COVID-19 (f/k/a "the Coronavirus")

[Jockey]

I appreciate the response. I can throw out opinions all I want, but for me personally, it is little more than an inconvenience. I had to cancel trips to the Smokies (would have left home this Sunday) and Moab, Utah (early May). That has basically been the sum total effect on my life. I bought a new vehicle in early March and I could have gotten it for at least 5 grand less now, but that's life. So I try not to complain about the stay-at-home orders.

Of course I am not referencing the immense suffering this has caused to thousands of people and families. That is where the real heartbreak is and those families have my prayers.

Yeah, it has cost me a lot of money, but not enough to affect my life one way or the other. I realize it is different for millions and my opinions generally are referring to them rather than myself. As I said, I don't think I have the right to whine when this is hitting millions of others way harder.

[Coleman]

I appreciate the response. I can throw out opinions all I want, but for me personally, it is little more than an inconvenience. I had to cancel trips to the Smokies (would have left home this Sunday) and Moab, Utah (early May). That has basically been the sum total effect on my life. I bought a new vehicle in early March and I could have gotten it for at least 5 grand less now, but that's life. So I try not to complain about the stay-at-home orders.

Of course I am not referencing the immense suffering this has caused to thousands of people and families. That is where the real heartbreak is and those families have my prayers.

Yeah, it has cost me a lot of money, but not enough to affect my life one way or the other. I realize it is different for millions and my opinions generally are referring to them rather than myself. As I said, I don't think I have the right to whine when this is hitting millions of others way harder.

One way to look at the vehicle....by the end of this, you will have put way less miles on it than you would have if we had not had a pandemic, which means it will have depreciated less.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Wags I find you to have a very balanced opinion on this topic of which I agree.  We need to find a solution to be as open as possible as quick as possible. 

To me there are two disheartening things. 

1. I speak with people (not here) who think it’s feasible to ‘open things up like they were and just accept the whatever comes on the death side.  I personally think it’s a non starter for many reasons including economic ones (ie wouldn’t achieve what is hoped).  These are real people I have interacted with and not hyperbole/news boogie men or women.

2. I am not yet encouraged that we have a mass/central solution to test, trace, control in a more open environment.  I want my government (local, state, and federal) to give me the plan.  Willing to take more risk if there is one. 

Putting (1) aside. The game changer in my opinion is one or more of the therapies taking off.  That with a mediocre effort on 2 and we are back in business.  Without (2) and therapy you won’t eliminate the fear or the spread.  So worst outcome. 

[rocky_warrior]

One way to look at the vehicle....by the end of this, you will have put way less miles on it than you would have if we had not had a pandemic, which means it will have depreciated less.

Hah - I like the positive attitude.  I just closed on a new house Mar 13 (Fri 13...I know)...I know you're in a similar boat - but on the upside, I've been able to utilize having this house WAY more than I would have pre-covid

[Coleman]

Hah - I like the positive attitude.  I just closed on a new house Mar 13 (Fri 13...I know)...I know you're in a similar boat - but on the upside, I've been able to utilize having this house WAY more than I would have pre-covid

Closing the sale of my condo a week from today. Closing on the new home May 1. While I think our new house is definitely worth less than what we are paying for it now, we are probably getting way more for our condo than we would had we waited. So I think its basically a wash.

[GooooMarquette]

JWags - appreciate your response, and can see the merits in possibly a gradual, cautious reopening of places (with major reminders about precautions like physical distancing, hand washing, etc). Maybe that’s the middle ground, with the caveat that we might need to shut many places down again if the precautions aren’t enough.

I just wish federal officials would get serious about prompt and widespread testing and contact tracing. Instead, they leave testing to a hodgepodge of state and private entities, and hope states similarly develop a contact tracing mechanism. All should really be done at the federal level, since reopening things presumably would mean interstate travel; a potentially huge issue if contact tracing isn’t a federal initiative.

Anyhow, I’d be A LOT more comfortable with things starting to open up if we had those two things available and consistent across the country. Maybe that’s what ultimately wakes up the administration; they can reopen the economy if they let CDC do what it was created for - disease control and prevention.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

My buddy is a consultant, has done very well.  But his business is largely restructuring and bankruptcy work.  Seems like a great time for his field?  The opposite.  He was in El Paso/Juarez turning around a struggling factory.  Made some tough cuts but got some footing.  Then this hit, they will likely have to shutter it.  And the outlook for their work is bleak.  Can't travel to clients.  Turn around plays are being discarded to just potentially shut down and strip.  His firm is looking at potentially going on hiatus for MONTHS if something doesn't change.

Can confirm, consulting in my industry is at a standstill.  Other than annuity projects that go on regardless, new business is frozen tight. There are only so many ways to tell your clients how to run their business when their business isn't running.

[Jockey]

One way to look at the vehicle....by the end of this, you will have put way less miles on it than you would have if we had not had a pandemic, which means it will have depreciated less.

Small victories

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

This should be used against a$$hole antivaxers in general not just covid

Connecticut was inprocess of doing this.  The governor was pushing mandatory vaccinations to attend public school with no exceptions.  Legislature had hearings and was most likely going with the governor before everything got put on Coronavirus hold.

[Hards Alumni]

Maybe I've been misreading it all this time ... but isn't the main purpose of a mask to catch one's own "droplets," and thereby not affect others?

Theoretically, there are millions and millions and millions of carriers who don't know they are carriers.

For this purpose, even home-made "masks" theoretically are better than none, right? Because I can't believe anybody with any medical or science knowledge believes that a bandana or a coffee filter or a t-shirt is going to protect the wearer of that jury-rigged "mask."

To your point, yes, they are better than nothing, but imagine a vacuum pressed against cloth.  Sure it will stop some things, but of course not as good as a real respirator.  Now imagine that vacuum even 1cm back from the piece of cloth.  Where is the air that enters the vacuum coming from?  Of course, some is coming through the piece of cloth into the mask, but physics tells us path of least resistance.  So the air comes in around the sides more than through the cloth.  Same rules apply when you're sneezing and coughing.  Sure, the cloth catches SOME of the droplets, but a good portion goes out around the sides of the mask.

So, you're not wrong when you say something is better than nothing, but UJ isn't wrong when he says its like putting a band-aid on a gushing wound.

edit: jesus.  spelling and grammar was real bad.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Can confirm, consulting in my industry is at a standstill.  Other than annuity projects that go on regardless, new business is frozen tight. There are only so many ways to tell your clients how to run their business when their business isn't running.

For 2020, I have needed and planned trips to see customers in China, India,  Germany, as well as another 4-6 domestic ones.  No idea when they will happen?  Maybe something in the 4Qtr?

[MU82]

I just wish federal officials would get serious about prompt and widespread testing and contact tracing. Instead, they leave testing to a hodgepodge of state and private entities, and hope states similarly develop a contact tracing mechanism. All should really be done at the federal level, since reopening things presumably would mean interstate travel; a potentially huge issue if contact tracing isn’t a federal initiative.

I agree with this.

Today I heard discussion about perhaps being able to open up some areas sooner than others. I understand why they want to do this, but it's not as if there will be walls in place. You open up, say, Missouri ... but there is absolutely nothing to stop infected folks from Chicago and Springfield from driving down I-55 into St. Louis.

There are no easy answers, that's for sure, and I really appreciate the discussion here.

It's why we elect people whom we hopefully trust to look at all the facts and data and then make difficult decisions -- preferably without worrying about political ramifications. A little pie-in-the-sky of me, I know.

[Jay Bee]

Got a path yet, bois??? #LastDays

[GooooMarquette]

Got a path yet, bois??? #LastDays

Best way out is for POTUS to tell CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to, you know, control and prevent further spread of COVID. If he doesn’t, and continues to prevent CDC from doing what it was created to do, it’s gonna be a hodgepodge of testing and contact tracing.

To summarize:

CDC allowed to do its job: quicker recovery.

CDC handcuffed: slower and fragmented recovery.

[tower912]

Listen to science.   Support experiments.  Seek ways to help others.

[Jay Bee]

Best way out is for POTUS to tell CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to, you know, control and prevent further spread of COVID. If he doesn’t, and continues to prevent CDC from doing what it was created to do, it’s gonna be a hodgepodge of testing and contact tracing.

To summarize:

CDC allowed to do its job: quicker recovery.

CDC handcuffed: slower and fragmented recovery.

So the president is handcuffing the CDC’ making things worse. Ok, what specifically do we need him to do / change?

[Hards Alumni]

So the president is handcuffing the CDC’ making things worse. Ok, what specifically do we need him to do / change?

Where to begin.

[GooooMarquette]

So the president is handcuffing the CDC’ making things worse. Ok, what specifically do we need him to do / change?

Order the CDC to take over and greatly expand the testing process, and develop a mechanism for contact tracing.

They have done both in other countries where leaders exhibited leadership, so I’d like to think we can do it here.

[GooooMarquette]

FWIW, CDC’s Mission Statement:

CDC works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.

CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.

[Jay Bee]

Order the CDC to take over and greatly expand the testing process, and develop a mechanism for contact tracing.

They have done both in other countries where leaders exhibited leadership, so I’d like to think we can do it here.

Why do you think this hasn’t been done? Is it not their mission!?! Wtf they doing

[pbiflyer]

How do you put someone on ignore?

[Jay Bee]

There is no way out of this, guys. How do we want to spend our last days before the riots, looting, etc is the question.

[pbiflyer]

Your mom still gone see it, boi

WTF does that even mean? Have you lost your mind? Get help, really, talk to someone.

[wadesworld]

Have people still not realized it’s a bit?

[tower912]

A long time ago.