Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #84

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  • #261
Early on we were told we didn’t need masks and not long after nearly everyone was required to wear one in public spaces. Covid patients were returned to care homes and now we know that’s not a good idea. Some were advocating for a federal lockdown. Now we understand the consequences of lockdowns and know that it should be a last resort and used to regroup.

I like to to weigh the evidence and decide for myself what I need to do to keep safe. The information we receive about covid is constantly evolving as we learn.
Some of us that didn’t believe lockdowns were the be-all and end-all were not wrong.
I know of no one who believed the lockdowns were the be all and end all. It was part of many things meant to work in tandem to flatten the curve, which it did.

We need to continue to use every mitigation strategy in our arsenal against this thing.
 
  • #262
IMO it depends, like most everything else, on social environment (which is experienced as social pressure) - the people one hangs out with, peers, family, friends and the leadership in these immediate social circles. Or, if in a public environment, what the majority of the people in that public location are doing.

Yeah - IOW, context. Which of course, if you come from a life of privilege, it might not be so obvious.
 
  • #263
I know of no one who believed the lockdowns were the be all and end all. It was part of many things meant to work in tandem to flatten the curve, which it did.

We need to continue to use every mitigation strategy in our arsenal against this thing.
There are many people that said we needed to lockdown the entire country.
 
  • #264
So...it would be great if you could convey that to everyone else.

Some of us are tired trying. Any thoughts on why it's so hard to convince people of the obvious? (Or is it just obvious to some lucky people?)
---------

Oh, and here's a link to more about how health literacy and CoVid intertwine - it's relevant.

Your last statement needs a citation, IMO. Because the research says otherwise.

Here's a MSM article glossing the health illiteracy/CoVid issue (viruses aren't new; human responses to viruses are well studied; none of it is new).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/heal...1c8a18-d053-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html
I'm giving my opinion so no citation.

I don't expect everyone here to agree with me and there's no need to try and get me to change my mind.

Sometimes we have to agree to disagree and move on. Now is one of those times. JMO
 
  • #265
I know of no one who believed the lockdowns were the be all and end all. It was part of many things meant to work in tandem to flatten the curve, which it did.

We need to continue to use every mitigation strategy in our arsenal against this thing.

Not too hard to see why the country can't go in one good and united direction, though, is it? To suppress this virus.
When we can't even agree here what that 'direction for all' should be. Or why it is all so un-united.

IMO
 
  • #266
There's actually a ton of evidence - but I don't think I should be the only one looking it up.

And by a ton of evidence, I mean more than one epidemic, more than one healthcare crisis, and more than a couple of decades of research. I mean many decades of research, including a big blast as this pandemic started.

You could start here: Literacy and health outcomes

and if you want some recommendations that are more in depth, you can look at

ACP Journals

Both are large reviews of literature with long bibliographies. Oh, and here's one of the many articles specific to CoVid, also with a bibliography of must-read articles:

The enigma of health literacy and COVID-19 pandemic
I'm not actually the one stating it. From your last link is this quote that seems to be from a 15 year old reference.

Paasche-Orlow et al.6 have showed that 26% of people living in the United States of America had low general health literacy. In Europe, 47% of people were shown to have limited health literacy.7 About 59% of Australians suffered from inadequate level of health literacy.

Now if that % is similar in 2020 then it does not explain the high Covid cases in the US and the low ones in Australia.
 
  • #267
  • #268
Huh. I wonder if obese people are health illiterate? That's thought provoking. If I recall, diabetes is the 2nd highest comorbidity. I'm kind of taken aback by this train of thought I'm having. JMO
Has anyone been working from home during Covid? I am looking at tax deductions for working from home, seems complicated to me. Maybe they will simplify it for next year, like a "Standard home office" deduction. That includes internet, cell phone, peripherals. Not just square feet for office.

Good idea to check the IRS regulations on this now, in case there are some deductions for 2020 tax year, it would be good to start keeping a log and/or receipts. Years ago I worked out of my home office as a consultant, and I could take a percentage of phone, internet and other costs, I think it was based on square footage of space used for office. Then a few years later, I recall, the IRS offered a simplified deduction for those who didn't want to use the more comprehensive calculations.

This past week was the final deadline for the 2019 tax year for those who received an extension (October 15th was extension deadline). For the last 30 years I have volunteered to help international students and visiting scholars do their income tax, so this past two weeks was very busy helping out all the last minute procrastinators. We did it all virtually, with zoom, scanned receipts and tax forms, etc. and e-filing in most cases. Finally catching up on some much needed sleep.
 
  • #269
How is a condition like diabetes a result of health illiteracy? People from all walks of life have diabetes--including doctors, nurses, and med school professors.
It isn't. That was my point. Maybe the smoker and the drinker but not the diabetes or dementia patient or anyone else with a health condition.
 
  • #270
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/10/08/orthodox-jews-protest-covid-brooklyn/

“For three consecutive nights, hundreds of men have congregated on the streets of Brooklyn, dancing, clashing with police and burning face masks. They have also physically attacked journalists and others documenting the scenes, including one Hasidic man who ended up in the hospital early Wednesday.”

“Following a steep drop in cases this summer, some started to act against public health rules: Fliers have instructed families not to get their children tested, according to the New York Times, warning that doing so could bring the positivity rate up and risk a shutdown of in-person celebrations for the High Holidays.

Kornbluh added that city health officials had failed to properly encourage — or enforce — public health guidelines in the area, with only five Yiddish-speaking contact tracers working for the state and little presence in Orthodox neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and suburbs farther upstate.”
 
  • #271
Not who you asked, but YES the "deductible" is in addition to the monthly premiums.

In my case, I have to pay out $6,750 before insurance pays much of anything. I have already paid over $8,000 this year JUST IN PREMIUMS. All my expensive insurance has paid is the cost of two Covid-19 tests and a small amount on an ultrasound (about $235 total). And guess what? In January, the deductible goes back to zero and the $6,750 starts all over again.

It's highway robbery, IMO. For many of us, it's hard to afford to go to the doctor and pay your premium in the same month.

Oh wow, I am truly shocked by these numbers!
 
  • #272
Are you talking about specific events like the rallies? If so, many of those venues were outside and did not have mask mandates I believe. You would have to be specific. But posters making general statements about Covid victims and literacy have no evidence tying those together and so it is ridiculous IMO.
We’ve heard recently that more caution is needed out of doors.
Being outside is "much less of a risk, but it is a risk, if you are congregating in a way where, for prolonged periods of time, you’re really close together,”
Fauci: How to avoid COVID-19 when outside
 
  • #273
Has anyone been working from home during Covid? I am looking at tax deductions for working from home, seems complicated to me. Maybe they will simplify it for next year, like a "Standard home office" deduction. That includes internet, cell phone, peripherals. Not just square feet for office.
I throw all my work related receipts in a box.
Put a copy of a monthly cell phone bill and internet bill. UPS receipts where I had to mail or copy items. Mileage from UPS to my house. Or any other place related to work.
I give to our tax person because I would probably screw it up.
 
  • #274
My home office window looks out to a school bus stop on our street, a school bus that picks up elementary school children in our neighborhood, I'd say most under 10 years of age. They are socially distanced on the buses, with only half of the seats filled (kids go to school on alternating schedules to social distance on buses), and the children have to wear masks. So they are all lined up just before the bus gets there, with their masks on, back packs loaded up, and now with jackets as it is getting colder, especially early in the morning. The parents however, don't wear masks. The parents are mostly in their thirties, a few who may be in their early forties. None of them wear masks, and most of them know each other from their walks in the neighborhood each day over the summer months, walking their dogs, mowing their lawns, etc.

These are not people who are illiterate, they are mostly professionals, accountants, engineers, managers, medical doctors, professors, nurses, city managers, etc. They aren't defiant, when they go into a grocery store that requires a mask, they wear one, but when they aren't required to wear a mask, they don't. They understand my choice, however, and accept it, as I accept their choice. We have different risk assessments, based on age and health.
 
  • #275
I throw all my work related receipts in a box.
Put a copy of a monthly cell phone bill and internet bill. UPS receipts where I had to mail or copy items. Mileage from UPS to my house. Or any other place related to work.
I give to our tax person because I would probably screw it up.

I think you can also deduct from utility bills (electricity, gas, etc.) and perhaps property tax, home insurance, etc. based on certain percentage as related to square footage of office space. It's been a long time, so I will have to check on this. I am sure we will get some new guidance from the IRS for 2020 tax year, as this will be an issue for many of us who will have been working remotely for most of the year.
 
  • #276
Has anyone been working from home during Covid? I am looking at tax deductions for working from home, seems complicated to me. Maybe they will simplify it for next year, like a "Standard home office" deduction. That includes internet, cell phone, peripherals. Not just square feet for office.

Just checked at the IRS website. Turns out that if you are a W-2 employee, you are not eligible for tax deductions for working from home, even if you work at home full-time. That went into effect in 2016. Only self-employed can now take this deduction.
 
  • #277
Has anyone been working from home during Covid? I am looking at tax deductions for working from home, seems complicated to me. Maybe they will simplify it for next year, like a "Standard home office" deduction. That includes internet, cell phone, peripherals. Not just square feet for office.

That’s what they did here in Australia, our financial year end is July 30 each year, and so they introduced a temporary shortcut method for working from home expenses. Basically tick the box. You can choose to use this or the usual methods, whichever works best for you.
 
  • #278
I wish I could say I was the exception, but I am not. Is it a wonder people take the risk of going without insurance at all? They can't afford it!

In fact, my husband's cousin in Memphis, TN couldn't afford insurance after a divorce. She put off going to the doctor, time and time again, knowing something was wrong, but ended up dying from a colon issue that could have been treated if she had not been so worried about how to pay the medical bills. She was in her 40s with three children (who were still covered under her ex-husband's insurance).

ETA: Sorry for venturing off-topic, but I'm sure there are people not being treated for Covid because they're worried about the medical bills.

Oh that poor woman, I’m so sorry. And her kids! This is heartbreaking. I really hope there is reform soon.
 
  • #279
Just checked at the IRS website. Turns out that if you are a W-2 employee, you are not eligible for tax deductions for working from home, even if you work at home full-time. That went into effect in 2016. Only self-employed can now take this deduction.

Huh. I wonder if that will change? I have pretty much been "forced" to work at home. Ironically, "tele-work" used to be a "perk" given to the "chosen few". Then, Covid. And all of the sudden, everyone could work at home. And the employer expected the employee to have high speed internet, phone, dedicated home office...no background noise during meetings. It has been interesting.
 
  • #280
Huh. I wonder if that will change? I have pretty much been "forced" to work at home. Ironically, "tele-work" used to be a "perk" given to the "chosen few". Then, Covid. And all of the sudden, everyone could work at home. And the employer expected the employee to have high speed internet, phone, dedicated home office...no background noise during meetings. It has been interesting.

I wonder the same thing. So maybe keep receipts/records, etc. in case this changes by the time of 2020 tax filing, you never know, maybe there will be an exception given that so many of us are working remotely, some by choice, some not by choice.
 
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