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A lot has already happened this year. SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) which can cause COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 2019) has been making headlines shortly after it was first reported. The first cases were reported to WHO (World Health Organization) on 2019-12-31. The virus spread. It began as an epidemic in China . The world watched apprehensively. Reports surfaced of cases in other countries and the the apprehension grew. For many folk, it turned to fear when it was upgraded to a pandemic: WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020: "We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic."
We have seen increasing efforts to stem the spread of the disease. Efforts have run the gamut. Closing of borders. Cancellation of sporting events. Conferences cancelled. Churches and other places of worship also closed. Schools closed. Panic buying of household goods and supplies. Supply chain disruptions affecting manufacturers. Restaurant, bars, and other such establishments closed. Work-from-home policies established and enacted.
The changes have been many, widespread, and continuing.
Reading about all the ways that "other people" have been affected is one thing. It seems different, somehow, when it hits closer to home and affects us directly. With many of our usual social activities curtailed or cancelled, it is easy to begin isolating and lose perspective. SoylentNews arose from a troubled period (the SlashCott) and a community has formed from that challenging period.
How have you been affected? Have you been infected? Had a family member or friend who was? Helped neighbors who are struggling? Hunkering down and isolating? (In a basement is optional.) Are you suddenly working from home and finding it challenging to manage your time? Still working on site, but now have a faster commute due to all the other people staying home? Catching up on watching TV shows? Reading more SoylentNews? How has your life changed?
From a somewhat different perspective, how have others helped you to cope... and how have you been able to help others? One of the potential impacts of social distancing is isolation and depression. I count myself fortunate, indeed, to have served this site for over 6 years and for all the people I have gotten to know, here. For those who may not be aware, SoylentNews has its own IRC (Internet Relay Chat) server. Feel free to drop in to #Soylent and just say "Hi!"
Social distancing is permanent when you're dead. So, practice good hygiene and stay safe.
Previously (oldest first):
China Battles Coronavirus Outbreak: All the Latest Updates
2019-nCoV Coronavirus Story Roundup
Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Roundup
Coronavirus Roundup
Coronavirus Roundup (Feb. 17)
Roundup of Stories about the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus and COVID-19 Disease
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 - CoronaVirus) Roundup
CoronaVirus (SARS-CoV-2) Roundup 2020-03-12
Working from Home: Lessons Learned Over 20 Years
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @08:25PM (12 children)
You don't think this already has been going on in the background? The outbreak in China happened December, January? That's months of preparation time, generally unreported on in the media.
(Score: 2) by drussell on Tuesday March 17 2020, @08:35PM (11 children)
You would think so, but apparently not, hence the dismal response from many places like the US.
Last I checked, we were still testing more people per day here in the Canadian province of Alberta than the entire US is testing per day.
This is what their months of planning (or not) got them? Egads!
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @08:44PM (10 children)
It's only plenty of time if you're not lying to the people in public and also doing fuck all about it behind the scenes either. We learned about this in December and had the first case in the US in January, that should have been enough time to at least start putting together effective test kits based upon what was being learned in China and Korea. The Koreans tested nearly 100k people while we had only tested a few hundred and they had far less lead time to get ready than we did.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @10:12PM (5 children)
They did, and got reamed by the WHO for their efforts in reporting a high number of infections.
Anyway, who cares about a test for a cold virus really? Treat the complications, if they occur.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2020, @04:16AM (4 children)
We care about the test because, in a lot of cases, this strain is going to look like a normal cold. If we don't test for it then we don't know how prevalent it is or where it's likely to crop up. South Korea has already demonstrated that it's feasible to test hundreds of thousands of people over a relatively short time frame, you just have to care enough to put the resources into it in a timely fashion.
Also, if it's just a normal cold, then there's no reason to quarantine, these are people that could be out and about within a day or two of their symptoms going away. Leaving them untested means that they aren't available to help with whatever might need to be done in the community or just going out to get their own food rather than needing it to be brought to them.
The logistical considerations alone are sufficient to suggest that we need to be testing anybody that has symptoms that could be covid 19.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2020, @06:04AM (3 children)
Yes, because it is a cold virus causing the pneumonia complications. We can rationally assume that a large percentage of the population will get it during the cold season. What do we get from just knowing a closer approximation of the number of people infected? How will that get people back to work again? What does South Korea get from having mass testing?
(Score: 2) by drussell on Wednesday March 18 2020, @06:58AM (1 child)
Have you seen how deadly and contagious this virus is?!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2020, @12:52PM
That did not address any of the points.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:35PM
Covid 19, damages the respiratory system itself in many cases. This is to a much greater degree than what you'd see with the common cold. The patients that die then tend to get bronchitis or pneumonia. Having had a pneumonia vaccination isn't necessarily enough either.
By knowing the number, we know how many doses of medication we're going to need, we know how many beds we need to try and get ready as well as how much space we need to shoot for expanding. Also, we know how many volunteers we might need for tasks that don't require a lot of medical training, such as disinfecting those facilities and unloading trucks.
At this point, it looks like they may have found a medication that works to treat this particular virus and if we followed your ignorant advice, we'd have no idea how many doses to try and get to treat those cases where the individuals are severely sick, but not so sick as to need to be in a hospital. The more people we can get self-quarantining while the virus runs it's course, the fewer of them we need in the hospital and the more total cases the system can handle without collapsing, but in order to make any of these decisions, you need the best numbers you can get on how many cases there are and where.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @10:41PM (3 children)
We had more important things to worry about, like witchhunt impeachment theater...
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @11:55PM
How much were you paid for that post and how can I get in?
The impeachment was a real impeachment because he really violated his oath of office. If you don't believe me, then what would the harm have been in having an actual investigation?
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Wednesday March 18 2020, @07:28AM (1 child)
Go and talk politics somewhere else - this is a COVID-19 story.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Friday March 20 2020, @12:02AM
Stupid wannabe internet cop.
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