Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Syt]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Same as his spokesperson, both were in Mar-a-Lago with Trump and Pence last weekend.

[viper37]

You are missing the distinction between our Provincial Health Officials making the call rather than politicians - and especially federal politicians.

Provincial health officials are there to advise the government.  The government then take their suggestions and implement them, or any government could go any further than that if it pleases them.

That is unfortunate.

I prefer our system where the health care professionals make the health care decisions.

I doubt it is different than what we have.  There are so many branches to control that the executive must give the orders and push it down toward departments.

[crazy canuck]

NHL suspends season.

They pretty much had to follow the NBA lead on this one.

Not necessarily. NBA had a diagnosed player, NHL hasn't had that yet.  They could've tried the 'play games in empty arenas' trick.  But it would probably just have been a matter of time

Yeah, that is a fair distinction.  But the worry is about the people who have no symptoms spreading the virus.  As I understand it the player in question was asymptomatic.  Arenas are the sorts of places where people can become infected - close proximity for prolonged periods so it makes sense.  And certainly the spread between team mates and opponents is likely for the same reasons.

[crazy canuck]

You are missing the distinction between our Provincial Health Officials making the call rather than politicians - and especially federal politicians.

Provincial health officials are there to advise the government.  The government then take their suggestions and implement them, or any government could go any further than that if it pleases them.

That is unfortunate.

I prefer our system where the health care professionals make the health care decisions.

I doubt it is different than what we have.  There are so many branches to control that the executive must give the orders and push it down toward departments.

See my post above yours 

[viper37]

@ Viper, just took a quick look at your legislation and I think your health officials have similar powers to ours. 

Here is a good overview of what our officials can do. 

I would be surprised if most health officials in North American and Europe do not have similar powers.  The difference may be that our politicians are deferring to the medical judgments of the experts whereas Trump knows best in all things.

Medical health officers are empowered to quarantine and isolate individuals who pose a significant risk of spreading serious communicable diseases to others, but enforcement of these powers would only be used for individuals who do not voluntarily comply with medical health officers' directions or orders.

An additional provision is included to allow a quarantine order to be made to a group of people to expedite the prevention of disease. This could apply, for example, if employees at a work site or a group of people at a social gathering were exposed to a disease that posed a serious public health risk.The ability to quarantine groups of individuals was an important power that had to be provided to deal with the SARS situation in Ontario.

The Act ensures administrative fairness by allowing for reconsideration of orders by the health officer, and review of orders by a senior health officer or the Provincial Health Officer. Judicial review is also available.
   
The Act also requires accountability for emergency powers exercised by health officials, and individuals affected must be given written reasons and/or rights to reconsideration or re-assessment once the emergency ends

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/legislation/public-health-act/overview-of-public-health-act#three

We don't seem to be talking of the same thing...  I was discussing healthcare in general.  And in any case, the health officials aren't the only ones making decisions.  I doubt they were the ones banning interior gathering of 250 people or more.

[Legbiter]

I'm going to ask my elderly neighbors if they want me to stock up on groceries for them next time I visit the plague pit.

[Tamas]

Case numbers exploding across Europe. Considering that noticed cases is much lower than real cases, we have to assume 10x or more as real numbers.
It is time for social isolation. Don't wait for your government.

I think this is really key - I think in the UK private companies I know have been taking measures ahead of the advice. So have some of my friends. And I think that is an important thing - I wouldn't visit elderly relatives at this point - I think there's a bit of social responsibility needed here (and shame for people who break it).

But I don't understand why, with two teams in self-isolation the Premier League they're still not acting until the government tells them to stop. It seems crazily negligent and you feel like they'd be moving like a fucking whippet if it was an opportunity to increase broadcast revenue rather than, say, a public health crisis.

Yeah, my wife's company has asked those who can to work from home. Their borough has 1 confirmed case.

No such call at my company yet. Our borough has 18 confirmed cases.

[Sheilbh]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Are we sure Trump isn't the CPAC attendee with it?

[Tamas]

My takeaway from the briefing of Johnson and the health bosses:

-epidemic of a generation
-we are 4 weeks behind Italy in trajectory
-we are doing fuckall to stop it

[crazy canuck]

@ Viper, just took a quick look at your legislation and I think your health officials have similar powers to ours. 

Here is a good overview of what our officials can do. 

I would be surprised if most health officials in North American and Europe do not have similar powers.  The difference may be that our politicians are deferring to the medical judgments of the experts whereas Trump knows best in all things.

Medical health officers are empowered to quarantine and isolate individuals who pose a significant risk of spreading serious communicable diseases to others, but enforcement of these powers would only be used for individuals who do not voluntarily comply with medical health officers' directions or orders.

An additional provision is included to allow a quarantine order to be made to a group of people to expedite the prevention of disease. This could apply, for example, if employees at a work site or a group of people at a social gathering were exposed to a disease that posed a serious public health risk.The ability to quarantine groups of individuals was an important power that had to be provided to deal with the SARS situation in Ontario.

The Act ensures administrative fairness by allowing for reconsideration of orders by the health officer, and review of orders by a senior health officer or the Provincial Health Officer. Judicial review is also available.
   
The Act also requires accountability for emergency powers exercised by health officials, and individuals affected must be given written reasons and/or rights to reconsideration or re-assessment once the emergency ends

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/legislation/public-health-act/overview-of-public-health-act#three

We don't seem to be talking of the same thing...  I was discussing healthcare in general.  And in any case, the health officials aren't the only ones making decisions.  I doubt they were the ones banning interior gathering of 250 people or more.

Doesn't sound like a number the Premier would make up on his own 

[crazy canuck]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Are we sure Trump isn't the CPAC attendee with it?

Like good advice you just didn't take.

[The Larch]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Not yet officially confirmed, AFAIK. Results won't be known until tomorrow.

[alfred russel]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Same as his spokesperson, both were in Mar-a-Lago with Trump and Pence last weekend.

I know I'm a terrible person, but what a turn of events if we get a President Pelosi out of this.

[celedhring]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Same as his spokesperson, both were in Mar-a-Lago with Trump and Pence last weekend.

I know I'm a terrible person, but what a turn of events if we get a President Pelosi out of this.

Also quite old. Who's the most likely to survive the coronavirus cull in the line of succession?

[merithyn]

Jaír Bolsonaro has tested positive for the virus.

Same as his spokesperson, both were in Mar-a-Lago with Trump and Pence last weekend.

I know I'm a terrible person, but what a turn of events if we get a President Pelosi out of this.

Right???