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

  • Thread starter baldgye
  • 13,265 comments
  • 622,182 views
Biggles
Ah, the lure of ice cream! Forget about alcohol or drugs - how can you resist?! :drool:

They do seem to be social distancing ... sort of. How come the ice cream store is open at all?
Click to expand...

They sell to take away and it's food, I guess. Here in Hamburg, even when most people were at home and all shops closed (now stores up to 800m2 can open), ice cream shops were getting lots of business. I mean, I went to a couple of them in 2 different parts of the city.

But then again, here in Germany and Hamburg in particular, ice cream is essential. People eat ice cream all year round everyday no matter the weather. I could post a video (if it was possible) of me going though an open shopping mall in the city center last week and show you how all shops and restaurants were closed except for the ice cream stand and the currywurst stand.
 
zzz_pt
They sell to take away and it's food, I guess. Here in Hamburg, even when most people were at home and all shops closed (now stores up to 800m2 can open), ice cream shops were getting lots of business. I mean, I went to a couple of them in 2 different parts of the city.

But then again, here in Germany and Hamburg in particular, ice cream is essential. People eat ice cream all year round everyday no matter the weather. I could post a video (if it was possible) of me going though an open shopping mall in the city center last week and show you how all shops and restaurants were closed except for the ice cream stand and the currywurst stand.
Click to expand...

"Currywurst" eh? That's a new one to me. Well, at least it's (weirdly) multi-ethnic!

I get that people like ice cream ... but how hard is it to buy a large tub of ice cream at the supermarket every couple of weeks?
 
Barra333
It was a week ago now, but heard Fauci taking about racial differences in effect of the virus (specifically black Americans) . He basically said it was likely due to the difference in baseline healthcare availability and comorbidities that certain populations are predisposed to or suffer more from leading to worse COVID outcomes rather than a specific reaction to the virus. This may be incorrect, or superseded by newer info, but it made sense to me.
Click to expand...
I read a story saying pretty much the same thing a couple of weeks ago and the explanation seemed reasonable to me also: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...ly-high-rate-post-analysis-shows/?arc404=true

A short snip from the story:
African Americans’ higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and lung disease are well-documented, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) noted that those health problems make people more vulnerable to the new respiratory disease. But there never has been a pandemic that brought the disparities so vividly into focus.

The crisis is “shining a bright light on how unacceptable” those disparities are, Fauci said at the briefing. “There is nothing we can do about it right now except to try and give” African Americans “the best possible care to avoid complications.”

“I’ve shared myself personally that I have high blood pressure,” said Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who is 45, “that I have heart disease and spent a week in the [intensive care unit] due to a heart condition, that I actually have asthma and I’m prediabetic, and so I represent that legacy of growing up poor and black in America.”
Click to expand...
 
zzz_pt
here in Germany...all shops and restaurants were closed except for the ice cream stand and the currywurst stand.
Click to expand...

Biggles
"Currywurst" eh? That's a new one to me. Well, at least it's (weirdly) multi-ethnic!
Click to expand...
If global supply chains start to break down, Germans may need to rely on their domestic production of sausage and cheese only - but that is a wurst-käse scenario...
 
Biggles
"Currywurst" eh? That's a new one to me. Well, at least it's (weirdly) multi-ethnic!

I get that people like ice cream ... but how hard is it to buy a large tub of ice cream at the supermarket every couple of weeks?
Click to expand...

But you can't buy quality ice cream like the one you see on the street. ^^

I happen to buy 1, 49€ packs of 4. They're decent.

Touring Mars
If global supply chains start to break down, Germans may need to rely on their domestic production of sausage and cheese only - but that is a wurst-käse scenario...
Click to expand...

Not bad. I could survive on that. :D

Edit. And German beer.
 
Berth holders shouldn't be travelling down from all corners of the country to spend time on their boats, but it appears the owner of the Princess 55 I'm currently working on doesn't believe the rules apply to him. He's just travelled 90 miles from London to spend a few days on board. :banghead:
 
It occurred to me last night that many elderly people who are currently 'shielding' may be in for a heavy disappointment in a few weeks' time.

Although it has been made quite clear that 70+ people will have to stay shielding beyond the end of any general lockdown, it also means that their loved ones (who will no longer be under lockdown) will be even more of a risk to them than they are now.

There is a risk that people may perceive the end of the lockdown as an opportunity to visit elderly family and friends, when in fact it is likely to be the exact opposite.... if anything, now would be a good time to catch up with elderly relatives provided you yourself have been shielding, because when the general lockdown is lifted, you probably won't be able to for some considerable length of time.

The consequences of this could be major for anyone over the age of 70, esp. those who live alone.

I already explained this to my Mum and she was quite horrified by the idea - though I did mention that the flipside of this is that shielded people can safely interact with each other (with certain caveats)...

In my Mum's case, this means that when I go back to work, I will not be able to even visit my Mum again unless I self-isolate for a few weeks prior to visiting (and indeed each/any visit). But.. it also means that my Auntie (who is also 70+ and shielding) could visit or even stay with my Mum whenever, with no more risk to my Mum than she currently has.

-

On a related note, it would be cool to hear your ideas of things that could/should happen to facilitate a safer environment after lockdown restrictions.

My ideas for shielding/vulnerable people:
  • free, exclusive buses and train carriages - buses with pre-installed hand-sanitizer and limited/spaced seating arrangements
  • exclusive access (1-2 hr period per day) to shops and public buildings
  • 70+ only nights (1-2 nights a week?) in local bars and restaurants...(I doubt my Dad's local pub would even notice any difference!)
  • priority and free home delivery for all food and medicines (one guaranteed weekly slot for all eligible households)
 
Right now I plan to send my kids back to daycare after next week. It's a decision that has been weighing on me for some time, and it continues to do so.

The daycare workers do not wear masks when interacting with the children, and the children do not wear masks at the facility. Parents aren't allowed in without masks on. Coronavirus cases in Colorado are pretty low. Yesterday we picked up 400 cases, to bring the known total to 10,000 in the state. From that we have 500 deaths. I know that we don't test people unless they're severe here, so that death rate is not too bad. Little kids don't seem to contract the disease as often (based on statistics), but I can think of reasons why those statistics would be misleading.

My alternatives to sending my kids to daycare, as best I can tell, are basically to quit my job or to hire an au pair.

Quitting my job would trash years of work, and result in a more stressed out, less happy version of myself, and probably my wife. Hiring an au pair might seem like the way to go, but I'm not entirely convinced that it would reduce our family's exposure. If we could even find one, that person is not at work around the clock for weeks on end. They realistically have to be allowed to go do their own thing. Many times they have people in the area that they want to visit. You can't just jail them in your home to avoid bringing in coronavirus.

I could try to have my kids use masks at the daycare, but they're 4 years old. Unless the whole class does it, I don't see how to pull that off.

I don't see any great options.
 
Danoff
Right now I plan to send my kids back to daycare after next week. It's a decision that has been weighing on me for some time, and it continues to do so.

The daycare workers do not wear masks when interacting with the children, and the children do not wear masks at the facility. Parents aren't allowed in without masks on. Coronavirus cases in Colorado are pretty low. Yesterday we picked up 400 cases, to bring the known total to 10,000 in the state. From that we have 500 deaths. I know that we don't test people unless they're severe here, so that death rate is not too bad. Little kids don't seem to contract the disease as often (based on statistics), but I can think of reasons why those statistics would be misleading.

My alternatives to sending my kids to daycare, as best I can tell, are basically to quit my job or to hire an au pair.

Quitting my job would trash years of work, and result in a more stressed out, less happy version of myself, and probably my wife. Hiring an au pair might seem like the way to go, but I'm not entirely convinced that it would reduce our family's exposure. If we could even find one, that person is not at work around the clock for weeks on end. They realistically have to be allowed to go do their own thing. Many times they have people in the area that they want to visit. You can't just jail them in your home to avoid bringing in coronavirus.

I could try to have my kids use masks at the daycare, but they're 4 years old. Unless the whole class does it, I don't see how to pull that off.

I don't see any great options.
Click to expand...

I've been taking my son to daycare every day, however, it's an in-home business and there are only a handful of kids going there right now. Nobody wears masks there, but they do clean the place religiously. They had one scare a couple of weeks ago when one of the kids got really sick and the health department shut daycare down for two days. Luckily, that kid ended up with Influenza A and not COVID-19 so daycare reopened after the owner went through and essentially bleached everything.

I get that it's a risk to send him to daycare, but I'm not entirely sure how I'd work with a kid at home. He wants, and rightfully deserves, my attention. It's something I can't give him when I'm trying to get things done and it's not exactly fair to him to park him in front of the TV all day to watch cartoons or give him his tablet and let him play games. At least at daycare, he's able to interact with a couple of kids his own age, get several hours of educational activities in, and play outside for a couple of hours as well. Then once the weekend rolls around, I no longer have any work on my plate and I can actually spend time with him like I should.

In all honesty, your kids will probably end up OK by going to daycare and it'll probably be good for them to return to somewhat of a normal schedule. I think any daycare that's still open is aware of what happens if one of their kids gets sick so they are taking cleaning precautions very seriously.

On a lighter note, if you do get an au pair, I think I've read enough "Dear Penthouse Forum" to know that typically ends well for the guy, especially when they're from some Nordic county :lol:
 
Sphinx
Berth holders shouldn't be travelling down from all corners of the country to spend time on their boats, but it appears the owner of the Princess 55 I'm currently working on doesn't believe the rules apply to him. He's just travelled 90 miles from London to spend a few days on board. :banghead:
Click to expand...
Send him to Davy Jones' Locker.
 
Speaking of ice cream



Whoever Pelosi’s advisors are that told her it would be a good idea to show off her $20,000 fridge full of ice cream while millions don’t know where their next meal might come from, should be fired. And if Pelosi doesn’t have advisors, she should hire some ASAP. Team Trump couldn’t have asked for an easier set up.
 
Jobs added since the great recession (2008-2009) was 22.4 million.
Unemployment numbers in 5 weeks. 26.5 million.

Can see why states want to reopen like now.

Here all schools are closed through the rest of this school year.
Anything else I have no idea.
 
What I realize is this: Covid-19 in EVERY area of the world started out with just a handful of local cases. Having the outbreak "under control" - when the spread slows down & you're back to a reduced number of cases - doesn't do ANYTHING to prevent it re-spreading again. All you're doing is getting back to a situation that's closer to where you started out. So, as far as I can see, "opening back up" is not realistic, even in areas that have limited infection rates right now.

It seems that the only viable solutions are an effective vaccine, an effective treatment or "herd-immunity". Other than that, extreme mitigation will help, which means "partial" continued social distancing measures, mask-wearing & hygiene measures & vigorous tracking & containment. These require a lot of commitment & discipline on the part of people & the government &, I suppose, loss of personal privacy if serious tracking & tracing measures are enacted.
 
As one who has been in the presence of smokers, even those not smoking at the time, I posit that people's desire to not be near them has resulted in reduced potential exposure to the virus.

It's the garlic all over again.
 
Biggles
What I realize is this: Covid-19 in EVERY area of the world started out with just a handful of local cases. Having the outbreak "under control" - when the spread slows down & you're back to a reduced number of cases - doesn't do ANYTHING to prevent it re-spreading again. All you're doing is getting back to a situation that's closer to where you started out. So, as far as I can see, "opening back up" is not realistic, even in areas that have limited infection rates right now.

It seems that the only viable solutions are an effective vaccine, an effective treatment or "herd-immunity". Other than that, extreme mitigation will help, which means "partial" continued social distancing measures, mask-wearing & hygiene measures & vigorous tracking & containment. These require a lot of commitment & discipline on the part of people & the government &, I suppose, loss of personal privacy if serious tracking & tracing measures are enacted.
Click to expand...

It's just been reported that a state-wide test of the NY population indicates that 13.9% of those tested showed the presence of the Covid-19 antibody. That figure would presumably vary widely from Manhattan to rural areas, so rural areas would have had little exposure to the virus, while residents of NYC would be much higher, although probably not anywhere near herd immunity levels yet. Even with herd immunity in certain areas, unrestricted travel to other areas would risk spreading the virus into previously lightly effected areas.
 
Biggles
It's just been reported that a state-wide test of the NY population indicates that 13.9% of those tested showed the presence of the Covid-19 antibody. That figure would presumably vary widely from Manhattan to rural areas, so rural areas would have had little exposure to the virus, while residents of NYC would be much higher, although probably not anywhere near herd immunity levels yet. Even with herd immunity in certain areas, unrestricted travel to other areas would risk spreading the virus into previously lightly effected areas.
Click to expand...
Interestingly, this data are close from ones published yesterday by Pasteur Institute regarding most and NYC-level hit regions in France.

Pasteur Institute published today an other study made around a high school, the first and one of stronger cluster of the country. They tested antibodies of people. This non representative of global population group is supposed to be the highest possibly infected group in the country.
- 661 tested
- overall, 26% have antibodies. Details:
* 41% of infected among students
* 41% of infected among teachers
* only 11% of infected among parents and siblings

- Infected with no symptoms: 17.5%.
- Smokers: 7.2%
- Non-smokers: 28%
 
I don't know what I'm going to do when the lockdown ends. It could be a death sentence for my mum as I have nowhere else to live and she has noone else to shop for her. Luckily we have separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
 
Milouse
Interestingly, this data are close from ones published yesterday by Pasteur Institute regarding most and NYC-level hit regions in France.

Pasteur Institute published today an other study made around a high school, the first and one of stronger cluster of the country. They tested antibodies of people. This non representative of global population group is supposed to be the highest possibly infected group in the country.
- 661 tested
- overall, 26% have antibodies. Details:
* 41% of infected among students
* 41% of infected among teachers
* only 11% of infected among parents and siblings

- Infected with no symptoms: 17.5%.
- Smokers: 7.2%
- Non-smokers: 28%
Click to expand...

So - you're less likely to catch Covid-19 if you're a smoker ... but more likely to die if you do?

I'm not clear about the nature of the study group - were these all kids (& teachers) in a single school (& associated parents) before any shut-down measures were taken? If so, it does raise the question (amoung others) of why the infection rate wouldn't be higher?

My daughter & her boyfriend have (mostly) been sharing the same apartment in the Hague for the last couple of months. Containment measures in the Netherlands haven't been particularly rigorous. They have had lots of contact with potential (& known) Covid-19 infected individuals in recent weeks. The boyfriend is now almost certainly suffering from Covid-19, exhibiting all the classic symptoms. Sick, although (so far) not desperately sick. My daughter (so far) is not exhibiting any symptoms.
 
Last edited:
Biggles
It's just been reported that a state-wide test of the NY population indicates that 13.9% of those tested showed the presence of the Covid-19 antibody. That figure would presumably vary widely from Manhattan to rural areas, so rural areas would have had little exposure to the virus, while residents of NYC would be much higher, although probably not anywhere near herd immunity levels yet. Even with herd immunity in certain areas, unrestricted travel to other areas would risk spreading the virus into previously lightly effected areas.
Click to expand...
If that is correct, that would mean that 1 in 10 infections have been confirmed... that would mean these studies that suggest it is more like 1 in 50 might be a tad out. Either way though, 14% is approx. a quarter of the way toward herd immunity, assuming people with anitbodies now are and/or remain immune until the pandemic is over...

UKMikey
I don't know what I'm going to do when the lockdown ends. It could be a death sentence for my mum as I have nowhere else to live and she has noone else to shop for her. Luckily we have separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
Click to expand...
I can sympathise - I am already not looking forward to having to leave my Mum's place, but at least she has my sister to shop for her.

You should be fine continuing to live with your Mum - at the end of the day, although the risk to her might be higher with you living in the same house, the cost of you leaving sounds like it would be a worse option.

It would be very difficult and different if my Mum absolutely had to isolate from me while I live at her place... we cook and eat together, and spend a fair amount of time each day chatting etc. - but, we could remain almost separate if we absolutely had to i.e. if I became ill, which by that point it would probably be too late to stop my Mum from getting ill anyway.

I think everyone has had some dark nights of the soul recently, and we've already had to have some pretty frank discussions about what the likely possibilities are. My Mum knows that her risk of catching SARS-CoV-2 is very low, but it is not zero... and it still will not be zero if/when I move back to my apartment... that being the case, the benefit of having me around is very likely to outweigh the risks.
 
The Swedish approach to the epidemic is different and I am very curious what the end result will be for them compared to other countries which have severe restrictions.
 
Biggles
I'm not clear about the nature of the study group - were these all kids (& teachers) in a single school (& associated parents) before any shut-down measures were taken? If so, it does raise the question (amoung others) of why the infection rate wouldn't be higher?
Click to expand...
Good questions. It's a single school with associated families.
One of the teacher in that same small town died in late February, the 26th. But schools there have been closed just a few days later, so it certainly drastically slowed down the students and teachers contamination.
It is now assumed that children doesn't affect much there parents, the contagiousness mostly occurs the other way.
 
Milouse
Good questions. It's a single school with associated families.
One of the teacher in that same small town died in late February, the 26th. But schools there have been closed just a few days later, so it certainly drastically slowed down the students and teachers contamination.
It is now assumed that children doesn't affect much there parents, the contagiousness mostly occurs the other way.
Click to expand...

super_gt
The Swedish approach to the epidemic is different and I am very curious what the end result will be for them compared to other countries which have severe restrictions.
Click to expand...

There just seems to be a lot that isn't clearly understood yet. The Swedes stats up to this point aren't particularly good ... but they're not that bad either. The Germans appear to have a way better record though, along with South Korea, Taiwan & a few other places.
 
queleuleu
My big brother (36 years old father and husband) is now in induced coma. Ten days ago, everything was ok. Please, be careful This is like a never ending nightmare.
Click to expand...
I just want to share some great news with you. :) My big brother is now awaken and he can even speaks! (a little bit). After weeks of induced coma and complicated times for my family, I think sharing good news could be a good thing when everthing seems so bad in the world today. :)
 
Joey D
I get that it's a risk to send him to daycare, but I'm not entirely sure how I'd work with a kid at home. He wants, and rightfully deserves, my attention.
Click to expand...

I trade time with my wife. One of us works while the other handles kids. Her job is more demanding than mine, so I cram work in at night and on the weekends to make up for what I can't do during the day. I don't try to watch kids and work at the same time, it won't happen.
 

Similar threads

Famine
  • Locked
PSN outage/restoration - latest news from PS Blog
Replies
0
Views
10K
Famine
Famine
amar212
Pre-release GT5:Prologue Thread Firmware 2.17 mandatory for GT5:P? (and Pictures)
106 107 108
Replies
3K
Views
383K
Beerz
Beerz
Sauc3
The reasons why Bush's government is corrupt
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
Solid Fro
Solid Fro

Latest Posts

Back