Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) (SARS-CoV-2) [2020]

Close the pubs too if people are such idiots. Seriously, this just happened in Belgium where all pubs and restaurants are closed now.

The Italian health experts would advise countries like the Netherlands to just have everyone stay at home for three weeks. This would stop the virus and would be the quickest and most efficient way to slow the virus down. In Italy the situation is very serious and the death toll is much higher than in China because China was better prepared.

China who unfortunately gave us this virus also showed how to stop it.

 

If you don't wipe it out in those three weeks, it'll resurge later, either internally or from abroad. How many times can a country keep everyone at home for three weeks? I don't think the 'kill it' option is now usable, and the only option is to let people get it and build up resistance. I suppose the other option is delay until a cure or better preparations can be made.

 

It's a good time for the Simpsons movie and Futurama: Cold Warriors.

 

Spain +1.200 cases, in one day. I'm already teleworking and I have food at home for 3 weeks. We knew this was coming, we saw what happened in Italy and the government did nothing.

 

Same here teleworking in Barcelona.

 

This weekend might be perfect for watching 12 Monkeys with kids. Maybe follow up with 28 Days Later.

 

This is where mixing populations may not be (have been) the best solution. If the vulnerable were segregated, the rest of the world could carry on as normal, the virus would work its way through, and then the vulnerable could be returned, without the massive upheavals that are happening. People stockpiling food for weeks is daft when the capacity to produce and distribute food is going to be largely unaffected. The world coming to a halt, or at least a stutter, is a response a disease that doesn't significantly impact the working population doesn't warrant, and I think points to general weakness and instabilities in social structure and management.

 

Too much television!

 

A lot of people in Denmark were on vacation in Austria and Italy in week 7 and 8. People returning from Ischgl were especially exposed to COVID-19 and most have been tracked back to a single bartender in a specific bar.

Unfortunately we didn't quarantine immediately.

 

I think you may underestimate some aspects.
One is the total medical capabilities of a country. If the medical infrastructure is overwhelmed, fatalities increase drastically, and it affects more than just respiratory machinery, it extends to medical care in general. Once your intensive care capabilities are exhausted....
The second is that people actually care about those who are a bit less strong. If my elderly mother and father dies, well, it’s mum and dad! And they will be gone forever, for me and my kids and others. I don’t give a damn if stock markets dive for a bit, or if the productiveness of my country drops. My priority is their lives, and a bit of discomfort and loss of income is a very small price to pay.
Also, on a more hopeful note, suppressing spread also buys time to find helpful medication, and ultimately a vaccine.

 

Yes, hopefully the US ends up doing something similar and we don't end up pushing through an agenda to test everyone for political reasons. Medical resources should be used on those that need it, not on those that think they need it.

I myself declined to get tested as I appeared to be suffering relatively minor symptoms. I can't even imagine how bad it is for even moderate symptoms as breathing was already fairly difficult.

Regards,
SB

 

Researchers in Toronto (Sunnybrook/McMaster/UofT) have isolated the virus. Should make better tools imminent.

 

Before the Corona virus hits Indonesia, food stocks already goes down and prices goes up.

Maybe because despite Indonesia have rich soil... We actually import tons of essential food stuff instead of producing them for local market. Some fruits like apple also almost exclusively imported from China.

Btw the ministry or something announced on TV that he was disappointed in the travel industry for giving huge discounts right now.

Hmm. Maybe when this disease stars to dies, a good opportunity to get cheap holidays

 

I think you've completely missed my point! My suggestion was to protect those people by isolating them from the virus, rather than trying to lock down all of society.

Imagine a perfectly organised society that could at the drop of a hat say, "right, all these vulnerable people, go to these places for distribution," like they did for WWII evacuations. And then they're transported off to holiday camps and hotels that then go into lock-down with proper management of the outside world contact so the disease cannot get to them. They are safe, society continues, the younger population can carry on without panic buying or worrying about vulnerable loved ones, still making food to feed everyone including the quarantined loved ones, and running services for power and water and everything else needed to keep society running. After a couple of months with the disease having passed through the system, everyone's happily and safely reunited.

Human beings have developed the capacity to act this way, but not the organisation, and so despite it being possible, it won't happen. But wouldn't that be a better solution overall? Or do you think we should mix the vulnerable with the general populace, and then just isolate everyone despite the younger populace not being at risk and not needing isolation in order to maintain a healthy, functioning society?

 

I dislike how this virus is being not only sensationalized (expected) but politicized.

Hmmm, if it was the perfect killing machine, wouldn't the death rate for the elderly be much higher? It's potentially deadly for the elderly, certainly, but an almost "perfect killing machine"? Gah.

Stuff like this is what spreads public panic and is counter productive.

Oh, like those "other countries" that can't test everyone? There has certainly been easier initial access to testing in Europe, but when you run out of resources...it doesn't matter. The reality of the situation is that testing will likely be limited in all countries as infections grow.

What's going to be important is how testing is prioritized and how limited medical resources get used to save as many people as possible.

Regards,
SB

 

I agree, that isn't simply the difference between "Almost Perfect" vs "Perfect". Far from it.

 

Yeah I’ve been stocking up for the last 2 weeks,we have enuf for 2 months.
Dried beans, bottled fish,fake milk etc, I’m glad I have done this as it was chaos in the supermarket today
Went into Barcelona by metro today, some people wearing masks, 5% maybe, but none of them were wearing gloves. Doh! Still can’t blame them watching the tv news, there’s a lot of misinformation.

 

That is horrifically hyperbolic. What are his motivations? You don't get any British scientists and medical persons using anything other than the sort of technical, 'engineering' class language you'd expect (and is needed).

 

Why do you think there'll be food shortages in a month requiring stockpiling?

 

No I don’t think that, I think prices might go up though, also Perhaps movement restrictions might go into place eg shopping only allowed a couple hours a day, and after seeing the chaos today in the supermarket it would be nice being able to avoid it. we planned to go camping this weekend, but now who knows with this state of emergency . All the food I bought is non perishable so it will be eaten eventually anyways.
I even got 8 rolls of toilet paper, we are set for the next 2 months.
I was in Eastern Europe in the very early 90s, I very much doubt we will see food shortages like that.