OT: Corona virus

[Canoerebel]

Hey, Cap Mandrake, condolences on the loss of your uncle.

After posting the mullet photo this a.m., I spent the rest of the day hiking Tearbritches, the toughest trail I've ever done. I didn't see another soul in the Cohutta Wilderness Area, though there were a few people on the perimeter road - some turkey hunters here and there. Up there in the mountains the high temp. was in the 50s, without a cloud in the sky. The migrant warblers were singing. The Conasauga River was running full after Sunday's big rains. It was a gorgeous day without a sign of trouble.

Knowing that an all-out fight against the pandemic continues, the contrast was intense.

JohnD is the only Forumite I know personally involved in the fight. He hasn't posted in a few days. I hope he's doing well.

[Ian R]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Just found out today my uncle passed away from COVID-19 yesterday in Indianapolis. He was in a good quality nursing home but one of his dinner buddies got sick. The home was in lockdown for 30 days so my cousins didn't get to see him.

I had an anxiety dream about him on Monday. [:(] He was 86 and had some significant health problems. He worked as an artist for the Navy. [:)]

Thanks Winnie the Pooh

Condolences captain. I know how you feel.

[Canoerebel]

States sorted by deaths/M.

This is of particular interest to me since the national media predicted southern states would suffer disproportionately and that assertion was repeated with vigor by a number of forumites.

The southern states tended to "push the power down" - to let local jurisdictions handle matters. As discussed in here previously, most were proactive, imposing countermeasures sooner than many states elsewhere and sooner than some European countries.

States in the South are conspicuous in their scarcity from this list. Louisiana is there. Georgia too, but it currently ranks 14th on the list but is the 8th largest state. Many others are very low, including NC, Tenn., Ala, SC and Fla.

[Canoerebel]

We've discussed previously the proliferation of dreams (I lost the link to this story and now can't find it, but it was posted online today).

The first time dreams was brought up was about three weeks ago, both Chickenboy and Cap Mandrake mentioned they were having them.

As we noted, Stephen King used dreams in his pandemic novel, The Stand, written in the '80s.

[John 3rd]

We just re-watched The Stand mini-series. GREAT Stuff and it really was interesting watching the first episode with the virus. The dreams were spooky and well done in book and series.

We have some friends who have contracted this in Ft Morgan and will ask them about dreams. They appear to be doing well. Both are in their 30s and in decent health.

[Canoerebel]

I watched it on YouTube a couple of weeks ago, John. It's a six-hour mini-series and was pretty well done (except for Randall Flagg's red eyes).

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

Trump calls for halt to US funding for World Health Organization amid coronavirus outbreak
23 mins ago

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... li=BBnb7Kz


"The Trump administration will halt funding to the World Health Organization as it evaluates the agency’s “role in severely mismanaging” the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday.

“Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” Trump said at a White House press conference."

Good.

When WHO is unable to stop the next Ebola outbreak because of lack of funds and the re-opened economy brings it to the US again, will you still think that was the right choice? Granted their performance early in the outbreak was not stellar, but WHO was getting contradictory info just like the rest of us. It took a few weeks of careful observations to determine which info was correct and which was not. That doesn't amount to being useless overall IMO.

BS. "not stellar" does not begin to describe what was done. There have been deliberate actions actions against their mission and duties. Certainly not all or even most of the people at WHO, but the top leadership appears actually culpable. There must be big changes before funding is restored.

In situations like this hacks always resort to holding virtual hostages. The hacks are not the ones who stopped Ebola. The hacks are not the ones who got WHO finally moving on COVID-19. The hacks need to go so the true professionals can do their jobs.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Just found out today my uncle passed away from COVID-19 yesterday in Indianapolis. He was in a good quality nursing home but one of his dinner buddies got sick. The home was in lockdown for 30 days so my cousins didn't get to see him.

I had an anxiety dream about him on Monday. [:(] He was 86 and had some significant health problems. He worked as an artist for the Navy. [:)]

Thanks Winnie the Pooh

RIP. Sorry, friend.

[Encircled]

Bad news about your uncle Captain.

RIP

Not sure I'm liking the scenes in Michigan yesterday.

Certainly sure the actions of a few will adversely affect the many (as always)

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Just found out today my uncle passed away from COVID-19 yesterday in Indianapolis. He was in a good quality nursing home but one of his dinner buddies got sick. The home was in lockdown for 30 days so my cousins didn't get to see him.

I had an anxiety dream about him on Monday. [:(] He was 86 and had some significant health problems. He worked as an artist for the Navy. [:)]

Thanks Winnie the Pooh

My condolences... [:(]


Leo "Apollo11"

[RFalvo69]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

Trump calls for halt to US funding for World Health Organization amid coronavirus outbreak
23 mins ago

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... li=BBnb7Kz


"The Trump administration will halt funding to the World Health Organization as it evaluates the agency’s “role in severely mismanaging” the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday.

“Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” Trump said at a White House press conference."

Good.

When WHO is unable to stop the next Ebola outbreak because of lack of funds and the re-opened economy brings it to the US again, will you still think that was the right choice? Granted their performance early in the outbreak was not stellar, but WHO was getting contradictory info just like the rest of us. It took a few weeks of careful observations to determine which info was correct and which was not. That doesn't amount to being useless overall IMO.

BTW, if the US stop funding the W.H.O., the next in line (as major funder) is... China.

Which is the strategy China employed in the last decade - it doesn't matter if reacting to global political decisions or inaction by the West in some area of the World: "Don't worry. We are here (omitted: to stay). We will help!"

And, no, the objection that China contributes a fraction of the money the US gave to the W.H.O. doesn't hold. There is a void, and they will move to fill it. And many other countries will cooperate, both because they are already looking at China as the epicenter of a new trade block and out of spite for (political sentence detected!... bzzzz... Exterminate! Exterminate! zap!).

Stop funding the W.H.O. in the middle of a pandemic... Great move. No, really [8|]

[MakeeLearn]

China is fighting the coronavirus with a digital QR code. Here's how it works
6 hrs ago


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ch ... 12HctC_1|1


"Relying on mobile technology and big data, the Chinese government has used a color-based "health code" system to control people's movements and curb the spread of the coronavirus. The automatically generated quick response codes, commonly abbreviated to QR codes, are assigned to citizens as an indicator of their health status.

Although authorities have yet to make the health codes compulsory, in many cities, citizens without the app wouldn't be able to leave their residential compounds or enter most public places. "

"The health codes can also serve as a tracker for people's moves in public areas, as residents have their QR codes scanned as they enter public places. Once a confirmed case is diagnosed, authorities are able to quickly backtrack where the patient has been and identify people who have been in contact with that individual."

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

Life has become a Ken Kesey novel both at work and off work.

"You see these people? These are the real people."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RpJ0eVr-U0

What kind of low life tries to bet with butts, OH I see.

[Canoerebel]

This would be in character. China developed measures to "score" a citizen's political reliability. That affects what "suspect" members can and can't do. Sobering stuff.

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

China is fighting the coronavirus with a digital QR code. Here's how it works
6 hrs ago


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ch ... 12HctC_1|1


"Relying on mobile technology and big data, the Chinese government has used a color-based "health code" system to control people's movements and curb the spread of the coronavirus. The automatically generated quick response codes, commonly abbreviated to QR codes, are assigned to citizens as an indicator of their health status.

Although authorities have yet to make the health codes compulsory, in many cities, citizens without the app wouldn't be able to leave their residential compounds or enter most public places. "

"The health codes can also serve as a tracker for people's moves in public areas, as residents have their QR codes scanned as they enter public places. Once a confirmed case is diagnosed, authorities are able to quickly backtrack where the patient has been and identify people who have been in contact with that individual."

[Canoerebel]

Here's a link to what seems like a detailed analysis of China's political scoring system. The source is unfamiliar but came up first in a google search. The synopsis paragraph is similar to other reports I've read on this developing technological means of evaluating a citizen's social and political compliance: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/1 ... 4819826402

[Cap Mandrake]

Recent US funding of the WHO is running at over $500M a year. 2/3rd of that is VOLUNTARY. They aren't going to "run out of money"

The US taxpayer has been the piggy bank for the WHO forever. And what do we get? The dumbasses resisted US travel bans and delayed the pandemic classification in order to assuage Chicom feelings. Am i worried the Chinese are going to gain influence? It already happened.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe




Good.

When WHO is unable to stop the next Ebola outbreak because of lack of funds and the re-opened economy brings it to the US again, will you still think that was the right choice? Granted their performance early in the outbreak was not stellar, but WHO was getting contradictory info just like the rest of us. It took a few weeks of careful observations to determine which info was correct and which was not. That doesn't amount to being useless overall IMO.

BTW, if the US stop funding the W.H.O., the next in line (as major funder) is... China.

Which is the strategy China employed in the last decade - it doesn't matter if reacting to global political decisions or inaction by the West in some area of the World: "Don't worry. We are here (omitted: to stay). We will help!"

And, no, the objection that China contributes a fraction of the money the US gave to the W.H.O. doesn't hold. There is a void, and they will move to fill it. And many other countries will cooperate, both because they are already looking at China as the epicenter of a new trade block and out of spite for (political sentence detected!... bzzzz... Exterminate! Exterminate! zap!).

Stop funding the W.H.O. in the middle of a pandemic... Great move. No, really [8|]

It's the smartest thing we could have possibly done. Either they can react by cleaning up their act, replacing the leadership stooges in the pocket of China and thereby restore themselves to the good graces of the US and restore their funding source, or they can go running into the arms of China, completely undermining what little credibility they have left and destroying themselves as an organization. The US has no use for them if they are simply going to be an arm of China.

p.s. Clive is one of my favorite actors and your use of his image is seriously undermining how I view him. Funny how that seems to work.

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

A Federal Ban on Making Lethal Viruses Is Lifted

Dec. 19, 2017



https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/heal ... s-nih.html


"Federal officials on Tuesday ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal.

Such work can now proceed, said Dr. Francis S. Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, but only if a scientific panel decides that the benefits justify the risks.

Some scientists are eager to pursue these studies because they may show, for example, how a bird flu could mutate to more easily infect humans, or could yield clues to making a better vaccine."


"When the moratorium was imposed, it effectively halted 21 projects, Dr. Collins said. In the three years since, the N.I.H. created exceptions that funded ten of those projects. Five were flu-related, and five concerned the MERS virus.

That virus is a coronavirus carried by camels that has infected about 2,100 people since it was discovered in 2012, and has killed about a third of them, according to the World Health Organization."

Mildly concerning, but we know that this coronavirus wasn't made in a lab.

Is "the scientific panel" the institutional review board process? If so, that is rather stringent and any risk of harm to humans has to be mitigated or conclusively shown to be worth it. It's worth noting that "compassionate use" falls outside of this process specifically because treatments that haven't yet met the stringent "prove it doesn't have negative side effects" part of the process would not pass.

How does one know it is not made in a lab? With a Blister agent that attacks the lungs it is easy.


Designer label? Made in ?
RNA sequence? Surface proteins... the keys it uses to enter cells thus attacking parts of the body it's type normally does not attack?

A month ago I read reports that HIV drugs were used with success in treating CV19 patients. It made me think Hmmmm! In the past few days I've read several reports that researchers are saying that CV19 is attacking and destroying T cells, just like HIV.

Now they also claim it is causing heart inflammation, acute kidney disease, neurological malfunction, blood clots, intestinal damage and liver problems.

[Cap Mandrake]

Google and Apple are working together on an automated smart phone infectious contact technology.

The way it would work is the user would have to "opt in" (supposedly) and then their smart phone would record the wifi "chirps" of all the nearby smart phones throughout the day. When a person was found to be positive for COVID-19, the system would query their phone and pull up all the chirp contacts during their contagious period and then "public health authorities" would use that to do contact tracing.

It's seriously creepy with tremendous 4th Amendment abuse potential. Note: This is NOT GPS tracing or even cell tower tracing> If I understand it is the technology used by the phone to find wifi networks

[Canoerebel]

Bad news from Belgium today. This country's been particularly hard hit the past week or ten days. It has the highest mortality per capita (deaths/million) for a major nation, ahead of Spain, Italy, France, UK, etc.**

**A couple of statistically small countries - Andorra and San Marino - lead.