Testing Of Greater Anglia’s New Electric Trains Continues Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on itv.com.
These are the first paragraphs of the report.
Greater Anglia is continuing to test it’s new electric trains amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The company says they are following all government guidelines to ensure that the workforce is kept as safe as possible.
One of the new electric trains completed its maiden voyage to Liverpool Street recently – a journey the company says was a success.
Hopefully, the testing program won’t be delayed too long.
Coronavirus: Mercedes F1 To Make Breathing Aid
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A breathing aid that can help keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care has been created in under a week.
From reading the article it appears that engineers from University College London, clinicians at University College Hospital and production engineers and specialists at Mercedes Formula One have combined to re-engineer and hopefully improve something called a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device, which is already used in hospitals and has been used in China and Italy to combat the virus.
The new design would appear to have advantages.
- It doesn’t need an expensive ventilator.
- It doesn’t need an intensive care bed.
- From the pictures and video on a BBC Breakfast report, it looks to be quick and easy to manufacturer.
- A production rate of a thousand a day is claimed by Mercedes.
- The BBC Breakfast report also says, that patients don’t need to be sedated.
- It also looks like the NHS is going to fast-rack the device into use.
Will this rethinking of standard treatment increase hospital capacity and save lives?
I can’t answer the question, but given those behind the device, it must have a better than even chance of being a success!
My Daily Exercise
My father always said I was born lucky!
When I bought this house in Dalston after my stroke, I bought it because of the location.
- There are four London Overground stations within walking distance.
- Four bus stops are within a hundred metres, which are served by five bus routes, one of which goes to King’s Cross, St. Pancras and Euston
- There are more than ten bus routes within walking distance.
- I have three bus routes to and from the Angel for the shops and Chapel Market, where my paternal grandmother, used to shop before the First World War.
- If I walk the other way, there was the rather run down Kingsland Road with a Sainsbury’s and lots of unhealthy takeaways.
But then Marks and Spencer opened a Simply Food store in the Kingsland Road by Dalston Kingsland station.
- It is about a fifteen minute walk from my house.
- It has a full range of their gluten-free food.
- It stocks everything I need regularly.
It was certainly my luck, that they opened this store.
Today, I took my daily exercise by walking to the store and bringing home enough food for a couple of days.
- Is this killing two birds with one stone?
- The walk along the Balls Pond Road was notable because there was only little traffic and few pedestrians on one of East London’s main arteries.
- A sizeable proportion of the shops were shut.
It was also very breezy and was this good to protect me from COVID-19, by blowing it away?
Ventilators On Click
Click, the BBC’s technology program has just shown an item about ventilator development.
They showed a picture of the dyson machine and video of several others.
- One created its own oxygen.
- One was designed for developing countries.
- One was designed to be a minimal size.
- One was designed to be 3D printed.
- One cost around five hundred euros.
Developments were also from several countries in addition to the UK, including Canada, France and Spain,
I think the world is on a path to get enough ventilators.
The program will be repeated in BBC Breakfast tomorrow!
Boots March In To COVID-19 Testing
There has just been an item on BBC Breakfast, where the Managing Director of Boots claimed that the chemists were rolling out COVID-19 testing.
Only hundreds a day at the moment, but the plans seem impressive!
Lockdown ‘Is On Course To Reduce Total Death Rate’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Britain is on course for an estimated 5,700 deaths from coronavirus, far lower than originally predicted, experts believe.
It’s all contained in a paper by Tom Pike at Imperial College,
Apparently, it is based on the premise that the UK follows the lockdown and social distancing.
Here’s hoping!
The story is also in the Mail and the Express.
The Fastest Ambulance In The World
This article on CityLab is entitled To Fight a Fast-Moving Pandemic, Get a Faster Hospital.
This is the introductory paragraph.
To move Covid-19 patients from the hardest-hit areas, authorities in France turned one of the nation’s famous TGV trains into a very fast ambulance.
It appears that French COVID-19 outbreaks are as patchy, as they are in the UK, where some towns and cities like Hull, Blackpool and Middlesbrough have only a few COVID-19 patients and major hospitals.
Evening up the numbers is probably a good idea.
Could we see a spare InterCity 125 train fitted out as an ambulance train to move patients around the country?
Government Orders 10,000 Ventilators From Dyson
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC,
It may seem strange to some, that the government has turned to a vacuum cleaner manufacturer to build high-tech medical equipment for the NHS.
But.
- Look at the quality of the parts on your Dyson vacuum, where they all fit tightly together.
- I suspect that some of the principles about air-flow in a vacuum, apply to a ventilator.
- Advanced manufacturing has progressed a lot in recent years and it should be one of Dyson’s strengths.
The BBC are reporting that Dyson is working with The Technology Partnership, an innovation company based in Cambridge.
Get Set For Max Return, Says Boeing
The title of this post is the same as this article in The Times.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Boeing is to fire up its 737 Max production line by May as it seeks to return the aircraft to service by the middle of the year.
Two points from the article.
- Some suppliers have been asked to start shipping parts from April.
- Boeing’s share price has risen, by 34.3%
But given the shadow over air travel caused by COVID-19, is restarting production a wise move?
I certainly don’t trust the Boeing 737 MAX!
But then if you live in London, I don’t think, you will need to fly in one, as there are a good selection of short haul trains and airlines that fly the smaller Airbuses.
I probably won’t fly short-haul again, until an airline starts flying electric aircraft.
The Anonymous Widower 