Singapore is nowhere near one of the most authoritarian and controlling states in the world. It’s a functioning democracy. But the elections always return the same party. Why do you think that is? Well:
It is one of the richest nations on earth per capita of GDP, impressive for a country of only 60 years independence and with few natural resources. Yes, there are extremes of wealth (Crazy Rich Asians anyone?) but also superb levels of support and safety nets for every Singaporean.
State supported home ownership which means all Singaporeans can afford to own (not rent) their own homes, access to healthcare which is one of the best in the world and affordable and accessible for all, a state schooling system which is ranked top in the world and free to access, absolutely no homelessness, low taxation levels, clean streets, low/no crime, enviable infrastructure (subways that are reliable, air conditioned, automated and less than £1 for a journey). State supported pensions and collective benefit schemes.
Putting a Covid lens, one of the things Singapore did 5 years ago was build a specialist infectious diseases centre with 330 beds. All of the best medical equipment. Largely sitting idle waiting for a pandemic like we are all experiencing now. No wonder to date we don’t have a single death despite being in the first wave of infections.
Quite alluring? You bet.
Living here is fine. And once I’m bored with Singapore, I can go and hang out in Bali, Thailand or Malaysia for the weekend (not right now of course). You can do that cos we also have the regularly ranked best, most effective airport in the world which means you can leave the office at 6pm and be sitting by a beach in Bali having a beer by 10pm. |
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Reply | How Singapore dealt with it...very interesting
at 14:45 19 Mar 2020
Singapore is awesome.
Life here is still relatively normal, some 6 or 8 weeks since the first cases arrived on the island. No lockdown in place, I use the subway most days without thinking of it and go to the office more often than not. My son still goes to school every day . Most people wear no masks, and there is no panic.
I look at the meltdowns in the media in US, UK and Europe and shake my head. Yes we have a wave again now, but only because of returnees to Singers from the rest of the world but we already have quarantines in place. Another week or 10 days and we should see that contained as well.
Communications from the Government are clear, consistent and trusted. The population are generally calm and follow instructions.
Textbook crisis management. |
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Reply | Countdown to the end of Democracy in the UK
at 17:04 26 Aug 2019
On the important Brexit matters of the day, I can categorically confirm it is true that you cannot get a Melton Mowbray (or even a cheap Tesco crusty) pork pie in Singapore.
I’ve looked fuc*ing everywhere for 3 years. |
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Reply | It's Boris
at 04:29 25 Jul 2019
A mental, yet strangely hilarious day. This feels like a war Cabinet. Anyone else think that a general election before October 31 is now the most likely option?
Rather than unifying, Boris has lurched to the right, exiled the unbelievers and rewarded the acolytes. If we take Boris at his word that Brexit is do or die, the current arithmetic suggests die.
Boris won’t want to die, so he has to change the arithmetic. GE in September? |
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Reply | BoJo vs Hunt
at 20:20 20 Jun 2019
A million times this. BoJo is going to be a brilliantly entertaining PM. Probably not for very long, but whilst there it’s going to be chuckles all around. |
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Reply | *OFFICIAL* BBC Tory leadership debate thread
at 23:02 19 Jun 2019
Thanks Lisa. Cancer is a horrid thing.
I can only get Sky News in Singapore so I’ve been enjoying catching the leadership debates on BBC and C4 since I’ve been back . I can’t believe this Brexit thing is still going!
I’ve only been gone three years, but it’s looking like three prime ministers, two Swans chairman and about six managers whilst I’ve been away! |
| | jackonicko
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