COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

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TheGeologist
The fact that it can cause permanent lung damage is terrifying
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And that smokers are in the underlying health reasons group. I don't smoke but I wonder if the second hand smoke inhalation will be a factor.
 
TheGeologist
The fact that it can cause permanent lung damage is terrifying
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Blitz24
And that smokers are in the underlying health reasons group. I don't smoke but I wonder if the second hand smoke inhalation will be a factor.
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Bloody sawdust can cause permanent lung damage. Fiberglass roof insulation can cause permanent lung damage. The heavily polluted air of our cities can cause permanent lung damage.

Forgive my short temper but I can't help but feel this kind of panicked shuddering is exactly what's ruined my travel plans.

My great granddad had one lung after being gassed in the first world war. He lived until 1994 and smoked his entire life. Toughen up, people.

Ready to be crucified, now.
 
MatskiMonk
Pushing back against people who are going overboard, by being excessively blase about it all yourself, is equally as moronic.

That is all.
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Forgive me for being blasé about the latest in a long line of pathogen panics that amounted to very little, after having it ruin my birthday and my brother's first holiday in over a decade.

Sure, it's serious, people are dying, but people's panic is making it far more impactful than it otherwise might be.

But I did set myself up for criticism and yours is fair. I feel speaking out from a selfish place is fine as long as I admit I'm being selfish.
 
Woodybobs
How?
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Because so many people cancelled their flights that an airline went out of business?

Because people are emptying shops of toilet paper and sanitiser, much, I'm sure, to the joy of Mr. Andrex and co.?

Because people (other than the thousands at Flybe who already did) are going to lose their jobs and livelihoods?

Because people are afraid to conduct their ordinary business out of fear they will die at 35, perfectly healthy, of what essentially amounts to a nasty fever?

I hope all these preppers, if it does come down to an apocalyptic ultra pathogen situation, will enjoy the soft toilet paper while they starve to death. I will wipe my arse with leaves and eat tinned beans. If you're gonna panic, at least do it right...

(I'm a bit angry, if you can't tell.)
 
MaxAttack
Thankyou! Finally somebody gets it!

I AM aware how facetious I'm being, just to be clear. Just annoyed enough not to really care at this point. Miss me bloody cat.
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You lashing out at customers not flying due to a massive outbreak of a deadly virus, is very silly. Flybe barely survived into the new year as it was and given that no entity came to its rescue at any point, points perhaps an underlying problem with them as a business.
 
@MaxAttack It is a pain for sure, and at least you are being honest about your annoyance, which is totally understandable.

But... folks cancelling their holidays are not to blame for Flybe going under... it was already going under and an imminent global pandemic was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

The reality is, though, that both the direct impact of the virus (deaths, critical illnesses, massive strain on the NHS and other public services etc.) as well as the possible indirect impacts (travel restrictions, loss of earnings, shortages of raw materials etc.) could have a devastating impact on our day-to-day lives for some time to come... I hope it doesn't come to that, but frankly one's holiday plans may be small beer compared to what the entire world faces in the next few months unless the virus can be contained and/or delayed, and effective treatments found.

It is right not to panic, but it is also right not to dismiss out of hand the possible (even likely) outcomes that could make even a bad flu season look like a walk in the park by comparison.

By not panicking but taking reasonable precautions now, it is possible that the UK and elsewhere avoid the worst impacts.
 
MaxAttack
Because so many people cancelled their flights that an airline went out of business?

Because people are emptying shops of toilet paper and sanitiser, much, I'm sure, to the joy of Mr. Andrex and co.?

Because people (other than the thousands at Flybe who already did) are going to lose their jobs and livelihoods?

Because people are afraid to conduct their ordinary business out of fear they will die at 35, perfectly healthy, of what essentially amounts to a nasty fever?

I hope all these preppers, if it does come down to an apocalyptic ultra pathogen situation, will enjoy the soft toilet paper while they starve to death. I will wipe my arse with leaves and eat tinned beans. If you're gonna panic, at least do it right...

(I'm a bit angry, if you can't tell.)
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Flybe needed a bailout to survive and they didn't get it. They've been haemorrhaging money for a decade. At some point over the next few months some people were going to have their travel plans disrupted and other were going to lose their jobs. Cancelling travel plans is a reasonable action to take under the circumstances. No doubt many cancellations are unessential business trips. It's not panic, it's sensible - at least for a period of time until we know more about the infection.

As for the rest... who cares?
 
MaxAttack
Sure, it's serious, people are dying, but people's panic is making it far more impactful than it otherwise might be.
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Some impacts are worse than others. Dying is more serious - and permanent - than a temporary shortage of crap-wrap.

MaxAttack
Because so many people cancelled their flights that an airline went out of business?
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Budget air travel at the moment isn't sustainable. I can sympathise to a degree, since my ex lost her job thanks to the 737MAX fiasco, but the fact is airlines own race to the bottom on prices is crippling them, and for the sake of a few quid here and there to the passengers.
 
Just got out of a meeting at work. Sounds like much of the state employees will be told to work from home as soon as we get our first covid case. If you live in Michigan and need to go to DHS or SOS for any reason better get it done ASAP. Those locations will be the first closed across the state. At that time all focus will shift from normal state business to containment and treatment and all non critical employees will be required to work from home. Not sure what will happen with employees that are in positions that dont have that ability to WFH, my team isnt one in that position, but I'd guess they will be given admin leave.
 
Touring Mars
By not panicking but taking reasonable precautions now, it is possible that the UK and elsewhere avoid the worst impacts.
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I agree with precautions, but I do think we're hitting panic levels in the US. Washing your hand more frequently, avoiding non-essential travel, and not shaking hands or hugging makes perfect sense to me. But we have people here that are prepping like it's the end of the world as we know it (no word if Lenny Bruce is afraid or not). Even people I work with are buying a year's supply of food, medicine, and hygiene products. They're also stockpiling ammunition because I assume they're going to shoot the virus or something. They keep telling me I should do the same thing because civilization will grind to a halt and the government will declare martial law and of course we need to fight back. To me, that's just paranoia and I don't think anyone should be at that level of worry...at least not at this time.

I keep bringing up that currently, more people are set to get necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease, around 700 cases per year/ 58 per month) than CoV-19 in the US this year. Obviously, this could change, but right now CoV-19 is fairly rare in the states all things considered. People need to take a step back and think rationally based on what's currently going on. I know it's difficult though because you're absolutely bombarded with things like "emergency coronavirus reports" on every single news network.

Really the best thing you can do is just pay attention to where the cases are and read up on the source material from the CDC instead of relying on CNN or Fox News. Couple that with good hygiene practices and using some common sense, and you'll increase your chances of making it through it without getting sick. It'll be getting warm in the US fairly soon which could help reduce the spread of the virus in the states too. The change in weather probably won't stop the spread, but I'm guessing like many known respiratory viruses, it'll reduce the likelihood of getting it.

Rallywagon
If you live in Michigan and need to go to DHS or SOS for any reason better get it done ASAP. Those locations will be the first closed across the state.
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As if the SOS wasn't already the worst possible place to go :lol:

We're being told the same thing here too. Once we get a confirmed case that isn't from the cruise in Japan, pretty much all non-clinical staff will be working from home. Such a shame, not wearing pants and lounging in my recliner while I work, whatever shall I do?
 
Joey D
I agree with precautions, but I do think we're hitting panic levels in the US. Washing your hand more frequently, avoiding non-essential travel, and not shaking hands or hugging makes perfect sense to me. But we have people here that are prepping like it's the end of the world as we know it (no word if Lenny Bruce is afraid or not). Even people I work with are buying a year's supply of food, medicine, and hygiene products. They're also stockpiling ammunition because I assume they're going to shoot the virus or something. They keep telling me I should do the same thing because civilization will grind to a halt and the government will declare martial law and of course we need to fight back. To me, that's just paranoia and I don't think anyone should be at that level of worry...at least not at this time.

I keep bringing up that currently, more people are set to get necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease, around 700 cases per year/ 58 per month) than CoV-19 in the US this year. Obviously, this could change, but right now CoV-19 is fairly rare in the states all things considered. People need to take a step back and think rationally based on what's currently going on. I know it's difficult though because you're absolutely bombarded with things like "emergency coronavirus reports" on every single news network.

Really the best thing you can do is just pay attention to where the cases are and read up on the source material from the CDC instead of relying on CNN or Fox News. Couple that with good hygiene practices and using some common sense, and you'll increase your chances of making it through it without getting sick. It'll be getting warm in the US fairly soon which could help reduce the spread of the virus in the states too. The change in weather probably won't stop the spread, but I'm guessing like many known respiratory viruses, it'll reduce the likelihood of getting it.



As if the SOS wasn't already the worst possible place to go :lol:

We're being told the same thing here too. Once we get a confirmed case that isn't from the cruise in Japan, pretty much all non-clinical staff will be working from home. Such a shame, not wearing pants and lounging in my recliner while I work, whatever shall I do?
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Its gonna be rough for sure. Having to get up and go right to the computer desk with my cup of coffee. My wife works in the same office I do. We might make a little "vacation" of it and head up to her dad's in Atlanta, take the snowmobiles out for a drive... after business hours of course.
 
Coronavirus: UK cases rise to 163, government confirms

The latest number of confirmed cases comprises 147 cases in England, 11 in Scotland, three in Northern Ireland and two in Wales.
Of the cases in England there are:
  • 29 in London
  • 24 in the South East
  • 22 in the South West
  • 21 in the North West
  • 13 in the North East and Yorkshire
  • 12 in the Midlands
  • 11 in the East of England
  • 15 not yet confirmed
In Scotland, there are three cases in Grampian, two in Fife, two in Forth Valley and one each in Lothian, Tayside, Ayrshire & Arran and Greater Glasgow & Clyde.
 
Joey D
(no word if Lenny Bruce is afraid or not)
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Earthquakes are likely unrelated, not sure whether birds and snakes are affected and, okay, so aeroplanes seem to be involved...but Lenny died 21 years earlier, so he's probably not.
 
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Is the coronavirus problem any different than the trolley problem?

If we just let it rip and not do anything that would disrupt the economy, and 10,000 die....is that easily the moral choice over shutting down the economy by 10% in an effort save a few thousand lives?
 
Dotini
Is the coronavirus problem any different than the trolley problem?

If we just let it rip and not do anything that would disrupt the economy, and 10,000 die....is that easily the moral choice over shutting down the economy by 10% in an effort save a few thousand lives?
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Fundamentally it is not different. But there are some practical differences, such as whether or not someone knows that have it and knowingly spreads it, and the idea that people can voluntarily stop the spread.

Shutting down the economy by 10% does cost lives though.
 
Dotini
Is the coronavirus problem any different than the trolley problem?

If we just let it rip and not do anything that would disrupt the economy, and 10,000 die....is that easily the moral choice over shutting down the economy by 10% in an effort save a few thousand lives?
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It's different. There's no one person in control of the metaphorical "trolley switch". What will happen doesn't only depend on what WHO and governments do, but the decisions and actions of ordinary people en masse.

There might be a convoluted ethical argument for population control to be made, but I'm in no mood for a Stretch Armstrong impersonation.
 
Thus does politics and ideology affect what we do. How much should we trust in government? The WHO? The CDC? The media? The elites?
Should we yield up our rights, freedoms and businesses to higher authority?
 
Dotini
Thus does politics and ideology affect what we do. How much should we trust in government? The WHO? The CDC? The media? The elites?
Should we yield up our rights, freedoms and businesses to higher authority?
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Nothing has changed. Your rights and freedoms can still have consequences, just like they did before.
 

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