Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Duque de Bragança]

I think the mask wearing is of minor importance. but if it reduces spread by 5-10% (say) is worth it for the minor inconvenience. Some countries have made mask-wearing mandatory outside, I think that is ridiculous.

If properly worn, that is. I have been seeing people who think it's ok to remove it partially to speak on their cell phone.

[Josquius]

[Legbiter]

What's also interesting is that it seems wearing masks or not doesn't actually make that much of a difference. Nordics are the lowest rate of mask wearing and Spain and Italy are the highest but, from what I understand, they're all seeing a similar second wave.

At least here the overwhelming majority of infections are from indoor social activities, not grocery shopping or the like.  Then the virus goes on from there to infect households and work places. So a typical cluster springs from someone going to say, a gym, getting infected and subsequently passing it along to family members who in turn attend birthday parties and visit grandma in the meantime, etc.

My 11 year old has to quarantine for a week and get tested on Tuesday because of an infected staff member working in the school canteen. So I took him to the cottage for the duration. We're doing light maintenance work, hiking and staying up late playing board games. It's too bad the salmon season is over.

[crazy canuck]

Ha, I am going to use that for our office materials.

[Tamas]

What's also interesting is that it seems wearing masks or not doesn't actually make that much of a difference. Nordics are the lowest rate of mask wearing and Spain and Italy are the highest but, from what I understand, they're all seeing a similar second wave.

I'd be reluctant to read too much into that without a very solid investigation. Correlation doesn't equal causation et al. There'll be other factors at play too. Latin folk being naturally far more in each other's face and living in more densely inhabited countries, particularly lived-in density, for example.

[Zanza]

From what I have read, the severity of Covid 19 symptoms looks to be related to the initial dose of virus you are exposed to. Apparently masks have a diluting effect and thus lessen the exposure and thus the severity of the infection.

[celedhring]

I think the issue with masks is that in the most dangerous transmission situations: i.e. eating indoors, social meetings... people don't wear them. Still, this second wave has climbed far more slowly in Spain than in March/April - here the second wave started back in August  - and I think masks have helped on that regard.

Anyway, it's looking like we're going back to a state of emergency, which is the prelude to more severe restrictions 

[Iormlund]

What's also interesting is that it seems wearing masks or not doesn't actually make that much of a difference. Nordics are the lowest rate of mask wearing and Spain and Italy are the highest but, from what I understand, they're all seeing a similar second wave.

I suspect most people here do not get infected in a setting where masks are a thing. Almost every infected I know of (a couple dozen or so) got infected by a family member or a friend. A couple got it partying at a club.

[viper37]

I think the mask wearing is of minor importance. but if it reduces spread by 5-10% (say) is worth it for the minor inconvenience.

The mask will only work if all other measures are respected.  If you're standing very close to people all the time and you don't wash your hands before touching it, it won't change anything.

And since the virus can stay for up to 28 days on a cellphone, it's easy to see how people get infected in larger cities

Some countries have made mask-wearing mandatory outside, I think that is ridiculous.

It is.  But I've heard the argument that it was only to get the message across that people must be wearing masks.
Seems like a poor strategy to me, but I guess we'll see.

[viper37]

What's also interesting is that it seems wearing masks or not doesn't actually make that much of a difference. Nordics are the lowest rate of mask wearing and Spain and Italy are the highest but, from what I understand, they're all seeing a similar second wave.

I'd be reluctant to read too much into that without a very solid investigation. Correlation doesn't equal causation et al. There'll be other factors at play too. Latin folk being naturally far more in each other's face and living in more densely inhabited countries, particularly lived-in density, for example.

Quebec city is the new hotspot in my province.  While Montreal's case are declining, those in Quebec city keep on increasing.

There's something more than lived-in density, since by any standards, it ain't a very packed city.  Only the older neighbourhoods could really be considered crowded.
There's more than one factor, I think.  Maybe the mask will only work when there's no communal transmission to slow the spread.  Maybe it helps to reduce the severity of the disease.  But if people are still gathering at 50, 80, 100, 200 people, you've got superspreader event.  Then all hell breaks loose
Short of being a tad more severe against those who are too dumb to follow the rules, I can't see what more the government can do.  People here have to stop on waiting for the govt to do everything for them dammit.  But I don't know what's happening elsewhere, why so many cases all accross Europe, so few in South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and all these Asian countries...  I know they were quicker to test and isolate, maybe that's the missing piece since it can take 3-4-5 days before someone gets a result over here.

[viper37]

Sounds right. Pretty much the same here.

Nah.

[viper37]

I think the issue with masks is that in the most dangerous transmission situations: i.e. eating indoors, social meetings... people don't wear them. Still, this second wave has climbed far more slowly in Spain than in March/April - here the second wave started back in August  - and I think masks have helped on that regard.

Anyway, it's looking like we're going back to a state of emergency, which is the prelude to more severe restrictions 

there were some research last spring on the effects of vitamin D, but I haven't seen more on that.  Since we're seeing a case spike just as the sunlights dims all over our countries, it's a possibility.  Maybe it affects the severity of the disease, or maybe even lowers the probability of developping an infection when exposed to the virus.

[Syt]

Austrian numbers of new cases the last two weeks:
896 (11th Oct)
979
1028
1346
1552
1163
1747
1672
1121
1524
1958
2435
2571
3614 (today)

Part of that is apparently due to contact tracing and testing more persons. The state of Vorarlberg (neighboring Switzerland) has to limit contact tracing at this point because they don't have the resources to keep up.

Vienna's number of active cases has increased from 4500 to 6500 since the beginning of the month.

[Tamas]

Next pro-pandemic protest is imminent in London.

Louise Creffield, the founder of Save Our Rights UK, one of the organisations behind the demonstration, said: "We believe that the coronavirus regulations that are in place are not proportionate and appropriate, and are causing more harm than good.

"We are very concerned with protecting people's human rights: right to privacy, family life, bodily autonomy, medical freedoms, and so on. We are not just concerned with lockdowns per se, we are concerned with the infringements with our privacy by having this track and trace everywhere.

"The impact of the actions taken by the government are numerous, so we are not willing to support that, and we are keen to take a stance."

I feel like our precious bodily fluids are missing from their list.

[The Brain]

They sense my power.