OT: Corona virus

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I find this one a bit ridiculous.

Could he have quit because it was an adulterous affair? Are there morality clauses in England or perhaps secrecy concerns?

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: obvert

I find this one a bit ridiculous.

Could he have quit because it was an adulterous affair? Are there morality clauses in England or perhaps secrecy concerns?

Mostly a messaging issue, I think. If you're on the group setting the distancing guidelines, and then don't follow them in your own life, it's difficult to get the rest of the population on board.

Plus, as warspite illustrated, there's a real sense of resentment at "one rule for us, another for the rest".

[22sec]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

More Pennsylvania news:

https://archive.is/3SkVa (Pittsburgh Action News)

Pitt researcher studying coronavirus killed in suspected murder-suicide in Ross Township

"Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications," the department said in a written statement.

That almost sounds like something from a Hollywood thriller - Chinese scientist working on unlocking key to virus causing worldwide pandemic shot dead...

[RangerJoe]

If he already had the CoViD-9, then he should not have had to stay away from people. In fact, finding those people who have had it but have it no longer, who can and will work in nursing homes and the like, might be a way to help those at most risk.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: obvert

I find this one a bit ridiculous.

Could he have quit because it was an adulterous affair? Are there morality clauses in England or perhaps secrecy concerns?

Didn't they make a movie about this subject? "No Sex Please, We're British"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmEGArPp8Q

He was obviously violating a long established British tradition!

[CaptBeefheart]

This discussion of the press reminded me of one time I was visiting my parents in Iowa in the late 90s and I noticed my old man reading the NYT Sunday edition, to which he subscribed. "Dad, what are you doing reading that?" "If you filter it, there's some good stuff in here."

As a PR guy in the latter part of my career, I make it a point to know a lot of foreign correspondents. One thing I've noticed is the ones who have primarily had an international career tend to be fairly politically neutral in their Facebook and Twitter posts (call it 80% of them being neutral). They'll stick to retweeting news stories and the like. Regarding the ones I know who did a 2-3 year stint here and then went back to the U.S., the ones who are active on social media don't seem to hesitate to make political judgments, and Cap Mandrake will be 100% correct in his guess as to which way they lean. Now, in a perfect world, their political leanings wouldn't affect their writing. I don't believe we live in a perfect world.

EDIT: More good news in Korea, with zero indigenous cases (two at the airport). Public schools will be reopened on a grade-by-grade basis starting next week. The daily report: S. Korea reports no new local virus cases for 3rd day amid lax social distancing

Cheers,
CB

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: CaptBeefheart

This discussion of the press reminded me of one time I was visiting my parents in Iowa in the late 90s and I noticed my old man reading the NYT Sunday edition, to which he subscribed. "Dad, what are you doing reading that?" "If you filter it, there's some good stuff in here."

As a PR guy in the latter part of my career, I make it a point to know a lot of foreign correspondents. One thing I've noticed is the ones who have primarily had an international career tend to be fairly politically neutral in their Facebook and Twitter posts (call it 80% of them being neutral). They'll stick to retweeting news stories and the like. Regarding the ones I know who did a 2-3 year stint here and then went back to the U.S., the ones who are active on social media don't seem to hesitate to make political judgments, and Cap Mandrake will be 100% correct in his guess as to which way they lean. Now, in a perfect world, their political leanings wouldn't affect their writing. I don't believe we live in a perfect world.

Cheers,
CB

I do believe that Walter Cronkite was a liberal but it did not come out in his reporting. If he said it, you could believe it.

[Lowpe]

Vitamin D Insufficiency is Prevalent in Severe COVID-19

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101 ... 20075838v1

not peer reviewed yet

there is also an Indian study that makes similar claims.

[CaptBeefheart]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: CaptBeefheart

This discussion of the press reminded me of one time I was visiting my parents in Iowa in the late 90s and I noticed my old man reading the NYT Sunday edition, to which he subscribed. "Dad, what are you doing reading that?" "If you filter it, there's some good stuff in here."

As a PR guy in the latter part of my career, I make it a point to know a lot of foreign correspondents. One thing I've noticed is the ones who have primarily had an international career tend to be fairly politically neutral in their Facebook and Twitter posts (call it 80% of them being neutral). They'll stick to retweeting news stories and the like. Regarding the ones I know who did a 2-3 year stint here and then went back to the U.S., the ones who are active on social media don't seem to hesitate to make political judgments, and Cap Mandrake will be 100% correct in his guess as to which way they lean. Now, in a perfect world, their political leanings wouldn't affect their writing. I don't believe we live in a perfect world.

Cheers,
CB

I do believe that Walter Cronkite was a liberal but it did not come out in his reporting. If he said it, you could believe it.

I know a guy who tends to live here who earned his chops covering the Vietnam War and he was present when a North Korean agent shot the wife of President Park Chung-hee (he missed the president) in 1974. I've had a number of beers with him and he even went to my wedding, but I have no idea what his politics are. Two words: old school.

Cheers,
CB

[Lowpe]

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces $775m in state budget cuts to education, Medicaid and more


https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/05/ ... -more.html

[Lowpe]

University of Akron to eliminate six of 11 colleges as part of cost-saving measures due to coronavirus pandemic

https://www.cleveland.com/education/202 ... demic.html

[Nomad]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Vitamin D Insufficiency is Prevalent in Severe COVID-19

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101 ... 20075838v1

not peer reviewed yet

there is also an Indian study that makes similar claims.

I guess it is a good thing that I take 4000IU a day. We get very little sunlight up here, especially during the Winter.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

More Pennsylvania news:

https://archive.is/3SkVa (Pittsburgh Action News)

Pitt researcher studying coronavirus killed in suspected murder-suicide in Ross Township

"Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications," the department said in a written statement.

Ok. Cue Hollywood blockbuster international thriller. So weird.

In looking into this there seems to be no indication of motive at present. At least his research will be continued by his colleagues and honour his achievements.

In looking into this I also found a few other interesting articles I hadn't seen before. This from a Chinese research project (published and peer reviewed).

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/a ... t_readmore

Coronavirus patients discharged from hospital could still carry the virus deep in their lungs, undetected by conventional testing methods, a Chinese study has found.

The discovery, published in a paper in peer-reviewed journal Cell Research on Tuesday, could explain why a growing number of recovered patients had tested positive again.

"Our work provided the first pathological evidence for residual virus in the lung for a patient [who tested negative] three consecutive times," wrote the researchers, led by Dr Bian Xiuwu of the Army Medical University in Chongqing, southwest China.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: CaptBeefheart

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: CaptBeefheart

This discussion of the press reminded me of one time I was visiting my parents in Iowa in the late 90s and I noticed my old man reading the NYT Sunday edition, to which he subscribed. "Dad, what are you doing reading that?" "If you filter it, there's some good stuff in here."

As a PR guy in the latter part of my career, I make it a point to know a lot of foreign correspondents. One thing I've noticed is the ones who have primarily had an international career tend to be fairly politically neutral in their Facebook and Twitter posts (call it 80% of them being neutral). They'll stick to retweeting news stories and the like. Regarding the ones I know who did a 2-3 year stint here and then went back to the U.S., the ones who are active on social media don't seem to hesitate to make political judgments, and Cap Mandrake will be 100% correct in his guess as to which way they lean. Now, in a perfect world, their political leanings wouldn't affect their writing. I don't believe we live in a perfect world.

Cheers,
CB

I do believe that Walter Cronkite was a liberal but it did not come out in his reporting. If he said it, you could believe it.

I know a guy who tends to live here who earned his chops covering the Vietnam War and he was present when a North Korean agent shot the wife of President Park Chung-hee (he missed the president) in 1974. I've had a number of beers with him and he even went to my wedding, but I have no idea what his politics are. Two words: old school.

Cheers,
CB

That is how it should be, for sure.

I was also impressed that regardless of political leaning, those with experience you mentioned before stay to the middle and don't continually broadcast their own views on social media. Integrity is a dwindling quality in some circles, but I do see a lot of it in some of the young people I work with daily, so there is hope. They just need those experienced examples to follow and look up to sometimes to see how it's done.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Nomad

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Vitamin D Insufficiency is Prevalent in Severe COVID-19

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101 ... 20075838v1

not peer reviewed yet

there is also an Indian study that makes similar claims.

I guess it is a good thing that I take 4000IU a day. We get very little sunlight up here, especially during the Winter.

I's also been unusually sunny at this end of Britain for about the past seven weeks. It makes those daily exercise trips also very good for the Vitamin D absorption, and probably very good for the entire population that we've still been allowed to get out to do these things, unlike some countries with more severe restrictions.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: obvert

I find this one a bit ridiculous.

Could he have quit because it was an adulterous affair? Are there morality clauses in England or perhaps secrecy concerns?

Didn't they make a movie about this subject? "No Sex Please, We're British"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmEGArPp8Q

He was obviously violating a long established British tradition!

warspite1

Correct. Only the lower classes have sex. Posh people get people to do this disgusting act for them.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I'm not yet sure about that, BBfanboy. Each measure (cases, testing, mortality) is subject to uncertainties/issues, but mortality is probably a better measure than confirmed cases. To this point, a number of European countries have significantly higher mortality rates (2x to 4x). Contrary to the news report you allude to, new cases and mortality are level or dropping in the US and in many states. That might change, and according to IHME it will, but until it does, the situation in the US isn't as severe as Italy, Spain, France, UK, Belgium, and Netherlands, among others.

Re: your assertion that the US health care system hasn't fared any better, that isn't the case either. The US has had roughly the same number of cases/million as Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, and a good bit more than UK and France, yet significantly lower mortality/million than those countries. By that measure, the medical system has handled its case load comparatively well.

We don't know how things will turn out in the end, but to this point the US has done comparatively well.

Mortality is a lagging, but accurate account of what has been happening, it's just that we still don't have a good grasp of the infection mortality rate (I hope I'm using the correct term. I know it's not case fatality rate, but overall infections, known or unknown).

I've been leaning toward looking at the percentage positive in testing as a good indicator of persistence of the infection within the population now that testing has increased to a relatively high level in many places. In the US it's still at 16+%, so above the WHO recommended reopening guideline of 10% positive.

The trouble with understanding the US is that it is very different in density, measures in place, compliance and other regional factors. We may not know for a while how htings will go into the summer. I don't think they're going to be as difficult as IHME is predicting now, but I don't think it'll b easy everywhere during the reopening phase either. Some outbreaks will likely flare up.

[obvert]

I have a friend who works in the travel industry. He still has a job (so far, fingers crossed) but the prospects for airline travel are looking grim for a while.

I've been thinking that domestic travel will pick up accordingly as border closures and 14 day required quarantines thwart most international travel. AirBnB just confirmed my suspicions, saying bookings are up for the summer, and even in April were surprisingly high, almost at 2019 levels, in Denmark and the Netherlands.

A large country with well-established internal travel habits like the US should rebound even faster as long as incomes and jobs return. It kind of a chicken or egg thing though too, as travel bookings have to increase for some jobs to come back, which hopefully then feeds more bookings.

https://www.ft.com/content/6a64045a-674 ... 3263a9251d

As the pandemic spread, Airbnb forced its hosts to give refunds to guests whose travel was disrupted by Covid-19.

But the company said that by the end of April the number of bookings by Danish users planning stays in their own country was at around 90 per cent of April 2019 levels, while in the Netherlands domestic bookings were approaching 80 per cent of last year.

Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria also saw some improvement in the number of domestic bookings, but Airbnb declined to comment on whether travellers were planning trips for the summer or later in the year.

Many companies worry that even if travel restrictions are lifted and fear of the virus wanes, household budgets will be too tight for consumers to book trips. A survey of 7,000 consumers by Boston Consulting Group in April found that more than half of US consumers and almost 70 per cent in the UK planned to reduce travel spending over the next six months.

But Mr Chesky said Airbnb had at least seen an increase in the number of people “searching with dates”, a key indicator of an intention to book in the very near future.

This is also a great page on the FT showing some of the major countries in Europe and how they plan to open up gradually.

https://www.ft.com/content/abdb7223-06d ... 06628b5f0e

[obvert]

Here s a great country by country comparative tool to show curves posted by the FT. I'll just show a pic but it's really better to assign your own parameters.

This is just one comparison I threw in for kicks.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

In the last year or so there has been rising public demand that big tech companies stop allowing misleading or dangerous information on their platforms. They didn't create it, but when it became apparent that the info was often harmful to some people, the tech companies were expected to remove it.

The health study provides the context under which YouTube removed information that appears to be misleading and potentially harmful if large numbers of people believe the original assertions of those doctors are true.

The fact that those doctors appear to be in a position to benefit from opening up the lockdown by having increased testing of workers is another indicator that their claims should be taken with lots of skepticism.

So given the context of ALL the information, should YouTube be criticized or applauded for removing the video? There will likely be supporters on both sides but YouTube is in a no-win situation no matter whether it did something or nothing.

Your apparent willingness to embrace authoritarian rule is stunning.

The issue at hand is if the Big Tech communications 'platforms' are platforms or publishers.

As platforms, unlike publishers, they enjoy the benefit of not being held responsible for content.

As platforms they have NO RIGHT to editorial control over content.

As publishers they not only have the right to editorial control over content, they have a responsibility to it.

Currently our governments are collectively allowing the Big Tech companies to have their cake and eat it too, by allowing them the protected status of platforms while also allowing them to get away with unmonitored, uncontrolled, authoritarian editorial control over content.

Who gets to occupy the exalted position of deciding what content is, or is not 'harmful'?

What happens when those given authoritarian control decide the truth is 'harmful'?

Why do we constantly have to relearn the lessons of history?