Coronavirus

[heyzeus]

the US took the financial hit for nothing. every country took a financial hit during the initial phase of the virus but most have succeeded in flattening the virus and are now reopening and can get their economies back going. new zealand is having rubgy games with 25k fans in the stands. eiffel tower is back open.

The US still has a huge virus problem which of course means the economy is going to continue to stall. a complete waste of effort and resources.

Bingo. You know how Mike on Breaking Bad said "no half measures"? We did like a 1/8 measure. We didn't do a lockdown, we didn't do a mask order, even our shelter in place order in many states (like texas) was sacrificed at the altar of "opening the economy" after about 5 weeks. We put our economy above public health, and predictably, we now will not have either, possibly for another year.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

It's interesting that America is faring so much worse than Europe in the re-opening. I don't think, at one point, the two were all that different cases/deaths. But, it does appear Europe is much better now. I wonder what the main difference is b/w the two? Coherent response? Citizens listening/trusting govt?

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I haven't seen anything wrt this, but how did the lockdowns in states like California compare to what was done in Europe? California there for a long time seemed to look like they had somewhat mitigated the spread.

One thing that's happening across the south/west at least, maybe other states, is that even states that had it mostly under control have seen drastic increases as they've reopened.

[GeddyWrox]

I think our reluctance to wear masks is a big key.

https://www.livescience.com/face-masks- ... ntion.html

If we are so hell-bent on "keeping the economy open" then I think face masks should be mandatory in public. Punishable by fines & arrest. It is clear that people not wearing masks are endangering the lives of those around them.

[Jocephus]

i wonder about this graph too. i mean, it's just a covid graph by nation and someone has pointed out the healthcare structures so obviously there are caveats/context needed but those nations do/would have a baseline of care. i wonder how many in the US have avoided going to hospital/doctor just 'cause they know there's going to cost that they can't really afford right now (or ever). then there's also the messaging we've been getting from the top which allows for inaction. i'm not trying to make this covid thread political but, imo, the virus has really exposed some awful systems/status quo in our country.

[thrill]

When time is of the essence to respond to this stuff, not having existing centralized, nationalized healthcare infrastructure is a huge disadvantage to deploy people, equipment, and other resources efficiently. Not to mention everyone being able to access care.

That said, as a HUGE proponent of single-payer healthcare, the biggest culprit in our curve is not lack of socialized medical coverage. It's the administration's poor management and the republican party's rejection of facts and science in favor of flattering the party leader's ego. It's not an exaggeration to say that tens of thousands of people have died unnecessarily because of who our President is at this particular moment in time. I know this is intentionally not a political thread and that there is a separate thread to discuss the political ramifications of the virus, but our situation is so inextricably linked to our political environment that the only reason to separate the two is to avoid hurting the feelings and/or angering people who are hopelessly and dangerously wrong about how bad our govt has handled this. I personally believe their feelings and opinions are irrelevant to the point of being dangerously counterproductive and should thus be dismissed out of hand.

Nothing highlights this better than the fact that we're in the middle of the biggest global health and economic crisis since WW2 and all we have to do to mitigate it effectively is drape a piece of cloth in front of our mouth and nose when we're sharing space with others in public. To win WW2, we had to transform our economic production and draft young men as young as 18 into violent and dangerous military service. To win this, we literally have to cut up an old t shirt and affix to our face when we're out and about. We can't even do that because our President allowed it to become a politically charged issue. It's going to be tough to muster much patriotism for the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

It's interesting that America is faring so much worse than Europe in the re-opening. I don't think, at one point, the two were all that different cases/deaths. But, it does appear Europe is much better now. I wonder what the main difference is b/w the two? Coherent response? Citizens listening/trusting govt?

testing, tracing, quarantining.

[Jocephus]

i really don't know how the reporting of cases works, etc but florida is reporting 8900+ today, the 26th

[thrill]

i really don't know how the reporting of cases works, etc but florida is reporting 8900+ today, the 26th

This is with access to testing so nearly impossible that I know many, many people who have been exposed who aren't getting tested because they literally can't get one without sacrificing an entire day. Not too many have jobs that can accommodate that.

[heyzeus]

i really don't know how the reporting of cases works, etc but florida is reporting 8900+ today, the 26th

This is with access to testing so nearly impossible that I know many, many people who have been exposed who aren't getting tested because they literally can't get one without sacrificing an entire day. Not too many have jobs that can accommodate that.

This is where the American healthcare system offers its contribution to the Perfect Storm of US coronavirus infection. If you don't have health insurance, and/or you work in a job with no paid sick leave, you 1) Cannot afford to get tested, and 2) cannot afford to take 2 weeks off for effective quarantine.

Couple that with aggressive re-opening programs focused on getting restaurants and bars and retail open -- exactly the type of frontline jobs that don't offer health insurance or paid sick leave -- and it would be more shocking if the US was NOT a global hotspot.