All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (3 Viewers)

[Maxp]

I fear we are really going to be in a bad place due to the obvious cuts to the federal agencies that deal with infectious disease, but also the negative effect the Affordable Care act has had on non urban hospitals. Our front line defenses are ineffectual and our ability to treat the populous is probably at an all time low. Factor in the cost of healthcare and I can see our system crashing. What do you think about the politics of this virus?

 

[Humperdoo]

It's something most of us with a desk job are deficient in. I had insanely low levels and felt like crap this last winter in Minneapolis. I was rocking 3ng/ml. I got put on 10k IU daily for a month to get it back up. It made an immediate difference in how I felt. I've dialed that back to 4k daily, and my levels are staying normal now. I would suggest everyone go get your vitamin D levels tested if you haven't already.

Yes I was told many of us are low and it leads to many diseases having the chance to take hold. I’m glad you’re better now.

 

[Humperdoo]

The "let me go out as I please" crowd is ignorant. Somehow they think that they can't hurt anyone by going out. They don't understand how infectious diseases work. They don't understand that we've controlled many other pandemics by quarantining people. They don't understand that while there are places that are more open and have controlled the spread, those areas are more prepared than our nation. Even places that have very few cases can blow up if everyone does as they please. They don't understand that staying at home doesn't mean staying inside. You can go outside and do things, but you're supposed to stay away from crowds as much as possible, and when you do have to be in crowds, then you should take precautions for the good of the country. Those people either don't understand these things, or they are selfish and callous about the lives that could be lost due to their selfishness.

I feel the exact same way...in one way it's disappointing that there are so many of them, in another way I feel it is good that they have been exposed for what they are....

I mean is it that hard to distance and wear a mask when around a bunch of others?....compare that simple/basic "sacrifice" to the folks working at the grocery, mail/delivery, and finally medical personnel who are sacrificing more than most will ever realize (or sadly, even care about)....

No matter my feelings about this virus, I agree that anyone who is out should at least for the sake of others, adhere to the mask and distancing rules to the best of their ability.

 

[Humperdoo]

Just wow dude!

I sure am glad you both recovered from that not China virus the coronavirus!

I also am glad you ain't scared!

If your wife and you both have recovered I am sure you must still be for masks and distancing? Right?



So really what freedoms have been taken from you?

The most important thing Wisconsin did was drink in groups without distancing and masks the second it was lifted.

Is that the freedom you miss? Or the movie theater? That won't be cost-effective to open up social distancing? The restaurant that will won't pay the bills with distancing? The restaurant suppliers that won't pay bills supplying twenty five percent of the produce or fish?

What has really been taken from you please explain.

Or you just want a free for all like the Wisconsin bars?

Please help me understand how it’s now bad to say the Virus originated in China? Is it just because Trump said that?
And I’m asking an honest question, so maybe my post won’t be deleted. Just an honest Q.

 

[Optimus Prime]

McDonnell forced to backtrack
===========================

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said his claim that the Obama administration left no plan for a national pandemic was “wrong” and there was in fact a playbook in place for the Trump administration.

“I was wrong,” McConnell said during a Fox News interview.

“They did leave behind a plan. So I clearly made a mistake in that regard,” the majority leader continued. “As to whether or not the plan was followed and who is the critic and all the rest, I don’t have any observation about that because I don’t know enough about the details of that to comment on it in any detail.”

Earlier this week, McConnell criticized the Obama administration for leaving no “game plan” for a health emergency on this scale.

“They claim pandemics only happen once every hundred years but what if that’s no longer true? We want to be early, ready for the next one, because clearly the Obama administration did not leave to this administration any kind of game plan for something like this,” the Kentucky Republican said during an online Trump campaign event where he was interviewed by Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law...……………..

McConnell Says He Was ‘Wrong’ to Claim That Obama Administration Left No Pandemic Plan

www.msn.com

 

[Humperdoo]

McDonnell forced to backtrack
===========================

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said his claim that the Obama administration left no plan for a national pandemic was “wrong” and there was in fact a playbook in place for the Trump administration.

“I was wrong,” McConnell said during a Fox News interview.

“They did leave behind a plan. So I clearly made a mistake in that regard,” the majority leader continued. “As to whether or not the plan was followed and who is the critic and all the rest, I don’t have any observation about that because I don’t know enough about the details of that to comment on it in any detail.”

Earlier this week, McConnell criticized the Obama administration for leaving no “game plan” for a health emergency on this scale.

“They claim pandemics only happen once every hundred years but what if that’s no longer true? We want to be early, ready for the next one, because clearly the Obama administration did not leave to this administration any kind of game plan for something like this,” the Kentucky Republican said during an online Trump campaign event where he was interviewed by Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law...……………..

McConnell Says He Was ‘Wrong’ to Claim That Obama Administration Left No Pandemic Plan

www.msn.com

It will come as a shock to many here as I’m labeled right and a Republican, but I cannot stand Mitch. At all.

 

[stevo3]

For all of those who are clamoring to re-open everything up and letting the chips fall where they may, what is the plan if a second (stronger) wave of coronvirus comes around in the fall (along with the flu) and we have huge infection and hospitalization numbers that overrun our hospital system?

Will we have widespread lock-downs again? Do those people that get sick just have to deal with it and die at higher numbers than they would have otherwise in order to keep the economy open? What happens to our economy if people don't feel safe going out and consuming (given that we're a consumer economy)? Do we just ignore it all and push our way through while creating and alternate reality in our heads in order to deal with all the death and economic turmoil?

Do you just think that's a scenerio that can not happen because this is all a conspiricy?

What second wave? Australia is in their winter months right now, they have re-opened and there has been no noticeable increase in cases.

Coronavirus Australia data update: Covid-19 active and new cases, numbers, map and statistics

We bring together all the latest on new and active Covid-19 cases, as well as maps, stats, data and graphs from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, ACT and NT to get a broad picture of the Australian outbreak and track the impact of government response.

www.theguardian.com

We don't even know that there will be a second wave. What happened to just "flattening the curve?"

Why do the goalposts keep moving on when we can re-open the country?

 

[stevo3]

Just wow dude!

I sure am glad you both recovered from that not China virus the coronavirus!

I also am glad you ain't scared!

If your wife and you both have recovered I am sure you must still be for masks and distancing? Right?



So really what freedoms have been taken from you?

The most important thing Wisconsin did was drink in groups without distancing and masks the second it was lifted.

Is that the freedom you miss? Or the movie theater? That won't be cost-effective to open up social distancing? The restaurant that will won't pay the bills with distancing? The restaurant suppliers that won't pay bills supplying twenty five percent of the produce or fish?

What has really been taken from you please explain.

Or you just want a free for all like the Wisconsin bars?

Freedom of Assembly.

Freedom to exercise religion.

Those are actual rights that are being violated.

If you want to talk more generally, how about governor's banning the sale of typical house-hold items. Preventing legitimate, legal businesses to open. Revoking licenses from business owners who fail to comply. Making it a criminal act to travel to a second home or camp. Setting up hotlines and sites for people to snitch on their neighbors or those who are violating "Social Distancing" policies.

Making "Social Distancing" policies with criminal repercussions. I mean are you serious???

It's no conspiracy. It's fact. Everyday the goalposts get moved a little more, keeping the shut-down going a little longer. And now people who are protesting because they just want to go back to work are being decried as somehow horrible human beings. Because they want to go back to work!?!?

And you and many others are ok with this. Promote it even. Have I woken up in bizarro world?

 

[stevo3]

The "let me go out as I please" crowd is ignorant. Somehow they think that they can't hurt anyone by going out. They don't understand how infectious diseases work. They don't understand that we've controlled many other pandemics by quarantining people. They don't understand that while there are places that are more open and have controlled the spread, those areas are more prepared than our nation. Even places that have very few cases can blow up if everyone does as they please. They don't understand that staying at home doesn't mean staying inside. You can go outside and do things, but you're supposed to stay away from crowds as much as possible, and when you do have to be in crowds, then you should take precautions for the good of the country. Those people either don't understand these things, or they are selfish and callous about the lives that could be lost due to their selfishness.

You're right me and my ICU nurse wife are ignorant and have no idea how infectious diseases work.

Again. If you are afraid of getting the virus or being in public, stay home. If you are in one of the more at-risk categories, stay home. Just don't tell me that I have to. Every day you deal with the risk of contracting something or getting injured or whatever. Let those willing to take the risks, do so. This is America after all.

Nobody was "more prepared." Except maybe China since they hid the fact that it was humanly transmittable while they hoarded PPE.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Please help me understand how it’s now bad to say the Virus originated in China? Is it just because Trump said that?
And I’m asking an honest question, so maybe my post won’t be deleted. Just an honest Q.

In 2015, the WHO issued guidelines about how to name a virus b/c of some of the unintended consequences that came from MERS (Middle East Respitory Syndrome). They advise not naming a virus after the region it came from b/c there are always idiots that blame people from that region for the virus.

Fast forward to today. We have a technical name for the virus (SARS-COV-2) and the disease it causes (COVID-19). It is a pretty simple and accurate description of the virus. Wuhan flu or Chinese virus, is not very specific, nor is it accurate. It is not a flu. Further, it is verifiable that some idiots use this nomenclature to abuse Asian Americans. So, given that it is not very onerous to call this COVID-19, and it is more accurate to call it COVID-19 and that calling it Wuhan flu will raise harrassment of Asian Americans (even if that is not your intent)... it seems petty to stick to calling it that.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

You're right me and my ICU nurse wife are ignorant and have no idea how infectious diseases work.

Again. If you are afraid of getting the virus or being in public, stay home. If you are in one of the more at-risk categories, stay home. Just don't tell me that I have to. Every day you deal with the risk of contracting something or getting injured or whatever. Let those willing to take the risks, do so. This is America after all.

Nobody was "more prepared." Except maybe China since they hid the fact that it was humanly transmittable while they hoarded PPE.

Except about 30% of the population is at risk, it's pretty much impossible to isolate just them, and your actions has consequences on other people.

If you want to get back to work quicker, push for more testing, as well as antibody testing -- if you and your wife have already had it, it's highly likely you can't get it again and won't transmit it to other people so you should be able to get out without restrictions.

 

[Humperdoo]

In 2015, the WHO issued guidelines about how to name a virus b/c of some of the unintended consequences that came from MERS (Middle East Respitory Syndrome). They advise not naming a virus after the region it came from b/c there are always idiots that blame people from that region for the virus.

Fast forward to today. We have a technical name for the virus (SARS-COV-2) and the disease it causes (COVID-19). It is a pretty simple and accurate description of the virus. Wuhan flu or Chinese virus, is not very specific, nor is it accurate. It is not a flu. Further, it is verifiable that some idiots use this nomenclature to abuse Asian Americans. So, given that it is not very onerous to call this COVID-19, and it is more accurate to call it COVID-19 and that calling it Wuhan flu will raise harrassment of Asian Americans (even if that is not your intent)... it seems petty to stick to calling it that.

Sad that some would do that. But I get it.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Sad that some would do that. But I get it.

It's just human nature, some people are terrible or ignorant. It isn't very widespread, but it seems just calling it by it's more accurate technical name is simple and low cost way of minimizing it.

 

[Humperdoo]

It's just human nature, some people are terrible or ignorant. It isn't very widespread, but it seems just calling it by it's more accurate technical name is simple and low cost way of minimizing it.

Agreed.

 

[RobF]

What second wave? Australia is in their winter months right now, they have re-opened and there has been no noticeable increase in cases.

Australia's daily cases have been in the double digits for over a month. They have a few hundred active cases. This is not comparable to considering re-opening with thousands of daily cases and hundreds of thousands of active ones.

That said, it's also not accurate to say Australia has 're-opened' with the implication that the effects of doing so are known. No. They've started to ease the restrictions, allowing some non-essential businesses and beaches to open for example. But in New South Wales, for example, they've only just (as of today) allowed public gatherings of 10 people, food and drink premises can open, but only subject to social distancing and headcount caps (maximum of ten people). Similarly weddings are limited to ten guests, religious gatherings to 10 worshippers. Plenty of places (indoor recreation facilities, indoor swimming pools, cinemas, theatres...) are still closed. They are nowhere near 'open' yet, and the effects of that level of easing restrictions are not yet known (obviously, since they only did it today).

We don't even know that there will be a second wave. What happened to just "flattening the curve?"

Why do the goalposts keep moving on when we can re-open the country?

You get that if there's a second wave, then the curve isn't flattened? Right? That is literally the same goalpost it's always been.

 

[Lapaz]

You're right me and my ICU nurse wife are ignorant and have no idea how infectious diseases work.

Again. If you are afraid of getting the virus or being in public, stay home. If you are in one of the more at-risk categories, stay home. Just don't tell me that I have to. Every day you deal with the risk of contracting something or getting injured or whatever. Let those willing to take the risks, do so. This is America after all.

Nobody was "more prepared." Except maybe China since they hid the fact that it was humanly transmittable while they hoarded PPE.

If your wife is a nurse, then you should know better, and there are other categories other than ignorant. The other one is selfish. With that said, if you've had the virus, you're probably not going to infect anyone, so you should be fine to go about your business. The problem is that the vast majority of people shouldn't. To say we should just let whoever is "willing to take the risk, do so", without qualification, is an ignorant statement, because most people will cause the virus to spread uncontrolled. We need to prepare properly to open with acceptable risk. Once we have widespread and accurate antibody tests, and widespread tests for asymptomatic people, and means to contact trace, then we can re-open without significant risk of spreading the virus.

 

[Humperdoo]

Joe Rogan ponders move to Texas over California coronavirus restrictions: ‘I might jet’

Podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan said he’s considering moving to Texas if California continues to be so restrictive with coronavirus pandemic-related shirt downs and stay-at-home orders.

www.foxnews.com

It must be bad if he’s contemplating a move to that state.
I much prefer California, granted we were always in La Jolla and Mission Beach.

 

[stevo3]

If your wife is a nurse, then you should know better, and there are other categories other than ignorant. The other one is selfish. With that said, if you've had the virus, you're probably not going to infect anyone, so you should be fine to go about your business. The problem is that the vast majority of people shouldn't. To say we should just let whoever is "willing to take the risk, do so", without qualification, is an ignorant statement, because most people will cause the virus to spread uncontrolled. We need to prepare properly to open with acceptable risk. Once we have widespread and accurate antibody tests, and widespread tests for asymptomatic people, and means to contact trace, then we can re-open without significant risk of spreading the virus.

That is literally the opposite of the facts. The vast majority of people can get this virus and be fine. With nothing but a few days of downtime and and maybe a week of recovery, at worst. Only a very small percentage of people should actually stay in their home, or remain out of crowded spaces, etc.

And can you actually prove that shutting down the country was effective? What data can you point to that actually proves the nation as a whole would have been worse off if we never shut down? You can't because there is none. Actually, the more data that comes in, the more it shows that it wasn't actually that effective and that far more people had it than initially beleived, they just didn't know what it was or were asymptomatic.

 

[Dragon]

That is literally the opposite of the facts. The vast majority of people can get this virus and be fine. With nothing but a few days of downtime and and maybe a week of recovery, at worst. Only a very small percentage of people should actually stay in their home, or remain out of crowded spaces, etc.

And can you actually prove that shutting down the country was effective? What data can you point to that actually proves the nation as a whole would have been worse off if we never shut down? You can't because there is none. Actually, the more data that comes in, the more it shows that it wasn't actually that effective and that far more people had it than initially beleived, they just didn't know what it was or were asymptomatic.

Except you can't predict who is vulnerable and who is not

Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying of strokes

The patient’s chart appeared unremarkable at first glance. He took no medications and had no history of chronic conditions. He had been feeling fine, hanging out at home during the lockdown like the rest of the country, when suddenly, he had trouble talking and moving the right side of his body. Imaging showed a large blockage on the left side of his head.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/24/strokes-coronavirus-young-patients/