Covid-19: So now what?

[Baron]

I'm seeing a lot of comments that are rehashing opinions of how we got here. But my question still stands: What are we supposed to do now? Take vitamins? Lockdown the country again? Never leave the house for the next six months? What? In other words, if you were the president or leader of a country, what actions would you take today?

 

[deaddog]

 

[CaptainObvious]

I'm seeing a lot of comments that are rehashing opinions of how we got here. But my question still stands: What are we supposed to do now? Take vitamins? Lockdown the country again? Never leave the house for the next six months? What? In other words, if you were the president or leader of a country, what actions would you take today?

Let's be honest, we will endure whatever the government decides what's best for us. Hopefully they won't become too enamored with governing by decree in the name of "public safety" or labeling something a health crisis.

 

[Nine_Ender]

Ok, since this Covid debacle began...

We locked down the entire country, so we were all stuck at home for months.
We shut down pretty much anything that would be considered a large gathering like sports events, concerts, etc.
We abandoned big office buildings in dense areas.
We slowly reopened and required everybody to wear masks in public.
We now have Covid testing everywhere.
We've practiced social distancing.
We've limited our contact with the outside world dramatically.

And, the result? Record numbers of Covid cases on a daily basis. Over 144,000 new cases just yesterday.

I think it's pretty clear that nothing we've done has amounted to anything, so now what?

That's a nice story but most of the US especially Florida didn't actually do that. You did parts of it half assed and late in the game. I asked early summer for the deniers to explain why Covid related death rates in Canada were between a third and a half of US deaths at all times this year ( current to date it's now exactly a third and the US is going in the wrong direction despite Canada being smack dab in the middle of a huge second wave outbreak ). No legit answers mostly bs offered. Of course, I knew the answer it comes down to the public taking the virus seriously and taking proper safety precautions, and the govt shutting down nonessential business/services known to spread Covid ( eg bars, beaches, food courts, house parties, sporting events, indoor dining as needed ). How do I know ? Lots of reports here or there on Cdn news nonpolitical basis, newspaper articles on actual people and their experiences. For example, one dual citizen spent time in Toronto and in Florida earlier this year; the lack of safety precautions in Florida at the time was striking. And Florida rocketed up the Covid charts not soon after.

So as the inevitable second wave hits, we all have to make appropriate decisions knowing that it could get real bad for 1-3 months and then the vaccines will likely end the worst threats. Because that's how this virus is; you get a do over but not before 4-6 weeks of events related to your decisions made before that point. The infections come, then the deaths spike. Fairly reliable pattern. Ontario is expected a really bad November/December unless we get lucky with the new restrictions. That being said, the negatives from our experiences are much smaller then in the US and many parts of Europe. We do have our schools open, that was priority #1. All things being equal, whatever happens in Canada seems to front run the US South just at a lower base, which doesn't bode well for any state who thinks they can remain fully open.

For those who think no restrictions it's just a mild flu for everyone under 75, you are starting to experience what relatively unchecked Covid can do.

 

[Nine_Ender]

I'm seeing a lot of comments that are rehashing opinions of how we got here. But my question still stands: What are we supposed to do now? Take vitamins? Lockdown the country again? Never leave the house for the next six months? What? In other words, if you were the president or leader of a country, what actions would you take today?

I suggested many months ago that Canada and some North Eastern states are working examples of what can be done. It's a bit of a guessing game but it involves decent tracking, targeted restrictions, limited trials on removing the restrictions, and faith in your medical experts. I just don't see countries as large and diverse as Canada and the US successfully pulling off what some Asian countries and relatively contained countries pulled off. Next best thing is what we are doing. Subject to inefficiencies and mistakes; for example a month ago the medical experts said the Ontario govt was 2-3 weeks late on recent restrictions.

 

[luisHK]

[QUOTE="Pekelo, post: 5250680, member:


As going back to Baron's question, what now? The same what we did in the last 10 months, take your vitamins and Zinc + ionophore, distance yourself, see your family on Skype only, wear a mask and wash your hands. It is really not that hard.

[/QUOTE]

Not that hard, uh ? Just give up living basically for a large part.
Average age of death still slightly over 80, lots of people around here have got covid and no big deal, often from far the biggest issue has been for them being quarantined a couple of weeks or more.
Lately our local government has at last chosen to live with the virus, and case numbers as well as covid hospital occupancy have actually dropped substantially in Madrid since September, with measures tougher than in many parts of the US but well short of new lockdowns in other parts of Europe. Everything open except between midnight and 6am when there is a curfew. I hope that stays that way or gets more open, let the canadians lock themselves if that helps make them feel better about their cowardly selves. Again a cousin and 2 of his friends moved to Quebec shortly before rhe covid saga, and they ve called quit with Canada at the onset of the new lockdown ( they are now quarantined in France btw...Macron deserves to be crucified on a public square for claiming the country would see 400 000covid deaths shortly without a stay at home order, than decreting one)
Several provincial governments in Spain have asked for stay at home orders though, so it might still get worse.

 

[Pekelo]

Not that hard, uh ? Just give up living basically for a large part.

Is it really that hard to have a mask on your stupid face when you enter a business? Specially when there is a giant sign that requires you to do so?

And I didn't even advocate for a lockdown because doind what I said we should this whole spread could have been avoided. But I guess the Midwest people know better than I do, and look who is filling up the hospitals...

This pandemic is a great exercise in social darwinism, except for the people who have no choice. Here is an article about people and REGRETS:


'You Can See The Regret': ICU Nurse On Patients Who Failed To Take COVID Precautions

 

[luisHK]

Is it really that hard to have a mask on your stupid face when you enter a business? Specially when there is a giant sign that requires you to do so?

And I didn't even advocate for a lockdown because doind what I said we should this whole spread could have been avoided. But I guess the Midwest people know better than I do, and look who is filling up the hospitals...

This pandemic is a great exercise in social darwinism, except for the people who have no choice. Here is an article about people and REGRETS:


'You Can See The Regret': ICU Nurse On Patients Who Failed To Take COVID Precautions

U wrote "distance yourself and talk to ur relatives on Skype", that s much more than wearing a mask when u enter a business, the way you write it it means " don t socialize".
Don t call someone stupid if u can't even recall what u wrote 1 post above
Here masks are compulsory even in the street btw, kids forced to wear them all day at school. Miserable. Happily fighting sports schools largely don t follow this rule and we can train as usual. Interestingly Madrid Health department confirmed a couple of weeks ago there had been no known covid transmission in gyms in Madrid, which is probably a reason police have been leaving those in peace so far.

 

[Pekelo]

In other words, if you were the president or leader of a country, what actions would you take today?

Just do whatever California is doing. They are still surging but with much less rate than the Midwest. And the second wave was expected, just not this high rate of infection because of stupidity. And yes there is virus fatigue, with political fatigue, and the whole election build up didn't help.

A leader should come on TV pretty much everyday and tell people what to do (wear masks) and give hope (as Fauci did) that the end is near and it is stupid to die at the end of a war when the armistice already has been signed. Sure, people still will die until everyone/most will get vaccinated, but at least there would be a united effort, everyone for everybody else.

Also give the common people the stimulus checks, instead of big businesses. Read the Australian response if you want to see what a responsible government does.

1. Scientific, united approach. Not politicizing the issue.
2. A short (2 weeks) strict lockdown is better than a longer so-so kind.
3. Stimulus, sick pay for the common people.
4. Giving hope that we are all in together in this and the end is near.
5. Contact tracing, quarantine for the suspect with pay if necessary.

 

[luisHK]

Not sure how many people u guys know who have tested positive for covid, I know a whole bunch of them as Madrid has been hit hard, and that s largely a non/small event besides the legal implications.