Coronavirus thread

[vandermolen]

Splendid!

Cheers Karl.
My wife can't walk at my slow pace so she is always miles ahead and we communicate by mobile phone. 

[vandermolen]

That's very handy . We're driving 8 miles to a deserted bit of countryside that's also near two quiet shops. The walks from our door would be more crowded even though the council have now barricaded the vehicle entrance to one of the largest areas of open land.

We have been driving sometimes too. We are lucky, not only by the proximity of nice countryside, but also because we have a village shops which keeps essential supplies (like loo paper) for regular customers. The govt doesn't want us to drive to exercise but recently, walking on a local footpath, I must have passed about ten walkers and their dogs on a very narrow footpath, whereas if I drive to open land about ten minutes away I can avoid close proximity to anyone else.

[Florestan]

My wife can't walk at my slow pace so she is always miles ahead and we communicate by mobile phone. 

Your pace is Langsam, schleppend and hers is Kräftig bewegt. 

[Irons]

My reasoning stems from specific policies and ideologies pushed forward by BoJo and their effect on the pandemic response/NHS capacities, not a simplistic number comparison.

But it's beside the point, as I didn't say zilch about Sanchez's responsibility and he very well might bear the brunt of it – I simply don't know.

Your reasoning is something to behold. It seems you know little re Sanchez but an expert on Boris Johnson. Your posts raise an incredulous smile, which on this thread is quite an achievement.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thank you PD! 
Hope you and your family are keeping safe.

I discovered a nice 5 and a half mile country walk from the house which saves having to drive anywhere.

Your pace is Langsam, schleppend and hers is Kräftig bewegt. 

We have been driving sometimes too. We are lucky, not only by the proximity of nice countryside, but also because we have a village shops which keeps essential supplies (like loo paper) for regular customers. The govt doesn't want us to drive to exercise but recently, walking on a local footpath, I must have passed about ten walkers and their dogs on a very narrow footpath, whereas if I drive to open land about ten minutes away I can avoid close proximity to anyone else.

We have been driving sometimes too. We are lucky, not only by the proximity of nice countryside, but also because we have a village shops which keeps essential supplies (like loo paper) for regular customers. The govt doesn't want us to drive to exercise but recently, walking on a local footpath, I must have passed about ten walkers and their dogs on a very narrow footpath, whereas if I drive to open land about ten minutes away I can avoid close proximity to anyone else.

Just back from a moderately long walk (some stopping to look at birds, flowering things and trees)...saw a hawk flying with a branch in its mouth; it was adding to a nest that it (I'm guessing) had built at sometime in the past.  Noticed another one already sitting in the nest.  No idea whether or not one of them had already laid some eggs, but still neat to see.  Too high up to view the occupants well, but still delighted to see the birds.  The walk was partly to get some exercise and destress and partly to help relax muscles in legs and elsewhere which were tight from a lot of yard work yesterday!   

Glad to hear that you two have managed to find some areas which you can walk around in without bumping into a lot of people!  Enjoy!

PD

[Karl Henning]

Cheers Karl.
My wife can't walk at my slow pace so she is always miles ahead and we communicate by mobile phone. 

Superfluous "social distancing"? 

[aligreto]

Samuel L Jackson with some important advice with regard to Covid-19


https://www.youtube.com/v/XvB9ftAHpwc


Parental guidance required.

[Florestan]

Samuel L Jackson with some important advice with regard to Covid-19


https://www.youtube.com/v/XvB9ftAHpwc


Parental guidance required.

The "some important advice with regard to Covid-19" part made me laugh out loud much more than the video. Thanks! 

[vandermolen]

Your pace is Langsam, schleppend and hers is Kräftig bewegt. 

[vandermolen]

Superfluous "social distancing"? 

The other day she shot off in the wrong direction, got lost and thus ended up behind me 
The walk took in a number of World War Two 'pill boxes' which interested me. They were there to guard the railway line to London.

[vandermolen]

Just back from a moderately long walk (some stopping to look at birds, flowering things and trees)...saw a hawk flying with a branch in its mouth; it was adding to a nest that it (I'm guessing) had built at sometime in the past.  Noticed another one already sitting in the nest.  No idea whether or not one of them had already laid some eggs, but still neat to see.  Too high up to view the occupants well, but still delighted to see the birds.  The walk was partly to get some exercise and destress and partly to help relax muscles in legs and elsewhere which were tight from a lot of yard work yesterday!   

Glad to hear that you two have managed to find some areas which you can walk around in without bumping into a lot of people!  Enjoy!

PD

We live on a flight path to Gatwick Airport but as there are hardly any planes I am much more aware of birdsong and wildlife. I'm glad that you had a nice walk. Very important to get out, as far as one is allowed to, at the moment.

[steve ridgway]

We live on a flight path to Gatwick Airport but as there are hardly any planes I am much more aware of birdsong and wildlife. I'm glad that you had a nice walk. Very important to get out, as far as one is allowed to, at the moment.

The end of the runway is a lovely peaceful place now.

[drogulus]

     Coronavirus unlikely to significantly diminish with warm weather, National Academies of Sciences panel finds

"Given that countries currently in 'summer' climates, such as Australia and Iran, are experiencing rapid virus spread, a decrease in cases with increases in humidity and temperature elsewhere should not be assumed," the NAS report finds.

It ominously notes that influenza pandemics during the past 250 years started at different times of the year and had second waves about six months after the first, regardless of season.

[Mandryka]

I believe Spain has now started the long process of easing out of lockdown by allowing non essential workers back to work.

[Christo]

because he's a Conservative

Come on, you know better, he isn't, nor anything specifically political at all. Johnson is very ill though. 

[drogulus]

     Coronavirus State-By-State Projections: When Will Each State Peak?

The model makes some key assumptions about how state leaders will act — and depending on what they do, the picture could change. First, it assumes that all states will continue social distancing through the end of May, which is longer than the White House has asked Americans to practice social distancing. Second, it assumes states that have not already implemented three key social distancing measures — closing schools, closing nonessential businesses and issuing stay-at-home orders — will do so in one week.

This second assumption is particularly important for a state like Massachusetts, which has closed nonessential businesses and schools, but has not ordered residents to stay at home. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has resisted calls to mandate a stay-at-home order, though he has enacted a voluntary stay-at-home advisory. "I do not believe I can or should order U.S. citizens to keep confined to their homes for days on end," Baker said last month.

     Click on the link for a state and see what the projections are.

[Rinaldo]

It seems you know little re Sanchez but an expert on Boris Johnson.

Yes, that's what I've said. One can follow a certain country's politics very closely while not following what's hapenning in some other part of the world.

Very interesting, thanks for posting it. Mandatory reading for Rinaldo and SimonNz.

Dear Andrei, while I don't want to drag you back into a discussion you've ended, it helps to read beyond the headlines. One example:

With Brexit done, Johnson had the chance to focus on other matters the following month, among them the emerging virus threat. But leaving the European Union had a consequence.

Between February 13 and March 30, Britain missed a total of eight conference calls or meetings about the coronavirus between EU heads of state or health ministers - meetings that Britain was still entitled to join. Although Britain did later make an arrangement to attend lower-level meetings of officials, it had missed a deadline to participate in a common purchase scheme for ventilators, to which it was invited. Ventilators, vitally important to treating the direst cases of COVID-19, have fallen into short supply globally. Johnson's spokesman blamed an administrative error.

Plus, when I'm alluding to Johnson's politics, it reaches well beyond the past two months, e.g. FactCheck: Is Boris Johnson really giving the NHS "new money"?

Anyway, I hope you're all well and safe. And for the kind user who've messaged me: I wanted to reply but your inbox is full. Just so you know

[Florestan]

I hope you're all well and safe.

I am, thank you --- the same to you and all your loved ones.

[Mandryka]

I just want to post some thoughts about where this thing is going.

Even when a large swathe of the population is immune to the virus in its current form, it's still there. It will not be able to infect people so easily, but it still will be able to infect people.

That would be bad enough if it were like a bad dose of flu, but it isn't -- it has a sting in its tail which is probably lethal to vulnerable people and lethal or very debilitating to many others.

I don't see a way out of this conundrum without good medication or a vaccine. I'm not sure what the rational thing to do is, particularly at the level of individual decisions about whether to go to work, go to concerts, football matches, bars and restaurants, etc. The problem is exacerbated because there is no reliable way to see if you're immune at the moment.

Politically we may have to end up with different rules for two groups -- those who have good antibodies and those who don't. It's frightening.

Add into the equation that the virus can mutate at any time, with unknown consequences.

[Kaga2]

I just want to post some thoughts about where this thing is going.

Even when a large swathe of the population is immune to the virus in its current form, it's still there. It will not be able to infect people so easily, but it still will be able to infect people.

That would be bad enough if it were like a bad dose of flu, but it isn't -- it has a sting in its tail which is probably lethal to vulnerable people and lethal or very debilitating to many others.

I don't see a way out of this conundrum without good medication or a vaccine. I'm not sure what the rational thing to do is, particularly at the level of individual decisions about whether to go to work, go to concerts, football matches, bars and restaurants, etc. The problem is exacerbated because there is no reliable way to see if you're immune at the moment.

Politically we may have to end up with different rules for two groups -- those who have good antibodies and those who don't. It's frightening.

Add into the equation that the virus can mutate at any time, with unknown consequences.

I think these are good thoughts, especially the recognition of the uncertainty. I wish more here recognized that they didn't know enough to pronounce the one true answer.