PlagueWatch 2020-23 - Coronavirus

[bundabergdevil]

Does anyone believe official statistics out of China?

No, certainly not, but since this has gone global and outside organizations like WHO are sending in teams of doctors to assist and monitor, I suspect the stats are better.

Sort of like conducting a democratic vote in a country with a ripe history of BS elections. Sending in a team of international election monitors helps produce better results but won't solve all your problems.

[Ggallagher]

yes, some of the videos I've seen on TV with authorities dragging (literally) people out of their apartments in China reflect policies which are not easily duplicated elsewhere...

That's so true, but the thing that has baffled me is that China has no problem managing a problem with authoritarian techniques like this - but they seem totally helpless when it comes to encouraging people to stop eating rabid bats and other weird creatures.

[budwom]

That's so true, but the thing that has baffled me is that China has no problem managing a problem with authoritarian techniques like this - but they seem totally helpless when it comes to encouraging people to stop eating rabid bats and other weird creatures.

I guess they pick their battles...seems like even control freaks can't control everything.

[OldPhiKap]

That's so true, but the thing that has baffled me is that China has no problem managing a problem with authoritarian techniques like this - but they seem totally helpless when it comes to encouraging people to stop eating rabid bats and other weird creatures.

I guess they pick their battles...seems like even control freaks can't control everything.

It may also have to do with the limits of their managed economy to distribute healthy food, and the economic limitations of rural life under such a system. China, for all of its size and might, is struggling economically for the common serf.

[Indoor66]

This thread is useless without numbers.

[PackMan97]

The late night jokes will right themselves for this one.

They may even left themselves as well!!!!

This thread is useless without numbers.

Austria is now reporting two cases.
One confirmed in Croatia

Italy is approaching 300 confirmed with 7 dead.

Iran is up to 95 confirmed cases with 15 dead and the Iranian Minster of Health has tested positive and not feeling well! One wonders with a lot of government regimes what happens if the government gets sick? This is apparently more dangerous the older you are...it could have some very serious implications.

Baharain has gone from 1 case to 17 in one day (mostly due to testing folks with travel history to Iran)

South Korea is approaching 1,000 cases at 10 dead. This puts perspective on Iran's contact tracing and number of confirmed cases, my guess is they are only catching them at the hospital.

Let me be real with y'all...if you aren't making some preparations by having a nice stash of food to ride out a quarantine in your area, you may be at the mercy of the government. Get prepared before it's too late. Panic buying helps no one, but getting ahead of the curve helps everyone (one less family in the stores when the panic sets in).

[bundabergdevil]

They may even left themselves as well!!!!

I don't know if there is a word for it but going all the way back to high school, I've had a problem with homophones. My brain just really short circuits sometimes. I really have to review/edit professional docs and emails so I don't look silly, like I did here.

[Nick]

Let me be real with y'all...if you aren't making some preparations by having a nice stash of food to ride out a quarantine in your area, you may be at the mercy of the government. Get prepared before it's too late. Panic buying helps no one, but getting ahead of the curve helps everyone (one less family in the stores when the panic sets in).

Switzerland has its first case as well.

I know some folks are really prepping for this but I guess that, despite being an alarmist about coronavirus, I'm more sanguine about stocking up. Even in Wuhan running out of food was not an issue, nor was it an issue during the Spanish Flu a century ago. I am concerned about supply chain disruptions for medicine as China apparently produces a lot of medicines as well as their ingredients... I have no idea what's going to be affected so I've stocked up on ibuprofen and my children's allergy medication. That plus the masks and nitrile gloves I bought a month ago is the extent of my prepping.

[BD80]

... I've had a problem with homophones. ...

I have a problem with intolerant people. … And the Dutch.

…

Iran is up to 95 confirmed cases with 15 dead and the Iranian Minster of Health has tested positive and not feeling well! One wonders with a lot of government regimes what happens if the government gets sick? This is apparently more dangerous the older you are...it could have some very serious implications.

...

If he had stated that Iran had it under control, this would be the epitome of irony! Or would it be the epitaph of Irany?


Iran's 16% fatality rate seems higher than other countries ...

[MChambers]

US officials are now admitting Covid-19 will be here at some point:

Health officials are warning that the spread of coronavirus in the United States appears inevitable.

The comments were made in separate briefings to lawmakers and reporters on Tuesday, marking an escalation in tone and urgency. “Ultimately we expect we will see community spread in the United States," Nancy Messonnier, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters.

“It’s not a question of if this will happen but when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...036_story.html

[Indoor66]

Trump Seeks $2.5B to Fight Coronavirus as China, S. Korea Report More Cases

https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/trump-seeks-25b-fight-coronavirus-china-s-korea-report-more

[Nick]

Iran's 16% fatality rate seems higher than other countries ...

That's because they're underreporting their cases.

[PackMan97]

That's because they're not finding all of their cases.

Fixed that for you. I don't think Iran is trying to sandbag...I think Iran is only catching the cases as they show up at the hospital with very limited contact tracing.

[JasonEvans]

I just ordered 6 of these for the family.

https://emgeneral.com/products/anti-...YaAhd7EALw_wcB

I really hope that is $130 bucks thrown away... but I fear it is not.

[Reddevil]

I just ordered 6 of these for the family.

https://emgeneral.com/products/anti-...YaAhd7EALw_wcB

I really hope that is $130 bucks thrown away... but I fear it is not.

Thanks for the link - just bought 2. Hopefully just for that first lawn mowing that stirs up all the pollen....hopefully.

[BLPOG]

Now I'm scared:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/new...cid=spartandhp

If Tom Cruise interrupts filming a Mission Impossible movie (I think this one is #37) it must be serious.

New theory: Stalone let loose the virus to prevent Cruise's franchise from catching up to Rock XXXVIII.

Rocky-XXXVIII_zps5f91145d.jpg

[BLPOG]

I just ordered 6 of these for the family.

https://emgeneral.com/products/anti-...YaAhd7EALw_wcB

I really hope that is $130 bucks thrown away... but I fear it is not.

Question for the crowd:

What is the advantage of a mask like this one over the cheaper ones that come in packs of 10 for about the same price?

Slightly better coverage? Better aesthetics? It seems likely to me that the quality of filtration is not much improved, but I'm happy to be disabused of the notion by someone with better information.

[bundabergdevil]

Question for the crowd:

What is the advantage of a mask like this one over the cheaper ones that come in packs of 10 for about the same price?

Slightly better coverage? Better aesthetics? It seems likely to me that the quality of filtration is not much improved, but I'm happy to be disabused of the notion by someone with better information.

I assumed Jason was joining an ATV and dirt bike gang or joining an avant garde rap movement.

[mph]

Question for the crowd:

What is the advantage of a mask like this one over the cheaper ones that come in packs of 10 for about the same price?

Slightly better coverage? Better aesthetics? It seems likely to me that the quality of filtration is not much improved, but I'm happy to be disabused of the notion by someone with better information.

Maybe the exhalation valves make breathing a little easier? These masks have disposable liners that are either N95 or N99 and you will still need to replace them as often as you would change a disposable mask. The liners are usually a little cheaper than the disposable masks, but not sure if that's the case with current run on this sort of gear.

[Troublemaker]

Question for the crowd:

What is the advantage of a mask like this one over the cheaper ones that come in packs of 10 for about the same price?

Slightly better coverage? Better aesthetics? It seems likely to me that the quality of filtration is not much improved, but I'm happy to be disabused of the notion by someone with better information.

No one cared who I was until I put on the mask. Now is not the time for fear. That comes later.

But now for a serious answer...

These masks are reusable by changing out the filters. The 10 a pack ones you reference are disposable, and it's probably more cost effective in the long run to reuse a mask and order replacement filters. According to the reviews on Jason's link, the site has been sending out 10 replacement filters per order. But I highly suspect they'll reduce that amount since masks and filters are gold now.