D&D Coronavirus thread

So I was looking into the Hong Kong Flu from 1968-1970. At the time the population in America was 200 million and we lost 100k people to it. If you take that same death rate to our current population size, Covid would have to kill 164k Americans to equal the percentage of deaths from the Hong Kong Flu.

Kind of interesting considering I hadn't really heard much about that flu before Covid-19 came about.

 

Even by your skewed data source, New York and New Jersey have 3-4 times as many deaths per million people as Sweden. And Sweden hasn't locked down, and their people are developing herd immunity. Their children have continued to be educated and their people have continued to socialize without government power-trippers trying to take their freedoms. I lost a good friend a week and a half ago due to a stress induced heart attack after his company announced layoffs - where is that in your death numbers?

 

you can't compare an entire country to a metropolitan area and think that's apples to apples, do you?

Sweden hasn't locked down and has one of the highest deaths per capita in the world - higher than the US.

And you think there wouldn't be unemployment and economic damage if we didn't lockdown? It wasn't a choice, it was a necessity. And how do you know how close Sweden is to herd immunity?

You are claiming that deaths are higher from the economic impact of lockdowns than the virus itself - but where is the data to support that?

If you want to persuade me, and I hope yourself - there should be data vs assumptions - for any side. I presented data to you and made a case - so use data to defeat my point. That's how we can debate this without mud slinging. But I have yet to see a persuasive case from you.

 

I agree. Here's an article about Sweden from today.

Sweden’s Covid-19 strategy has caused an ‘amplification of the epidemic’

Figures compiled by data analysis website Statista show that the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Sweden has been increasing steadily since the beginning of April – and now stands at more than 29,000.

Statistics suggest that Sweden has performed poorly compared to its Scandinavian neighbours, which imposed strict lockdowns. Experts say the other Nordic countries are the most apt points of comparison, given their similar healthcare systems, socio-political cultures and levels of connectedness.

Reported coronavirus deaths per million in Sweden stand at 358, according to Statista – even higher than the hard-hit US, at 267. The Swedish figure is dramatically worse than those of Denmark (93), Finland (53) and Norway (44). In Sweden, “we’re seeing an amplification of the epidemic, because there’s simply more social contact”

https://www.france24.com/en/2020051...y-has-caused-an-amplification-of-the-epidemic

 

Official: You can kick their balls, but don't touch them

 

Onion-level content.

 

...gotta admit that it takes onions to do some backhanded data reporting like this in the middle of a global health crisis...

 

I had to read it to ensure this wasn't an Onion article. I hesitate to comment because it confirms what I suspected: Trump's towel-boy fudging the numbers. There is no way a state that closed late and opened early is showing a downward trend.

Look, none of us should want misleading data (lying) any more than we want this virus to be around. It's dangerous.

 

Even though we have passed 90K deaths today looking at the overall new infection rate it does appear to be flattening for the country as a whole and possible even declining.
https://www.google.com/search?q=us+...7j0l5j69i60.4111j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

In Central MN a bar owner who has been saying he will open has backed down after the MN AG stepped in. Note the country this bar is located in has the second highest number of cases in MN after Hennepin where Minneapolis is located. Also MN cases have been shooting up in recent weeks.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/18/central-minnesota-barfight

Central Minnesota bar owner backs down, says he won't defy state order to remain closed
Tim Nelson and Kirsti Marohn
Albany, Minn.
May 18, 2020 6:01 a.m.

Updated: 3:05 p.m. | Posted: 7 a.m.
A central Minnesota bar owner who vowed to open his business Monday in defiance of state orders has relented, as Minnesota’s ongoing COVID-19 shutdown of bars, restaurants and other public accommodations is heading for a legal battle.

Kris Schiffler, who owns Shady’s Hometown Tavern, in Albany, Minn., and five other bars in the area, had been planning to open the tavern’s doors at noon Monday, a long line of customers at his door.

But instead he stepped out of the open doors of his restaurant with a bullhorn, telling the crowd he would comply with a judge’s ruling.

“I’m not standing out here in tears because I’m happy to open,” he said. “I’m standing out here in tears because the attorney general has just called, and they have shut us down.”

Stearns County Judge William Cashman granted Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s request for a restraining order Monday. The judge ordered Schiffler not to defy Gov. Tim Walz’s executive order that forbids in-person dining at state bars and restaurants.

“Don’t tell me this is about money,” Schiffler told the crowd gathered outside his bar. “This never has been about money. It’s about freedom. It’s about opening our bars, you guys. It’s about opening our restaurants, our salons.”

He handed out to-go menus to the crowd, and thanked them for their support, saying he’ll still need it.

“This is a fight for the small businesses," he said.

Minnesota’s 52-day stay-at-home order, put in place in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, expired Sunday night, but bars and restaurants are still required to offer takeout only. Schiffler said in a Facebook video posted Sunday that the hospitality industry has suffered enough during the pandemic. He’s raised nearly $175,000 on a GoFundMe site to challenge the state.

“We are using it for our attorney, but our attorney’s fight right now is to get rid of the whole thing, not just bars and restaurants,” Schiffler said in the video. “We’re talking salon owners, and houseboat owners and resort owners. Every kind of small business. These guys, everybody’s ready to go. We’re prepared.”

Watching from across the street were Pete Desautel and Janet Desmarais of Albany, who own a car dealership in nearby Avon. They said they support Schiffler because the stay-at-home order was unfairly hurting small business owners.“

Either you close them all, or you open them all, period,” Desautel said. “You can’t let big-box stores and everybody else get rich during this while these guys are suffering.”

“I see every day multiple businesses choosing to close their doors because they cannot sustain [being closed],” Desmarais said. “And that’s what you hate seeing.”

Ellison asked in a Stearns County District Court filing for an emergency injunction and a $25,000 fine to prevent Schiffler from opening.

Stearns County has seen the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, behind only Hennepin County.

A statement issued by Ellison on Sunday said his office has already warned a handful of other bar owners not to defy the state’s order closing bars and restaurants.

Ellison said most have indicated they will comply.

“My office has the duty to enforce the law and the Governor’s order, to protect Minnesotans’ health, and to protect businesses that are complying with the order from unfair competition. I take that duty seriously,” Ellison said in the statement.

Republicans in the state House of Representatives sent Ellison a letter urging him not to fine people defying the order.

“At a time when the federal government is trying desperately to help our businesses, it appears our Attorney General's office is threatening to keep them down,” said the letter from Republicans, led by Rep. Ron Kresha, of Little Falls. The letter says lawmakers may consider deducting the proceeds of any fines from the attorney general’s budget the next time it comes before the Legislature.

A court hearing is scheduled for Friday in the case.

 

Which governors have done the best in the four largest states in the nation? Let's have a look:



The results speak for themselves. Governor Abbott of Texas in the lead and Governor Cuomo of New York bringing up the rear.

 

Trump plans halt to National Guard deployments before retirement benefits kick in: report

The more than 40,000 National Guard members deployed to states to help in coronavirus relief may end up one day short of qualifying for federal benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill once President Trump's executive order deploying them expires on June 24.
https://thehill.com/homenews/admini...-national-guard-deployments-before-retirement

Thanks for your service, but let me try and screw you from earning more benefits!

 

I think one line of attack from Democrats in the election should be compiling a list of the way Trump has screwed service men and women of the United States.

 

That budget shortfall number is stupid. California's $54 billion shortfall is if they maintain current budget while factoring in the drop in revenue due to the pandemic. Texas is 'balanced' because the state government hasn't provided an estimate of the impact of the pandemic on state revenue. Claim it's balanced because you haven't done the calculation is silly. Texas will have to cut its budget and so will California. They'll both have to tap into the rainy day fund but California has $20B vs Texas's $8.5B. Florida also has not released a budget shortfall estimation because DeSantis says he'll want to wait to see how much the federal government will give the state in aid.

 

Trump is to blame for our economy still being shut down. And his followers as well.

The reason we can't open up is the refusal of people to wear masks in public. If everyone did their part we could reopen - just look at Taiwan - operating fine with very few deaths - why???

Because they test and wear masks. And they don't even get a chance to teach other countries how to do it because Trump panders to China.

SAD!