Corona Virus

[moonshadow]

I got news for you... if get laid off over this and lose my health coverage... should I become infected I'm NOT going to a hospital and saddle my family with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.Ill fight it as best I can and if I die... I die... That's one of those situations where I'd be worth more dead than alive

But yeah, I'll save the ventilators for those over 65... they'll be the only Americans left with health coverage after this is said and done.

As for me... I've had bad bugs before... 22 years old, uninsured, sick as a dog with a 104.9 degree fever... No insurance so doctored it myself at home... Tylenols and a cool bath... I survived.

That's how us young whipper-snappers roll... govbmit programs are only for the elite and the very young and very old.

Age 18-64? Sorry! You on ya own chump! BUT... for God's sake make sure you get those taxes paid on time! Or it's off to the clink with you!

[Big and Bashful]

Calm down Moon! It looks like you are arguing with yourself!

[moonshadow]

Calm down Moon! It looks like you are arguing with yourself!

I am calm... I'm just stating it like it is. It sucks. Our leaders suck, our system sucks, it all sucks!

And now... we will pay the price.

But will we learn? Nnnnnnnnnope!

Understand B&B... I'm one of the few U.S. wage earners still active on this site... probably the only one whose industry has flat out ground to a halt. Half of the membership here live in Canada or the U.K. with functional national health care systems not tied to their employment. Most of the U.S. membership here are either retired, or work in fields that are economically untouched from this (computer fields)

I think I should be given a little leeway on my ranting.

And yes... I too can die from this virus... its lethal to all age groups. And while I may have a slight advantage by being mid aged, considering a hypothetical unemployment and uninsured situation, I'm every bit as much as risk as the older members here.

[crfriend]

The source of America's problems I believe came down to our inability of testing. Even to this day, test are in short supply, meanwhile many other nations with high population densities have managed to bring their outbreak under control.

A very large part of the problem is that the US spent the first six or eight weeks in denial of the problem and by the time anybody got a grip on the matter it was already out of control. "I'll have this fixed by Easter!" Yeah, right.

The numbers coming out of Washington are nonsensical and don't properly convey the magnitude. For instance on the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 page for the CDC they're spouting numbers of "Pneumonia and Flu-like" mortality -- hardly what we need at the moment as the SARS-CoV-2 and the various influenza strains are completely different things. Even my home state, which was for decades at the forefront of medicine in the US, is sowing confusion in the way they're reporting things. Idiots.

One of my friends, who has strong reason to sweat this thing has been doing some independent research on this using the State numbers and indicates that the rate of infection has slowed as of today, which is very good news. I'm not sure where he's getting his data from, but if it's the same feed I'm in the process of hopefully automating, it only goes back to 2020-03-20. I've been trying to find rate-of-infection data for weeks, not the aggregated/rolled-up cumulative numbers (which convey the presumptive and real cases but omit those who have recovered successfully), and am having to resort to data-mining tactics. All of the numbers are there, they're just published in the most sensational, most frightening way imaginable, which is reprehensible. This is a classic case of "figures don't lie, but liars figure".

We really have no idea who has this and who doesn't.

Eventually, it's highly likely that most of us will contract this. It's just a matter of time. The numbers don't lie. All we can hope for is that we get a mild case of it and don't require hospitalisation.

Making matters worse is that periodic updates from the State are all on video rather than printed form. I do not have the time to watch a 45 minute press-conference to hear the Governor of Massachusetts lie to me; I'd rather read that in two or maybe three minutes.

Whatever happened to science?

[moonshadow]

A very large part of the problem is that the US spent the first six or eight weeks in denial of the problem and by the time anybody got a grip on the matter it was already out of control. "I'll have this fixed by Easter!" Yeah, right.

The numbers coming out of Washington are nonsensical and don't properly convey the magnitude. For instance on the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 page for the CDC they're spouting numbers of "Pneumonia and Flu-like" mortality -- hardly what we need at the moment as the SARS-CoV-2 and the various influenza strains are completely different things. Even my home state, which was for decades at the forefront of medicine in the US, is sowing confusion in the way they're reporting things. Idiots.

That's exactly my point. It seems as though they have no idea what's going on, and early on spent their time engaged in their usual mudslinging.... the impeachment, pandering to religious extremists, hating on eccentrics... etc.

So while this thing boiled over, now our economy has all but crashed. Unemployment numbers not seen since the great depression! (With a "D")

My employer graciously gave us provisions (full pay despite no workoads) to hopefully ride this thing out. But I'm not short sighted, they won't be able to afford to do that for long.

I'd say if we don't get back to a healthy workload by the end of May... I don't know... Hopefully I can make it... Hopefully this thing will turn a corner before then.

Then, hypothetically I may have to navigate the rest of the year... unemployed... with no health insurance...

The threat is real. So I must say, as for B&B's comment about hopefully not offending certain members who feel Trump does no wrong. I say hogwash!

If he is our leader.... LEAD! He needs to stop worrying about his ego and his reelection chances. Quit that nonsense he vomits on Twitter and UNIFY! Stop pitting the states against one another, and work the problem!

I lay this on his (Trumps) lap because he is our president. He needs to ACT LIKE IT! If he didn't want the responsibility, he shouldn't have ran. This is not a f--king reality show... this is real life!

[moonshadow]

By God when I mess up a machine at work... I have to answer for it, humble myself and ultimately WORK THE PROBLEM.

Trump is not immune just because he's Trump and pretends to be a Christian! Holding this nation together his job... it is "his machine"... it is responsibility.

If that's too much... step down and let someone more qualified handle it.

[moonshadow]

Got curious and tuned in for a few minutes of Trumps address. Wasn't too bad then here it came...

"You know uh... approval ratings are lower than they've ever been for un... fake news... blah blah blah"

Oh for Gods sake...

Then we have this...

https://youtu.be/3n7jluPopaQ

God I envy you British... such class.

[partlyscot]

One of my friends, who has strong reason to sweat this thing has been doing some independent research on this using the State numbers and indicates that the rate of infection has slowed as of today, which is very good news. I'm not sure where he's getting his data from, but if it's the same feed I'm in the process of hopefully automating, it only goes back to 2020-03-20. I've been trying to find rate-of-infection data for weeks, not the aggregated/rolled-up cumulative numbers (which convey the presumptive and real cases but omit those who have recovered successfully), and am having to resort to data-mining tactics.

Look at the Covid Tracking Project. They give current and historical data for the US as a whole, and for each state, along with confidence indicators and reasoning behind them. I still consider infection numbers to be unreliable, because not everybody is getting tested, and there are differing reasons for the testing restrictions. But a death, is a death, and today saw the first noticeable drop for the day. 1174 is pretty much the same as two days ago, and about 150 less than yesterday. Not anywhere near the end of this, and not certain either, but it's the first hint of a flattening of the curve.


The depressing thing is the numbers for areas that haven't got shelter orders, or only just implementing them. The increase in deaths will only show a change about 2-3 weeks behind that.

[kingfish]

Regarding the Massachusetts numbers...

I have no idea where the facts and the truth are. And there's enough stuff that even the tinfoil hatters are starting to say that this virus has been on our shores a lot longer than a couple of months.

That being said, I agree with you that statistics chosen were done so for their emotional impact. They are meant to frighten and get the masses of in-DUH-viduals to comply. Really, when it comes to people, I'm going to have to quote one of Agent K's lines from "Men in Black" regarding this:

People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.

. It may be a work of fiction, but that statement has a ring of truth that hits too close to home to not give serious contemplation.

I honestly think that if the reports weren't inflammatory, they would still be wandering around like nothing is wrong until we start experiencing what Italy has been going through. Now if I can get my wife to cut back the visits to walmart, grocery store, (etc) down. This going out every other day "for essentials" ain't helping!

Back to the numbers actually being presented, they are one step away from being meaningless. They are only on positive tests and based on a sub-sample that is subjectively cherry-picked with criteria that is probably changing on a weekly basis. Statistical prevarication 201 is all about messing with the sample. I stopped giving a lot of credence to it when the step response from the sudden inclusion of all the private labs happened.

From about March 18th on, I've been doing the "old school" thing and printing a hard-copy of the daily reports. Back then they wouldn't really count the ones that got "private" tests and called them "Presumptive". At least on the 25th of March, they started putting the number of "new cases" (over the past 24 hours) in their "Key Updates" box on page 1

And at least BS numbers have kind of leveled of at a rate of about 1,000 new cases a day.

[Freedomforall]

We just got back from the grocery store. I am starting to feel very anxious due to the things happening around here. First, the grocery store is only allowing so many people in at a time. You have to stand outside waiting to get in. I wonder how this will work in inclement weather. Second, police have been setting up roadblocks to stop people to verify if they are out for a legitamate reason. I know it is supposedly in the name of safety, but it feels dictorial. Anyone else experiencing this type of anxiety?

[beachlion]

And the fake news goes on and on.......

https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Those ... 06171.html

[partlyscot]

And the fake news goes on and on.......

https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Those ... 06171.html

Jeeze, that moron they interviewed who forwarded the message. One of my acquaintances sent that to me, and I'd block them.

[partlyscot]

We just got back from the grocery store. I am starting to feel very anxious due to the things happening around here. First, the grocery store is only allowing so many people in at a time. You have to stand outside waiting to get in. I wonder how this will work in inclement weather. Second, police have been setting up roadblocks to stop people to verify if they are out for a legitamate reason. I know it is supposedly in the name of safety, but it feels dictorial. Anyone else experiencing this type of anxiety?

Not yet, and while I would be surprised to experience that around here, it would take more than that to make me worried. If you are in the USA, there are much more insidious things than this happening.

[Freedomforall]

We just got back from the grocery store. I am starting to feel very anxious due to the things happening around here. First, the grocery store is only allowing so many people in at a time. You have to stand outside waiting to get in. I wonder how this will work in inclement weather. Second, police have been setting up roadblocks to stop people to verify if they are out for a legitamate reason. I know it is supposedly in the name of safety, but it feels dictorial. Anyone else experiencing this type of anxiety?

Not yet, and while I would be surprised to experience that around here, it would take more than that to make me worried. If you are in the USA, there are much more insidious things than this happening.

Can you elaborate on the things you are talking about? I may be aware of them but not sure exactly what you are referring to.

[Freedomforall]

And the fake news goes on and on.......

https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Those ... 06171.html

We are under quarantine here. Only essential workers are allowed out. The Governor issued an order that gives the police the right to arrest you if they should choose to do so.