Trump for some reason seems to be convinced that hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, is a miracle cure for this virus. I can only assume that either he has some business interest in selling it, or one of his favourite conspiracy theory websites has been shilling it. Or both.

RobK wrote:

Surprised to see the dreadful Boulton taking a different line.

The personal bravado displayed by Boris Johnson and team concerning their health and #coronavirusuk has not served them well.

— Adam Boulton (@adamboultonSKY) April 6, 2020

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Boulton may be personally dreadful but I think he is quite right on this.

Originally Posted by: DEW 

He may well be right but is surely not a very tactful time to point this out, while Boris is still in intensive care?

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

No new cases reported in China, though there is caution on these stats.

75,000 people dead worldwide with god knows how many more to die. Heard anything from China about this? Are they going to take any responsibility, or is it just our problem now? Anything they have pledged to help world economies out in future through the mess they created? Any remorse from them?

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

No new cases reported in China, though there is caution on these stats.

75,000 people dead worldwide with god knows how many more to die. Heard anything from China about this? Are they going to take any responsibility, or is it just our problem now? Anything they have pledged to help world economies out in future through the mess they created? Any remorse from them?

Originally Posted by: Phil G 

Look, governments are not necessarily nice things but they are necessary things. A virus mutation could happen anywhere and I suggest to you that many governments, including ours, would prevaricate and dissemble about it if it started on their own territory. Stones, glass houses and all that. I'm not here to defend any government, least of all one as authoritarian as that of China but I really do feel that your constant finger pointing and accusatory tone is not helpful and can only serve to make things worse, bearing in mind that this is a global problem and our best defence is to cooperate with others to defeat it. What we all need right now is open cooperation, not blaming and jingoism.

Our own colonial history in SE Asia strongly suggests that we will never be in a position to demand anything from China, let alone financial compensation. Since that isn't ever going to happen, the only possible result of stirring up hatred and mistrust is a mutually equivalent response which can only harm cooperation and thus, all of us. I entreat you to keep your thoughts on this subject to yourself for the time being. There may be a time to discuss it in the future but that time certainly isn't now.

Originally Posted by: Ulric 

Look, governments are not necessarily nice things but they are necessary things. A virus mutation could happen anywhere and I suggest to you that many governments, including ours, would prevaricate and dissemble about it if it started on their own territory. Stones, glass houses and all that. I'm not here to defend any government, least of all one as authoritarian as that of China but I really do feel that your constant finger pointing and accusatory tone is not helpful and can only serve to make things worse, bearing in mind that this is a global problem and our best defence is to cooperate with others to defeat it. What we all need right now is open cooperation, not blaming and jingoism.

Our own colonial history in SE Asia strongly suggests that we will never be in a position to demand anything from China, let alone financial compensation. Since that isn't ever going to happen, the only possible result of stirring up hatred and mistrust is a mutually equivalent response which can only harm cooperation and thus, all of us. I entreat you to keep your thoughts on this subject to yourself for the time being. There may be a time to discuss it in the future but that time certainly isn't now.

Originally Posted by: Ulric 

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, has told LBC that Boris has received oxygen overnight but hasn't moved to a ventilator.

Originally Posted by: Gavin D 

Hi Ulric,

While I certainly can see where you are coming from, I think it might be an idea to have a read of GTW's post from last night just before the end of the last thread.

It was almost certainly the fact that the Chinese government spent 4-6 weeks from mid-December to late January trying to deny there was a serious problem developing and doing their best to cover it up that was the difference between this virus being no or little more than a local epidemic and a global pandemic which it became last month. It may all have been a terrible accident and nothing more, but I doubt that will be of any comfort at all to all those who have lost loved ones and/or suffered in other ways because of this.

If the Chinese had got on top of this at the outset in December as they should have, then everything that has happened since would very likely never have come to pass.

Originally Posted by: David M Porter 

He is not on an invasive ventilator. But he is having positive air pressure applied to help his lungs.  Semantics

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Our own colonial history in SE Asia strongly suggests that we will never be in a position to demand anything from China, let alone financial compensation. Since that isn't ever going to happen, the only possible result of stirring up hatred and mistrust is a mutually equivalent response which can only harm cooperation and thus, all of us. I entreat you to keep your thoughts on this subject to yourself for the time being. There may be a time to discuss it in the future but that time certainly isn't now.

Originally Posted by: Ulric 

He is not on an invasive ventilator. But he is having positive air pressure applied to help his lungs.  Semantics

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

The watershed from very serious to extremely serious  I think is  whether people get knocked out and "entubed". 

Originally Posted by: Bugglesgate 

He’s clearly very gravely ill. Downing Street would understandably not go into fine details about his condition at this point.

I’m worried, really hope he pulls through. 

Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 

Such memory as exists in popular sentiment doesn't stretch back beyond WW2, at least for this country. How many people could tell you where the Opium Wars were, let alone explain their causes and effects?

Originally Posted by: DEW 

I don't disagree with any of that.

My point is that what is required right now is open cooperation on a global scale to save lives.

When all this is sorted out, we can talk about blame and the disappointing aspects of international diplomacy.

Originally Posted by: Ulric 

I bet people are reading up on the Opium Wars right now.

Originally Posted by: Ulric