Covid-19 discussion thread

[Gary A]

I agree and I sure hope so Gary. Sadly, at least here in the States, it truly appears we're not even close to controlling it. Politics aside, this thing is kicking our ass! I've said this before but realistically, and based on past vaccine development, I don't believe a vaccine that is proven and has the public confidence will be available and in adequate supply until at least next Spring and more likely Summer. I'll be glad to be told "Told Ya So" on that one but.....

In the mean time, something is better than nothing on your face, do your best to social distance and wash your hands. What else do we really have at this point?

Positive thoughts

I must say I’m shocked at how hard the US continues to be hit. A nation of that size was never going to have a great outcome with this virus but the way it continues to grow is pretty sobering, really.

[AntsyVee]

That's because of the "loser" states. (At least that's why my students have nicknamed them). States where governors are more concerned about economic decline and their loyalty to Trump than lives. In Florida they're still going to make everyone go back to school even though they're the new epicenter. Are they assuming there will be no economic decline if everyone get sick?

[Hollow]

So when is your TV show going to start, Hollow?

It’s Halloween eve on Shelter Island, and the small town is preparing for a killer storm. But the dark clouds gathering over the island are bringing with them a curse one-hundred years in waiting. As the woods give birth to an ungodly and insatiable creature of fire, bones, and earth, three sisters must scramble to stay alive through the long dark night of the Hollow. For it’s not something you can kill. It’s only something you can try and survive

[Lolalee1]

FMD

[FrankT]

That's because of the "loser" states. (At least that's why my students have nicknamed them). States where governors are more concerned about economic decline and their loyalty to Trump than lives. In Florida they're still going to make everyone go back to school even though they're the new epicenter. Are they assuming there will be no economic decline if everyone get sick?

And that's the sole reason this virus will have by far the highest death rate of any pandemic in history.

[Pamplemousse]

Oh no, Johnson's said something I agree with! I've looked outside and the world is still the right way up...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-a9635781.html

[FrankT]

Mind, you'd say the same thing if you caught it.

[Pamplemousse]

Some more impressive work going on here:

SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Has a “Camouflage” That Causes Cells Not to Recognize It – “Fundamental Advance in Our Understanding of the Virus”

https://scitechdaily.com/sars-cov-2-...the-virus/amp/

[AntsyVee]

It’s Halloween eve on Shelter Island, and the small town is preparing for a killer storm. But the dark clouds gathering over the island are bringing with them a curse one-hundred years in waiting. As the woods give birth to an ungodly and insatiable creature of fire, bones, and earth, three sisters must scramble to stay alive through the long dark night of the Hollow. For it’s not something you can kill. It’s only something you can try and survive

Interesting. A Salem Witch Trial curse show. Why 100 years though? Witch Trials were 1692

I would have thought you'd have a show that was more infotainment...

[Lencoboy]

There’s more to it than masks, obviously. Testing and contact tracing, early lockdown and physical distancing measures, these are all things that the majority of Europe and the Americas neglected early on and, unfortunately, the consequences have been dire.

However, I do believe that the initial onslaught has taught us a lot of lessons. I think that we can and will control this virus far better until vaccination programmes become available.

With regards your last paragraph, I think you might be correct. Despite very slight upturns in our cases over the past 2-3 weeks, though I don't wish to tempt fate by saying this, they have luckily managed to remain below 1k for almost a month now, and have generally been fluctuating between the end of June and now.

It will be interesting to see how things pan out over the coming weeks now face masks are now mandatory in shops and the like here in England.

Also, Scotland, Wales and NI appear to have had very low rates of CV deaths over the past couple of weeks, and it has already been speculated over the past week or so that England's deaths might have been overcounted, and are looking into only counting deaths that have occurred after a maximum period of 28 days (or less) after testing positive for the virus, which the other 3 UK territories have already been doing from the off, but the govt are already getting it in the neck as usual and being accused of using it to play down the CV death stats in England, whilst S, W and NI (who have generally been thought to have handled the situation far better than England) have, like I've already said above, standardised on the 28 day arrangement from the get-go. And this proposed arrangement is allegedly an attempt to more accurately gauge the situation in case of a relapse later in the year.