Coronavirus Discussion

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  • So I understand that Prince Charles has tested positive. Surely HE must be over 70...... ;))
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    31 doctors died in Italy since the start of the pandemic. Tragic.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,585
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    TripAces wrote: »
    Here in the U.S., too many states are not doing so. Trump refuses to make this a national concern and instead is letting governors approach this as they see fit. We're seeing through news reports and social media that there is an emboldened Conservative movement to end this lockdown. Believe it or not: over half the country approves of the way he is handling this emergency.

    Another symptom of Corona: stupidity.

    - Dad, there's a killer with a knife in the house.
    - That's just your imagination, son. Let me please finish this hamburger.
    - Dad, the killer is actually standing right behind you, now.
    - Boy, I told you, I'm not buying your hoax.
    - Dad, the knife is going into your--
    - OH MY GOD, couldn't you have told me s--aaaaah!

    Scientists warned this would happen. It was called a liberal hoax. Nothing was done. People are now dying, many never had to. Quick, decisive action could have prevented the loss of many lives. And still, whatever is done, is messy at best. When your leaders display this level of incompetence, when they make mistakes which cost lives, when they openly forget that the health of the economy should be second to the health of your people, what do you do?

    A killer is at your door and your leader and his media minions call it a "liberal hoax"?! Think about that.

    I do.

    I read The Hot Zone about 25 years ago and it forced me (and I imagine most of its readers) to recognize the serious dangers that viruses pose. I have been ringing that bell ever since, to no avail.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    5,210 new cases and 683 new deaths in Italy today.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited March 2020 Posts: 16,420
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    TripAces wrote: »
    Here in the U.S., too many states are not doing so. Trump refuses to make this a national concern and instead is letting governors approach this as they see fit. We're seeing through news reports and social media that there is an emboldened Conservative movement to end this lockdown. Believe it or not: over half the country approves of the way he is handling this emergency.

    Another symptom of Corona: stupidity.

    - Dad, there's a killer with a knife in the house.
    - That's just your imagination, son. Let me please finish this hamburger.
    - Dad, the killer is actually standing right behind you, now.
    - Boy, I told you, I'm not buying your hoax.
    - Dad, the knife is going into your--
    - OH MY GOD, couldn't you have told me s--aaaaah!

    Scientists warned this would happen. It was called a liberal hoax. Nothing was done. People are now dying, many never had to. Quick, decisive action could have prevented the loss of many lives. And still, whatever is done, is messy at best. When your leaders display this level of incompetence, when they make mistakes which cost lives, when they openly forget that the health of the economy should be second to the health of your people, what do you do?

    A killer is at your door and your leader and his media minions call it a "liberal hoax"?! Think about that.

    Yes indeed: it's hard to watch what's happening in America and the decisions its leader is taking and not keep this thread 'non-political'! :)
    I'm certainly not convinced our leader in the UK is handling it well, but I do feel grateful I don't have Trump in charge here.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited March 2020 Posts: 13,978
    Normally I can't stand Piers Morgan, but it is most welcome hearing his big mouth speaking out for NHS workers, who work tirelessly (all the while being spat at, shouted at, and generally abused by the people they are there to help) even before the Corona Virus.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited March 2020 Posts: 16,420
    Normally I can't stand Piers Morgan, but it is most welcome hearing his big mouth speaking out for NHS workers, who work tirelessly (all the while being spat at, shouted at, and generally abused by the people they are there to help) even before the Corona Virus.

    Yeah... I must say I've found him unwatchable interviewing people but I can't disagree with an awful lot of the points he's been raising, and I'd usually massively disagree with on a point of principle! :) He's been offering to pay the parking tickets received by NHS workers while they've been at work, which you can't argue with, really.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    1st death from coronavirus: January 9th.
    100 deaths reached on January 27th (18 days later).
    500 deaths reached on February 5th (9 days later).
    1,000 deaths reached on February 10th (5 days later).
    5,000 deaths reached on March 13th (32 days later).
    10,000 deaths reached on March 19th (6 days later).
    15,000 deaths reached on March 23rd (4 days later).
    20,000 deaths reached on March 25th (2 days later).
  • Posts: 2,918
    By "non political" I think the moderators meant that while we're free to criticize the decisions made by various politicians, we should not use the thread as a stick to bash those politicians with (however tempting that sounds and believe me, it is!).

    Part of the reason for the lockdown or "shelter in home" orders is to give governments time to implement a "test and trace" policy, of the sort that worked so well in South Korea. So when the lockdowns end, even if people come down with the disease, they can be very quickly tested and isolated and everyone in contact with them can be traced and told to self-quarantine or get tested, etc. So it is vital that the testing capacities of various nations rise dramatically in order for the lockdowns to end sooner rather than later.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    So I understand that Prince Charles has tested positive. Surely HE must be over 70...... ;))

    And Camilla wasted a much-needed test on herself.
  • edited March 2020 Posts: 628
    mtm wrote: »
    Yes indeed: it's hard to watch what's happening in America and the decisions its leader is taking and not keep this thread 'non-political'! :)
    I'm certainly not convinced our leader in the UK is handling it well, but I do feel grateful I don't have Trump in charge here.

    My suggestion to you: Don't watch Trump, don't give him any more attention, and stop whining about the U.S. and its lack of competent leadership.

    Instead, focus on Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State and his daily press conferences. Cuomo -- who should be POTUS -- is leading the charge in dealing with the virus, especially in NYC where it's spread astronomically. He's currently working with Trump (imagine that) to invoke the Defense Production Act and produce enough ventilators for the hospitals, offering to personally manage the transport of equipment and personnel to each hotspot in the country after NYC has flattened its curve. This is a true leader, putting partisan bullsh*t aside and focusing on saving lives.

    My impression is that outside the U.S. people are so obsessed (unhealthily) with Trump, and so unwilling to look into the local politics of this situation, that they completely miss the work that Cuomo is doing. It's a shame.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited March 2020 Posts: 16,420
    Escalus5 wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Yes indeed: it's hard to watch what's happening in America and the decisions its leader is taking and not keep this thread 'non-political'! :)
    I'm certainly not convinced our leader in the UK is handling it well, but I do feel grateful I don't have Trump in charge here.

    My suggestion to you: Don't watch Trump, don't give him any more attention, and stop whining about the U.S. and its lack of competent leadership.

    Instead, focus on Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State and his daily press conferences. Cuomo -- who should be POTUS -- is leading the charge in dealing with the virus, especially in NYC where it's spread astronomically. He's currently working with Trump (imagine that) to invoke the Defense Production Act and produce enough ventilators for the hospitals, offering to personally manage the transport of equipment and personnel to each hotspot in the country after NYC has flattened its curve. This is a true leader, putting partisan bullsh*t aside and focusing on saving lives.

    My impression is that outside the U.S. people are so obsessed (unhealthily) with Trump, and so unwilling to look into the local politics of this situation, that they completely miss the work that Cuomo is doing. It's a shame.

    Oh I saw Cuomo; certainly- as you say, he's a proper leader and has an actual understanding of the situation. But that doesn't make up for the fact that the guy he's answering to is saying stupid stuff and appearing not to understand the situation. I'm not sure where you are, and I think your use of the word 'whining' is unnecessarily trying to start an argument, so I'll ignore it.
    The issue is that this is very much a global situation, and if any large country underestimates it, it's the problem of everyone. So it's great that New York state is taking it seriously, as are several other states (with California perhaps at the forefront) but the whole country needs to take it seriously and not see it as some sort of foreign 'Chinese' issue, or something which primarily affects the economy. Your use of the term 'unhealthy' is somewhat ironic in that regard.
  • Posts: 2,918
    Required reading:
    "How the Pandemic Will End: The U.S. may end up with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the industrialized world. This is how it’s going to play out," by Ed Yong (who in 2018 wrote a story for The Atlantic arguing that America was not ready for the pandemic that would eventually come).
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,420
    Well as long as no-one in charge fired the pandemic team...
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    One of my students, a nice lad named Sam, lost hist maternal grandfather (86) today. The man was most likely not infected with Corona. However, since my government currently doesn't allow funerals in the usual way, Sam knows that he won't be able to properly say goodbye to his granddad. Corona hurts in more ways than people may think.
  • Posts: 7,507
    Considering how badly many industrialized and financially powerfull countries have coped with this pandemic, I strongly dread the day it fully breaks out in 3rd world environments. The potential carnage it will leave is heartbreakimg to imagine and Im not sure it can be realistically prevented at this point.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,551
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    One of my students, a nice lad named Sam, lost hist maternal grandfather (86) today. The man was most likely not infected with Corona. However, since my government currently doesn't allow funerals in the usual way, Sam knows that he won't be able to properly say goodbye to his granddad. Corona hurts in more ways than people may think.

    Very sad, I'm sorry to hear this.

    The essay posted by @Revelator above goes into some interesting thoughts on the lingering side effects of the pandemic, such as mental health, and the inaccessibility of resources for other medical conditions. Really sad, and like you said, has so many not-so-obvious other effects on society.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    @fanbond123 I think you might as well just go back to talking about Bond in the other threads. Put in your copy of Dr. No on your TV and have a double gin and tonic with a wedge of lime. And if cigarettes are your fancy, savor the moment as you inhale the smoke deep into your lungs.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    I have removed several more posts from this thread.
    @fanbond123 you’re clearly baiting members with your comments now. A difference of opinion is not what you’re posting.
    I will also ask other members not to continue to quote such posts. It adds nothing to the discussion.
    If you don’t agree, simply ignore and move on.
  • edited March 2020 Posts: 631
    Matt007 wrote: »
    I wrote a Long post but dont want to add fuel to the fire so ive deleted it

    Ditto here. At some point you just have to draw a line.

    A vaguely depressing thought is that when all this is over, and lockdown has reduced the death toll to just tens of thousands rather than the worst non-lockdown scenario of millions, some individuals will say “ah ha! There weren’t millions of deaths like the alarmists said, so it was all an overreaction! What a waste of effort that lockdown was!” thereby completely getting cause and effect the wrong way round.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,136
    Matt007 wrote: »
    I wrote a Long post but dont want to add fuel to the fire so ive deleted it

    Ditto here. At some point you just have to draw a line.

    A vaguely depressing thought is that when all this is over, and lockdown has reduced the death toll to just tens of thousands rather than the worst non-lockdown scenario of millions, some individuals will say “ah ha! There weren’t millions of deaths like the alarmists said, so it was all an overreaction! What a waste of effort that lockdown was!” thereby completely getting cause and effect the wrong way round.

    A worrying thought. I do hope society learns something from all this.
  • Revelator wrote: »
    Required reading:
    "How the Pandemic Will End: The U.S. may end up with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the industrialized world. This is how it’s going to play out," by Ed Yong (who in 2018 wrote a story for The Atlantic arguing that America was not ready for the pandemic that would eventually come).

    This is a stunningly good article that everybody should read.
  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    180.000 goods meant for the University of Namur were accidentally confiscated... Their laboratory is working to find a cure for Covid 19.

    The article is in French:

    https://www.levif.be/actualite/belgique/coronavirus-quand-de-crem-saisit-des-produits-prevus-pour-la-belgique/article-normal-1269621.html
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Spain has recorded 655 deaths today so far, becoming the second country after Italy to cross 4,000 total fatalities.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
  • Posts: 36
    Hey everyone,
    I just wanted to send you my support from Australia regarding this whole catastrophe. We are a little ways behind the rest of the world when it comes to the severity of this whole thing but we are unfortunately fast catching up and it is already pretty scary. I'm a teacher and we are in a battle with the government at this moment to get the schools shut down to follow suit with the 70+ countries that already did so. I hope you, your friends and all your loved ones are safe and that you are finding your way through this nightmare of unemployment, sickness and toilet paper shortages.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,266
    Perhaps one more thing I should've added to my previous post, as some people have been pointing out that 'lockdown doesn't work, see Italy/Spain'.

    1. A lockdown starts to work directly, but the results are only visible after the incubation time of 14 days has passed. Up until that time the infection rate is still the one from the days previous.
    2. A lockdown only works, or a stay at home order, or any other social distancing method, if people stick to it and take it serious. As in all nations the herd's been very slow to pick up. From crowded tube trains in London after the lockdown, to Florida beaches full of drunk teenagers at Spring break, those are the people who keep on spreading the desease.
    3. Cultural differences: both in Spain and Italy people greet eachother warmly, with hugs and kisses. Also, families often live (close) together, even with grandparents in the same house. One kid bringing the virus in can kill the grandparents in the same household.
    4. Political culture. In Southern Europe a culture of ignoring the political class (seen as corrupt) has made it very difficult to enforce the lockdowns. In Italy alone at least 200.000 people have been fined for breaking the lockdown rules.

    Just some points to consider when stating FACTS. Especially the ones written in capital letters.

    I wish you all the best in these hard times.

  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
    The big problem is even after complete lockdown people still have to go out to buy groceries and stuffs. One state(Chandigarh) in India here have started home delivery for groceries and day to day items.
    https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/state-governments-start-home-delivery-of-milk-fruits-vegetables-and-groceries/articleshow/74822477.cms

    Hopefully more state will follow this to keep safe distancing.
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