How are they even going to get food to everyone without everyone coming in contact with everyone? This whole situation is ridiculous

In China, they used sticks.

This virus thing is being pushed by the old people who run this country. They are the only ones who have a real risk of dying from it. The problem for us young people is whether there will be food available. There might be more people starving in this country because old people don't want to die from a flu like virus (it's not even a bad way to go!). So get food and don't worry.

Again: there's no name. — frank

The names of government spokespeople are very often not given. They're just called "spokesman/woman". And they either exist, in which case they are authorised to speak for the relevant minister, and can be considered to be doing so, or they don't. So, unless the spokesperson doesn't actually exist (no evidence for that), Michael was using his source in a perfectly valid way. At least, I don't see the objection except that the case is not open and shut.

:lol:

people are spreading stupid conspiracy theories and pretending the threat doesn't exist. — jamalrob

It starts with that. Then when things get worse moves on to just downplaying the threat until that stops being plausible too, and eventually these people just shut up because no-one's listening anymore.

Your characterization of Nos as a functional spokesperson for the Trump administration is also wrong. I take it you don't actually read anything he writes, which isn't a bad idea.

I didn't correct you because you're wrong so much of the time, why bother?

:kiss:

You always get butthurt instead of engaging. *Shrug*.

I tried to discuss stuff with you in the past. That's why I don't now.

Your prerogative. At least we agree on this:

Nos, our resident bullshit-spreader — frank

it's not even a bad way to go! — Gregory

Seriously? Weeks of suffering leading to death? Suppose we were to execute people that way, with weeks of suffering on the way to death. Would that fly?

You clearly don't have any loved ones who are seriously at risk of dying from this thing.

Maybe @NOS4A2 is only 99% in line with the Trump admin. See how reasonable I am...

People went out and got a lot of food, but lots of people are getting stuff at gas stations, lining up and spreading germs. Is this really better?

The World Health organization said the rate of mortality for older people is less than 4%. Uhhh.. who the hell runs this country!

Nos, our resident bullshit-spreader — frank

But he's superfluous. I saw a Trump supporter say that a while back: that the trolls aren't actually accomplishing anything. I discounted it at the time because he was a dumb-ass with a MAGA hat. I think he was right though. The troll farms are an attempt to create distrust and confusion. They aren't creating much more than we already have.

They're wasting their time.

I’m still waiting on the “full story”, and that “conclusive evidence” you were talking about. One day, I suppose?

Interesting, I have been having this kind of dream (not the same subject, but a similar theme) for months now. In my dream death was about 5ft high, a simple pillar shape, but moved like a person walking and I sensed it as a being. There was a similar darkness, like light couldn't escape, so you are not actually looking at something, but an absence of something, all light is sucked in. There was a distortion similar to what you describe as gravity. It was like I was on a fairground waltzer spinning, and I was straining to see something I was spinning away from. There was a deep sense of negativity. Not evil, but an extinguisher of some kind, a harbinger of death, of endings, things coming to an end.

This gravity effect, I have realised is caused by a spell of sleep apnea/paralysis in which one tries to move, but can't, because the body is asleep. I find that some of my most inspirational, or prophetic dreams fleetingly happen during this struggle.

I used to interpret dreams many years ago, but lost interest when the idea of divination became an irrelevance for me.

Visual learning:

People went out and got a lot of food, but lots of people are getting stuff at gas stations, lining up and spreading germs. Is this really better? — Gregory

You have to understand what the basic objective is (actually everywhere):

With social distancing and quarantine measures the objective is to have a lower amount of infections that the health sector can cope with the serious infections. While listening to the health care professionals (and not the politicians) a similar agenda can be noticed.

has above a good picture of what this means. To say this in another way: if the corona-virus spreads too quickly, the health sector cannot handle the serious cases and many many die because lack of proper treatment.

The virus will likely go through the population. The attempt is just to curb the high point and then finally have after enough people have had it (or a vaccine is introduced), the population will have the controversial (in Britain) herd immunity.

ICU doctor gets love from reddit

It's all about the curve. Voluntary and enforced social distancing worked in China and now, looking at today's figures, seems to be working in Italy. Pretty simple folks, shut up and copy what works.

Maybe NOS4A2 is only 99% in line with the Trump admin. See how reasonable I am... — Baden

And the rest of the time he volunteers....

Pretty simple folks, shut up and copy what works. — Baden

So far, what's worked best is extensive testing and quarantine.

But keep updating us on your your great ideas about 'total lockdown'.

On social distancing, I've spoken personally to several South Koreans in their homes during the crisis. They've been voluntarily isolating even without symptoms. I'm all for that if it can be done. Again, copy what works.

On quarantine:

"Quarantine violators face up to 3 million won ($2500) fines. If a recent bill becomes law, the fine will go up to 10 million won and as much as a year in jail."

While that may fly with you and I, the liberty crowd aren't going to like it much and it's probably not going to be practical to enforce it in America in general. I like your authoritarian impulses though. Triggers the Stalinist in me. :p

Anyway, the article is ambiguous on the South Korean approach:

"Yet whether the success will hold is unclear. New case numbers are declining largely because the herculean effort to investigate a massive cluster of more than 5000 cases—60% of the nation’s total—linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive, messianic megachurch, is winding down. But because of that effort, “We have not looked hard in other parts of Korea,” says Oh Myoung-Don, an infectious disease specialist at Seoul National University...

New clusters are now appearing."

But good contribution. Keep it up.

And yes, test like a mf, test, test, test. Probably the main failing in the US so far.

Probably the main failing in the US so far. — Baden

And why are American doctors still resistant to testing, Dr Baden?

There were multiple issues with testing, including bureaucratic and others. Doctors want to test, but they need stuff that works, that's reliable, and they're sure they're using properly otherwise they'll understandably resist it. They also need the full support of government, which, at least initially, they didn't get.

E.g.

"Jeff Duchin, the public health chief in King County, Wash., where 37 deaths have been reported, suggested the lack of tests was critical, in addition to the fact that authorities had limited who could be tested. Initially, they had said tests would only be used for those who had traveled in affected regions of the globe or had otherwise been in contact with an infected person.

“So, you know, if we had the ability to test earlier, I’m sure we would have identified patients earlier in the community, possibly at hospitals, but we were also looking at not only availability of testing but whether patients met criteria for testing,” Duchin said.” So, given the fact that we just recently acquired our availability of testing and new criteria were published, this person was brought to our attention.”

...

"Thomas Frieden, an infectious disease physician who served as CDC director under former president Barack Obama, called on Sunday for an “independent group” to investigate what went wrong with the CDC’s testing process. He said in the past, the CDC moved quickly to produce tests for diseases such as H1N1, or swine flu.

“We were able to get test kits out fast,” Frieden said on CNN. “Something went wrong here. We have to find out why so we can prevent that in the future.”

Frieden said the agency has been muzzled under President Trump..."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/cdc-who-coronavirus-tests/

Time to catch up.

Yea, you're talking about emergency room testing. Emergency rooms already have a battery of tests they perform on people who come in with respiratory symptoms that appear flu-like. Anyone who is tested for a respiratory virus in an American hospital is automatically put in isolation before the results are obtained. All the suspected coronavirus cases are (even without the test).

We don't reach out into the community to test people. Neither did China until after the disaster. It's because that would normally be considered a waste of money. Just wait until the illness announces itself and then act. Nobody realized we should be doing things differently because we've never had this situation before.

Just as Italy didn't realize the potential until overwhelmed, the US didn't understand until Italy. We're learning as we go. That includes you.

Yes, one thing I learned today was that the latest two severe cases (requiring intensive care) in a local hospital were two young people in their twenties with no underlying conditions. They had both taken anti-inflammatories though at the onset of symptoms.

Prednisone?