Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Legbiter]

How is Canada doing btw?

[Barrister]

How is Canada doing btw?

142,000 cases total, 9,000 deaths

We have, what - half as many deaths per capita as the US, but hardly got it under control.  Like most places numbers are creeping up again, but not in the exponential growth of the first few weeks.

[mongers]

Anecdote from yesterday: talked to a colleague on the phone. She said that her family have their annual meetup this weekend (they're near the Czech border). It's 60-70 people on average showing up for a weekend of eating and drinking in cramped restaurants.

She said she was the only one who asked if that was such a great idea, and decided that she (and her husband and little daughter) will stay home this year. General response was, "Ah, it will be fine, why are you scared, you're young?" "Covid is exaggerated, anyways!" "None of us have it, so why do you worry?"

I heard almost exactly the same words from someone I had a brief outside chat with the night before last.

[merithyn]

Not officially canceled, but it looks like Vienna's ball season will at least be very curtailed.

Was est dat?

[Syt]

Not officially canceled, but it looks like Vienna's ball season will at least be very curtailed.

Was est dat?

https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/dance/ball-season

[merithyn]

Not officially canceled, but it looks like Vienna's ball season will at least be very curtailed.

Was est dat?

https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/dance/ball-season

[Syt]

Knew you'd like it.

Tourism has been hit very hard in Vienna and winter one of the peaks, esp. in the run-up to Christmas, will offer little reprieve, it looks like.

[viper37]

Bloc Québécois (Federal seperatist leftist party) leader has tested positive for covid-19.  Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  I'm still sorry for him.  His wife tested positive last week-end, after some member of his staff tested positive too.  All the cabinet is in lockdown. 

BB will correct me, but I believe the Conservative Party's cabinet is also in lockdown, or at least the new leader.  That means the Official Opposition to Her Majesty's loyal government can't function properly.  The second official opposition to HMLG can't function properly.  Only the NDP (border-line communist) can oppose the government, and they do a wonderful job of stamp-rubbing anything the Liberal Party proposes.  Such wonderful times to live in.  Such a good year, all filled with joy and happiness.

I believe it's just O'Toole and some staffers.  But what's this about "can't function properly".  Parliament isn't even sitting right now - it's been prorogued.  O'Toole can call and Skype with everyone else right now.

Parliament ain't sitting but MPs are active at preparing the next session.  It throws a wrench in the gears, it stops momemtum.  Politics is all about being seen.  They can only stay at home.

Quebec's premiers has been confined too, following his meeting with O'Toole.

County wise, a meat processing facility has to shutdown until all employees can be tested.  450 people to be tested in all.  Sigh.  If I find the stupid asshole who attended that party while infected, I don't think I'll be able to hold myself.

Within 2 weeks top we'll be back under lockdown.

[Barrister]

O'Toole tests positive.

[merithyn]

Knew you'd like it.

Tourism has been hit very hard in Vienna and winter one of the peaks, esp. in the run-up to Christmas, will offer little reprieve, it looks like.

For the record, I'm so going to be there for one of those seasons.

[merithyn]

O'Toole tests positive.

But is he suffering from the symptoms, or will he be able to continue work via Skype?

[Syt]

Knew you'd like it.

Tourism has been hit very hard in Vienna and winter one of the peaks, esp. in the run-up to Christmas, will offer little reprieve, it looks like.

For the record, I'm so going to be there for one of those seasons.

There was an amusing video of a bunch of students in the UK showing that it's cheaper for them to go to a ball in Vienna than pay GBP 190 for the Oxford Ball: https://youtu.be/vFr1HPfSwKc

(Tbf, the "top shelf" balls will be more expensive)

[celedhring]

So, after weeks of sitting on their thumbs, the Madrid regional government has placed on lockdown the most affected areas of the region. All of them are working class neighborhoods that vote red on the elections (the government is a right wing coalition). The optics are quite horrible, as someone said on twitter "I can't go have a beer in a wealthy neighborhood, but I can clean their houses and babysit their children".

It doesn't help that some borderline areas that do vote right haven't been placed on lockdown despite having sky-high AI rates themselves.

[Tamas]

Meanwhile in London

[Sheilbh]

Those are two photos of the same crowd which just shows how much perspective matters because based on the bottom picture - you know, crazies gonna crazy.

I do feel like there's more resistance to lockdown measures now though - like just a "it's not worth it" attitude - which'll make it difficult if we go back into a national lockdown.

Interesting slides from a big European polling project. Basically British people think the handling of covid has been incompetent but fair


Also very strong support for lockdown restrictions (so maybe I'm wrong ):


British people very strongly feel it's their duty to follow the rules - but suspect their fellow citizens are breaking them (curtain-twitchers unite):


One very positive sign - Brits have felt more supported and less alone than most European countries, which is nice:


Also really intersting the UK is the country that least wants things to go back to normal and wants to seize the opportunity to make important changes (64%! ), but don't expect that will happen (55%):