Coronavirus

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Whenever someone sneezes at our house, the person standing the nearest to them says - "Bless me. It's probably too late for you."

 

[flashy bazook]

I count seven answer highlighted in white.

Right, you'd think you need SEVEN measures to find the one heavier item out of eight using a scale.

But, using grouping, you can do it in maximum TWO!

You choose two groups of 3 items each and weigh them against each other.

If they are equal, you know the heavier item is in the remaining 2. So you just weigh them against each other, and find the heavier one. So only TWO weightings in this case.

If they are not equal, you take the group which is heavier. Remember, it has 3 items.

You choose two, and weigh them against each other. If they are equal, you know the last item is the heaviest.

If they are not, you just found the heaviest item. Again, only TWO weightings.

That's the point, by grouping you get big gains in efficiency.

This principle can be used to multiply the number of effective tests against the virus that can be carried out, much beyond the number of individual available tests.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

The U.S. just passed China and Italy for most corona virus cases worldwide (if you can believe the numbers coming out of China). We're number one! (Doesn't that suck?)

 

[bigburly912]

The U.S. just passed China and Italy for most corona virus cases worldwide (if you can believe the numbers coming out of China). We're number one! (Doesn't that suck?)

Means more people are being tested which is actually a good thing in a way.

 

[StarHalo]

future generations looking back at this thread should do so with wonder and amazement.

Oh, they will..

just saw this at fakebook. Made my eyes water with man tears.

We're still shipping your orders, but the socially distant breaks/lunches are quite drab..

 

[BuddTX]

The U.S. just passed China and Italy for most corona virus cases worldwide (if you can believe the numbers coming out of China). We're number one! (Doesn't that suck?)

This is REPORTED cases, two issues with these numbers:
1. China may not want (for political reasons) to report accurate numbers.
2. Poor and underdeveloped countries as well as isolated areas of any country will not have as many reported cases, as people will not be tested, they will just "be sick".

 

[ven]

Oh, they will..



We're still shipping your orders, but the socially distant breaks/lunches are quite drab..



Exactly the same as my place of work, 1 per table, even all sitting the same way(no one facing each other). Distancing is important, we will get through this.

Agree mr fixer, the health service(police and fire) are the real heroes no question. Last night in the UK at 8pm time, everyone went out front to the door , clapped and cheered country wide for the NHS(and other health care workers). Pretty amazing is an understatement. To show gratitude and thanks for everything they do(under funded, over worked and arguably under paid!). But they get on with it, save lives, heroes they sure are.

Yes US has over took in numbers, news here reports that NY will or is becoming the epicentre. What you believe and read on the news is another matter. Regarding passing China, well lets be honest, do we believe what we are being told! More people as mr bigburly said being tested will be one part of the equation.

Distancing and staying in is the only way for now to prevent the spread. Being far more contagious than flu, mr ven goes out and passes it to 3 people, those 3 pass is to another 3(9) those 9 another 3(27). It does not take long to get to 1000's, then 10,000's and so on. The problem, mr ven does not know he has it til its too late. So mr ven stays at home, mr ven keeps distance when he goes shopping. Mr ven washes his hands before touching face( vape). Hopefully mr ven will do his bit to save lives.

Stay safe CPF family.

 

[RetroTechie]

This is REPORTED cases, two issues with these numbers:
1. China may not want (for political reasons) to report accurate numbers.
2. Poor and underdeveloped countries as well as isolated areas of any country will not have as many reported cases, as people will not be tested, they will just "be sick".

There's just 1 relevant number: deaths. More importantly: # of deaths per million inhabitants. This number reflects the social impact.

It lags several weeks behind new infections (people are quick to be infected, but may take a long time to die). It may swing up or down each day. But ultimately, deaths is what counts. If a country has many people in hospital or ICU, but has enough of those ICU beds & manages to keep patients alive, it's doing well. Likewise if there's many deaths, you can't cover that up. Mass graves can be seen from space (see eg.: Iran), 100k+ people disappearing from their social circles would NOT go unnoticed no matter what country. Economic or political fallout will centre around families that lost loved ones. Not families that had some members in hospital for 3..4 weeks which then recovered & went back to work.

(New) infections is useful to make predictions about where that "deaths" number may be several weeks from now. And how many hospital beds / respirators / personnel will be needed. But it's the deaths # that matters. Note that many deaths might have occurred anyway - the Coronavirus is just quicker to push patients over the edge & have their death attributed to the virus rather than other causes.

 

[bykfixer]

New York state cases has passed Iran and is gaining on Germany. Yeah, it's by far the epicenter.

For those watching the US death clock keep your eyes on Louisianna. For the world clock Iran is still the one leading the pack.

 

[Dave D]

For the world clock Iran is still the one leading the pack.

What are the figures for Iran to put them as leading the pack? Italy has 80,000+ cases with 8200+ deaths and Spain has 64,000+ cases with 4850+ deaths. The only figures that I can find for Iran show 32,000+ cases with 2378 deaths.

 

[RBR]

Will be on short hours for at least two weeks soon...:duh2:

 

[bykfixer]

Yeah Dave I've no idea what I was looking at. It looks like more of the sky is falling in Spain right now.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Looks like things are getting worse. There were 100 deaths in New York in the last 24 hours. This is starting to affect our critical infrastructure. Some Amazon employees have corona virus now. I heard it's delaying shipments by as much as a month. The California DMV is shut down and is switching to virtual appointments. A water desalinization plant in San Diego county that provides 10% of our water has employees camped out and isolated at the site so they don't get sick. I wonder how many others are taking similar precautions so we don't lose power, cable, internet, water, gas, etc. This could get bad. Congress is trying to run government with a skeleton crew to limit exposure to the virus. Truckers delivering our food and supplies are having a hard time finding anywhere to eat as sit down restaurants are closed and big rigs don't fit in drive-thrus. Lupus patients are finding out they can't get their prescription refilled as their medication is being stockpiled to fight corona virus. Let's hope and pray that this is over soon.

 

[markr6]

Truckers delivering our food and supplies are having a hard time finding anywhere to eat as sit down restaurants are closed and big rigs don't fit in drive-thrus.

I've been seeing them do take-out like everyone else around here. Or just parking and walking up to the drive-thru. Nothing wrong with that. Even at the banks they just park on the shoulder or lot and run up the the teller station to get cash since lobbies are closed.

Living at work wouldn't be fun. Hopefully the water plant employees get a little bonus or something more than a high-five for their work!

No surprise about the Amazon delays. If my local grocery store can't get some things in stock, I wouldn't expect Amazon, who ships all over the country, to be immune. Especially with everyone buying online now for convenience, to stay inside, and to simply be able to shop from dozens of sellers at once vs. running around town. They bust their butt to get things to me in time and deliver 99.9% of the time, so I'm not even thinking about a partial refund on my membership (you know some people will eventually bring it up)

 

[ven]

Little late in the day, but Boris our UK prime minister has tested positive along with the health secretary. His symptoms are mild, but his partner is pregnant which of course is a worry. So he is in isolation now for 2 weeks. Unless symptoms get worse.
I wonder if he will get to see what its like for 1000's of UK residents. Wonder if there will be a bed for him, or turned away. Maybe put in a corridor..............Thats what the NHS can be like to cuts, under funding over years and years, ironically by his government. Of course the answer wont be no! Nor would i want it to be. Heck they cant even test people on the front line who could be spreading it further. They dont have enough PPE so more risks.
Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives! Yes because of all the cuts, we were under pressure (read strain) before covid-19! Yes it infuriates me no end.

There are plans a foot, be it the NEC in Birmingham, London, Manchester for temp hospitals/beds. Things are moving, yes, but its all too little too late. Full lock down a month back, they had seen what happened in Italy..........yet chose to go another path.


Just stay in guys unless urgent(food/medicine type ), stay 2m away from others out of the house. All we can do until a vaccine which could be 2 months or 18 months!(hopefully a lot closer to the former). But who knows! Every time i go out and get back, i make sure i dont touch my face and wash hands. I moved some bins in before, off the street, straight away hands washed. Anything.......wash hands!

Stay safe

 

[bykfixer]

America just passed a bill to send help across the country. Will it halt a major depression across the globe?
It does toss a life ring to the American economy.

Meanwhile my governor is scolding young people again today as I type this while he reminds them it's all old people die-ing. Now he is calling for the American government to nationalize companies who make certain items.

Thank you to cops, nurses, doctors, fireman, ems folks, truck drivers, grocery store folks, warehouse workers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, construction workers, restaraunt workers, ac/heater fixers, lumber jacks, filling station employees, coffee shop workers, and all kinds of other folks who are behind the scenes keeping things as normal as practical right now.
Hopefully things will be back to normal sooner than later.

 

[ven]

I dont think anything will stop a global depression, heck its not even got fully started yet. Too much worry and uncertainty unless all the main economies keep throwing billions........or trillions at it all. It will bounce back, it has to and it will. Might not be this summer, might not even be this year, but it will!!!

Its so easy to type and talk on here, but i would be looking at shutting every state (if its possible , be it with army or ?? )to hold in each state to know numbers. To limit the spread further.

I must sound crazy, but anything less than a full lock down...........i just dont know how this will go away anytime soon. By full lock down, a month minimum. Thats a scary thought for sure, but short term misery will promote long term happiness!!!

 

[Poppy]

I'm not an economist, but I think that if all governments just printed up money in similar proportions, we could inflate our way out of the debt, and if all countries across the planet did the same (inflate at the same rate, our international dollar values/trade values would remain the same).

 

[bykfixer]

Poppy, I think part of a currencies value is it's availability. Hence the US government destroys X number of currency when they make new batches. And part is like Avon collectables as in it is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

When I was a kid there were still gold and silver certificates in circulation. My brother worked at a gas station and there'd be a celebration whenever a "gold certificate" $20 bill was used to pay for a service. I had a few 1's and 5's silver certificates as a kid along with several $2 bills from before they reprinted those. Where they are today? Got me.

I just hope the money the US government prints mostly goes to places that need it or will soon. The service industry has been hit pretty hard. The folks who stock cruise ships, the mom & pops diner, the hair care industry, the hot dog vendor at the ball park etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah some will be used to support big business too, but if every airline company shuts down just think of the impact to cargo. Big movie theatre companies and restaraunt chains.

One thing is for certain, we will talk about Covid-19 for a while after this one. Used to be when strangers met "how about this weather?" Now it's "how about that beer bug thing?"

 

[ven]

Spanish flu was the last time there was a pandemic, 1918!!!!! Lasted 2yrs and infected 500,000,000 people. No one was flying around then either spreading it faster. Death toll quoted, anywhere from 17,000,000 to even 50,000,000+. Thats some scary stats.