The coronavirus spread updated in real time

[_EAllusion]

I mean, unemployment might be extremely high for quite some time. That's plausible. The economy is collapsing. It's just that you don't fix the demand problem by removing various stay-at-home orders, and if you change people's behavior with a magic wand to pre-virus activity, then you've got a plague on your hands that'll make things much worse. It's pain no matter what you do, but some paths are better than others.

[_EAllusion]

[quote="Res Ipsa" post_id=1224257 time=1589236753 user_id=16705]

[/quote]

Yep. There was an early poorly done study that claims asymptomatic transmission. Since then there is much better evidence of pre and asymptomatic transmission, which shows both are occurring. I do my best to stick to reliable evidence and am happy to change my mind when the evidence warrants. I’m not convinced that wearing the same cloth mask all day actually reduces transmission, but for shopping trips, etc., I doubt it does any harm. But if we get some reliable evidence about using the same cloth mask all day is developed, I’d be happy to change my mind.

Are you feeling better these days, EAllusion?
[/quote]

I'm recovered. I feel fine. I have some residual breathing issues that I hope (?) will go away with time. I throw numbers into Bayesian probability calculators about the odds I'm a COVID survivor and it just comes up with a person shrugging their shoulders.

Re: Mask use, I don't think the science behind what we're talking about is much in dispute. If wearing a mask is a good idea if you're sick, then given circumstances, it might be wise to encourage everyone to wear them to dragnet the sick ones. The protective benefits for the mask-wearer are dubious, especially for hand-made cloth ones, but you reducing viral spread from the already infected.

Early advice in this thread, especially in light of mask shortages, was they're not gonna do you much good unless you are sick. That was a conventional take. The WHO was on that line. In retrospect, I think we should've been more like Asian countries and just culturally adopted mass use in a whatever it takes to chip away at the transmission rate move.

[_ajax18]

The masks are fogging everyones glasses and are a real pain when doing refractions and slit lamp exam. If they're not doing much good...

[_ajax18]

The masks are fogging everyones glasses and are a real pain when doing refractions and slit lamp exam. If they're not doing much good...

[_ajax18]

If your work has the potential to kill large numbers of people, shouldn't you try to find other work?

40 million people are having a hard time doing that right now.

[_Some Schmo]

If your work has the potential to kill large numbers of people, shouldn't you try to find other work?

40 million people are having a hard time doing that right now.

Right. So maybe we need to rethink what it means to earn a living... unless we decide it's simply fine to let a bunch of people die, both from the virus and from starvation.

[_EAllusion]

[quote]The masks are fogging everyones glasses and are a real pain when doing refractions and slit lamp exam. If they're not doing much good...[/quote]

1) It depends on the type of mask. Not sure what your PPE situation is, but one would hope you ain't rolling up in a cloth MAGA mask or whatever. You ideally should have on a respirator and a face shield. I kinda assumed you did, and I'm sorry if you do not.

2) It's not just about protecting you. It's about protecting people [i]from[/i] you. Social use of masks outside a health care setting are more about prevention of transmission from the user than to the user. If you can get everyone on board, now you're cooking with gas.

[_ajax18]

I haven't had a single patient come in without a mask since reopening. I was wearing one before we shut down. I tolerate the face shield to protect the patients from me. If it were just me I'd risk it because they're very uncomfortable and make for an even longer day.

[_Jersey Girl]

Hey, a story close to Jersey Girl:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/color ... b-enus-280

This is a follow-up from the viral story on their posting they had not that long ago.

Not a mask to be seen. No meaningful distancing.

Yep. This is why my butt is sitting out here in the sticks. Someone is going to end up getting shot over these kinds of conflicts. Wait for it. I can socially distance like a boss right where I am.

Governor ordered it closed today.

https://www.kktv.com/content/news/Color ... pmeTYCsVxI

[_MeDotOrg]

I doubt I’ll go to a movie in the foreseeable future. I won’t fly or set foot on a cruise ship before I’m vaccinated or the virus is no longer circulating in the US. Crowds are out.

Personally I think it will be years before the Cruise Ship industry comes back. I'm sure all the movie studios dependent upon theatrical release are thinking about how nice it would be to own a streaming service.

Pro sports have a lot of problems. How do you support a franchise without season tickets and stadium revenue? Can you imagine watching an NFL game in an empty stadium? The sound of the crowd amplifies the drama of sports.

Tonight I thought of a Game Show they should bring back: Hollywood Squares. It would be the cheapest game show in history (apologies to Chuck Barris). Set up a Zoom meeting and let people watch.