All things Corona Virus

[Steeleballz 7,550]

10 minutes ago, laylalex said:

Can't believe there is no mention of the Plague of Athens!!! It killed between 75k-100k people. I listened to a podcast about that recently and it's really interesting what the greater implications were for Athens as a power in Greece.

 

General background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_of_Athens

Podcast: https://www.thisdisasterpod.com/episode/the-plague-of-athens/

 

  It missed a few. Reminds me of a book I have, "Plagues and Peoples" by W.H.McNeill.  He did a great job of putting together the cause of some of the historical plagues, both the organism and the socioeconomic and political factors present, and also how they impacted history and contributed to the rise and fall of civilizations. 

[yuna628 9,676]

Since our rural area is so under served with a lack of proper medical care, one local practice managed to start getting testing ordered via one of the major labs. He had a drive-up clinic, and hundreds showed up. So far no one had tested positive in this county because there really was no way to get the test (not even my doctor had it) but rumors of all the sick people have been driving some panic. One drive-up clinic over the state line had 500+ people show up before they ran out of kits, and now case numbers up there are starting to rise. 

 

Husband has daily meetings now, and they said all the kids must go learn at home, and the teachers must teach from home for the foreseeable future, but the staff must stay on at the college to assist with technical support issues via phone they know will happen. That being said there is now a relaxed leave policy, so if there's any sort of emergency you don't need to go through piles of paperwork to leave. He tells me he doesn't want me going out unless absolutely necessary... but I have to go to the hospital for treatments every few weeks. 

Edited March 18, 2020 by yuna628

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

One of the positive things resulting from this is more companies and universities staffing and training for telecommuting, which is way overdue. 

 

Another long term benefit is in urban regions. Take the city of Calgary, with no night life, people flood downtown 7-9am, flee downtown 3-5pm. Its full of these large office buildings that used to have a vacancy of 0-1%, but for the last several years, have had a vacancy rate of 15-40%, which will only grow the more companies turn to telecommuting and no longer have need for the space. The downtown core was dead at night before, but it'll only get worse. Over time, this change forces city developers to reimagine their towns in a light that favors city life, things to do, more open spaces, an ode to work-life balance, human dignity, and so on, rather than simply erecting massive buildings designed to facilitate the worship and life-long servitude to mega companies.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[Orangesapples 1,954]

27 minutes ago, Burnt Reynolds said:

One of the positive things resulting from this is more companies and universities staffing and training for telecommuting, which is way overdue. 

 

Another long term benefit is in urban regions. Take the city of Calgary, with no night life, people flood downtown 7-9am, flee downtown 3-5pm. Its full of these large office buildings that used to have a vacancy of 0-1%, but for the last several years, have had a vacancy rate of 15-40%, which will only grow the more companies turn to telecommuting and no longer have need for the space. The downtown core was dead at night before, but it'll only get worse. Over time, this change forces city developers to reimagine their towns in a light that favors city life, things to do, more open spaces, an ode to work-life balance, human dignity, and so on, rather than simply erecting massive buildings designed to facilitate the worship and life-long servitude to mega companies.

You can only hope. I hope so, too. Still super worried about the recession. 

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

40 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

You can only hope. I hope so, too. Still super worried about the recession. 

Life has a required return to normalcy, resiliency is embedded in the human psyche. Of course, that resiliency is especially noted in the third world where their 99 problems tend to be actual problems. When people (thinking, more, the media, politicians, etc.) create problems and facilitate stress, fear, etc. out of things that are generally nothing, no doubt it can have an impact on those who are susceptible to it. 

 

Recession is, of course, a natural result of shutting things down. And I've said numerous times in other discussions, recessions are a natural part of economic cycles, even before this managed economy fetish came about and exacerbated both the highs and dives. But even China knew this shut down stuff isn't sustainable, it lasted a few weeks. I don't imagine things stay this way for more than a month or so. Naturally, people will be quite eager to push the economic throttle, so those who are obsessed with the Dow and are caught up in the momentary hype of things should be happy when they see it skyrocket again. Unless, of course, they wanted it to maintain throughout 2020 because orange man bad. 😉

Edited March 18, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

40 minutes ago, Burnt Reynolds said:

Life has a required return to normalcy, resiliency is embedded in the human psyche. Of course, that resiliency is especially noted in the third world where their 99 problems tend to be actual problems. When people (thinking, more, the media, politicians, etc.) create problems and facilitate stress, fear, etc. out of things that are generally nothing, no doubt it can have an impact on those who are susceptible to it. 

 

Recession is, of course, a natural result of shutting things down. And I've said numerous times in other discussions, recessions are a natural part of economic cycles, even before this managed economy fetish came about and exacerbated both the highs and dives. But even China knew this shut down stuff isn't sustainable, it lasted a few weeks. I don't imagine things stay this way for more than a month or so. Naturally, people will be quite eager to push the economic throttle, so those who are obsessed with the Dow and are caught up in the momentary hype of things should be happy when they see it skyrocket again. Unless, of course, they wanted it to maintain throughout 2020 because orange man bad. 😉

Looks like you won't be coming down anytime soon...

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/03/18/coronavirus-united-states-canada-border-shut-down-trump-says/2863086001/

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

have the shut the southern border yet?

[Steeleballz 7,550]

11 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

have the shut the southern border yet?

 

  Watch for it. I think more restrictions are coming by the end of this week. They have even discussed domestic flight restrictions.

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

41 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

Looks like you won't be coming down anytime soon...

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/03/18/coronavirus-united-states-canada-border-shut-down-trump-says/2863086001/

I'd be able to come if I wanted, and could bring the kids. I think the wife would have a harder time though. The only reason I'd be traveling at all right now though with everything shut down is if there was a death in the family/emergency.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Quote

The Board of Correction said on Tuesday that New York City should start releasing inmates who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus — and make efforts to rapidly decrease the jail population.

“The city must drastically reduce the number of people in jail right now and limit new admissions to exceptional circumstances,” the board said in a statement Tuesday.

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-board-of-correction-release-inmates-nyc-jails-20200317-sfavifzqznhwpayhtcmadwkh6e-story.html

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by Voice of Reason

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

Any excuse to put criminals back on the streets.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

 

 

They been doing that anyway

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

I know some of us, myself included, were a bit skeptical at first. However this is getting real. I suggested today we suspend the meeting for a week or two. I did not even get an acknowledgement. I am not too worried but I do have risk factors. Not 60 yet but I do have diabetes. 

 

The boss said he had to let me go if I wanted to, because he could be sued if he made me work and I got sick. Boy I tell you what the compassion.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Nature Boy 2.0

[Neonred 3,564]

4 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

have the shut the southern border yet?

I don't know.  Is the wall finished yet?

[Steeleballz 7,550]

1 hour ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

I know some of us, myself included, were a bit skeptical at first. However this is getting real. I suggested today we suspend the meeting for a week or two. I did not even get an acknowledgement. I am not too worried but I do have risk factors. Not 60 yet but I do have diabetes. 

 

The boss said he had to let me go if I wanted to, because he could be sued if he made me work and I got sick. Boy I tell you what the compassion.

 

  I wonder if they would look at doing sales by appointment only. It would limit the number of people wandering around at any given time.

 

  Unfortunately I don't think most places will alter the way they do things unless something forces them to.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Steeleballz