Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Oexmelin]

The US now has more deaths per capita than Italy and is approaching the worst hit European countries.

I am always surprised this doesn't seem to be the number one story every day.

1) it doesn't fit the USA #1 narrative that continues to persist despite everything. America isn't used to international comparisons where it looks bad, and these stories in the media are usually dead on arrival.

2) American media simultaneously gets bored of a topic, and never lets it go. Trump stories all tell the same narrative, but he supplies endless variations. Covid stories do not provide such variations.

3) I am coming to the conclusion that once deaths in the US are deemed « systemic », Americans feel resigned that nothing can be done. « It is what it is ».

[garbon]

Yep we are all self obsessed and brain dead.

[Tamas]

Yep we are all self obsessed and brain dead.

Well, who isn't.

[garbon]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/11/covid-lockdown-rules-more-divisive-than-brexit-survey-finds

Covid lockdown rules more divisive than Brexit, survey finds

UK study claims solidarity in early weeks of coronavirus pandemic has given way to distrust

Mask-wearing and lockdown rules are now causing deeper social fractures than Brexit, according to a UK-wide study which suggests that the solidarityof the early weeks of the pandemic has given way to distrust.

Polling of 10,000 people found that half of mask-wearers in Britain (58%) have severely negative attitudes towards those who do not wear a mask, and the majority (68%) of people who did not break lockdown rules have strong negative views about lockdown rule-breakers.

Significant minorities of people who stuck to rules said they "hate" or "resent" people who do not. Twelve per cent of mask-wearers said they hated those who did not wear face coverings, and 14% of lockdown adherents hate rule breakers, the survey found.

The animosity created by different responses to the pandemic runs deeper than that revealed in comparable polling between leavers and remainers, the research by the thinktank Demos suggests. Only a third of non-leave voters think people who voted for Brexit are bad people, compared with more than two-thirds of people who abided by lockdown rules, saying they hated or resented lockdown rule-breakers or or thought they were bad people.

"We are still just as angry with each other, but about different things," said Polly Mackenzie, chief executive of Demos. "People's experience has been so divergent. What has been good for one person has been awful for someone else.

"Our ability to understand each other has been put under strain," she said. "Social trust is really important for economic growth, so even if you only care about growth, the country has to be able to get along with each other. Being divided will impact on our recovery."

The strains emerge amid increasing fears that normality may not be resumed any time soon. ONS data released on Thursday showed that optimism about a return to pre-pandemic life has been falling. Since the start of July, the number of people who believe it will take at least a year to get back to normal has overtaken those who think it will happen in less than six months. The proportion of optimists has fallen from 50% in April to just more than 20% at the end of July.

...

[Sheilbh]

Is more divisive the right way to understand that? To me more divisive means like wearing masks v non-wearing masks are 50-50. That polling to me seems to indicate strong social pressure and disapproval of people who break the rules, rather than division, no? It makes sense to me that you feel more strongly about people breaking public health rules in a pandemic than you do about who you disagree about a political issue.

It's not a good thing, I don't like the shaming of people who appear to be breaking the rules because we don't know their individuals situations.

Totally agree on the bit about divergent experiences though.

Edit: I think it feels like it's more about depth of feeling than divisiveness of an issue I suppose.

[Sheilbh]

The US now has more deaths per capita than Italy and is approaching the worst hit European countries.

I am always surprised this doesn't seem to be the number one story every day.

Well, I mean, my city is burning due to forest fires and riots. So, you know.... 

That's fair. It's just there's still about 1,000 deaths a day it seems odd that the numbers don't even seem that important a story, even in the bits of the news that are about covid.

[Admiral Yi]

Is more divisive the right way to understand that? To me more divisive means like wearing masks v non-wearing masks are 50-50.

Divisive to me means strong feelings on both sides, not a 50-50 split.

[garbon]

Is more divisive the right way to understand that? To me more divisive means like wearing masks v non-wearing masks are 50-50.

Divisive to me means strong feelings on both sides, not a 50-50 split.

Yes, it seems to me to be about extent to which each camp views the other as an enemy rather than relative size of the groups.

[Josquius]

Would love to see a venn diagram of anti maskers and brexiters

[crazy canuck]

Yep we are all self obsessed and brain dead.

Your President is leading the way.

[viper37]

Now 50 cases.  Public health is expecting 125 by the end of the day.
And the infected morons who attended the party had symptoms before going there.  I wish I knew who they were.

[Threviel]

Got the results, as expected not Covid-19. I did my civic duty and now I can get back to work on Monday.

[Razgovory]

Well, on the plus side, shorter lifespans will keep Social Security solvent longer.

[Tamas]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/11/coronavirus-uk--knife-edge-cases-rise-lockdowns-grow-birmingham-scotland


While the virus spreads like wildfire among the young as everywhere else, seems like we are staring to see a definitive uptick in elderly people testing positive, as well as in the number of hospital admissions.

[garbon]

Yep we are all self obsessed and brain dead.

Your President is leading the way.

Not mine. Didn't vote for him, don't live in the country, haven't given him any tax money.