COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

[BostonCharlie]

From the WSJ (pay wall):

... In nations to the east, however, infections have largely been kept under control and governments are starting to loosen lockdowns.

The difference is stark. By Sunday, Spain had lost 350 people per million of its population to Covid-19, Italy 322, Belgium 314, France 202 and Britain 145, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Romania, in contrast, had lost 15 per million, the Czech Republic 12, Poland 5 and Slovakia 0.4.

A big reason for the discrepancy: The poorer countries of Central and Eastern Europe, fearing their relatively weak health-care systems would be overwhelmed by the virus, moved more quickly to enact strict social-distancing rules and restrict movement to contain outbreaks.

...

[TheJohnP]

NPR article about shopping safely and need of disinfecting groceries (or not).

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... hop-safely

[Sporkboy]

I had a nightmare last night in which I was at the grocery store and about 3/4 done. I look at a magazine and then turn around any my cart is just gone. I run around the store looking for it, but is just isn’t there and I have to start over.

[yinzburgher]

I think I've mostly mentioned how this thing impacts me, at least from a work perspective. Just rattling off quick blurbs regarding the rest of my family.

My parents are getting into their mid-70s. They are incredibly happy people. That is unlikely to change unless this thing strikes them directly. They are both retired and mostly happy to stay at their home in a rural area. My mom is very healthy. My dad has had coronary artery disease for years so both of my parents are taking this very seriously for that reason. They've been burned by bad timing in both the stock and housing market before so most of their money is probably safe on the sidelines plus my dad retired with a full pension. They were regularly watching their 7 grandkids (not all at once) prior to this. For the moment they just see them on Duo. They were also very active with their church and that has come to a halt as well.

Brother #1 is single, no kids. Owns and runs a commercial cleaning business in Vermont. He works a lot. At first he had some requests from existing clients to do more thorough cleaning of their workspaces. Now many of those workplaces are shut down. But some of his clients are still up and running and need regular cleaning services. Under the state order, his business is deemed essential. Most of his employees are part-time to begin with but they are getting less hours now. He's applying for the PPP loan/grant.

Brother #2 is former blue collar guy, now a RN. He works on a Telemetry unit at a hospital in a small PA city. Married with one young son w/ significant asthma. I think he and his wife would like to have another child soon.....not sure how this changes things if at all. As a RN, his job is safe. His wife does fundraising for a retirement home company but I believe she has taken FMLA to stay at home with her son for now. My brother routinely works OT and has occasionally been working with some non-critical COVID pts.

Sister is married with 3 kids, two of them school-age. She doesn't work so she is at home with the kids. All kids are a handful but these 3 maybe more than most. I just realized I have no idea what her husband does but he has an MBA and works for a huge corporation that makes stuff and things. He is now working from home and as far as I know, his job is not in jeopardy. They just bought a nice big suburban house less than a year ago. Doing well as far as I know but I need to call them.

Brother #3 is married with with 3 young children (1 school-age) in a small PA town. He works evening/night shift at an Amazon warehouse and spends most of his time on a forklift. He got a small raise when this whole thing started.....also working some OT I believe. Which is good because his wife hasn't been working for the past few weeks. She was part-time at a science center for kids. This brother was the original social distancer. If he has no contact with anyone outside of his family, he'll be happier than ever. This is a low-tech family. They have a computer but no cable or smartphones or any other modern tech.

I imagine we are probably faring better than most. Not big permanent job losses....nobody in the restaurant/hospitality business. Plus most of us are savers, myself included with the exception of my watch habit. Of course we're not immune from being directly affected by the virus. But I think a huge factor at play with our family is that everyone is too big to fail. Nobody goes under. If needed, we'll all work like crazy to make certain of it.

Also, I don't want to sound entirely morbid here but there's another thing I keep thinking about lately. There's just no guarantee that the universe will be kind to anyone to make up for the undue hardships put on them by the virus and/or shutdown. There's nothing to keep us from being dealt another blow. So whether you're unaffected by everything thus far or even if you're already digging out of a hole (first, keep digging), I just think it's a good time to look for silver linings, rethink bad habits, try new things, reconsider grudges or petty grievances, appreciate small things......you know, all that happy ****!

[59yukon01]

Just something positive.....

[MoT]

Just something positive.....

I'll preface this by saying there is something to be said for positive thinking. I've never been a person to dwell on the negative, and I generally live by an "It is what it is" attitude. Dwelling on the negatives in life only makes the problems bigger than they are and solves nothing.

However, that video is nothing but word salad, pseudoscience gobbledygook. Picture things in your mind and your biology will change? Quantum physics is about consciousness?!? Ooooo-k.

If Bruce Lipton had his way, all Mrs.MoT, and other people with cancer or other diseases would have do to overcome their illnesses is to think happy thoughts or think about being well instead of trusting medical science.

All that's going to get them is dead. It's dangerous rhetoric.

[59yukon01]

Just something positive.....

I'll preface this by saying there is something to be said for positive thinking. I've never been a person to dwell on the negative, and I generally live by an "It is what it is" attitude. Dwelling on the negatives in life only makes the problems bigger than they are and solves nothing.

However, that video is nothing but word salad, pseudoscience gobbledygook. Picture things in your mind and your biology will change? Quantum physics is about consciousness?!? Ooooo-k.

If Bruce Lipton had his way, all Mrs.MoT, and other people with cancer or other diseases would have do to overcome their illnesses is to think happy thoughts or think about being well instead of trusting medical science.

All that's going to get them is dead. It's dangerous rhetoric.

My wife works at a Gilda's Club, which is a local chapter of a non-profit cancer support center. They highly encourage positive thinking along with a positive environment, which in many cases according to their now cancer free members are what saved them.

Even this type of positivity is better for people than the negative fear we hear daily in the news, and is why I no longer listen to it.

[The Sultan of SoWhat]

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[The Sultan of SoWhat]

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[watchpalooza]

Germany has announced that the state of Bavaria will begin transitioning back to normal, unrestricted life starting May 4. It will be a gradual / stepped process, with some stores opening and some children back to school before others. Still, a good sign,

[Bbrou33]

Germany has announced that the state of Bavaria will begin transitioning back to normal, unrestricted life starting May 4. It will be a gradual / stepped process, with some stores opening and some children back to school before others. Still, a good sign,

Hopefully all works out well. New York just extended it's "Stay At Home" lockdown to May 15. Which I expected given we are the epicenter of everything. But I do hope some type of slow rolling normalcy comes within the end of this month. Like maybe allowing certain non essential businesses to get back up. Idk

Let's be Instagram friends @bbrou33

[MoT]

Germany has announced that the state of Bavaria will begin transitioning back to normal, unrestricted life starting May 4. It will be a gradual / stepped process, with some stores opening and some children back to school before others. Still, a good sign,

Hopefully all works out well. New York just extended it's "Stay At Home" lockdown to May 15. Which I expected given we are the epicenter of everything. But I do hope some type of slow rolling normalcy comes within the end of this month. Like maybe allowing certain non essential businesses to get back up. Idk

Let's be Instagram friends @bbrou33

It's going to have to be slow, measured and deliberate. It will also have to be closely monitored so that any upswing in cases don't get out of control.

A doors wide-open approach that specific groups are clamoring for is only going to lead to disaster.

[59yukon01]

If you have 30 minutes this is an interesting interview of Dr Jay Bhattacharya, whom is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.

[Bbrou33]

Germany has announced that the state of Bavaria will begin transitioning back to normal, unrestricted life starting May 4. It will be a gradual / stepped process, with some stores opening and some children back to school before others. Still, a good sign,

Hopefully all works out well. New York just extended it's "Stay At Home" lockdown to May 15. Which I expected given we are the epicenter of everything. But I do hope some type of slow rolling normalcy comes within the end of this month. Like maybe allowing certain non essential businesses to get back up. Idk

Let's be Instagram friends @bbrou33

It's going to have to be slow, measured and deliberate. It will also have to be closely monitored so that any upswing in cases don't get out of control.

A doors wide-open approach that specific groups are clamoring for is only going to lead to disaster.

Agree

Let's be Instagram friends @bbrou33

[watchpalooza]

Germany has announced that the state of Bavaria will begin transitioning back to normal, unrestricted life starting May 4. It will be a gradual / stepped process, with some stores opening and some children back to school before others. Still, a good sign,

Hopefully all works out well. New York just extended it's "Stay At Home" lockdown to May 15. Which I expected given we are the epicenter of everything. But I do hope some type of slow rolling normalcy comes within the end of this month. Like maybe allowing certain non essential businesses to get back up. Idk

Let's be Instagram friends @bbrou33

It's going to have to be slow, measured and deliberate. It will also have to be closely monitored so that any upswing in cases don't get out of control.

A doors wide-open approach that specific groups are clamoring for is only going to lead to disaster.

For sure. Here is how Bavaria is starting:

01.02 pm: Regulations that now apply in Bavaria
Bavaria minimally loosens its restrictions on movement: Starting next Monday, contact with a person outside of your own household is permitted outside.

From April 27, final classes at high schools (Gymnasien), junior high schools (Realschulen) and middle schools (Mittelschulen) will be the first to return to schools, as well as master classes. From May 11 at the earliest, the classes that will graduate next year will follow at these schools. It is therefore still unclear when all the other classes can go back to school. Daycare centers and preschools should also remain closed for the time being.
Bavaria is allowing the reopening of smaller shops one week later than the federal government: Shops with a sales area of up to 800 square meters may reopen from April 27. Car dealers, bike dealers and bookstores are exempt from the square meter limit. Hardware stores and garden centers can open again from April 20.

In shops and in public transport, people in Bavaria should wear protective masks over their mouths and noses, so-called "community masks" are recommended.