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

  • Thread starter baldgye
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Just heard this on radio. While not surprising considering the regime we’re talking about, it’s still worthy of posting here, methinks:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...irus-could-hurt-economy-sources-idUSKBN2050JL

While I highly advise you to take a thorough read through the entire article (the article is not long, and besides there's not really a lot of 'water' in it; most of it is truly informative), here are my takeaway quoted from the article itself if you still don't have the time to read it.

Reuters
Xi warned officials that efforts to stop virus could hurt economy: sources

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping warned top officials last week that efforts to contain the new coronavirus had gone too far, threatening the country’s economy, sources told Reuters, days before Beijing rolled out measures to soften the blow.

...

After reviewing reports on the outbreak from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other economic departments, Xi told local officials during a Feb 3 meeting of the Politburo’s Standing Committee that some of the actions taken to contain the virus are harming the economy, said two people familiar with the meeting, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

He urged them to refrain from “more restrictive measures”, the two people said.

Local authorities outside Wuhan - where the virus is thought to have first taken hold - have shut down schools and factories, sealed off roads and railways, banned public events and even locked down residential compounds. Xi said some of those steps have not been practical and have sown fear among the public, they said.

...

The official Xinhua News Agency, reporting on the Politburo meeting last Monday, called the coronavirus outbreak “a major test of China’s system and capacity for governance.” It added, without details, that “party committees and governments of all levels were urged to achieve the targets of economic and social development this year.”

Since the meeting, China’s central bank has vowed to step up support for the economy and prepared policy tools to offset the damage. The NDRC said at a weekend briefing that it was urging companies and factories to resume work, especially in “key industries” such as food and pharmaceuticals.

“In the context of the epidemic and the downward pressure on the economy, it is more important to maintain economic growth,” Pan Gongsheng, vice-governor of China’s central bank, said on Friday.

...

Many in China returned to work on Monday after the Lunar New Year holiday was effectively extended for about 10 days, but morning commutes were far less crowded than usual and numerous factories remained shut.

The ruling Communist Party’s propaganda department last week ordered state media to focus on “economic recovery”, according to a person with direct knowledge of the order, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.
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Apologies if I sound like I'm trying to sway opinions by taking (or quoting) things out of context, but the above are genuinely the essential bits of info that really stood out to me.

One thing that came to my mind is that they seem to be pushing local and lower-down officials to a situation in which such officials have nowhere to go. Do anything too drastic, and you will be told off by higher-ups. Take too few measures, or only take measures which seemed 'safe' (as in keeping your job) and certain, and the region which you are in charge of will be ravaged by the virus, and you will be fired for negligence of duty. But you also have to meet the economic development goals stipulated by the central government!

The chances are slim, but I really hope that this epidemic will kickstart the general Chinese public's awakening, and that many more Chinese will put down the rose-tinted glasses they have been viewing their government with and start to do whatever is within their ability to pursue a more just society and a more transparent and accountable government, both politically and in other aspects. Especially considering the fact that their government will only treat its people's lives with disdain is ever so apparent, and they are the only ones who can make a noticeable change.
 
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The current strain of coronavirus has been officially named 'Covid-19' by the WHO.

-

Meanwhile, yet another person in my office came back from holiday/being away (this time a Spanish guy) and returned to work with a streaming cold. :rolleyes:

I wonder how my boss would react if I told him I was going to self-isolate in the hope of avoiding the inconsiderate pricks who I share a building with.
 
Touring Mars
The current strain of coronavirus has been officially named 'Covid-19' by the WHO.

-

Meanwhile, yet another person in my office came back from holiday/being away (this time a Spanish guy) and returned to work with a streaming cold. :rolleyes:

I wonder how my boss would react if I told him I was going to self-isolate in the hope of avoiding the inconsiderate pricks who I share a building with.
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"Social distancing" is a term coming into vogue. "Good luck" might be even more important.:crazy:

Question: Would you consider deliberately infecting yourself in order to take advantage of a currently unstressed health care system?
 
Dotini
Question: Would you consider deliberately infecting yourself in order to take advantage of a currently unstressed health care system?
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I hadn't given it any thought - but now you mention it...

The grim reality, however, is that the NHS is never 'unstressed' - and the now annual winter crisis hasn't reared its ugly head yet... even without a possible coronavirus outbreak, the NHS is already under severe strain, esp. when seasonal flu hits.

If there is an outbreak of coronavirus, the UK could seriously use a delay until after winter so that the outbreak doesn't coincide with an existing crisis point. An outbreak of coronavirus would be a serious enough challenge for the NHS/UK healthcare system on its own, but a winter outbreak or a coincidence with a seasonal flu outbreak could be very bad indeed.
 
The Guardian
A British prisoner suspected to have contracted coronavirus after being extradited from a Thai jail is an alleged drug dealer, it has emerged. Mark Rumble, 31, reportedly flew back to the UK on 27 January to face charges of conspiracy to supply class A drugs after his arrest by Thai police last year.

The prisoner is understood to have collapsed in his cell at HMP Bullingdon, a category B prison in Oxfordshire, and rushed to hospital. At least two prisoners at the jail, which is on lockdown, have been tested for the disease.
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Good to hear that the jail is now "on lockdown".
 
I'm pretty appalled at the fact that the man who has allegedly caused 11 or so cases of coronavirus is being named and shown on prime time news - the BBC even admitting that they had a reporter "on his street, talking to his neighbours". That is, frankly, ridiculous.

The guy has since tested negative for the virus for two days in a row, meaning that he is no longer a risk. Is it not then sufficient to just talk about the guy in the abstract without plastering his name and photo all over the mainstream media? I honestly don't understand what the media think they are achieving by doing this.
 
Dotini
Remember that the test is unreliable.
https://www.businessinsider.com/tests-for-coronavirus-us-might-not-actually-work-cdc-says-2020-1
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Err, no. That is referring to tests designed to detect suspected cases.

This person has already been confirmed as having had the virus, and has also been linked to several other cases of positive tests.

He has, however, now had two separate negative tests, which is enough to make a clinical diagnosis that he is now clear of the infection.
 
Dotini
More on testing:

https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-r...eat-coronavirus-patients-constrained-shortage
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No testing method is 100% reliable.

But, there is a (big) difference between the reliability of mass-produced screening kits and (far) more reliable lab-based techniques that are, for all intents and purposed, 100% accurate (though still susceptible to human error). This guy has been tested at least three times, testing positive once and displaying the correct symptoms (enough for a clinical diagnosis of infection), but has subsequently spent time in quarantine, lost the symptoms, and now tested negative twice in the space of 24 hours (enough for a clinical diagnosis of recovery).
 
Touring Mars
No testing method is 100% reliable.

But, there is a (big) difference between the reliability of mass-produced screening kits and (far) more reliable lab-based techniques that are, for all intents and purposed, 100% accurate (though still susceptible to human error). This guy has been tested at least three times, testing positive once and displaying the correct symptoms (enough for a clinical diagnosis of infection), but has subsequently spent time in quarantine, lost the symptoms, and now tested negative twice in the space of 24 hours (enough for a clinical diagnosis of recovery).
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How is this possible. A lot of people are dying and he gets better within, I don't know, a week?
 
kikie
How is this possible. A lot of people are dying and he gets better within, I don't know, a week?
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Did this man become critically ill with pneumonia? About 80% of victims do not. A key point to consider is that ~20% of the total infected do become seriously or critically ill with viral pneumonia, and should ideally be cared for by well trained and well equipped professionals in a hospital or clinic environment. A problem arises when this ~20% figure begins to exceed the capacity of the health care system.
 
kikie
How is this possible. A lot of people are dying and he gets better within, I don't know, a week?
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He supposedly picked up the virus while attending a conference (held between 20-22 January) but it's possible that he got it before that - so he's had the virus for at least three weeks (22-24 days) and possibly longer.

An important thing to note about new virus outbreaks is that new 'confirmed' cases are usually from a pretty non-representative cohort of people... in this case, the first 'confirmed' cases were people who presented with pneumonia. That isn't to say that Covid-19 causes pneumonia per se, but it is a respiratory virus and thus it is likely to tip susceptible people over the edge. In other words, in the early stages of an outbreak, the fatality rate can easily be over-estimated as it is not clear just how much of a person's illness is a direct result of the virus. Indeed, most fatalities thus far have been among people with pre-existing conditions and/or more vulnerable groups i.e. older people.

This guy was otherwise fit and healthy and thus clearly didn't have too much trouble with the virus - and that is a good sign, as it shows that the virus is quite likely not a severe health risk to normally healthy people. It's also quite a good sign that someone can be infected and be clear of the virus in under 4 weeks - without any specific treatment.
 
Touring Mars
An important thing to note about new virus outbreaks is that new 'confirmed' cases are usually from a pretty non-representative cohort of people... in this case, the first 'confirmed' cases were people who presented with pneumonia. That isn't to say that Covid-19 causes pneumonia per se, but it is a respiratory virus and thus it is likely to tip susceptible people over the edge.
Click to expand...

It seems like pneumonia is actually what kills like... everybody (I know not everybody). Pneumonia is like that illness that never gets credit.

Pneumonia: "Hey I killed that guy"
Us: "Naw that was old age"
Pneumonia: "What about that one, I totally got that one"
Us: "Coronavirus"
Pneumonia: "Over there?"
Us: "AIDS"
Pneumonia: "Comeon!!!!"
 
This video has been confirmed as being real, by Chinese State media. I honestly don’t know what to think???



And this doesn’t exactly seem like these cops are afraid on catching a flu from these people...no gloves? Really??

 
twitcher
This video has been confirmed as being real, by Chinese State media. I honestly don’t know what to think???
Click to expand...

Someone tell me what it is they're spraying on people (and if it has a higher mortality rate than coronavirus).
 
Danoff
Someone tell me what it is they're spraying on people (and if it has a higher mortality rate than coronavirus).
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From what I can find, it’s a low % sodium hydrochloride, at least that’s the official explanation.

Apparently they’re using drones for spraying as well




And using drones to check people’s temperature, to avoid human to human contact, which seems a little contrary to dragging people through the streets by their ankles, with no gloves on.



And chasing grandma’s out of the street.


This last video was posted by lots of people, including Lijian Zhao, who is China’s Deputy Director General, Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - a guy who’s twitter feed is none stop comedic levels of state propaganda. He posted the video of the drone chasing the Grandma as a demonstration of how innovative China is :lol:
 
Touring Mars
It's also quite a good sign that someone can be infected and be clear of the virus in under 4 weeks - without any specific treatment.
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To be more precise, per official statistics 44,653 are currently COVID-19 confirmed in China, with 8,204 (21.4%) in serious or critical condition. 1113 have died.
As the epidemic expands, it is this persistent ~20% who must be hospitalized that is going to be a problem,
 
On a lighter note, this is pretty funny



Also, I’ve seen a lot of jokes about “coughing while Asian being a great way to get a seat on the bus/subway/train these days”
 
Dennisch
Yeah, I'm buying a set of decent masks tomorrow, before **** goes down here too.
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Unless you're getting a full face respirator, the masks are not much cop at stopping you from breathing in nCoV (or getting it in your nice moist eyes, more to the point). They're pretty useful to stop people who already have it spewing it out though.
 

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