Coronavirus

[O Really]

That was a very interesting chart. To me, it seems to show that (a) enforced distancing can work when enforced; (b) many factors affect the spread; (c) nowhere should feel smug. Seems like a fast-speed version of smokers' dilemma - If you smoke, you'll probably get evil diseases; if you quit, you might not, or maybe you'll still get it, except for the 90-year old chain smoker walking around over there. No real guarantees to anything, but some actions are still better than others.

[billy.pilgrim]

... As I said, what is the point of jumping on Florida? ...

Ask your friends and neighbors. I'm merely sharing what they think since it will matter a lot in Nov. MD's electoral votes are not in question. They'll go to Biden no matter how popular Hogan (R) is.

Really?

Then all of your criticism of DeSantis has been ...?

I would agree wholeheartedly that it would be best for Florida that he loses a 2nd term - even if on a less than factual understanding.

And I hope Whitmer wins - even with a death rate 7 times that of Florida.

My only point from the very beginning of all this has been that our politicians have to be smart and flexible and stay away from all this nit-picking political got-ya bullshit.

As I said, I did envy your conversations about open trails, but it made it a lot harder to understand why you would want what goes for trails around where I live to all be closed without any allowance for anyone.

Yeah, desantis is a trump sucking idiot the local rightwing pols who closed all of our beaches and the cops who constantly warned arrest for anyone putting even "one toe in the sand", have opened the beaches back up. And so wonderful that they did so with a well thought out set of rules and phases, but too bad the same cops who threatened arrest then, are ignoring all violations now.

They seem to have even cut back their numbers.

So far no tickets or arrests. Plenty of violations on Sunday.

[billy.pilgrim]

That was a very interesting chart. To me, it seems to show that (a) enforced distancing can work when enforced; (b) many factors affect the spread; (c) nowhere should feel smug. Seems like a fast-speed version of smokers' dilemma - If you smoke, you'll probably get evil diseases; if you quit, you might not, or maybe you'll still get it, except for the 90-year old chain smoker walking around over there. No real guarantees to anything, but some actions are still better than others.

Poverty seems to play a big role.

[O Really]

That was a very interesting chart. To me, it seems to show that (a) enforced distancing can work when enforced; (b) many factors affect the spread; (c) nowhere should feel smug. Seems like a fast-speed version of smokers' dilemma - If you smoke, you'll probably get evil diseases; if you quit, you might not, or maybe you'll still get it, except for the 90-year old chain smoker walking around over there. No real guarantees to anything, but some actions are still better than others.

Poverty seems to play a big role.

Poverty, in part because of less safe living quarters, inability to work from home, greater reliance on public trans, poor health to start with, more obesity and its related problems ... all the risks that many of us can avoid while staying cloistered, getting into our car-bubbles to go to an open space to walk and going to an uncrowded grocery with people wearing masks and keeping their distance. Poverty takes away protections that are far past economic.

[billy.pilgrim]

That was a very interesting chart. To me, it seems to show that (a) enforced distancing can work when enforced; (b) many factors affect the spread; (c) nowhere should feel smug. Seems like a fast-speed version of smokers' dilemma - If you smoke, you'll probably get evil diseases; if you quit, you might not, or maybe you'll still get it, except for the 90-year old chain smoker walking around over there. No real guarantees to anything, but some actions are still better than others.

Poverty seems to play a big role.

Poverty, in part because of less safe living quarters, inability to work from home, greater reliance on public trans, poor health to start with, more obesity and its related problems ... all the risks that many of us can avoid while staying cloistered, getting into our car-bubbles to go to an open space to walk and going to an uncrowded grocery with people wearing masks and keeping their distance. Poverty takes away protections that are far past economic.

Detroit, Baltimore and Maryland DC suburbs have been hit especially hard for all those reasons.

Florida has had a tough time with cruise ships that were refused entry elsewhere ending up in Miami.

I read yesterday where one of the Scandinavian cruise lines has loaded their 4,000 person virus infected staff from 9 ships onto one (4 to a room in many cases) ship and are now in route to unload in Miami.

[O Really]

IMNVHO, dealing with the pandemic should never have become a political issue, and politicians of all stripes should have been able to let the experts lead, do what they say, and spend their time building public support and a reasonable level of unity. Maybe with literally anybody else in the White House, but nooooooo! It becomes a political us/them issue immediately. DeSantis may not be the worst in how he handled it; he's certainly not the best, but I think he turned himself into a lightening rod with his response to the Clearwater pics and spring break and then actually admitting he waited for Trump to tell him what to do. That set of unique circumstances and the actual admission set him apart from other governors who may in actuality not be any better.

[Whack9]

Coronavirus, face masks and America's new fault line

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/04/politics ... index.html

On April 30, the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma, issued an emergency proclamation requiring, among other things, the use of face coverings in stores and restaurants to slow the virus's spread. But officials amended it the next day, after a rash of verbal abuse and threats of physical violence.

"Many of those with objections cite the mistaken belief the requirement is unconstitutional, and under their theory, one cannot be forced to wear a mask," City Manager Norman McNickle said in a statement, referring to what tends to be a conservative talking point in arguments in favor of flouting certain public-health guidance. "No law or court supports this view. ... It is further distressing that these people, while exercising their believed rights, put others at risk."

...

That said, as parts of the country contemplate reopening, it's hard to ignore how these strange times have transformed face masks from tools to promote public health into statements with political valence -- statements that may have very real consequences.

I wear a face mask when in a store. If anything out of respect to the people working there. It doesn't help me, but it at least helps prevent them from being infected if I'm carrying and asymptomatic.

[O Really]

I wear a face mask when in a store. If anything out of respect to the people working there. It doesn't help me, but it at least helps prevent them from being infected if I'm carrying and asymptomatic.

Yeah, really it's more than just to protect against the virus. Right now, you don't want to catch anything - cold or whatever, because you might get covid-like symptoms and have to get scared/tested, or have to go to a doctor's office and sit among the infected, yada. So masks are good general health protection for all.

I think all the open stores around here, groceries, pharmacies, repair places, take-outs, all require masks to come in. Big signs on the doors. Greeters enforcing.

[Vrede too]

Ask your friends and neighbors. I'm merely sharing what they think since it will matter a lot in Nov. MD's electoral votes are not in question. They'll go to Biden no matter how popular Hogan (R) is.

Really?

Hey, they are the ones telling pollsters that DeSantis has been so much worse than other governors on CV-19. Why whine at me for noticing?

Then all of your criticism of DeSantis has been ...?

All I did was list him among 4 others, later 6, for public reaction. Everything else has been a response to your tantrum over this.

... My only point from the very beginning of all this has been that our politicians have to be smart and flexible and stay away from all this nit-picking political got-ya bullshit.

Again, tell that to your fellow Floridians. My NC opinion is largely irrelevant. Then, the whole world was laughing at DeSantis' glove and mask usage. You're pissing into the wind to blame it for that.

As I said, I did envy your conversations about open trails, but it made it a lot harder to understand why you would want what goes for trails around where I live to all be closed without any allowance for anyone.

I'm not sure that I've posted about trails and the pandemic other than to state what's been done locally. Got a quote and link?

Yeah, desantis is a trump sucking idiot the local rightwing pols who closed all of our beaches and the cops who constantly warned arrest for anyone putting even "one toe in the sand", have opened the beaches back up. And so wonderful that they did so with a well thought out set of rules and phases, but too bad the same cops who threatened arrest then, are ignoring all violations now.

They seem to have even cut back their numbers.

So far no tickets or arrests. Plenty of violations on Sunday.

What's DeSantis saying or doing about that?

[O Really]

Newsom shut back down the OC beaches, perhaps unnecessarily as the Huntington Beach mayor claims their data showed otherwise and that Newsom just responded to a less-than-accurate photo, but he did leave no doubt that distancing and other requirements will be enforced. They're back open again now, with apparently more compliance. In our neck of the woods we've got lots of happy surfers out there riding the smelly red tide, but no crowds on the beach itself.

Related to that, this is really cool... https://news.yahoo.com/watch-surfers-gl ... 00999.html

[Vrede too]

Newsom shut back down the OC beaches, perhaps unnecessarily as the Huntington Beach mayor claims their data showed otherwise and that Newsom just responded to a less-than-accurate photo, but he did leave no doubt that distancing and other requirements will be enforced. They're back open again now, with apparently more compliance. In our neck of the woods we've got lots of happy surfers out there riding the smelly red tide, but no crowds on the beach itself.

Related to that, this is really cool... https://news.yahoo.com/watch-surfers-gl ... 00999.html

Your video is not working for me. Here's the original post:
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/vi ... 2979181001

Cool, thanks.

[billy.pilgrim]

The ads on the weak and slow IMPOSPOTUS/DeSantis response, alongside FL morbidity and mortality numbers, will write themselves.

Trump Campaign Wants Coronavirus Ad Taken Down: Campaign Update

Whatever happens with this one ad and the objection to it, we all know that IMPOSPOTUS has downplayed the seriousness of CV-19, and continues to overly optimistic about its likely course. He will pay for it in Nov, death tallies don't lie.

Yep, and the US has more deaths than Haiti. I don't have a clue what good it does to point out that a state with a large population has more cases than one with a small population, but you do seem to be stuck on it.

[Vrede too]

March 26 is "stuck on it"???!!! You're just deflecting from:

Ask your friends and neighbors. I'm merely sharing what they think since it will matter a lot in Nov. MD's electoral votes are not in question. They'll go to Biden no matter how popular Hogan (R) is.

Really?

Hey, they are the ones telling pollsters that DeSantis has been so much worse than other governors on CV-19. Why whine at me for noticing?

Then all of your criticism of DeSantis has been ...?

All I did was list him among 4 others, later 6, for public reaction. Everything else has been a response to your tantrum over this.

... My only point from the very beginning of all this has been that our politicians have to be smart and flexible and stay away from all this nit-picking political got-ya bullshit.

Again, tell that to your fellow Floridians. My NC opinion is largely irrelevant. Then, the whole world was laughing at DeSantis' glove and mask usage. You're pissing into the wind to blame it for that.

As I said, I did envy your conversations about open trails, but it made it a lot harder to understand why you would want what goes for trails around where I live to all be closed without any allowance for anyone.

I'm not sure that I've posted about trails and the pandemic other than to state what's been done locally. Got a quote and link?

Yeah, desantis is a trump sucking idiot the local rightwing pols who closed all of our beaches and the cops who constantly warned arrest for anyone putting even "one toe in the sand", have opened the beaches back up. And so wonderful that they did so with a well thought out set of rules and phases, but too bad the same cops who threatened arrest then, are ignoring all violations now.

They seem to have even cut back their numbers.

So far no tickets or arrests. Plenty of violations on Sunday.

What's DeSantis saying or doing about that?

All points and questions cowered from.

[GoCubsGo]

They're gonna kill Americans and lose the election.

Pence says White House discussing winding down Coronavirus Task Force

[bannination]

They're gonna kill Americans and lose the election.

Pence says White House discussing winding down Coronavirus Task Force

Well, it's hardly like they were doing anything anyway. Perhaps it'll stop the Feds from stealing state supplies.

[GoCubsGo]

They're gonna kill Americans and lose the election.

Pence says White House discussing winding down Coronavirus Task Force

Well, it's hardly like they were doing anything anyway. Perhaps it'll stop the Feds from stealing state supplies.

Silver linings?

add no more "Task Force" pressers.

[O Really]

They're gonna kill Americans and lose the election.

Pence says White House discussing winding down Coronavirus Task Force

Well, it's hardly like they were doing anything anyway. Perhaps it'll stop the Feds from stealing state supplies.

And there's nothing more to do since the Pandemic has been masterfully beaten into submission and no one is still getting sick.

[GoCubsGo]

They're gonna kill Americans and lose the election.

Pence says White House discussing winding down Coronavirus Task Force

Well, it's hardly like they were doing anything anyway. Perhaps it'll stop the Feds from stealing state supplies.

And there's nothing more to do since the Pandemic has been masterfully beaten into submission and no one is still getting sick.

Did anyone tell the virus that?

[Vrede too]

As states push ahead with reopening, CDC warns coronavirus cases and deaths are set to soar

Unless the scientists are wrong any debates about how states have done so far will be irrelevant in the next 2 weeks. The ones that have reopened too soon will be rapidly separated from the more cautious states.

[Vrede too]

US infection rate rising outside New York as states open up

... New confirmed infections per day in the U.S. exceed 20,000, and deaths per day are well over 1,000, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. And public health officials warn that the failure to flatten the curve and drive down the infection rate in places could lead to many more deaths — perhaps tens of thousands — as people are allowed to venture out and businesses reopen....

Elsewhere around the world, Britain’s official coronavirus death toll, at more than 29,000, topped that of Italy to become the highest in Europe and second-highest in the world behind the United States. The official number of dead worldwide surpassed a quarter-million, by Johns Hopkins' count, though the true toll is believed to be much higher.

The densely packed New York metropolitan area, consisting of about 20 million people across a region that encompasses the city's northern suburbs, Long Island and northern New Jersey, has been the hardest-hit corner of the country, accounting for at least one-third of the nation's 70,000 deaths....

On Monday, a model from the University of Washington nearly doubled its projection of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. to around 134,000 through early August, with a range of 95,000 to nearly 243,000.

Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the institute that created the projections, said the increase is largely because most states are expected to ease restrictions by next week.

Without stay-at-home orders and similar measures, Murray said, “we would have had exponential growth, much larger epidemics and deaths in staggering numbers.” But cooperation is waning, with cellphone location data showing people are getting out more, even before their states reopen, he said....

Zhang, the UCLA researcher, said it's worrying that the rate of new cases is increasing at the same time some states are easing up: “We’re one country. If we’re not moving in the same step, we’re going to have a problem."

He said he is particularly concerned about Florida and Texas, where cases have been rising steadily and the potential for explosions seems high.

While death rates in some places have been trending down, that could change and hospitals could become overwhelmed, he said....