Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Eddie Teach]

Probably one in Stockholm if you know where to look. 

[Syt]

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

Well, ball season is officially canceled.

However, some major balls (like Opernball) are organized independently of the joint body of ball organizers; they have not declared themselves yet.

Ball season is a business of €150M for Vienna.

[Syt]

Apparently now is a good time to go to the movies ....

[Legbiter]

Got a superspreader event here. Two French tourists apparently violated their 5-day quarantine, went to a pub popular with local university students, infected about a dozen who in turn passed the bug on to a lot of their classmates and staff through a university cafeteria. In response all pubs and clubs here in Reykjavík will be shut down for the next 4 days and almost a thousand people have had to go into quarantine.

[Syt]

Oh, and since school started two weeks ago, there's been 400+ cases confirmed among students in Austria (+80 or so for teachers) with 4000+ additional possible cases that are being tested.

55 students are positive in Vienna, and they all appear to be unconnnected, i.e. each is part of their own cluster of unknown size.

[DGuller]

Well, shit.  Is this spreading due to people being stupid about masks, or is it because you just can't keep R below one without resorting to extreme measures?

[Legbiter]

55 students are positive in Vienna, and they all appear to be unconnnected, i.e. each is part of their own cluster of unknown size.

Yeah, it's very frustrating. We'd just killed off our mini second wave and a day later a couple of assholes put this thing back into general transmission.

[Syt]

Well, shit.  Is this spreading due to people being stupid about masks, or is it because you just can't keep R below one without resorting to extreme measures?

I suppose people got too careless until a spill point was reached where small clusters festered till the suddenly became visible and widespread. In schools, there's a mask and distancing mandate outside class. People traveling abroad getting drunk on vacation doesn't help. And there's probably "private parties" happening in some places.

But outside public transport and shops where people followed mask rules, people just went on with their lives as usual. We went for drinks with colleagues a few weeks ago, and while we did outside the place was absolutely packed, and only the staff was wearing masks.

[Syt]

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?"

[Legbiter]

It's fairly easy it seems to protect yourself in day to day life. I keep a hand sanitizer in the car and disinfect regularly plus mask wearing in public places. It's the social occasions that get a little bit more trickier.

[Sheilbh]

Well, shit.  Is this spreading due to people being stupid about masks, or is it because you just can't keep R below one without resorting to extreme measures?

The UK still isn't particularly focused on masks and you very rarely see people wearing masks outdoors for example (good compliance in shops or public transport where it's mandatory though). This is a little out of date but there doesn't seem to be a wild connection between mask usage (or mandates) and infection rates, for example Spain is one of the strictest and most masked countries in Europe but it's also probably got the worst second wave so far - Italy which is equally strict on masks has less of a second wave: https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/which-countries-are-requiring-face-masks

But here the R has increased to 1.1-1.4 according to SAGE.

I think it's very difficult to keep it below R if you re-open pubs and restaurants, workplaces and schools and universities (especially schools and universities). You know there are always loads of cold-ish illnesses circulating at this time of year because schools and universities open. But I think the cost to future generations of shutting down education is too high unless we're at a really bad situation. So I think we probably need to, instead, re-introduce restrictions on the other bits: pubs, restaurants, workplaces etc.

[viper37]

Got a superspreader event here. Two French tourists apparently violated their 5-day quarantine, went to a pub popular with local university students, infected about a dozen who in turn passed the bug on to a lot of their classmates and staff through a university cafeteria. In response all pubs and clubs here in Reykjavík will be shut down for the next 4 days and almost a thousand people have had to go into quarantine.

I think such people who willingly flaunt the rules should be jailed for criminal mischief.   

[viper37]

Well, shit.  Is this spreading due to people being stupid about masks, or is it because you just can't keep R below one without resorting to extreme measures?

I suppose people got too careless until a spill point was reached where small clusters festered till the suddenly became visible and widespread.

The UK still isn't particularly focused on masks and you very rarely see people wearing masks outdoors for example (good compliance in shops or public transport where it's mandatory though). This is a little out of date but there doesn't seem to be a wild connection between mask usage (or mandates) and infection rates, for example Spain is one of the strictest and most masked countries in Europe but it's also probably got the worst second wave so far - Italy which is equally strict on masks has less of a second wave: https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/which-countries-are-requiring-face-masks

Masks making people careless?  Masks having no relation to infection rates? 

Yeah, I've heard this theory before.  From a so-called "Karen" who is now supposedly anti-science on the forum.   

Sometimes, people want so much to believe in something that the pressure becomes immense on the politicians to act that way.  And we get what we have now, fucking idiots + careless people who think their masks give them a invincibility shield against covid.  At least before, we only had fucking idiots and people where not as careless.  <sigh>

[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.

[Barrister]

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.

Even when Parliament resumes I think all parties have a deal where they only have certain number of MPs in Parliament, in proportion to their seat totals.