Coronavirus thread

[T. D.]

In a way, poetic...

And intentional, poetic or not... The dumbasses don't like them damn Muslims!

[arpeggio]

I was talking to my mother today and she told me that my brother, whom she lives with, still thinks people who wear masks, etc. are paranoid.  My sister-in-law, who is a nurse, still differs with him.  He thinks it is perfectly safe to go out and eat in a restaurant and she refuses.

[T. D.]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-12/trump-aides-sought-to-meddle-with-cdc-s-virus-reports-politico

[MusicTurner]

There's a clear tendency of the corona hitting younger people harder here in DK, 1/3 of hospitalizations are now people younger than 45. Also, long-time effects, including neuro- and brain damages, form a matter of increased concern.

We've had increased numbers of infections, in July we were down to 20-30 a day, but daily numbers are now 250-350, newly introduced measures and restrictions will hopefully have effect say within a week. The total number of hospitalizations is around 55, intensive care less than 5, but from a population of 5.6 mio though, and around 635 fatalities.

I'm camping and biking on the pretty island of Møn, around 150 km from the capital, my main job was suddenly put on a pause for another two weeks due to the situation, but salary is guaranteed. Still quite warm for the season. A lovely museum farmhouse area has tenting for less than 3 Euros/night, and there's a good sandy beach very close by, plus plenty to explore. A lot of senior Copenhageners have spent most of 2020 in retreat down here, if they own summer houses on the island. And now it's another period of retreat due to the exceptional circumstances for me ...

EDIT: Ouch, today's number is above 400 newly infected, meaning 822 in just two days. Some youngster - and immigrant groups are among the most affected.

[krummholz]

EDIT: Ouch, today's number is above 400 newly infected, meaning 822 in just two days. Some youngster - and immigrant groups are among the most affected.

Very sad to hear this. One of my best students last Spring was an exchange student from Denmark. When the lockdowns started and things went crazy here in late March, she was deported and finished the course online from home. I hope she is okay.

[MusicTurner]

Very sad to hear this. One of my best students last Spring was an exchange student from Denmark. When the lockdowns started and things went crazy here in late March, she was deported and finished the course online from home. I hope she is okay.

Generally, the atmosphere here is still quite ~positive or ~optimistic, considering the circumstances. But we need to catch up, especially the groups with risky behaviour, for the situation not to get out of hand. Our state authorities have done a lot, but a more or less complete, second lock-down seems too difficult to carry through, and unlikely.

It's a general trend in Europe these days, and there are only around 10 countries, including some minute ones, that our state authorities don't warn against travelling to, unless it is absolutely necessary.

[Scion7]

88,000 U.S. college students currently with COVID-19 disease.  Who knows how many more are positive for the virus, but are not ill.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

There's a clear tendency of the corona hitting younger people harder here in DK, 1/3 of hospitalizations are now people younger than 45. Also, long-time effects, including neuro- and brain damages, form a matter of increased concern.

We've had increased numbers of infections, in July we were down to 20-30 a day, but daily numbers are now 250-350, newly introduced measures and restrictions will hopefully have effect say within a week. The total number of hospitalizations is around 55, intensive care less than 5, but from a population of 5.6 mio though, and around 635 fatalities.

I'm camping and biking on the pretty island of Møn, around 150 km from the capital, my main job was suddenly put on a pause for another two weeks due to the situation, but salary is guaranteed. Still quite warm for the season. A lovely museum farmhouse area has tenting for less than 3 Euros/night, and there's a good sandy beach very close by, plus plenty to explore. A lot of senior Copenhageners have spent most of 2020 in retreat down here, if they own summer houses on the island. And now it's another period of retreat due to the exceptional circumstances for me ...

EDIT: Ouch, today's number is above 400 newly infected, meaning 822 in just two days. Some youngster - and immigrant groups are among the most affected.

Sorry to hear about the rise in the infection rates.  Are people starting to rebel about wearing masks?  I saw something horrible on the news recently:  a group of people going into a Walmart encouraging people to take their masks off.  Their anthem:  "We're not going to take it" [which was condemned by the songwriter].  Glad, for your sake, however that you're enjoying getting some healthy exercise and visiting new areas in your lovely country.

Very sad to hear this. One of my best students last Spring was an exchange student from Denmark. When the lockdowns started and things went crazy here in late March, she was deported and finished the course online from home. I hope she is okay.

I feel for the students being deported...hard on them too!  May I ask what you teach Krummholz?

PD

[Karl Henning]

Australian air carrier's seven-hour scenic 'flight to nowhere' sells out in 10 minutes

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Australian air carrier's seven-hour scenic 'flight to nowhere' sells out in 10 minutes

Wow!  Clever idea by the airlines.  Questions:  how will the airlines ensure social distancing between passengers (and crew too) and keep people safe?  Will they be doing temperature testing (at least) of the passengers?  Apparently, there are also Asian airlines doing the same.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/09/17/growing-number-airlines-offer-flights-nowhere-international-travel-remains-stalled/

PD

[SimonNZ]

One of the best and most informative discussions I've heard recently was between Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winner for her writing on Pandemics and Andy Slavitt, Obama's head of Medicare and Medicaid on the latest episode of Al Franken's podcast, starting with Trump's push for a pre-election vaccine release and the problems of trust in any vaccine in a polarized society, and moving on to much more.

Al can often try too hard to keep things jokey or inject himself into the story, but on this one he largely stands back. I played the whole hour right through a second time after I first heard it.

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-al-franken-podcast/e/77677913?autoplay=true

Conversation starts at 6:25


They refer to Laurie Garret's article in Foreign Policy near the start, which is this:

Trump's Vaccine Can't Be Trusted
If a vaccine comes out before the election, there are very good reasons not to take it.

[MusicTurner]

Sorry to hear about the rise in the infection rates.  Are people starting to rebel about wearing masks?  I saw something horrible on the news recently:  a group of people going into a Walmart encouraging people to take their masks off.  Their anthem:  "We're not going to take it" [which was condemned by the songwriter].  Glad, for your sake, however that you're enjoying getting some healthy exercise and visiting new areas in your lovely country.
I feel for the students being deported...hard on them too!  May I ask what you teach Krummholz?

PD

We have a few people protesting, and on FB groups etc, but though there is some corona fatigue, the tendency is to introduce more masks, also by law, recently at foodserving places where you stand up ... the Wal-Mart incident (isolated?) would be rather impossible - at least, that's what I'd like to think ...

[Florestan]

In Romania schools opened September 14, against the advice of experts who suggested October 1st.

My son is 7yo and their class share the room with a class of 9th-graders. Yesterday evening the teacher of my son's class let us know that one of the 9th-graders was confirmed with Covid-19. They assured us that disinfection took place after every shift, but doubt still remains, right?

Imho, long before Christmas most European countries will be back on (total) lockdown. I'd very much like to be proven wrong, though.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

We have a few people protesting, and on FB groups etc, but though there is some corona fatigue, the tendency is to introduce more masks, also by law, recently at foodserving places where you stand up ... the Wal-Mart incident (isolated?) would be rather impossible - at least, that's what I'd like to think ...

Where you stand up?  Not quite following you there MT.  Here, for example, we have a number of restaurants where you can pick up take-out; you're supposed to follow certain rules like keeping socially distant in line, placing your order first over the phone (for many places), arranging for a pickup time, sometimes calling to let them know that you're there (it varies).

There are also some restaurants that have set up outdoor dining with the usual spacing.  The servers wear masks.  Some of these setups make me a bit nervous if I'm walking past them because the restaurants are on one side, then sidewalk, then tables (protected by road traffic by cement barricades)...so, basically, I as a pedestrian, am walking very close to people with no masks at tables, but also sometimes standing on the sidewalks without masks.

[Mandryka]

Imho, long before Christmas most European countries will be back on (total) lockdown. I'd very much like to be proven wrong, though.

OK. In the UK we're seeing the same thing. And we're also seeing that the two key elements of our strategy - local light lock-downs and test and trace -  are ineffective or unfeasible or unenforceable by normal policing.  The question is this then: What to do to avoid a third lock-down? 

[Karl Henning]

And from Mister Disinformation: Trump, with no evidence, says vaccines will be available for all by April

[SimonNZ]

Van Morrison Has A Trio of Anti-Lockdown Protest Anthems

"Rock icon Van Morrison will release three songs that address the COVID-19 lockdown in the U.K., "Born To Be Free," "As I Walked Out" and "No More Lockdown." "I'm not telling people what to do or think, the government is doing a great job of that already," the 75-year-old singer said in a statement announcing the protest anthems that will be available for download and streaming only, respectively, on Sept. 25, Oct. 9 and Oct. 23. "It's about freedom of choice, I believe people should have the right to think for themselves."

Morrison has been campaigning for a re-opening of performance venues at full capacity, with the statement noting that he "feels strongly" that the ongoing lockdown presents an existential threat to the future of live music venues. The U.K. has allowed some socially distanced gigs since Aug. 1, but, as in the United States, there have been few other shows since the pandemic caused a worldwide lockdown in March.

"No more lockdown/ No more government overreach/ No more fascist bullies/ Disturbing our peace/ No more taking of our freedom/ And our God given rights/ Pretending it's for our safety/ When it's really to enslave," he sings in the lyrics to "No More Lockdown." The message on "As I Walked Out" has a similar cast, with the opening lines, "As I walked out/All the streets were empty/ The government said Everyone should stay home/ And they spread fear and loathing/  And no hope for the future/ Not many did question/ This very strange move."

Both songs attack government figures, celebrities and, on "Lockdown," the "Imperial College scientists making up crooked facts," with the chorus of "Born To Be Free" stating, "The new normal, is not normal/ It's no kind of normal at all/ Everyone seems to have amnesia/  Just trying to remember the Berlin Wall."

The lyrics to "As I Walked Out" also note that "the government website from the 21st March 2020/ It said COVID-19 was no longer high risk," though The Guardian noted that the virus is still considered highly infectious, with officials confirming a 75% increase in positive weekly cases across England last week.

Morrison has played three socially distanced gigs this month and plans to debut the new songs at a series of shows at the London Palladium later in September after he previews them on the #SaveLiveMusic social media platforms. Morrison isn't the only British rock star chafing against the coronavirus lockdown. Former Oasis guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher told podcast host Matt Morgan last week that he would not wear a mask while out shopping or riding public transit, saying, "There's too many f--king liberties being taken away from us now."

[Daverz]

Van Morrison Has A Trio of Anti-Lockdown Protest Anthems

I'd burn my Morrison records, but the air quality here is already bad enough.

#SaveLiveMusic

I hope #SaveLivePeople is trending.

[MusicTurner]

Where you stand up?  Not quite following you there MT.  Here, for example, we have a number of restaurants where you can pick up take-out; you're supposed to follow certain rules like keeping socially distant in line, placing your order first over the phone (for many places), arranging for a pickup time, sometimes calling to let them know that you're there (it varies).

There are also some restaurants that have set up outdoor dining with the usual spacing.  The servers wear masks.  Some of these setups make me a bit nervous if I'm walking past them because the restaurants are on one side, then sidewalk, then tables (protected by road traffic by cement barricades)...so, basically, I as a pedestrian, am walking very close to people with no masks at tables, but also sometimes standing on the sidewalks without masks.

Agree, the exact rules here are still a bit of a mystery, they were introduced a couple of days ago & having been in the provinces, I'm not sure whether as a guest you need to wear masks say when moving inside a city cafe or restaurant or not, apparently masks aren't obligatory 'when just sitting down' ...

[71 dB]

I'd burn my Morrison records, but the air quality here is already bad enough.

Thank God I never got into his music and this tells me to never even try! From now on he is not known as Van Morrison, but "One Morron."