Unless we pass laws which support people to enable them to self-isolate properly, any improvements to test & trace will have marginal impact and cases will simply spiral out of control once again as we ease lockdown in December.

A short thread on what we can do and why 👇
1/

Improving the currently poor rates of self-isolation is actually the key point, which many scientists, politicians, & commentators do still seem to be missing.

This requires good public health communication, proper support for those who need to self-isolate, & trust.
2/
Massive testing and tracing will only significantly reduce
transmission if positive cases isolate effectively. Yet
currently fewer than 20% of those who should isolate are fully adherent.

I don't think I need to explain why it's so critical to improve these rates.

3/
Survey data shows intention to adhere to test/trace/isolate behaviours is higher than self-reported adherence: whilst 76% of people intend to share contacts, only 50% of people correctly recognise symptoms &
just 12% get a test, 18% isolate, & 11% of contacts isolate properly.
4
Self-reported ability to self-isolate
is three times lower in those who earn less than £20,000 per year or have less than £100 saved.

5/
The UK has one of the lowest proportions of pay covered by statutory sick pay in Europe (29% compared to 100% in Germany), and millions do not qualify.

6/
An OECD review showed paid sick leave is important well beyond its
core function to protect sick workers during a health pandemic and subsequent economic crisis.

7/
SAGE and iSAGE agree that
individuals need to be supported properly for them to isolate, advising a daily text or phone call, with provision of food supplies, essential goods and employment
protection, stressing solidarity and togetherness.

8/
In Senegal (& China & elsewhere), they offer isolated accommodation to anyone who needs it. https://t.co/Reopwtvizn
We could do this too (hotels), & it would go a long way to preventing spread within multigenerational households, where transmission often occurs.
9/
It is *over three months* since the ONS found that a lack of proper sick pay was highly correlated with care home outbreaks and *over three months later* we have still done absolutely nothing about this in England. https://t.co/q4phFlXALW

In the most vulnerable of settings.

10/
https://t.co/7lkzrHx7DB
Wales has acted to change this in care homes, when will England? And when will we then follow SAGE, iSAGE and OECD advice and apply that across the board to improve self - isolation rates and therefore reduce rates of community transmission?

11/
Existing test-and-trace policies have deviated from advice provided by SAGE and, without improving basic public health communication and giving support to self-isolate, any
improvements to the test-and-trace system will have only marginal impact.

END
https://t.co/h60nM1TMsM

More from Society

The Nashville Operation - A Battle in the War

A thread exploring the Nashville bombing in the context of the 2020 Digital War (via SolarWinds) against the United States perpetrated by our enemies, likely China, Iran and/or Russia.


SolarWinds Hack

A digital "Pearl Harbor" moment for the United States, whoever was responsible had access to the keys to the kingdom for months during 2020, including sensitive military infrastructure. This is war!

SunGard + SolarWinds

SolarWinds software company is owned by same company that owns SunGard, which essentially provides data center services. A secure place to host internet servers with redundant power and "big pipe" data connections.

https://t.co/U3P3SrrkM1


SunGard Data Center

In Nashville, around the corner from their "big pipe" connection, AT&T. Like any data center, highly secure. Only authorized personnel can enter, and even fewer can access the actual server rooms. Backup generators are available in case of power failure.


If the SunGard hardware was being used to "host" critical command and control software related to SolarWinds, the US powers would be very interested in gaining special access keys that are stored on the hard-drives of specific servers.

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Tip from the Monkey
Pangolins, September 2019 and PLA are the key to this mystery
Stay Tuned!


1. Yang


2. A jacobin capuchin dangling a flagellin pangolin on a javelin while playing a mandolin and strangling a mannequin on a paladin's palanquin, said Saladin
More to come tomorrow!


3. Yigang Tong
https://t.co/CYtqYorhzH
Archived: https://t.co/ncz5ruwE2W


4. YT Interview
Some bats & pangolins carry viruses related with SARS-CoV-2, found in SE Asia and in Yunnan, & the pangolins carrying SARS-CoV-2 related viruses were smuggled from SE Asia, so there is a possibility that SARS-CoV-2 were coming from