COVID-19 thread

[Ahzoh]

More like people act like the purpose of the government isn’t to maintain the economic status quo and private property relations.
But I digress.

This so called “epidemiologist” who doesn’t understand why we should flatten the curve should prolly have his degree revoked. It’s like a physicist who doesn’t understand gravity.

[Kuchigakatai]

In El Salvador no one goes to the beach anymore, to the point that turtles are coming ashore during the day to lay their eggs, entirely peacefully.

[Richard W]

It’s like a physicist who doesn’t understand gravity.

I have the distinct impression that a lot of physicists don't, though actually it's quite possible that none of them do.

[Ahzoh]

It’s like a physicist who doesn’t understand gravity.

I have the distinct impression that a lot of physicists don't, though actually it's quite possible that none of them do.

That makes no sense at all unless you're saying something along the lines of "the more I know the less I actually do" or "if you think you understand quantum physics then you don't understand it"

[Pabappa]

Gravity perhaps was a bad example, since it's superficially plain, but as it turns out, the nature of gravity is one of the most difficult unsolved problems in physics and we don't even know what the unknowns are just yet. Is there a graviton or not? Does gravity propagate at the speed of light or slightly slower? Why do pinwheel galaxies rotate with flat velocity curves? etc etc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_quantum_gravity is just one theory, and that article goes on and on and on.

But in an everyday sense, gravity is the simple macroscopic phenomenon we all rely on and most of us intuitively understand, yes.

[Moose-tache]

Update for the US and UK:

Both countries continue to fail to significantly "flatten the curve." In the US, daily new cases peaked a week ago, but daily deaths continues to grow. Generally every third day is a new daily peak in deaths, although the last peak was only 3% higher than the previous peak. So we may turn the corner in the next week, maybe. Rand Paul and Tom Hanks have recovered, which leaves us with no famous deaths besides a few retired football players and country singers.

In the UK, the daily deaths are on a two day cycle that shows no signs of slowing down, and daily new cases peaked just a couple of days ago. Boris and Idris are recovered, so again no famous deaths. I mention these because I think celebrity deaths would be the best chance at improving the public response to the virus, especially for people who aren't taking it seriously.

EDIT: And Brazil. What? A sharp drop in new cases and deaths in the last 2-3 days despite no effective response. This could be a fluke, but for their sake I hope it's a miracle.

[KathTheDragon]

The only thing I can say to you is to quote Whimemsz:

To add to that, even ignoring all the other stuff, I'm not sure why you would expect deaths to significantly decrease two or even three weeks after implementing lockdowns? The disease has an incubation period of several days and sometimes considerably more, and it's not like people who do get it and die, die immediately. They die after, usually, several weeks of being ill. Case numbers will lag the actual infection date by like two weeks (factor in the length of time it takes to present symptoms, get access to/permission to get a test, get a test, get the test result, and get the result reported; but also the case numbers will be useless because no one is doing enough tests and lots of people are asymptomatic anyway), and then deaths will lag that by an additional period of time--up to several weeks. The death numbers you're seeing now reflect infections that occurred up to a month or more ago. In another few weeks if deaths have not plateaued or begun decreasing that will be concerning, but as zomp says the number of reported CASES already seems to be, despite a big increase in testing capability, so deaths hopefully will as well.

If this is new to you, start reading. This is not new information.

[Richard W]

In the UK, the daily deaths are on a two day cycle that shows no signs of slowing down, and daily new cases peaked just a couple of days ago. Boris and Idris are recovered, so again no famous deaths. I mention these because I think celebrity deaths would be the best chance at improving the public response to the virus, especially for people who aren't taking it seriously.

Marquess of Bath, Tim Brooke-Taylor.

[MacAnDàil]

In El Salvador no one goes to the beach anymore, to the point that turtles are coming ashore during the day to lay their eggs, entirely peacefully.

That's cool, like the dolphins in Venice.

--
As for the question about Amerindians and their languages asked earlier, it is a good point. I would add that they are more heavily hit by diabetes and some respiratory diseases.

[doctor shark]

We've been in semi-lockdown here in Luxembourg for about four weeks now, and it looks like the curve's flattening and has been for about a week. I think the rumor has it that the next reviews of the current measures are due by the end of this week, but I'll believe it when I see it. The uni here has been closed until 4 May (only distance learning, but all the semester final exams will be electronic/non-face-to-face), along with other schools, so I think that's really the earliest that we'll start to see things get back to "normal"...ish.

With my plans to move, on the other hand, I'm moving to the Netherlands at the end of the month: Belgium says I'm allowed to transit, but only alone and with documentation from my new employer saying that I'm due to start work there. Ideally, my hand wouldn't be forced this way, but the situation is quite precarious for me: because I'm not employed, I'm getting no money, and I"m not eligible to draw unemployment benefits in Luxembourg because I don't have work authorization. (And even though residence permits have been extended for the duration of the "état de crise", as soon as it's over, I'm no longer in legal status, and that's a risk I'm not willing to take.)

[Linguoboy]

In El Salvador no one goes to the beach anymore, to the point that turtles are coming ashore during the day to lay their eggs, entirely peacefully.

That's cool, like the dolphins in Venice.

Except it's actually happening. So, not like dolphins in Venice.

[MacAnDàil]

In El Salvador no one goes to the beach anymore, to the point that turtles are coming ashore during the day to lay their eggs, entirely peacefully.

That's cool, like the dolphins in Venice.

Except it's actually happening. So, not like dolphins in Venice.

Oops. Thanks for correcting me.

[chris_notts]

Apparently Corona virus attacks immune cells more successfully than its close relatives. This maybe explains why many have reported a bump where people seem to start recovering mid-infection but then get much worse:

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200 ... e-HIV.aspx

Surprisingly, the team has found that when the coronavirus and the T cell came into contact with each other, the T cell became prey to the coronavirus, wherein a structure in the spike of the coronavirus triggered the attachment of a viral envelope and the cell membrane. After, the genes of the virus entered the T cell and overwhelmed it, took it hostage, and deactivated its ability to protect the body.

The team then tried to do the same with the SARS virus, and another coronavirus, but these pathogens were not able to infect T cells. The researchers suspect that the SARS virus, which caused an outbreak in 2002 to 2003, has a lack of a membrane fusion function. The virus can only infect cells that have a particular receptor protein called the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). T cells contain only a few ACE2 receptor proteins.

[Moose-tache]

From WaPo: "The Treasury Department ordered Trump’s name to be printed on $1,200 stimulus checks that are being sent to 70 million Americans, which some Internal Revenue Service officials have said could delay delivery by several days."

This is going to be a very, very dark election year.

[Pabappa]

Just wait till you see the name of the vaccine we're coming up with.

bwahahahaha

[alice]

Just wait till you see the name of the vaccine we're coming up with.

bwahahahaha

"Kevin"?

[Raphael]

In Germany, a teleconference between Merkel and the state PMs where they discuss when and how to either end or loosen the lockdown has been going on for hours now, and right now it's at the stage where they may or may not have agreed on various decisions, and there are all kinds of reports sort of flying around about what they supposedly agreed on, but none of those reports seem to have been definitely confirmed so far. It's all pretty annoying.

[Raphael]

So for now it's been decided that from Monday on, small businesses that cover less than 800 square meters will be allowed to open under certain conditions. Schools are supposed to partially re-open from May the 4th onwards (May the 4th be with us, I guess), but the ban on large events will remain in force until at least August 31st.

The director of a think-tank financed by the business community, Michael Hüther, demonstrated that the USA doesn't have a monopoly on a certain mindset, by complaining that the decisions supposedly don't go far enough and that a lot more businesses should be allowed to open a lot earlier.

[doctor shark]

For us across the border in Luxembourg, from Monday, construction sites, hardware stores, and plant nurseries will be allowed to re-open. However, wearing face coverings is now mandatory in public transport and in any situations where social distancing can't be kept. Large event ban (100+ people) is announced to last until 31 July, which notably includes the Grand Duke's Official Birthday, but (for now) excludes the annual Schueberfouer fun fair.

On a different, more venting-y note, I ordered a laptop back at the end of February, and, because I asked for a US keyboard, it naturally would've taken a bit longer. It's mid-April, and I've heard nothing about it.

[chris_notts]

For us across the border in Luxembourg, from Monday, construction sites, hardware stores, and plant nurseries will be allowed to re-open. However, wearing face coverings is now mandatory in public transport and in any situations where social distancing can't be kept. Large event ban (100+ people) is announced to last until 31 July, which notably includes the Grand Duke's Official Birthday, but (for now) excludes the annual Schueberfouer fun fair.

A number of countries seem to have plant nurseries and garden centres on their "allowed to reopen" list. And even though I love gardening, I keep thinking I must be missing something, because unless we're talking about agricultural supplies I don't see how these businesses are critical infrastructure. Farmers mostly sow seed, which by definition hasn't passed through a plant nursery.