A Conversation for Ask h2g2

Lockdown.

Post 201

Mr. X ---> "Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes!"

They could only study those things if they knew beforehand how many people already HAD the virus going in, and could reliably test its presence within the exposed population afterwards.

Neither of which is true, because America's testing capacity is pathetic.

smiley - facepalmsmiley - pirate


Lockdown.

Post 202

Baron Grim

But we're testing more than anyone else! We're testing too much! If it weren't for all the testing we're doing we wouldn't have so many cases!

So says our witless leader, President Big-Brain.


Lockdown.

Post 203

Still Incognitas, Still Chairthingy, Still lurking, Still invisible, unnoticeable, missable, unseen, just haunting h2g2

smiley - laugh


Lockdown.

Post 204

Teasswill

Same excuse here. But our Gov stills seems to think we're doing better than other countries who have lots more cases, as they have just introduced new quarantine rules. Could it not be that other countries are also testing more & picking up more cases?

Or is it all these people out & about no longer socially distancing? I felt a bit uncomfortable in the supermarket yesterday, nearly everyone wearing masks as bid, but seemed to be too many people & getting too close.


Lockdown.

Post 205

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

The same on the rapid transit line yesterday.

People sitting next to each, touching. They're wearing masks, but so what?


Lockdown.

Post 206

Baron Grim

The folks with their masks pulled down below their nose infuriate me.

As a biker smiley - biker, I often saw folks with a similar mentality regarding helmets. Texas has a pretty lax helmet law so many, if not most bikers don't wear a helmet. Fine, I get it and you're only risking your own life but I was always puzzled/irritated by folks, some I knew personally, who wore what is known as "novelty" helmets. These are helmet shaped things that have minimal or no padding inside. Some are designed to look like German pickelhaube. I can understand why some rebellious biker types would wear these in states like Louisiana, which has a strict helmet law. They might keep one from being pulled over by inattentive or distant police. But why would one wear such pointless gear where it's not legally required. Why not just wear an ACTUAL piece of personal protection equipment!?

But those folks who wear the masks under their nose absolutely infuriate me because they're putting those around them at risk. smiley - bleep those people! smiley - cross


Lockdown.

Post 207

Still Incognitas, Still Chairthingy, Still lurking, Still invisible, unnoticeable, missable, unseen, just haunting h2g2

Which is why we still need the 6 metre spacing rule.


Lockdown.

Post 208

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Six meters is about 18 feet. Two meters would be about six feet.

I leave plenty of space between myself and other people when I have the chance.


Lockdown.

Post 209

Baron Grim

I believe that we are learning that, in general, two meters is probably... usually... enough. No guarantees, of course. If you do happen to cross paths with an infectious person, 6 meters is definitely better than 6 feet! But from what I heard on a recent Science Friday episode on NPR, most of the transmission they're finding is in confined spaces with close contact. It's not typically being transferred through ventilation systems like Measles can and does do. It's not traveling between rooms in buildings.

We need all the good news we can get these days. Also on that episode their experts alleviated my worries about reports that some folks that had recovered, after several weeks they showed low or no antibodies. This was making the news rounds bigly a few weeks ago.

This is why I like experts. To the ignorant brains of folks like me and every news reader, this sounded like dire news, that even if we get a vaccine soon, it won't have lasting results, that even if you get it you could get it again! YIKES, SKY FALLING! DOOMED, I say, DOOMED!


But no, it turns out this is perfectly normal. Of course your antibody levels go down after you recover because there isn't anything for the antibodies to fight in your system any more. What is important is whether or not your immune system "remembers" how to MAKE antibodies. There are other cells and ... things (with complicated scientific names) in you blood stream and immune system that learns how to fight off new infections. There are still questions regarding this, since this is still a NOVEL virus and we obviously don't have long term studies yet, but the reports about antibodies were uninformed sensationalism.

So yay!

While I hate Trumpers complaining about "fake" news, I do have a serious problem with "stupid" news.


Lockdown.

Post 210

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Please don't shoot me if my mask slides down when I'm not noticing. My nose sticks straight out, but it's not a big enough peg to hold a mask.


Lockdown.

Post 211

Two Bit Trigger Pumping Moron

The island that I live on doesn't have any Covid. Initially we had some very restrictive limitations in case the disease got here. It wasn't enough for me to work from home, but it was enough to shut down the schools. My wife, who is a teacher, and my daughter did school from home for the last two to three months. I was considered essential, so work didn't change much, except that our support staff was missing more than usual.

Our borders have been essentially shut down for months, and things have opened back up on the island. Day to day life is pretty normal.

I see the news from the states and around the world. In many ways, I don't feel like I understand what it's like back in the world at a gut level.

smiley - 2cents


Lockdown.

Post 212

Baron Grim

It sucks!


Lockdown.

Post 213

Still Incognitas, Still Chairthingy, Still lurking, Still invisible, unnoticeable, missable, unseen, just haunting h2g2

It's the endless socially distancing because only one person can enter some key local shops due to lack of space. That's the bakers,butchers and fruit and veg. It's been tedious trying to keep local shops going.smiley - sadface


Lockdown.

Post 214

Still Incognitas, Still Chairthingy, Still lurking, Still invisible, unnoticeable, missable, unseen, just haunting h2g2

Well now. Will we, won't we? So far in my neck of the woods we seem to be doing fairly well. However elsewhere in the UK matters are coming to a head. Maybe opening the pubs, schools and going back to work were several steps too far all at once.

smiley - tea


Lockdown.

Post 215

Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking.

Trend changes in the Netherlands follow the start and end of the summer holidays nicely (with a 2 week delay). First an increase due to people with free time spent together, secondly an extra increase due to people coming back from abroad at the end of the holidays.

Trouble is that the rate of testing has increased a lot as well, so I'm not sure how we can compare today's numbers with those of the first wave (when there was not a lot of testing going on)


Lockdown.

Post 216

Teasswill

I think the big mistake was allowing pubs & restaurants to open with '1 metre plus' distancing. All the pictures I've seen are no distancing at all. Sitting across a table from people not in the same social bubble, apparently with no attempt at avoiding infection.

Yet the interest group activities that keep people sane, were weeks later to be allowed to resume. We actually had a choir rehearsal last week - fully 2 m distancing, windows & doors open (chilly...). Felt very comfortable doing that, compared with a meal out in August.


Lockdown.

Post 217

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

I notice that shops are getting more crowded. Well, why not? With so many restaurants dead or dying, more people have to get their food at groceries and supermarkets. It's that, or go hungry (or grow your own, which won't be an option in January).

Plus, people weren't meant to be cooped up in their houses longterm. They need oxygen and exercise, and social contact, dangerous as it might be.


Lockdown.

Post 218

Mr. X ---> "Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes!"

Well, some of you do, anyway.....


smiley - vampire


Lockdown.

Post 219

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

true enough


Lockdown.

Post 220

Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking.

At least, just catching Corona from a non-socially distancing vampire is probably the better alternative...


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