COVID-19 (Aka China Virus)

[HossHarris]

1 hour ago, arg said:

I'm sure the Chinese will be forthcoming.

What if they write a strongly worded letter !

[1:1:1]

“The federal government must recognise that it has played a role in furthering these xenophobic sentiments through the actions of political leaders, including references to the Covid-19 pandemic by the geographic location of its origin."

-President Biden

[jazzdude]

What if they write a strongly worded letter !

I mean, what other realistic recourse do we (or the rest of the world) have? Not sure going to war over them saying "nah, we told you everything you need to know" is justifiable. They'll just play the victim card, all while destroying anything that might lead to a different conclusion than what they have provided.

Not sure economic sanctions would really do much since they'll hit right back with their own (plus, we haven't seen much movement with Iran in response to sanctions, and they are much more isolated from the world than China).

Diplomatically, they have a great deal of influence within the UN. So they'd likely be able to deflect any accusations.

[Stoker]

1 hour ago, jazzdude said:

Not sure economic sanctions would really do much since they'll hit right back with their own (plus, we haven't seen much movement with Iran in response to sanctions, and they are much more isolated from the world than China).

Sanctions only work when they're taking something away. Iran has been sanctioned for so long that the elites have figured out how to stay comfortable and in control even with a crappy economy. China would be hurt far more by sanctions, simply because they actually have something to lose (we'd lose just as much, though, so not really a good play).

[jazzdude]

Sanctions only work when they're taking something away. Iran has been sanctioned for so long that the elites have figured out how to stay comfortable and in control even with a crappy economy. China would be hurt far more by sanctions, simply because they actually have something to lose (we'd lose just as much, though, so not really a good play).

I agree with most of what you said. Sanctions wouldn't be a good play, but I'd fear we'd lose more if it came to it.

Both us and china would get hurt by sanctions short term; it's just a matter of who can adapt and outlast the other.

Sanctions are just a nice word for siege, and it only works if you can apply enough pressure. But if trade stays open, well, the siege becomes ineffective unless you can close off the other lines. Iran has done well enough keeping it's trade and and economy going and to keep it's regime in power, so it's unlikely or sanctions will have any effect on them unless we get more buy in from other nations to join our sanctions. Then again, Russia and China may continue to trade with Iran, if for no other reason to spite US interests in the region while increasing their market reach, and as long as they continue to do so, our sanctions won't cause significant change in Iran's actions.

China would also likely do well against long term US sanctions, unless we could get a large enough coalition to play along with us. And the thing is, they aren't waiting to fight us economically, they've been expanding their influence for a while now, so unless China does something egregious, other countries may not follow our lead since their economies are increasing tied to China's success.
https://www.politico.eu/article/china-topples-us-as-eus-top-trade-partner-over-2020/

So China's in a fairly happy spot right now; they can pretty much say no to any investigation they suspect would embarrass them, and not really face any repercussions.

[GrndPndr]

Thread derail...

Here's the next thing.  Don't forget to wear your COVID mask, your COVID backup/ancillary mask - and now your Ebola mask (I'm sure it'll be different (but the same).

I sense an entrepreneurial opportunity coming to the USA

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/15/guinea-officials-race-to-contain-ebola-outbreak-as-death-toll-rises

[Danger41]

How could Trump have allowed an Ebola outbreak?! Impeach!

[ClearedHot]

7 hours ago, GrndPndr said:

Thread derail...

Here's the next thing.  Don't forget to wear your COVID mask, your COVID backup/ancillary mask - and now your Ebola mask (I'm sure it'll be different (but the same).

I sense an entrepreneurial opportunity coming to the USA

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/15/guinea-officials-race-to-contain-ebola-outbreak-as-death-toll-rises

Beyond derail...REPEAT....scroll up.

[JimNtexas]

I had no reactions at all to either Moderna shot.  The pharmacist told me I was an outlier.

[BashiChuni]

schools should be open

[VMFA187]

2 hours ago, MyCS said:

Covid-Linked Syndrome in Children Is Growing, and Cases Are More Severe

http://www.pharmacist.com/article/covid-linked-syndrome-children-growing-and-cases-are-more-severe

 

In other news, a Karen demands school to reopen. The school sends her social media pictures of the lady and her kids not wearing masks with 16 other kids and adults outside posing for photos.

The only "data" reported is "the share of children with MIS-C requiring intensive care has jumped over the months from 50% to as many as 90%."

What percent and total number of children have MIS-C? 1,000,000 is different than 50 or 500. 

So you're proposing what? Allow the teacher's unions to keep schools closed and further stunt our nation's childrens ability to develop?

[BashiChuni]

my question is when are all you fear based thinkers going to come out of your shell?

what's your end game? zero covid? cases per day? etc etc

at some point life goes on and a lot of rational people have been moving on now for months

[Prozac]

3 hours ago, MyCS said:

Covid-Linked Syndrome in Children Is Growing, and Cases Are More Severe

http://www.pharmacist.com/article/covid-linked-syndrome-children-growing-and-cases-are-more-severe

 

In other news, a Karen demands school to reopen. The school sends her social media pictures of the lady and her kids not wearing masks with 16 other kids and adults outside posing for photos.

Here is a spot where our opinions diverge. There are several reasons why I think schools should be priority one when it comes to “reopening” the country:

1. Our kids are suffering. I can tell you first hand that the level of education being provided by online learning is nowhere near what kids are getting in school. Older/more mature kids might be doing a bit better, but my 10 year old was getting almost nothing from zoom school. It’s nearly impossible for a teacher to vie for a child’s attention through a computer screen. Aside from the academic deficit, kids are mission out on all of the social and interpersonal development that is arguably even more important than the academic part of school. All of this has taken a terrible toll on kids, as evidenced in the worst possible outcome: a huge increase in suicides. 
 

2. Our society is dependent on the school day. The “one parent doesn’t work and plays homemaker” model is no longer the norm. A majority of families either have both parents working, or are single parent households. Don’t want to get into a morality argument. That’s just the way it is. Most parents depend on school for a majority of the year to make this work. Online school and limited in person school time places a tremendous logistical strain on families trying to make ends meet. In many families, both parents work out of necessity and things are tight. Now they are in the position where they have to either pay for child care that they can’t afford or may not even be available due to demand, leave young children at home unsupervised, or have one parent quit their job and risk not making rent/bills. Sorry, but the economy will not fully reopen until schools do. 
 

3. The vast majority of studies indicate schools can reopen safely with relatively simple mitigation measures in place. We don’t need to wait for all teachers to be vaccinated (although that option is rapidly becoming available to them). We don’t need to rip out and replace the HVAC systems in every school. We simply need to make sure the kids are masked (hand them out at the entrance if they show up without one), and put a little extra space between them (I understand this particular requirement will be difficult in many districts). 
 

Bringing kids back into classrooms will never be perfectly safe and I understand teachers’ concerns. However, many of us have been going into work on a daily basis in industries arguably less critical than primary education. We have all been dealing with less than perfect safety measures. If the guy in the Amazon warehouse making sure people get their sex toys on time is considered critical, surely are teachers are too. It’s time for them to get back to work so the American economy can make its comeback and so our kids don’t fall even further behind. 

[ecugringo]

I think a  lot of people are realizing that our public education system really sucks and the quality they were lead to believe just isn't there.

I get it, we need a school system with both parents being required to work in a lot of situations.  After meeting some teachers where we live and seeing the result of a lot of our friends kids in the K-5 school where our kids would be going is pretty discouraging.  We made the decision to home school and make sacrifices so my wife can stay home.  Our 4 yr old is better off than most 2nd graders we know.  

The way the teachers union has handled this in a lot of areas is sad.  It makes a strong case to do away with the unions.

Our school district is now more focused on making sure nobody is offended and the kids dont call anyone he/she anymore.

[herkbum]

My kids have been in school since 3 August.


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

[ThreeHoler]

Not all schools are closed. There are 50 states in the US. Each state is different. Some kids in Texas were going to school for awhile. They had an option to go in person or not.
I don't have kids. Whether they attend in person or login to virtual learning via VR or PS5 doesn't matter to me. Just posting links to info. 

AKA trolling

[brabus]

17 hours ago, ecugringo said:

think a  lot of people are realizing that our public education system really sucks and the quality they were lead to believe just isn't there.

We live in a “very good” school system, ranked highly nationally. My kids are now in a private school, initially because of the remote bullshit (by the way, 5 days in person Preschool through 8th, since Aug...one case). Now we’ve seen the other side, and compared to same age kids of friends who are still in the “real good” public schools, the difference is startling. My kids are immensely ahead of their public school peers; the curriculum and expectations makes the public school a total joke. And this is comparing against a “really good, nationally ranked” public school system...we won’t go back. I cannot imagine how shitty the public system is outside of the “highly ranked” areas. Pay attention to what your kids are/are not learning, I was fat dumb and happy until the remote catalyst, now I shudder to think about the shit education they would have received had I kept not really paying attention/seen the other side. Significant reform is needed in the public school system.

[ClearedHot]

8 hours ago, herkbum said:

My kids have been in school since 3 August.

Same here. 

My son has also been sent home twice and quarantined three times (the last time because he got COVID from his Grandmother.)  We have a family friend and her son has been sent home and quarantined six times so far this school year.  One of the local high schools had to send home 43 students from one class the first day because the teacher didn't build a manual seating chart to document where everyone was sitting (CDC requirement).  One of the kids in the class had a family member with COVID so they sent the entire chorus class home for 14 days.

We have a family friend that teaches at my son's school and at one point just before Christmas she told us 40% of the students at our son's middle school were out on out quarantine.  She also told us the kids were remarkably disciplined about wearing masks and washing hands (shocking with a bunch of 13 year olds), and that most of the students caught back up and recovered on school work and syllabus.  When out on quarantine they don't go to full virtual learning but the teachers post all class and homework so if they have a positive influence at home they can stay on course.  We've been lucky, even with my son out three times he maintained 5 A's and one B.

All of that being said, we don't have a single documented case of student to student or student to teacher transmission.  IMHO Florida got it right opening school back up so soon.

[ecugringo]

3 hours ago, brabus said:

We live in a “very good” school system, ranked highly nationally. My kids are now in a private school, initially because of the remote bullshit (by the way, 5 days in person Preschool through 8th, since Aug...one case). Now we’ve seen the other side, and compared to same age kids of friends who are still in the “real good” public schools, the difference is startling. My kids are immensely ahead of their public school peers; the curriculum and expectations makes the public school a total joke. And this is comparing against a “really good, nationally ranked” public school system...we won’t go back. I cannot imagine how shitty the public system is outside of the “highly ranked” areas. Pay attention to what your kids are/are not learning, I was fat dumb and happy until the remote catalyst, now I shudder to think about the shit education they would have received had I kept not really paying attention/seen the other side. Significant reform is needed in the public school system.

We're in one of the top districts in CO.  PPL are willing to be stupid house poor to send their kids here.  More and more parents are doing home school near us.  The virtual learning is a joke and the kids are getting fat.  If I were a well respected teacher I would highly consider quitting and getting paid cash to teach a small "POD".  But I've met teachers here and the few Ive met thought I was the devil for working in Oil and Gas.  One just started bitching at me at a block party how I was killing the earth.  She drove her Honda there BTW.  But these are the people teaching our kids.  They're also the first to duck and cover from COVID and let the kids suffer.  If I get the green light to work more remote were out of this state.

[ecugringo]

Kids are getting fat due to the school activities shutting down.  Maybe not in TX but school sports idled while club sports were F it.

[jazzdude]

Kids are getting fat due to the school activities shutting down.  Maybe not in TX but school sports idled while club sports were F it.

I thought getting fat was from eating too much, and you generally can't out exercise your diet.

[ClearedHot]

One-third of military service members have opted not to receive COVID-19 vaccinations

I wonder how much longer they stay "optional"?

[tac airlifter]

1 hour ago, ClearedHot said:

One-third of military service members have opted not to receive COVID-19 vaccinations

I wonder how much longer they stay "optional"?

I’m guessing mandatory by April.

 

[ryleypav]

1 hour ago, ClearedHot said:

One-third of military service members have opted not to receive COVID-19 vaccinations

I wonder how much longer they stay "optional"?

Pretty soon following when the vaccines get full blown FDA approval, would be my guess. Not sure what the timeline looks like for that.

[pawnman]

1 hour ago, tac airlifter said:

I’m guessing mandatory by April.

 

First they need enough for everyone who volunteered to get one.  Still waiting for mine.