Solution: Go to the CDC and WHO websites and read up. TALK is just ‘Talk’.
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What are you on about? Im just seeing a bunch of meaningless nothing…
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Moderators keep threads on topic but still generally give wide latitude to different opinions. They typically respond to members flags and rarely act first.
We have a lot of meme posters regarding washing your hands and those stay up. Kinda of healthy to poke fun and also understand the position DMS is in. If you are seriously concerned stay home for awhile.
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You are irresponsibly implying that the virus is “no threat.” Maybe it’s “no threat” to healthy children and young adults, but they can transmit it to parents and particularly grandparents who are quite vulnerable. Many people have already died from this, and a whole lot more will die from it, so calling this “overblown” and “no threat” is [redacted for civility].
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I have to agree that this is wacky. These people fear that society will be so broken-down that store shelves will be empty of necessities; and, rather than spend their toilet paper money on food to eat, their priority is a clean anus.
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Saying COVID-19 is overblown is ignorant. All of the government organized responses right now are designed to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed (like it has been in Italy). More people could die if the healthcare system gets overwhelmed. Including people that don’t have COVID-19. This article and others explain the concept.
You can call it overblown. I’ll call it logical and scientifically informed. Please stop spreading ignorant bullshit like this. It’s good for nobody and only serves to worsen things for everyone.
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It’s been my observation that the healthcare system in the United States is optimized around the following:
- Providing wellness for the upper ~quartile of the population that can afford it
- Emergency care at terrific cost for a very small percentage of the population at any on time
- Extracting a depressing percentage of total revenues flowing into the healthcare system during the final months of life
Whatever you can do to avoid getting sick - especially during an emerging pandemic - is strongly advised. Flattening the curve as has been mentioned above as well as maintaining vigilance after the passage of the initial peak.
We also live in unusual times - nearly the entire industrial world has transitioned to JIT (Just-In-Time) logistics which results in tremendous operational savings for industry by not tying up resources in inventory but results in minimal buffer against sudden demand shocks. The situation with toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, rubbing alocohol, etc is similar to how stocks of bottled water, break, and milk get awfully thin every time there’s the threat of snow - there’s simply not enough stock in stores nor distribution centers to absorb the demand change. Toilet paper likely isn’t being consumed at a greater rate - people will reach their personal saturation point stockpiling it in their domiciles - and the supply side will catch up without significantly ramping up production (with resulting inventory pileups that businesses wish to avoid!). The other items may see increased demand and thus additional supply - if the producers feel like the additional costs will pay off.
But the real danger in JIT is the knock-on effects. What if critical deliveries of finished goods can’t happen because lean operations are missing too many employees to hit production schedules? Or if time-sensitive deliveries are missed and plans that demand on JIT production fail? The idea that society is 3 meals from disorder may not be proven, but I’m not sure we want to press the point.
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perhaps i am irresponsible. but i am looking to gauge the threats to public safety… Some way that is minimal and objective. This view maybe false or limited. I am looking gauge the public biological threat through a solid basis on enumerated (i.e numbered, discrete number) dimensions( metrics, scale of 1 to N) that can atomically be proven to effect the biological health of the individual and public at large. I hear the scary emanate danger and find the descriptors to not define the problem at hand. I am not looking to assume the threat level but i find people have already drawn their own conclusion and that a debate would help people gain more understanding by have more or less fear on the basis of actual science. To David_A_Tucker I hope my words will show you the respect that was not previously communicated correctly.
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See, we can agree on some things. I will agree that your irresponsibility is well intentioned.
Now please do the responsible thing and delete your original post or edit it down to nothing.
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An admission to being a big ass?
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Last I checked, my shower still worked. I have plenty of toilet paper (Costco, early February) but TP isn’t the only way to get things done if it comes down to it.
Most of the second world has used nothing but water since the beginning of history.
Not a bad place to start if you want a bit of background that is based on real experience and actual science:
Also, a big difference between COVID-19 and “regular flu” is that this stuff can be spread by exposed persons who have not developed any illness symptoms plus (as David mentioned) it hits elderly and persons with compromised health especially hard. It’s basically a new variety in a mobile world filled with persons who have no immunity. Fortunately, immunity seems to develop based on current observations that survivors don’t reinfect. Hopefully that continues … but it’s still kinda early days. Some countries (England as an example) are choosing to not encourage isolation in a bet that once enough people catch it and recover, there will be something akin to a herd immunity. It will be interesting to watch how that roll of the dice works out.
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I’m not an epidemiologist but that approach, herd immunity, doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable if proper protections are in place for the vulnerable AND everyone is on board. Unfortunately, this thing is also randomly killing young people with no underlying conditions.
Based on what’s coming out of Italy I’m precisely the demographic at risk: ~50 with underlying heart condition. People like me are being triaged into hallways to slowly suffocate to death while they prioritize ventilators for younger patients.
Matt, just another factoid supporting the concept that getting old is no fun! And I’m a couple of decades in front of you, too.
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A “flu” with about twice the fatality rate as regular flu.
I got a flu shot. Where do I get my Covid-one-nine shot?
I’m not hoarding supplies but saying “it’s just the flu” is the wrong take, IMO.
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There’s a reason a lot of us left-handed people don’t get our hands shaken in many parts of the World.
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I agree, it doesn’t…as long as the local/supporting healthcare system and facilities can handle the increased burden, e.g. hospital beds, respirators, etc… In other words, the move toward herd immunity/universal infection, pre-vaccine, would need to be closely and well managed. The current “buzz word” for this is flattening the curve.
IMO, the simple, obvious conclusion is that:
– given the heightened communicability and transmission rates Coronavirus seems to have over the common flu;
– and as a vaccine is 6?, 12?, 18? months away (possibly longer);
– and pets appear to be able to act as carriers;
– and practically speaking we can’t exercise the needed “social distancing” and “self-quarantining” for a year or more;
…it seems clear that nearly everyone is going to become infected at some point in the next 12 months or so. (ask yourself…do you know of any teenager/adult that hasn’t had the common flu?)
So a basic choice for an individual seems to be how, when and where, i.e. under what circumstances, would one want to get it?
edit: it appears that, for the most part, and based on current CDC best understanding and guidance (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/can-dogs-get-coronavirus/), pets in general and dogs in particular are not as high a risk as I had thought.
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You sound sinister to me.
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Agreed. Assume infection is inevitable. That said, try to delay your own infection for as long as possible to flatten the curve. Then, hope you don’t have to get in line for a ventilator.
Also read somewhere that now’s the time to try to eat healthy, keep as fit as possible, shed a few pounds, lower blood sugars safely, stop smoking, stop drinking in excess, maintain great oral hygiene, etc. any steps to boost the immune system can help. I even read somewhere from the NIH that lysine and zinc can possibly be of benefit.
Living room calisthenics while social distancing anyone? ”Ready…1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and…”
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You should see how I ‘look’ (cough, cough….).
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