Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Razgovory]

I think the thing is that there are two sets of overlapping definitions, originating from the political and cultural realities of different time periods.

Eastern Europe vs Western Europe is basically who's on which side of the Iron Curtain.

Central Europe is a definition from when Germany (and Austria-Hungary) had a hard power sphere of influence in Europe (pre WWII), and includes the countries on the map Zanza shared (Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovenia, Slovakia).

Thus it's possible for a country to be in Central Europe (pre WWII definition and especially pre WWI) and in Eastern Europe or Western Europe (Iron Curtain definition) at the same time. It is, of course, also possible for a country to be in Eastern Europe or Western Europe by both definitions.

I agree with this entirely.

[Admiral Yi]

It's noticably worse here, on the train to Exeter last week I was only one of two in the whole carriage, on the way back I was the sole wearer, so I gave up and 'joined the club', not a whole rational response my part.
 

I'm surprised.  Of all people I thought you would buck the tide.

[The Larch]

What a difference a year makes (warning: Check the map's legends, as they're not directly equivalent):

2020



2021

[celedhring]

I wish the UK hadn't brexited all those maps, either. Kinds sucks to not have their data there.

[Josquius]

I guess it helps to hide how much of a smashing success brexit is proving to be.

[Sheilbh]

I wish the UK hadn't brexited all those maps, either. Kinds sucks to not have their data there.

Yeah - although the thing I find interesting about that map is that it looks lower in places that had a bad first wave and seems to be worse in areas that managed that well. I wonder if there is an element of vaccinations, plus past infection leaving less space in those countries for the virus to grow (I think this is happening a bit in the UK too from what I understand case growth in London and other big cities that had a lot of cases in the first two waves are far lower than in the South-West and other areas that had fewer cases in the first two waves.

And I think for most of Europe, like the UK, the focus shouldn't be on case numbers but hospital admissions, who's getting infected and deaths because with vaccines (and now with treatments which are only just starting to be rolled out) cases just don't mean the same thing anymore:


Most strikingly in hospital admissions we are still significantly below the most optimistic model from the SAGE modelling of this autumn, which is surprising but good.

In the UK at least, over half of the infections are in kids who are incredibly low risk - I think the estimate is that about 6-7% of kids have covid right now, but overall estimates are that around 70-75% of kids have had covid at some point in the last year. The focus I think needs to be more on rolling out the jabs to more vulnerable people as effectiveness wanes to protect them and stop the growing infection of very vulnerable people. That is going far too slowly. But we also need to speed up vaccinating teenagers (also far too slow - in England).

And I think that it's kids is key - Scotland had a huge (case) wave that peaked in early September. It was the highest peak in Scotland in the entire epidemic and about twice the July peak. It's now fallen quite dramatically. My suspicion is England and Wales are a few weeks behind Scotland, because schools in England and Wales open a few weeks later than in Scotland. I could be wrong but I think we may be seeing something similar now.

[Tamas]

I am getting slightly suspicious the cold I caught during my quick Hungary trip start of this week might not be just a cold.

Funnily enough I haven't had a confirmation of receipt of the Day 2 PCR test I dropped off at the collection point yesterday. Usually by this time I'd get a confirmation. Will be funny if the one time I do this test not feeling 100% fine they lose it.

[crazy canuck]

Colds are apparently a thing again now that we are mixing more - and not washing our hands as much.  So hopefully it is just a cold.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I was knocked out by a cold - same with a few friends.

It was probably very light and only lasted for a couple of days, but I've not been ill for eighteen months so forgot what that's like and have no immunity to the bugs that just go round

Friends had similar experiences and all after going back to work properly a few times so I think it's just mixing.

[celedhring]

Yeah I was knocked out by a cold - same with a few friends.

It was probably very light and only lasted for a couple of days, but I've not been ill for eighteen months so forgot what that's like and have no immunity to the bugs that just go round

Friends had similar experiences and all after going back to work properly a few times so I think it's just mixing.

Heh, you made me think about it... last time I was ill was in February 2019. Sounds ridiculous when you think about it.

EDIT: well, I had a slight cold days before the 2020 lockdown too 

[Jacob]

Colds are apparently a thing again now that we are mixing more - and not washing our hands as much.  So hopefully it is just a cold.

Yup. Half my household is down with a cold we got - probably via my son's school. We've tested, it's not Covid.

I'm actually kind of happy with the idea of my youngest having a regular cold, troublesome though it is. It's best if her immune systems gets some exercise.

[Jacob]

I think the thing is that there are two sets of overlapping definitions, originating from the political and cultural realities of different time periods.

Eastern Europe vs Western Europe is basically who's on which side of the Iron Curtain.

Central Europe is a definition from when Germany (and Austria-Hungary) had a hard power sphere of influence in Europe (pre WWII), and includes the countries on the map Zanza shared (Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovenia, Slovakia).

Thus it's possible for a country to be in Central Europe (pre WWII definition and especially pre WWI) and in Eastern Europe or Western Europe (Iron Curtain definition) at the same time. It is, of course, also possible for a country to be in Eastern Europe or Western Europe by both definitions.

I agree with this entirely.

[Sheilbh]

Another example of how bad things are going in East Europe and the Balkans. It would be surprising if this isn't pushing their healthcare systems to the very brink:


Romania especially looks like it's in an awful situation

[celedhring]

Christ, if Russian official figures are so bad things must be really grim there.

[Josquius]

Sigh. The dumb contagion shows no signs of abating. Had a protest here today which was larger than expected. Some real genius signs on show.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/protest-newcastle-covid-live-updates-21949616