The COVID thread


Emmanuel Goldstein
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A scary reality in the Philippines.

It is scary how fast people can be made to submit to authoritarian rule through fear.  This is a lot more draconian than at any time during the Marcos era and politicians are peacocking infront of cameras on who can be the most draconian of all of them.

I get that this is a pandemic.  I'm simply watching in awe at the pattern set for the next Marcos.

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Guest Scott
19 hours ago, anatess2 said:

A scary reality in the Philippines.

True.

Anyway, this is a completely different question, but I do wonder how countries such as the Phillipines would deal with social distancing?

It seems nearly impossible to do so in those countries.   Most people use public transportation and it is very crowded.  Public places tend to be crowded as well.    It would seem impossible to practice social distancing while riding Jeepneys.

Of course many countries are the in the same boat.   Even in Mexico City, the subway is extremely crowded.   Everyone is packed extremely tight.   In most of Central America and the Andean countries and almost all of Africa buses are packed extremely tight.   In India, the trains and buses are extremely packed and crowded.

What are people going to do in these countries?

Alex Sweet Charity: November 2012

Most Crowded Train in the World- Bangladesh Railway - YouTube

Edited by Scott
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15 minutes ago, Scott said:

True.

Anyway, this is a completely different question, but I do wonder how countries such as the Phillipines would deal with social distancing?

It seems nearly impossible to do so in those countries.   Most people use public transportation and it is very crowded.  Public places tend to be crowded as well.    It would seem impossible to practice social distancing while riding Jeepneys.

Of course many countries are the in the same boat.   Even in Mexico City, the subway is extremely crowded.   Everyone is packed extremely tight.   In most of Central America and the Andean countries and almost all of Africa buses are packed extremely tight.   In India, the trains and buses are extremely packed and crowded.

What are people going to do in these countries?

Alex Sweet Charity: November 2012

Most Crowded Train in the World- Bangladesh Railway - YouTube

 

You get to choose whether you wanna die of covid or any of the other deadly diseases floating around the unvaccinated country or you wanna die of hunger or get killed by sex traffickers and the like.  You know you've got a sector of the population who have become "1st World Mindset" (thank you, Internet) because they adopt 1st World Solutions in a 3rd World setting.  "Social Distancing" is a 1st World Solution.  That works in the big cities and tourist areas in the Philippines where people won't die if they don't leave their houses.  That doesn't work as well outside of those settings.

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Guest Scott
14 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

  You know you've got a sector of the population who have become "1st World Mindset" (thank you, Internet) because they adopt 1st World Solutions in a 3rd World setting.  "Social Distancing" is a 1st World Solution.  That works in the big cities and tourist areas in the Philippines where people won't die if they don't leave their houses.  That doesn't work as well outside of those settings.

Check out what is happening in India: :(

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52086274?at_custom2=facebook_page&at_campaign=64&at_custom1=[post+type]&at_custom4=F3E7D8CE-7241-11EA-B025-90EAFCA12A29&at_medium=custom7&at_custom3=BBC+News&fbclid=IwAR2yY5Dd3ziMkhCUG341QjWboBD5N1WvTNFEeDczPU31B0f4KGNTsxKiuEw

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21 minutes ago, Scott said:

Same in the Philippines.

The difference is - the Philippines is an archipelago.  Each habited island is controlled by a provincial governor and a local government.  If the provincial government was wise enough to understand there's a balance to be struck between viral infection spread and hunger, the local government wouldn't.  It is very easy for government to lockdown an island - just close down the piers.  My own village (subdivision - run by something akin to an HOA) issued a lockdown and closed the gate!  The security officer became the most powerful guy on the village that controls who can go in and who can go out.  His assessment and his assessment alone grants you entrance or exit out of the village.  You know what happens when you are given a lot of power...

So, we have the same thing with people working in the big cities that are now having to go home... but the islands are on lockdown.  So a boatload of young people who works at the next island docked at the pier of their home island.  The governor gave them access to the pier.  THE PEOPLE of the island went on social media lambasting the governor and every person on the boat - doxxing all of them - telling them they're killers!  There's not even a single person on the boat that tested positive or even reported as sick.  These are the towns own sons and daughters on this boat.

Here's another one.  A senator tested positive of covid.  He is quarantined in his house with his pregnant wife.  The wife ended up having to go to the hospital for a c-section, so the senator drove his wife to the hospital.  The social media backlash - including a statement by the hospital - was so bad.  They were accusing the senator of trying to kill frontliners and other hospital patients... 

So then, government officials all the way down to the barangay captain are getting praised or lambasted depending on whether they can get money from the government to hand out relief goods.  Lots of praise for this son of a movie star who is the mayor of this one town because he was the first to hand out food packages.  Filipinos praising draconian measures to be under the control of government and so happy that the government handed them food... hello.. Venezuela.... Then there are other politicians handing out food packages with their names and smiling faces printed on the package - using taxfunded relief goods as a campaign poster.

I'm very disgusted with  my own country.  Social media is generally a good thing.  But Social media is also cancer.

 

 

Edited by anatess2
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Did anyone here have a family member return from their mission early because of this besides Antaness? Just curious if they were tested for corona before the sent them home. We had five in our family (all from central/south America) who have now made it home-two more still out. None of them received a test so they have no idea if they were exposed or carrying the virus. Was curious if any of the other missionaries anyone knows of were tested.

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5 minutes ago, mrmarket said:

Did anyone here have a family member return from their mission early because of this besides Antaness? Just curious if they were tested for corona before the sent them home. We had five in our family (all from central/south America) who have now made it home-two more still out. None of them received a test so they have no idea if they were exposed or carrying the virus. Was curious if any of the other missionaries anyone knows of were tested.

I have a nephew who came home.  He did not get a test (I don't think there are enough to go around).  He and his family are in self-quarantine for two weeks.

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2 minutes ago, mrmarket said:

Did anyone here have a family member return from their mission early because of this besides Antaness? Just curious if they were tested for corona before the sent them home. We had five in our family (all from central/south America) who have now made it home-two more still out. None of them received a test so they have no idea if they were exposed or carrying the virus. Was curious if any of the other missionaries anyone knows of were tested.

My son did not come home.  But the missionaries that came home from the Philippines did not get tested.  They were simply sent straight home for 14-day quarantine.  They only get tested if they show covid symptoms. 

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The 2 week self isolation is imposed to avoid needing to test.

My son lost his grandfather last week (my ex husbands father). He had a positive test for Covid 19. His whole extended family had a party the weekend before (despite the government restrictions in place).  All of them are now in isolation for 14 days.  That is at least 8 households. None of them will be tested unless hospitalised.

My son did not go to the party and caught a LOT of flack from the extended family initially.  We can't underestimate the effect of going to family party feel a bit under the weather (and now thinking it was the virus) is having on my sons cousin.  Today his grandmother developed a cough and feels warm to the touch.  She is also in her 70s and has underlying health issues.

He may be 27 but he is still my son and not being able to travel to console him or just give him a hug is difficult. But not as difficult as it is for the staff in hospitals which were already stretched to capacity. Final year students on my course have already been drafted in to support...and its only just beginning here.

Edited by KScience
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49 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

Back in January the Church donated 220,000 masks to a children’s hospital in Wuhan.

One wonders whether it has any more stockpiled somewhere.

I know that the Catholic Church and the LDS Church in the Philippines are working hand-in-hand to help frontliners (medical staff) with whatever they need in the hospitals.  I googled on any news item about it but this is the only thing I can find that touches on the topic and it doesn't go into detail with the kind of stuff they are helping provide.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/latter-day-saint-charities-responds-to-coronavirus-with-commodities-and-financial-assistance-worldwide?lang=eng

Edited by anatess2
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24 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

I know that the Catholic Church and the LDS Church in the Philippines are working hand-in-hand to help frontliners (medical staff) with whatever they need in the hospitals.  I googled on any news item about it but this is the only thing I can find that touches on the topic and it doesn't go into detail with the kind of stuff they are helping provide.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/latter-day-saint-charities-responds-to-coronavirus-with-commodities-and-financial-assistance-worldwide?lang=eng

Indeed.

What sparked my question was seeing an article today alleging that Utah hospitals only have about 22K masks left, and anticipate needing 2-3 million.

Here’s hoping some karma kicks in soon.

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On 3/25/2020 at 5:47 PM, NeuroTypical said:

My handy little graph I started, said this today:

image.png.98857670c39b0044f18f640adf7b1c7c.png

Exponentially rising stuff is sobering.  Here's today's Colorado chart (with my county added on as the red line)

image.png.20db099b60364053a5b2d724b50ce10a.png

For the data-driven among us, the death line is frustrating.  Because it's a lagging indicator.  When our distancing and staying at home and stuff starts working, it will take 2 weeks before that success is reflected in the death line.     The 'new cases' data is also frustrating, because it's only as good as our testing is, and not everyone who should have a test is getting one.  (A worldwide issue right now I think.)   

Today's presidential briefing was sobering.  The numbers for the USA were in the ballpark of 1-2 million dead if we did nothing, and maybe 100k if all our distancing and staying home works.   A bad flu season is 65K dead.    Hearing numbers like that makes all the damage we're doing to the economy understandable.   

Stay safe everyone!  Stay at home - it really is important.

Edited by NeuroTypical
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9 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

Exponentially rising stuff is sobering.  Here's today's Colorado chart (with my county added on as the red line)

image.png.20db099b60364053a5b2d724b50ce10a.png

For the data-driven among us, the death line is frustrating.  Because it's a lagging indicator.  When our distancing and staying at home and stuff starts working, it will take 2 weeks before that success is reflected in the death line.     The 'new cases' data is also frustrating, because it's only as good as our testing is, and not everyone who should have a test is getting one.  (A worldwide issue right now I think.)   

Today's presidential briefing was sobering.  The numbers for the USA were in the ballpark of 1-2 million dead if we did nothing, and maybe 100k if all our distancing and staying home works.   A bad flu season is 65K dead.    Hearing numbers like that makes all the damage we're doing to the economy understandable.   

Stay safe everyone!  Stay at home - it really is important.

FYI.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/make-log-scale-excel-29180.html

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39 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

Exponentially rising stuff is sobering.  Here's today's Colorado chart (with my county added on as the red line)

image.png.20db099b60364053a5b2d724b50ce10a.png

For the data-driven among us, the death line is frustrating.  Because it's a lagging indicator.  When our distancing and staying at home and stuff starts working, it will take 2 weeks before that success is reflected in the death line.     The 'new cases' data is also frustrating, because it's only as good as our testing is, and not everyone who should have a test is getting one.  (A worldwide issue right now I think.)   

Today's presidential briefing was sobering.  The numbers for the USA were in the ballpark of 1-2 million dead if we did nothing, and maybe 100k if all our distancing and staying home works.   A bad flu season is 65K dead.    Hearing numbers like that makes all the damage we're doing to the economy understandable.   

Stay safe everyone!  Stay at home - it really is important.

I’m not so sure about the bolded part.  My concern is that we’re doing more damage than good. How much longer can the economy last with everything shutdown? And now that state and local governments have seen just how far they can control the masses without any real backlash, they will start doing this more often for just about any reason in the name of “public health.”

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9 hours ago, anatess2 said:

My son did not come home.  But the missionaries that came home from the Philippines did not get tested.  They were simply sent straight home for 14-day quarantine.  They only get tested if they show covid symptoms. 

I haven't kept up with this whole thread. I didn't know your son stayed in the Phillipines. What was the big to-do about with the airport scene then? I thought you said your whole familiy was going to pick him up.

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Just now, carlimac said:

I haven't kept up with this whole thread. I didn't know your son stayed in the Phillipines. What was the big to-do about with the airport scene then? I thought you said your whole familiy was going to pick him up.

We had it all planned.  Was supposed to pick him up at the airport but he called a few hours before he was supposed to land that the area 70 over the Philippine mission gave him a choice to stay in the Philippines or go to Florida for a reassignment.  He stayed, so he got bussed to the Manila MTC while everyone else got bussed to the airport.  He's halfway through his 14-day quarantine but it doesn't look like he's gonna be going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

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On 3/26/2020 at 3:08 AM, Scott said:


Why is the death rate in Italy, Spain, and France so high, while in Germany, Swizerland, Austria, Australia, and Brazil it is very low?  The differences in death rates aren't just a little different, but very different.

I think the only rationale explanation is the natural strength and superiority of Australians. But I have no explanation for the figures in those other countries. ;)

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On 3/29/2020 at 8:39 PM, askandanswer said:

Last Tuesday the government ordered that appointments with hair dressers and barbers cannot be for more than 30 minutes. Less than 48 hours later, they scrapped that limit but asked the cutters and clippers to continue with social distancing practices.

I don't think I want my hair cut by someone who's standing at least six feet away from me.

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