Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

NaffNaffBobFace · Nov 22, 2020

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Sunday 22nd of November:

- World: 58,437,864 confirmed cases and 1,384,897 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 58 million confirmed cases, we passed 57 on Friday meaning another million cases in the last 2/3 days.

- World: Leaders of the G20 countries agree to spare no effort to ensure vaccines are distributed evenly and fairly around the world.

- US: President Trump appears to contradict months of playing down COVID in latest tweet about it running wild: "The Fake News is not talking about the fact that “Covid” is running wild all over the World, not just in the U.S..."

- US: Vaccination program may begin as early as December 11th.

- US: Emergency approval granted to the Regeneron experimental artificial antibody treatment given to President Trump when he contracted COVID-19.

- US: Texas, and inmates from El Passo prison spotted helping move bodies of COVID victims to mobile morgues “Having to use inmates tells the story of how short-handed we must be,” commented an El Paso Country Judge.

- US: Passes 12 million confirmed cases.

- UK: Confirmed cases pass 1.5 million.

- Wales: First day of mass testing in Merthyr sees 977 tests with 9 positive discovered.

- UK: England to have a stricter set of Tiers after the current Lockdown ends.

- Australia: Victoria and New South Wales boarder reopens as cases continue to fall.

- UK: Basildon, and nine are arrested at Lockdown protest.

ColdDog · Nov 23, 2020

Montoya said:
There is an overwhelmingly scientific supported, data driven one side, and a very small politically driven other side that wants you to think you are strong, independent free thinker by believing the exact opposite.

Wrong... you are interpreting it under a bias lens... you should say, I see both sides here, there are scientists that have a disagreement on a subject, but to default to an over simplistic answer that is one size fits all is the problem. Good grief, we have evolved into a monolithic divide, but reality is somewhere in the the grey (middle), composing of both beliefs. Being shut down from a discussion based on a disagreement in the interpretation of a problem is wrong, especially when the solution is unknown (COVID 19), for both sides. Bottom line, the virus is going nowhere, and we have to learn to live with it like civilized people and do not impose simplistic solutions that are one size fits all. We all know there are so many factors involved here, social (people and kids commuting suicide because they feel hopeless and miss their friends and family), economic (people need to work to belong - especially young and people who work with their hands), political (shared responsibility with the govt and people), and the list goes on. There is no right answer to this problem with the exception of time. Yes, the vaccine is coming, but that will not save us from ourselves. 2020 is a metaphor for a over simplified division is population (those who trust the govt to do what is right and those who trust themselves), but the reality is it takes both the govt with the support of the people to be effective - not 50% but at least 2/3s who support the actions. We do not have this now and common ground seems to be moving apart, not together.

ColdDog · Nov 23, 2020

Montoya said:
Fuck this guy and this short circuit brain warped method of thinking:

This is the type of thing I talked about in the statement above... "I am holier than thou" type of attitude... no one fucking knows how to deal with it and certainly not any of us, so put your ego aside, and listen. If they was scientific evidence saying kill all purple people from mars would you do it? No, there is no answer to this problem to date, so please stop trying to marginalize everyone with a different perspective. I know it was a joke, an "I told you so moment" but please.

Montoya · Nov 23, 2020

ColdDog said:
you should say, I see both sides here, there are scientists that have a disagreement on a subject

No, fuck that.

If 10 scientists tell me the earth is a sphere, and one tells me its flat.. there is no "both sides". Fuck the guy who says its flat.

ColdDog said:
. no one fucking knows how to deal with it

No one except for, you know, doctors, scientists and healthcare workers that are dealing with it every fucking day!

Montoya · Nov 23, 2020

ColdDog said:
so please stop trying to marginalize everyone with a different perspective.

Yeah... maybe in the beginning.., but now, with 250,000 dead, I am happily marginalizing every twat out there with a different perspective. The numbers are in. The different perspective crowd is FUCKING WRONG!

At 250,000 dead, I say will full confidence, FUCK EVERYBODY that thinks they know better than Fauci. This includes all those facebook experts who insist you "go do your research" on these matters.

Montoya · Nov 23, 2020

You know what guys.. we really to need to respect both sides here..

For example, South Dakota will not bend the knee and take away freedom! Wearing a mask is bad!

If only there was something they could do in SD to curb the virus to slow it down... restrict gatherings? shut down public motorcycle events? NOBODY KNOWS!

Starscribe · Nov 23, 2020

I am reminded of this at times like these..

Richard Dawkins - "Science. It works, Bitches." - YouTube

Bruttle · Nov 23, 2020

Montoya said:
At 250,000 dead, I say will full confidence, FUCK EVERYBODY that thinks they know better than Fauci. This includes all those facebook experts who insist you "go do your research" on these matters.

I feel something should be said about confirmation bias and echo chambers. Never before in human history has this been so much of an issue and yet, I feel that far too few people give it the respect it deserves. It has unpresidented sway over public opinion, yet you never hear about it. More and more of us (and by "us", I mean humans) are online. We have never been so interconnected as a human race. By recent numbers, there are between 4 and 5 billion of us cruising around in the internet. That's unbelievable to me. That's where the problem starts though. We have never had this widespread ability to share information, both good and bad.

Lets start off with a truly rare event as a baseline, death by lightning strike. The chances of getting killed by lightning is roughly 0.0005%. It's rare enough that it's just never going to happen to you, right? It ranks so low on everyone's concern chart that it doesn't even come up. That's because it's so rare we never come into contact with it. It never comes up as a discussion point. So it's never on anyone's mind.

So with this truly rare and unconcerning thing, lets call this our bad idea. Lets say that every time someone gets hit by lightning, another person comes up with this one particular nonsense idea. It's super rare, but occasionally it happens. This is where I believe the disconnect is. Now with all these people on the internet (between 4 and 5 billion), that super rare thing turns into 22,500 super rare things. 1 in 180,000 people have this ridiculous idea, and yet over 22 thousand people have had the same idea.

This is where the internet comes in. The way google, youtube, and just about any search engine works, is they try to intuit what you want to read and send you to that thing. So when you search for information, the engine does its best to figure out what you want to read and sends you there. The search engine doesn't care about truth. It doesn't care about what information has or has not been vetted. It just cares about keeping you clicking. So if it thinks you are looking for a specific answer, it will find you some group that will give you that answer. No truth required.

So lets go back to that bad idea. You know, that super rare bad idea that over 22 thousand people have had. Now lets say you have given the search engine some indication that you might be receptive to that really bad idea and it pops up in your results. You of course click on it and are flooded by over 22,000 people that have all come to the same conclusion. You are suddenly in a crowded room filled to overflowing with this bad idea (metaphorically speaking). 22 thousand people can't be wrong.... right? So this super rare and bad idea quickly becomes FACT in your mind, and thus it spreads.

This is, of course, a wildly oversimplified example. Things are not so cut and dry. However, this happens. For instance, in 1998, a scientist published a piece of work in a scientific journal. This piece of work was based on fraudulent science and a sample size of 12 kids. It was thoroughly and completely debunked by actual science and has since been retracted. Before it was though, a playboy playmate found it. In 2007 it was used as "proof" that the MMR vaccine gave her son autism. There has been NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF that confirms this... ever.

Now, millions of people are anti-vaccine. Now, measles is coming back. Polio, fucking POLIO, can make a comeback. We had that shit wiped out in the US. Now because of confirmation bias and echo chambers, people are actually choosing not to vaccinate their kids against these things (53 million americans by the %). They choose not to because the collective internet that they come into contact with says it's the best way. Not because of science. Not because of fact. Because thousands of people cant be wrong. All because some playboy playmate said so...

So before you believe internet chat rooms, blog posts, facey pages, or twitter books, make sure you are looking for fact. Make sure you vet your own knowledge before passing it on as truth. Don't trust someone that says they're an expert. Trust the ACTUAL EXPERTS. Don't buy into some grand conspiracy. Don't believe playboy playmates. Believe in science. Believe in fact.

TLDR: FUCK EVERYBODY that thinks they know better than Fauci.

Montoya · Nov 23, 2020

North Dakota: We don't need no liberal crybabies dictating how we handle things in our state!

Also North Dakota: HELP! OUR HOSPITALS ARE FULL AND EVERYBODY IS DYING!

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1330911767464189954

View: https://twitter.com/Quicktake/status/1330911767464189954

Bambooza · Nov 23, 2020

Montoya said:
You know what guys.. we really to need to respect both sides here..

For example, South Dakota will not bend the knee and take away freedom! Wearing a mask is bad!

View attachment 19380

If only there was something they could do in SD to curb the virus to slow it down... restrict gatherings? shut down public motorcycle events? NOBODY KNOWS!

Nevada is high and we have been mandatory masks since July as well as limited social events. In fact starting this week we are going into a limited lock down for 3 weeks. So I would recommend against confirmation bias, it could simply be that they are colder states with winter coming sooner then others which is driving their numbers up. Another thing to keep in mind is these states are lightly populated and so a few cases has a larger impact on their metrics. In SD has a population of 884k, ND has a population of 762k and so a sick person gets counted more then once. And given that if a family member gets sick its going to spread to the whole family and you can easily see how it can have a dramatic impact on a states percent numbers.

NaffNaffBobFace · Nov 23, 2020

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Monday 23rd of November:

- World: 58,900,313 confirmed cases and 1,392,213 confirmed deaths.

- UK: Effectiveness of Oxford University vaccine revealed to be 70% which is still considered to be of a high efficiency. It uses a different technique and although lower effectiveness than the Pfizer and Moderna options already announced, it is cheaper and much easier to store and transport. Data suggests 90% may be achievable with dosage alterations with the two stage treatment delivering a small dose first and then a large dose a month later.

- Italy: Passes 50,000 deaths.

- Russia: Sees record high new daily cases.

- Gaza: Sees record high new daily cases.

- US: Data reveals on Friday one person died for every minute of the 24 hours of that day.

- China: New restrictions and multiple mass testing areas initiated after multiple locally transmitted COVID cases were discovered in three cities last week.

- UK: Prime Minister announces the Mass Testing in Liverpool has lead to a substantial reduction in cases in the area, the technique will be rolled out across all areas in the UK which have hit Tier 3 restrictions.

- Luxembourg: Closes bars and restaurants as cases climb.

- Russia: Seven people die after drinking hand sanitizer which contained a high consecration of Methanol (Ethanol is the good stuff methanol needs much more to get you drunk but is 10 times as toxic = self inflicted poisoning)

- Indonesia: Total confirmed cases cases 500,000.

- UK: One extreme to the other sees affluent Swale in Kent overtake impoverished Hull in East Yorkshire, with 631.7 cases per 100,000 residents. Council leader puts the roaring infection rate down to a "wilful disregard of the rules".

- World: World Meteorological Organization indicates although Lockdown saw world emissions crash, it only "marginally slowed" the rising levels of the gas in the atmosphere.

Vavrik · Nov 23, 2020

Bambooza said:
Another thing to keep in mind is these states are lightly populated and so a few cases has a larger impact on their metrics. In SD has a population of 884k, ND has a population of 762k and so a sick person gets counted more then once.

How does the population size cause them to be counted more than once?

Bambooza · Nov 23, 2020

Vavrik said:
How does the population size cause them to be counted more than once?

The map was per million by state. So those states that do not have a million the sick get factored up.

Montoya · Nov 23, 2020

Bambooza said:
Nevada is high and we have been mandatory masks since July as well as limited social events. In fact starting this week we are going into a limited lock down for 3 weeks. So I would recommend against confirmation bias, it could simply be that they are colder states with winter coming sooner then others which is driving their numbers up. Another thing to keep in mind is these states are lightly populated and so a few cases has a larger impact on their metrics. In SD has a population of 884k, ND has a population of 762k and so a sick person gets counted more then once. And given that if a family member gets sick its going to spread to the whole family and you can easily see how it can have a dramatic impact on a states percent numbers.

There is no question that colder weather and more people staying indoors leads to higher cases, but consider that between doing nothing, and doing something like Nevada limiting social events, the states which did take some action have less cases vs doing nothing at all.

So while we are seeing spikes in almost every single state, this does does not mean taking precautions has failed.

We can measure cases per 100k if per 1M was too high of a number since the populations in those states are not there as you said:

Its still bad!

Bambooza · Nov 23, 2020

Montoya said:
There is no question that colder weather and more people staying indoors leads to higher cases, but consider that between doing nothing, and doing something like Nevada limiting social events, the states which did take some action have less cases vs doing nothing at all.

So while we are seeing spikes in almost every single state, this does does not mean taking precautions has failed.

We can measure cases per 100k if per 1M was too high of a number since the populations in those states are not there as you said:

Its still bad!

View attachment 19409

I am all for doing things. I am also all for communities making choices for themselves, even if those choices from the outside seem to be poorly made. I am also all for some doing nothing so we can use them as a metric to see if what was done had any impact. Still its going to be hard to compare the Dakota's against other states due to their lower population and colder temperatures will have an impact on peoples behavior.

Vavrik · Nov 23, 2020

Bambooza said:
The map was per million by state. So those states that do not have a million the sick get factored up.

I see what you mean, but the hospitalizations/million is a ratio, not the total. It should be literally the hospitalization/100,000 times 10. ... but now you know why it's normally expressed per 100,000. Converting can make the numbers look odd.

Montoya · Nov 24, 2020

Bambooza said:
I am also all for communities making choices for themselves, even if those choices from the outside seem to be poorly made.

We can agree that every community is different and a one size fits all solution is difficult in a country as big as the States. But just because we could not have a nation wide mandate, should not mean that some states pretend nothing his happening at all.

Bambooza · Nov 24, 2020

Montoya said:
We can agree that every community is different and a one size fits all solution is difficult in a country as big as the States. But just because we could not have a nation wide mandate, should not mean that some states pretend nothing his happening at all.

I think this gets to the heart of the issue and one that thousands of years of civilization has not solved. How do you protect people from themselves without overly restricting their actions. It gets even worse when you factor in our own flawed ideas on what is the best way to do things. As it relates to Cov-19, I was reading on Quora responding to a question about the effectiveness of a mandatory complete 6 week lock-down/quarantine and would it also eradicate influenza. The number of responses and upvotes on those response from collage educated individuals (as far as self authored bio goes) to the success such a measure would have and how we can go about achieving it and we really should be doing it was amazing. How quickly people forget that to the best of our knowledge this current strain originated outside the species how early in the reporting there was a number of pets and zoo animals who tested positive and so even if we locked down the worlds human population it would do nothing to eradicate the virus. Until we can come up with a vaccine all we can hope to accomplish is slow the spread and even after a vaccine I do not feel this virus will ever be eradicated (WHO has declared only 2 diseases officially eradicated those being smallpox and riderpest both of which still exist in labs and while highly secured still poss a risk of escaping/released) due to cross species infection and mutations. The end result is going to be treatment for those who become infected and hopefully a way to include the most common strain in the yearly flu shot.

As tragic as the Cov-19 has been one thing that is a silver lining is the increase funding into mRNA therapies which has the potential to truly start curing people.

NaffNaffBobFace · Nov 24, 2020

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Tuesday 24th of November:

- World: 59,508,339 confirmed cases and 1,403,513 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 59 million confirmed cases, we passed 58 million on Sunday meaning 1 million more cases in the last 2/3 days.

- Russia: Developers of the Sputnik V vaccine indicate Phase 3 trials show it to be up to 95% effective and is thought to cost less than $20 per treatment (two doses), however it must be kept refridgerated below at bear minimum of minus 18 Degrees Celsius which may prove tricky to transport to further flung places.

- Sweden: Health watchdog reports "Serious Shortcomings" in nursing homes (elderly care homes?) where many thousands have died.

- UK: Hairdresser in Yorkshire falls for Facebook bullshit to the tune of £27,000 in fines for keeping their shop open in lockdown. They showed a notice in the shop window which was part of the online hoax stating the Magna Cartas Article 61 allowed the those who did not consent to "Unjust" laws to not follow them - and remained open. No such right exists, although it was originally in the 1215(ad) foundations of the UK constitution, it was removed from the text within one year, meaning it has been 804 years since they were last able to use that as justification.

- US: Texas Senator causes controversy instructing residents not to give up on Thanks Giving in the face of advice to use video calls instead, saying "Wait till they find out we won't give up Christmas either" as millions travel across the country for celebrations. Texas morgues have become overwhelmed with makeshift facilities being set up in attempts to cope.

- UK: Nations of the UK agree for Christmas restrictions to allow bubbling of 3 households to meet between Dec 23rd and Dec 27th. Warnings are clear - the virus hasn't gone away and choosing to continue festivities even within these small bubbles carries a very real risk those vulnerable, even in the allowed bubbles, may not see Valentines Day.

- France: Number of new infections drops sharply following Lockdown falling from 45k this time last week to 9k.

- Poland: COVID found in Mink farms.

- Czech Republic: Aims to test population like Slovakia did.

- China: Sees 22 new COVID cases.

- Hong Kong: To close bars and clubs to combat case increases.

- Serbia: The cleric who lead the service for the funeral of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church which attracted hundreds of mourners has fallen ill with COVID-19.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Administrator

Administrator

Administrator

Grand Admiral

Space Marshal

Administrator

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Administrator

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Administrator

Space Marshal

Space Marshal

Space Marshal