Are you personally worried about getting the Coronavirus?

[HawkGold]

I have seen that chart. Are you saying that Covid is really bad or not to worry about it?

The main response to this chart I hear where people say we have a lot of deaths due to car crashes, cancer, obesity , diabetes, etc is to say "car crashes, cancer, obesity , diabetes etc are not infectious".

Not saying anything. It's interesting. The biggest takeaway for me is the rapid rise and it is not behaving at present like the flu.

 

[uihawk82]

I think Friday/tomorrow is when Georgians can open up a large number of types of businesses (even trying to maintain some type of social distancing, haircuts yeah right). It will be interesting to see how many owners open up, how many customers come out to get their nails and pedicures, haircuts, sit with a bunch of strangers to have beers, do a hookup at the bar and swap those oral fluids, etc, be waited on at the eatery and use the silverware handled by the wait staff, etc.

I also find it hilarious that Georgia Gov Kemp, probably trying to please and follow Trump's lead for opening up, was thrown under the bus by Trump yesterday when Trump said Kemp had a terrible idea. And kudos to Drs. Redfield head of the CDC and Fauci and even Birx (who has lately seemed to be more of a Fed lackey rather than a Doctor of medicine) to TOTALLY disagree with Trump on stage yesterday about Trump trying to bully them into saying false/misleading things and putting words into the Doctors mouths. If you haven't seen these videos of yesterday's press conference it is very scary. If John Kennedy was doing this I would be calling him bad for doing it.

 

[HawkGold]

I think Friday/tomorrow is when Georgians can open up a large number of types of businesses (even trying to maintain some type of social distancing, haircuts yeah right). It will be interesting to see how many owners open up, how many customers come out to get their nails and pedicures, haircuts, sit with a bunch of strangers to have beers, do a hookup at the bar and swap those oral fluids, etc, be waited on at the eatery and use the silverware handled by the wait staff, etc.

I also find it hilarious that Georgia Gov Kemp, probably trying to please and follow Trump's lead for opening up, was thrown under the bus by Trump yesterday when Trump said Kemp had a terrible idea. And kudos to Drs. Redfield head of the CDC and Fauci and even Birx (who has lately seemed to be more of a Fed lackey rather than a Doctor of medicine) to TOTALLY disagree with Trump on stage yesterday about Trump trying to bully them into saying false/misleading things and putting words into the Doctors mouths. If you haven't seen these videos of yesterday's press conference it is very scary. If John Kennedy was doing this I would be calling him bad for doing it.

In ag we see favoritism toward Georgia. Never forget Sony Perdue is from Georgia.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

Just ribbing you. I'm struggling after 30 some years of marriage in that regard. I'm a slow learner.

Even if you're right, just act like you're wrong.

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

Not saying anything. It's interesting. The biggest takeaway for me is the rapid rise and it is not behaving at present like the flu.

I would argue that COVID-19 is a very similar to influenza. This coronavirus causes similar symptoms and progresses in a similar way to flu. And, as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 likely is transmitted in a similar fashion to the flu, via direct contact with respiratory droplets.

 

[HawkGold]

Even if you're right, just act like you're wrong.

It's hard.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

So lets bring America to a screeching halt to save 330,000 lives.

You will end up causing a lot more than 330,000 others to die but the government will puff their chests out and say it least they didn't die because of Covid-19.

At some point there should be therapeutics out there to take. That might be the best we can do because there's no guarantee a vaccine will ever be developed. There's no doubt, some point soon, we will all have to go back to work, live with it and do the best we can.

 

[haydensly]

Wonder if these are stages?

Many of these are being funded by certain "groups" and yes, they are staged.

 

[uihawk82]

Not saying anything. It's interesting. The biggest takeaway for me is the rapid rise and it is not behaving at present like the flu.

Ok. yes the chart is very telling about a lot of things. Some years ago I think the US had twice as many vehicle deaths with much less population and vehicles, maybe 100,000 a year to about half that now. But better rules, laws and tech have lessened the deaths. We took actions like seat belts and airbags probably better road design and more traffic lights.

It shows covid is very contagious. Obesity and diabetes, which can go hand in hand, are getting worse n the population, and can be controlled although it is difficult because we know a lot more now about the genetics and body chemistry of hormones that make it not necessarily just a social choice to gain weight and the immune system actions that cause a lot of type 1 diabetes and the insulin resistance developed that causes a lot of type 2 diabetes.

 

[Northside Hawk]

It is basic triage...take care of the thing that is most likely to kill you immediately, and then try to worry about the other stuff later. The other effects of the lockdown are more likely to have there impacts years down the road, and we can always hope we can find other ways to head those off before then.

I agree with your basic premise that we need to have a more rational discussion of the costs of our preventative measures. I have said from the start, and I stand by this: a conservative approach is wise when there are so many unknowns. But as we have a better handle on exactly what we are dealing with, we need to start having tough conversations.

Some want to frame it as "lives" vs, "economy", but that is an over-simplified ploy to try to win an argument based upon people's emotions. The economy and our ways of life greatly influence health, so it is really "lives if we go this route" vs. "lives if we go this other route." The tough part is that no matter which way you choose, some will end up with the short-end of the stick, and that sucks. But that is the reality when you are trying to decide not just what is best for 1 person, but what is best for 330 million people.

Anytime the government tries to make our decisions for us and takes our freedom away I automatically oppose it.

I don't think any governor truly wanted to make this choice. But the longer this goes and the closer it gets to November the more they can say their constituents are getting "used to it"

They can blame a certain someone if Covid-19 runs amok and they can also blame that same certain someone if the economy collapses. That's why that certain someone is leaving it up to the governor's. That way they can fall on their own swords if they screw it up.

 

[HawkGold]

Ok. yes the chart is very telling about a lot of things. Some years ago I think the US had twice as many vehicle deaths with much less population and vehicles, maybe 100,000 a year to about half that now. But better rules, laws and tech have lessened the deaths. We took actions like seat belts and airbags probably better road design and more traffic lights.

It shows covid is very contagious. Obesity and diabetes, which can go hand in hand, are getting worse n the population, and can be controlled although it is difficult because we know a lot more now about the genetics and body chemistry of hormones that make it not necessarily just a social choice to gain weight and the immune system actions that cause a lot of type 1 diabetes and the insulin resistance developed that causes a lot of type 2 diabetes.

As a kid who was into news and stats way to early, I noticed car wrecks were killing more in a year than the entire US combat deaths in Vietnam over the years.

 

[HawkGold]

I would argue that COVID-19 is a very similar to influenza. This coronavirus causes similar symptoms and progresses in a similar way to flu. And, as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 likely is transmitted in a similar fashion to the flu, via direct contact with respiratory droplets.

Was referring to the number acceleration.

That said, my friend who tested positive and was very ill with temps up to105 though never hospitalized is having neurological issues (muscles just quitting) and can't concentrate for over 30 seconds. He has been fever free for about 3 weeks.

 

[Ree4]

Many politicians would love to see the shelter in place last for six more months because guess what happens in (a little over) six months?

It's time to get people working again. If you don't want to risk getting sick, stay home. But we, not the government, should be the ones making those decisions on whether or not we decide to stay home.

Good idea, lets leave it up to the corporations who always put the health and care of their workers first - like Tyson Foods for example /s

 

[ssckelley]

You're still going to need a butcher who hopefully has a slaughterhouse and to organize your meat cuts.

The thought hit me last weekend. What if county fairs get cancelled this year? All county fairs have huge auctions where butchers and meat processors and other businesspeople buy hogs and cattle.

In rural Iowa this isn't hard to find, any meat locker can process for you. I've got two that are a 10 minute drive for me.

 

[HawkGold]

Anytime the government tries to make our decisions for us and takes our freedom away I automatically oppose it.

I don't think any governor truly wanted to make this choice. But the longer this goes and the closer it gets to November the more they can say their constituents are getting "used to it"

They can blame a certain someone if Covid-19 runs amok and they can also blame that same certain someone if the economy collapses. That's why that certain someone is leaving it up to the governor's. That way they can fall on their own swords if they screw it up.

Anytime the government tries to make our decisions for us and takes our freedom away I automatically oppose it.
Seatbelts for kids? Smoking in cars with kids? Federal Govt requiring schools to give proper support to special needs kids? Not being able to refuse to serve someone who is not your race?

 

[uihawk82]

As a kid who was into news and stats way to early, I noticed car wrecks were killing more in a year than the entire US combat deaths in Vietnam over the years.

Yes, I remember one of my UI econ professors when talking about govt action supporting various industries, etc asked the large lecture class basically 'what should be the social and economic policy of an industry that causes 100,000+ deaths a year". The Prof didnt open up the large class for discussion but discussed both sides of the issue, like should we put up with that if it is an economic action, should we shut it down, should we heavily tax it and regulate that activity. In the end he said "well that is how many deaths we have per year with vehicle accidents" and he added but we view it as an essential part of our culture so we can only try to make it better.

 

[Ree4]

The linked article is a good read, the "amazing disaster" comment from the tweet is not representative of the author's take.

The gist: early, conservative measures were wise in the face of the unknowns, but we have to be willing to look at the data emerging and be willing to change our minds. Voluntary social-distancing regions (Iowa and Sweden, to name a few) are not experiencing more cases/deaths per million than lock-down areas.

The data was crunched by a political scientist, not be an epidemiologist. So he's good with stats, but he might not have a full appreciation of all of the factors he should be accounting/controlling for. But he puts together a reasoned argument, and I generally agree that we need to have an open mind in these times.

That is why the politicizing and polarization of this issue just drives me nuts; as soon as you accept that your "side" is absolutely right and the other side is a bunch of amoral buffoons, you really cut down on your list of options. A perfectly reasonable option now becomes untenable because it looks too much like what the amoral buffoon next-door/online is suggesting.

I'm still convinced that mass testing, contact tracing and quarantining those individuals is the best way to go. Especially in less populated areas like Iowa. Tracing in schools would be a major issue. Retirement facilities should still be extremely cautious. Utilizing proper PPE when you go out.

Restaurants would be tricky because people are generally in closer quarters and it's tough to eat with a mask on. Shutting down everything is not the best course of action. Since the government response on tracing has been almost non-existent, the only solution we really have left have is to shut down a lot of businesses. All my opinion of course.

 

[RobHowe]

Would this be considered talking out of both sides of your mouth or riding the fence? Asking for a friend.

 

[RobHowe]

 

[uihawk82]

I would argue that COVID-19 is a very similar to influenza. This coronavirus causes similar symptoms and progresses in a similar way to flu. And, as a respiratory disease, COVID-19 likely is transmitted in a similar fashion to the flu, via direct contact with respiratory droplets.

Covid is similar to the flu and we have had bad flu seasons but flu has not swamped hospital systems to the degree covid has when left with no social distancing actions. Flu vaccines keep many people from even getting the flu, many people dont get the flu because many seasonal flus have been here before and people have some good immunity to that strain. Covid is a brand new strain, no one had been exposed before so level of immunity, and it is highly infectious which according to experts explains how it is a really bad pandemic as compared to the flu.

But I have read and watched interviews virus experts who are VERY VERY worried if an H5N1 type Avian Bird flu ever comes about that is highly transmitted from birds to humans and is very infectious in humans and is very lethal.. These experts say other bird flus killed humans at a high rate but humans were very hard to be infected by them.