The Official Coronavirus Discussion

[matmosphere]

That sounds rough, sorry to hear you went through that. Hopefully you end up recovering fully given some more time.

I don't know anyone who has been personally affected by covid 19 yet, so it is really helpful to hear first hand accounts. I'm sure it's not particularly easy to write about.

[EBK]

The climbing gym I used to go to (I still have a membership on hold) is now moving to the next phase of their reopening (allowing guest passes and day passes--essentially, opening up to non-members) before I am even remotely close to being comfortable enough with their first phase policies to go back. I have similar thoughts about restaurants (I'm not even close to being comfortable with patio dining, and now indoor seating is opening up everywhere). I think, due mostly to my anxiety, perhaps, that I'm going to always lag far behind accepting any business reopening phases.  I'll be the last guy still wearing a mask, maybe.  Anxiety and chronic stress are really exhausting.  I feel less and less safe the more people are told it is economically/politically convenient to venture out and do more. 

[harryklippton]

I hear you EBK. I was just starting to dabble with curbside pickup or delivery. My state is almost fully reopened, and businesses are eager to ditch curbside. My doctor told me to stay isolated until further notice. I've been home for 105 days, and probably will be for the foreseeable future, and probably the remainder of 2020.

[somnif]

My state is basically totally reopened... and it's kinda terrible. Our new infection rate per capita is the highest in the US right now, and... yeah.



We've been averaging more than 3,000 new cases a day for a while now, and.... yeah. And Next week I am expecting to see a large spike when the folks who attended the Trump rally last Tuesday (which was a small, crowded venue, full of non-masked folks loudly vocalizing).

Wheeeeeee 

[gordo]

I think the only hope in the long term is that the kids that get really sick start flooding it out on social media.  I "get" that most kids get milder symptoms, but as Strategy mentioned, it isn't just the deathly ill stuff, it's the long term effects and/or damage.

I have a buddy in NY that got VERY sick and is now dealing with stuff similar to Strategy.  His wife was sick over a weekend with temps and the like and by mid-week was perfectly fine.  It's a bit of a crap shoot.

[aion]

I think the only hope in the long term is that the kids that get really sick start flooding it out on social media.  I "get" that most kids get milder symptoms, but as Strategy mentioned, it isn't just the deathly ill stuff, it's the long term effects and/or damage.

Not to mention the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome that they still don't know much about, but seems to be linked to COVID. Fortunately it's still really rare even in New York so hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a big deal.

The thing that gets me is that it seems (anecdotally) that all the hardcore anti-vaxx moms are almost fully overlapped on the Venn diagram with the "you can't force me to wear a mask in public" people. They'll dedicate their stay-at-home free time to spreading awareness of an unproven incredibly remote chance that something that will definitely have a 1000% improvement on your long term health might also have a negative side effect so you can't force me to give it to my kids, BUT they'll also rail against being expected to do something that definitely slows the spread of COVID and has zero side effects. I think I see the common denominator and it has nothing to do with health.

COVID and George Floyd have both been among the most horrifying things to happen in the past 4 years, but one shared effect they've both had is to shine a bright light everywhere, including on some of the darkest corners of our culture, and people in those corners can't hide from it anymore. We are seeing everyone (both public figures and people in our own lives) for who they really are, and seeing that they don't really stand for the things they want you to think they stand for.

My hope is that we don't lose track of who's who once things settle back down in a year, because a lot of people are going to try to slink back into the shadows as soon as they can to avoid being taken to task for things they've done and said that were harmful.

[jubal81]

I think the only hope in the long term is that the kids that get really sick start flooding it out on social media.  I "get" that most kids get milder symptoms, but as Strategy mentioned, it isn't just the deathly ill stuff, it's the long term effects and/or damage.

Not to mention the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome that they still don't know much about, but seems to be linked to COVID. Fortunately it's still really rare even in New York so hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a big deal.

The thing that gets me is that it seems (anecdotally) that all the hardcore anti-vaxx moms are almost fully overlapped on the Venn diagram with the "you can't force me to wear a mask in public" people. They'll dedicate their stay-at-home free time to spreading awareness of an unproven incredibly remote chance that something that will definitely have a 1000% improvement on your long term health might also have a negative side effect so you can't force me to give it to my kids, BUT they'll also rail against being expected to do something that definitely slows the spread of COVID and has zero side effects. I think I see the common denominator and it has nothing to do with health.

COVID and George Floyd have both been among the most horrifying things to happen in the past 4 years, but one shared effect they've both had is to shine a bright light everywhere, including on some of the darkest corners of our culture, and people in those corners can't hide from it anymore. We are seeing everyone (both public figures and people in our own lives) for who they really are, and seeing that they don't really stand for the things they want you to think they stand for.

My hope is that we don't lose track of who's who once things settle back down in a year, because a lot of people are going to try to slink back into the shadows as soon as they can to avoid being taken to task for things they've done and said that were harmful.

Social media is destroying us. Zuckerberg is a legit, comic-book level supervillain. He thinks he's a god, like he's given humans fire and it's up to them what to do with it. What he's done is monetize extremism.

[aion]

Social media is destroying us. Zuckerberg is a legit, comic-book level supervillain. He thinks he's a god, like he's given humans fire and it's up to them what to do with it. What he's done is monetize extremism.

Engrave this in stone so future generations can have a concise explanation for what happened to their forebears.

[gordo]

+1 on the above 3.  I've taken the head-in-the-sand approach to not being on ANY social media.  Wish a lot of others would do the same.

Funny how it becomes a "civil liberties issue" with masks.  It's the same argument with seat belts.  You're free to be as stupid as you want, but it's such a minor inconvenience and does so much...

Eh, horses and water and all that I guess.

[EBK]

Eh, horses and water and all that I guess.

Horses aren't real though. 
https://youtu.be/Rk4G2wuGKJE

[matmosphere]

+1 on the above 3.  I've taken the head-in-the-sand approach to not being on ANY social media.  Wish a lot of others would do the same.

Funny how it becomes a "civil liberties issue" with masks.  It's the same argument with seat belts.  You're free to be as stupid as you want, but it's such a minor inconvenience and does so much...

Eh, horses and water and all that I guess.

It's not like seat beats though. If you choose to not wear a seatbelt you are putting yourself at increased risk of harm or death. With face mask, not only do you increase your chances of getting sick, you risk spreading the infection to anyone you come in contact with. It's like driving drunk but the consequences come less quickly so you may never be aware that someone got very sick or died because of ones selfish decision to "protect their right to not wear a mask" or whatever bullshit.

Jubal81, your super-villain comment is great and very on point, unfortunately. Best piece of text I've read in a long time.


By the way, this thread continues to help me keep sane.

[gordo]

Agreed. Same stupidity, different consequences.

[alanp]

What amazed me was how hard the media was pushing the 'Stay home, avoid large gatherings' Covid-19 thing, and when George Floyd happened, they immediately changed to 'Look at all these brave protesters doing the Right Thing', and now they're right back to 'Avoid large gatherings.' Maybe I'm being far too cynical.

NZ has a few Chinavirus cases, now, since we've started repatriating people back home. They're on a 14 day quarantine on re-entry... apart from two infamous cases where the people under quarantine just HAAAAAD to go to a funeral, and the person controlling the quarantine felt sorry for them.

You know. Despite everyone fucking else being told by the Gov't to avoid funerals (and church services, and all large gatherings.)

[madbean]

Hey guys,

I want to have this discussion continue as I feel it is an important one to be having. However, I do ask that we all refrain from terms like "Kung Flu" and "Chinavirus". I realize people have all sorts of names and puns for COVID, but as the admin I feel it's necessary to emphasize we avoid language that can be interpreted as incendiary. Some people take offense to the slang so we should try to avoid any divisive rhetoric for the sake of the forum.

Here's my story for this week. I had a dentist appt. and I thought a lot about cancelling it. But, I knew if I did I wouldn't reschedule for a year or more (plus my dentist is no longer accepting my insurance so I am out of network). Got there, plastic shields for the receptionist and I see hygienists wearing PPE. But, I had a new DH this time and sure enough, she came out wearing no mask (I was wearing mine, of course). She eventually put one on when she started working on me, but I feel like I should have asked her to do that before I went into her workspace. I was a bit weak in that moment. Hopefully, I won't regret that

[somnif]

As an Arizona resident I've been hearing "kung flu" a LOT this week, because it was literally being CHANTED at the Trump rally last Tuesday. Also, apparently, no one knows what the "19" in COVID-19 means!  (I don't want to live in this state anymore...)

I too have had a few dentist appointments this past week, but they've been pretty good about it. Everyone is masked, 6ft between seats in the waiting room, and they take your temperature as soon as you walk in the door. (Granted they also tacked a 10$ surcharge onto the bill for "COVID PPE" but eh, I can live with that)