h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ugh... That's the problem. That's a stupid point anti-maskers try to make here as well, that if masks aren't perfectly fit N95 respirators, they won't protect you. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! It's about protecting others. What they keep willfully ignoring is that wearing even simple cloth masks prevent unaware, asymptomatic folks from spreading it as easily. It mitigates the distance and amount of droplets exhaled and coughed.

A recent study suggests that if 80% of folks would wear masks when in public crowded places, we could get that N number, the rate of infection, down below 1. Anything above one means that for every person infected, they spread it to more than one other person. If it's below 1 the pandemic could effectively be controled.

Millions of people are wearing masks everywhere in the U.S., Pierce. The CDC maintained for months that masks wear ineffective, then overnight they changed their position, and people were expected to wear masks even though there was a severe shortage of them. Anyone who could stitch together their own mask was golden. The rest of us felt like doofuses, having to cut up old sheets, order bandannas, etc.

It annoys me when the powers that be give orders even though millions of people can't follow them because they don't have the proper materials.

The rate of infection has been down below 1 since the end of April here. Thanks to a sensible government. But I wouldn't mind wearing a mask anyway. There seems to be enough of them now.

I have always worried more about infecting others than being infected myself.

paulh, yeah there was some conflicting information and confusion early on regarding masks because of the shortage of specifically N95 masks. Some officials were clear about this, that the N95 masks should be reserved for medical personnel, but others, probably correctly assumed that the general public would conflate N95 masks for simpler surgical masks or other face coverings and rush out and horde the N95 masks. That's exactly what happened with Chloroquine with some doctors and pharmacists buying and hording it for themselves causing many patients (Lupus and other diseases) who needed it to not get it.

But that was early on. Now the message should be clear, that widespread wearing of face masks can mitigate the spread, that while face masks may not give the user sufficient protection if exposed, it can prevent those already exposed from spreading it wide and far.

But obviously many people are actively ignoring this, and some are gleefully spreading false information especially via social media. The conspiracy cult of Trumpism and far right culture war is actively fighting on behalf of the virus.

Danes are very likely to have passed on the corona infection to Iceland, Sweden and Latvia.
The "Danish" strand of corona originated from the ski resort Ischgl, Austria.
This is the conclusion from researchers at the University of Copenhagen in a preliminary study (that has not yet been evaluated by external researchers in the field, though).

I remember more innocent days when you could mention a Corona, and be talking about a Toyota model.

We also have an old cerut brand here called Corona and the Mexicans have, as mentioned earlier, a beer of the same name

It was the name of the fizzy pop we used to have. Usually lemonade and orangeade. It was delivered every other week. My father made a crate to keep the bottles in, which we stood out on the porch with the empties and a note with the new order. Like milk, only not healthy. Not that anyone knew or cared about that in the 60s.

paulh... You'd make a poor parking valet.


It's a Toyota Corolla, not Corona.

You must be joking, Baron

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Corona

Well, apparently *I* would make a poor parking valet.

Like a Corolla crashed into a Carina.

Never heard of the Corona either...

Our government has postponed its plan for antibody testing because it is not yet known to what extent antibodies confer immunity - if any ...

Serological studies are under way worldwide to investigate the duration of immunity. The results of this will be crucial for future strategies, according to the country's largest newspaper.

THIS JUST IN:
Denmark has secured enough corona medicine before the US emptied the market. An agreement has been reached on the delivery of 'a certain amount' of the drug Remdesivir. With the low number of infections we have right now, the country should be well covered for a period.

The Toyota Corona model may not have been available in every country. It was available in the U.S. And, it was discontinued a long time ago. You can be forgiven if you've never heard of it. It was replaced by the Camry.

UPDATE:
Unemployment has increased by 60% here compared to the same day last year and four years before. Partly because so few die of Covid-19 here, I guess ...

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical giant Gilead is demanding about $ 2,340 for one treatment with Remdesivir, the most effective drug for Covid-19. Independent experts estimate that the drug costs under US $ 5 to produce ...
"Greed is good". [Gordon Gekko]

Danes are now free to travel all over Europe if they take good care of themselves. However, unnecessary journeys to Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Romania are advised against .

Remdesivir should not cost so much! That's scalping.

Healthcare for profit is truly evil.

Masks make me feel as if I am smothering. I wear them anyhow, but I get nervous about how long I will have to be in the store while wearing them. I've look for tips on making the wait bearable. (Panic attacks, even minor ones, are not fun). A few ideas: walk in place, count the money in your wallet, sing. Okay, so I can visualize the men in white coats coming at me when they see me walking in place and singing. ?

Maybe they would be *women* in white coats. \

And maybe I would be singing about how awful it is to have to wear masks . I can't do anything about it, but why not create art from the experience?