Coronavirus General Discussion

[Tortoise]

Just heard that one of my friends has been hoarding gas cans. WTF?

He lives in an apartment, BTW.

[dualstow]

Just heard that one of my friends has been hoarding gas cans. WTF?

He lives in an apartment, BTW.

That's going to end well.

[flyingpylon]

Indiana schools now officially online only through May 1.

But the real tragedy is that the chances of holding the Indy 500 (world's largest single-day sporting event) on May 24 are getting slimmer and slimmer. Realistically they are probably zero, but nothing official yet.

[stuper1]

Indiana schools now officially online only through May 1.

But the real tragedy is that the chances of holding the Indy 500 (world's largest single-day sporting event) on May 24 are getting slimmer and slimmer. Realistically they are probably zero, but nothing official yet.

Without looking it up, I would venture to say that the world's largest single day sporting event is a soccer game, either the annual Champions League final in June or the quadrennial World Cup final. This year's Champions League final is in serious doubt currently.

[Xan]

Indiana schools now officially online only through May 1.

But the real tragedy is that the chances of holding the Indy 500 (world's largest single-day sporting event) on May 24 are getting slimmer and slimmer. Realistically they are probably zero, but nothing official yet.

Without looking it up, I would venture to say that the world's largest single day sporting event is a soccer game, either the annual Champions League final in June or the quadrennial World Cup final. This year's Champions League final is in serious doubt currently.

Really? There's no way you can get as many people around a soccer field as a racetrack. The Indy racetrack seats 250,000.

[dualstow]

Look at what the Coronavirus has done to your resident Canadian.

With no work or classes to actually attend I ended up staying up till 5am watching Breaking Bad.

Sounds like pure bliss! Enjoy!

A couple week video game & TV sabbatical? Sign me up! The morning briefing today said that medical staff not currently on the front line (e.g. me) should expect to be "re-deployed" in the coming weeks.

I just started yesterday and I'm already on season 2. Send help! This is depression behaviour without the depression.

I used to have real depression. You know what was a friggin' miracle cure? Vitamin D. Changed my life.

On another note, I totally salute you and the work you're doing as a medical professional. You people are real heroes. Thanks, WiseOne!

+1 Good for you, WiseOne.
Smith, you're the one of the last people I'd guess had depression, even in the past. I guess one never knows.

[Smith1776]

Smith, you're the one of the last people I'd guess had depression, even in the past. I guess one never knows.

The truth is that I've had rather poor mental health for most of my adult life.

It started when I was 19 years old (now 31) when my college sweetheart broke up with me. From then on a kind of domino effect took over and a downward spiral ensued.

Your life kind of falls apart, but you're not really aware that it's your mental health that's the problem. After a while you sort of just assume you're a piece of s@$t and aren't capable of anything better. I never got into alcoholism or anything like that (thank goodness), but it was bad enough that I understand how these "diseases of despair" can grab a hold on people.

It turned around by my mid-twenties or so. You make small changes that allow for an upward rather a downward spiral. They become self-reinforcing. One day you eat a little less junk food. The next day you go for a walk. You decide to go back to school with 1 course -- then 2.

Life is much better now, but I don't regret the crap experience, as one only grows stronger through trying times.

[dualstow]

Girls- the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. Or so I thought when I was 19, too.
Interesting story. Thanks for opening up.

[Smith1776]

Girls- the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. Or so I thought when I was 19, too.
Interesting story. Thanks for opening up.

It is funny how much one is willing to open up when they are pseudonymous.

[dualstow]

A friend of mine just heard there is a confirmed case of the big CV in his apartment building. It is almost all senior citizens there.

[Smith1776]

A friend of mine just heard there is a confirmed case of the big CV in his apartment building. It is almost all senior citizens there.

Oh crap, that does not sound good.

My apocalypse movies and shows so far (either watched or on the list):

- I am Legend
- Contagion
- Quarantine
- Breaking Bad
- V for Vendetta
- Joker
- Pandemic
- World War Z

[flyingpylon]

Indiana schools now officially online only through May 1.

But the real tragedy is that the chances of holding the Indy 500 (world's largest single-day sporting event) on May 24 are getting slimmer and slimmer. Realistically they are probably zero, but nothing official yet.

Without looking it up, I would venture to say that the world's largest single day sporting event is a soccer game, either the annual Champions League final in June or the quadrennial World Cup final. This year's Champions League final is in serious doubt currently.

You might want to look it up!

[dualstow]

My apocalypse movies and shows so far (either watched or on the list):

- I am Legend
- Contagion
- Quarantine
- Breaking Bad
- V for Vendetta
- Joker
- Pandemic
- World War Z

For me the big one was Stephen King's The Stand (the book). Also Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain.
Neither is great literature, but very relevant.

[Smith1776]

For me the big one was Stephen King's The Stand (the book). Also Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain.

Added.

Coincidentally, I read a Stephen King piece recently during this quarantine.

The story is called The Jaunt. It is absolutely terrifying... but in a good and entertaining way of course.

[stuper1]

Indiana schools now officially online only through May 1.

But the real tragedy is that the chances of holding the Indy 500 (world's largest single-day sporting event) on May 24 are getting slimmer and slimmer. Realistically they are probably zero, but nothing official yet.

Without looking it up, I would venture to say that the world's largest single day sporting event is a soccer game, either the annual Champions League final in June or the quadrennial World Cup final. This year's Champions League final is in serious doubt currently.

You might want to look it up!

I guess I should. I guess we're talking about live audience as opposed to total audience, including TV. My bad. Sorry.

[Smith1776]

https://markets.businessinsider.com/new ... 1029012757

"Worst global recession since WWII" may even be downplaying it a bit.

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if this became worse than the Great Depression. When one considers the lack of central bank firepower left and the indebtedness of the government, the old solutions have run out of gas.

[WiseOne]

The people who are really on the front lines here: nurses, ER staff, critical care specialists, internal medicine. I'm not any of those. My sister is an ER doc and I know she's a bit scared every time she heads into a shift. She's in a small hospital with very few cases, though...mine has over 200, which is about a quarter of its usual capacity.

Smith1776, your vitamin D story is new to me. I have to say I also think the stuff is a miracle in a jar. I was battling a bad sinus infection once, took a nice big 10,000 IU hit of vitamin D, and it literally dissolved away in about half a day. Incredible. I've even heard the notion floated that the reason flu & colds are so much worse in the winter is that people are indoors and therefore making less vitamin D.

[Kriegsspiel]

My apocalypse movies and shows so far (either watched or on the list):

- I am Legend
- Contagion
- Quarantine
- Breaking Bad
- V for Vendetta
- Joker
- Pandemic
- World War Z

For me the big one was Stephen King's The Stand (the book). Also Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain.
Neither is great literature, but very relevant.

I read Station 11 on the recommendation of Tyler Cowen years ago. I didn't think it was good.

The book version of I Am Legend is better than the movie.

[Libertarian666]

The people who are really on the front lines here: nurses, ER staff, critical care specialists, internal medicine. I'm not any of those. My sister is an ER doc and I know she's a bit scared every time she heads into a shift. She's in a small hospital with very few cases, though...mine has over 200, which is about a quarter of its usual capacity.

Smith1776, your vitamin D story is new to me. I have to say I also think the stuff is a miracle in a jar. I was battling a bad sinus infection once, took a nice big 10,000 IU hit of vitamin D, and it literally dissolved away in about half a day. Incredible. I've even heard the notion floated that the reason flu & colds are so much worse in the winter is that people are indoors and therefore making less vitamin D.

If the currently investigative treatments aren't miracle cures, you will be on the front lines in a week or two. This is going to be all hands on deck for anyone even slightly qualified in the medical field.

I think after this is over, we will need a 7th branch of the armed forces (maybe not armed though): The Health Force. They will be reservist doctors, nurses, lab techs, and the like, whose training will be paid for by the government and kept in reserve for pandemics.

It's either that or ban international passenger air travel.

Pick one.

[dualstow]

I read Station 11 on the recommendation of Tyler Cowen years ago. I didn't think it was good.

I had never heard of it until they started filming recently. Pretty ironic.

[Smith1776]

There is a weird part of me that romanticizes Will Smith's lone wolf lifestyle in I Am Legend.

I'm not sure exactly what the psychological mechanism behind that is.

And no, it's not because I'm a doomsday-er or have some naive idea that I'd be the only one to survive in a zombie apocalypse.

[Kriegsspiel]

When you read the book, it becomes apparent that the main character is the bad guy. He's the Dracula of the story, who's been killing the villagers until they finally get him. You don't get that with the movie version.

[Smith1776]

When you read the book, it becomes apparent that the main character is the bad guy. He's the Dracula of the story, who's been killing the villagers until they finally get him. You don't get that with the movie version.

Wow.

That sounds like a different story entirely.

Have you seen the alternate ending to the movie? The one that wasn't played in theaters?

Without writing a spoiler to anyone who reads this thread, the theater version has the grenade. The alternate version does not.

I saw the alternate recently and I liked the ending more, though I understand why they didn't opt for it. It just required too much suspension of disbelief.

[Ad Orientem]

California estimates appx 25 million residents will get covid-19 over the next 8 weeks.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/corona ... weeks.html

If that's even close to true, then its pretty much game over. There isn't enough critical care hospital capacity in the entire country to handle 5% of that number. That Chloroquine better come through because this is rapidly starting to look like The Big One.

[Kriegsspiel]

This evidence fiasco creates tremendous uncertainty about the risk of dying from Covid-19. Reported case fatality rates, like the official 3.4% rate from the World Health Organization, cause horror — and are meaningless. Patients who have been tested for SARS-CoV-2 are disproportionately those with severe symptoms and bad outcomes. As most health systems have limited testing capacity, selection bias may even worsen in the near future.
. . .
That huge range markedly affects how severe the pandemic is and what should be done. A population-wide case fatality rate of 0.05% is lower than seasonal influenza. If that is the true rate, locking down the world with potentially tremendous social and financial consequences may be totally irrational. It’s like an elephant being attacked by a house cat. Frustrated and trying to avoid the cat, the elephant accidentally jumps off a cliff and dies.

Could the Covid-19 case fatality rate be that low? No, some say, pointing to the high rate in elderly people. However, even some so-called mild or common-cold-type coronaviruses that have been known for decades can have case fatality rates as high as 8% when they infect elderly people in nursing homes. In fact, such “mild” coronaviruses infect tens of millions of people every year, and account for 3% to 11% of those hospitalized in the U.S. with lower respiratory infections each winter.

These “mild” coronaviruses may be implicated in several thousands of deaths every year worldwide, though the vast majority of them are not documented with precise testing. Instead, they are lost as noise among 60 million deaths from various causes every year.

link

The thing I keep thinking of as this goes on is:

"You know what I've noticed? Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan". But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!"