Coronavirus 2020-22

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

I'm pretty sure the people that are still voting for Trump wouldn't care what anyone said at this point, so in that way, the guy has nothing to lose. He could probably say he will help spread COVID-19 if he gets voted in again, and they still would vote because...
I don't know. Umm... Because the media is evil and everyone is plotting against him... or something?

The only people it will actually affect are the few swing voters that are left. Yet those voters are the ones who will decide this election. They’re not loyal to either candidate So it is a surprise that he would ever say that when He needs them.

To announce that though feels like he setting himself up for a run in 2024 since he might see this year as a lost cause. So he sets Biden up with what he sees as an unwinnable situation. If he fails then Trump has the excuse he needs in 2024 to rail on the Democrats. If it does get better early in Bidens presidency then he could claim that it was actually his policies that did it.

[EroKing]

This hijacking of the thread meant to discuss about the virus with the election or Trump talks (which has its own proper thread) has gotten too old. Move on already.

[OH&S]

Originally Posted by EroKing

This hijacking of the thread meant to discuss about the virus with the election or Trump talks (which has its own proper thread) has gotten too old. Move on already.

Then let me steer the conversation away from politics and talk about Australia, specifically Victoria which was hit by a second wave of COVID-19.

Victoria has successfully overcome the second wave!

Melbourne's coronavirus restrictions ease as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announces end to lockdown
After Victoria's long and difficult coronavirus lockdown, it's now the envy of the world
Covid: Melbourne's hard-won success after a marathon lockdown

They did it by going into lockdown for 112 days. The Labour party (centre-left) premier, Daniel Andrews, has been providing daily updates via press conferences and was being hammered by our country's right-wing Murdoch press for the major steps taken to contain the outbreak (satirized here: Dan Andrews annexes Poland) and whipping up anti-mask/anti-lockdown wankersprotesters.

At the peak of the second wave, Victoria was recording over 700 daily cases. As of today, it has had two consecutive days of zero cases and zero deaths.

Its been a hard fought battle but they can finally return to COVID-normal.

Masks+Lockdown+Testing+Contact Tracing works people.

[Key Board]

Sweden's numbers are at a record high.

But they have faith in their nationalized healthcare to handle things.

I personally think they are smug.
I think their perceived moral superiority over other countries gives a misguided sense of invulnerability.

//

[kari-no-sugata II]

^ Deaths aren't rising in Sweden at least. Well, not yet.

On a different note, some reports regarding antibodies:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54696873

I'm not an expert but my general impression is that this sort of decline in antibodies is quite normal in general. ie expecting perfect life-long immunity was highly likely to be overly optimistic.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by Key Board

I think their perceived moral superiority over other countries gives a misguided sense of invulnerability.

Sweden's approach has been controversial, but the Swedes may have the last laugh. For one thing, as their experts have predicted, the crippling lockdowns hadn't worked for their fellow Europeans.

That said, I agree the Swedes are wrong in thinking that lockdowns are irrational. As OH&S pointed out, they have worked in Victoria state, and in the rest of Australia. They've also worked in New Zealand.

The common factor here, I think, is that Australia and New Zealand have natural advantages over European countries — both nations are far less densely populated than in Europe, and have maritime boundaries, making it easier for them to prevent imported cases. Of course, it should be noted that natural borders alone are not enough, as the UK has discovered to its dismay.

So, yes, it's not the lockdowns alone that matter. It's a combination of lockdowns to ensure the increase in cases doesn't outstrip healthcare capacity, together with aggressive testing and contact-tracing to ensure that active cases don't go undetected and spread further.

That, in a nutshell, explains why China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam have been successful in clamping down the outbreak. Taiwan and South Korea, in particular, never went into nationwide lockdowns. Moreover, both territories has far lower death tolls than Sweden — South Korea has 460 deaths, while Taiwan has only seven. Sweden has more than 5,900 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The Financial Times described it the best: Asian nations' early and decisive action in stemming the infections stands in sharp contrast with Europe's struggle.

One temptation would be to suggest that Asian culture was somehow superior, and rose to the challenge with their greater discipline and trust in government. That was effectively what Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso claimed earlier this year.

Well, karma's a bitch.

COVID-19 pandemic deepens Japan's national crisis

TOKYO (Oct 27, 2020): Tumbling numbers of pregnancies and marriages in Japan during the coronavirus pandemic are likely to intensify a demographic crisis in the rapidly ageing nation.

"I reckon the spread of the coronavirus is having many people worried about getting pregnant, giving birth and rearing babies," Tetsushi Sakamoto, the minister in charge of responses to Japan's declining birthrates, told a news conference on Oct 23.

Recently published official data showed the number of notified pregnancies in the three months to July fell 11.4 per cent from a year earlier, while the number of marriages over the same period dropped 36.9 per cent. The sharp decline in marriages matters because the majority of babies in Japan are born in wedlock.

"This is very serious because negative effects could stay on, with the economic downturn leading to fewer marriages, and then to fewer births," said Hideo Kumano, executive chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

REUTERS

[cyberdemon]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fox-news-...112603939.html

Looks like several Fox News hosts and executives came in contact with a COVID patient. This will make election night interesting for Fox News.

[Key Board]

I'm surprised they let that news leak.

//

[kari-no-sugata II]

[Key Board]

Originally Posted by kari-no-sugata II

^ Deaths aren't rising in Sweden at least. Well, not yet.

On a different note, some reports regarding antibodies:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54696873

I'm not an expert but my general impression is that this sort of decline in antibodies is quite normal in general. ie expecting perfect life-long immunity was highly likely to be overly optimistic.

It depends on the pathogen.

I was recently tested for Hepatitis B immunity and It's still strong despite being vaccinated over 20 years ago.
You need over 9.9 mIU/mL. I had 195 mIU/mL

Meanwhile we need a new vaccine for Influenza every year because the Flu mutates a lot.

also

Sweden sets new daily COVID-19 case record as infections surge

https://www.reuters.com/article/heal...-idUSL8N2HJ5RE

Anyway, regardless of Sweden. I think pursuing herd immunity through intentional infection is a bad idea for the US because of our healthcare policy, lack of safety nets, and the wearing masks becoming a partisan issue

//

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Key Board

It depends on the pathogen.

I was recently tested for Hepatitis B immunity and It's still strong despite being vaccinated over 20 years ago.
You need over 9.9 mIU/mL. I had 195 mIU/mL

Meanwhile we need a new vaccine for Influenza every year because the Flu mutates a lot.

Yeah, there was even an H1N1 study showing that some really old people had immunity to the 2009 strain, because they'd been infected by the "spanish flu" back in the 1920s. I'll see if I can find it, because that was really surprising to me.

Edit: not actually true...there have been other H1N1 outbreaks, about one every 10 years, and that's where those people acquired the immunity. And it's possible to have long-lasting immunity to H1N1 specifically, because it has less potential for antigenic drift than the more common types of Influenza A.

[Tempester]

I live in a certain part of the US which has a big problem with the virus. People all around me are walking in public without wearing masks. When I go shopping I try to keep my distance from people, wait for openings before I pass people, etc. But there are tons of people who just walk straight through me, so close they're almost brushing my shoulder. So many people who have zero care or respect for social health or keeping the virus at bay.

It's so frustrating. The US is in a perilous position where Americans need to follow the rules for their own survival and for the eventual betterment of quality of life, yet all these people around me are just laughing it off and spreading the virus everywhere like they want to watch the world burn. I shouldn't have to feel like the world's putting me in danger when I'm out buying essential goods.

[Guardian Enzo]

America's current crisis summed up perfectly. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.

[Shinji103]

For what it’s worth, I’m fortunate enough to live in a small-ish city where the major majority of people are wearing masks and being conscientious about the virus, yet even here we still have jerks who don’t give a **** about the virus or keeping themselves or others safe, plus Karens who whine about the masks. One old guy I saw complained to a cashier at a department store saying “this whole pandemic is fake, you know how I know? Because I’m a pastor.”

So hopefully you can at least take some consolation in the fact that these idiots are everywhere, even where most being are being smart.

[The Green One]

Sad attitude of humanity. If it doesn't happen to people they personally know, they don't give a shit.

[MeoTwister5]

I live in a 3rd world country. Even barefoot grimy street kids are wearing masks.

[OH&S]

Dr Fauci praises Australia’s coronavirus response and Melbourne’s face mask rules

America’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has praised Melbourne’s response to the coronavirus, saying he “wished” the US could adopt the same mentality.

In an interview hosted by the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne-based Doherty Institute, Fauci said Australia was “one of the countries that has done actually quite well” in handling the virus.

“I really wish that we could transplant that kind of mentality here,” he said. “Because masks in the United States have almost become a political statement.”

Fauci, who is the most senior member of the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, said that Melbourne’s lockdown and mandatory mask-wearing had struck the right balance between public health and opening up the economy.

“A couple of hours before I came to my home here to pick up this Zoom, I was at a meeting virtually in the situation room in the White House,” he said. “If I were to use the word ‘shutdown’ the country or ‘lockdown’, I would be in serious trouble. They would probably be throwing tomatoes at me or something.”

[EroKing]

Ranked by active number of cases. Situation is far better here in India now, down from like 1 million active cases about 2 months ago to close to 600k now. Curve was supposed to flatten in November but things have been getting well since October, more recoveries than daily number of cases. 120k deaths certainly is a lot but population percentage-wise in a country with over 1.3 billion people and the kind of population density we have, things never got that bad. There were about a couple of months in-between where people weren't taking masks and social distancing seriously but that changed quickly enough as they realized it had to be done to get the numbers down and getting back to making money. Countries in Europe kinda fucked up re-opening schools. India was supposed to do the same earlier this month but was looking at the numbers from Europe and decided against it. They'll be taking a call in my city in like mid-November after looking at the situation. So again, masks work to a great extent; just gotta have sane people and not dumb enough to protest against it.

I am worried about things changing in the flu season - December to February. People everywhere will be coughing and masks are not that effective when wet. Symptoms of cold will make it hard to tell who has the virus and who just has the common cold. Now I haven't checked for this but can one be infected with both the common cold and corona? Can't find any answers on google but if so then there's also bound to be cases where people are infected with both, so yea... winter most likely is gonna be harsh.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by EroKing

Now I haven't checked for this but can one be infected with both the common cold and corona?

Indeed. We have locally at least one such cases. That is why I mentioned earlier about getting free influenza shots, the local government is trying to minimize the overlapping by reducing to a minimum the number of cases of influenza this season (in 2019 they were begging people to get vaccinated, now they can't get cope with the demand), especially among the elderly. I have not read any articles (since it is too early) about the effects of having both diseases at the same time, but it is bound to be a one two punch, how bad it might increase mortality is the only number yet to be found.

[Key Board]

“ President Donald Trump repeated an unfounded accusation at a campaign rally in Michigan on Friday, asserting U.S. doctors are misrepresenting the number of coronavirus fatalities because they receive "like $2,000 more" if they report Covid-19 as the cause of a patient's death, a baseless charge that has angered many in the medical community.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybe...inancial-gain/

This explains a lot about Trump base.