Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Tamas]

You guys missed an awesome debate on Channel 4. In studio a professor defending the UK policy, on TV calling in a California tech CEO guy who made some model of the spread of the disease, arguing for aggressively fighting the disease to avoid collapse of the NHS.

While in-studio professor was arguing for the Darwinistic approach, California guy in the back ground was flailing in shock and making faces. 

I agreed with him.

[DGuller]

I'm working from home starting Monday, indefinitely.  Our building is not closing down, for the moment at least, but we're advised to only go there if we have a good reason.

One other side on why I wonder how this might end up changing working is when companies assess productivity gain/loss v the amount they're paying in rent for office space (especially in place like NY, London etc)).

The problem is that the costs of WFH are not easily measurable, but I think they're real.  For example, let's say you're a very junior employee just starting out, and learning your trade.  Without physically being in the midst of things, overhearing your co-workers talk shop and starting impromptu conversations, you're going to miss out on getting that valuable on-the-job experience and mentoring.  You probably can't measure it over a month or two, but I think the effect is there and it's substantial.  There is also loss of team cohesion, as you don't have nearly as many opportunities to form social connections at work.  I really hope short-sighted bean counters don't get an idea in their heads that working from home is something that makes sense as a result of this pandemic.

[Syt]

You guys missed an awesome debate on Channel 4. In studio a professor defending the UK policy, on TV calling in a California tech CEO guy who made some model of the spread of the disease, arguing for aggressively fighting the disease to avoid collapse of the NHS.

While in-studio professor was arguing for the Darwinistic approach, California guy in the back ground was flailing in shock and making faces. 

I agreed with him.

[Sheilbh]

You guys missed an awesome debate on Channel 4. In studio a professor defending the UK policy, on TV calling in a California tech CEO guy who made some model of the spread of the disease, arguing for aggressively fighting the disease to avoid collapse of the NHS.

While in-studio professor was arguing for the Darwinistic approach, California guy in the back ground was flailing in shock and making faces. 

I agreed with him.

Yes - but I get why John Edmunds, professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/edmunds.john), is on TV talking about this. I am less convinced why Tomas Pueyo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomaspueyo/) is. Like it's good content, but I think it's as irresponsible as inviting Nigel Farage on (which the BBC keeps doing ) for his opinion on this. This is Brexit or climate change all over again - on the one side an expert in something, on the other someone who can talk convincingly about topics they don't really have much experience in.

His background is engineering, particularly industrial engineering and an MBA. Recent career highlights are:
- Led all Product, Marketing, Design, and Sales for SigFig, which went from Series C to Series E, raising $100M, growing the company by 10x headcount and 100x revenue
- Grew a team from 3 to 65 to launch ~20 games in Zynga's Marketing Department
- Managed a 40-people team to launch a 4.6 star mobile cross-platform game that gathered 5 million users
- Created 3 Facebook and Mobile apps, gathering over 20 million viral installs and 8 million Monthly Active Users
- Wrote a book and gave a TEDx Talk about Storytelling Structure
- Public Speaker at diverse conferences, such as Future Trends, American Banker, or Improving Return on Innovation
- Top 50 writers for Medium on Startups

Again good content. He seems like a guy who could put together a plausible-sounding, viral tweet-threads and Medium posts but literally barely any actual expertise or knowledge in that background that indicates why he should be on a news show talking about a pandemic.

There are loads of people who can speak with authority on this who think the UK is taking a really wrong approach. Get them to come on and debate it with a professor who does think it's the right approach and we might learn something. Just this morning I saw a public health professor from Edinburgh University saying her issues with it - get her on.

But admittedly would probably be less good content. Personally I think it's irresponsible. And I think part of it may just stem from the challenge of covering a global crisis like this, I think the instinct of broadcasters and newspapers will be to cover it like they do politics and other issues so you look for a divide and sort of provoke the exchange. I'm not sure it's the right approach.

Edit: And looking at Twitter and people are not feeling reassured by the "arrogant" professor who's "dripping with pomposity" and giving "David Brent vibes". The professional speaker is doing better - just like when you put an economist or a climate scientist v a politician.

[Syt]

Colleague decided to escape the Covid-19 by taking his family and going to their vacation home in Florida 

[Syt]

https://twitter.com/emlas/status/1238567242083840000?s=20

Barack Obama, 1/7/10: "Ultimately, the buck stops with me. As president, I have a solemn responsibility to protect our nation and our people, and when the system fails, it is my responsibility."

Donald Trump, 3/12/20: "No, I don't take responsibility at all."

[Valmy]

It is the fault of foreigners!

[Oexmelin]

Quite honestly, I am reaching fast my breaking point about living in the US...

[Solmyr]

So, are elections cancelled yet?

[Solmyr]

[The Minsky Moment]

https://twitter.com/emlas/status/1238567242083840000?s=20

Donald Trump, at anytime, in response to anything: "No, I don't take responsibility at all."

Fixed his tweet

[Admiral Yi]

Back from the supermercado. 

More crowded than usual, but not screaming mobs.  Nobody wearing gold fish bowls or water coolers on their head.

The Spam was just about cleared out. All the regular was gone.  I grabbed the very last Spam with bacon.  The shelf of Spam Lite was completely full. 

Saw a couple TP hoarders. 

I DID NOT PURCHASE ANY TOILET PAPER.

[celedhring]

So, the Catalan president makes a televised appearance and gravely announces he's putting Catalonia on lockdown. Many puzzled faces among the press as people wonder "can he do that?" (he can't). Minutes later, a member of the cabinet clarifies that they will only do it if Madrid allows it, otherwise, it will have to be a "solidary" lockdown, as in people choosing to follow it voluntarily.

From the makers of the fake-UDI, the fake-lockdown. God, those guys are incorigible.

[Josquius]

Best assessment of the situation I've heard :

China- quarantine City blocks! No movement! Close everything!
Italy - national lockdown! Please don't leave home! Everyone be careful!
Germany - no social gatherings! Be careful! Stay home!
UK - wash your hands and sing happy birthday.

[The Brain]

China started it. Plus they're bigger.