Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

[CellarDweller]

Would that make her a faux ho'?

Ha, probably! Although the movie is rated PG-13, so they went with "skank" than ho' (as if that's better, but that's a whole 'nother discussion) So I guess prank skank.

Skank:    Makes me think of someone who never bathes.    Or maybe has some of the hygiene problems I read about in my work. 

At least a ho might take a shower now and then.    If she wants to be some high-class entertainment, anyway.

And what do we make of a skanky ho? 

I'll never forget, back in the days when I was in the closet, I dated a girl and her last name was skank. 

I remember thinking when I was introduced to her;  "oh, that's unfortunate."

[serious crayons]

As for Ferris Bueller, I couldn't stand the characters.  I kept hoping for someone to come and just punch him in the face.

Same.

[Front-Ranger]

Well that was quite a tangent!

So, back on the topic of the corona virus, there seems to be an uptick now. How are your communities dealing with it? Are shutdowns coming back?

And what about this concept of the "herd immunity"? Do you think people should just get the virus and then get over it? Are there lasting ill effects?

What is more important, keeping cases down or economic recovery?

[brianr]

What is more important, keeping cases down or economic recovery?

Aotearoa/New Zealand is proving you can do both. I am thankful everyday for living here. We have not had a case in the South Island since April. There was a scare late August in our largest city, Auckland and that city was isolated and put into Level 3 lockdown, the rest of us went back to Level 2. It is now two weeks since any new community cases in Auckland. They are now at level 2 and we are back in Level 1 which means no restrictions except our borders. I am going to the Theatre tonight and having dinner in a nearby Italian restaurant beforehand. We are asked to keep a record of where we go and generally use an app on our phone for that. Meanwhile there are signs the economy is recovering except for Tourism obviously which is a big part of our economy.
I was not able to go overseas this year and am not sure if I ever will again except to Australia. I am organising a week away with friends on Stewart Island in November.
Our only cases are people returning from overseas who are either citizens or permanent residents. They must stay in managed isolation for 14 days. Yesterday there were 12 new cases in managed isolation, 10 flew in from India a few days ago, 1 from the USA and 1 from the Phillipines. They were immediately moved to an even stricter isolation facility.
I read somewhere yesterday (I think in the Australian news) about the long term effects felt by young sportspeople  in the UK who have had it and today there is an article about a resurgence in Sweden where the economy has not done so well despite their lax restrictions.

[brianr]

Have found the article for those who think it is just like a case of the flu, not for many people even the young and fit
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-01/uk-long-covid-19-survivors-form-group-to-discuss-symptoms/12701112

[serious crayons]

So, back on the topic of the corona virus, there seems to be an uptick now. How are your communities dealing with it? Are shutdowns coming back?

And what about this concept of the "herd immunity"? Do you think people should just get the virus and then get over it? Are there lasting ill effects?

What is more important, keeping cases down or economic recovery?

MN is somewhere in between as far as shutdowns go, still low compared to other states as far as cases and deaths (we reached 2,000 deaths total this week). But we keep breaking records for our own state.

Virus versus the economy? I don't know, I'm just so glad I'm not an elected official in these times.

I was talking to several 20-somethings the other day for a story about farming, but our conversation drifted off topic into the C-word. I said, well, the Black Plague eventually ended, but by then a third of Europe was gone.

"But it ended feudalism," said a 26-year-old.

"Maybe this time it will be capitalism," I said, and they were all for it.

I don't go to restaurants, bars or indoor events, I wear a mask in public indoor places, but I've been known to speak maskless to people from less than six feet away. So if my Black Plague comparison holds, it could just be a matter of time.

But medical science has obviously progressed a long way since the plague. It has found ways to at least manage other viruses. So I'm hoping for the best with COVID.




 

[brianr]

MN is somewhere in between as far as shutdowns go, still low compared to other states as far as cases and deaths (we reached 2,000 deaths total this week). But we keep breaking records for our own state.

I just checked Minnesota population is 5.94 million. Population of New Zealand is approaching 5 million. We have had 25 deaths.
It is like we live on different planets.

[Front-Ranger]

And now comes the news that Trump, his wife, and Hope Hicks have the "China virus". Well, well, well.

I want proof.

[serious crayons]

I just checked Minnesota population is 5.94 million. Population of New Zealand is approaching 5 million. We have had 25 deaths.
It is like we live on different planets.

It is. MN is lower than the national average; if there are over 200,000 in the U.S. and 50 states, MN has half the average deaths. MN is also smaller in square miles than NZ and has larger urban areas -- the Minneapolis/St. Paul area is officially two cities but they're adjacent and share one metropolitan area that is more than twice the size of Aukland's.

MN's death toll is shocking compared to NZ's, but it's not the most shocking contrast to NZ. Texas alone has over 16,000 deaths. Wyoming, the least populated state, with less than 1/8 the population of NZ, has had 56.

[serious crayons]

And now comes the news that Trump, his wife, and Hope Hicks have the "China virus". Well, well, well.

I want proof.

Proof, if not already readily available, I'm sure will be forthcoming. But who would be lying about this? It undermines everything that Trump has said in a time when he's already struggling in the election, so he doesn't stand to gain.

Although I suppose if he gets it and then turns out fine he'll use it to show that COVID is harmless (or didn't really get it, lies about it and then says he's fine). I don't wish death upon anyone, or even really illness and pain. But if he were to get really sick, it would demonstrate the depth of Trump's ignorance.

Trump followers tend to see COVID as a binary. You either die or you don't die. So if death rates are relatively low compared to case counts, everything's fine. They don't count the "six weeks on a ventilator" or "three month of recurring symptoms" or "possible permanent brain/heart damage" as being problems in themselves.