[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'President Trump told several governors on a Monday conference call that they are largely on their own in stocking up on gear such as respirators and ventilators to fight the novel coronavirus. "Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment—try getting it yourselves," the president said. "We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself." The president's remarks came amid growing fears of a national shortage of ventilators in hospitals as the coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen in the United States.'

https://www.thedaily...lators?ref=home

Every state for itself?...

'Frightened Liberty students beg Jerry Falwell Jr to "come to his senses" as he insists on in-person classes'

https://www.rawstory...person-classes/

'Twitter Deleted Sheriff Clarke's Wildly Reckless Coronavirus Tweets, So He Says He's Quitting

"It is now evident that this is an orchestrated attempt to destroy CAPITALISM," Clarke wrote in a since deleted tweet. "First sports, then schools and finally commercial businesses. Time to RISE UP and push back. Bars and restaurants should defy the order. Let people decide if they want to go out."'

https://www.thedaily...parler?ref=home

'"One pastor said half of his church is ready to lick the floor, to prove there's no actual virus," said King, lead pastor at Second Baptist church in Conway, Ark.

[...] "In your more politically conservative regions, closing is not interpreted as caring for you. It's interpreted as liberalism, or buying into the hype"'

https://www.washingt...b136_story.html

'Pastor says only "sissies" & "pansies" wash their hands to prevent coronavirus

[...] Jonathan Shuttlesworth, a televangelist who co-founded Revival Today TV, called out European churches that are taking measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"Catholic Church not having holy water in the lobby — how holy is the water then?" he said in his rant. "That should be a sign to you that your whole religion's a fraud. Any faith that doesn't work in real life is a fake faith. Totally fake."

[...] "If you're putting out pamphlets and telling everybody to use Purell before they come into the sanctuary and don't greet anyone, you should just turn in your ministry credentials and burn your church down — turn it into a casino or something," he said. "You're a loser. Bunch of pansies. No balls. Got neutered somewhere along the line and don't even realize it."

[...] "Let me tell you if the devil doesn't want there to be mass gatherings — it's time to hold mass gatherings. If I lived in Italy I would call an open-air crusade to pray for the sick. If you have to go to jail, go to jail."'

https://www.lgbtqnat...Pm02R8M.twitter

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Italians are singing from their balconies. Some of them are professional opera singers. Italians and Spaniards are applauding health care workers from their windows.

Brooklynites are shouting down at people from their fire escapes and chanting 'flatten the curve, go home! go home! flatten the curve, go home!' over and over like they're at a protest:

https://www.facebook...60365271008512/

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 17 March 2020 - 12:19 AM

[Gorefest]

Again, Amph, I disagree. The article you quoted isnt even that much in disagreement with the actual strategy that the uk government currently chooses, they just make the title a bit more click-baity. In actual fact, most if the recommendations that this harvard doctor makes are already followed by the government. They just differ in disagreeing on the right timing for the various stages of the lockdown. You cannot close down a whole country indefinitely, people arent going to play ball. You have to prepare people and you have to time it correctly. Even moreso if what you claim would be true (i.e. no long-lasting immunity, which still has not been shown conclusively), because then a lockdown would be required until some sort of vaccine was developed (which wouldnt be effective anyway, because no long lasting immunity) which will be at least another year. It just isnt feasible. As a long term strategy, building up resilience in the population is a valid way forward. Whether it is the right way, time will tell, but it doesnt make anyone choosing that route ignorant or criminally insane or whatecer terms you want to use.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 17 March 2020 - 12:24 AM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Gorefest, on 17 March 2020 - 12:23 AM, said:

Again, Amph, I disagree. The article you quoted isnt even that much in disagreement with the actual strategy that the uk government currently chooses, they just make the title a bit more click-baity. In actual fact, most if the recommendations that this harvard doctor makes are already followed by the government. They just differ in disagreeing on the right timing for the various stages of the lockdown. You cannot close down a whole country indefinitely, people arent going to play ball. You have to prepare people and you have to time it correctly. Even moreso if what you claim would be true (i.e. no long-lasting immunity, which still has not been shown conclusively), because then a lockdown would be required until some sort of vaccine was developed (which wouldnt be effective anyway, because no long lasting immunity) which will be at least another year. It just isnt feasible. As a long term strategy, building up resilience in the population is a valid way forward. Whether it is the right way, time will tell, but it doesnt make anyone choosing that route ignorant or criminally insane or whatecer terms you want to use.

Again, the main problem is that there aren't enough ventilators or ICU beds currently. Slowing the rate of infection now will provide time to produce more ventilators.

Even the flu vaccine is generally only effective for about 6 months (even for the same strain; it isn't just that the flu keeps evolving). There are also non-vaccine medications that seem promising.

Given what we know about other coronaviruses, short-term immunity is likely, but long-term immunity is unlikely. However, a vaccine wouldn't have to last a year to be effective.

It's highly unlikely that young people getting it now would prevent them from getting it next winter, which is more than 9 months from now (much less through April or May 2021).

What the UK government had been proposing really was significantly different, with (as I posted before) 'more than 200 scientists and medical professionals pushing back against the herd immunity strategy in an open letter Saturday. These experts argued that herd immunity does not "seem a viable option" because it could overwhelm the UK's National Health Service with very sick patients. Instead, they called for strict social distancing measures of a more serious variety than the government has currently recommended.'

https://www.vox.com/...allance-johnson

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 17 March 2020 - 02:24 AM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Wow, the governor announced that all liquor stores in Pennsylvania will close on Tuesday at 9 PM, until further notice. (Liquor stores in Pennsylvania are state-run, so he can do this easily.)

Predictably this has already been resulting in massive crowds. Not clear whether the state-run liquor delivery service will still operate (don't think I've ever used it, though I have had wine and beer shipped to me).

However, some supermarkets are allowed to carry beer and wine. Not going to fight the crowds tomorrow, so I'll wait a few days and then go to the new supermarket in the university area; it should be mostly empty.

Since Tuesday is Saint Patrick's Day, the liquor stores could be a mess... since there will almost certainly be shortages, I imagine it's likely that fights will break out, if not riots. They should have extra guards, and only allow a small number of people in at once... with the guards enforcing an orderly line outside. But is that very likely?... 'Action News'....

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 17 March 2020 - 04:06 AM

[Malankazooie]

That was another thing I noticed when I was running errands over the weekend. Along with the small caravan of, what looked liked to me, people fleeing north. And the creepy, patient group of crows. I witnessed booze buying that maybe I've seen around the Christmas holiday season. I was picking up some items at a Lowes, and next to it is one of those mega type liquor stores, and whooboy, let me tell you, people were leaving with shopping carts filled with booze. I'm talking cases of beer and wine and handles of the hard stuff. There were no six pack weekend warriors among them. These were folks that were getting stocked up and ready to hunker down for some time. Probably will use it as a form of currency when society collapses.

[Chance]

Malankazooie, on 17 March 2020 - 05:26 AM, said:

Probably will use it as a form of currency when society collapses.

Or buying while they can afford it, over here tens of thousands have been laid off and more are about to be and in Sweden the containment measures have been mild so far. A few months of this and welcome to the depression era

This post has been edited by Chance: 17 March 2020 - 08:09 AM

[Maark Abbott]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 16 March 2020 - 02:00 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 16 March 2020 - 12:34 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 16 March 2020 - 09:09 AM, said:

My work have never let support staff work from home and there's a half department trial this week to see how it will work. My journey into work this morning was eerily quiet.

Work are looking for all of us to get home access, however my laptop is potato and has no space for the windows update, let alone a citrix app

Luckily I bought The Beast in January. Otherwise I would be having much the same issue! Are you still at IM?

Yeah I am up on what used to be DT's team. 3rd floor RSW,

De Pfeffel's establishment have given a huge middle finger to the hospitality industry by merely suggesting people not go to the pub - which means business that this illness interferes with can't claim on insurance for it. Keeps cash in the pockets of his friends and away from the grubbing hands of the peasants.

Music and touring is going to be massively hit too. I expect that unless the nasty party's stance changes quickly we are going to see a sudden spike in unemployment and probably riots because it was all entirely avoidable.

[Morgoth]

All parties of the Norwegian parliament have come to an agreement for a stimulus package. It's massive, and following a strange alliance of the socialists, the labour party and the right wing populist party, provides a lot of support for the working class and not just businesses. The Government will carry the cost of temporary layoffs, providing full salary for the first month, after that people will go on regular unemployment which is 60 % of your salary. However, you'll get a minimum amount so if you were a low income earner you'll probably end up with 100 % of your salary until the whole Corona thing is called off and things go back more or less to normal. This also includes freelance workers etc, which were originally kept out of the Government's suggested plan (our current government consists of the business friendly/conservative right, the liberals, and the Christian party).

In addition, the Government will provide free loans to businesses, and invest in the markets, as well as provide guarantees for companies that are especially exposed and considered important, like airlines.

There are of course many who will still suffer heavily from this, but I think what's being done is more or less the best we could possibly hope for.

[Tiste Simeon]

Ugh I wish I lived in Norway...

[Macros]

No way in hell the Tories will sanction anything like that.

Best we're likely to get is banks and big businesses getting a bailout at the top level and fuck everyone else

[Mezla PigDog]

I don't think what the UK is doing is significantly different. People seem to be listening to the same briefings and hearing different things. I heard that social distancing measures WILL happen at the right time and schools probably will close but not too soon. I expect they will keep some form of childcare available when both parents work in key areas like healthcare and policing. I think we are being proportionate for something that is a long term issue and not going away.

It will be interesting what Johnson does in terms of financial aid for individuals. He claims to be a new kind of Tory that supports working people... Here is his chance to prove it. Populist government actually needing to help the population at the most basic level where smoke and mirrors will no longer work. Interesting times indeed. Thank god I'm in stable employment but you have to wonder how anything can stay afloat for long under these circumstances.

[QuickTidal]

Morgoth, on 17 March 2020 - 08:59 AM, said:

All parties of the Norwegian parliament have come to an agreement for a stimulus package. It's massive, and following a strange alliance of the socialists, the labour party and the right wing populist party, provides a lot of support for the working class and not just businesses. The Government will carry the cost of temporary layoffs, providing full salary for the first month, after that people will go on regular unemployment which is 60 % of your salary. However, you'll get a minimum amount so if you were a low income earner you'll probably end up with 100 % of your salary until the whole Corona thing is called off and things go back more or less to normal. This also includes freelance workers etc, which were originally kept out of the Government's suggested plan (our current government consists of the business friendly/conservative right, the liberals, and the Christian party).

In addition, the Government will provide free loans to businesses, and invest in the markets, as well as provide guarantees for companies that are especially exposed and considered important, like airlines.

There are of course many who will still suffer heavily from this, but I think what's being done is more or less the best we could possibly hope for.

This has been my nearly daily reminder that I wish I lived in Norway.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Chancellor is announcing an economic rescue package later today. I don't expect it to be much like Norway's but you never know.

[Tsundoku]

On the lighter side, this bloke somehow seems to be able to keep a calm head in a crisis ...

https://www.news.com...8f3f43bad82247f

@Simmo
The Manx TT: COVID-19 edition will feature you vs Maccy and Morgoth on segways ...

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 17 March 2020 - 11:28 AM

[Traveller]

Today during the shopocalypse - eggs.

Among the hoards of old folk that have been systematically decimating the stores every day for the last week, today many of them are clutching multipacks of eggs.

Maybe so they can make their own pasta now that's all run out? Oh and bread. People with 6-8 loaves in their trollies.

Oh well if they all keep going out every day en masse and standing next to each other in queues they're not going to need it for long.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 17 March 2020 - 11:48 AM

[Tsundoku]

Surely this is bullshit and just profitering from fear-mongering.

https://www.news.com...ed377ec5ff67bfd

How could it be accurate? it would have to depend on complete, up to date and accurate reporting. Good luck with that. And people self-reporting? Bwahahahahahaha.
And even then, what real good is it? Is it like some sort of ghoulish 4square? "COVID positive just checked in at the supermarket ..."

EDIT-In the (Murdoch) news though:

Vaccine trials in the USA:

https://www.news.com...5f6ff293028e34b

Some drugs might work by mimicking the body's immune response:

https://www.news.com...0dfaebbc516cded

There was another more interesting article earlier about established drugs having success and some newer, seemingly unlikely ones but I can't find it, sorry.

Look, I'm no biochemist, so if any of this is bullshit those qualified please say so. Conversely, if it's feasible, also please say so. I just find this stuff.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 17 March 2020 - 12:42 PM

[Maark Abbott]

Mezla PigDog, on 17 March 2020 - 09:42 AM, said:

He claims to be a new kind of Tory that supports working people...

He hides in fridges to avoid difficult questions. That's the kind of Tory he is. I have zero faith that this government will look after the little people because every move they have made so far just points towards corporate rescue and mad max for the rest of us. All according to plan, as it were.

[QuickTidal]

State of emergency called for my entire province. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.

[Tiste Simeon]

Maark Abbott, on 17 March 2020 - 12:40 PM, said:

Mezla PigDog, on 17 March 2020 - 09:42 AM, said:

He claims to be a new kind of Tory that supports working people...

He hides in fridges to avoid difficult questions. That's the kind of Tory he is. I have zero faith that this government will look after the little people because every move they have made so far just points towards corporate rescue and mad max for the rest of us. All according to plan, as it were.

He didn't acknowledge the North of England existed until he got a ton of votes up there...