Coronavirus: COVID-19

[Vertigo 7]

Today the US crossed 200k COVID deaths and were still averaging more than 40k new cases per day. We'll probably see another 100k deaths before the year is out.

[Y-llian]

Today the US crossed 200k COVID deaths and were still averaging more than 40k new cases per day. We'll probably see another 100k deaths before the year is out.

It's so hard to know what to say with those numbers - it's a sobering milestone. I really hope that matters improve across the pond. I have lots of friends in the States and everyone seems to be resigned that the number will continue to grow unless the strategy changes. We have our challenges in Europe also - the UK has introduced new restrictions in just the last few hours.

That said, we must also remember that we all have a shared humanity and we should do all we can support those who are affected. Now more than ever, there's a need for kindness even as we press our political leaders to turn their rhetoric into meaningful action.

[Vertigo 7]

Today the US crossed 200k COVID deaths and were still averaging more than 40k new cases per day. We'll probably see another 100k deaths before the year is out.

It's so hard to know what to say with those numbers - it's a sobering milestone. I really hope that matters improve across the pond. I have lots of friends in the States and everyone seems to be resigned that the number will continue to grow unless the strategy changes. We have our challenges in Europe also - the UK has introduced new restrictions in just the last few hours.

That said, we must also remember that we all have a shared humanity and we should do all we can support those who are affected. Now more than ever, there's a need for kindness even as we press our political leaders to turn their rhetoric into meaningful action.

Sadly, the 'rhetoric' from the president is on inaction. He isn't going to do anything and he's going to continue to encourage his retard followers to rebel anytime someone tells them to wear a mask. Nothing is going to change here so long as he's leading people to their deaths and his ego and arrogance will not let him change course. That would involve him admitting he screwed up. So don't expect to see anything change on that front until January.

[Y-llian]

Sadly, the 'rhetoric' from the president is on inaction. He isn't going to do anything and he's going to continue to encourage his retard followers to rebel anytime someone tells them to wear a mask. Nothing is going to change here so long as he's leading people to their deaths and his ego and arrogance will not let him change course. That would involve him admitting he screwed up. So don't expect to see anything change on that front until January.

I too, hope that things change come January and will be following the election closely. I found Trumps recent 'good genes' statement so shocking... Just when you think he's lowered the bar as far as possible, he manages to push it down even further.

[RegisterMe]

I too, hope that things change come January and will be following the election closely. I found Trumps recent 'good genes' statement so shocking... Just when you think he's lowered the bar as far as possible, he manages to push it down even further.

I think the closest Trump got to understanding what a gene was was when he ran his zipper up too fast.

I'm increasingly asking myself "qui bono"?

- Sure, Russia ******* the US up benefits Putin
- Sure, China ******* the US up hurts the US more than it does China
- Sure, lots of people in the US (and globally) may stand to benefit (short term at least) from some of that....

But... qui bono?

Say I am Steve Bannon (or Steven Miller, or...), I am at the summit of US power, which is at the summit of global power, and I am going to throw away our alliances, actively destroy the global economic structures that have underpinned our success, talk down our military (which have, Afghanistan aside, been pretty much hegemonic) and, oh, by the way, let a pandemic rip through the country because otherwise my boss' hair would have looked off...

I am struggling to buy it. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but...

qui bono?

[euclid]

Finally the mystery has been solved as to why the covid cases in Europe are the highest in UK

“There is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world and that is our country is a freedom-loving country...

source

Cheers Euclid

[Mightysword]

Finally the mystery has been solved as to why the covid cases in Europe are the highest in UK

“There is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world and that is our country is a freedom-loving country...

source

Cheers Euclid

Hum, not sure what are you implying here? Do you think BJ's pointing out it's a problem with the UK population, or that he is making an absurd comment? Because for me I think it's the former, given the context of the whole articles and his address (yes I watched it). The full quote is this:

There is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world and that is our country is a freedom-loving country...It is very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines in the way that is necessary.

That's just a colloquial way of pointing out reality. I remember reading back in March when the full lock down was in effect, people still fill up subway cars (you guys called it tubes?), and I remember column of vehicles was picture filing toward rural summer escape. It's not like he's "praising" the value of freedom, or downplayed the need for harsh measure (kinda like our President is doing ), he's telling why the hard measure are needed and can get even tougher. Yes, I guess you can see it a bit of a deflection, but his message if I have to interprete bluntly would be something like "yeah yeah I know you like your freedom but **** your freedom, follow these rules now or they gonna get even worse later!"

It may not be a popular view, but the reality is the success of these measure will always be dependent on both the government plan and the population discipline. The reason why Asia has so much success is not just because of the governments have good plan over there (in fact, some - like Japan can be even seen as comical), but also because the population are very used to repression and have strong social discipline there (something no policy and law can create).

[felter]

What gets me is this 10pm business. I just don't understand how that is going to make any kind of difference in stopping the spread of the virus. It's not like the virus can only pass from one person to another after 10pm, so how will some place closing at 10pm stop the spread, or am I missing something.

On a side note. I get some shopping done for me on a Tuesday and yesterday several items were missing from my shopping list, this due to those coviditiots panic buying again. It just shows how dumb some people can be.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

What gets me is this 10pm business. I just don't understand how that is going to make any kind of difference in stopping the spread of the virus. It's not like the virus can only pass from one person to another after 10pm, so how will some place closing at 10pm stop the spread, or am I missing something.

On a side note. I get some shopping done for me on a Tuesday and yesterday several items were missing from my shopping list, this due to those coviditiots panic buying again. It just shows how dumb some people can be.

The pandemic doesn't spread in pubs, but in buses and trains; that's something no politician is never going to acknowledge, because "muh! Economy!!!". Pubs and restaurant did a very good job with social distancing, limiting their access to a lower number of people and keeping the distance between tables, something mass transport can never achieve.

[Alan Phipps]

"The pandemic doesn't spread in pubs .." It probably did in Bolton UK as felter posted here. I doubt that buses and trains had much to do with that city centre pub crawl.

Still, the whole group were breaking all the Covid rules anyway.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

"The pandemic doesn't spread in pubs .." It probably did in Bolton UK as felter posted here. I doubt that buses and trains had much to do with that city centre pub crawl.

Still, the whole group were breaking all the Covid rules anyway.

But it's the people's fault, not the pub's. Pubs can't do enough to avoid this kind of things, sadly.
The fact is people needs to follow the rules or else government can open or close whatever they want with no impact at all.

[Alan Phipps]

I agree, but rules and (excessive) alcohol don't mix too well, especially when the rules were beforehand considered not that applicable to those involved. After such incidents is when you start to see rules enforced by closures and harsh lockdowns rather than by expected codes of conduct.

Out of interest, do you have any evidence of especially high infection rates arising through use of buses and trains where people take appropriate personal measures, or is that just your assessment? The buses and trains for our rural town area are fairly lightly used anyway, and the seating allocation seems well controlled. Of course those for major cities and transport hubs may be different.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

I agree, but rules and (excessive) alcohol don't mix too well, especially when the rules were beforehand considered not that applicable to those involved. After such incidents is when you start to see rules enforced by closures and harsh lockdowns rather than by expected codes of conduct.

Out of interest, do you have any evidence of especially high infection rates arising through use of buses and trains where people take appropriate personal measures, or is that just your assessment? The buses and trains for our rural town area are fairly lightly used anyway, and the seating allocation seems well controlled. Of course those for major cities and transport hubs may be different.

It's more about crowded cities and rush hours for mass transit: buses and trains are almost the same as before covid and not enough people lost their job, yet to have half-empty cars.

Off course weekend nights crowd are potential outbreak areas, but it's different. On trains, you have to be on or else you're late for work (it's not a choice). On pubs, you don't have to be too close to unmasked people (it's a choice to). On top of that: offices are closed areas, social gatherings on weekends are (usually? often?) en plain air. This is going to be worse approaching cold / rainy days, when it's best to be inside because "inside the pub it doesn't rain".

[euclid]

Finally the mystery has been solved as to why the covid cases in Europe are the highest in UK

“There is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world and that is our country is a freedom-loving country...

source

Cheers Euclid

Hum, not sure what are you implying here? Do you think BJ's pointing out it's a problem with the UK population, or that he is making an absurd comment? .....

I thought it's obvious but aparently I was wrong. The statement implies that "many other countries around the world" are not " freedom-loving" which is in my view quite an insult.

Cheers Euclid

[felter]

You have to remember when talking about Johnson making comments on other races or countries, he is actually pretty well known to be a racist. There are several videos out there of him saying and doing racist things, so when he says things about other countries or their populations, you have to take that into account, that he is a bigot and racist.

Back on topic. Numbers for the UK took a sharp rise today, with over 6,000 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, while Scotland saw it's largest count of confirmed cases. I have an appointment next week at the doctors for blood tests, first thing in the morning before they are opened to the general population, as that is supposed to be safer for me. Right now I'm thinking I may well cancel because the numbers are starting to get out of hand, even locally the numbers of confirmed cases have doubled in the past week or so. Things are not looking good. Even deaths are pretty much on the rise, a few weeks back those were down in single figures, I think it is 74 dead for the past 48 hours, that's a number they can't blame on extra testing.

[Mightysword]

I thought it's obvious but apparently I was wrong. The statement implies that "many other countries around the world" are not " freedom-loving" which is in my view quite an insult.
Cheers Euclid

Guess because I'm an American so that's something we already take for granted. I mean, you probably notice American love talking about how our country love freedom or all that jazz, to me that just kinda like some chest thumbing national prize and not mean to imply something else. Samething when I said Asia is more used to repression, it's not meant to be taken as an implication we value freedom less over there. I had even correct a fellow American here in the past that in term of the blood spilled in the name of freedom, my people had bleed far more than American ever did in its short history. But that doesn't mean I have to take offense when I hear other Americans talk about freedom.

Like I said, I take his message as just a colloquial way of saying "pipe down on the freedom talk and obey they rule please!!" The message was clearly intended for local consumption, aka the UK people, not the international community. If someone else happens to hear it to, or take it to a context outside of the intend and take offense ... I guess I can understand your point, but I don't think that's his problem. I read the whole article, I watched the attached video, it's obvious to me the entire context of what he's trying to say - and it's certainly not about "UK value freedom more than anyone else!". I don't judge the massage by only focusing on one small snippet.

[Vertigo 7]

Ahh of course, we should just ignore statements that insult one or more countries like referring to African nations as "shit hole countries" or "meaningless to me... because that is still 'American math'". The thing about bigots is they make bigoted statements but they have a hard time recognizing bigotry. But apparently, since I'm not Asian and don't originate from an undeveloped communist country, I can't understand that. I guess that's just how things work now.

These so called "leaders" need to learn to lead and think before they speak. It ain't rocket surgery. Neither BoJo the Clown or Trumpty Dumpty were expected to be disease experts. They were expected to exercise their powers to protect their citizenry. Instead we get one who spends his days either in bed with a bucket of extra crispy and watching his favorite Fox and Friends reruns when he's not out golfing or rabble rousing at a klan rally. And whatever BoJo is doing, some kind of ditch digging or painting model Brexit busses, I guess... not really sure how he spends his time not governing. Is it any wonder that people have no faith in their government?

[red assassin]

Asked in parliament why Britain’s figures were worse than Germany and Italy, Johnson said: “There is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world and that is our country is a freedom-loving country...It is very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines in the way that is necessary.”

Johnson is specifically claiming here that the UK is performing worse at controlling the pandemic than Germany and Italy because we're a "freedom-loving" country and others, presumably Germany and Italy, as that's what the question was about, are not. This is both obvious nonsense insulting to those other countries and yet another example of the government blaming the population for the government's failures.

[Mightysword]

The saying "it's more than just statistic" hit close to home for me today. Since March I've been pretty much hole up inside the house, only making trips to the grocery stores. Aside from the fact I'm working from home, tbh I feel I'm pretty isolate from the larger trouble. I know from the news people are losing jobs and business closing down, and know it's bad, but all the stored I visited in the last 3 months have always been bustling with business (most likely because they'll all essential). I didn'nt think I treated the economy data as "just statistic", but I think I probably has been, 'cause today is the first time I feel something like this in the last few months.

I had to travel down a campus today for some business, and it's not the empty side walk that depressed me. But as I walk away from the parking lots, I notice the business plaza located just outside of the campus are pretty deserted, again that's normal and expected. What hit me is I realize the stores are gone. The signs are gone, the storefront are empty. They don't just 'close', they're gone gone. I spent a better part of my life in the US on this campus, since highschool as post-secondary student, through my undergrad and graduate programs. I visited these stores countless of time, and I'm sure they were here even before I came to the US. They survived the 2008-2012 crisis, but now they're gone, both stores that's part of a chain and family mom and pop store . Given the traffic they usually have, these stores must be one of the most profitable of their kind, and the rent is probably premium. Ironically it means losing its main customer they're the first to go. As I walked around the perimeter, the same scenery played out. Basically the whole business community that had supported the campus for perhaps decades were wiped out in just 6 months.

Over the months I had read similar story on the news, but again, they were probably just statistic to me. Things become more sentimental when it's something you can connect to I guess. I think the last time I felt this way was in 2009, when the streets were lit up with foreclosure and desperate selling signs. It felts like in every single block you had 1 or 2 families losing their house back then. I legit thought at the time Denver was going to become the next Detroit.

Gosh I hate this pandemic.

[jlehtone]

I visited these stores countless of time, and I'm sure they were here even before I came to the US. They survived the 2008-2012 crisis, but now they're gone, both stores that's part of a chain and family mom and pop store.

At what age store owners typically retire? If they had been contemplating retirement, then this crisis most likely did "help" the decision.