ON TWITTER

#CORONAVIRUS

If most people with a cough or fever request a coronavirus test this winter, there won’t be enough tests every day for five months, a study estimates. The research team says current UK testing capacity should be “immediately scaled up to meet this high predicted demand”.

@leefmullin said: “What are we actually testing for? A coronavirus could be any number of viruses so almost everyone will have it; the common cold is a coronavirus, so is a viral throat infection. Or specifically Covid-19? If the latter then why are we using the term “coronavirus”? It’s misleading.”

@Chris_mayo replied: “I think we can rely on trained medical professionals to know what they are looking for and what to tell patients.”

@Borisjquotes commented: “So there’s absolutely no chance to contain Covid-19 this winter. Test track and trace won’t work without testing, meaning we can’t stay open like Sweden did before.

Surely the only option left is to go back into lockdown?” @sharkastic posted: “But I’m sure we were told that capacity had been ramped up repeatedly.” @wilfowl25 added: “If normal coughs and fevers are indistinguishable from ‘coronavirus’, or whatever they decide to call it next, then what is the point of a hugely expensive testing programme? Note that nobody is ‘testing’ for flu and that kills tens of thousands each and every winter.”

#HYBRIDS

Carbon dioxide emissions from plug-in hybrid cars are as much as two-and-a-half times higher than official tests suggest, according to new research. @Ferraricharlie said: “There is no transportation with zero emissions. Even people walking breathe heavily at both ends! Anything that says it ticks a green box is an absolute con.” @jamescoogan posted: “All cars fall short of their claimed efficiency figures but hybrids (plug-in or otherwise) seem to fall shorter than others.”