Octopus Overlords

$iljanus wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:42 am

Holman wrote:Flu season will be rough because everyone will think its COVID.

Luckily for us we can test to confirm what a person may have. Well, in countries that have a good public health infrastructure to support mass testing anyway.

Kraken wrote:

$iljanus wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:42 am

Holman wrote:Flu season will be rough because everyone will think its COVID.

Luckily for us we can test to confirm what a person may have. Well, in countries that have a good public health infrastructure to support mass testing anyway.

The main fear is a run on testing locations and labs that could overwhelm the system that's already struggling to keep up with covid testing.

$iljanus wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:52 am But if you're on a major sports team or can afford concierge medical care then the USA is number one!

LawBeefaroni wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:10 am We had a briefing yesterday. During March/April/May our capacity for COVID was, let's say, X because all elective and non-urgent/emergent services were shut down by order.

Now our capacity is about 2/3X because we have other beds in use. IOW, out threshold for "critical shortage" of beds is about half of what it was in March-May. Most other hospitals and systems will be in the same boat.

So if we hit even half the peak levels plus flu it'll be an interesting season.

Kraken wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:22 pmOn an uncharacteristically optimistic note...Australia's flu season, which is often a harbinger of our own, was historically mild. The measures Australians took to ward off coronavirus worked equally well against flu virus. I'm sure Americans will be just as responsible.

Skinypupy wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:16 am We've had the first bout of sniffles and general gunk run through our house this week. The 50 degree temperature swing earlier in the week might have had something to do with that.

While there are no signs of coronavirus (no fever, no cough...just stuffy head, bit of a sore throat, and feeling a little cruddy), the kids are absolutely PANICKED that mom and dad are going to die from COVID, like Uncle Ken did. Wonder Twin 7.3a spent nearly all of last night in tears because he was so worried about what he’d do without us.

Poor kids.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:10 am We had a briefing yesterday. During March/April/May our capacity for COVID was, let's say, X because all elective and non-urgent/emergent services were shut down by order.

Now our capacity is about 2/3X because we have other beds in use. IOW, out threshold for "critical shortage" of beds is about half of what it was in March-May. Most other hospitals and systems will be in the same boat.

So if we hit even half the peak levels plus flu it'll be an interesting season.

Smoove_B wrote:

$iljanus wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:52 am But if you're on a major sports team or can afford concierge medical care then the USA is number one!

I need to believe 50+ years from now, historians are going to point out that we did next to nothing for the general population but bent over backwards to make sure sportsball continued during a pandemic. It's beyond absurd. I can imagine people thinking we couldn't open schools for kids under 10 but instead managed to make sure every NFL player was cleared to run around for 60 minutes a week on the TV.

Alefroth wrote:Poor kids.

YellowKing wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:42 pm

Alefroth wrote:Poor kids.

That's heart breaking. I worry so much about the little ones. Kids are tough but if they're anything like mine they're pretty good at hiding their concerns too. I'm always afraid mine are putting on a brave face but privately freaking out inside.

YellowKing wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:51 am What's scary about Fauci's prediction of mid-to-end of 2021 is that he's generally been a rosy optimist. When he says end of 2021, I think mid-2022. I've pretty much come to terms with putting off all vacations, etc. for another year.

YellowKing wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:51 amWhat's scary about Fauci's prediction of mid-to-end of 2021 is that he's generally been a rosy optimist. When he says end of 2021, I think mid-2022. I've pretty much come to terms with putting off all vacations, etc. for another year.

Face masks may be inadvertently giving people Covid-19 immunity and making them get less sick from the virus, academics have suggested in one of the most respected medical journals in the world.

The commentary, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, advances the unproven but promising theory that universal face mask wearing might be helping to reduce the severity of the virus and ensuring that a greater proportion of new infections are asymptomatic.

It comes as increasing evidence suggests that the amount of virus someone is exposed to at the start of infection - the “infectious dose” - may determine the severity of their illness. Indeed, a large study published in the Lancet last month found that “viral load at diagnosis” was an “independent predictor of mortality” in hospital patients.

Wearing masks could therefore reduce the infectious dose that the wearer is exposed to and, subsequently, the impact of the disease, as masks filter out some virus-containing droplets.

In a coronavirus outbreak on a closed Argentinian cruise ship, for example, where passengers were provided with surgical masks and staff with N95 masks, the rate of asymptomatic infection was 81 per cent. This is compared with 20 per cent in earlier cruise ship outbreaks without universal masking.

WASHINGTON — The top communications official at the powerful cabinet department in charge of combating the coronavirus accused career government scientists on Sunday of “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic and warned that left-wing hit squads were preparing for armed insurrection after the election.

Michael Caputo, 58, the assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, said without evidence that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was harboring a “resistance unit” determined to undermine President Trump.

Mr. Caputo, who has faced criticism for leading efforts to warp C.D.C. weekly bulletins to fit Mr. Trump’s pandemic narrative, suggested that he personally could be in danger.

“You understand that they’re going to have to kill me, and unfortunately, I think that’s where this is going,” Mr. Caputo, a Trump loyalist installed by the White House in April, told followers in a video he hosted live on his personal Facebook page. Mr. Caputo has 5,000 Facebook friends, and the video has been viewed more than 850 times. It has been shared by 44 followers.

Mr. Caputo on Sunday complained on Facebook that he was under siege by the media and said that his physical health was in question and his “mental health has definitely failed.”

“I don’t like being alone in Washington,” he said, describing “shadows on the ceiling in my apartment, there alone, shadows are so long.” He then ran through a series of conspiracy theories, culminating in a prediction that Mr. Trump will win re-election but his Democratic opponent, Joseph R. Biden Jr., will refuse to concede.

“And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin,” he said. “The drills that you’ve seen are nothing.” He added: “If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get.”

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:35 pmAt this point in the article you should start playing the creepy music usually played when a TV or movie character starts to slide into insanity.

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:35 pm“And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin,” he said. “The drills that you’ve seen are nothing.” He added: “If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get."

malchior wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:41 pm

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:35 pmAt this point in the article you should start playing the creepy music usually played when a TV or movie character starts to slide into insanity.

I think maybe more the ominous foreshadowing music played when you see the evil character talking about and preemptively defending his dastardly plot.

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:51 pm

malchior wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:41 pm

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:35 pmAt this point in the article you should start playing the creepy music usually played when a TV or movie character starts to slide into insanity.

I think maybe more the ominous foreshadowing music played when you see the evil character talking about and preemptively defending his dastardly plot.

You’d think so but when he talked about the growing shadows on the ceiling of his apartment you’ve ventured into Lifetime Channel creepy guy world.

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:35 pm

“And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin,” he said. “The drills that you’ve seen are nothing.” He added: “If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get.”

YellowKing wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:25 pm I still think this is a Y2K situation where we're all predicting Armageddon and then will be surprised when everything goes relatively smoothly. If I'm wrong and we wake up November 4th in Civil War 2 with people shooting each other in the streets, I'll admit I was wrong.

malchior wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:28 pm

YellowKing wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:25 pm I still think this is a Y2K situation where we're all predicting Armageddon and then will be surprised when everything goes relatively smoothly. If I'm wrong and we wake up November 4th in Civil War 2 with people shooting each other in the streets, I'll admit I was wrong.

It wouldn't be like that anyway...there is little chance Biden doesn't concede unless there is outright in your face election shenanigans. However, there is a perceived high chance that Trump won't concede no matter what. That is the unknown. If he pulls that trigger, it'll be a long slog to January. And violence if it comes will start slow and local.

Little Raven wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:45 pm

$iljanus wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:35 pm“And when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin,” he said. “The drills that you’ve seen are nothing.” He added: “If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get."

Evidence from areas around the world experiencing civil unrest suggests otherwise. Where demand exists, supply will find a way.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:39 pmDemand is outpacing supply and manufacturers aren't ramping up production because they don't want to be left sitting on a ton of unused equipment in 2021. So supply has dried up and whatever rolls off the line is instantly bought up, usually at insane pricing.

YellowKing wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:25 pm I still think this is a Y2K situation where we're all predicting Armageddon and then will be surprised when everything goes relatively smoothly. If I'm wrong and we wake up November 4th in Civil War 2 with people shooting each other in the streets, I'll admit I was wrong.

YellowKing wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:25 pm I just don't think Trump is going to refuse to concede unless there is some question as to the outcome of the election. Then yes, I'll expect a lot of legal wrangling. But if Biden wins decisively, Trump steps down. He talks a big game, but it's mostly bluster. When the pressure piles on about the hit he'll take to his image, he usually backs off.

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:45 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:39 pmDemand is outpacing supply and manufacturers aren't ramping up production because they don't want to be left sitting on a ton of unused equipment in 2021. So supply has dried up and whatever rolls off the line is instantly bought up, usually at insane pricing.

I'm surprised Trump hasn't invoked the Defense Production Act to mandate an expedite the creation of ammunition. For freedom.

Can't get people tested, can't release money or get PPE made. But bullets? Americans need their bullets!

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:39 pmGoing to guess that you haven't tried to buy ammo lately.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:49 pm Fortunately he's easy to buy. Give him and his immunity and let everyone keep their ill-gotten gains and he'll probably l gallop off into the sunset happily. Best case scenario, and he'll still be leaving behind a nation in chaos.

Kraken wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:56 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:49 pm Fortunately he's easy to buy. Give him and his immunity and let everyone keep their ill-gotten gains and he'll probably l gallop off into the sunset happily. Best case scenario, and he'll still be leaving behind a nation in chaos.

I won't be remotely surprised if Putin is keeping a dacha open for trump.

Defiant wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 12:33 pm

Face masks may be inadvertently giving people Covid-19 immunity and making them get less sick from the virus, academics have suggested in one of the most respected medical journals in the world.

The commentary, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, advances the unproven but promising theory that universal face mask wearing might be helping to reduce the severity of the virus and ensuring that a greater proportion of new infections are asymptomatic.

It comes as increasing evidence suggests that the amount of virus someone is exposed to at the start of infection - the “infectious dose” - may determine the severity of their illness. Indeed, a large study published in the Lancet last month found that “viral load at diagnosis” was an “independent predictor of mortality” in hospital patients.

Wearing masks could therefore reduce the infectious dose that the wearer is exposed to and, subsequently, the impact of the disease, as masks filter out some virus-containing droplets.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-heal ... searchers/

Still, Dr Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the paper’s authors, has stressed that the commentary has its limitations and should not be construed as anything other than a theory.

Kraken wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:56 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:49 pm Fortunately he's easy to buy. Give him and his immunity and let everyone keep their ill-gotten gains and he'll probably l gallop off into the sunset happily. Best case scenario, and he'll still be leaving behind a nation in chaos.

I won't be remotely surprised if Putin is keeping a dacha open for trump.