Coronavirus thread

[Aisin Gioro]

I think they are off their rocker. So far if there was any success in curbing down the spread, it is in places with a significant isolation effort. Given that we know that this stuff does kill sick and old, and young sometimes too, wide population exposure means that they are willing to take those losses. We don't know jack and shit about conferred immunity. We don't know if next winter's strain will have the same RNA. I think that taking a herd immunity approach to a completely novel pathogen is insane.

I just spoke to someone in the UK with direct interactions with senior government officials in a medico-legal capacity, and their assessment is that the "herd immunity" decision is absolutely not based on science, but rather a grandiose notion of the PM dressed up for presentation by his Chief Scientific Adviser and others as being somehow medically sensible. They estimate that there are perhaps 10,000 cases already in the UK, and the government's approach is an attempt to jump ahead of that failure, in effect saying, "Well, of course, we meant for that to happen. It's all going according to plan, you see?" The person I spoke to has 35+ years of experience in dealing with governmental foolishness, and was truly on the edge of tears with anger and frustration "for the first time in 20 years".

[Aisin Gioro]

Just sat down to a late lunch. I was hiking out in the state forest with the dogs for 3+ hours. I had pretty much forgotten about the virus hype until we spotted a group of 4 people in the middle of the woods wearing surgical masks. WTFO! Last I heard there are no COVID 19 infected squirrels coughing in hikers faces. One can never be too careful!

We all laughed...until...

[Aisin Gioro]

Just had our first case with a positive test, but the confirmatory test isn't back yet

I've actually been out of work for the past two days due to a fever of 102 and coughing. However I didn't meet criteria for testing the day I got sick. Those criteria just changed last night so I get to get tested Monday morning

cc

我们为你加油! We are all pulling for you!

[pangloss]

I think they are off their rocker. So far if there was any success in curbing down the spread, it is in places with a significant isolation effort. Given that we know that this stuff does kill sick and old, and young sometimes too, wide population exposure means that they are willing to take those losses. We don't know jack and shit about conferred immunity. We don't know if next winter's strain will have the same RNA. I think that taking a herd immunity approach to a completely novel pathogen is insane.

I think they are crazy too. It's like not taking rejecting vaccines because actual infections strengthen your immunity. Sure, the immunity may be better, but you also may be dead.

Something I heard out of Italy still haunts me; apparently, in some hospitals, patients >65 y/o and/or with comorbidites (diabetes, cancer, heart or kidney disease, etc) were not even being evaluated by an ICU physician and instead given mask O2 and comfort care. The idea of being put in the position of having to make that call is just nauseating to me.

I heard this in a meeting at work yesterday too. We are bracing for this scenario and praying that disaster is somehow averted. Does anyone know if people are developing plans to use schools as overflow facilities for hospitals? Schools are canceled here for the next two weeks, and I suspect probably for the rest of the school year. We are in close proximity to at least two schools (now closed), and it seems to me that putting people there would be better than in tents outside.

My 80 year old parents are out galavanting around like nothing is going on. My mother says she doesn’t care; she lived a long life. I think people are panicking and in denial.

My mom's older sister (~70 years of age) is doing the same thing. I told my mom to politely ask whether or not she and my uncle had their wills in order. Apparently, all their burial plans have been pre-arranged, but their wills are not current. This seemed to get through to them a little bit and they claim to be limiting trips out now. She might just be telling that to my mom to get my mom to stop nagging her about it.

Last night I read a news article about the blood supply. Looks like it is headed for a severe shortage, as blood drives at churches and schools is where a lot of blood donations come from. No church, no school, no blood donors. That should be enough to force cancellation of all elective procedures regardless of what happens with the virus.

[scjbash]

The cynic in me says it's a political move. You can't fail to slow the spread and flatten the curve if it wasn't your goal to begin with.

I try not to listen to my cynical side though.

I just spoke to someone in the UK with direct interactions with senior government officials in a medico-legal capacity, and their assessment is that the "herd immunity" decision is absolutely not based on science, but rather a grandiose notion of the PM dressed up for presentation by his Chief Scientific Adviser and others as being somehow medically sensible. They estimate that there are perhaps 10,000 cases already in the UK, and the government's approach is an attempt to jump ahead of that failure, in effect saying, "Well, of course, we meant for that to happen. It's all going according to plan, you see?" The person I spoke to has 35+ years of experience in dealing with governmental foolishness, and was truly on the edge of tears with anger and frustration "for the first time in 20 years".

I guess I should listen to my cynical side more often.

[Totem Polar]

Looks like it’s been on the other side of the state for a while; no surprise there.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/20...ane-county-re/

[LittleLebowski]

Our schools are closed for a month and the locals think that means party time, instead of limiting social contact.

[Totem Polar]

There will be a huge surge in confirmed cases.

And the vast majority of those cases are going to say "I've had worse."

And then everything will return to normal, the media will look like the incompetent dipshits that they are, and all the alarmists will make excuses for their hysterics.

Book it.

[shootist26]

Our schools are closed for a month and the locals think that means party time, instead of limiting social contact.

Depressing, but that's exactly the same path Italy went down

[JohnO]

Our schools are closed for a month and the locals think that means party time, instead of limiting social contact.

Police activity will go up. Idle hands...