Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Sheilbh]

I don't know how much schools ever re-opened. Williamson should be fired over this - we're the only country in Europe that hasn't worked out a way to re-open schools safely (and I don't think he's been impressive/competent in a single cabinet position he's held - except for Chief Whip which is quite a different job).

But yeah I wasn't impressed with the mayor's attitude. I feel like he had legit points about not being included enough, not receiving good briefings - and all of that is not surprising given the way the government's performed so far. But complaining when you've got an outbreak that your city is being "picked on" is some bullshit

[Tamas]

I don't know how much schools ever re-opened. Williamson should be fired over this - we're the only country in Europe that hasn't worked out a way to re-open schools safely (and I don't think he's been impressive/competent in a single cabinet position he's held - except for Chief Whip which is quite a different job).

But yeah I wasn't impressed with the mayor's attitude. I feel like he had legit points about not being included enough, not receiving good briefings - and all of that is not surprising given the way the government's performed so far. But complaining when you've got an outbreak that your city is being "picked on" is some bullshit

Yeah the leftist mayor of Budapest handled a similar situation better I think just a month or so ago. Restrictions were eased everywhere but Budapest at first. He complained regularly to the public that he and his staff are not being involved in briefings and decisions and the government keeps them in the dark. But he didn't fight the government's decisions, because it was a national emergency.

[fromtia]

Jacksonville Republican Mayor has mandated masks effective at 5pm today. This is a surprise, as I anticipated we were going to studiously pretend this wasn't happening in order not to jeopardize hosting the RNC in August.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2020/06/29/jacksonville-issues-face-mask-mandate/

[mongers]

There are a plethora of other long-terms effects apart from dying. We're getting new information daily about lung scarring, pancreas shutting down, circulation problems etc etc ad nauseam.

Taking it on the chin is a terrible idea. Being careful until the vaccine arrives is the way to go. The US is fucked up either way currently, there is community spread in too many places.

My brother got this sickness several months ago.  He has never fully recovered.  He still is short of breath and is resigned to the fact that his lungs might be permanently damaged.

Sorry Raz.

This virus is no flu and it is leaving many people with a range of ongoing and long term health problems, once they get out of hospital.

[Zanza]

[Zanza]

Very interesting regional data:

https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/eng/News/Data-news/A-fraction-of-European-regions-account-for-a-majority-of-COVID-19-deaths

[mongers]

Great Britain regains it's accolade as the 'sick man of Europe'. 

[Sheilbh]

It is. I'm not a statistician but Belgium strikes me as really weird - can someone explain how it had the worst number of fatalities per capita while only having an excess death of 40%? Is that just a reflection of the normal mortalities? It doesn't make sense to me.

[mongers]

It is. I'm not a statistician but Belgium strikes me as really weird - can someone explain how it had the worst number of fatalities per capita while only having an excess death of 40%? Is that just a reflection of the normal mortalities? It doesn't make sense to me.

A noticeably lower life expectancy would do that, not suggesting that's the actual reason.

Don't worry DG will be along in a while to explain.   

[Syt]

Active cases in Austria have gone from 400 two weeks ago to 600 yesterday. The health minister called to the responsibility of citizens and warned that this week's numbers will be monitored closely, and that if they keep going up some restrictions might have to be reinstituted.

[DGuller]

It is. I'm not a statistician but Belgium strikes me as really weird - can someone explain how it had the worst number of fatalities per capita while only having an excess death of 40%? Is that just a reflection of the normal mortalities? It doesn't make sense to me.

A noticeably lower life expectancy would do that, not suggesting that's the actual reason.

Don't worry DG will be along in a while to explain.   

If I were to guess, I would hypothesize that all elective euthanasia appointments got canceled during the outbreak, which served to offset the extra deaths from Covid.

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is. I'm not a statistician but Belgium strikes me as really weird - can someone explain how it had the worst number of fatalities per capita while only having an excess death of 40%? Is that just a reflection of the normal mortalities? It doesn't make sense to me.

My understanding is that it is the way the numbers are collated. The Belgians are counting every dubious death, so it is possible that their covid-19 deaths might be revised downwards at a later date. Meanwhile in the UK we have 70,000 excess deaths but "only" 42,000 from covid-19, so our final figures are liable to be revised upwards.

We then enter the area of difficult questions of what constitutes a covid-19 death anyway. I would count someone who dies of a heart attack because they were to frightened to go to A&E as a covid-19 death; others would no doubt differ.

My info is secondary btw, from articles in the Economist, BBC or Guardian; I haven't studied the primary information as that would count as work 

[Tamas]

On the causes of the Leicester outbreak, the Guardian quoted someone from Project Hope:

Leicester's residents could be forgiven for wondering 'Why us?' There is no one answer. But Mezmin Malida, another coordinator with Project Hope, suggests that the city's demographics make it vulnerable, with a large number of residents for whom English is not a first language, families nearby they are desperate to see, and limited access to public information.

Also:

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast that work was still being done to understand why Leicester had been so badly affected by the outbreak, according to a report by PA Media.

When asked about possible causes such as poverty, higher ethnic diversity, language difficulties and higher-density housing Mr Hancock said they were "familiar" to him.

Which I can't help but find funny.Wwhat they are saying is that immigrants can't follow instructions and can't stop themselves from visiting their families. Which is, true or not, would be absolutely unacceptable to say bluntly. But if you make it into a patronising condescending faux-understanding tone like above, it's a-ok.

[Duque de Bragança]

Great Britain regains it's accolade as the 'sick man of Europe'. 

Is this the Brexit the people voted for? 
Sick man, yes, but of Europe? 

[mongers]

Great Britain regains it's accolade as the 'sick man of Europe'. 

Is this the Brexit the people voted for? 
Sick man, yes, but of Europe? 

Some of them?  Yes, those that wanted to see the place/world burn-down around them.
This virus as the foundations upon which a 'jerry-built' brexit is built upon will be the icing on the cake for them.