NON_POLITICAL China Coronavirus THREAD

[CZroe]

Does the body really start to "pre-respond" with a small viral load?

Governor Tom Wolf (PA) has reduced the capacity of bars/restaurants/other food related businesses from 50% down to 25%.
You can't sit at the bar & drink. You have to sit at a table & can only get a drink if you're ordering food.
Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 persons are prohibited.
Outdoor events and gatherings of more than 250 persons are prohibited.

There are other measures too.

July 15
Wolf Administration Announces Targeted Mitigation Efforts in Response to Recent COVID Case Increases

That's not what he's saying.

A higher viral load gives the virus a bigger head start which means you need a bigger immune reaction to knock it back.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I saw a tweet earlier today that I believe came from Faucci saying if everyone in the country wore masks for 6-8 weeks we could have this thing under control. That is 2 months at most and people won't do that shit. 2 fucking months max.

Our country is so fucking stupid. But then remember who our country also elected president.

That's pretty much what NZ did. Lock the doors, keep everyone in different rooms for a month, send the kiddos back to school. It's not *that* hard, just very difficult to get people to all do the same thing at the same time.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Does the body really start to "pre-respond" with a small viral load?

Think of it this way. If a single virus particle lands in the lungs, and is in an environment where it can propagate, it'll begin to do so. Upon realizing this particle and 'hotspot' is there, the body will respond with antibodies to attack that spot, develop appropriate antibodies to fight the infection, and do it's thing.

Now, if you have 35,000 hotspots appear at once because you breathed in someone's nose juices because you and/or them weren't wearing a mask, that's now 35k spots where infections can spring up at once, and it's way, way harder for the body to 'focus' on that. In addition, the low likelihood of an infection spreading to other organs is multiplied dramatically with more infection points.

It's basically an exact corollary to societal infection. One hotspot? Lock 'em down and call it good. A thousand hotspots? Gotta lock the state down and hope for the best (folks die).

 

[Ichinisan]

Sadly, most of the masks in use are not N95 and don't work that well on Covid-19.

Anything in front of your face helps reduce viral load.

 

[local]

I am at a crossroads. I spoke out at work, they have decided to bring everyone back in. I objected, they claimed this is all fake. When I was in the office I wore a mask full time. Then my boss started sending me texts about how masks make you sicker and co2 poisoning, etc. I am not a worker bee, I am a manager of decently high level and seniority. I cannot help but feel targeted right now. I can either roll over and secure my place rising ever higher in the company or I can go to war. Quitting isn't an option, I have been here 16 years they are going to have to drag me out.

The booze isn't giving me any answers.

 

[JM Aggie08]

I am at a crossroads. I spoke out at work, they have decided to bring everyone back in. I objected, they claimed this is all fake. When I was in the office I wore a mask full time. Then my boss started sending me texts about how masks make you sicker and co2 poisoning, etc. I am not a worker bee, I am a manager of decently high level and seniority. I cannot help but feel targeted right now. I can either roll over and secure my place rising ever higher in the company or I can go to war. Quitting isn't an option, I have been here 16 years they are going to have to drag me out.

The booze isn't giving me any answers.

What kind of backwards-ass place do you work at?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Time for folks to start shitting bricks.

Banks Stockpile Billions as They Prepare for Things to Get Worse (Published 2020)

JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo said that as long as the economy behaved according to their forecasts, they were braced for more pandemic-induced pain.

www.nytimes.com

 

[MrSquished]

I am at a crossroads. I spoke out at work, they have decided to bring everyone back in. I objected, they claimed this is all fake. When I was in the office I wore a mask full time. Then my boss started sending me texts about how masks make you sicker and co2 poisoning, etc. I am not a worker bee, I am a manager of decently high level and seniority. I cannot help but feel targeted right now. I can either roll over and secure my place rising ever higher in the company or I can go to war. Quitting isn't an option, I have been here 16 years they are going to have to drag me out.

The booze isn't giving me any answers.

Seriously where in the country is this place of employment of yours and what kind of company is it?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

One good analogy for masks I saw is imagine a line of forest between you and a target and you shoot an arrow through it. The arrow is slim and can fit between all the trees, but by going through the forest, you will still eventually hit a tree and the arrow won't make it on the other side, or at least, the chance of it is reduced.

Even simpler is hold a candle 6 inches from your face, try to blow out the candle with a mask on.

 

[local]

What kind of backwards-ass place do you work at?

Seriously where in the country is this place of employment of yours and what kind of company is it?

Texas, Construction. Basically conservative mecca but this is something else. It is willful abandonment of sense and reason.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I think we need to build a wall and make the Americans pay for it!

Nearly 5,000 U.S. citizens tried to enter Canada for shopping, recreation amid pandemic: CBSA

According to new data from the Canada Border Services Agency, more than 10,000 U.S. citizens have been turned away at the Canadian border during the pandemic — and almost half of them were hoping to enter Canada to shop, go sightseeing or simply for recreation.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[rh71]

I think we need to build a wall and make the Americans pay for it!

Nearly 5,000 U.S. citizens tried to enter Canada for shopping, recreation amid pandemic: CBSA

According to new data from the Canada Border Services Agency, more than 10,000 U.S. citizens have been turned away at the Canadian border during the pandemic — and almost half of them were hoping to enter Canada to shop, go sightseeing or simply for recreation.

www.ctvnews.ca

Haha people are desperate to do stuff after months of lockdown. We're in travel hockey and they have prohibited anyone from playing scrimmages/games in NY (the numbers are very good now and they want to keep it that way). Teams are having to travel an hour into CT or NJ just to get anything going.

 

[zinfamous]

I saw a tweet earlier today that I believe came from Faucci saying if everyone in the country wore masks for 6-8 weeks we could have this thing under control. That is 2 months at most and people won't do that shit. 2 fucking months max.

Our country is so fucking stupid. But then remember who our country also elected president.

Imagine if everyone did what they were actually supposed to do back in March.

Imagine.

 

[zinfamous]

I am at a crossroads. I spoke out at work, they have decided to bring everyone back in. I objected, they claimed this is all fake. When I was in the office I wore a mask full time. Then my boss started sending me texts about how masks make you sicker and co2 poisoning, etc. I am not a worker bee, I am a manager of decently high level and seniority. I cannot help but feel targeted right now. I can either roll over and secure my place rising ever higher in the company or I can go to war. Quitting isn't an option, I have been here 16 years they are going to have to drag me out.

The booze isn't giving me any answers.

If your boss is that kind of stupid human, then that person has no authority to be any kind of leader of humans.

they should be fired immediately.

also, where the fuck do you work? lol. what kind of stupid people does this place tolerate?

 

[zinfamous]

Texas, Construction. Basically conservative mecca but this is something else. It is willful abandonment of sense and reason.

well, bunker up and let them die. Take whatever sick leave and personal days you still have and wait that shit out. They will all kill themselves for no reason and you will be the only one left standing.

fuck dumb and dangerous humans. seriously: fuck them.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Anything in front of your face helps reduce viral load.

. . . I guess. If you're talking brief encounters on the street, maybe. If you're shoulder-to-shoulder with the guy at work for 8+ hours then unless it's N95, it ain't really doing anything except covering your employer's posterior.

 

[local]

well, bunker up and let them die. Take whatever sick leave and personal days you still have and wait that shit out. They will all kill themselves for no reason and you will be the only one left standing.

fuck dumb and dangerous humans. seriously: fuck them.

That would mean abandoning my people and that is not going to happen either. If I was still at the bottom I would have been gone already but I have a responsibility to the people that work for me. Everything might get resolved soon anyway, I'm done keeping quiet.

 

[Kaido]

How New Zealand could keep eliminating coronavirus at its border for months to come, even as the global pandemic worsens

Our new modelling shows the risk of an infectious person slipping through New Zealand’s border undetected is very low — likely to happen only once over the next 18 months.

theconversation.com

Georgia governor bans cities from ordering people to wear face masks

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who was the first local official to defy Kemp, tweeted: "Ignore the science and survive the best you can."

www.cbsnews.com

 

[darkswordsman17]

Texas, Construction. Basically conservative mecca but this is something else. It is willful abandonment of sense and reason.

Not sure what you could report them to. Perhaps OSHA? I'd report them to local government officials if they send out clear "you have to show up to work and you can't wear a mask" type of shit.

Best bet might be to go to the media. You're gonna catch hell any which way it goes though. Good on you for doing it.

 

[darkswordsman17]

How New Zealand could keep eliminating coronavirus at its border for months to come, even as the global pandemic worsens

Our new modelling shows the risk of an infectious person slipping through New Zealand’s border undetected is very low — likely to happen only once over the next 18 months.

theconversation.com

Georgia governor bans cities from ordering people to wear face masks

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who was the first local official to defy Kemp, tweeted: "Ignore the science and survive the best you can."

www.cbsnews.com

What the fuck? How can a governor be so stupid to do that at this point?

 

[purbeast0]

What the fuck? How can a governor be so stupid to do that at this point?

Have you seen how stupid the president is?

 

[CZroe]

What the fuck? How can a governor be so stupid to do that at this point?

Some of the reporting said he was extending expiring precautions and more strongly encouraging mask use while also saying that he blocked cities and counties from mandating masks.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I noticed that the gas stations started putting up "you have to wear masks, our employees get fined if you don't" (it was initially "masks are mandated" which people seemed to mostly ignore). After that, big uptick in mask wearing, although I think that partially preceded the signs, but not sure. I do wonder if they might have gotten fined since they definitely were not actually enforcing people wearing masks a week or so back.

Have family members that work for Wal-Mart, guess better late than never. Will be interesting to see how much its enforced. The ones down here have cones directing people entrance/exit with an employee (who I assume says mask required now).

 

[rh71]

Georgia governor bans cities from ordering people to wear face masks

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who was the first local official to defy Kemp, tweeted: "Ignore the science and survive the best you can."

www.cbsnews.com

Our democracy at work. We get to vote in people with such power and they can still be a complete imbecile. Oh yeah, this governor too.

 

[Kaido]

How can a governor be so stupid to do that at this point?

I'm very curious to see how this is going to work out legal-wise, since Walmart & Sam's Club now requires masks nationwide:

A Simple Step to Help Keep You Safe: Walmart and Sam’s Club Require Shoppers to Wear Face Coverings

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus and priority has been and continues to be on the health and safety of our associates, members and customers. As the number of confirmed cases has spiked in communities…

corporate.walmart.com

We just hit record highs in coronavirus cases in America overall:

New US coronavirus cases hit record high, south and west worst hit

The number of new coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to mount across the United States on Wednesday, with Texas and Oklahoma recording new highs. Johns Hopkins University, which tracks the spread of the disease, said late Wednesday that 67,632 new cases of the disease had been reported...

news.yahoo.com

My state has gotten pretty mask-heavy in public. We've dropped down to just 20 new positive cases yesterday:

CT Coronavirus Updates: Only 20 New Cases Reported

Connecticut also saw its total hospitalizations drop by another eight over the past 24 hours.

patch.com

Whereas Texas reported over 10,000 new cases yesterday:

Texas reports record highs for daily coronavirus cases, deaths

Texas has set grim records for single-day deaths and new COVID-19 cases as the Lone Star State continues to get rocked by a resurgence of the pandemic.The state reported 110 deaths and 10,791 new c…

thehill.com

My takeaways are:

1. New Zealand has it figured out. The best results come when leadership is onboard and the information & enforcement comes from the top. Mixed messaging equals mixed results, especially because there will always be such a large segment of the population that takes things at face value & who don't want to think about things more deeply, i.e. whatever the fearless leader says gets adopted without further thought, whether it's for or against a certain precautionary measure. In this case, with over 130,000 Americans dead within 4-month span of time from the virus, I'd personally rather be safe than sorry.

2. Masks seem to help tremendously. NYC has 22,000 dead & New York State has 32,000 dead. My state (CT) hopped on the mandatory mask bandwagon in April; we have fewer than 4,500 dead (which is still horrible, but relatively-speaking statistically), which more than 50% of those being from rest homes. Frankly I'm surprised at how low our numbers are, given that we border New York & how bad it's been there. Given that most businesses in our state are considered essential, we haven't really done much other than masks in public places, and the results so far seem pretty positive, at least from a birds-eye correlation level.

3. We really goofed on rolling out mandatory measures nation-wide. If we had simply shut down American for a few weeks from the get-go, then done border control like New Zealand does, this problem would have been solved a long time ago. While it's not too late to still make that happen, I don't know if we truly have the ability to do that or not, between the leadership issue, Federal vs. state rules, and people choosing not to follow recommendations or orders. I don't think it's so much our independence biting us, as much as clear & direct leadership decisions that are mandated & enforced. Again, look at New Zealand as an example of how to do it right.

4. Because of our mixed messaging in the United States, I believe that COVID is going to be with us for a long time. It will keep spreading & keep mutating because we have such a diffused effort to contain it. It will get better eventually, and we'll most likely see a vaccine sooner rather than later, but I'd imagine this will go well into 2021.

While I'm not anti-vaxx, I am not eager to be among the first patients to get a vaccine. We don't know if another Thalidomide type of situation is going to happen a few years down the road, due to the speed at which the vaccine is being developed. Granted, we have better tools now, but still...yikes. But then it will boil down to a question of risk of death vs. risk of some possible future problems from the vaccine, which it may or may not have.