Coronavirus

[hunnus2000]

I'm just hoping we only have the winter to deal with this before the vaccines roll out and we see the spread slow down.  There's been a lot of positive news about these vaccines being available real soon and with a good chance of a significant portion of the US population having it available to them in a few more months. 

I really do feel like there's a good chance that we are nearing the end of the pandemic.  If people can just keep being good with this, it could probably save a significant amount of lives before it's too late, but there's already such a "tired of this" attitude of many.

When I typed this earlier I was trying to find the article to link, here it is:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/operation-warp-speeds-top-scientist-194606363.html

Moncef Slaoui, the top scientist advising the US government's Operation Warp Speed, predicted that more than 100 million Americans would be vaccinated against COVID-19 within the next 100 days.

Slaoui said 20 million Americans should be immunized in December, then 30 million more in January and 50 million in February.

By the end of February, "we will have potentially immunized 100 million people, which is really more or less the size of the significant at-risk population: the elderly, the healthcare workers, the first-line workers, people with comorbidities," Slaoui said.

This is why I'm starting to feel optimistic about coming out of the winter and things starting to come back to normal.  Between people naturally immune, those who recovered, and those who get vaccinated, by May we might have a majority of the population with some form of immunity.  I don't expect covid to go anywhere, it's here to stay, but there's legit reason to think we could get out of this state of so many sick and dying from it.

I just wanted to say that I share your optimism. A friend of mind had texted me the other day and she was pretty negative in her text and she is a hilarious and usually a positive person. I called to cheer her up (hopefully I succeeded)  and this is what I told her:

"Think about it - we're already at December and there is a vaccine on the way. We've lasted 9 months so surly we can make it another 6 or 7 months".

My wife and I see the faint light at the end of the tunnel so we are bucking up and locking down. We can last another few months realizing that we won't realistically be able to get a vaccine until Spring at the earliest. 

[jingle.boy]

I'm with you Hunny.  I hope the best for those that are travelling and seeing family.  In and of itself, you'd think this wouldn't be risky.  To me though, it's like voting.  Does one vote really and truly make a difference?  No.  Does one trip really and truly make a difference in the spread of the virus.  Probably not?  But add 150M people collectively doing this together (US); or 10M (CA), and this is why we're in the predicament we're in.

My mother lives alone - jingle.family will make a brief stop for a masked (ALL 5 of us), non eating/drinking, physically distanced visit.  That's it.

Also, this:



Be safe everyone.

[Hyperplex]

We are locking it down. My wife has had and will require a few medical things that will force her out of our comfort zones, but we are foregoing family gatherings this winter. The way I look at it, I'd rather miss this year in order to be able to gather next year. One or two gatherings missed pale in comparison to never seeing someone again due to COVID.

[The Walrus]

If I were a betting man I'd put money on people still missing next Christmas too, might as well just go now

[MoraWintersoul]

We've been invited to visit some friends again in our old place for a birthday that coincides with the holidays. But we will likely leave that plane/train space for people who have to go home and visit their families.

I'm hoping that in a few months the curve will go down again to the place where it was all summer long, so that I can start doing volunteer work again and places open up and start hiring. I'm looking at the local news every day to see which sectors will get a boost - so far it hasn't been venues, and a venue I hope to start seeing bands in when this is over is reporting TERRIBLE losses.

[hunnus2000]

If I were a betting man I'd put money on people still missing next Christmas too, might as well just go now

Well, I think things will be better because of the vaccine AND a new administration that will actually show some leadership. We're getting closer and now is not the time to fuck things up.

[The Walrus]

If I were a betting man I'd put money on people still missing next Christmas too, might as well just go now

Well, I think things will be better because of the vaccine AND a new administration that will actually show some leadership. We're getting closer and now is not the time to fuck things up.

Didn't they say this in April, June, September, October... I seriously just don't care anymore, and with the vaccines near at hand, I care even less about other people not wearing masks

[lonestar]

Aaaaaaaaaand the SF Bay Area is shut down, effective Sunday. LA already closed, the rest of the state should follow by Monday. I guess all those who said this would magically disappear on Nov 4th can accept their status as complete fucking idiots. Fortunately both my jobs fall under essential employment under the new rules (grocery store and critical infrastructure) so I should be able to enjoy continued employment.


Told my mom yesterday I won't be attending Xmas, and I'm hoping the rest of the family follows suite.

[Ben_Jamin]

I don't think people will want to give up Christmas. It's a thing that people have a strong belief in. Whether you believe in it or not doesn't matter, a vast majority of people hold it dear to their heart. If the media or any political person, were to mention "Canceling Christmas", a guaranteed storm would brew and all hell would ironically break loose. (I hope I am not right)

So I am sure, they are trying their best not to use those terms. I think that's why there's a rush and push for this vaccine, and for the information of whether it's safe or not. They don't want to have to close down for Christmas. People want to see their families. But then, in the end, many will choose for themselves and decide to take that risk and spend Christmas with their loved ones. I don't hold them responsible for anything. Because they chose that, and felt in their hearts, it's a right choice for them. While I, could just stay home, and not catch it, and smirk when they catch it while I am safe at home. (Then I'd slip while shoveling snow, and hit the concrete, and now I'm in a coma...Because life is funny like that sometimes  ).

[Ben_Jamin]

Aaaaaaaaaand the SF Bay Area is shut down, effective Sunday. LA already closed, the rest of the state should follow by Monday. I guess all those who said this would magically disappear on Nov 4th can accept their status as complete fucking idiots. Fortunately both my jobs fall under essential employment under the new rules (grocery store and critical infrastructure) so I should be able to enjoy continued employment.


Told my mom yesterday I won't be attending Xmas, and I'm hoping the rest of the family follows suite.

Welcome to my world. We've been in lockdown since, well. This whole time. Our governor is now famous with the against lockdown twitter brigade. It's not bad, but I did notice how many people shop at Wal-Mart. It's funny actually how people complain about the long lines there, Yet here I am, driving up to Sprouts, easily walking in, getting what I need, and heading out the door, and back at home, while those people are still in line at Wal-Mart. It boggles my mind, how they complain and then don't bother, going to another place besides Wal-Mart. And Smith's is the 2nd top Grocery Store behind Wal-Mart, there lines are bad, but not as bad. Albertsons, is either or, and depends on what time of day you go. Basically, just be smart and have common sense where you shop at.

[lonestar]

Aaaaaaaaaand the SF Bay Area is shut down, effective Sunday. LA already closed, the rest of the state should follow by Monday. I guess all those who said this would magically disappear on Nov 4th can accept their status as complete fucking idiots. Fortunately both my jobs fall under essential employment under the new rules (grocery store and critical infrastructure) so I should be able to enjoy continued employment.


Told my mom yesterday I won't be attending Xmas, and I'm hoping the rest of the family follows suite.

Welcome to my world. We've been in lockdown since, well. This whole time. Our governor is now famous with the against lockdown twitter brigade. It's not bad, but I did notice how many people shop at Wal-Mart. It's funny actually how people complain about the long lines there, Yet here I am, driving up to Sprouts, easily walking in, getting what I need, and heading out the door, and back at home, while those people are still in line at Wal-Mart. It boggles my mind, how they complain and then don't bother, going to another place besides Wal-Mart. And Smith's is the 2nd top Grocery Store behind Wal-Mart, there lines are bad, but not as bad. Albertsons, is either or, and depends on what time of day you go. Basically, just be smart and have common sense where you shop at.

What state are you in?

[hunnus2000]

If I were a betting man I'd put money on people still missing next Christmas too, might as well just go now

Well, I think things will be better because of the vaccine AND a new administration that will actually show some leadership. We're getting closer and now is not the time to fuck things up.

Didn't they say this in April, June, September, October... I seriously just don't care anymore, and with the vaccines near at hand, I care even less about other people not wearing masks

Triggered much? Weird.........

[The Walrus]

If I were a betting man I'd put money on people still missing next Christmas too, might as well just go now

Well, I think things will be better because of the vaccine AND a new administration that will actually show some leadership. We're getting closer and now is not the time to fuck things up.

Didn't they say this in April, June, September, October... I seriously just don't care anymore, and with the vaccines near at hand, I care even less about other people not wearing masks

Triggered much? Weird.........

There was nothing I was upset about. I wasn't "triggered." Nice try though. I don't think that word means what you think it means. The part I bolded? Literally been said every month since March. That's all. But please try to lay down some more sick pwnage on me.

[MirrorMask]

I don't think people will want to give up Christmas. It's a thing that people have a strong belief in. Whether you believe in it or not doesn't matter, a vast majority of people hold it dear to their heart. If the media or any political person, were to mention "Canceling Christmas", a guaranteed storm would brew and all hell would ironically break loose. (I hope I am not right)

So I am sure, they are trying their best not to use those terms. I think that's why there's a rush and push for this vaccine, and for the information of whether it's safe or not. They don't want to have to close down for Christmas. People want to see their families. But then, in the end, many will choose for themselves and decide to take that risk and spend Christmas with their loved ones. I don't hold them responsible for anything. Because they chose that, and felt in their hearts, it's a right choice for them. While I, could just stay home, and not catch it, and smirk when they catch it while I am safe at home. (Then I'd slip while shoveling snow, and hit the concrete, and now I'm in a coma...Because life is funny like that sometimes  ).

Christmas was dear also in the years between 1939 and 1944. It's not that - Xmas truce aside and that anyway happened in WWI, not II - people just stopped the war because it was Christmas. As painful as it is, the virus doesn't stop because of Christmas and there has to be painful decisions about it.

In Italy they effectively cancelled the holiday period - tradionally the period that goes from immediately before Xmas to 6th of January, which is another big holiday here, it's the classic winter time, schools are closed and the vast majority of offices either close, or give you holidays during that time. Well, all big movements around the nation are suspended in that period. On Xmas and Boxing Day, just like NYE, people won't be literally allowed to leave their own town (which caused a shitstorm because if you're in a big city, you can walk around and meet a lot of people, but if you're in a small town in the countryside you can't go to your equally small neighbouring town to meet your close relatives). So yeah, Christmas has been cancelled here, and that's a gamble of the government who wants to bring down the curve once and for all (yesterday 993 people died, on a country of 60-63 millions of people). And that is what sadly has to happen everywhere else, with the due exceptions and careful attentions when moving around or traveling.

Of course it bloody sucks to not have a normal Christmas and having to make a choice about how few relatives you have to meet, but the world isn't going to end for a missed Christmas. It's going to end, although not literally, if we drag this thing forever. Vaccines will take months to be implemented, we just have to bring down the number of cases somehow and the Christmas holidays and gatherings are sadly a major case for contagions.

[Cool Chris]

On Xmas and Boxing Day, just like NYE, people won't be literally allowed to leave their own town

Wha?!?! Are their checkpoints at the city limits? Or is it just one of those declarations that doesn't have any teeth to it?

[dparrott]

NBA star Karl Anthony-Towns came out and said he's lost 7 family members to it.  Damn. 
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2920980-karl-anthony-towns-says-he-lost-7-family-members-to-covid-19-including-his-mom
So I suppose he's lying too and part of the political machine and trying to control people? 

Re: Christmas, in an unusual year, you have to do non-traditional things.  Stay home with your immediate family.  If you HAVE to celebrate it with distant family, do it through zoom.  Hopefully these lockdowns will stop people from traveling like they did at Thanksgiving.   

[bosk1]

Good luck Marc. Might want to get tested after being in that tin sardine can with wings, too.

I know nothing is a guarantee, short of strictly quarantining.  But I wouldn't worry too much about flying, as aggressively as they cycle and filter the air on planes.  I am really close friends with 2 doctors, both of whom I chat with on Zoom at least once a week, and neither is concerned about flying.  One of the two is pretty skittish about doing a lot of things, and he has flown several times since March.  Again, nothing is a guarantee.  But flying isn't something I would be overly fearful about.

[MirrorMask]

On Xmas and Boxing Day, just like NYE, people won't be literally allowed to leave their own town

Wha?!?! Are their checkpoints at the city limits? Or is it just one of those declarations that doesn't have any teeth to it?

Remains to be seen.

Checkpoints won't definitively be there, they won't literally lock you inside your own town blocking all the roads leading outside. But I assume there will be police rounds, so it's a toss of a coin, you either travel 100 KMs and nobody stops you, or you take a random road and after 2 kMs the police stops you and asks you for a reason why you're around. How thorough those checks will be, and if there will be many police cars going around or nobody will ultimately enforce it, it's anyone's guess. So far that is the regulation, on 25th and 26th December you are not supposed to leave your own town.

[The Walrus]

Good luck Marc. Might want to get tested after being in that tin sardine can with wings, too.

I know nothing is a guarantee, short of strictly quarantining.  But I wouldn't worry too much about flying, as aggressively as they cycle and filter the air on planes.  I am really close friends with 2 doctors, both of whom I chat with on Zoom at least once a week, and neither is concerned about flying.  One of the two is pretty skittish about doing a lot of things, and he has flown several times since March.  Again, nothing is a guarantee.  But flying isn't something I would be overly fearful about.

Well, yeah. All I said was maybe get tested. Nothing to do with fear

[lordxizor]

My group has 10 people in it and 6 of them were potentially exposed to another guy in our group who tested positive. One of them just got over Covid a couple weeks ago, so she was ok to stay at work, the other 5 had to quarantine until they get negative test results. All because they don't work hard enough to keep their distance from each other. Everyone wears masks all the time, so the chance of transmission is low, but it's still a freaking pain in the ass to deal with this all the time (this is a third time we've had multiple people from our group need to quarantine until they get a negative test result). Two of my guys had to go home because the positive guy hung out in their shared office to chat for a while earlier this week. My boss and I are at our wits end trying to explain to these people how important it is to not work closely with each other. I worry about their safety of course (thankfully everyone was negative), but we're basically shutting down our department and delaying customer projects every time this happens. My boss and I want to sit them all down and beat into their brains that they cannot be working in close proximity to each other. Honestly, if someone does something like that again (sitting around in an enclosed office chatting and exposing others) I want to fire them. There is occasionally a process that requires short term close contact, but just killing time while exposing others is inexcusable.

[Ben_Jamin]

Hopefully these lockdowns will stop people from traveling like they did at Thanksgiving.   

I hate to break it to you. But, it won't. Because the airports are still open, and people have cars.

[ReaperKK]

My Mom called me last night saying she really wants me to be in Florida for Christmas.  Said it was worth the risk due to mental health and most of my family is already down there (both sisters drove down already).  So I booked a flight today to go down with my sisters husband (who has already recovered from covid a couple months ago) and then to fly back solo and he will stay there longer and drive back with my sister at some future date.  I just hope this isn't set up to be like one of the stories you'll hear on the news.  I think I'll be getting tested before the flight to be safe as well and of course follow all precautions.

I just came down to Florida to see my brother, st.pete/Tampa area and ill tell that you would think covid doesn't exists here. The amount of people out everywhere with zero masks its astonishing.

[jingle.boy]

Stay safe you two.

[Chino]

Good luck Marc. Might want to get tested after being in that tin sardine can with wings, too.

I know nothing is a guarantee, short of strictly quarantining.  But I wouldn't worry too much about flying, as aggressively as they cycle and filter the air on planes.  I am really close friends with 2 doctors, both of whom I chat with on Zoom at least once a week, and neither is concerned about flying.  One of the two is pretty skittish about doing a lot of things, and he has flown several times since March.  Again, nothing is a guarantee.  But flying isn't something I would be overly fearful about.

I'd be more afraid of setting foot in Florida than I would an airport. You still won't catch me on a plane, but from the stuff I've read and seen, flying actually looks pretty safe in its current capacity.

[Stadler]

Hopefully these lockdowns will stop people from traveling like they did at Thanksgiving.   

I hate to break it to you. But, it won't. Because the airports are still open, and people have cars.

But they're narrowing down things: it's not cars and it's not airports.

it's restaurants, bars and gyms, and, to a lesser degree, hotels.  it's really not rocket science; poor circulation, close quarters, static environment (you can't move your tables in a restaurant, or move that treadmill, if someone decides to use the table/treadmill next to you).  Around where I am, the only really "egregious" anti-COVID stuff I hear about is restaurants not limiting capacity (a place I used to go a lot, and used to play softball for them, they were an appeal away from losing their license to sell food for having over 50% capacity, and letting people stand at the bar) or having bars open.   There's a titty bar about five miles from my house, and I often drive by there; I've seen the parking lot full a couple times in the last couple weeks.  Ridiculous.

[Chino]

Hopefully these lockdowns will stop people from traveling like they did at Thanksgiving.   

I hate to break it to you. But, it won't. Because the airports are still open, and people have cars.

But they're narrowing down things: it's not cars and it's not airports.

it's restaurants, bars and gyms, and, to a lesser degree, hotels.  it's really not rocket science; poor circulation, close quarters, static environment (you can't move your tables in a restaurant, or move that treadmill, if someone decides to use the table/treadmill next to you).  Around where I am, the only really "egregious" anti-COVID stuff I hear about is restaurants not limiting capacity (a place I used to go a lot, and used to play softball for them, they were an appeal away from losing their license to sell food for having over 50% capacity, and letting people stand at the bar) or having bars open.   There's a titty bar about five miles from my house, and I often drive by there; I've seen the parking lot full a couple times in the last couple weeks.  Ridiculous.

There's a bar about a mile from me that's packed constantly. They have popcorn, peanuts, and nachos on the menu, essentially allowing them to operate as a restaurant instead of a bar.

[Cool Chris]

I thought all bars here in WA had to serve food as part of their business. Are there states where bars can only sell booze?

[dparrott]

Rudy Giuliani in the hospital with COVID.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/rudy-giuliani-tested-positive-covid-19-trump/story?id=74571847

Great.  God knows how many hundreds he's given it to. 

[Stadler]

I thought all bars here in WA had to serve food as part of their business. Are there states where bars can only sell booze?

I don't remember the exact wording of the statute, but in Philly, whether you can smoke in the bar or not depends on how much (by percentage) food you sell.  So the Locust, my old corner bar, you couldn't smoke in there, ever, because they were a bar/restaurant.   But right down the street, McGlinchey's, their only food was hot dogs out of one of those roller things you see at a 7-11, so you could smoke in the bar.   Here in CT, the Spigot, in West Hartford, they don't sell any food at all (you can bring it in, and there's a Subway and a pizza shop across the street).   So yeah, there are bars where you don't/can't get food. 

[Chino]

I thought all bars here in WA had to serve food as part of their business. Are there states where bars can only sell booze?

I don't remember the exact wording of the statute, but in Philly, whether you can smoke in the bar or not depends on how much (by percentage) food you sell.  So the Locust, my old corner bar, you couldn't smoke in there, ever, because they were a bar/restaurant.   But right down the street, McGlinchey's, their only food was hot dogs out of one of those roller things you see at a 7-11, so you could smoke in the bar.   Here in CT, the Spigot, in West Hartford, they don't sell any food at all (you can bring it in, and there's a Subway and a pizza shop across the street).   So yeah, there are bars where you don't/can't get food.

This has been my understanding as well. Serving food opens you up to new permits and inspections, so a lot of the dive bars around me don't bother.

[Chino]

Nice little Thanksgiving spike in my state.

[Chino]

Rudy Giuliani in the hospital with COVID.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/rudy-giuliani-tested-positive-covid-19-trump/story?id=74571847

Great.  God knows how many hundreds he's given it to.

Here's a video of him asking a witness sitting 3 feet from him to remove her mask:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnMQhyu2IwE

Also, looks like the Arizona legislature has shut down for a week because this douche exposed a bunch of legislators to Covid.

[The Walrus]

I know people who wore masks everywhere they went but they still got it; I know people who have gone everywhere without masks and not gotten it. I really don't think treating the mask like the new Star of David is logical. That said, Rudy is indeed an idiot

[Chino]

I know people who wore masks everywhere they went but they still got it; I know people who have gone everywhere without masks and not gotten it. I really don't think treating the mask like the new Star of David is logical. That said, Rudy is indeed an idiot

I know people that got knocked up while using a condom and/or other forms of birth control. We should still advocate for their use even if not 100% effective.

[The Walrus]

I know people who wore masks everywhere they went but they still got it; I know people who have gone everywhere without masks and not gotten it. I really don't think treating the mask like the new Star of David is logical. That said, Rudy is indeed an idiot

I know people that got knocked up while using a condom and/or other forms of birth control. We should still advocate for their use even if not 100% effective.

did you compare getting pregnant to getting a disease

but, yes, I agree, although we should let the individual make their own choice, if we're really going to compare masks to condoms