NON_POLITICAL China Coronavirus THREAD

[pmv]

now? like you think deadly virus are new to human population? that this is not the natural order as it has been since the beginning of time? anything like ebola with a 80 or 90% kill rate is not going to spread like covid. the people die before it spreads.

Not if it only kills after a long asymptomatic (but infectious) incubation period.

I guess the nightmare case would be something with the infectiousness of coronavirus, the deadliness of Ebola, and the incubation/asymptomatic period of HIV. The whole world could be infected before people start to show symptoms (then everyone dies).

Either that, or zombies (which would allow it to spread widely despite being quickly fatal).

There presumably is a reason why such things have not generally occurred in our history (or that of other large species)? Otherwise infectious organisms would have 'won' long ago, and all larger species been obliterated.

 

[pmv]

I agree on the viruses always being around, which is why we should fund preventative vaccine design now instead of after a virus becomes a pandemic.

The kill rate affecting the spread really depends on the time to kill and the contagious phase, though. HIV for example had an extremely high kill rate, but you could spread it for years before it killed you.

HIV was also quite difficult to transmit, fortunately. I suppose that's the 3rd factor in the mix.

 

[herm0016]

Not if it only kills after a long asymptomatic (but infectious) incubation period.

I guess the nightmare case would be something with the infectiousness of coronavirus, the deadliness of Ebola, and the incubation/asymptomatic period of HIV. The whole world could be infected before people start to show symptoms (then everyone dies).

Either that, or zombies (which would allow it to spread widely despite being quickly fatal).

There presumably is a reason why such things have not generally occurred in our history (or that of other large species)? Otherwise infectious organisms would have 'won' long ago, and all larger species been obliterated.

yes, HIV seems somewhat unique. like you said, if a virus was likely to have those worst case characteristics, we would not exist, and therefore, the virus would not survive. zombies seems just as likely as your fictional virus.

 

[Zorba]

yes, HIV seems somewhat unique. like you said, if a virus was likely to have those worst case characteristics, we would not exist, and therefore, the virus would not survive. zombies seems just as likely as your fictional virus.

You do have the plague and small pox that were highly spread and had high death rates.

Hep C is another one that can be spread a lot before it kills you.

 

[herm0016]

plague is a bacterial infection.

 

[CZroe]

plague is a bacterial infection.

Right, but PMV said "infectious organisms" which would include bacterial infections too.

 

[Zorba]

plague is a bacterial infection.

I know, I was think infectious diseases in general, not just viruses. Not sure there is a whole lot of difference between bacterial and viral wrt death rate vs spread.

 

[Captante]

BS

Or not ....

Hep C is another one that can be spread a lot before it kills you

Hep C from what I've read is considerably harder to catch even than HIV.
Although it can potentially spread sexually it's fairly rare and usually needs blood-to-blood. (Unprotected butt-sex being the most common vector) Also it's curable provided you find out you have it before it destroys your liver.

 

[Captante]

You do have the plague and small pox that were highly spread and had high death rates.

Hep C is another one that can be spread a lot before it kills you.

Hep C from what I've read is considerably harder to catch even than HIV.
Although it can potentially spread sexually it's fairly rare and usually needs blood-to-blood. (Unprotected butt-sex being the most common vector) Also it's curable provided you find out you have it before it destroys your liver.

 

[Zorba]

Hep C from what I've read is considerably harder to catch even than HIV.
Although it can potentially spread sexually it's fairly rare and usually needs blood-to-blood. (Unprotected butt-sex being the most common vector) Also it's curable provided you find out you have it before it destroys your liver.

Yeah, historically. The cure is a pretty recent development. I think needle sharing it likely the most common form of transmission.

The original prompt though were diseases with a high death rate burn themselves out before they widely spread. My point was, at least historically that hasn't always been the case. Nowadays, chronic diseases that kill slowly give us a lot of time to develop treatments, but there are examples of acute diseases with rapid spread and high death rate, the plague and small pox being the most obvious.

 

[Red Squirrel]

China just released a new rapid test. Available at local Chinese Restaurants.

 

[Muse]

Or not ....

I get out most every day, I just don't go indoors with other people. Not until I'm immunized.

 

[Svnla]

Americans are stocking up/hoarding again and it is costing them financially....because they are running out of money from savings and emergency funds....Just buy what you need and a few extras, no need to clean out the stores, folks.

Americans are hoarding toilet paper again because of COVID-19 fears, and it could cost them (msn.com)

.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The hoarding mentality is ridiculous. I get wanting to stock up but no need to clean out the shelves. I had a feeling this would happen again so been stocking up more on food and TP myself, but not going crazy either. Basically I just buy more non perishables along with my regular groceries and been building up a half decent stash. As for TP I have at least a year supply now lol. So far I have not seen a shortage here at all but I bet that is different now since they announced the second lockdown starting Boxing Day.

 

[pmv]

Daily case numbers seem to be plateaued or slowly declining in most countries, whereas they are rocketing in the UK. Do they know if that due to the new variant?

Data cribbed from the worldometer site

 

[dasherHampton]

For the first time since this started I almost lost my cool.

I was in line paying for my groceries and this hippo pulled her cart up right behind me. No social distancing, no fucking mask, blathering about stuff with her hippo husband. I could feel their breath.

I bothered me to a great extent. I wanted to say something but her hippo husband was like 6'3" 300 lbs and it's not something I want to get into.

Fucking Covidiots.

 

[pmv]

For the first time since this started I almost lost my cool.

I was in line paying for my groceries and this hippo pulled her cart up right behind me. No social distancing, no fucking mask, blathering about stuff with her hippo husband. I could feel their breath.

I bothered me to a great extent. I wanted to say something but her hippo husband was like 6'3" 300 lbs and it's not something I want to get into.

Fucking Covidiots.

I constantly feel short-tempered when daring to venture to the shop. The whole business is stressful, including not being able to *&^&%&^&* see anything because of my glasses fogging up every two seconds. Constantly feel waves of irritation at people not leaving space, or ignoring the shop's rule on mask-wearing.

Have to keep calm, just get in, and rush round for essentials, and get out again, though. Though another source of irritation is the shop's insistence on moving things around and putting goods in different places from what I'm used to. I get that they do that in normal times to try and get people to spent more time in the shop and possibly buy things they normally wouldn't, but why make me spend time searching for stuff when there's a pandemic on?

 

[dasherHampton]

I constantly feel short-tempered when daring to venture to the shop. The whole business is stressful, including not being able to *&^&%&^&* see anything because of my glasses fogging up every two seconds. Constantly feel waves of irritation at people not leaving space, or ignoring the shop's rule on mask-wearing.

Have to keep calm, just get in, and rush round for essentials, and get out again, though. Though another source of irritation is the shop's insistence on moving things around and putting goods in different places from what I'm used to. I get that they do that in normal times to try and get people to spent more time in the shop and possibly buy things they normally wouldn't, but why make me spend time searching for stuff when there's a pandemic on?

I just feel that it's WAY past the time for this sort of behavior, even for retards.

I remember months ago people brazenly going into stores without masks, daring store personnel to confront them. But back then the "conspiracy" stuff still had a foothold.

With confirmed mutations of the virus emerging - just how big of an idiot would you have to be to flaunt basic protections?

And yet these people exist.

 

[H T C]

For the first time since this started I almost lost my cool.

I was in line paying for my groceries and this hippo pulled her cart up right behind me. No social distancing, no fucking mask, blathering about stuff with her hippo husband. I could feel their breath.

I bothered me to a great extent. I wanted to say something but her hippo husband was like 6'3" 300 lbs and it's not something I want to get into.

Fucking Covidiots.

I'm surprised they were allowed entry without one.

Here in Portugal, you're denied entry in to pretty much EVERYWHERE without one, being "invited" to leave if you show up without one: i've YET to hear anything like what you're describing on the news.

It was a different story @ 1st when there weren't enough masks but that's not the case for quite some time now.

 

[dasherHampton]

I'm surprised they were allowed entry without one.

Here in Portugal, you're denied entry in to pretty much EVERYWHERE without one, being "invited" to leave if you show up without one: i've YET to hear anything like what you're describing on the news.

It was a different story @ 1st when there weren't enough masks but that's not the case for quite some time now.

You're supposed to wear a mask here. Its required by law.

And yet you still encounter some people who refuse. It's not common but It does happen.

 

[pmv]

I'm surprised they were allowed entry without one.

Here in Portugal, you're denied entry in to pretty much EVERYWHERE without one, being "invited" to leave if you show up without one: i've YET to hear anything like what you're describing on the news.

It was a different story @ 1st when there weren't enough masks but that's not the case for quite some time now.

Here they have signs up _saying_ that, but it seems it's never enforced. I feel one can't blame shop staff or even security guards for not wanting to have to confront people over it. Annoyingly, I also often encounter shop staff not wearing masks. Mainly though I'm just in such a bad mood when I venture into shops now. All of what were once minor irritations now aggravate me so much more (prices not being clearly marked, things not being on the right shelves, store layouts being unncessarily cramped, etc). I should go back to ordering home-deliveries.

 

[H T C]

Here they have signs up _saying_ that, but it seems it's never enforced. I feel one can't blame shop staff or even security guards for not wanting to have to confront people over it. Annoyingly, I also often encounter shop staff not wearing masks. Mainly though I'm just in such a bad mood when I venture into shops now. All of what were once minor irritations now aggravate me so much more (prices not being clearly marked, things not being on the right shelves, store layouts being unncessarily cramped, etc). I should go back to ordering home-deliveries.

Here in Portugal, they have to: the fines for non compliance are VERY steep for the shop owners: quite a bit higher than an order of magnitude more than for individuals.

IMO, the fines for individuals aren't high enough, @ least in Portugal.

 

[Red Squirrel]

There's some places where police just give a beat down for not wearing a mask, or otherwise create a huge scene by forcibly removing you etc. I think that's going too far IMO though. But either way not worth dealing with imo. There's a few times where I forgot my mask and realized right as I entered and quickly turned around. I'm not the type of person that would want to be involved in a huge scene or violence over a mask.

 

[H T C]

There's some places where police just give a beat down for not wearing a mask, or otherwise create a huge scene by forcibly removing you etc. I think that's going too far IMO though. But either way not worth dealing with imo. There's a few times where I forgot my mask and realized right as I entered and quickly turned around. I'm not the type of person that would want to be involved in a huge scene or violence over a mask.

That's perfectly OK: you noticed and left the premises before any "complication". I forgot my mask once too but i noticed while on route and turned back to retrieve it. In my case i was heading for work, where it's mandatory too, so same thing really: luckily, i was still close to home when i realised so i didn't lose much time turning my bike around and still arrived @ my work place on time.

I'm perfectly OK with "huge scene" and "forcible removal" when customers don't wear masks but "beat down" is too much, IMO. That said, if the customers resist, then to jail with them for a set period ON TOP of the fine for not wearing mask.

 

[pmv]

I wasn't thinking 'officially move Christmas to another date', just our family(& others if they wanted to) celebrate it later next year. Peoples heads would explode if someone "officially" moved it to another date.

And like Captante stated above, ours might be on hold too. Just found out today we have some infections in the family.

Always felt that Februrary was the most depressing month. By that time one is getting utterly sick of winter, all the novelty of snow has worn off, and all the celebrations are over. Move Christmas to the end of Feb, I say.