Semi-OT: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Discussion Thread III (Info. Post 1)

[basketballRob]

Same all around East Asia.

It's confusing because many health experts say wearing a surgical mask does no good, however it seems to be working well in Asia. There seems to be conflicting information about basic masks. Surgical masks have to be better than nothing though.

Masks aren't the main reason that East Asia might be dealing with the problem better - but it does make a difference. Reduces the chance of transmitting the virus to someone else.

They are also testing everyone with symptoms and all people associated with confirmed cases, we're only testing the ones that are very ill.

The WHO says test everyone with symptoms and everyone the positive tests had contact with two days prior. Our message is don't come in unless you have a whole list of symptoms.

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[basketballRob]

Atlanta area hospitals are concerned about people flooding the hospitals, many who are not even sick, to get tested for coronavirus. This could be a disaster waiting to happen.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/people-with-no-symptoms-coronavirus-flooding-emergency-rooms/TYR6CI7QIZCY5O35MBNZS2FEAI/

They should've had drive thru tests already in place.

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[shangrila]

Australia is closing its borders to non residents from midnight tomorrow

Yeh but we're stupid enough to still have the footy on over the weekend.

I couldn't believe it last weekend when they played with full crowds. I'm dumbfounded that they're still playing this week even if it is with no crowds.

They can't afford not to. The NRL, for example, believes that if the season is cancelled 8-12 clubs will go bankrupt and shut permanently. That's potentially 75% of the entire league for the unaware.

I get that health is the big issue but I think the economic impact of this virus is being understated. And this isn't just for after we get through this pandemic (I'm starting to feel I should say "if"), if the governments can't keep things afloat it could get real ugly real quick. What happens when people start to run out of money? Or when inflation sets in and your money isn't worth the paper it's printed on?

Although I'll admit I'm glad I live in Australia right now. No offence to you Americans but I'm happy I don't have to worry about my neighbour potentially gunning me down with an AR15 for a can of tuna. Or a roll of toilet paper I guess.

[chrismikayla]

Atlanta is a metro of 6 million, has an international airport that's the busiest in the world with no real screening, and people can't get tested. They opened one drive up test place at a park but tests are by "appointment only" . A doctor has to refer you and then Department of Health sends you a letter approving your test. SMH

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-opens-first-drive-thru-covid-19-testing-site&ved=2ahUKEwiGj8DyqaboAhULmuAKHUMxBfsQxfQBMAB6BAgBEAQ&usg=AOvVaw0GKdhA2839Ru2hi3RIPDbg&cshid=1584613747129

[SimonFish]

Censored Contagion: How Information on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media

Key Findings
- YY, a live-streaming platform in China, began to censor keywords related to the coronavirus outbreak on December 31, 2019, a day after doctors (including the late Dr. Li Wenliang) tried to warn the public about the then unknown virus.
- WeChat broadly censored coronavirus-related content (including critical and neutral information) and expanded the scope of censorship in February 2020. Censored content included criticism of government, rumours and speculative information on the epidemic, references to Dr. Li Wenliang, and neutral references to Chinese government efforts on handling the outbreak that had been reported on state media.
- Many of the censorship rules are broad and effectively block messages that include names for the virus or sources for information about it. Such rules may restrict vital communication related to disease information and prevention.

More at link:
https://citizenlab.ca/2020/03/censored-contagion-how-information-on-the-coronavirus-is-managed-on-chinese-social-media/

[basketballRob]

Atlanta is a metro of 6 million, has an international airport that's the busiest in the world with no real screening, and people can't get tested. They opened one drive up test place at a park but tests are by "appointment only" . A doctor has to refer you and then Department of Health sends you a letter approving your test. SMH

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-opens-first-drive-thru-covid-19-testing-site&ved=2ahUKEwiGj8DyqaboAhULmuAKHUMxBfsQxfQBMAB6BAgBEAQ&usg=AOvVaw0GKdhA2839Ru2hi3RIPDbg&cshid=1584613747129

That's the problem. They should just test everyone with symptoms and make it easier to get a test. I predict NY testing everyone, will be the first major city to recover.

NY is modeling it's testing after South Korea. Atlanta i predict will be a much bigger disaster than NY.

"NY is testing everyone like South Korea

Please add a source for this claim.

[basketballRob]

Atlanta will be a much bigger mess than NY. NY is testing everyone like South Korea and Atlanta isn't.

"NY is testing everyone like South Korea

Please add a source for this claim.

[Tomjas]

Australia is closing its borders to non residents from midnight tomorrow

Yeh but we're stupid enough to still have the footy on over the weekend.

I couldn't believe it last weekend when they played with full crowds. I'm dumbfounded that they're still playing this week even if it is with no crowds.

They can't afford not to. The NRL, for example, believes that if the season is cancelled 8-12 clubs will go bankrupt and shut permanently. That's potentially 75% of the entire league for the unaware.

I get that health is the big issue but I think the economic impact of this virus is being understated. And this isn't just for after we get through this pandemic (I'm starting to feel I should say "if"), if the governments can't keep things afloat it could get real ugly real quick. What happens when people start to run out of money? Or when inflation sets in and your money isn't worth the paper it's printed on?

Although I'll admit I'm glad I live in Australia right now. No offence to you Americans but I'm happy I don't have to worry about my neighbour potentially gunning me down with an AR15 for a can of tuna. Or a roll of toilet paper I guess.

Economic & social impact will be massive

I am a payday lender

Investors are throwing money at me but we’re holding back

Others are charging 80% +

This won’t end well

[ArtMorte]

Mods should decide which thread is the Coronavirus discussion, this here or the one in Current Affairs.

[Ducklett]

Australia is closing its borders to non residents from midnight tomorrow

Yeh but we're stupid enough to still have the footy on over the weekend.

I couldn't believe it last weekend when they played with full crowds. I'm dumbfounded that they're still playing this week even if it is with no crowds.

They can't afford not to. The NRL, for example, believes that if the season is cancelled 8-12 clubs will go bankrupt and shut permanently. That's potentially 75% of the entire league for the unaware.

I get that health is the big issue but I think the economic impact of this virus is being understated. And this isn't just for after we get through this pandemic (I'm starting to feel I should say "if"), if the governments can't keep things afloat it could get real ugly real quick. What happens when people start to run out of money? Or when inflation sets in and your money isn't worth the paper it's printed on?

Although I'll admit I'm glad I live in Australia right now. No offence to you Americans but I'm happy I don't have to worry about my neighbour potentially gunning me down with an AR15 for a can of tuna. Or a roll of toilet paper I guess.

Crazy how murder never happened before the gun was invented.

[Optimus_Steel]

Read on Twitter

I'm not surprised to see idiocy like this but it still makes me shake my head.

All hail the free market God for which he/she always fixes things they screwed up in the first place.

Why do people in this country treat the markets as it's some supernatural being that knows everything and solves everything?

[ThumbsUpBaby]

So what's everyone doing for the next few weeks? I've been working from home but during my downtime I've been playing COD, watching basketball highlights on YT, jogging on the treadmill a little and basically just being bored out of my mind. I know social distancing is necessary and I feel like I'm doing my part, but I'm going a little stir crazy here. Help.

You can still go out on hikes. Hopefully many people don't decide to do the same.

[Hornet Mania]

Read on Twitter

I'm not surprised to see idiocy like this but it still makes me shake my head.

All hail the free market God for which he/she always fixes things they screwed up in the first place.

Why do people in this country treat the markets as it's some supernatural being that knows everything and solves everything?

Indoctrination, mostly.

Luckily the unprecedented nature of this emergency is helping a lot of politicians get their minds right, just witness the Republicans (of all people!) coming around to the Yang plan of direct cash payments to keep citizens afloat. I honestly don't even care that this shift is only spurred by naked self-interest ('Don't blame me, I gave you some money!'), I just hope they actually help their citizens when they desperately need the boost.

Corporations have never been shy about lining up to ask the government for free money or loans with ridiculously low interest no normal consumer could ever access. Ideally they prefer to privatize the gains and socialize the losses.

[Bottomsouth]

I'm not surprised to see idiocy like this but it still makes me shake my head.

All hail the free market God for which he/she always fixes things they screwed up in the first place.

Why do people in this country treat the markets as it's some supernatural being that knows everything and solves everything?

Indoctrination, mostly.

Luckily the unprecedented nature of this emergency is helping a lot of politicians get their minds right, just witness the Republicans (of all people!) coming around to the Yang plan of direct cash payments to keep citizens afloat. I honestly don't even care that this shift is only spurred by naked self-interest ('Don't blame me, I gave you some money!'), I just hope they actually help their citizens when they desperately need the boost.

Corporations have never been shy about lining up to ask the government for free money or loans with ridiculously low interest no normal consumer could ever access. Ideally they prefer to privatize the gains and socialize the losses.

Yang wanted to give money out because of the virus? Not the same.

So corporations should turn away government offers free money or loans with ridiculously low interest.

You right.

[Bottomsouth]

Read on Twitter

I'm not surprised to see idiocy like this but it still makes me shake my head.

All hail the free market God for which he/she always fixes things they screwed up in the first place.

Why do people in this country treat the markets as it's some supernatural being that knows everything and solves everything?

The company was doing bad and just getting destroyed. Either it fails and someone else picks up the pieces or the government in fear of laying off 2m+ people works a loan out. It’s pretty simple.

[chrismikayla]

Apparently this confirms what we know already? 99% of fatalities had underlying medical issues. Honestly before this I never thought of high blood pressure being a serious underlying issue just on it's own. I need to do a little research and see why.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-18/99-of-those-who-died-from-virus-had-other-illness-italy-says

[Ambrose]

This is a tangent, but the stock crash is leading people to withdraw from funds and run on banks.

https://www.pymnts.com/cash/2020/nyc-bank-runs-short-big-bills-customers-hoard-cash/

Once that type of behavior becomes commonplace the banks will put daily restrictions on withdrawals just like it happened in Greece over ten years ago.

The general public continually amazes me with how bad they are with money.

[chrismikayla]

I have a decision to make today or tomorrow. I work in the mental health/substance abuse field. Half of my income comes from private work which has started telemental sessions. The other half comes from working a few days per week in an outpatient treatment center. For unknown reasons, probably greed, this center has not suspended group sessions with patients. We have 20 to 30 people in a small group room all sitting next to each other, and I personally think it is very irresponsible. They need to suspend group sessions and do individual only for a while. They ask two or three screening questions questions to group members but that's all.

[Stillwater]

Nearly 1000 reported confirmed dead from covid-19 complications yesterday alone nearly half of which were in Italy.
The death toll is about to climb far higher than we were hoping.
Don't trust the no new cases from ground zero bs either on top of the attempts to predict this without at least here in the states the ability to accurately determine the spread when you need a doctor's orders to get tested and doctors appointments are impossible to get for months.
Hopefully strong prescription meds will be made available without a script to ease the aches fever and sob that is debilitating . Their ain't no immunity or signs of it either when people have been treated released and then die days later seemingly healthy

[Crizzle]

I have a decision to make today or tomorrow. I work in the mental health/substance abuse field. Half of my income comes from private work which has started telemental sessions. The other half comes from working a few days per week in an outpatient treatment center. For unknown reasons, probably greed, this center has not suspended group sessions with patients. We have 20 to 30 people in a small group room all sitting next to each other, and I personally think it is very irresponsible. They need to suspend group sessions and do individual only for a while. They ask two or three screening questions questions to group members but that's all.

Can you explain how you feel about the sessions or are they aware they shouldnt be doing the sessions and just are anyway?