Brexit, for once some facts.

oyster

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Maybe a pronunciation thing?

In commonly used words "co", pronounced as in coexist, coincidence and coalesce is commonly followed by vowels, as in those examples.

Although there are many exceptions, "co" followed by a consonant commonly has a softer pronunciation as in connect, collateral etc.

Perhaps it's a perception of the unusual and awkward sounding Covid that prompts us into a nearest softer sounding alternative?
.
Cocoa the clown?
 
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oldgroaner

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Maybe a pronunciation thing?

In commonly used words "co", pronounced as in coexist, coincidence and coalesce is commonly followed by vowels, as in those examples.

Although there are many exceptions, "co" followed by consonants commonly has a softer pronunciation as in connect, collateral etc.

Perhaps it's a perception of the unusual and awkward sounding and looking nature of Covid that prompts us into a nearest softer sounding alternative, like corvid?
.
Word association conjured up a memory of Ronnie Barker

"This was an Inflammation broadcast
from the Ministry of Pissmonunciation"
:oops:
 
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oldgroaner

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We could all interpret this as he (possibly? probably?) meant. But the sheer incompetence of putting these words together in a country being told to socially distance, self-isolate and shield in every direction, is mind-numbingly grotesque.

Raab says the critical ingredient is for the country to come together. He says people understand how important key workers are. We can and will rise to the challenge as one United Kingdom, he says.
One United Kingdom? when will this happen?
In that case in the words of John Laurie
"Wur Doomed!"
 

oldgroaner

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The Tweet reminded me of someone we need

“You promised you’d decorate the living room!” “I’m sure you’ll concede despite huge challenges faced by all husbands across the world I now have the capacity to decorate the living room and am straining every sinew in order to ramp up the capacity to paint the hallway.”
my reaction

To get this country back on track doesn't need average DIY skills.
It needs those of a man with skills equivalent to those of an expert Consultant Gynecologist

ie: with the skills and ability to wallpaper the hall and living room through the front door letterbox.
 
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oyster

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Hancock says home testing through the post will become available. He says this will be particularly useful for people living in rural areas.

Does he understand what he saying? Indeed, ability to do a home test and pop it in the post sounds like a good thing. But why rural areas? At least out in the sticks, the number at any given testing location would likely be modest, and getting there whilst maintain social distancing, not too bad. In a city with high population, attending and getting test samples taken, in large numbers, could be far worse in terms of probability of passing on infection.

Isn’t the possibility of performing a test from home (I suspect finger-prick kit) itself a, possibly the, major advantage?

'We are at the peak,' Hancock tells MPs

This is what Matt Hancock said in his opening statement about the UK being at the peak of the pandemic. He said:

We are at the peak. But before we relax any social distancing rules or make changes to them we have set out the five tests that have to be met.


That he couldn’t even see the “five tests” as schoolboy howler level of mis-wording. 10,000 tests maybe but he can only offer five.
 
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Woosh

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Isn’t the possibility of performing a test from home (I suspect finger-prick kit) itself a, possibly the, major advantage?
I think you just do your own swab, break the swab stick and put the swab bud in the plastic tube and post it back.
The only reliable antibody test at the moment is normal blood test, like Lord Bilimoria said on Question Time, he got it done by his private doctor who sent the blood sample to Germany for testing.
 

Danidl

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According to the US CDC, the first death in the USA was 6th. February from someone who had not been outside the USA. They also have another death on 17th. February. This means that they got it from some unknown person early-ish January, and that person was infected late December. They are currently testing other pathological samples taken from other deaths at the time .
 

Danidl

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I think you just do your own swab, break the swab stick and put the swab bud in the plastic tube and post it back.
The only reliable antibody test at the moment is normal blood test, like Lord Bilimoria said on Question Time, he got it done by his private doctor who sent the blood sample to Germany for testing.
Bill Gates has stated there is little difference in the quality of samples taken by a person swapping their own throat or nose and that taken by a professional health care worker. This means that self tests without the requirements of PPE could be done,and the vials posted into centres. The pharmacies could distribute kits or ...
 

oyster

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As I posted, there are many exceptions, like Cocoa, a foreign word and the chocolate base.

But that wasn't the clown Nicolai Poliakoff , his "stage" name was Coco.
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True - I changed my mind about what to write but failed to change the typing! Mea culpa - Johnson should know what that means. Pity he won't say it (with meaning).
 

oldgroaner

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Bill Gates has stated there is little difference in the quality of samples taken by a person swapping their own throat or nose and that taken by a professional health care worker. This means that self tests without the requirements of PPE could be done,and the vials posted into centres. The pharmacies could distribute kits or ...
I presume you mean swabbing, the alternative could leave a mess on the carpet
 
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Barry Shittpeas

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This government is responsible for many mistakes, acts of incompetence and politically driven recklessness. However, I don’t think they can take all of the blame for the high death toll.

I‘ve just cycled into town to collect a prescription for a neighbour. It’s the first time I’ve been out onto the main road and into town for about two weeks. The traffic levels are almost back to normal, the roads are what I would describe as being busy. People are chatting with others who they clearly know and having a right old catch-up. Social distancing seems to have completely gone out of the window. It’s back to normal out there.

The British people are clearly not up to the job. They’ve not got what it takes. Our death rate is definitely going to be the highest in Europe and some of that will be to do with the government’s handling of the situation and some of it will be due to the British people being weak and not having what it takes to do the public’s bit.

The family & friends that I have in Switzerland France & norther Italy report that the roads are empty and towns are deserted. They will do better than us and more of their people will live because they aren’t weak and they don’t crumble after a couple of dozen days. It’s pathetic and it’s embarrassing to see our people acting in such a juvenile way.
 

oldgroaner

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ALASTAIR CAMPBELL

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Here we go - @BorisJohnson and Co will do everything they can to avoid a proper judge led public inquiry into the handling of crisis. It would not remotely deflect government or frontline from the focus needed on the current challenge for Raab to commit to such an inquiry now

oldgroaner@oldgroaner
Difficult to run the country when you are doing a runner to avoid having your collar felt, A recently tried and tested method
 

RossG

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This is what I've been saying from lockdown day one, it's a mind set thing Brits are Brits we do what we like and sod everyone else.
People misbehaving in supermarkets pushing and shoving, I hear it all from friends who work in large stores.
Outside the shop they obey the rules one shopper to one trolley, inside all hell breaks loose old or young all trying to grab the same loaf of bread.
 
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