Coronavirus COVID-19 *Global Health Pandemic* #20

[Lilibet]

Some people think it's disgusting to eat pigs. Even though I'm not vegetarian I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between eating a bat and eating a pig or a chicken other than culture and the history of that culture. Maybe if we'd had a massive famine in the fairly recent past we'd be a bit more flexible in what animals we eat.

For a lot of people in the UK, they don't eat deer. But a lot of people in the US consider it totally normal to go out shooting and bring a deer home to put in the freezer.

OT—Agreed. And what people choose to eat does not make them uncivilized or “less than” anyone else. I include dogs and cats in that at the risk of upsetting some. I love both, but they aren’t inherently more lovable and special than someones “comfort aardvark...or pig or monkey or...” In our culture they are, but to those who eat them they aren’t. And that doesn’t make them bad people IMO...just different.
30 Craziest Emotional Support Animals People Really Have | Best Life
(The #49 dog photo is not recognizable IMO...but just a warning)
The 50 WEIRDEST foods from around the world

We’ve never been hunters, although we have friends who are. In fact, yesterday my hairdresser was rattling off all the wild game she has in her four freezers...deer, elk, 2 bears, turkey and I’m probably forgetting something. That’s a whole different “culture” to me, but if food is scarce I’m going to see if I can wangle an invitation to her house.

 

[Lilibet]

But we have to start somewhere. Otherwise we should never test for anything that could later be acquired.

What’s important- critical- right now at this stage the US is in, is identifying as many cases that we possibly can as quickly as we can so that those positive-testing people can go into quarantine. We need to blunt the spread.


MOO.

It’s Dr Fauci’s opinion too. (See quote I posted upthread)

 

[Lilibet]

With all due respect, this pandemic is NOT the flu virus. Italy has a total population of 60 million people. The U.S. has a population of 327 million.


This isn't a yearly flu outbreak. It is a much more serious outbreak for which there is no vaccine. President Trump has never made an annual address about an annual flu outbreak with no known flu vaccine that I am aware.

JMO

I think you and amonet are in agreement. She is not saying that COVID-19 is a yearly flu outbreak. And she said the same thing about President Trump’s address. Her questions were rhetorical.
JMO

 

[beatrixpotter]

is still happening
my FB is full of people still criticizing those of us who tried to prepare

I'm guessing they are just blaming others for their own lack of preparedness. Pettiness and jealousy in a way. I don't feel the least bit guilty for paying attention to the world around me and making precautions for my family.

 

[lucidtx]

Gov. Polis warns at-risk people to avoid high country during coronavirus outbreak

A disproportionate number of cases in CO have been in our ski country. Eagle, Summit and Pitkin county all have cases, and Pitkin is considered a hotspot with at least 9 people testing presumptive positive. Health care facilities are limited in these areas, and the high altitude can seriously exacerbate any respiratory disease.

 

[Lilibet]

OREGON

Governor Kate Brown today announced urgent new rules to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. The following measures are based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Oregon public health experts, epidemiologists, and health professionals.

Governor Brown will address the strategies at a press conference at 9 a.m. Thursday in Portland, including:
1. Large gatherings: All large gatherings over 250 people will be canceled statewide effective immediately for four weeks. A gathering is defined as any event in a space in which appropriate social distancing of a minimum of three feet cannot be maintained.

2. Schools: In addition to previous guidance issued on March 8, 2020 to keep schools open, all non-essential school-associated gatherings and group activities should be canceled — such as group parent meetings, field trips, and competitions.

3. Workplace: Recommended implementation of distancing measures including an increased physical space between employees in offices and worksites, limited in-person meetings, limited travel, and staggered work schedules where possible.

4. Long-Term Care and Assisted Living: Strict limitations announced this week by the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services remain in place.
<snip>

The Oregon Health Authority announced new steps to expand access to COVID-19 testing. State epidemiologists have updated COVID-19 testing guidelines to emphasize that outpatient clinicians can order a test for the virus from a commercial laboratory, at their discretion, without OHA authorization. In addition, the procedure for collecting a COVID-19 sample is no longer classified as a high-risk, airborne testing process, requiring N95 masks.

Kate Brown announces new rules to slow the spread of COVID-19

Under the recommendations, health care providers will only be required to wear a regular mask, gown, gloves, and eye protections, making the procedure for safely collecting samples simpler to administer for health care workers and easier to obtain for patients. Finally, state health officials announced that they have agreements with five hospital systems to conduct COVID-19 testing.

Oregon Governor cancels all large gatherings of 250 people across state

 

[pocketaccent]

NBA cancelled. NHL to make decision soon. Spring training NOT cancelled. Baseball season a go? March Madness, only participants, no fans. NCAA wrestling championships no fans.

All players use locker rooms. All fans sit close. Cripes. Sports venues can’t even agree. How can we, as a country, figure out how to contain this virus!

BBM

IMO,
-Test as many people as possible.
-Identify infected individuals as quickly as possible.
-Isolate or hospitalize them from general public so that they don't infect others. Sadly some will have died already so they no longer infect others.

 

[Lilibet]

ASHLAND, OREGON—OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

The 250 maximum rule is going to be a “big hit” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and not in a good way. All three theatres hold well over 250. So that means ticket sales, which are already underway, and plays that have opened will have to reduce attendance to 250/show. This will add to losses from wildfire smoke impacting ticket sales and performances during the last few summers. Employees will be let go...again. Businesses in the downtown area will continue to suffer. But the show must go on and it will, as it always has, since 1935.

https://www.osfashland.org/

 

[Amonet]

BBM. Link, please. Thanks.

Diabetes.

This list has the USA in #43. Some of the countries with lower incidence on the list include Nigeria, Iran, Thailand, Italy, and China.

Countries ranked by Diabetes prevalence (% of population ages 20 to 79)

Hypertension deaths, the USA is actually low on this list. Italy is higher on the list, and China above that. I admit to being surprised by that.

HYPERTENSION DEATH RATE BY COUNTRY

Cancer prevalence by country. USA #5. Italy #24

Global cancer data by country

Obesity. USA 36%; Mexico 28.9%; Tunisia 26.9%; Iran 25.8%; Djibouti 13.5%; Pakistan 8.6%; Mozambique 7.2%;

I haven't seen this stated as a comorbidity, so hopefully these figures won't have as much effect.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/most-obese-countries/

Smoking. China #15; Luxembourg #2; South Korea #32; Italy #41; France #63; USA #69; North Korea #70; Sierra Leone #105; Angola #125; Haiti #166

Smoking could possible be an issue if that paper was correct about smokers having more of the Ace2 things that the virus likes so much?

List of countries by cigarette consumption per capita - Wikipedia

I apologise for being incorrect about hypertension. Apparently Developed countries used to have higher stats for that, but while they have improved over the past 40 years, developing countries rates of hypertension seem to have gone up.

I had no idea what those figures were going to be. I had 'assumed' which was very bad of me. After looking at them though, it says to me that there's not a clear hierarchy of countries with those that are high on healthcare also being low on potential comorbidities and vice versa, but in a lot of ways it looks like more of a mixed bag. Some of the less developed nations have lower smoking stats, so maybe that will help them have a little bit fewer critical cases? Or that might not be noticeable as the ones they do have can't all be treated because of a lack of ventilators. And I guess keeping overall cases down and having a better healthcare system with plenty of access to well-stocked hospitals might make the biggest differences.

 

[Amonet]

<modsnip>


I think, as with many things, the more people you ask, the more different answers you'll get, and you won't get everyone agreeing.

And as Lilibet said, yes I was agreeing with you earlier that this seems a lot more serious than the flu....the numbers are relatively small right now, but I am very concerned they're only going to get bigger over time and that real people are going to suffer in various ways due to it

 

[Amonet]

All passengers at Uganda's Entebbe International Airport will soon be sprayed with a disinfectant upon entry.

It comes as the Uganda government introduced a mandatory self-quarantine policy for travellers arriving from 16 "high risk countries", including the UK and US.

The country currently has no cases of coronavirus.

Coronavirus updates: Your questions answered - BBC News

 

[otto]

What if all of us who are afraid of the virus started thinking that we are strong, and we will survive this no matter what. It looks like a thing that will have a second wave, and based on 1918, the second wave was worse.

How do people survive this pandemic? What's the best course of action and what is the best mental outlook?

Is there a way to navigate this pandemic? Is it total isolation for 18 months?

Dystopian view ... again.

 

[otto]

I'm not trying to answer for Otto's post which is his own opinion.

On the subject of some people talking about a hoax element to this though, one of the members here has said he/she thinks something like that about it, and that it's not really more serious than the seasonal flu (for one reason because the Covid-19 numbers both in the US and globally are so much lower than seasonal flu figures).

I think, as with many things, the more people you ask, the more different answers you'll get, and you won't get everyone agreeing.

And as Lilibet said, yes I was agreeing with you earlier that this seems a lot more serious than the flu....the numbers are relatively small right now, but I am very concerned they're only going to get bigger over time and that real people are going to suffer in various ways due to it

It's splitting hair to say that "Hoax" was not mentioned in connection with the coronavirus. I hope that world leaders do not continue to be infected with the virus.

 

[badgersmythe]

Boris Johnson to chair COBRA meeting to 'delay' coronavirus outbreak


Boris Johnson to chair a COBRA meeting today to 'delay' mass coronavirus outbreak | Daily Mail Online

 

[badgersmythe]

Anarchy as Europeans scramble to get into US amid wait for ban details


Anarchy as Europeans scramble to get into US amid wait for details of ban that starts Friday | Daily Mail Online

 

[badgersmythe]

Coronavirus information: How to stay safe Coronavirus information: How to stay safe

Worth posting again for anyone who missed it.

 

[badgersmythe]

I just want to thank everyone for this thread. It’s great having so much information in one place and I’ve learned so much from your advice.

I’m well stocked up following the lists posted on the early threads and I was able to fully stock up before the shortages occurred in the U.K.

I have crohns and am a carer for a man with cerebral palsy who already has severe lung damage. I’m grateful for the advice on here in the beginning that enabled us to prepare as well as we possibly could have.

 

[jjenny]

When we are talking about death rate, it would appear death rate with treatment is one thing, death rate without treatment is another. Italy is so overwhelmed, a lot of people aren't getting treatment. Death rate there is higher than in China. There is no doubt medical system in US would get overwhelmed if a lot of people got sick at ones and need hospitalization. US has a lot of old people, a lot of obese people, a lot of people with high blood pressure, and not a lot of hospitals capable of handling many infectious people at once. So our death rate will no doubt be higher if a lot of people were to get sick all at once.

 

[jjenny]

Anarchy as Europeans scramble to get into US amid wait for ban details


Anarchy as Europeans scramble to get into US amid wait for details of ban that starts Friday | Daily Mail Online

I have no idea why it would make sense to ban Europe but not UK? UK has hundreds of cases. So how does it make sense?

 

[margarita25]

I have 3 weeks of food in the house, and I stocked up in 3 different trips, trying to appear inconspicuous, no toilet paper hoarding.