Coronavirus May 2020 - Observations, information, discussion

[Youdon_tsay]

Well, the Texas governor just announced the “plan” he’s putting in place, and it didn’t lift my spirits! lol

[Leigh22]

@suteiki77 your post made me smile. I’m so thankful for the teachers who are working so hard - I can’t even imagine .

[rosered55]

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments (by videoconferencing, of course) today in a suit brought by the Wisconsin Legislature against the governor and the health secretary regarding extension of the state’s safer-at-home order. At one point, the chief justice made a distinction between meat-packing facility workers who tested positive for COVID-19 and “regular folks” in Brown County, home not only to the facility but also to the Green Bay Packers. Ouch.

[jym626]

@OneMoreToGo2021

@fretfulmother

@OneMoreToGo2021

Latest observation today from the gas station convenience store I usually stop in every morning.

Five customers in the store, including two police officers who were obviously hanging out, enjoying some courtesy coffee and shooting the breeze for a while. Neither officer had a mask, and they were standing and talking to each other literally within three feet, probably within two. One was Hispanic, the other white. The front door of the store very clearly says “Must Wear Mask Inside”.

For a second I thought maybe they were partners, so who cares - they are in the car together all day anyway. But when I walked out there were two police cruisers. One was labeled “SUPERVISOR” right next to the “To Protect and Serve” motto.

@OneMoreToGo2021 - why do you want to go to a gas station convenience store every day? If I weren’t SAH, that’s still in my bottom ten desired locations.

Well, for one thing, I like interacting with “average” people. I come from an extremely modest background myself, although I was very fortunate in that I was able to retire many years before I became accustomed to the upper middle class lifestyle. Seeing both the “bottom” and the “top” has given me a different perspective on life from so many on here, and probably influences my choices of where and how to spend my time.

Frankly, based on your posts (Nassau County, right?), I suspect that your top ten desired locations are places I would studiously avoid. It takes all kinds in this world…

What is an “average” person? And what does it have to do with COVID?

[Cardinal_Fang]

In California, clothing, florists, bookstores, sporting goods and music stores are supposed to be able to re-open Friday, for retail curbside pick-up. My area is going to be more strict, and not allow this quite yet.

I understand curbside pickup for flowers or a hockey stick. But clothing? Why would I order from a retail clothing store instead of shopping online, if I couldn’t try on the clothes?

[katliamom]

@DeeCee36

The above statement comes across as very cavalier about things…

Yes. People’s characters certainly become well delineated in a crisis. Some make room in safety boats, others push people into the water.

[ucbalumnus]

@Cardinal_Fang

In California, clothing, florists, bookstores, sporting goods and music stores are supposed to be able to re-open Friday, for retail curbside pick-up. My area is going to be more strict, and not allow this quite yet.

I understand curbside pickup for flowers or a hockey stick. But clothing? Why would I order from a retail clothing store instead of shopping online, if I couldn’t try on the clothes?

Many clothing and other stores have both physical stores and web stores, where (before virus) you could order on the web for pickup at the store without paying shipping charges.

[Cardinal_Fang]

Good point, @ucbalumnus. I sometimes order for local pickup at REI, a store that sells clothing and sporting goods.

[katliamom]

@dietz199

@emilybee Are the mutations causing the virus to be more or less dangerous? More or less transmissible. I think most people will automatically jump to the conclusion that ‘mutation’ means bad. But can’t it also mean it’s mutating to become LESS virulent and problematic?

It looks like the mutated CV – the one now prevalent in the US and Europe – is more contagious than the Wuhan virus. (Note: not yet peer reviewed study.)

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/05/the-coronavirus-mutated-and-appears-to-be-more-contagious-now-new-study-finds.html

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-05/mutant-coronavirus-has-emerged-more-contagious-than-original

[dietz199]

The more infectious strain is the one that has been circulating in Europe in February. It became the dominate strain in the US in March.

So what we’ve been seeing is already due to the more virulent strain.

[bluebayou]

@Cardinal_Fang

I understand curbside pickup for flowers or a hockey stick. But clothing? Why would I order from a retail clothing store instead of shopping online, if I couldn’t try on the clothes?

I think that is exactly the point.

Local mom & pop retailers – perhaps a woman’s boutique or kid’s center, who put a lifetime of savings into their shop – have been forced to close while Amazon and Macy’s et al have massive online shipping operations. In essence, in the name of public health, the Govt is forcing the mom & pops out of business.

(you can’t try on Amazon stuff either – just return it if it doesn’t fit)

[Cardinal_Fang]

It looks like the mutated CV – the one now prevalent in the US and Europe – is more contagious than the Wuhan virus.

I can’t wait to hear This Week In Virology slap this story down. Scientists have already been smacking it on Twitter.

It’s one SNP. There’s little reason to believe the mutated version is more contagious, and none to believe it’s more virulent.

[HImom]

Our state, HI is reopening malls and restaurants on May 7, with new rules. Expecting to reopen tourism maybe late July.

[scout59]

^^ I agree, Cardinal Fang. I’m not convinced that this paper stands up to scrutiny (and it’s just a preprint, right?) Even the comments on bioRxiv are kind of harsh.

And like you said - even if this new strain were more transmissible, there’s no evidence that it is more virulent (or even AS virulent) than the original strain.

[emilybee]

@bluebayou

@Cardinal_Fang

I understand curbside pickup for flowers or a hockey stick. But clothing? Why would I order from a retail clothing store instead of shopping online, if I couldn’t try on the clothes?

I think that is exactly the point.

Local mom & pop retailers – perhaps a woman’s boutique or kid’s center, who put a lifetime of savings into their shop – have been forced to close while Amazon and Macy’s et al have massive online shipping operations. In essence, in the name of public health, the Govt is forcing the mom & pops out of business.

(you can’t try on Amazon stuff either – just return it if it doesn’t fit)

The two boutiques where I shop both are doing delivery to people.

Tonight, one is having an instagram makeup session by Tata Harper. The other store, the owner is doing a FaceBook showing her stores spring/summer collections.) She also designs a line of her own.)

Both these stores will definitely survive the pandemic crises. Very loyal customer base who have money to spend.

[Nrdsb4]

@Cardinal_Fang

It looks like the mutated CV – the one now prevalent in the US and Europe – is more contagious than the Wuhan virus.

I can’t wait to hear This Week In Virology slap this story down. Scientists have already been smacking it on Twitter.

It’s one SNP. There’s little reason to believe the mutated version is more contagious, and none to believe it’s more virulent.

I’ve been following some virologists and epidemiologists on Twitter and they are saying this paper “makes their blood boil” with the conclusions people are drawing from it.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, is even more skeptical of the team’s conclusions than Hanage.

“They didn’t do a single experiment, and this is all conjecture,” she told Gizmodo. “There’s no indication that this mutation makes the virus more transmissible, and they’ve done nothing to show that this mutation is functionally significant.”

https://gizmodo.com/what-to-know-about-that-new-paper-claiming-the-coronavi-1843265388

[emilybee]

You should all go on the Los Alamos leaders Facebook page and question her. Maybe you can slap her down yourselves.

[ucbalumnus]

@Cardinal_Fang

It’s one SNP. There’s little reason to believe the mutated version is more contagious, and none to believe it’s more virulent.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.29.069054v1.full.pdf (the paper describing the mutations) says on page 8 that “There was, however, no significant correlation found between D614G status and hospitalization status”. I.e. they are claiming it is more contagious, but not (necessarily) more virulent.

[bluebayou]

@emilybee

@bluebayou

@Cardinal_Fang

I understand curbside pickup for flowers or a hockey stick. But clothing? Why would I order from a retail clothing store instead of shopping online, if I couldn’t try on the clothes?

I think that is exactly the point.

Local mom & pop retailers – perhaps a woman’s boutique or kid’s center, who put a lifetime of savings into their shop – have been forced to close while Amazon and Macy’s et al have massive online shipping operations. In essence, in the name of public health, the Govt is forcing the mom & pops out of business.

(you can’t try on Amazon stuff either – just return it if it doesn’t fit)

The two boutiques where I shop both are doing delivery to people.

That’s great, but such shops have been closed in CA, as non-essential.

[emilybee]

Ours are closed, also. But you can order from them online. I assume the owners of these stores can enter them and pack for delivery what gets ordered. These are small stores with not a lot of inventory on hand. it’s ’s also possible they have the vendors ship the orders (I have no idea if they received their spring/summer orders before or after PAUSE went into effect.)