Covid-19 pandemic

[longeared]

If the worst did happen to Johnson, what would be the procedure for electing a new (probably interim) PM given that one is needed, like, immediately? Who would decide? Raab as the designated next choice? Tory MP vote tomorrow? Hunt on the basis that he came second in the election last year and knows about health? Government of national unity for the next few months who elect a leader among themselves?

[elguapo4]

It's one part of British politics that lags behind other countries, not having an official vice Prime Minister.

[San Bernardhinault]

Doesn't queeny just ask someone to do it?

[Moonlight Shadow]

I am listening to a conversation between my wife and her friend in ITU...It's a very grim conversation. They had one patient surviving intubing...one.

[Amor de Cosmos]

It's one part of British politics that lags behind other countries, not having an official vice Prime Minister.

Isn't there a deputy PM?

[ursus arctos]

Doesn't queeny just ask someone to do it?

This is what I thought as well.

[That Night In Barcelona]

This is what I thought as well.

Yeah I assume the cabinet has an unofficial vote and then the Queen officially asks the winner to form a government.

[imp]

It'd be jolly chivalrous of the chap to take one for the team in the name of bolstering herd immunity.

On the one hand I'm a bit like jimski - kind of shocked and, as a general human, not wanting anyone to die. Yet, he's already fucked millions of people over and - if this virus hadn't spread - would have been ready to fuck over millions more. He's an unconscionable racist and liar who would have sold off the NHS - currently trying to save his sorry life - to the most avaricious bidders summoned by his nutjob ideologue advisor. And... on and on, I know it's not the right time to be piling on a possibly dying man. Still, remember that just a few weeks back he was ready to write off 1000s, possibly hundreds of thousands, of lives to this illness. Because he's a man of immense privilege, and he presumably thought that men of privilege don't get "herd" diseases.

[Nefertiti2]

Imp speaks for me.

[Sporting]

And me

[Moonlight Shadow]

Imp said it all...

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

5pm press conference. PM is fine. No problem with him running the country from his hospital bed.
8pm PM taken to intensive care

It was even closer than that, he went in at around 7pm.

[Muukalainen]

Imp said it all...

Indeed so.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Thanks imp

Yesterday I thought great he was in hospital but today I'm thinking a human being might die, he's got an unborn child who could be left fatherless and there's the possibility of karma. As a human being I hope he pulls through but I hope that all of his politics die.

[sw2borshch]

There's also a fair chance that should Johnson survive he may be in such poor health that he can't continue in frontline politics.

[Hot Pepsi]

That makes sense. Isn’t it a lot like when the party in government picks a new PM, as has happened several times in the last 35 years?

[Bruno]

yeah re-post that in the Boris thread imp

[Jimski]

I know what imp says makes logical sense, and I can't really disagree with it, but thinking of anyone in intensive care right now feels a bit like a punch in the gut. Maybe it's because I've read so many sad stories lately, and I just want this to stop....

[Wouter D]

It was very unfortunate timing with regards to ski holidayers from Italy returning to the large Mardi Gras Carnival celebrations in Catholic parts of Germany and the Netherlands. Some Hollywood director couldn't come up with this shit.

Germany corona virus map

Germany religion map

Netherlands Corona virus map

Netherlands religion map

The fact that Belgium has worse numbers than the Netherlands is probably down to the fact that it is completely catholic, whereas the northern half of the Netherlands is protestant and doesn't have the Carnival celebration.

Thankfully Falles was cancelled in Valencia.

Those maps are amazing.

[Hot Pepsi]

Those maps are amazing.

I’m sure carnaval didn’t help, but I imagine there are other factors. I can’t name any, but it just seems like there are too many variables to put a lot of weight on any of them.

[ursus arctos]

There are.

Volume of international travel (both in and out) is an important one.

For Bavaria, proximity to (and interconnections with) both northern Italy and Austria are another.

[Nesta]

he's got an unborn child who could be left fatherless

Fair chance of that anyways if we're honest

[Antepli Ejderha]

Fair chance of that anyways if we're honest

I thought the same when writing it.

[Wouter D]

I’m sure carnaval didn’t help, but I imagine there are other factors. I can’t name any, but it just seems like there are too many variables to put a lot of weight on any of them.

Have you seen pictures from the Dutch version of carnaval? The quintessence is something like this:



Rather literally the opposite of social distancing.

You are, of course, right that other factors will also have played roles.

[scratchmonkey]

As much as I dislike Johnson politically, it is difficult to think of his 7-10 children being left without a potential father.

On a more serious note, if you want a harrowing story of what it's like to have a worsening case of covid that involved intubation, look up David Lat on Twitter, a fairly well-known American activist lawyer who got sick a couple weeks ago.