COVID-19 in your part of the world

[drauch]

Just jack off with hand sanitizer to be extra safe and get your rocks off at the same time .

[Steamflogger Boss]

I am 40, in China (Guandong), and healthy.

Goodness: read that as you were '40, male, with a healthy 'Gua-Dong' thought I had accidentally used my ex-housemate's Grindr page again

I see from all your jibber-jabber that Cabin-Fever is not just affecting me - I'm going crazy in here - and they want the oldsters to spend at least 4 Months 'inside' - wow - we'll need pretty decent mind-altering practices to get us through it. It's getting weird here and I'm horny as hell!

A nice song to soothe the sense:

DOGMA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGEQT48Ghzs

Day 23: masturbating will continue until morale improves. Tissue has ran out however, so I am just blasting semen on the floor.

[BIL]

We'd make pretty pets (thanks to Perry Ferrell for the masterpiece!).

Much like The Smiths/Morrissey, there's truly a Jane's/PFP song for every situation. Meanwhile I'm just popping down to me local, pasta's back in stock.

[BryanM]

I actually find the apocalypse rather soothing. If you for some insane reason didn't think that society was a suicide cult, basically the first thing explained to you when you're a kid, well, here you go: society is a suicide cult.

Hopefully we'll all survive enough calamities and perish in the running-man entertainment programs toward the end. At least, those of us who won't be watching them in their VIP viewing seats.

Also scored some TP so won't be dying from an infection in the buttcalypse. Those of you talking about just sprinkling some water in there and that being fine, man... sometimes I suspect the Irish have been cursed in very specific, mean ways that other people aren't.

Here is another point on which I really wished to be right, but it turns out I was talking bullshit, alas. The Virus can survive in air.

:facepalm: c'mon man, this was the very first thing the disease control people used to try to get people to become ascetic monks.

[Randorama]

I see from all your jibber-jabber that Cabin-Fever is not just affecting me - I'm going crazy in here - and they want the oldsters to spend at least 4 Months 'inside' - wow - we'll need pretty decent mind-altering practices to get us through it. It's getting weird here and I'm horny as hell!

A nice song to soothe the sense:

DOGMA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGEQT48Ghzs

Seven weeks of quarantine are a bit taxing, don't you agree? And an eighth is quite unavoidable. I am also pretty sure that the lack of the usual training (indoors cycling) is disrupting the overall balance of hormones flowing through my body.

On top of this, I am working non-stop (I mean, without forced "holidays") while "the homeland" is in the situation it is (a certain country in which things are not going so well, and of which I used the language in a previous post).

Friendships across other hard-hit countries are also a source of free stress, right now - especially when people are rightfully busy with life to answer me. Did I mention that I am also going through a job change? (I did, and one name of a Uni I mentioned was not fake).

Besides, the "jibber-jabber" does involve some relevant links to the discussion, from time to time, I daresay! (jibber-jabber? I swear! I post a line every five minutes, and in fact posts inflate to interesting sizes because of this).

Fora are not instagram - which is something I like, because I cannot write short snarky one-liners (...or so I like to claim). Not that I ever used Instagram, to be fair, and not that I miss this social media stuff.

I would gladly take your aural invitation but I cannot open the link because I do not bother with a VPN only for youtube and similia. I will listen with gusto if in text form, if it is not too much of a niggling hassle (Or, am I missing updates from the music thread)? I will listen through different channels, thanks!

c'mon man, this was the very first thing the disease control people used to try to get people to become ascetic monks.

Fine, but generally speaking respiratory diseases may or may not survive through air, as far as I know - it must be proven from disease to disease. I actually wonder if there is a specific "survival" distance, since I generally keep 2 metres from anyone, anyway (6'6" or 6'7" or something, for you imperial lads).

Much like The Smiths/Morrissey, there's truly a Jane's/PFP song for every situation.

Can we say that been caught stealin' captures the "panic buying" syndrome well?

By the way, the toilet paper panic seems to have found an explanation.

Random curiosity: I did not see any panic buying within the district I live (Haizhu, in Guanghzou). Restaurants passing hygiene tests have re-opened, but people are not rushing to eat outside every night.

An indicator that things are getting less tense is that the people have begun doing collective dance sessions (a Cantonese tradition) on the riverside. I would be tempted to study if distances have increased from before the pandemic, to be fair...

...and to post pictures about this, since it is indeed quite interesting.

EDIT: maybe I should write a post using a time limit, and avoid mixing posting and working at the same time.

[6t8k]

if you spot any misinformation, by all means point it out [...]
I have also posted some links [...] One example is this one: On social distancing

That often-shared article itself lists some questionable information.

That guy obviously is good with numbers, his analysis is very valuable and the appeal is right, but he is not a virologist, physician or biologist, and some basic information he sprinkles in are treacherous.

For example, the claim that the virus survives for up to 9 days on surfaces. The results of the study he quotes are probably not wrong, but can lead to erroneous conclusions in everyday life, in turn leading to harmful priorities, because the results of the study are only valid under certain synthetic assumptions (which are not always published in sufficient detail to boot). If you actually read the paper, you'll for example see that SARS-CoV-2 was not even tested; only other viruses that were known before SARS-CoV-2 were tested. The cited 9 days were originally 6-9 days and were reached under room temperature on plastic with strain FFM1 SARS-CoV-1 (not the current SARS-CoV-2), so due the way he words this ("up to 9 days on different surfaces such as metal, ceramics and plastics."), he presents factually wrong information. Also, he doesn't mention temperature; as at 4C°, many viruses survive much longer, so he could just as well have written that the virus survives on surfaces for 28 days or more...

The sad reality is that even scientific articles sometimes tend a little to the lurid – bad news sell better. This is what Christian Drosten, head virologist of Charité Berlin said in the daily podcast [1]. Though he is referring to another, more recent study [4] which actually investigated SARS-CoV-2 and arrived at slightly different numbers, and he explains why he still thinks these numbers are maybe a little high.

In general, interpretation of pertinent scientific results is hard currently, because this virus is still new and we still don't know much about it. There are new articles and studies appearing left and right and some factoid of today might be obsolete tomorrow.

By the way, I posted a few pages ago that Angela Merkel made certain claims about contagion: lotsa Germans are gonna get the flu. This is a piece discussing what she said (no, I cannot read it, but you should be able to do so). Another link is this one). I have no idea on what numbers, models and data she has based her claims. In fact, this piece on Forbes dissects the claim and definitely suggests that the German chancellor "applied the worst case logic". Of course, the focus is on economic matters, but the reasons why the author is not so convinced about the numbers are relatively clear.

I am sorry but I fail to see, in Merkel's claim and other similar claims by other governments [...]

It surprises me that people don't know where that "60-70% of people will get it" comes from, because it's a really simple calculation [2] (not saying simple is good as in "will turn out being accurate", but good insofar as it's really easy to understand):
You have to read this 60-70% infection share as the point in time when the pandemic is over. The virus will continue to be around afterwards. These 60-70% will not get it at the same time; depending on the actions this will possibly (and hopefully) happen across a timespan of 1-2 years or more.

R₀ (the basic reproduction number, i.e. how many patients does an infected person infect) is currently assumed to be around 3, with some inevitable uncertainty. [3]
One patient infects three new patients in the next generation - If we have 10 cases today, then we have 40 in a week or so.
What R₀ value do you need to keep the the pandemic running? It's 1. If it goes below 1, the pandemic will vanish.
So, how do you get an R₀ of 1 or lower? By building up immunity. So if we have an R₀ of 3 and want 1, we have to subtract 2. 2 out of 3. 2/3 infections mustn't happen. So 66% of people have to be immune, i.e. have been infected at some point.

Personally I prefer honest conduct in situations like this, informed by science, which will save many more lifes than would be saved if we'd deceive us by lulling the economy for few more weeks. I would even say it could have been said in a more explicit way that shutdown is incoming.

[1] https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/coronaskript128.pdf (audio transcript; sorry, there doesn't seem to be an english translation, but there is GT)
[2] https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/coronaskript106.pdf
[3] https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/27 ... 21/5735319
[4] https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101 ... 1.full.pdf

[MintyTheCat]

Goodness: read that as you were '40, male, with a healthy 'Gua-Dong' thought I had accidentally used my ex-housemate's Grindr page again

I see from all your jibber-jabber that Cabin-Fever is not just affecting me - I'm going crazy in here - and they want the oldsters to spend at least 4 Months 'inside' - wow - we'll need pretty decent mind-altering practices to get us through it. It's getting weird here and I'm horny as hell!

A nice song to soothe the sense:

DOGMA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGEQT48Ghzs

Day 23: masturbating will continue until morale improves. Tissue has ran out however, so I am just blasting semen on the floor.

Day 23 - interesting... TOPY

Not a good idea to deplete ones er resources, to squander it willy-nilly God, all the sex clubs are closed in Berlin too following this prelude to Armageddon. At least if it was an Asteroid there'd be public orgies and all the Drugs you could handle all over the place, but no, this one's a slow-burner... I need to get out of the house tomorrow.

Just jack off with hand sanitizer to be extra safe and get your rocks off at the same time .

I'd be too busy thinking about the rising value of Sanitiser stock to do that


Rando: I haven't got a clue what you are talking about but you seem a bit off-kilter? Are you jet-lagged?

surfaces for 28 days or more...

To be honest with you all: I am a bit worried that when I go back outside it'll be like in the Film : 28 Days Later but all in German around here. I value civilisation and don't fancy losing it.

Another appropriate Song presents itself: Slick-Idiot : Get Laid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuMYbT6Dlsc

[Randorama]

That often-shared article itself lists some questionable information.

That guy obviously is good with numbers, his analysis is very valuable and the appeal is right, but he is not a virologist, physician or biologist, and some basic information he sprinkles in are treacherous.

Thanks for the info. I am a bit worried because the link comes from a friend of mine who is an epidemiologist and linked to this paper in his own linkedin profile, as a quick reference to this topic. I would prefer not to disclose names, to be fair.

For example, the claim that the virus survives for up to 9 days on surfaces. The results of the study he quotes are probably not wrong, but can lead to erroneous conclusions in everyday life, in turn leading to harmful priorities, because the results of the study are only valid under certain synthetic assumptions (which are not always published in sufficient detail to boot). If you actually read the paper, you'll for example see that SARS-CoV-2 was not even tested [...]

I agree that the phrasing is rather perplexing, even for my untrained eye (I cannot access the paper, sorry). I do something else in life, but I am aware that temperature matters for survival of virii: why would this factor go unmentioned, and somehow survive peer review? This latter aspect confuses me, even though you may argue that the answer is already in your comments.

Well, since we are here: would you mind if I quote your points to be sure if I am following correctly?

The sad reality is that even scientific articles sometimes tend a little to the lurid – bad news sell better. This is what Christian Drosten, head virologist of Charité Berlin said in the daily podcast [1]. Though he is referring to another, more recent study [4] which actually investigated SARS-CoV-2 [...]

I will slowly read [1] (My German is out of shape), but I cannot open [4]. What kind of numbers they propose, if you do not mind me asking?

It surprises me that people don't know where that "60-70% of people will get it" comes from, because it's a really simple calculation [2] (not saying simple is good as in "will turn out being accurate", but good insofar as it's really easy to understand):
You have to read this 60-70% infection share as the point in time when the pandemic is over. The virus will continue to be around afterwards. Not all 60-70% will get it at the same time; depending on the actions this will possibly (and hopefully) happen across a timespan of 1-2 years or more.

I was wondering which factors and models of contagion were being taken in consideration, and you now spell them out. This is however one part of the general problem I see with these comments.

One communication problem that I see in Merkel's statements is this: she presupposed knowledge of a simple model across populations, rather than asserting what assumptions she considered and used to propose the numbers above. Is there any clear evidence that most citizens understand or know the model?

Please forgive me, but I already had to re-read your post 2-3 times before remembering that I studied "models of contagion" when studying models of language change (Imagine that one person invents a word and shares it with others. How the innovation/contagion works?).

I imagine that someone else without the relevant background may simply say "guh?" (and here we could open a parallel thread on levels of education across the civilised world...).

Without being sure that interlocutors (authorities and civilians, in this case) share a common ground of knowledge, asymmetries in comprehension are bound to happen, which in turn can cause at least mistrust.

Stephen Levinson's "politeness", 1987, discusses this topic throughout chapters 3 to 5, if memory serves me, but other works on discourse analysis discuss the matter in detail. It's late and I would like to post links in another post, if needed.

I am curious though: why you offer 1-2 years of time as a window? What are the underlying assumptions/models?

R₀ (the basic reproduction number, i.e. how many patients does an infected person infect) is currently assumed to be around 3, with some inevitable uncertainty. [3]
One patient infects three new patients in the next generation - If we have 10 cases today, then we have 40 in a week or so.
What R₀ value do you need to keep the the pandemic running? It's 1. If it goes below 1, the pandemic will vanish.
So, how do you get an R₀ of 1 or lower? By building up immunity. So if we have an R₀ of 3 and want 1, we have to subtract 2. 2 out of 3. 2/3 infections mustn't happen. So 66% of people have to be immune, i.e. have been infected at some point.

OK, but this model assumes that contagion is automatic, I happen to understand. Wouldn't simple precautions slow down contagion and spread it over time, possibly creating a certain amount of healthy carriers as a side effect?

Said this, please let me observe that phrasing statements to avoid panic is crucial.

Your last sentence is very useful because it points out that from infection comes immunity, but this may not be a necessarily obvious fact to many individuals, and probably not in this clear manner.

I am working with doctors from my university on how to communicate vital information to foreigners who do not speak Mandarin, and I am noticing that many of them do not realise just how psychologically heavy is not to stress that from infection and recovery one obtains immunity.

The scientific facts are at times very clear, but do they imply that "I am not going to die or fall sick for 4 weeks! Please?!"

I would claim that the panic, i.e. the psychological dimension of an epidemic must also be carefully controlled via the use of carefully weighted language, and Merkel's statements do not strike me as taking this dimension in consideration.

One paper I linked to, before, discusses the problem of panic using the AIDS epidemic as a reference (well, it was published in 1990: I wanted to post an easily accessible reference). I do not think that this is only an economical matter, for obvious reasons which I could nevertheless elaborate.

Personally I prefer honest conduct in situations like this, informed by science, which will save many more lifes than would be saved if we'd deceive us by lulling the economy for few more weeks. I would even say it could have been said in a stricter way that shutdown is incoming.

Well, you could say that part of the Chinese solution was appropriate (the shutdown), perhaps. Citizens in Wuhan did not like it too much (again, I will post links later on, please remind me). How to explain that shutdown is necessary to the democratic masses?

I hope that you agree that a drab "because science tells us it is the right approach" may not be a viable solution when people are not used to drastic measures (I'd love it, mind you! Power to the scientists, but only from human sciences of course).

Anyway, our western ancestors followed cultural practices still common in modern China, such as planning cities for eventual shutdowns and emergencies (Cipolla 1973, a book on how people dealt with Black plague outbreaks, discusses this: the reference is in the paper I linked to and I mentioned above).

More importantly, they were psychologically ready to deal with this kind of emergencies, because they were ingrained in the cultural texture. On Chinese city planning I should still provide a meaningful link, so I will if deemed crucial.

The numbers I was skimming in the Italian newspapers say that Italians have collected 500k fines in quarantine infractions, so far. (link to be posted [here]). I would go on and say that Italian are likely not ready. For life let alone epidemics, mi verrebbe da dire.

The great irony is that I have been going outside to run every day, due to a loophole in how quarantine rules have worked so far in my city. So, the above joke aims to be self-deprecating, indeed.

Rando: I haven't got a clue what you are talking about but you seem a bit off-kilter? Are you jet-lagged?

No, but I am currently living in China, so quarantine/shutdown started 7 weeks ago for me. And sleep-deprived for work and other related reasons.

We do have toilet paper and food, and masturbation is not needed. The wife needs stress relief and I am a dutiful husband.

If you can give me the title of the song you linked to, I could check in on NetEase, because youtube does not work for me (and I am thanking you once more for the hassle).

Is the asteroid and orgies' mention a reference to Neal Stephenson's Seveneves, by chance?

[Bananamatic]

How to explain that shutdown is necessary to the democratic masses?

So that shut ins can finally act smug for a month

[6t8k]

I cannot open [4]. What kind of numbers they propose, if you do not mind me asking?

The most important numbers are also in [1]: "Bis zu drei Tage, heißt es da auf Kunststoffen oder auch auf Edelstahl, also auf einer Türklinke oder so. Auf Papier kann es bis zu 24 Stunden aktiv sein. Ist da was dran?"

"Up to three days for plastic and stainless steel, like a door latch. On cardboard it can be active for up to 24 hours. Is there something to it?"

I am curious though: why you offer 1-2 years of time as a window? What are the underlying assumptions/models?

Yes, I should have explained that a bit more. I have heared this rough estimation from a number of sources, e.g. here. It is partly based on predictions experts gave about the approximate point in time when a safe and effective vaccination will be available for most people worldwide (for example aspect #54 here). And in part also depends on the actions taken to flatten the curve (such that the health system doesn't collapse), and how fast/well the health system itself will be able to adapt, both of which will vary from country to country.

Wouldn't simple precautions slow down contagion and spread it over time, possibly creating a certain amount of healthy carriers as a side effect?

Precautions should spread it over time, yes, but in pure theory they don't really affect peak numbers, because the virus will stay around while the abovementioned formula holds (disregarding vaccination and possible mutations of the virus, which could change the picture).
Also keep in mind, if it disperses worry a little, this 60-70% statement is referring to infections, not illnesses.

[Mills]

Think I'll head down to my local Off License to pick up a couple of bottles of Corona beer just to take the piss as well as getting pissed drinking it lol. Cheers Darwin

[quash]

I'm not normally one to indulge in schadenfreude, but anti-gunners in California being infuriated that they can't just buy a gun online and get it delivered to their door... absolutely priceless

[rapoon]

screed

The most remarkable thing is the amount of disposable time you have.

I see from all your jibber-jabber that Cabin-Fever is not just affecting me - I'm going crazy in here -

There's no denying it. I'm encouraging and requesting new projects at work to stay as busy as possible. Thankfully, Nioh 2 and Valfaris arrived in the mail today.

[Randorama]

one-line drivel

A day has 24 hours, and how I use my time is none of your concern.

So that shut ins can finally act smug for a month

Ah! I have been saying to doctors to suggest that this is the time to "invite people to try working from home, but also discover the importance of hobbies that might normally appear as turning us into too introverted creatures. Now it's time cherish them" (I need to find the right euphemism for smugness, though).

]...]It is partly based on predictions experts gave about the approximate point in time when a safe and effective vaccination will be available for most people worldwide (for example aspect #54 here).

Thanks, and indeed I realised that I was overlooking the issue of safe and effective vaccination.

Precautions should spread it over time, yes, but in pure theory they don't really affect peak numbers, because the virus will stay around while the abovementioned formula holds (disregarding vaccination and possible mutations of the virus, which could change the picture).
Also keep in mind, if it is soothing, this 60-70% statement is referring to infections, not illnesses.

OK, because I was indeed wondering whether infections or illnesses were being discussed. What I would be wondering at this point is whether the general population knows this difference, and whether (well, how much) a degree of misrepresentation is at work.

If an authority/expert X indeed discussed "infections" but the press presented reported "illnesses", then we know who created "the fear mongering" effect: the press (intentionally or not).

If X did not make the distinction or indeed talked about "illnesses", then X failed in properly communicating a certain aspect of information. So, X created the "fear mongering" effect (intentionally or not).

Intermediate solutions are, of course, possible: X did not make the distinction, and the press manipulated this to their own ends. I would probably bet on this latter possibility myself.

I would not use the term "soothing" (it presupposes that one must be reassured from something that may be worrying), but I would go on and claim that reasoning with precise terms and detailed descriptions of models generally helps people to reduce stress factors.

I simply leave open the question on how different social components may be willing to increase or decrease stress factors, country by country.

[Steamflogger Boss]

screed

The most remarkable thing is the amount of disposable time you have.

I see from all your jibber-jabber that Cabin-Fever is not just affecting me - I'm going crazy in here -

There's no denying it. I'm encouraging and requesting new projects at work to stay as busy as possible. Thankfully, Nioh 2 and Valfaris arrived in the mail today.

Heard nioh 2 is an improvement over the first. Had some blurays come in today myself.

Re the shut in comment: not gonna lie watching some people just melt down over this is funny.

[rapoon]

A day has 24 hours, no?

you've entirely misunderstood just as you misunderstood my interest in your age and location.

I had a response all typed up just for you, but then I got to your juvenile attempt at correcting my vocabulary

This is all written text. Blathering? Whatever makes you happy, no worries for me.

blath·​er·​ing | \ ˈbla-t͟h(ə-)riŋ \ Definition of blathering: foolish or nonsensical talk or writing

and you managed to succinctly clarify my problem with you:

10-seconds to look up a definition was too exhausting for you; you're an imbecile.

hardly a surprise considering....

The only fatality below 80 (years) is one guy with a degenerative disease in advanced phase, who sadly was exposed to the virus.

how irretrievably stupid your assertion is.

Heard nioh 2 is an improvement over the first. Had some blurays come in today myself.

only a few hours in so far, but it does seem like an improvement, although I'm still not much of a fan of all the stance swapping.

[Randorama]

A day has 24 hours, no?

you've entirely misunderstood just as you misunderstood my interest in your age and location.

Please do not worry, I didn't.

10-seconds to look up a definition was too exhausting for you; you're an imbecile.

Yes, please think this out of a line on which I purposefully wrote bullshit, which somehow you caught. The rest from me and other sources, you didn't, and that says something about how you are handling your attitude in this post.

However...

In British English I am actually right, and In American English you are actually right. Who is going to win?!

MENSA says otherwise on my brains, just to be juvenile, but please feel free to cite a dictionary on the definition of "imbecile" (Merriam-Webster or Cambridge? Will AmE and BrE converge on this?) and keep wasting your time on my posts.

hardly a surprise considering....

[...]
how irretrievably stupid your assertion is.

And I agree on this one point, indeed. Next? We said to ignore one another posts and I am the offender, so "sorry".

Anyhow, ban Randorama now, please.

Quarantine is about to finish for me, so you lads can have fun.

[MintyTheCat]

Minty wrote:
Rando: I haven't got a clue what you are talking about but you seem a bit off-kilter? Are you jet-lagged?


No, but I am currently living in China, so quarantine/shutdown started 7 weeks ago for me. And sleep-deprived for work and other related reasons.

We do have toilet paper and food, and masturbation is not needed. The wife needs stress relief and I am a dutiful husband.

If you can give me the title of the song you linked to, I could check in on NetEase, because youtube does not work for me (and I am thanking you once more for the hassle).

Is the asteroid and orgies' mention a reference to Neal Stephenson's Seveneves, by chance?

FUCK! 7 weeks is heavy, my man! Jesus!

Well, a little duo-masto works wonders

Songs: Queensryche: Spreading the Disease and I cannot recall the other but will mention next time I check all being well...

EDIT: it's KMFDM's Dogma from the XTORT album of 1996.

No, no ref to Neal I have read his Cryptonomicon though and it was not bad. I could not get into the others that I read of his but perhaps one day I'll go back and have another read - *MAYBE* if we don't all get wiped out that is :p

Honestly: people arguing about the mortality-rate: I cannot envisage this to have a 10% M-R - that'd beat Spanish-Flu 10:1 to 5:1 - I mean, if you are going to be a proper, professional Pandemic and you just enjoy taking out many - fine - but you have competition and thus far nothing came close to Spanish-Flu and so, just where does it come from? Surely, it'd have to have gone through the motions and slowly working up it's effectiveness? I make Coronoa out to have a M-R of 1.4 to 3.2 % - not 10%

Just reading some Papers from Imperial....

[GaijinPunch]

The plebs and whipping boys are the millennials.

That doesn't always mean millenials. There are tons of Gen-Xers that are not in management. I'd argue more in many industries. Don't be a pussy -- plenty of other demographics are gonna get fucked.

Source: Me and the 25 others that got let go from my company late last year. There were only a few under 40.

[xxx1993]

I always gathered the toilet paper thing was lemming mentality. We(Americans) saw that it was getting short there, and panicked here for no good reason.

I'm glad it's shaping up in China. It's slowly turning into lockdown land here, and I hope it won't last long. I was really looking forward to visiting LA in April...

I'm hoping it doesn't last long either... I want this nightmare to end already.

[BryanM]

Honestly: people arguing about the mortality-rate: I cannot envisage this to have a 10% M-R - that'd beat Spanish-Flu 10:1 to 5:1

I'd guess the higher death rate guesses are based on the assumption the number of cases will outnumber the number of ventilators available.

How many people who get this thing reach that symptom where the involuntary breathing response is shut off? I'm more into bigger apocalypses (the best apocalypses), not so much these little ones.

[GaijinPunch]

How many people who get this thing reach that symptom where the involuntary breathing response is shut off? I'm more into bigger apocalypses (the best apocalypses), not so much these little ones.

Read an interesting article saying apparently a stupid high mortality rate would disrupt the world far less as it would kill off the hosts too fast. I imagine a side effect would be a much tighter quarantine too. So, I think you're looking for medium apocalypses.

[bottino]

Well, it only took a pandemic for a good deal of Brazil's population to finally realize that they will fucking die one way or the other if Bolsonaro and his gang of sociopaths remain in power.

Most people here knew who this guy was, fuck it; we're talking about one of the most stupid, despicable and reactionary politicians around, likewise for most of his cohorts, but I guess better late than dead, right?

[Queen Charlene]

Well, it only took a pandemic for a good deal of Brazil's population to finally realize that they will fucking die one way or the other if Bolsonaro and his gang of sociopaths remain in power.

Most people here knew who this guy was, fuck it; we're talking about one of the most stupid, despicable and reactionary politicians around, likewise for most of his cohorts, but I guess better late than dead, right?

the US is experiencing this same realization too lol. Bolsonaro and Trump, two dumbasses in a pod.

it's shameful that it took something this massive to be the signaling force for progressive change, but i guess late is better than never.

[GaijinPunch]

Well, it only took a pandemic for a good deal of Brazil's population to finally realize that they will fucking die one way or the other if Bolsonaro and his gang of sociopaths remain in power.

Most people here knew who this guy was, fuck it; we're talking about one of the most stupid, despicable and reactionary politicians around, likewise for most of his cohorts, but I guess better late than dead, right?

All the same in the US except his supporters are unwavering and will not change their mind.

[Phellan Wolf]

In Spain things are getting worse every passing day really but the worst thing is that people don’t really realize how important is to comply the quarantine. Is getting really nuts and in the few coming days I am sure that the government is going to apply harder messures. Things do not look well. In fact the confinement should last one month if done correctly but seeing how are we acting is goong to last two months or so.
I wish you guys good luck in your countries and keep yourselves entertained and evade your mind.
Crazy times are we living

[Mills]

Why is the death toll in Italy so high. 3000 deaths and counting.

[BryanM]

It's so low because it's only been there a month and a half. The US will have them beat in a while.

If you mean why China isn't a graveyard? Because they had people stay at home there. If you stay at home in most countries, for most people, you won't have a home.

Can't allow line to go down, after all.

[GaijinPunch]

Why is the death toll in Italy so high. 3000 deaths and counting.

The mortality rate is quite variable. One end of the spectrum is Italy. The other is South Korea. Our resident Italian in China w/ his South Korean wife had some interesting insights. There are probably loads of factors but the most obvious one that sticks out is South Korea was militant on testing early. They are reportedly over the peak and the mortality rate is a mere .6^%. Italy... way less testing (I believe about 1/4 as much) and their mortality rate is about 10x. Again, many other fatcors but that's just one.

The US will be very interesting to watch w/ our for-profit healthcare system. If we are going by initiating testing at the right phase alone, we will have more deaths than any of them I'd assume. But we know it's not so cut and dry. More importantly: how many people will live but be financially devastated when it's all said and done?

[orange808]

Fake crisis or not, I can't vote for any more GOP-lite "lesser evil" stuff. This "anything but Trump" blackmail scheme won't move me.

Also, boomers labeling millennials selfish for going about their business (and ignoring the boomers) is irony. Yes. It doesn't affect them, so they decided they don't care. Sound familiar?