Talk:COVID-19

Start

Now we have a legitimate forum for this topic.

Did we really need one? It's tiresome. Turtle Fan (talk) 15:08, 12 November 2020 (UTC)

A recent NY Times heading says "COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record level. New U.S. coronavirus cases continued to rise on Tuesday, surpassing 139,000 for the first time as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country rose to a record high 61,964. The number of people hospitalized rose above the previous high of 59,940, set on April 15, after the total more than doubled since September. Hospitalizations quickly fell after peaking in April, but public health experts do not expect the numbers to fall this time, as winter approaches and new cases continue to rise. The U.S. has confirmed more than 100,000 cases every day for a week, pushing the seven-day average to more than 123,000. More than 1,440 coronavirus deaths were reported in the U.S. on Tuesday, lifting the nation's death toll to nearly 240,000."

Should we be alarmed?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 10:17, 12 November 2020 (UTC)

To the extent that easily manipulated statistics are going to be used to justify even more suffering, yes. Even though they can't claim their doom and gloom forecasts justify such abuses of power without also admitting that they failed utterly when last they did the exact same thing.

Do these people think we voted out one tyrant because we're eager to bow to another? They keep blaming things on 2020 rather than accepting blame themselves, natly evading responsibility. Well 2020 is almost over, let's put this whole sorry business behind us! Turtle Fan (talk) 15:08, 12 November 2020 (UTC)

This Forbes article says "1 In Every 1,000 North Dakota Residents Has Been Killed By Covid." Is it time to be very afraid?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 10:42, 25 November 2020 (UTC)

Don't you live in a state whose governor recently enjoyed a boisterous night out with a dozen lobbyists in a private room at a five star restaurant? I make it a point not to be afraid of things that don't frighten the people who are trying to make me afraid of them. Turtle Fan (talk) 23:22, 25 November 2020 (UTC)

My resolve is much weaker.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 03:10, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

How about this British story?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 11:21, 30 November 2020 (UTC)

You're probably right in this one example from the State of Jefferson: Suicides outnumbered Covid-19 deaths in Placer County well into September.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 09:52, 12 December 2020 (UTC)

I don't know, what's the base line for suicides there? If it hasn't changed or increased only slightly, then the lock-down is unlikely to be the cause. ML4E (talk) 15:56, 12 December 2020 (UTC)

I don't know about that county, but nationally calls to the suicide hotline have octupled compared with last year. When you knowingly and intentionally create economic and mental health catastrophes without bothering to come up with sustainable countermeasures, I don't know why you'd expect otherwise. Turtle Fan (talk) 21:48, 12 December 2020 (UTC)

Chicago couple dies

What to make of this story?

They did everything right. But after one at-home haircut, a husband and wife died of Covid-19 Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 10:43, 30 December 2020 (UTC)

Also, this guy, a Louisiana politician who was about my age. Should I be afraid?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 11:51, 31 December 2020 (UTC)

bump Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 03:50, 27 January 2021 (UTC)

One of my fag hags linked this report on the cultural suppression in her county in PA.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 19:11, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

It's like that here too. Fauci's Fascists keep moving the goal posts on us, constantly resetting their timetables. The lack of an exit strategy even after their stupid silver bullet materialized, but they did not distribute it, is ruinous. Clearly it will drag on until we start voting the guilty governors out. I hope you've signed Newsom's recall petition. Turtle Fan (talk) 15:19, 25 February 2021 (UTC)

I don't think any new governor would be any different, as shown by this news from the northern half of Jefferson.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 06:52, 26 February 2021 (UTC)

Kristi Noem did a pretty good job of keeping the lights on.

But it seems to me that if an incumbent says "Anyone else would have done the same," what they're really saying is "I have no control over events, and won't take responsibility for my decision, I'm just drifting along on the currents of fate toward a future that's been written for me." Hardly an inspiring vision of leadership! At any rate, my response to that is "Then we'll be no worse off for having seen the back of you." Turtle Fan (talk) 15:45, 26 February 2021 (UTC)

Vaccination

I have had my first vaccination for CV19. The second does will be on May 6 and it won't be effective until late May. Ever since this whole thing began, the end has been just around the corner.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 09:20, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

We're a few weeks away from being done with it, and always will be. Turtle Fan (talk) 14:23, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

My second shot went off without a hitch.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 08:14, 7 May 2021 (UTC)

Glad to hear it. Turtle Fan (talk) 14:21, 7 May 2021 (UTC)

Death toll

How many people have died directly from Covid-19 by now? I don't know which statistics are reliable.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 07:21, 25 April 2021 (UTC)

Exactly, there are way way too many incentives to inflate the numbers.

This is interesting, though: Singapore, whose population density exceeds Manhattan's, hasn't had thirty. Turtle Fan (talk) 14:53, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Oregon resistance

A mayor fights back.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 08:16, 5 May 2021 (UTC)

Theatre returns

I just went to a live theatre singing performance here in NorCal/SoJeff.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 08:02, 13 June 2021 (UTC)

Advice for our times

Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 05:08, 22 June 2021 (UTC)

Mid July 2021

How dangerous is the virus right now?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 10:30, 20 July 2021 (UTC)

Depends on how willing you are to be vaccinated: Toronto Star. Let's just say Florida is being DeSantisized. ML4E (talk) 15:11, 20 July 2021 (UTC)

I should hope you've got nothing to worry about if you're vaccinated. (And there's no longer any reason not to be, though officials who are now begging folks to come to their clinics were turning away willing patients half a year ago show it should have been first come first served.) If that's not the case then it validates what I said last year, that they should have come up with something more proactive, a treatment or an antidote, rather than tell people to hide under the bed indefinitely and abuse the criminal justice system to persecute those who didn't want to. Doing nothing might have also worked; remember how quickly SARS and swine flu came and went? The watch word was slow the spread, which is the last thing a sane person would want as it needlessly prolonged the suffering.

At any rate, let's please not let them say "back to the drawing board." Eradicating viruses is an exceedingly difficult process; the only time it's ever been done successfully was at the conclusion of a thousand-year campaign. So we'll have to tolerate it if it's not going to go away like most of them do. The only countermeasures the medical professionals seem willing to consider are incredibly unsustainable and have already caused an upsurge in poverty that's so severe we can't see the end of it. Our priority should be chipping away at that mountain, not making it even bigger. Turtle Fan (talk) 01:49, 23 July 2021 (UTC)

My town has returned pretty much to normal. But, what to make of "delta"?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 05:02, 23 July 2021 (UTC)

Delta

Is Delta something to be afraid of? Nevada seems to be taking it seriously.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 20:54, 6 August 2021 (UTC)

I wish the Tyrant of Nevada would take the tens of thousands of people who are homeless thanks to him seriously. Turtle Fan (talk) 15:10, 9 August 2021 (UTC)

Celeb deaths

This article makes it seem like Covid 19 is a dangerously imminent raging juggernaut. Should we be very very afraid?Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 05:33, 23 August 2021 (UTC)

Why do you keep asking this? Form your own opinion based on your own lived experience! Don't live your life based on some trashy clickbait website that has compiled a list of elderly actors you've never heard of. Turtle Fan (talk) 14:22, 23 August 2021 (UTC)

Stephen King stretches truth

Stephen King gets called out for crying wolf on a "deaths per day" number.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 10:02, 11 September 2021 (UTC)

I'm well past caring. Turtle Fan (talk) 14:36, 13 September 2021 (UTC)

Dead children

Dead children from Covid reported here and here and here.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 06:34, 15 October 2021 (UTC)

And here. So? ML4E (talk) 16:31, 15 October 2021 (UTC)

This suggests that the CV-19 is much deadly than we thought, not so easy to dismiss.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 07:37, 16 October 2021 (UTC)

I see. It had been established fairly early in the pandemic that the older a patient was the more likely they would have serious complications which could result in death. However, there had been deaths among younger people and even children from the beginning. I recall there also was a syndrome (I don't recall its name) specifically affecting children under ten. Their immune system would over-react resulting in excessive inflammation especially of the lungs which could and did result in some deaths. I take it that it is something akin to anaphylactic shock though through a different biological process so it can't be treated as such. ML4E (talk) 16:32, 16 October 2021 (UTC)

And on top of that, you've gotten your shots, haven't you? You've done all you can, worrying beyond that will do you no good. Turtle Fan (talk) 09:13, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

I had my shots early on, then people keep shouting at me "but, the breakthroughs!" I'm on the verge of believing the whole caboodle is just crying wolf, but it niggles at me.

People need to shut up about the breakthroughs. All they're doing is providing the anti-vax holdouts with ammunition. Even if it is a danger, what's the alternative countermeasure that would protect us from that? What's that you say, there isn't one? Then let's just go about our business. Turtle Fan (talk) 02:54, 18 October 2021 (UTC)

On Saturday I attended a large gathering in my NoCal/SoJef town. There was a soapbox derby and a Halloween marathon where a disproportionate number of the running squads chose the same motif. It was a merry, upbeat day, and I was one of the few schmucks wearing a breath mask.Matthew Babe Stevenson (talk) 09:32, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

Earlier today I was at a church picnic. It was all outdoors. I kept a neck gaiter in my back pocket but never put it on. Turtle Fan (talk) 02:54, 18 October 2021 (UTC)