COVID/Coronavirus non-political DISCUSSION thread

[Hieveryone]

Everything is rapidly going back to normal here. BestBuy was overloaded with people entering the store. Vons, Costco, other stores are not enforcing their mask policies at all. My work is saying we return to normal July 1st. (California - 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles).

Even though the Governor has required masks, I see mask wearing below 30% when I'm out and about. (I get laughed at for wearing a mask).

I guess the virus is over! (heavy sarcasm intended).

I have not seen people wearing masks that much except for the baristas at Starbucks, etc. Even the woman at the pharmacy today behind the counter who got my meds didn't have one on.

I have one, but feel kind of embarrassed to wear it. I see senior citizens walking around like there's nothing to worry about...

 

[planteater]

People killing themselves with smoking, are enabling the virus to kill them quicker. Smoking should be ended. It's a filthy habit, and causes untold high costs in healthcare, and now another opportunistic infection that is actively killing people.

Yes smoking is disgusting and dumb. But in a society with personal freedoms you don’t get to “end” things for other people because of the way you feel. If anything, they should pay higher medical insurance premiums proportional to the greater cost of their medical care.
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113,000+ dead Americans as of yesterday, and that number is just going to keep skyrocketing. It's really quite pitiful that people are so ignorant that they won't even wear masks inside grocery stores. I went to one yesterday, asked a guy why he wasn't wearing a mask, and he just laughed at me. I'm wearing one not for my protection, but on the off chance I'm asymptomatic, but lots of people are just forgoing that, so I feel pretty disrespected. I'm not wearing some nice filtered mask that'll protect me because it's still a scalpers game right now, so this really is genuinely disappointing to me.

I only wear a mask if a customer or store require it. I do that out of respect for the rules they set. That means I wear a mask maybe once a week, if that.

If someone such as yourself asked me why I was not wearing one, you probably would not get the dignity of a response. But on the off chance I did, it might be something like; because this is the US of ***** A, and my freedom trumps your petty little fears.

 

[planteater]

If you went to WalMart then, TBH, Covid's probably the least of your concerns...


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This is hardly surprising given that way too many people believe that either Covid was all one big con, or that it's pretty much over.

Or those such as myself that believe neither of those. It’s certainly not a con and it’s not over. There is just not any conclusive evidence that mask wearing, or isolation for that matter makes a difference. Personally I lick to practice social distancing where possible, and hygiene, as well as staying in good general heath. Lots of outdoor activity. I appreciate public or business spaces that sanitize properly on a frequent basis. But masks, not so much.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Or those such as myself that believe neither of those. It’s certainly not a con and it’s not over. There is just not any conclusive evidence that mask wearing, or isolation for that matter makes a difference. Personally I lick to practice social distancing where possible, and hygiene, as well as staying in good general heath. Lots of outdoor activity. I appreciate public or business spaces that sanitize properly on a frequent basis. But masks, not so much.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. "There is just not any conclusive evidence that mask wearing, or isolation for that matter makes a difference."

Yes, Wearing Masks Helps. Here's Why

Politicians argue. Those opposed to mask mandates protest. But meanwhile, growing evidence shows that mask wearing is a critical tool in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

www.npr.org

" Take, for example, a meta-analysis of 172 studies that looked at various interventions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, SARS and MERS from an infected person to people close to them. The analysis, which was published in The Lancet on June 1, found that mask wearing significantly reduces the risk of viral transmission. "

 

[Sword86]

Yes smoking is disgusting and dumb. But in a society with personal freedoms you don’t get to “end” things for other people because of the way you feel. If anything, they should pay higher medical insurance premiums proportional to the greater cost of their medical care.
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I only wear a mask if a customer or store require it. I do that out of respect for the rules they set. That means I wear a mask maybe once a week, if that.

If someone such as yourself asked me why I was not wearing one, you probably would not get the dignity of a response. But on the off chance I did, it might be something like; because this is the US of ***** A, and my freedom trumps your petty little fears.

Wow. No irony between these two statements, huh?
This pretty much sums up the current, exploding Covid numbers in the USA. They can keep our border with the U.S. closed forever if that’s what it takes. S

 

[scubachap]

I wouldn't want to end up in the ICU on a respirator. The pain of being on a respirator is borderline torture but for the life-saving purpose. It sucks a lot. People need to be reminded of that.

There's a fair bit of attention here (UK) in the media about the long terms effects of having a severe Covid infection. Wrecked lungs, future heart attacks etc, I don't know if it's being discussed widely across the pond but it certainly acts as a counterweight to the more flippant attitudes you come across. I think though, that once you've got the numbers really falling you've pretty much run out of road in terms of a lockdown and what people can take (financially as well psychologically). You do need to carefully try and extricate from it - whether we can without another disaster remains to be seen as we don't seem to have done very well up till now. If you're in a risk group it's probably the hardest phase to deal with, as you now have to make all the decisions yourself on limited info. I must say I've been a bit shocked by the graphs coming out of the Southern US, let's hope these vaccines work and turn up sooner rather than later...

As they used to say in Hill Street Blues - "... and hey, let's be careful out there!"

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Yes smoking is disgusting and dumb. But in a society with personal freedoms you don’t get to “end” things for other people because of the way you feel. If anything, they should pay higher medical insurance premiums proportional to the greater cost of their medical care.

But that's it. We ALL pay for their 'dirty habit'. Plus the tobacco industry is heavily tax payer funded too, so in reality, like high fructose corn syrup, the tax payer pays for it at ever step. So if the tobacco companies didn't get tax payer funding, and government help to market their 'dirty habit', it wouldn't be as much of a deal, but WE pay them, we pay for the marketing, we pay for the health issues, and we pay for the lost work hours, and we pay for the environmental problems all those butts and packaging cause.

Looking at smoking in totality, it's a VERY high social/financial cost 'dirty habit'. If the subsidies ended, the tobacco companies would go bankrupt, or move to some nasty cheap labor country. Just on health costs alone, ending smoking would offset the lose of the industry. Smoking is selfish...

 

[oneMadRssn]

There's a fair bit of attention here (UK) in the media about the long terms effects of having a severe Covid infection. Wrecked lungs, future heart attacks etc, I don't know if it's being discussed widely across the pond but it certainly acts as a counterweight to the more flippant attitudes you come across. I think though, that once you've got the numbers really falling you've pretty much run out of road in terms of a lockdown and what people can take (financially as well psychologically). You do need to carefully try and extricate from it - whether we can without another disaster remains to be seen as we don't seem to have done very well up till now. If you're in a risk group it's probably the hardest phase to deal with, as you now have to make all the decisions yourself on limited info. I must say I've been a bit shocked by the graphs coming out of the Southern US, let's hope these vaccines work and turn up sooner rather than later...

As they used to say in Hill Street Blues - "... and hey, let's be careful out there!"

I agree, but I think it's more effective to point out short-term and concrete negatives rather than long-term and abstract ones. Short-term and concrete risks are harder to ignore or explain away.

The long-term effects of having a severe COVID infection are far away and theoretical. This makes them easy to dismiss, ignore, or convince yourself that the assumed risk is worth it.

But the risk of being on a ventilator is a short-term risk, and I think most people know or can be reminded that it's an awfully painful experience to suffer through. It's harder to ignore or dismiss it when you know it will be painful and might be painful soon. That tangibility makes it harder to convince yourself to assume the risk.

 

[Tigger11]

I have not seen people wearing masks that much except for the baristas at Starbucks, etc. Even the woman at the pharmacy today behind the counter who got my meds didn't have one on.

I have one, but feel kind of embarrassed to wear it. I see senior citizens walking around like there's nothing to worry about...

Your state is showing a large increase in cases, but you are scared to wear a mask. That is a good plan, I mean let peer pressure get you a disease which has killed 5% of those diagnosed with it. This isn't going away until the US takes it seriously, over 1/2 the states set records this week. Three days this week we have set records for the country of most ever cases in a day, and world set that record twice, and you get punked into not wearing a mask. I want you to think about that? Do you let peer pressure control other aspects of your life as much as you do your health? Do you have unprotected sex with infected partners because your friends think he/she is hot?

 

[0128672]

I have an epidemiologist in my family who creates software to track infectious disease migration. There are hundreds of other epidemiologists who do the same around the world, for COVID-19 and a large range of other infectious diseases. These are the experts; they are trained to see the big picture. These teams are working their a**** off, I can tell you.

The article that keeps resonating for me is this one from the NYT about when 511 epidemiologists expect to be able to resume some daily activities:

When 511 Epidemiologists Expect to Fly, Hug and Do 18 Other Everyday Activities Again (Published 2020)

Even experts need to make personal decisions about what risks are worth it in the age of coronavirus. For some, life will never be the same again.

www.nytimes.com

 

[44267547]

I have an epidemiologist in my family who creates software to track infectious disease migration. There are hundreds of other epidemiologists who do the same around the world, for COVID-19 and a large range of other infectious diseases. These are the experts; they are trained to see the big picture. These teams are working their a**** off, I can tell you.

The article that keeps resonating for me is this one from the NYT about when 511 epidemiologists expect to be able to resume some daily activities:

When 511 Epidemiologists Expect to Fly, Hug and Do 18 Other Everyday Activities Again (Published 2020)

Even experts need to make personal decisions about what risks are worth it in the age of coronavirus. For some, life will never be the same again.

www.nytimes.com

If nothing else, viewers should be looking at the charts that are posted in the link, because I’d say the ‘statistical data’ is fairly accurate. At minimum, it’s a year or longer before some restored functionality without masking is acceptable. The question is, do you have those who actually participate that long to help curtail the pandemic, which we’ve seen a few months has proven overwhelming for some who have given up on simple Protective measures already.

There is a infectious disease doctor In my state who has a daily vlog he participates in, and he made an interesting comment that it seems for those who are actually taking the pandemic seriously in terms of [i.e]- social distancing, masking, proper hygiene/PPE That are taking the necessary precautions, are those who probably work in the government/medical sector given how stringent some guidelines are for those particular fields. Ironically, quite a few restaurants in my area are failing at keeping the guidelines where they need to be on a daily basis and allowing measures to slide, for the sake of ‘adding more business’. At this junction, we can see who the culprits are in terms of progressing the pandemic versus creating a positive impact.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I have one, but feel kind of embarrassed to wear it.

REALLY? Just wear the effin' mask. Who cares about the OPINION of other people especially on such important subjects? You don't do one thing to impress other people, you do it because it's the right thing to do, and that's true for all choices in life.

 

[Hieveryone]

REALLY? Just wear the effin' mask. Who cares about the OPINION of other people especially on such important subjects? You don't do one thing to impress other people, you do it because it's the right thing to do, and that's true for all choices in life.

It’s a bit different when you got old people walking around like they’re God. No mask. Super confident. And then You’re walking around with a mask lol. It’s not a big deal. Nobody wears them here. I never said I don’t wear them.

 

[yaxomoxay]

It’s a bit different when you got old people walking around like they’re God. No mask. Super confident. And then You’re walking around with a mask lol. It’s not a big deal. Nobody wears them here. I never said I don’t wear them.

Well, you can control you and that's it.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Those people not wearing masks may be (unknowingly) spreading the virus. Not wearing a mask is going to assist a second shutdown (if there is one) if things keep going the way they are going. We'll have non-mask wearers to thank as a reason.

 

[Hieveryone]

Well, you can control you and that's it.

Theyre literally stubborn about it. Like they’ve got pluck about it. Like come get me attitude lol. I’m not one to judge. Maybe they fought in Wars and think this is nothing? Who knows

 

[yaxomoxay]

Theyre literally stubborn about it. Like they’ve got pluck about it. Like come get me attitude lol. I’m not one to judge. Maybe they fought in Wars and think this is nothing? Who knows

While they might damage other people,
1) I do firmly believe in karma
2) they'll understand very soon that they're not gods.

I do what I have to do.

 

[Hieveryone]

While they might damage other people,
1) I do firmly believe in karma
2) they'll understand very soon that they're not gods.

I do what I have to do.

Oh no! I only wish them the best. I hope karma doesn’t find them, ever. They deserve nothing but the best, and I hope God is looking after them!

 

[yaxomoxay]

Oh no! I only wish them the best. I hope karma doesn’t find them, ever. They deserve nothing but the best, and I hope God is looking after them!

For some reason the idea that "you reap what you saw" is as ancient as humanity, and as multicultural as humanity. I assume that it's because we're talking about transcendental, eternal wisdom.

 

[D.T.]

REALLY? Just wear the effin' mask. Who cares about the OPINION of other people especially on such important subjects? You don't do one thing to impress other people, you do it because it's the right thing to do, and that's true for all choices in life.

I took my old oil (did my own change, woot!) up to AutoJerks for recycle, employee in the parking lot talking to a couple in a car, none had masks - inside 4-5 employees, no masks - 2 customers, no masks.

I had my awesome blue full neck guard on, I wheeled into parking lot blaring LCD Sound System Went full face mode, asked the counter dude, went into the back dumped my oil into the recycle bin, picked up some washer fluid, these two Beavis's come in to buy a ****ing soda, hahahaha ... they stared at me, I stared back.

The best thing is we walked out about the same time, I hop into my wicked nasty Mustang and fire it up - they cannot reconcile this. "Derf ... he was wearing a snowflake mask ... Herf ... he's driving a domestic muscle car ..."

I __love__ it.

Oh yeah, and just announced for Florida:

Masks for ALL indoor venues/stores/restaurants, and NO bar service. That doesn't mean no booze at a restaurant - which are now restricted to 50% capacity - but no sitting at a bar or "bar only" type joints can be open.

 

[Hieveryone]

For some reason the idea that "you reap what you saw" is as ancient as humanity, and as multicultural as humanity. I assume that it's because we're talking about transcendental, eternal wisdom.

Ok but I still wish grandma and grandpa well.

 

[compwiz1202]

Everything is rapidly going back to normal here. BestBuy was overloaded with people entering the store. Vons, Costco, other stores are not enforcing their mask policies at all. My work is saying we return to normal July 1st. (California - 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles).

Even though the Governor has required masks, I see mask wearing below 30% when I'm out and about. (I get laughed at for wearing a mask).

I guess the virus is over! (heavy sarcasm intended).

Costco is one of the best enforcers here. Lady complained about her rights and they escorted her out.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I agree, but I think it's more effective to point out short-term and concrete negatives rather than long-term and abstract ones. Short-term and concrete risks are harder to ignore or explain away.

The long-term effects of having a severe COVID infection are far away and theoretical. This makes them easy to dismiss, ignore, or convince yourself that the assumed risk is worth it.

But the risk of being on a ventilator is a short-term risk, and I think most people know or can be reminded that it's an awfully painful experience to suffer through. It's harder to ignore or dismiss it when you know it will be painful and might be painful soon. That tangibility makes it harder to convince yourself to assume the risk.

But who pays for long term disabilities? Pretty much no one. In America, if you have a long term disability, you are destined to be bankrupted by it, and unless you have really good insurance, you might as well die.

 

[oneMadRssn]

But who pays for long term disabilities? Pretty much no one. In America, if you have a long term disability, you are destined to be bankrupted by it, and unless you have really good insurance, you might as well die.

No, we all pay for it. Those ER visits. Those unpaid hospital bills. Social security disability insurance or SSI. We all pick up the tab.

 

[BigMcGuire]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1276629360212979712

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1276615149193965568

I understand wearing masks sucks. My glasses slide down, get fogged up so much I have a hard time seeing, and they're really inconvenient. But if there's just a small chance that I won't kill someone, you bet your *** I'm going to wear one. Some people just don't care.