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

  • Thread starter baldgye
  • 13,285 comments
  • 646,751 views
Is there any point or necessity for testing when a person has no symptoms? I do not think so. My personal physician has advised against unnecessary testing on the grounds that the tests themselves are still unreliable.
 
Dotini
Is there any point or necessity for testing when a person has no symptoms? I do not think so. My personal physician has advised against unnecessary testing on the grounds that the tests themselves are still unreliable.
Click to expand...

Equally anecdotally I had dinner with two GPs the night before last (socially distanced, takeaway at opposite ends of a large garden table) who seemingly disagree with your physician. They believe that the more testing you do the more presymptomatic cases you discover and isolate. Pre-symptomatic cases don't seem to be the most contagious but they can still spread the virus - waiting for symptoms isn't the best approach if you have the capacity (big if) to test more widely.

First sit-outside-with-a-curry-and-a-beer I'd had in months. Bloody brilliant.
 
Dotini
Is there any point or necessity for testing when a person has no symptoms? I do not think so. My personal physician has advised against unnecessary testing on the grounds that the tests themselves are still unreliable.
Click to expand...

Yes, upwards of 45% of people who have the virus are asymptomatic.

As for the test's reliability, the truth is we don't know how accurate or inaccurate they are. They haven't been used long enough to know and have already undergone a few generational changes since Feb/Mar. They're probably close to the accuracy of an influenza screening, which is somewhere in the 80-85% accuracy range. The accuracy of the test will also be dependant on the viral load, so if you caught COVID-19 yesterday and got tested today, you might show as negative, but if you test again in three days you'll be positive.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
One question that's been burning in my mind is how long is this going to play out in a broader sense. We'll never be really over this until everyone is over it.

Lets take just California for instance. Knock on wood, we've had a decent response and the spread of Covid has been fairly limited considering the size of the state. Let's game this out. Say we stay locked in until new cases go down to zero. Great, we beat Covid-19! Awesome. But what if another state still has a raging outbreak? Can we realistically shut the state borders to prevent another recurrence? It doesn't seem feasible. On a global scale, how long is it going to take for a country like South Korea, which has largely overcome the virus, to feel comfortable enough to let Americans in? It could be years based on how badly the US has fumbled! I could see pockets of Covid lingering in the 'States basically indefinitely. Will Americans, in particular, be subject to mandatory quarantines when traveling abroad for the foreseeable future?

I guess the answer to all of this is extremely rigorous testing infrastructure and active field teams that can quickly tamp down outbreaks without locking down huge swaths of people.

Man. This sucks.
Click to expand...

Well, it looks like I was somewhat right about the consequences of American's complete inability to combat this virus.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut impose 14-day quarantine on travelers from coronavirus hotspot states
E.U. may block travelers from America as U.S. struggles to contain coronavirus

Unfortunately, our early success in California is currently unwinding. Oh well, I guess we'll just scream into the ether until our state collapses.

I propose an Epitaph for the USA:

"BUT I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A MASK!"
 
Eunos_Cosmo
Well, it looks like I was somewhat right about the consequences of American's complete inability to combat this virus.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut impose 14-day quarantine on travelers from coronavirus hotspot states
E.U. may block travelers from America as U.S. struggles to contain coronavirus

Unfortunately, our early success in California is currently unwinding. Oh well, I guess we'll just scream into the ether until our state collapses.

I propose an Epitaph for the USA:

"BUT I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A MASK!"
Click to expand...
To be fair, Florida started the tit for tat in quarantining visitors from NY. If there is such a disconnect between the federal government and the states in terms of how to combat this, then you will constantly see hotspots break out.

I'm even ignoring the imbeciles who see no need to ever wear a mask. Leadership seems to embolden their stupidity.
 
Blitz24
To be fair, Florida started the tit for tat in quarantining visitors from NY. If there is such a disconnect between the federal government and the states in terms of how to combat this, then you will constantly see hotspots break out.

I'm even ignoring the imbeciles who see no need to ever wear a mask. Leadership seems to embolden their stupidity.
Click to expand...

I think this is my broader point. There is no centralized authority on the matter. That would be fine if we were actually a collection of nation states and could close borders, but we are emphatically not that. It's a national, interstate issue with very minimal national guidance. Until there is centralized authority, we'll be fighting this virus indefinitely.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
I think this is my broader point. There is no centralized authority on the matter. That would be fine if we were actually a collection of nation states and could close borders, but we are emphatically not that. It's a national, interstate issue with very minimal national guidance. Until there is centralized authority, we'll be fighting this virus indefinitely.
Click to expand...
The centralized plan of less testing to keep the numbers down doesn't seem to be effective. Maybe they should try a different approach.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
I think this is my broader point. There is no centralized authority on the matter. That would be fine if we were actually a collection of nation states and could close borders, but we are emphatically not that. It's a national, interstate issue with very minimal national guidance. Until there is centralized authority, we'll be fighting this virus indefinitely.
Click to expand...

They got this one slightly wrong in the movie Contagion. In that movie states were more responsible and quarantined themselves, so there were tons of people trying to flee before the borders shut. Reality seems a little nicer in this case, but I could see a coalition of northern states growing to block people from southern states. When the northern states decide to fight the southern states, things haven't typically gone well in this country.
 
Danoff
I got interested, so I went looking for a website that keeps track of which vaccines are where in the process. Wasn't disappointed.
Click to expand...
You could've done worse than looking on this thread as @Touring Mars posted this URL a couple of pages back and has added it to the first post of the thread.

Touring Mars
Here's an interesting resource from the NY Times, tracking the development of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
Click to expand...
 
Romanian TV being savage.

awBXDAy_460s.jpg


Bit of info: High ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic wasn't taking Corona seriously and decided that he should organise a couple of tennis tournaments in Serbia and Croatia, and really weird, people got infected, including Djokovic himself.
 
Dennisch
Better be fast, as Amsterdam wants less of those. Fewer tourists, especially those coming to Amsterdam to do what Amsterdam is famous for. Fewer ladies of the night, coffeeshops are slowly banned from the centre, they want a city centre for people from Amsterdam, or a dead centre.
Click to expand...
From what I understand, they've been talking about that for yeeeeeears.

I can understand why though. My whole 6 months over there, I did not want to spend a second in Amsterdam. Part of that is me not really liking super built up areas, but it's also inherently skechy. I know it has some nice bits, but every bit of Amsterdam one sees off the train looks like a horrifying dystopian hellscape. I found Utrecht markedly more pleasant.
 
Dennisch
Romanian TV being savage.

awBXDAy_460s.jpg


Bit of info: High ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic wasn't taking Corona seriously and decided that he should organise a couple of tennis tournaments in Serbia and Croatia, and really weird, people got infected, including Djokovic himself.
Click to expand...

Play stupid games win coronavirus.
 
A man in the UK who was seriously ill with COVID-19-like symptoms has tested negative for antibodies... and this is apparently not unusual.

The idea that antibody tests could be used to accurately determine the true spread of the virus hinges upon the assumption that all infections cause people to raise antibodies, which seemingly is not the case.

The good news is that existing studies that have estimated the spread of the virus by looking at positive antibody tests could well be underestimating the true spread of the virus, and it could also suggest that protection against the virus doesn't require antibodies.
 
Touring Mars
A man in the UK who was seriously ill with COVID-19-like symptoms has tested negative for antibodies... and this is apparently not unusual.

The idea that antibody tests could be used to accurately determine the true spread of the virus hinges upon the assumption that all infections cause people to raise antibodies, which seemingly is not the case.

The good news is that existing studies that have estimated the spread of the virus by looking at positive antibody tests could well be underestimating the true spread of the virus, and it could also suggest that protection against the virus doesn't require antibodies.
Click to expand...

Could also suggest that when a vaccine is available we'll all be getting vaccinated every 3 weeks? I think I read somewhere that having had other strains of coronavirus may confer some reduced severity for COVID-19. So perhaps even if you're not immune, a vaccine would greatly improve the outcome.
 
Danoff
Could also suggest that when a vaccine is available we'll all be getting vaccinated every 3 weeks? I think I read somewhere that having had other strains of coronavirus may confer some reduced severity for COVID-19. So perhaps even if you're not immune, a vaccine would greatly improve the outcome.
Click to expand...
So this would be like a yearly flu shot, but we'd need it 13 times a year? That sounds disconcerting.
 
I don't know how much more proof people need when the largest medical complex in the world has to issue a statement saying their ICU is being stretched and they may have to "make difficult choices of delaying much-needed non-Covid care to accommodate a greater number of Covid patients".
zei915du02751.jpg


Edit* Apparently non-emergency surgeries are now being denied unless day-in, day-out until further notice.
 
Last edited:
McLaren
I don't know how much more proof people need when the largest medical complex in the world has to issue a statement saying their ICU is being stretched and they may have to "make difficult choices of delaying much-needed non-Covid care to accommodate a greater number of Covid patients".
zei915du02751.jpg


Edit* Apparently non-emergency surgeries are now being denied unless day-in, day-out until further notice.
Click to expand...

I'm seeing reports today that they've run out of ICU beds. They're converting regular beds and sending adults to children's hospitals.

Realistically speaking, it's too late to be asking the public to help. Of course Houston (and Texas in general) needs to get on this now, but even if big changes are made today, there's a lag time on the effect. Texas is in for some pain in the short term. While I personally know a handful of Texans that think COVID is a joke, I also have friends there that are taking it very seriously. It's not a good position that state is in.
 
McLaren
I don't know how much more proof people need when the largest medical complex in the world has to issue a statement saying their ICU is being stretched and they may have to "make difficult choices of delaying much-needed non-Covid care to accommodate a greater number of Covid patients".
Click to expand...

I think many people keep forgetting that more than just COVID patients need the ICU. Glad to see a major health system addressing that in a point-blank way, although it'll probably fall on deaf ears since that seems to be the way the country is headed. We're having a similar issue here too, our ICUs are full or almost full with about 65% of those occupied beds being COVID patients. We have some wiggle room with temp units, but that's not sustainable if the trend continues.

I'm not sure how it is in Texas, but here in Utah, more people refuse to wear a mask than actually wear one. The most common reason is that it's their right not to wear one and that the government is trampling on their freedoms. I used to explain to them by not wearing a mask you're infringing on the rights of others because if you give them the virus and they die, then you're responsible for taking their life. I was called a commie for that one, so I just quit trying to make people understand and will instead just be flat out rude to them. It's not beneath me to use physical means to provide distance between me and a non-mask wearer either, it's self-defense at this point.

Our state won't mandate masks either because it's an election year and our Lieutenant governor is running a hotly contested primary. He's also the head of our COVID committee that hasn't met in over a month. Basically our governor doesn't want to mandate masks and screw up his homeboy's chances of securing the nomination. Our county mayor is set to go around that though and mandate masks in Salt Lake County. That's going to go over like a lead balloon.
 
Joey D
I think many people keep forgetting that more than just COVID patients need the ICU. Glad to see a major health system addressing that in a point-blank way, although it'll probably fall on deaf ears since that seems to be the way the country is headed. We're having a similar issue here too, our ICUs are full or almost full with about 65% of those occupied beds being COVID patients. We have some wiggle room with temp units, but that's not sustainable if the trend continues.

I'm not sure how it is in Texas, but here in Utah, more people refuse to wear a mask than actually wear one. The most common reason is that it's their right not to wear one and that the government is trampling on their freedoms. I used to explain to them by not wearing a mask you're infringing on the rights of others because if you give them the virus and they die, then you're responsible for taking their life. I was called a commie for that one, so I just quit trying to make people understand and will instead just be flat out rude to them. It's not beneath me to use physical means to provide distance between me and a non-mask wearer either, it's self-defense at this point.

Our state won't mandate masks either because it's an election year and our Lieutenant governor is running a hotly contested primary. He's also the head of our COVID committee that hasn't met in over a month. Basically our governor doesn't want to mandate masks and screw up his homeboy's chances of securing the nomination. Our county mayor is set to go around that though and mandate masks in Salt Lake County. That's going to go over like a lead balloon.
Click to expand...
It's really no different here; the grocery stores still have plenty of mask wearers, but the trouble is coming from the restaurant/bar/nightlife scene.

I don't think our Gov. is willing to do anything more than just say, "if, if, if" & not actually do anything until it's far too late. He's cancelled elective surgeries in 4 counties & paused re-opening even though we're at 75% capacity for most businesses & 50% for others. Since it's all dictated by building codes than seating, a 75% capacity building can be easily filled.

In my assumption, being that Texas is a red state & it's been mainly hard-stance conservatives/Republicans against mask-wearing, Abbott doesn't want to issue any mandates that piss off those people any more than they already are. Perhaps in a way, keeping his voter base happy even though I think he's got a couple more years til' elections come up. But again, that's my political assumption. What he has done with supporting evidence is recently blame our county Judge for the reason he can't issue a state-wide mandate b/c the judge "rounded people up and threw them in jail", essentially place blame on the Dallas judge. Abbott's selective memory forgets only 1 woman went to jail in Dallas, and it was b/c she was in contempt of court for repeatedly breaking the court's order, not because of masks. Abbott's own, original order, even authorized fines & jail time.

Danoff
I'm seeing reports today that they've run out of ICU beds. They're converting regular beds and sending adults to children's hospitals.

Realistically speaking, it's too late to be asking the public to help. Of course Houston (and Texas in general) needs to get on this now, but even if big changes are made today, there's a lag time on the effect. Texas is in for some pain in the short term. While I personally know a handful of Texans that think COVID is a joke, I also have friends there that are taking it very seriously. It's not a good position that state is in.
Click to expand...
From one graph I saw, TMC is at 1,298 ICU beds used & the general limit is 1,330, with a surge limit of 2,207. Of course, Anything past 1,500 is marked as warning. Right now, the dial is just inbetween "no concern" & "moderate concern".


Edit* On this topic, @Touring Mars, is there any similar cause of concern in the UK's medical community? Even on Reddit, there seems to be little talk of the UK at all; anything Europe-related right now, is positive news on how they've successfully handled the virus so far.
 
Last edited:
I'm sorry but not surprised at all to see what is now happening in the US... it is all too predictable, and I reckon the UK will not be far behind.

That said, the whole 'I'm not wearing a mask, don't tread on me!' thing grates with me. I'm all for individual rights, but there is also a collective responsibility here too... appealing to some people on that basis is never going to work (hence the 'commie' accusations :rolleyes:), but perhaps appealing to individual rights is a better approach i.e. by not wearing a mask, you are making your entire support network (health care providers, food suppliers, essential services etc.) less able to help you - and at some point coronavirus will be the least of your problems.

P.S. RIP to the little bug that landed on the 'h' key on my keyboard as I was typing this post... the fatal h marks the spot.
 
Last edited:
What makes no sense is that this is what they chose to argue for in terms of what the government can or can't tell them to do. Really? But do you pay taxes? What about jury duty? Paying a parking/speeding/traffic light ticket? I don't understand the mindset.
 
Touring Mars
That said, the whole 'I'm not wearing a mask, don't tread on me!' thing grates with me. I'm all for individual rights, but there is also a collective responsibility here too... but perhaps appealing to some people on that basis is never going to work (hence the 'commie' accusations :rolleyes:),
Click to expand...

In my experience, yes, that's not going to work.

Touring Mars
but perhaps appealing to individual rights is a better approach i.e. by not wearing a mask, you are making your entire support network (health care providers, food suppliers, essential services etc.) less able to help you.
Click to expand...

I wish they understood individual rights better. Nobody is telling you you have to wear a mask in your home. But your rights don't allow you to walk into a supermarket with no shirt on (or no mask) if the supermarket requires it. Similarly for public spaces. It is your right to refuse to wear things... on your property... when you leave your property, you are a guest.

The really annoying thing is the people who pick and choose whether or not they understand this based on the issue at hand.
 
Is there a way for Texas, and the other hotspots to enforce a stricter set of rules or something? I know the media can be quite the manipulative piece of crap, but going by the average social media user as a source, those parts of the USA are going for that complete collapse if this keeps on going like the way it is, and having a ******** of morons in places with responsibility isn't helping either.

Of course it can be solved with a simple polling. Is Covid real, yes or no. Yes? You get help when you get sick. No, go drink whatever the Orange man advices.
 

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
387K
Beerz
Beerz
Sauc3
The reasons why Bush's government is corrupt
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
Solid Fro
Solid Fro

Latest Posts

Back