Coronavirus

[lady_*nix]

Also, turns out things are even worse than we thought: this coronavirus can persist viably in aerosols from coughs/sneezes for up to three hours.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal ... SKBN2143QP

[geonuc]

If I wasn't over 60 and immune-compromised, I'd donate blood.

[lady_*nix]

TBH so would I, but they still don't accept blood from "men who have sex with men".

[Swift]

The worst-case scenario is extremely frightening. I can't imagine the global catastrophe that will occur if the maximum number of deaths occur that they predict *could happen*. The good news is that the worst-case scenarios don't factor in the effects or effectiveness of actions such as social distancing, quarantining people, and etc.

But, even a "best case" scenario is starting to look like a serious freaking catastrophe. I am sincerely hopeful that the best case scenario turns out to be the one that happens and that it is much better than predicted.

I have to focus on the "best" or at least "better" cases because I'm already pretty depressed and anxious. I have to limit my intake of news and dire predictions to cope.

[lady_*nix]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/ ... s-pandemic

Gods damn I cannot believe how stupid centrist Democrats are being right now. These people will talk our ears off about "clear eyed pragmatism" and "doing what needs to be done no matter the cost", but as soon as "what needs to be done" involves helping citizens directly with no strings attached... Chickenshit. They're happy to sink trillions of dollars into whatever wars the Republicans start, but sending their own constituents money so they can afford food and medicine and a roof during a pandemic? LOL nope. It's, IDK, almost like their idea of "pragmatism" is actually a cover for cynicism and exploitation.

[lady_*nix]

Old school Democrats: "Why won't younger people get out and vote for us though?!"

This. This is why. You're handing the progressive economic position to people who are at best bloated opportunists and at worst actual neo-Nazis. You're behaving like a bunch of Thomas Nast caricatures. You're letting people die and futures burn for the sake of a status quo that has no longer even applies. If you don't have the courage to do the right thing, at least have the brains to step aside for people who do.

[SciFiFisher]

A deal was reached. And this is probably not the last one. Interestingly Trump has "activated" a Korean War law that allows him to commandeer industry for a "war effort". In this case, I assume it will mean he will steer no-bid contracts to his cronies and supporters who own facilities that can manufacture respirators, ventilators and other medical equipment. Let us not forget his administration was the one that rejected readily available test kits so that they could downplay the severity of the virus and steer the business to some rich assholes who supported Trump.

A couple of the factors that Pelosi may have been looking at is that many of the proposals that the administration was making were not really that helpful. For example, deferring tax collections. Great! You don't have to pay the IRS in April but you will in June. That doesn't really help. Or the idea of sending money to a bunch of people who are sitting on a pile of cash. If you want to stimulate the economy you don't send money to people who are sitting on a pile of cash. All they will do with it is add it to the pile and sit a little higher. The Great Recession of 2008 proved that.

As for the idea that if you give money to people who don't need it now but take it back later.... bwahahahahahaha. Just how are you going to do that? The first time you send a letter to someone demanding that they return the money the lawyers will get involved.

[lady_*nix]

IOW: "Oh noes, but we'd be giving $1000 to billionaires too! We can't do that!"

Means testing is already a stupid way to do that, $1000 is not a lot compared to how much those fuckers hold on to from tax loopholes, and this is a pandemic that has put 100,000 people out of work (and in danger of homelessness and malnutrition, which might add that much more fuel to the pandemic's fire).

We do not have the luxury of time or frugality here, and that centrist Dems only now complain about the rich getting richer (and only by $1000!) IMO speaks worlds about where their priorities lie.

[pumpkinpi]

My mom started chemotherapy one week ago. Today she was supposed to go in for a checkup, but they told her they wanted to test her for the virus because of her cough and shortness of breath. Well, she has lung cancer, and has had those symptoms for a year.....why now? Why did they not have any concern before she started chemotherapy, one short week ago?

Anyway, she's still waiting (at home) to find out where and when they can test her. So, they can't prioritize getting a test for a chemotherapy patient with lung cancer, but Celine Dion can get one because she feels like she has a cold? (I just read a buzzfeed article about celebrities getting preferential treatment.)

My mom had the test, and said it hurt A LOT! She's negative. They were never concerned she had it, but they had to test her so she'd be allowed in the cancer ward. But now they have said she won't be coming in until her next treatment on the 31st....will they have to test her again first?

[Rommie]

That must be so frustrating, pumpkinpi! I hope your mom gets the treatment she needs soon, and stays home until then!

[SciFiFisher]

IOW: "Oh noes, but we'd be giving $1000 to billionaires too! We can't do that!"

Means testing is already a stupid way to do that, $1000 is not a lot compared to how much those fuckers hold on to from tax loopholes, and this is a pandemic that has put 100,000 people out of work (and in danger of homelessness and malnutrition, which might add that much more fuel to the pandemic's fire).

We do not have the luxury of time or frugality here, and that centrist Dems only now complain about the rich getting richer (and only by $1000!) IMO speaks worlds about where their priorities lie.

And the big corporate tax cuts that Mitch and Co. are tacking onto the relief bill don't concern you?

[lady_*nix]

Oh hell yes they concern me. Making sure people can survive through this crisis just concerns me more. And the issue isn't just that Pelosi and the centrist Dems rejected this measure, it's that they're rejecting any that doesn't include means testing, which during a pandemic is utterly fucked up.

[SciFiFisher]

And California has issued a statewide order to stay home. All "non-essential" travel is banned. I am still reporting to work because the VA declared that all of its employees are essential personnel. We are a very large healthcare system. In theory, we might wind up treating non-veteran patients.

[SciFiFisher]

Oh hell yes they concern me. Making sure people can survive through this crisis just concerns me more. And the issue isn't just that Pelosi and the centrist Dems rejected this measure, it's that they're rejecting any that doesn't include means testing, which during a pandemic is utterly fucked up.

Sadly, what the Republicans are proposing the bulk of the money won't go to people who probably need it the most. I totally agree with you that people need help. Means testing seems a little harsh but the reality is that the "means test" will be validating a person's most recent tax return and basing how much they get on either the gross or the adjusted gross income. What that means is that people who didn't file a tax return recently probably won't get anything. And they are probably the ones who need it the most. Most likely a lot of them are making money doing very low-income jobs and are getting laid off.

[lady_*nix]

Yes, the Republicans would do that.

Re means testing: yes, that's... kind of my point. We need to have literally everyone benefit right now, because anyone homeless or unable to afford basics is potentially a walking plague bomb.

[Swift]

I've now worked at home for 2 weeks. I try to keep close to my normal schedule for work: Monday to Friday, about 8 to 5 or 5:30, though I never punched a clock even when I went into work.

But I find that there is sort of a weird timelessness now, like it is really hard to tell what day of the week it is.

[geonuc]

I've now worked at home for 2 weeks. I try to keep close to my normal schedule for work: Monday to Friday, about 8 to 5 or 5:30, though I never punched a clock even when I went into work.

But I find that there is sort of a weird timelessness now, like it is really hard to tell what day of the week it is.

I was thinking that very thing this morning. Retirement itself made days flow into one another without much distinction but it's an order of magnitude more now. My two touchstones for what day of the week it is have ended: Local's Tuesday at the pubs and the Thursday-Sunday pro golf schedule.

[SciFiFisher]

The concept of time in many ways is an artificial construct.

[Swift]

The concept of time in many ways is an artificial construct.

No, I'm sorry, but that's wrong. Everyone knows Thursday is a fundamental property of the universe.

[SciFiFisher]

The concept of time in many ways is an artificial construct.

No, I'm sorry, but that's wrong. Everyone knows Thursday is a fundamental property of the universe.

LMBO

[Rommie]

So yeah guys, I can't donate blood in the USA. I could in Canada, but it turns out because I lived in the Netherlands for five years that excludes me from doing so here. Because of mad cow, even though I lived there two decades after mad cow was in the UK and that never really came to the Netherlands.

So yeah, maybe there wouldn't be such a shortage if they weren't so restrictive? So dumb!

Anyway, I've noticed what others said about days- they melt so easily into each other. We are taking the weekend off to not do work, and man is sitting around an excellent reset for me to start doing more work tomorrow! (As opposed to busy weekends where you wonder where they went.)

I've also noticed a LOT of astronomers are practically bragging about how little they're getting done on social media and stuff. Maybe this is from the adversity I've faced in the past on my PhD, or the fact that I have little compared to others to fret about, but while I'm not working at normal amounts it seems soooo dumb to me to advertise that you're not doing anything. (Mind, I have serious respect for people like my sister who have a toddler and a job where they legit need to do work from home, but this isn't the case with these people- they're all childless and doing a weird bit of virtue signaling.)

I also had the realization this morning btw that I have a new respect for Laura in Little House on the Prairie now. They always talk in the series about how magical a trip to town was and now thinking about a weekly grocery store run I'm like "omg, I can go see all the things!"

[SciFiFisher]

I saw a clip yesterday with Katie Porter's sister who happens to be an ER doctor. Warning: This is freaking alarming as hell. She explains quite frankly that we may need up to 7.5 million ventilators to support everyone who develops respiratory problems with COVID 19. Without social distancing and slowing the spread of the virus up to 49 out of every 50 people who need a ventilator would not be able to get one.

Social distancing and staying away from each other, washing your hands frequently, and working from home are all helping to keep those numbers down.

[lady_*nix]

@Fisher

Yeah. And in general a lot of the low mortality rate is due to access to medical care. When medical systems get overwhelmed (like in Italy), mortality rate goes WAY up. This virus is bad shit, and people need to take it seriously.

[Rommie]

Governor Baker in Massachusetts ordered something which sounds an awful lot like a shelter-in-place in all but name, with all non-essential businesses shutting down tomorrow. It's a bit weird actually- it sounds exactly like the order in many other states, but does not actually call it that. Politics at play? The Republican governor doesn't want to get accused of being too big government by ordering a shelter in place? That's the best we could figure it, anyway.

A fun one for me later next week- a local high school teacher got in touch to ask if I'd do an astronomy talk/ answer questions to his class and the school's astronomy club. Nice to have something to look forward to that's so interactive!

[lady_*nix]

@Rommie

What I've been hearing is that officials want to be clear that this isn't like after the Boston Marathon bombing, where "shelter in place" meant "don't go out anywhere at all ever".