Coronavirus: COVID-19

[Tamina]

I thought I share this informative video here with you, how the Coronavirus works and how to react - should you be interested:
The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do
The colourfull presentation looks like it is aimed at kids, but they don't mince matters (cold hard science truth), their topics are always very well researched and they go into detail where necessary, yet it is easy to understand

[Stars_InTheirEyes]

Kurzegesagt is a brilliant source of information. Definitely not aimed at kids.

[felter]

Mark Rober has done a good video on just how a virus spreads, and it's aimed at everyone.

[Santi]

Work and Coronavirus:

Things are looking up, we are going to get issued individual bottles of sanitizer, so that is great news, but the shipment is being held at customs in France because of the lockdown there, well, at least it is on it's way.

Train driving cabs and passengers carriages are starting to be disinfected nightly, and during day service, in terminus stations handrails are being sanitized, the downside is that the cleaning of other parts of the trains will be substandard, according to the cleaning company, they are struggling with a shortage of staff, rising demand for those services and a challenging recruitment situation.

The Underground train timetable is being reduced, night tube operating Friday and Saturday is being cancel and staff redeployed, main two reasons are: no point running almost empty trains and staff shortages due to Coronavirus symptoms and hence, isolation.

We are now key workers, so staff does not have to worry about choosing between work or taking care of their kids, big sigh of relief from the company as well, as balancing 24 hours kid care with shift work is a very complicated matter.

Still two very important issues remaining at work, and they are linked, colleagues with previous conditions that put them in the high risk category for coronavirus, are still working and the company has not make an announcement regarding if long term isolation will be available for them. Secondly, people going in isolation because of symptoms of Coronavirus, that could be flu or a cold as well, are not being tested, so no further measures are being taken like tracing people that have close contact with them, further putting at risk those with previous conditions that could make the infection fatal.

[exogenesis]

Work and Coronavirus:
...
Secondly, people going in isolation because of symptoms of Coronavirus, that could be flu or a cold as well, are not being tested, so no further measures are being taken like tracing people that have close contact with them, further putting at risk those with previous conditions that could make the infection fatal.

Feel that this is a very significant point.

UK-wise, there are self test kits about (about £40 each atm), but their status is 'needs further regulatory verification',
do they work correctly (yet) ?

Perhaps goverments could speed up dissemination of kits (+ advise calling 111 if test is positive) to give a bigger picture, particularly about infection 'hotspots'.

[felter]

So the Schools have all but closed and the kids around here seem to think they are on holiday. I have a small play area just along the road from me, Tennis court basketball court come football area and the kids have been out in it shouting and screaming all afternoon, they are still there right now.

Another prediction, I predict that more than a few of them are going to catch this virus take it home and spread it to their family, where at some point their older relatives Grandparents, Aunties or/and Uncles are going to die from the virus that these kids are going to be catching and passing on to them. Makes me wonder about their parents and if the actually have any kind of common sense or if it's all been drained away by their mobile phones. If I had a kid right now they would not be playing around like these ones are, not just for the kids sake but because I fear for myself and my 88 year old mother.

[Vertigo 7]

My kids understand to avoid contact with others for now. They wanna go hang out with their friends, but they understand the situation and they're not teenagers yet so they'll still listen to me =p

[Mightysword]

at least kids have the age excuse if they don't understand or listen. College students on the other hand .... this is why even before things deteriorated, most college/universities around the US already planned to close down after spring break. They anticipated a good chunk of their students would travel and thus increase the chance of spreading when school reconvene. Things got worse since those plans were initially made and most schools move up their schedule to close BEFORE spring break. I'm pretty sure most schools must have flood their students email with at least a dozen usual pre-caution and the main reason why things are shutting down before release them for spring break. But behold behold, a good chunk of the college students still decided "it's spring break, gotta have my vacation!!".

[felter]

Looks like the WHO agreed with me on what I said about kids currently running around like nothing is wrong is just plain wrong.

"I have a message for young people: You are not invincible, this virus could put you in hospital for weeks or even kill you. Even if you don't get sick the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else."

Granted they were manly talking about the stupid US college students but it applies to all kids and how they are currently interacting and the possible consequences of them doing so. Their parents are needing to do just that, become parents for once in their lives.

[Vertigo 7]

to be fair, younger kids (infants to early teens) are more at risk than fledgling adults. But still, it's stupid even if they are asymptomatic, they can still be carriers and put others at risk.

[z13l5ch31b3]

I'm worried about the fact that the US has got so much deaths instead of recovered people. Damn health system, damn Trump. That's very creepy :< .

[X2-Illuminatus]

I'm worried about the fact that the US has got so much deaths instead of recovered people. Damn health system, damn Trump. That's very creepy :< .

Better you don't look at the numbers of France then.

[RegisterMe]

This is an interesting article, from somebody reasonably well qualified to comment:-

https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-f ... able-data/

In general I agree with his frustration with the poor data available. The one point I did take issue with was the "... if the US sees a 1% infection rate". Now I'm no epidemiologist but that seems wishful thinking to me.

[Chips]

With regards to kids being off school and interacting/playing outside etc - that was predicted in the Imperial modelling done; just closing schools and universities without any other action was the second highest number of infections/deaths after doing nothing whatsoever wasn't it? It only works in conjunction with all the other measures in place (possibly why those were put in place first?).

If people don't stick to measures then it's still going to spread. Realistically, it's going to spread anyway - it's not going to vanish just because we're isolating some people and kids are off school. As they've said from the start, this isn't about stopping it as that's likely not possible and way too easily defeated as a strategy to have it as your main hedging of bets. It's about ensuring they slow the spread to a level which won't overwhelm health services while I guess treatments are created?

Either way, still going to work next week. Managed to buy my usual 2 days of food (no meat though) despite the supermarket being barren. Life goes on.

[felter]

It's not just Governments that are making bad decisions, it's the populace of those countries that are also making bad decisions, like those kids here yesterday. Just got to say it is very quiet here today, haven't even heard the barking of a dog let alone the scream of a playing kid. It's also those young college adults in America partying together on spring break. Today it's news of Australians going to the beach to get a tan and do some surfing, have these people not got a brain cell, don't they know what is going on.

Here's another one of total insanity, a copyright troll company in America tried to stop the manufacture of virus test kits in America as they said they hold the copyright to how the test kits work.

[Chips]

Here's another one of total insanity, a copyright troll company in America tried to stop the manufacture of virus test kits in America as they said they hold the copyright to how the test kits work.

Wait until a vaccine is produced. If it's most nations I think it'll be freely shared, but if it's the US I've a feeling Trump will claim everyone should be paying for the privilege... through the nose. He's shown his mentality with the alleged attempt to buy a German company, but I don't know how truthful it was as when I heard about it I couldn't be arsed to find the article. Finding reading stuff these days depressing as the media seems intent on trying to ensure panic is maintained. Must be good for readership.

[z13l5ch31b3]

I'm worried about the fact that the US has got so much deaths instead of recovered people. Damn health system, damn Trump. That's very creepy :< .

Better you don't look at the numbers of France then.

Thats both terrifying and confusing.

[birdtable]

Better get some perspective ...
Approx 45,000 die each month in the UK
Approx 5,000 of that monthly figure die of Altzheimers
Approx 150 die each month from traffic accidents
Approx 60 die each month having been murdered
So far 180 ish people have died in UK....

[RegisterMe]

Better get some perspective ...
Approx 45,000 die each month in the UK
Approx 5,000 of that monthly figure die of Altzheimers
Approx 150 die each month from traffic accidents
Approx 60 die each month having been murdered
So far 180 ish people have died in UK....

That's a point well made. Equally we humans aren't very good at dealing with risk or uncertainty so....

[Gavrushka]

Better get some perspective ...
Approx 45,000 die each month in the UK
Approx 5,000 of that monthly figure die of Altzheimers
Approx 150 die each month from traffic accidents
Approx 60 die each month having been murdered
So far 180 ish people have died in UK....

That's a point well made. Equally we humans aren't very good at dealing with risk or uncertainty so....

The issue is those figures are stable and, unfortunately, predictable. 53 more died today, and even if that weren't to increase, that'd be 1,600 in a month. I think what is most worrying for people is that they could infect vulnerable friends and relatives. Alzheimer's disease is a horrid affliction, but it isn't a contagion.

I don't know if the figure has been altered in the last fortnight, but I do recall that an aggregate figure of 20,000 fatalities would be considered a 'good outcome' by the government, which would more or less equate to 1,600 a month if it were over a year.

And the terror is also it's invisible. - I am beside myself with anguish when I see people visiting my elderly neighbours now. A pandemic that can end lives isn't gonna breed a rational reaction, emotionally, but perhaps it does help to understand it's not gonna be around as long as murder, traffic accidents and Alzheimer's disease.