I’m not really worried for myself, as by the time it makes its way to my home they’ll have had a cure for years. But, we might put that summer Italy trip on hold. Which is a bummer.

I’m going to a national conference in Dallas in 10 days. They don’t seem too worried.

Timmah @ 6/3/2020 23:49

I’m going to a national conference in Dallas in 10 days. They don’t seem too worried.

Correction. They cancelled the conference. Along with every fucking thing else in the US

Fuck that. March madness is my favorite sporting event.

Vic @ 18/3/2020 21:14

The purge is slowly starting in Philly. Philadelphia police have decided that to help avoid spreading the virus, people will not be arrested for non violent crimes. These are what they listed as crimes that people won't be arrested for in Philadelphia: all narcotics offenses theft from persons retail theft theft from auto burglary vandalism all bench warrants stolen auto economic crimes (bad checks, fraud) prostitution so wish me luck

Talked to a sheriff’s deputy down here in the South yesterday and this is a real thing, not just limited to Philly. Philly is just the only place dumb enough to leak this to the public.

Ahoda @ 19/3/2020 11:45

government is going to have to step in and help because people are going to be out of jobs and not getting income. Bills won't be paid and credit scores will plummet.

It is going to be bad on all levels. Insurance policies exclude virus/bacterial diseases from business interruption policies, so all of these businesses - bars, restaurants, small businesses, etc...- are going to be SOL without some significant aid, or governmental mandate on coverage (paid for by the government), and I’d be surprised if a lot of them didn’t end up closed for good.

Christian @ 24/3/2020 16:14

Nobert @ 24/3/2020 15:32 Christian @ 23/3/2020 17:55 all non-essential businesses in Ontario (Canada) are closing starting tomorrow night at 11:59pm which my office falls into. But we closed at 5pm today so I'll have lots of time to hang around here now. We still haven't been told what we're considered. But I deal with operations in Western Canada while I work in Ontario so I'm not sure what will happen tomorrow. they released a list of essential businesses today which included a lot more than I expected or even though about.

Non-essential pretty much means all bars and restaurants not doing takeout/delivery, anyone with like an antique store, and that lawyers and cpas should continue to work at least just as much but from home. Everyone else can squeeze into one loophole or another.

The world needs some good news soon before we all lose our minds.

I hope your dad pulls through with as little symptoms as possible, Curtis. Same for everyone else that has friends or loved ones that get it. One of my employees tested positive late last week, so our office is moving further into WFH status.

My wife and I are staying sane by still seeing friends in a social distancing way. Zoom happy hours, and some neighborhood gatherings where we hang out in someone’s front yard, maintaining our distance. At least that lets us see other people. Thankfully the weather has been pretty good so far down here.

Primate @ 30/3/2020 11:43

She won't be tested, because they don't have the tests because our system sucks ass.

This was true at first, but isn't necessarily true anymore. We have drive-through testing sites in Mississippi. If we have that going, I'm pretty sure other states have access to enough tests too. And more testing is on the way.

Hope it doesn't come to that.

Lamps @ 6/4/2020 7:36

Where do you guys stand on Trump's push for using the anti-malaria drug in the battle against corona?

If we can get some more studies that show that it works well, then that's great. It's not the only drug they are looking at, though. I think it's just the only one he knows anything about. Some aid told him about it and he latched onto it as a "ray of hope" or something, and he's beat it into the ground.

Lots of people on social media are complaining that someone they know that relies on it for other illnesses can't get it, and blaming Trump for that. Honestly, the shortage has more to do with the counties that manufacture the drug (India, China, etc...) not producing it while they are shutdown and/or not exporting it at the same rate they were before. I have an extremely hard time believing that practicing physicians everywhere are potentially committing medical malpractice and just prescribing this stuff to healthy people just because Trump said the name of the drug on his presser.

Herm @ 16/4/2020 14:36

My country's leading health experts are still running with the herd immunity plan here. Scientists over the country have critized it as being stupid. I honestly don't know if the people in charge here are stupid or smarter than all these other countries, but time will tell.

It'll be interesting to see how your country's approach works in the long term compared to the way everyone else is doing it. I don't think we will fully know one way or the other for a good while, though.

Primate @ 17/4/2020 15:52

Spin @ 16/4/2020 20:14 Mads @ 16/4/2020 19:29 Boc @ 16/4/2020 19:42 Wisconsin's lockdown just got extended through the end of MAY Ours was set through early June to begin with. Arkansas is still one of the few states (all with Republican governors) that hasn't issued a stay-at-home order. The roads and stores are a bit less busy, and there are a ton more people outside walking dogs through the neighborhood where I live. That said, today I went to work, got my tire fixed at the dealership, hit fast food for lunch on the way back, and hit the grocery store on the way home. Our state is dealing decently with the virus, but we also have a shit-ton of medical facilities here in the capital city. It also probably helps most of this state is rural with hicks that already are choosing to social distance. I guarantee this way of doing it wouldn't work for a more urban/populous state. Oh, and there are signs on the roads when you drive into Arkansas that say there is no hotel rooms/lodging for out of state people, so don't come visit...lol. NW AR is basically a giant retirement home. Tons of great medical facilities down there. It's basically florida for 10 percent of the cost.

Well, and minus an ocean and/or gulf. But yeah, sure.

Boc @ 20/4/2020 17:03

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/georgia-brian-kemp-reopen-businesses-coronavirus/index.html lol rly Georgia opening up any of that this early is dumb but...BOWLING ALLEYS?? wat

Yeah, if you are going to order everything to close to start with you have to be smart on reopening everything too. Might as well have just let everyone stay open to start with if this is his plan.

I think one of the biggest things to watch is whether the science shows that the virus will mutate. If that happens, this thing is never going to go away. It'll be similar to the flu, where you can build up antibodies and get the flu shot every year, but that doesn't necessarily protect you from getting it. (I'm not saying "this is just the flu" or anything like that, just comparing the mechanics of how it may operate if it mutates.)

I agree with a lot of what Wikey says. But, since we've taken this path we also have to be careful how we go about "re-opening". We've prioritized protecting life by sheltering from the virus, so there has to be a balance struck between continuing to do that while also trying to get people back to work, prevent widespread increases in poverty (we already struggled with this in many places), etc...

Meanwhile, I'm still fascinated to see how Sweden's approach ends up working. Still too early to tell I think.
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/04/22/no-lockdown-in-sweden-but-stockholm-could-see-herd-immunity-in-weeks.html?fbclid=IwAR2aWCGl_xZWvYyd6HlaHNeoDAlVaXqEE1uU0Zr-dQ763sfYXfZNqGGNdKg