Is it time to talk about coronavirus? (1 Viewer)

[TJPC]

I was watching “Glorifying The American Girl” from 1929, which starts with a company picnic. For just a minute I thought — how irresponsible, how can they do social distancing?

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Virginia just closed schools for the rest of the academic year, which is May/June in most parts, so effectively until August/September.

Any other states went that far yet?

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

Virginia just closed schools for the rest of the academic year, which is May/June in most parts, so effectively until August/September.

Any other states went that far yet?

North Carolina just suspended school through May 15 at the least.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

I do expect that we’ve effectively seen the end of the school year, though.

 

[SamT]

U.S. reports more than 100 coronavirus deaths in a single day (The Washington Post)

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Again, there are significant bottlenecks in testing, especially outside the NYC metro area, so the seeming slowdown in the percent change the last few days is probably more indicative of a lack of testing capacity than it is a genuine slowing of the rate of new cases.

Honestly, we simply cannot conclude much of anything about actual spread from the reported numbers. There's just too much noise w/ the data, including huge amount of selection bias.

_Man_

 

[David Weicker]

As for things going never going 'back to normal' after a few years, well. we've all seen it recently.

After 9/11, the exact same sentiments were voiced. And for about four/five years things were different. But apart from airport check-ins, can anyone say things were dramatically different in summer of 2019 than they were in the summer of 2001?

 

[DaveF]

Pandemic is 'accelerating', WHO warns as cases pass 300,000

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus disease pandemic is "accelerating", with more than 300,000 cases now confirmed.

It took 67 days from the first reported of Covid-19 to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000, and just 4 days for the third 100,000.

I'll take "What is Exponential Growth" for $2000, Alex.

Some nerdy member posted some graphs about this a few pages back.

 

[The Drifter]

As for things going never going 'back to normal' after a few years, well. we've all seen it recently.

After 9/11, the exact same sentiments were voiced. And for about four/five years things were different. But apart from airport check-ins, can anyone say things were dramatically different in summer of 2019 than they were in the summer of 2001?

The ramifications of COVID-19 are & will be far, far worse than 9/11. Not so much re: actual deaths at once, but once all is said & done we don't know how many people will die of the virus.

Also, the negative economic fall-out is far, far worse with COVID-19. With 9/11, there were jobs that were lost as a result & the economy also suffered. But, you definitely didn't have mass closings of bars, restaurants, retail stores, schools, the housing market suffering because people are worried about physical contact so they don't want to buy or sell property, people not flying because they're worried about getting sick/people cancelling/postponing their vacations because they don't want to fly, etc. - as we're seeing with COVID-19. This is causing thousands of people to lose their jobs at once. And, at this point - we have no idea when - or if - any of these places will open back up.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

The ramifications of COVID-19 are & will be far, far worse than 9/11. Maybe not so much re: actual deaths at once, but once all is said & done we don't know how many people will die of the virus.

Also, the economic fall-out is far worse with COVID-19 as well. With 9/11, there were jobs that were lost as a result & the economy also suffered. But, you definitely didn't have mass closings of bars, restaurants, retail stores, schools, the housing market suffering because people are worried about physical contact so they don't want to buy or sell property, people not flying because they're worried about getting sick/people cancelling/postponing their vacations because they don't want to fly, etc. - as we're seeing with COVID-19. This is causing thousands of people to lose their jobs at once. And, at this point - we have no idea when any of these places will open back up.

Sorry to be Little Mary Sunshine, but that should probably when or if.

I'm a comic book person. Comic shops are a low profit industry that rely on new product every week and people there to buy it. About half the shops in the US were already closed because of this, and today, the only distributor said no more new books after tomorrow. These little places that are barely making it now just might not make it to the time when things start to open back up and supply lines are reopened.

Same goes for restaurants, bars, other niche retail stores... Depending on the length, a lot of business owners might just wind up as ex-business owners.

Again, sorry to be Little Mary Fu*king Sunshine.

 

[The Drifter]

Agreed - I've gone back & modified my post.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I've had a sore throat for a couple days, but today it turned into a horrible dry cough and an increasing weeziness when I breathe. It kind of feels like someone wrapped a belt around my ribcage. More and more fatigue as the day has gone on.

I suppose it could just be one of the seasonal bugs that usually swirl around this time of the year, but I'm avoiding all other people for the time being.

I did the questionnaire on the DOH website, and based on my answers it said I meet the qualifications for testing and they'd be in touch with further instructions on where to go. But who knows how long that will be.

My mother, lung cancer survivor with half her lung capacity gone, is also symptomatic. I'm more worried for her than I am for me.

 

[Wayne_j]

Good luck Adam and I hope your mother gets better soon as well.

 

[SamT]

So sorry to hear that. I hope you get better soon.

What was your experience in the past 2 weeks? Did you do the precautions?

I feel like no matter how much we know about this and take the precautions, it will not be enough. I kind of feel you either get it by chance or not. I have paid attention to when I go out and things I do, it is kind of impossible to be bulletproof. Using gloves and stuff, I have noticed I have to touch hundred of things and then impossible not to touch the face. Personally I would most probably get it if I come close to the virus.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Good luck Adam and I hope your mother gets better soon as well.

Thanks Wayne!

What was your experience in the past 2 weeks? Did you do the precautions?

Under my union contract, we're allowed to carry 300 hours of vacation time into the new state fiscal year. Any accruals above that disappear on April 1. So I started a six-day weekend on March 12, before everything got crazy, to burn my excess vacation accruals.

By the time my vacation was over, my office was already designated to work from home. I went into the office for roughly two hours last Wednesday to take care of some preparations that couldn't be done elsewhere. I only encountered one other person during that time, who -- as far as I know -- doesn't have any symptoms. I could hear a guy elsewhere on the floor practically hacking a lung up, but I didn't get anywhere near six feet.

Since then, I've seen one friend and my parents. My only other interactions were with the servers at the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru and and the cashiers at the grocery store.

My mother got sick before I did, so it's probably a crap shoot as to whether she infected me or I infected her. She's been good the last several days about not going out, before before then she didn't take it especially seriously. And without being tested, neither of us will know if it's the coronavirus or just some other kind of respiratory infection swirling around.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I wish you the best of luck Adam and the same towards your mother.

 

[TonyD]

I buy bottled water too, but damn, I will improvise if I had to before going thirsty.

Oh for sure, but bottled water for as long as we can still get it.

we do use the filtered for coffee and making iced tea etc.

Hang in there Adam. I can’t deny that I fear this will happen to me and my wife.
My father who is a snowbird down here in SW Florida hasn’t been heading the warnings.
I asked them 2 days ago if they need tp or anything and was told no.

Today I see his wife post on fb that he went out to look for tp.

He is 79 and has been diagnosed with bladder cancer that is probably treatable but he’s putting himself and his wife at risk because he keeps going away from the house.

We are very frustrated with him.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Adam - I hope things turn out okay for you and your mom. Good luck.

- Walter.

 

[B-ROLL]

A store here had TP and milk in abundance, but no eggs and no TONIC WATER. That last is the newest item to hoard I presume.

Tonic Water contains Quinine which is a treatment developed for Malaria. The current "miracle drug" Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine is also used to treat Malaria ...

I'm sure that straws will be the next thing to be hoarded, because people are grasping for anything .

Message edited to add:
PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! SPEAK TO A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING NEW MEDICATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT BACK UP AS SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE MAY RESULT!!!

 

[YANG]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/chinese-coronavirus-racist-attacks.html