SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

Haven't read every post about masks, so somebody might well have mentioned this already, but regardless of the efficiency, the masks are also used as a sign of responsibility in Asian countries, i.e. "I'm thinking of your well-being". Not wearing one is almost the same as walking around coughing in people's faces. Or so I've heard.
This is true certainly in Hong Kong, if you go wander about without a mask now, you will be frowned upon.
 
I’ve just returned from a trip to Purley Tesco’s and it was one of the best shopping experiences I’ve ever had there!
Security at entrance limiting numbers inside the store which are way lower than usual. Everyone being respectful of the 2m distance and some esprit de corps with the chat with people.
Usually that store is chock full of cnuts and it’s horrible shopping in there. I presume they are still there but behaving themselves?
The security guard at the door was about 6ft10 and 20 stone at a guess so that may have dissuaded anyone from teeing one up

Hi neighbour! I've never walked in to that Tesco unimpeded, it's like people walk in and turn into floor/ceiling tile enthusiasts.

Did you find any eggs in there?

Had to go and pick up a prescription at the war memorial hospital/clinic and they have a bucket ton of calpol/lemsip/paracetamol if you need it and can't find it anywhere else.

There's a lot of at risk people round our way, if there's an outbreak around here it's going to get pretty scary pretty quickly
 
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On the masks thing. I can confirm that there is, categorically, 100% a severe shortage of the type of masks that HCWs need to wear to protect them while they’re doing the job. Which happens when the whole fecking world tries to buy a product in quantities many thousands of times higher than the manufacturers usually produce. This is one of the biggest challenges that governments face right now in containing the epidemic. If doctors/nurses start getting sick/dying then this whole house of cards really starts falling apart, big time.

Now, have a think about how much worse this shortage would be if every citizen on the planet had been bidding to buy these exact same masks over the last couple of months after governments told them they were essential...

Obviously, if the public had been willing to purchase the sort of cheaper, more widely available masks instead then this potential crisis might have been averted. But, unfortunately, we live in an age full of social media “experts” who would have let everyone know how shit the standard masks are how it’s absolutely essential to bulk buy as many N95 masks as possible, or you’re signing your family’s death certificate. We saw what happened with bog roll ffs. This would have been that x 1000.
So true. Any protection is worth something (mask in regular tissue), the proper masks should be left to the medical workers and sick people.
This fecking selfish world we live in.
 
On the masks thing. I can confirm that there is, categorically, 100% a severe shortage of the type of masks that HCWs need to wear to protect them while they’re doing the job. Which happens when the whole fecking world tries to buy a product in quantities many thousands of times higher than the manufacturers usually produce. This is one of the biggest challenges that governments face right now in containing the epidemic. If doctors/nurses start getting sick/dying then this whole house of cards really starts falling apart, big time.

Now, have a think about how much worse this shortage would be if every citizen on the planet had been bidding to buy these exact same masks over the last couple of months after governments told them they were essential...

Obviously, if the public had been willing to purchase the sort of cheaper, more widely available masks instead then this potential crisis might have been averted. But, unfortunately, we live in an age full of social media “experts” who would have let everyone know how shit the standard masks are how it’s absolutely essential to bulk buy as many N95 masks as possible, or you’re signing your family’s death certificate. We saw what happened with bog roll ffs. This would have been that x 1000.
Fair enough
 
Walked past a pub today on my daily hour walk.
Its open. People inside. England's f*cked.
Did you call the police? It's going to get worse next week, the weather's warming up in the UK. Some people think that gives them a green card to go out and have fun.

It seems like a million years since anything was open here, even for a cup of coffee.
 
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Do explain why the pale blue lines are all countries where most people wear masks.

I don't think I've been clear. It stops the spread via already infected people. If you are wearing a mask and are not infected the evidence is that it does little to protect you.

If it only reduces those who are infected from spreading (asymptomatic as infected should anyway be in self isolation) , and acts as a reminder for wearers to not touch nose or mouth, then these are good enough reasons to wear for me.

Assuming of course this is not at the expense of front line workers such as NHS, shop and retail sector workers etc

Agreed, I don't think I was clear enough. The masks help for sure if the infected wear them. The evidence I've read suggests it isn't protective for non infected persons. (though I'm still doubtful about that despite the science being done)

Who passes on this virus? The infected.

Yes, they do. The masks stop that. If you aren't infected a mask likely won't help you.

**edit. define mask...that's also going to have a huge impact!
 
Bookies and online betting must be dying on their arse during this time. I can't remember the last bet I placed. Some positivity.
 
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Do explain why the pale blue lines are all countries where most people wear masks.

You sure that's true for Singapore?

Over 80% of folks in places like Hong Kong, China, Taiwan have said they wear a mask in public places throughout the last 6 weeks. Around 25% of folks in Singapore have said the same...consistently throughout the month. According to this data anyway.

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And of course the trajectory for Japan now is quite a bit different to what it was back in mid-March, despite the extensive use of masks. There's a few other countries in Asia that are beginning to show worrying signs despite widespread (claimed) use of masks too.

All of which taken together might suggest there's other things that Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea (and Taiwan) have in common than masks.
 
fecking WHO



The WHO has to deal in facts and they aren't omniscient, it seems like there are very few certainties about the virus even within the expert community. So releasing bits of information based on the studies that they can get seems like the logical or perhaps only thing to do.
 
As I've been saying all along, face masks work, and finally the WHO is coming round to the most obvious fact.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/...-mask-use-general-public-coronavirus/12118042

Advisers to the World Health Organisation (WHO) are considering whether to suggest new guidance for the public on wearing face masks as a way to limit the spread of coronavirus.

This comes after new research suggests that coughs and sneezes may project particles much further into the air than previously thought — six metres for a cough and up to eight metres for a sneeze.


Who the feck needs more research to know that wearing a mask is better than not wearing one during a global pandemic?

WHO are clowns.
 
There's a Guardian article about some Telecoms Engineers in the UK being verbally and physically threatened and Facebook groups of people videoing themselves destroying phone equipment because of a conspiracy theory going around that the Coronavirus is caused by 5G. :wenger:
 
More than half of counties have no hospital ICU beds, a growing concern as the novel coronavirus spreads throughout the nation. This map shows counties with no hospitals, counties with hospitals but no ICU beds, and counties that do have ICU beds. You can scroll over the map or, better yet, do a more comprehensive search on KHN’s interactive table, where you can search by either county or state.
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https://khn.org/news/as-coronavirus...-americans-live-in-counties-with-no-icu-beds/

Bit of a concern perhaps for some Americans
 
There's a Guardian article about some Telecoms Engineers in the UK being verbally and physically threatened and Facebook groups of people videoing themselves destroying phone equipment because of a conspiracy theory going around that the Coronavirus is caused by 5G. :wenger:

 
I don't think I've been clear. It stops the spread via already infected people. If you are wearing a mask and are not infected the evidence is that it does little to protect you.



Agreed, I don't think I was clear enough. The masks help for sure if the infected wear them. The evidence I've read suggests it isn't protective for non infected persons. (though I'm still doubtful about that despite the science being done)



Yes, they do. The masks stop that. If you aren't infected a mask likely won't help you.

**edit. define mask...that's also going to have a huge impact!
The point is that you don't know who has COVID and carriers can already spread the virus before they show any signs.
 
Who the feck needs more research to know that wearing a mask is better than not wearing one during a global pandemic?

WHO are clowns.

I was surprised too. They knew how the virus moves yet keep saying no point in wearing a mask. Ruddy clowns I agree.
 
The WHO has to deal in facts and they aren't omniscient, it seems like there are very few certainties about the virus even within the expert community. So releasing bits of information based on the studies that they can get seems like the logical or perhaps only thing to do.

To me it seems that the error FROM NOT wearing masks is vastly costlier than the error FROM wearing masks. So I wear a mask. Decision-making in real life (with imperfect information, uncertain conditions) is based on such asymmetries.
 
Who the feck needs more research to know that wearing a mask is better than not wearing one during a global pandemic?

WHO are clowns.
Not according to many people on this thread, apparently wearing one incorrectly does more harm than good according to some.
 
Not according to many people on this thread, apparently wearing one incorrectly does more harm than good according to some.

I'm convinced the anti-masks message is because governments don't want others to incorrectly think wearing one will automatically stop people from catching. It seems like an attempt to engineer higher vigilance so that mask wearers don't completely let their guard down.

/conspiracy
 


It makes you despair.

The number of people in the comments who don't seem to think maintaining internet connectivity during a period where everyone is stuck at home requiring information is "essential work" is also astounding.
 
To me it seems that the error FROM NOT wearing masks is vastly costlier than the error FROM wearing masks. So I wear a mask. Decision-making in real life (with imperfect information, uncertain conditions) is based on such asymmetries.

I've seen lots of people who wear masks mindlessly touching their face trying to adjust them, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a statistic that shows little effect of mass distribution of masks.
 
There's a Guardian article about some Telecoms Engineers in the UK being verbally and physically threatened and Facebook groups of people videoing themselves destroying phone equipment because of a conspiracy theory going around that the Coronavirus is caused by 5G. :wenger:
Yeah that was silly vid of the woman who told some workers they were laying cables which would kill everyone
 
Seems stupid is contagious too.

If only those idiots' fear of technology made them refrain from using the internet to pick up more and more stupid conspiracy theories. Maybe states should actually use troll farms to start such a movement.
 
Intuitively, I think masks work. They probably won't stop you from getting coronavirus if you get exposed to it, but intuitively they are effective at stopping you and other people from spreading it around. Or at least spreading it around to the same degree.

But the thing doesn't work if everyone doesn't do it & there isn't a culture of using them. SK/Hong Kong/China already have their use ingrained culturally, it's definitely not the case in Europe. You also need to make sure they're disposed of correctly & they're obviously environmental contaminants too.
 
Tbh Ive been told by someone extremely high up in the NHS that the majority of masks do absolutely nothing, outside the n95s.

Placebo more than anything.
 
So, on the subject of masks, that order from Donald to 3M not to ship to Canada? Apparently the specific pulp used as part of the N95 only comes from Canada. There are also nurses that cross the border daily and work in hard hit Detroit.

Great move, Donny...