News COVID-19 pandemic

[Notebook]

Indeed.
It looks like a similar scheme other countries are running. Saw a system in Italy yesterday, collecting groceries, medicines, transport.

 

[Sunhillow]

Now Prince Charles has been tested positive
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52033845

 

[BrianJ]

Indeed.
It looks like a similar scheme other countries are running. Saw a system in Italy yesterday, collecting groceries, medicines, transport.

I sure hope so, we need it quick. There have been no grocery deliveries available online anywhere for many days, as far as I can see. Panic buying at the local supermarkets continues. I had to go out to try and buy supplies for the first time in 12 days yesterday - no milk, bread, eggs, sugar, flour, pasta, fresh veg, etc. The youngsters on the till and stacking shelves had no protection such as masks or gloves. Nobody bothers keeping 2m apart. Sigh.

 

[4throck]

"The youngsters on the till and stacking shelves had no protection such as masks or gloves."

Work provides immunity I guess :shrug:
But protection is only effective if used correctly. If you use the same gloves all day, every day.... it might even be worse.

 

[Notebook]

Coronavirus delays Russian vote on Putin staying in power

Great conspiracy material.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52038814

 

[Sunhillow]

This whole stop-go aiming for eternal presidentship is a farce. In such moments some famous words of a former german chancellor come to my mind - he called Putin a flawless democrat ("lupenreiner Demokrat")

 

[Notebook]

...and some worse behaviour here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-52032909

 

[Urwumpe]

...and some worse behaviour here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-52032909

Thats evil, I hope Karma gets her.



We got the first COVID-19 case at my employer, but not on the main campus. Still we all got reminded about the social distancing rules.



I will try to stay away from office as long as I could, but I suspect I will have to go this week.

 

[Notebook]

Yes, a case of panic if I you were being generous. Who better to rent to than a doctor in these days?

 

[mahdavi3d]

 

[C3PO]

This is my favourite response so far. :lol:

[ame]https://twitter.com/i/status/1242237138239881216[/ame]

 

[Notebook]

More good intentions:

https://simmerswithoutborders.org/

 

[Urwumpe]

Germany dropped out of the top 20 in the five-day doubling period estimate, now at a doubling time of 5.5 days. Social Distancing DOES work.

Current hotspot is Israel, at 2.3 days doubling time. Should this number include the occupied territory, I am not surprised at all.

 

[Marijn]

Belgium seems to be in big trouble. 265 deaths / 11.6 = 23 deaths per 1M people.

Spain: 4302 / 46.7 = 23 deaths per 1M people.

If Belgium overtakes Spain, it's on my no. 1 position. Meanwhile, the Dutch government did ask Belgium to take Dutch patients when neccesary. This trend has been visible for a week. To me, this illustrates that the politicians still have no idea what's going on.

 

[Urwumpe]

While there are many complaints about Germany not testing enough, the German laboratories are currently doing 500,000 COVID-19 tests every week and are credited to be also responsible for the low number of deaths in Germany, additionally to the hospitals.

Lower Saxony is also planning to include the laboratories for animal disease control to test for COVID-19, which could mean additional 1000 tests per day.

 

[jedidia]

Germany dropped out of the top 20 in the five-day doubling period estimate, now at a doubling time of 5.5 days. Social Distancing DOES work.

There's a slight danger that it might be *too* effective, though. "Flatten the curve" is to keep the medical system from overloading. If instead of flattening it we manage to stomp it out and go out of lockdown with most of the population still being susceptible, there could well be another outbreak. Unless we find some effective vaccination until then...

 

[Urwumpe]

There's a slight danger that it might be *too* effective, though. "Flatten the curve" is to keep the medical system from overloading. If instead of flattening it we manage to stomp it out and go out of lockdown with most of the population still being susceptible, there could well be another outbreak. Unless we find some effective vaccination until then...

Of course. We will see in China, how that works out, which despite the huge numbers, still has only few immune people among 100,000 citizens.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

There's a slight danger that it might be *too* effective, though. "Flatten the curve" is to keep the medical system from overloading. If instead of flattening it we manage to stomp it out and go out of lockdown with most of the population still being susceptible, there could well be another outbreak. Unless we find some effective vaccination until then...

This would be a wonderful problem to have as it would mean current flatten the curve measures are very effective. We'd have upfront control of the situation.



I suspect that we are seeing the opposite - that it is spreading rather rapidly despite these efforts. It may have been circulating in populations even before we realized. Current confirmed cases are probably wildly low estimates due to insufficient testing.


It would be really helpful to know if the actual infections were 1%, 10%, 50%, etc.. as that would tell us how close or far we are from herd immunity. I think the closest thing we're going to get to a vaccine is to control the spread until 85% of the population ultimately has it and it burns out naturally.

 

[Urwumpe]

I suspect that we are seeing the opposite - that it is spreading rather rapidly despite these efforts. It may have been circulating in populations even before we realized. Current confirmed cases are probably wildly low estimates due to insufficient testing.

Right now we can say for Germany, that this is wrong. The situation is dire, but not out of control at all. We are for example still upfront with the number of ICU units. The test capacity is rapidly growing. Vaccination research goes on despite foreign capitalist attempts to disturb it.


We can achieve it, likely even with survivable economic impact, despite the complaints from the neoliberal world.



Of course, it would be great then, if this increased capacity in Germany is then also available to other European countries to save lives.

 

[4throck]

:hesaid:
I second Urwumpe's comments


The lack of any sort of European response is a shame, but I'm not surprised given past examples.
This time not even a speech, I guess they packed up and went into isolation somewhere

At the same time, it's quite interesting to see Chinese, Russian and Cuban doctors arriving in Italy.
Don't want to go into politics now, and this is of course a symbolic gesture, but it makes you think.