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What’s your honest opinion on the coronavirus?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Andrew99, Mar 22, 2020.

  1. Andrew99

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    Have you gone into quarantine? Do you think schools should be closed for the length of time that they are? Have you worn masks? Any other thoughts?
     
  2. Joe2001

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    First off, I think that people should only listen to health experts and the government - we NEED to stop listening to tabloids and scare mongering in the media. I've got to the point where I've stopped looking at many forums and have muted all things relating to the virus itself on Twitter and feel much happier for it - was a nervous wreck this time last week but feel much better now. I worry for people's mental health with all the panicking (and this panic buying crap also needs to stop!). I don't like Boris Johnson but I do trust what he's doing.

    To answer your question about schools, I think that the schools should be closed for now but they have to reopen by the next school year (August/September) otherwise things get real sticky and kids begin to get behind, not to mention that they will probably go insane if they are in lockdown for long. I also worry for kids who are in abusive households or are on free school meals and might not be fed at home - school is a safe place for them.

    Also on the topic of education, exams here in Scotland have been cancelled - they're basing grades on predictions which I find really unfair, especially since prelim exams (which will make up a good bit of the prediction) are way too difficult and some teachers seem to relish in this. I hope that the kids are allowed to redo them next year otherwise they've really been done dirty - they need these grades to get into college/uni etc.

    I'm beginning to warm up to the idea of a lockdown if it actually stops the virus - if it means we end up going around in circles like I've seen some people saying, forget it. However, I think that the lockdown can't last more than 6-8 weeks otherwise mental health will really plummet, the economy will go to pot and as I said above, kids will go mental. Also, I hope that I can at least leave my house to cycle or walk once per day if/when there is a lockdown - we need fresh air, can't get around that irrespective of how risky the virus is.

    Not worn masks and don't get the point, strikes me as virtue signalling. I was still out and about until last week but everything is now shut and things are beginning to get real so I'm staying in now except for going out once a day to exercise - as I said, we still need fresh air. Not properly "quarantining"/"isolating" but staying in my house for the most part.

    Hoping that cinemas, cafes etc are reopened around June/July, that gives us a few months to get things under control. Probably lost my summer holiday but that's a first world problem - there's always 2021. :slight_smile:

    One final note is that I'm loving the feeling of community that I'm seeing on social media now - the positive of it all is that we're all in this together. In a way, I like when bad things happen in the world because people actually unite (I hope that doesn't sound bad).
     
    #2 Joe2001, Mar 22, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2020
  3. Mirko

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    To start with your questions; I haven't gone into quarantine and I hope that I won't need to at any point during this epidemic though the way some people go about in not practicing social distancing and not doing the things they should and must be doing, I am concerned that I might just get into contact with somebody who has the symptoms. I haven't worn face masks and I hope that I won't need to.

    I am very disappointment with some people, in particular those who feel that Covid-19 is not going to have an impact on them, or that somehow they are immune to it, they are not going to spread it and go about things as if nothing is happening. Case in point: I went for a walk yesterday in a park, and saw many people walking in close proximity to others and not keeping their distance. I know it is hard to change routines and ways of doing things, but on the other hand I don't understand it that people don't even try. I am at a point where I want my public health officials to implement the next step towards a lock down, where one can only go out to work, to the supermarket or to pick up medications, so that people (finally) understand that this is not something to be joking about, or to be taken lightly. I realise that a lock down would also curtail my ability to go out, but I am willing to limit it with all the things I have seen so far.

    I have to agree with @Joe2001 on how people are coming together and helping each other. It is so neat see how people start helping each other. I have seen several online groups popping up.
     
  4. Destin

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    It's severely overblown. For some unexplained reason the entire world has decided to latch onto this one specific disease and obsess over it, despite the fact that it's not that much worse than any of the other recent pandemics (Swine Flu deaths - 18,036, Ebola deaths - 11,323 etc. COVID19 deaths - 14,000)

    It's on more or less the same path as swine flu and ebola so far yet nothing shut down and nobody really cared about those two, but now the entire world wants to shut down over COVID19. It's a serious issue for those who are vulnerable to it of course, but for the vast majority of people it's essentially just a normal case of Flu.

    The economic damage and irreparable damage to people's lives/businesses from this shutdown stuff substantially outweighs the damage from the virus itself in my opinion. We can't run a society by just shutting everything down every time something might kill people who are already chronically ill.
     
  5. Joe2001

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    Ebola was an epidemic (not a pandemic) and didn't spread nearly as much as COVID. Can't remember a whole lot about swine flu but looking at the timeline, it didn't spread quite as fast.

    I do agree though that people are overreacting a bit. I worry that this is the new norm every time there is a rise in flu cases. And you're right that the shutdown stuff might not be worth it if it really impacts on certain people's lives. No doubt that long lockdowns and job losses will cause some suicides - their lives should be viewed as just as important?
     
    #5 Joe2001, Mar 22, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2020
  6. Mirko

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    And this is why I am concerned - for the very reason you are showing here. It is a myth that it is only an issue for the vulnerable - they are at a higher risk, yes, but it doesn't mean that it should be treated lightly as 'the others just get the flu.' There is a whole different dimension to it, which you seem to be ignoring. There are actually still unanswered questions about it, which makes it the more reason to be more thoughtful and mindful.

    Yes, people could be calmer and think more rationally about things, but then again the west has not had such an outbreak in a very long time. It would certainly help if people were to take the things they can do to control the spread more seriously but also be calmer about it (if that makes sense). Social distancing and hand washing, coughing into ones elbow or into a tissue, staying at home when one does not feel well, should not be rocket science.

    A single person who is infected with the virus and has even just mild symptoms can infect a lot of other people. In South Korea, where almost 8,900 people have been infected, it has been established that over 50% of the infections can be traced back to one single person due to their whereabouts, including going to a large religious gathering, where the person spread the virus, and of course everybody else did so in turn when they went home to their families or went about their daily lives. Now think about all the people that went to the beaches in Florida during Spring break - and today it has been confirmed that at least one of them, tested positive for the virus.

    Ebola and other outbreaks are lessons to draw from but comparing them is premature as we still need to see what the public health toll will be once it is all said and done. There are comparisons but different kinds of ones, than the ones you seem to be drawing. The 14,000 deaths you have indicated, this is just now - this moment. Give it a bit more time, and you will find that this number is no longer one to cite. So to compare the death toll numbers for other past outbreaks with a fluid situation is not the best thing to do.

    You cannot take numbers just like that and make the arguments that you are making unless you have a very clear sense of the time stamps of how the numbers have evolved over time for the statistics that you have quoted. Sure, the Swine Flu might have caused more deaths, looking at the numbers at the moment, but that might not be true anymore in the next few days. If things continue the way they have in Italy at the moment for example, and as sad as it is, Italy alone could cover that gap in a few days.

    Nobody (in the west) cared about Ebola because it did not affect us, but Africa cared where it affected a swath of people - and in several African countries, health officials and governments took the very same measures that we are taking now to contain and stop the outbreak. Epidemiologists who worked in Africa to contain and stop the spread of Ebola are also the ones who are at the forefront of advocating stronger measures, and for people to follow the basic rules of containing the spread, because they know that these measures can work or at least help to mitigate the worst. I'm pretty sure that if Ebola would be present in west, people would pay more attention to it.
     
  7. Chierro

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    I'm in self isolation since schools closed. I mean, I've left the house for essentials and to go to a Celebration of Life for a student who killed himself last week, but other than that I've been home.

    I'm in PA so our schools were closed last week and this week. We're anticipating longer and hopefully hearing soon from our district admin on how we're doing things starting next week. We got a somewhat cryptic email from our principal last week, but nothing since. We're hoping we can open back up before the end of the school year, especially since I have juniors and seniors and they're very upset about prom and graduation, but the optimism is wearing. I also have no idea if I'm getting paid or when I'm getting paid since I'm a day to day sub in my district (per their policy even though I'm there February-June, just the rate I'm getting paid). A lot of my students are hurting right now, and I wish more than anything that I could be there for them.

    It's...exhausting. I enjoy leaving the house and getting the social interaction with the other teachers and my kids. Now, my interactions are with my parents and chatrooms with faculty and comments on my students' coronavirus journals. My dad also just got laid off because he works full time for our local amusement park and we have no clue when we'll be able to open now, so that's concerning because our health insurance comes through him.

    On a positive side for me, at least, I've gotten a lot of reading and writing done, which makes me happy. I just wish I knew what was happening with my position, especially since I was originally going to ask my principal about when it's going to be posted next week...but considering we just had a suicide and now moving to online and they're in the midst of restructuring the entire school day...not sure when I'll be hearing about that...
     
  8. Andrew99

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    I have not gone into quarantine 100%. I still go to the grocery store when I need something (which is a pain because it can be busy and there usually isn’t much stuff left) and I still take the dogs for their walk.

    I do think the k-12 schools should be closed for a few more weeks. I am a little upset that my school is closed for the rest of the semester because I definitely won’t graduate in December. It’s okay though. Your health is everything and if you don’t have it, what do you have?

    I have not been wearing face masks because I heard they aren’t even effective. I’ve just been washing my hands a lot and not touching my face.
     
  9. musicteach

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    So closing schools is definitely a smart move. I’ma teacher, and even though I can pretty much tell you I don’t really go into the general populace of the school, preferring to keep to myself in the music dept, viruses and germs spread like wildfires in schools. Kids are generally nasty, germ-ridden tiny humans and they mostly don’t realize it. Teenagers are disgusting. Back in December we had several isolated incidents of a wicked stomach virus. In week 1 it was fairly isolated to under twenty cases. By week 2 it had tripled. By Christmas break nearly 300 people had had this stomach bug. On a contagious level, mess is much worse. Part of the idea behind closing schools or moving to online solutions is to control the spread.

    There’s a happy balance between panicking and going crazy and not doing anything at all. Yes, you should distance yourself as much as possible from others to prevent the spread. But that doesn’t mean go to Walmart and buy fifty packs of toilet paper. There’s got to be a middle ground. Yes, put distance. But that doesn’t mean you can’t hug and kiss your s/o or your kids. Chances are because y’all live together, if one has it or has carried it, you’ve already been exposed. Yes still take precautions (I don’t eat/drink after my fiancé/kids but that’s normal) but don’t go overboard.

    And remember even if you are healthy, and would be able to fight it off, someone you love might not be in the same predicament and you could transmit it to them.
     
  10. anonmember

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    I had to come home from college because of the Coronavirus. It SUCKS! I just want to be at college with my friends! At least I have FaceTime so I can FaceTime my college friends.
     
    #10 anonmember, Mar 23, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2020
  11. HM03

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    Initially I thought the schools closed "too early", looking back it was 100% the right call (and great to be so proactive to start shutting things down BEFORE it became a a nightmare). And honestly at this point, I'm going to put blind trust in the professionals especially since they seemed more proactive here than else where.

    I haven't gone in quarantine or been using masks, and I'm not going to lock myself in my house permanently until it's mandated. Although I'm basically hermit now (just short of quarantining), going to the grocery store occasionally,walking the dog late at night, and purrelling/washing the shit out my hands. I honestly can't remember not leaving the house or not showering as little as I am now LOL

    Other thoughts? Oh boy ahahaha.

    I longer I stay home, the more pissed off I get at the dumb people. I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but why are/did people take SO long to fly back home? Even if they aren't scared of covid, were they not scared of getting stranded in some foreign country? While I'm not stressed about personally getting it, and don't have an old people/fragile left in my family (helps the anxiety a bit lol), I completely get the anxiety. And honestly, the people still travelling and going nightclubing are extremely selfish and fucked. End rant lol
     
    #11 HM03, Mar 23, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2020
  12. Josh10

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    I don't consider myself a nasy, germ-ridden tiny human. I shower twice a day and always wash my hands after using the bathroom. Well almost always lol. But yeah I guess closing school is a good idea. I'm healthy but don't want to get or give it to my parents. I actually miss school tho.
     
  13. SemiCharmedLife

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    It is removing much of my motivation or joy for living. I leave the house only to walk my dog or get mail/packages. This will be the norm indefinitely, until I need groceries and then I will allow myself that trip. I can't see my bf because we don't live together and he can't quarantine because of his job. I have two parents in their 60s, three grandparents in their 80s, and a sister with an autoimmune disorder all in California which has been devastated. Given how risky travel is, I probably won't see them for two years assuming they survive which is questionable. I'm out of shape which is a risk factor itself. Quite frankly I do not expect to survive if I get it.

    I have very little to do and to look forward to. It's just me and my dog, all alone, indefinitely. My work lets me work from home which is nice but it's super stressful right now and it doesn't make me happy. I've been told I'm not in danger of being laid off but who knows.

    And Trump is making it worse because he cares more about the stock market and his own image than about protecting anyone.

    So yeah, I'm utterly miserable and despondent right now. Hoping there is a vaccine at which point it will be safe to go into the world again but that's 2 years away. For now I'm trying to survive but this isn't much of a life.
     
  14. Joe2001

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    OK - so we're on lockdown now in the UK. Hopefully people actually comply and we can be past the worst of this in a few months.
     
  15. Nihilumbra

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    I definitely do not like the situation coronavirus has forced us in. I know that all the steps taken by the government are necessary and i wouldn’t go against them in any way, but this situation is horrid.
    I’m stuck in my house, i can’t go out to do my favorite sport, I can’t meet up with my friends and the stress of having to do college work at home is surprisingly worse than going to college.
    If i’m living this situation so badly, I can’t even imagine how bad it is for those working in hospitals.

    But the worst part is knowing that there are idiots outside partying meeting up and completely ignoring the common good for their own personal pleasure. These idiots will make it so much harder on the doctors and nurses who are already drowning under the amount of work. Plus the quarantine will be prolonged if people don’t stay indoors (and i really hope that it won’t, I’m already miserable as it is)

    Either way I hope all of you are well and safe.
     
  16. Andrew99

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    A few other things I would like to add:

    1. If the country goes on lockdown, I really hope everyone complies. They have been talking about declaring Martial Law if people don’t follow the rules to stay indoors.

    2. My dad thinks he may have already had it. In early January 2020 before they announced the coronavirus outbreak, my dad was sick with what we thought was the flu. However, now looking back, he actually matched the symptoms of covid-19 more than the flu. He had shortness of breath, sore throat, and a fever. He had an IV and then he was still sick for a few days but he became better. China said a majority of people that have had the coronavirus only have mild symptoms and then it clears up. Luckily my mom and I never got sick. I am so glad I got my flu shot. I know it doesn’t necessarily prevent the coronavirus but I think it was still a smart move.
     
    #16 Andrew99, Mar 23, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2020
  17. musicteach

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    Perhaps an exception to a generalization :wink: but no seriously generally speaking, kids are germ carriers. For one kids tend not to have any concept of “personal space” until they’re older, and they tend to lick things and put things in their mouths they really shouldn’t. It gets a bit better towards the 8-12 year old stages, but then dips for early teenage years and then slowly increases over time.

    (my teenage band students have licked the inside of each other’s mouth pieces for meanness)
     
  18. CatWho

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    I live and work in the NY/NJ/CT area and it is pretty crazy here. Most people, who can, are not going into work. I am one of those people, as I'm completely working from home now. My brother had to shut down his business. My mom is locked in her apartment, as she is older and afraid to get sick. At some point, I'm going to have to go do some shopping for her and take care of her medications for her but I'm trying to avoid going until I need to go. People are being ridiculous with the hoarding! It is hard to find toilet paper, paper towels, soap, any disinfectants or hand sanitizer. I've never seen anything like it! I've been to the supermarket a few times and just get what I need and try to distance myself from others.

    It is definitely a good thing to keep people from gathering. Living alone makes that tough though. So, I'm spending a lot of time with my dog in my house.
     
  19. Chip

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    I honestly expect a lot better from you, Destin, especially someone as smart and generally knowledgable.

    No, it is quite a bit worse than the other pandemics. It spreads a lot more rapidly, has a higher contagion rate, a full 20% of people who get it will require hospitalization, a significant portion of those may require respirators. Additionally, the speed with which the symptoms become life-threateningly serious is different than anything we have seen before. The level of contagion is doubling every 6 days. California expects up to 55% of its population to be infected within the next 6 weeks if the drastic measures now in place don't solve the problem.

    The scary part is there are a lot of emerging and unexplained cases of young people, with no risk factors (no history of health problems, nonsmokers, no immune compromise) who are becoming severely ill and stuck in ICUs... and many are dying.

    This is a serious concern. And what it boils down to is that, as a society, we have never confronted the value of human life when juxtaposed against the economic costs. People have always been uncomfortable even remotely approaching this topic, because trying to make a determination about what lives are worth saving, what sacrifices are worth saving lives, how many lives are reasonable to lose in exchange for economic prosperity... these things certainly exist every day in many ways, but no one ever talks about them. And what it bois down to is... people were so uncomfortable doing so that they shut the world down instead.

    Now, belatedly, people are starting to think about that and talk about it. It's a horrible but necessary conversation. The problem is... we've already crashed the world economy. Even if everything somehow magically went back to normal tomorrow, the damage is done and the world will be in a recession if not a depression. And Trump seems to want to just open things back up. Because he's a sociopath and incapable of even having a conversation about anything that affects lives, unless it impacts his bottom line and his re-election chances.

    If we do that, the virus will spread like wildfire and, statistically, probably 2 million Americans alone will die according to the stats I've seen. And we'll still have a crashed economy. Now... there's an argument that 2 million deaths out of 350 millon is an "acceptable loss", but if that was the decision to be made, it should have been made before crashing the economy, not now. And this is the cost of having an utterly inept person, incapable of thinking even 2 steps ahead, who cares only about himself, as the person currently in charge.
     
  20. Poofter

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    No, my job is considered vital to sustainment of life so I am still out here running the highways and delivering goods to places that need them.

    Yes, what closing everything is effectively doing is slowing down the spread so we can work on developing a treatment and a vaccine.

    Nope, based on an article I read; Dr. Brilliant said that once you are exposed to the virus, your body will start to build an immunity. That’s a good sign. He also said while yes millions around the globe may die. This is not the extinction level event.