Coronavirus

Space Ghost wrote: I don't know that looking at the US as a whole is good. Given the geographic differences and the fact that individual states can have different approaches, it might be best to break it out into states by state.

John Hopkins now has a neat map that breaks it down by county.

coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

I live on the border of Kane (13 cases) and Cook (800 cases and includes Chicago). The first number made me feel a little better.

Keep in mind these are all reported cases, which are likely much lower than actual cases.

The highlight of that bullshit article by the tech guy is that sentence about "data is data and doesn't lie" in the first paragraph which would give you an immediate C- or lower in one of my quant methods classes even if the rest is good.

www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/politics/t...ps://t.co/Ytrua6GcSs

Apparently the current Trump thinking is abandoning restrictions and taking the L "for the economy." That's what his psycho, terrifying all caps tweet last night meant. There have been financiers espousing this as well.

If that happens, I believe we're talking about million+ dead. Some noticeable percentage of all the elderly.

Gary Sax wrote: Apparently the current Trump thinking is abandoning restrictions and taking the L "for the economy." That's what his psycho, terrifying all caps tweet last night meant. There have been financiers espousing this as well.

If that happens, I believe we're talking about million+ dead. Some noticeable percentage of all the elderly.

Yep. Hard to cover up people dying in tents out in hospital parking lots because the health care system is overwhelmed.

When Ginn's thing got pulled from Medium and his reaction was to....appeal to FoxNews personalities and other right-media figures for support, that rather gave the game away.

2nd Coronavirus death in Mass is from my small town of 8k people.

Kuwait now has a strict curfew from 5pm to 4am every day. Schools and Gov offices are all closed except for essential emergency admin. Airport is closed. Supermarkets are stocked and open in non curfew hours.

This evening, a large bunch of people were marching outside my apartment block screaming 'Come and arrest us !!' no idea why they would particularly want to chant that but each to their own. They got their wish as unmarked cop cars did their duty.

It is a $35000 fine and/or 3 yrs in prison to break curfew without signed documentation (essential workers basically). Yeah, I think I'll be putting up with it myself.

The UK govt has just told us we are in total lockdown now - only allowed out to buy food and meds plus one exercise period, only essential workers allowed out, and gatherings of more than two banned.
But this is the most scary sub-headline on the BBC news website:

The coronavirus pandemic is "accelerating", the World Health Organization warns.

Frak.

Baltimore Sun wrote: A Chinese company has delivered kits for 1,000 coronavirus tests to Maryland through the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, according to Dr. Robert Gallo, the eminent virologist who leads the institute in downtown Baltimore.

“They are offering tests directly to the state,” Gallo said Monday. “They contacted us and not the [federal] government.”

    So today the news from Maryland is that there are 1000 additional test kits (federally approved) that we got, that the Federal government didn't get, at no cost. They were donated by the Chinese company that produced them. Wow, just maybe our Dear Leader being a dick to China isn't the best way to solve the country's problem, just the best way to solve HIS problem.

    There's also news that Governor Hogan is turning the Baltimore Convention Center into a 6000 bed hospital. He's a Republican, I'm more or less a life-long Democrat, but he's getting an A+ in my book. I have no doubt he's got his shit together on this and actually cares about the well-being of my children. Given that the federal government's strategic reserves of supplies aren't being issued to the states this is some seriously good news.

and this --

Baltimore Sun wrote: Hogan also announced a number of programs to help businesses through the economic shock caused by the pandemic.

The state is providing two new emergency relief funds through the state departments of commerce and labor to help small businesses and nonprofits, one that offers loans and one that offers grants.

The grant fund will offer up to $10,000 for organizations with fewer than 50 employees for payroll expenses, mortgage payments and utilities. A fund will offer low-interest loans of up to $50,000 for organizations with up to 50 employees, with zero interest for a limited time.

The state Department of Labor is offering a $7 million fund to help companies avoid laying off workers. This money will be flexible, including being used for liability insurance to change business models, to help employees telework or clean their facilities. Applications will receive a response within two days.

Sagrilarus wrote:

Baltimore Sun wrote: A Chinese company has delivered kits for 1,000 coronavirus tests to Maryland through the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, according to Dr. Robert Gallo, the eminent virologist who leads the institute in downtown Baltimore.

“They are offering tests directly to the state,” Gallo said Monday. “They contacted us and not the [federal] government.”

    So today the news from Maryland is that there are 1000 additional test kits (federally approved) that we got, that the Federal government didn't get, at no cost. They were donated by the Chinese company that produced them. Wow, just maybe our Dear Leader being a dick to China isn't the best way to solve the country's problem, just the best way to solve HIS problem.

    There's also news that Governor Hogan is turning the Baltimore Convention Center into a 6000 bed hospital. He's a Republican, I'm more or less a life-long Democrat, but he's getting an A+ in my book. I have no doubt he's got his shit together on this and actually cares about the well-being of my children. Given that the federal government's strategic reserves of supplies aren't being issued to the states this is some seriously good news.

and this --

Baltimore Sun wrote: Hogan also announced a number of programs to help businesses through the economic shock caused by the pandemic.

The state is providing two new emergency relief funds through the state departments of commerce and labor to help small businesses and nonprofits, one that offers loans and one that offers grants.

The grant fund will offer up to $10,000 for organizations with fewer than 50 employees for payroll expenses, mortgage payments and utilities. A fund will offer low-interest loans of up to $50,000 for organizations with up to 50 employees, with zero interest for a limited time.

The state Department of Labor is offering a $7 million fund to help companies avoid laying off workers. This money will be flexible, including being used for liability insurance to change business models, to help employees telework or clean their facilities. Applications will receive a response within two days.

The Javits Center in NYC will also be converted into a medical center.

I didn't think I was too stressed but then realized that most of today was spent fantasizing about 1) getting divorced so I can have some alone time and b) weaponizing my car in case everything falls apart.

Now I'm thinking how would I Gaslands-up my own car?

The local grocery store is nearly back to normal level of stock, aside from toilet paper and hand sanitizer. In all fairness, it makes sense that so many food items stocked out last week, because some people dine out often, especially at lunch time during the work week. Now that they are home all the time, they need more groceries than normal.

Made out first grocery run in ten days this morning. Store opens at 7:00 for ages 60+, I can't go in until 8:00. At 8:00, they let in 25 carts, and then another 25 every ten minutes, I was in the 8:10 group. I saw six or seven folks leave while in line, most had 2x toilet paper and 2x milk and that was it. (Those are rationed). I don't get the toilet paper thing, still, but whatever works for people, I guess.

Rations are on dairy products, eggs, paper products, bread, and cleaning supplies. 2x per family. Not totally into this kind of rationing, as I need to feed six people with my shopping, but hey, they are doing their best.

I got one of the last 5lb bags of flour. That's a bit concerning, but I guess a lot of folks are baking to kill time. They had plenty of most everything in groceries except eggs (none) and potatoes (just some red stragglers). I got a jackfruit! I can live off one of those fuckers for a week. I didn't need any paper products, but that whole place looked wiped out too.

Checkout lines are long, like, geographically. Everyone is trying to stay 6ft/2m from each other, so the line sort of floooows down the aisle. Every 30 minutes they close the lane, and switch to the adjacent one so the previous lane can be sanitized. I hope everyone can bear up.

Looks like Italy is topping out (very preliminary), and that points to a four-week peak instead of six-week, which would be an absolute blessing. Please, stick it out for as long as you can. Slowing the spread is critical to contain and ideally beat this thing. I would disappear in three weeks if we could manage to avoid each other socially and isolate in our houses. We can beat this.

Bel Edwards issued a stay at home order that went into effect yesterday at 5 pm, with the usual exceptions.

Since I am in the legal field, we're listed as "essential", though I don't really see it.

I'd love to work from home, but due to IT being paranoid, their lobotomized remote access sucks and I cannot do my job effectively. So, I drive into New Orleans to work.

There's till too many people on the interstate as far as I am concerned, but when I got into the CBD, I definitely got the Omega Man vibe. Sidewalks clear, an occasional person, a car or two.

Sobering.

Yeah, campus is a complete ghost area. I don't go in except to record lectures on my much better setup in the office (we're not under stay at home yet), and I typically see no one.