Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Grey Fox]

One silver lining is that vaccine manufacturing within our own countries will become more of a governmental priority

Thing is, that goes against decades of business practices by big pharma companies, that have been concentrating most of their production capabilities in emerging countries, basically China and India. Production in western countries has been steadily declining for years.

That's being the business practices or every industry for 40 years.

[Sheilbh]

More rigorous lockdowns would come with associated costs, so I do regard them as at least arguable. What is inarguable is that the government's lockdown timing has been utterly abysmal; the dithering in the autumn probably being the most egregious self-inflicted wound. I do wonder what would have happened if all our restrictions over the past few months had been introduced a fortnight earlier....far fewer deaths I'm sure.

Agreed totally - this autumn has been an absolute disaster. And I am still angry about the Treasury trying to cut financial support while various restrictions are in place. You can either have restrictions and types of lockdowns with state backing, or you have people goin to work. You can't try and half-ass it because or negotiate on a regional basis which I think has caused a lot of spread over the autumn.

[Josquius]

Yes, it really pisses me off  that we're stuck in this almost constant state of half arsed lockdown rather than just doing a super hard one for a much shorter time.
Say what you like about China, but....

[celedhring]

I'm not sure about the "short but hard" lockdowns. Eventually you open up, and the virus gets back in. Unless you plan to get locked down until the vaccination campaign is significantly underway, but then you're no longer talking about a "short" lockdown.

[Sheilbh]

I'm not sure about the "short but hard" lockdowns. Eventually you open up, and the virus gets back in. Unless you plan to get locked down until the vaccination campaign is significantly underway, but then you're no longer talking about a "short" lockdown.

And I don't think short but hard works if your borders are still open and you're not quarantining people and you don't have propoer contact tracing plus maybe checking up to make sure peope are self-isolating. Basically all the things South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan etc (far less China) did that we in Europe are still struggling with.

[mongers]

I'm not sure about the "short but hard" lockdowns. Eventually you open up, and the virus gets back in. Unless you plan to get locked down until the vaccination campaign is significantly underway, but then you're no longer talking about a "short" lockdown.

And I don't think short but hard works if your borders are still open and you're not quarantining people and you don't have propoer contact tracing plus maybe checking up to make sure peope are self-isolating. Basically all the things South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan etc (far less China) did that we in Europe are still struggling with.

Most days over the last two weeks, the UK has reported more daily deaths than the total number of deaths South Korea has suffered during the entire epidemic.

Last time I looked Tiawan had had just 7 deaths.

Vietnam, a third world country with 60+ million people and long porous borders had I recall a few tens or maybe 100-150 deaths?

Edit:
I looked up Vietnam's numbers, 35 deaths.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah. I think there's two levels of failure that will need investigating after this is over.

There's Europe and the Americas v Asia Pacific (I want to say Atlantic v Pacific, but both coasts of the Americas have been hit hard); and then at this point there's basically the UK and Belgium v the rest. It's extraordinary the success of all types of states though - as you say very poor developing countries like Vietnam that are full authoritarian states, or similar like Thailand that are mixed states, through to very high tech democracies like Japan and South Korea. The only exception that springs to mind is Indonesia.

[HVC]

In Vietnam they also  come to your house and drag you away to force quarantine, while also publicly naming and shaming the infected. can't really do that in the west.

[mongers]

In Vietnam they also  come to your house and drag you away to force quarantine, while also publicly naming and shaming the infected. can't really do that in the west.

I don't that's the only reason for their success?

Though it's convenient if one wishes to rule all the lessons learnt, out of hand.

[HVC]

i wouldn't rule it other aspects of their success out of hand, but the ability to forcibly confine people would have a huge impact on transmission rates. We can't even get people to wear mask in the west without protests.

[Syt]

In the Salzburg area there was a "ski teacher course" with participants from UK, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc. Of 152 participants, 76 have tested Covid positive so far.

[mongers]

In the Salzburg area there was a "ski teacher course" with participants from UK, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc. Of 152 participants, 76 have tested Covid positive so far.

JFC.

[Sheilbh]

In the Salzburg area there was a "ski teacher course" with participants from UK, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc. Of 152 participants, 76 have tested Covid positive so far.

FFS. I hope we have quarantine hotels in place by the time they come back and I hope they end up trapped in a Travel Inn on a particularly miserable stretch of motorway

[Tamas]

In the Salzburg area there was a "ski teacher course" with participants from UK, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc. Of 152 participants, 76 have tested Covid positive so far.

This is effin' ridiculous. Bullshit like this is what's going to add fuel to the unrest - if you have money for a skiing holiday then party away but if you are poor then stay in your tiny apartment or you'll be punished.

[Sheilbh]

In the Salzburg area there was a "ski teacher course" with participants from UK, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc. Of 152 participants, 76 have tested Covid positive so far.

This is effin' ridiculous. Bullshit like this is what's going to add fuel to the unrest - if you have money for a skiing holiday then party away but if you are poor then stay in your tiny apartment or you'll be punished.

Did you see the interview with the influencer in Dubai? Doing "essential motivational work"