Everything COVID-19

[LennG]

Rich: This says children have fewer coronavirus receptors in their noses.     https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-05-21-20-intl/h_045ff0a5390267f878680c220f539695

This offers reasons why kids are generally less likely to get infected, and less likely to spread it to others.  https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/07/10/coronavirus-why-kids-arent-the-germbags-and-grownups-are/

Yet, "big tech" pulled down Trump's tweet because it supposedly was "in violation of Twitter rules against misinformation"  (query: is what Trump said REALLY misinformation?).  What's the deal?

Bob

Bob

Don't know if you have grandkids. I have 3 and all are young. I haven't seen them since late February and we are still not ready to entertain them. Regardless of any reports, until everyone, can, with certainty, say that children, that young, are not carriers, I will stay away. Are YOU going to chance getting infected by having your grandkids or any kids, come up and hug you, maybe even cough on you. Sure they will wear masks, but these are kids and masks will come off.

I want to hug them dearly, but we will not, at least, not at this time, until every scientist can say with certainty, that young children are not carriers.

[Bob In PA]

Bob

Don't know if you have grandkids. I have 3 and all are young. I haven't seen them since late February and we are still not ready to entertain them. Regardless of any reports, until everyone, can, with certainty, say that children, that young, are not carriers, I will stay away. Are YOU going to chance getting infected by having your grandkids or any kids, come up and hug you, maybe even cough on you. Sure they will wear masks, but these are kids and masks will come off.

I want to hug them dearly, but we will not, at least, not at this time, until every scientist can say with certainty, that young children are not carriers.

Lenn: I'm no expert but I highly recommend a different standard on which to determine when your next family visit will occur.  There will never be unanimity... best you might get is a rough consensus...   Bob

[umassgrad]

End of year death toll estimated at 300,000 in USA by the end of the year? Anyone else see that? I say we not report any future deaths so we can keep the death numbers down

[Bob In PA]

End of year death toll estimated at 300,000 in USA by the end of the year? Anyone else see that? I say we not report any future deaths so we can keep the death numbers down

umass: Who made the estimate?  Was it someone who's been spot-on reliable in the past?  Bob

[LennG]

End of year death toll estimated at 300,000 in USA by the end of the year? Anyone else see that? I say we not report any future deaths so we can keep the death numbers down

I wanted to like this, but there is nothing to like about it. Just sad

[LennG]

umass: Who made the estimate?  Was it someone who's been spot-on reliable in the past?  Bob

Bob

I also saw this on several of the morning news shows (CBS, ABC).

I googled it also and came up with several re[ports of the same thing

https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2020/08/07/300-000-deaths-by-december-9-takeaways-of-the-newest-covid-19-projections

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/coronavirus-updates-model-predicts-300000-us-deaths-by-december-without-masking-up-india-surpasses-2m-cases/ar-BB17GmAS

I also read that if everyone would be wearing masks, we could save over 70,000 lives in that time frame.

[Bob In PA]

Bob

I also saw this on several of the morning news shows (CBS, ABC).

I googled it also and came up with several re[ports of the same thing

https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2020/08/07/300-000-deaths-by-december-9-takeaways-of-the-newest-covid-19-projections

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/coronavirus-updates-model-predicts-300000-us-deaths-by-december-without-masking-up-india-surpasses-2m-cases/ar-BB17GmAS

I also read that if everyone would be wearing masks, we could save over 70,000 lives in that time frame.

Lenn: But I saw Norah O'Donnell's show on CBS Nightly News and they did NOT play the entire clip.  I'm not saying CBS never played the whole thing, but I didn't see it.  Bob

[LennG]

So lets see what is happening in those States that refuse to have mandatory masks.

Seems school started in Georgia and studens went back with NO mandate that they have to wear masks or have any sort of social distancing. One brave student decided to take a pix of the sudents in the hallway, showing these facts to be so.

So does the principle take action to improve the school, no he suspends the student who took the pix.

HS suspends teen who tweeted photo of hallway packed with maskless students

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/08/hs-suspends-teen-who-tweeted-photo-of-hallway-packed-with-maskless-students/

Since this has drawn so much outrage, the student has been reinstated, but the rules in the school haven't changed.

A 15-year-old high school student who posted a viral photo of a crowded school hallway says the school suspended her for five days for allegedly violating a social-media policy. But the school has since backed down and lifted the suspension.

Hannah Watters, a student at North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia, posted a photo to Twitter on Tuesday, noting the "jammed" hallways and "10 percent mask rate." Her tweet received 1,800 retweets and 4,500 likes. She also posted a 10-second video of a hallway at the 2,000-student school and says she was suspended around noon the next day.

And when the Superintendent was questioned about policy, he says that the photo is misleading, they were only in the hallway for a brief period of time, to go to their next class. (Like the virus knows this)

And While many students were shown without masks, he wrote that "wearing a mask is a personal choice and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them."
This student was interviewed on a news show and when she was aksed if chairs and desks were 6 feet apart, she siad they were as they always were, no different.

OH NO, have some balls and tell them, no mask, no school.

We know Cuomo would never put up with this.

[Bob In PA]

So lets see what is happening in those States that refuse to have mandatory masks.

Seems school started in Georgia and studens went back with NO mandate that they have to wear masks or have any sort of social distancing. One brave student decided to take a pix of the sudents in the hallway, showing these facts to be so.

So does the principle take action to improve the school, no he suspends the student who took the pix.

HS suspends teen who tweeted photo of hallway packed with maskless students

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/08/hs-suspends-teen-who-tweeted-photo-of-hallway-packed-with-maskless-students/

Since this has drawn so much outrage, the student has been reinstated, but the rules in the school haven't changed.

And when the Superintendent was questioned about policy, he says that the photo is misleading, they were only in the hallway for a brief period of time, to go to their next class. (Like the virus knows this)

And While many students were shown without masks, he wrote that "wearing a mask is a personal choice and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them."
This student was interviewed on a news show and when she was aksed if chairs and desks were 6 feet apart, she siad they were as they always were, no different.

OH NO, have some balls and tell them, no mask, no school.

We know Cuomo would never put up with this.

Lenn: Yet he's opening the schools. I say good for him.  I (for one) won't seek to chastise him if he takes a tough stance (as you suggest), just so he doesn't change the criteria that he has already established.  Bob

[katkavage]

Lenn: Yet he's opening the schools. I say good for him.  I (for one) won't seek to chastise him if he takes a tough stance (as you suggest), just so he doesn't change the criteria that he has already established.  Bob

The date supports opening the schools. New York is in very very good shape thanks to the measures put in place by the governor months ago. And Bob, criteria could change as the science on Covid changes constantly. As long as the students and teachers don't interact foolishly with those slackers from Florida, Georgia and other outlying states, New York should remain good.

[MightyGiants]

This is concerning

STURGIS, S.D.

[MightyGiants]

US tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe's alarm

ROME (AP)

[Bob In PA]

US tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe's alarm

ROME (AP)

[katkavage]

Rich: Europe would be better served to mind its own business, as they have done no better or worse.  Bob

Population:
United States - 330,000,000
Germany,UK, France,Italy and Spain - 325,000,000 combined

Approximate number of covid tests:
United States - 59,000,000
Euro countries listed above - 41,300,000

Approximate number of covid Deaths:
United States - 158,000
Euro group - 151,000

Deaths per 100,000 population:
UK - 70
Spain - 61
Italy - 58
United States - 48
France - 45
Germany - 11

Bob

PS. These stats are getting a bit long-in-the-tooth but they're approximations anyway (but sufficient to make my point). I have no idea if the comparison is now more or less favorable than it was at the end of June.

Bob,
Stats aside, you can't really seriously think that we've handled this pandemic properly. Or as good as a number of other "first world" nations. Tell me about normalcy please and how far we are from it as opposed to countries in Europe and many in Asia?

[Bob In PA]

Bob,
Stats aside, you can't really seriously think that we've handled this pandemic properly. Or as good as a number of other "first world" nations. Tell me about normalcy please and how far we are from it as opposed to countries in Europe and many in Asia?

kat: I seriously think the U.S., Europe, the individual governors here, etc. - everyone - did what they thought best.  Good? Hardly.   Bad? No.   

I'm glad I wasn't in charge of anything.  A novel virus is a total minefield. 

Normalcy: I don't know what that is, but I do know the kids in Europe and Asia are mostly going back to school (or have already done so).  I hope we'll do the same.

Generally speaking, I think when this is "all over" the stats will show that despite the wide variety of approaches taken throughout the world, there will not have been much variation in the overall results.*

Unless there's a cure (unlikely), eventually covid will go everywhere, with approximately the same results.  What we humans are doing right now, IMO, is merely forestalling the inevitable (while praying for a cure).

Bob

*Footnote: there will, of course, be variations in results based on quality of care, availability of care, etc., but IMO the United States is second to none in either of those categories.