Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Quote: Initial Studies of other coronaviruses - The Common varieties that cause colds in the US

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley just dropped a major study on the standard coronaviruses—specifically HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E. After digging through data collected over multiple years, they spotted a massive spike in similar coronavirus infections during February, whereas things basically flatline during the summer. It turns out these viruses definitely follow a seasonal rhythm, much like other studies have pointed out.

That said, the lead researchers aren't getting ahead of themselves. They issued a serious warning. “We might see steady but much lower rates of coronavirus transmission throughout the summer, though that could flip entirely once winter hits if there is still a huge number of people who haven't built up immunity yet,” he noted.

“Since we're dealing with a brand new virus, we can't be certain if this seasonal trend will actually stick during the summer, especially since so many people are still vulnerable. That's why it is absolutely vital that everyone follows the current health guidelines right now.”

From everything I've read in scientific papers so far, the main takeaway is pretty simple: because this specific mutation is totally new, nobody knows exactly how it'll behave under different conditions. But, it belongs to the same "family" of viruses that act exactly like the ones described in the text.

Susan Kim2 said:Have you already gone back to using an old Nokia 3310 and swapping out SIM cards after every single transaction? 🤦

🐔

There is zero point in debating this here; conspiracy theorists are convinced the Coronavirus is just some plot by the Republican Party, Beros, and Markotic to install a dictatorship in America (? Wtf).

When you point out that the most successful countries are actually handling things with much stricter isolation, they go silent. They advocate for things without having the slightest clue what they want or how to achieve it—they’re just talking trash. If it were Dust, he’d probably be trying to enforce lockdowns and similar nonsense within the first month, but since he clearly hasn't even hit 15 years old yet, you can't really blame him for being an idiot. But I’ve already commented on that Homo Balkanikus type who acts as the Coach, Doctor, and Seismologist all at once whenever the situation calls for it.

While those who are actually winning this fight are disciplined, aware of the stakes, and follow the rules without needing anyone to tell them what to do... if you compare the number of quarantine violations per capita across different countries, I’m certain Homo Balkanikus would be leading the pack.

When they claim the virus is harmless and it’s all just some globalist conspiracy, they clearly haven't a clue. Offer to help someone who is infected and unable to move, since everything is supposedly "harmless," and they vanish instantly, always ready with a convenient excuse. It's obvious they're just talking crap for the sake of talking crap.

Naturally, if you stay rational and stick to scientific facts and common sense, they’ll tell you that you have no idea what you're talking about and that the scientific community is clueless too. Even though, in some other thread, they'll suddenly start pulling scientific facts out of thin air.

It’s time to drop this topic; let Dust and Sportivo take over the reins with their posts.

P.S. Speaking of phone tracking, notice how Austrians voluntarily download the App that tracks their contacts so they can react if an outbreak occurs. AT&T released info regarding people (anonymously) who were in contact and with how many others; I think several other countries practice voluntary App downloads too. I’m just curious how many times that App would actually be downloaded in a country in the Hilly North America.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Why are you so damn sure about that?

Nobody knows anything yet. For all we know, that virus could just vanish into thin air once summer hits. 🤷

I'll take it a step further. What if this virus doesn't even exist? All we know is that certain tests tell us whether we're positive or negative for it. But who is actually making these tests, what exactly are they measuring, and what do they truly prove?

I realize I might be oversimplifying things, but since we have some Doctors here, maybe they could shed some light on this. My main question is how such an affordable test can pinpoint this specific Coronavirus instead of something similar? There are millions of virus types out there in nature. How can a test be 100% sure it's specifically this one? If anyone has some details, please share; I suppose we have plenty of time to read up and discuss it.

Jessica Gonzalez said:I'll take it a step further. What if this virus doesn't even exist? All we know is that certain tests tell us whether we're positive or negative for it. But who is actually making these tests, what exactly are they measuring, and what do they truly prove?

I realize I might be oversimplifying things, but since we have some Doctors here, maybe they could shed some light on this. My main question is how such an affordable test can pinpoint this specific Coronavirus instead of something similar? There are millions of virus types out there in nature. How can a test be 100% sure it's specifically this one? If anyone has some details, please share; I suppose we have plenty of time to read up and discuss it.

Are you being serious right now, or are you just trolling...? 🤷

If the genetic sample matches the virus, you're positive—it’s just basic science, same as any other virus out there. Every single virus carries its own unique genetic code, which is exactly why they have to pull massive amounts of samples just to map it out so they can actually build a test in the first place... but honestly, I think you're just trolling. 🤣

Elizabeth Mendoza said:

Quote: Initial Studies of other coronaviruses - The Common varieties that cause colds in the US

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley just dropped a major study on the standard coronaviruses—specifically HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E. After digging through data collected over multiple years, they spotted a massive spike in similar coronavirus infections during February, whereas things basically flatline during the summer. It turns out these viruses definitely follow a seasonal rhythm, much like other studies have pointed out.

That said, the lead researchers aren't getting ahead of themselves. They issued a serious warning. “We might see steady but much lower rates of coronavirus transmission throughout the summer, though that could flip entirely once winter hits if there is still a huge number of people who haven't built up immunity yet,” he noted.

“Since we're dealing with a brand new virus, we can't be certain if this seasonal trend will actually stick during the summer, especially since so many people are still vulnerable. That's why it is absolutely vital that everyone follows the current health guidelines right now.”

From everything I've read in scientific papers so far, the main takeaway is pretty simple: because this specific mutation is totally new, nobody knows exactly how it'll behave under different conditions. But, it belongs to the same "family" of viruses that act exactly like the ones described in the text.

Looking at the infection stats globally, it doesn't look like the Southern Hemisphere is some kind of safe haven from the virus.

And if that turns out to be true, what then? Are we really looking at everyone being forced back into lockdown for another six to eight months by the tenth month of the year?

Paul Martinez73 said:Are you being serious right now, or are you just trolling...? 🤷

If the genetic sample matches the virus, you're positive—it’s just basic science, same as any other virus out there. Every single virus carries its own unique genetic code, which is exactly why they have to pull massive amounts of samples just to map it out so they can actually build a test in the first place... but honestly, I think you're just trolling. 🤣

I mentioned I was exaggerating, but your answer isn't really what I'm looking for. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. Those tests are pretty cheap, and when things are inexpensive, they can definitely be inaccurate. Is there a chance that the test might accidentally detect other coronaviruses that almost everyone picks up when they have a common cold?

Jessica Gonzalez said:I mentioned I was exaggerating, but your answer isn't really what I'm looking for. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. Those tests are pretty cheap, and when things are inexpensive, they can definitely be inaccurate. Is there a chance that the test might accidentally detect other coronaviruses that almost everyone picks up when they have a common cold?

That’s exactly why those cheap rapid tests haven't become the standard; everyone pretty much agrees they aren't reliable enough. We're still sticking to the old-school methods at the local medical labs. But honestly, asking if a cheap test can mess up is like asking if a pregnancy test could fail—of course it can. You get discrepancies in both positive and negative results.

If you're hinting at those cheap rapid kits companies are trying to mass-produce right now—you know, the "find out if you have Coronavirus at home in 20 minutes" type of thing—then yeah. Didn't someone mention that testing costs the government about $130 per person? Someone posted that somewhere, maybe they'll chime in.

Anyway:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020...help-pandemic#

Paul Martinez73 said:There is zero point in debating this here; conspiracy theorists are convinced the Coronavirus is just some plot by the Republican Party, Beros, and Markotic to install a dictatorship in America (? Wtf).

When you point out that the most successful countries are actually handling things with much stricter isolation, they go silent. They advocate for things without having the slightest clue what they want or how to achieve it—they’re just talking trash. If it were Dust, he’d probably be trying to enforce lockdowns and similar nonsense within the first month, but since he clearly hasn't even hit 15 years old yet, you can't really blame him for being an idiot. But I’ve already commented on that Homo Balkanikus type who acts as the Coach, Doctor, and Seismologist all at once whenever the situation calls for it.

While those who are actually winning this fight are disciplined, aware of the stakes, and follow the rules without needing anyone to tell them what to do... if you compare the number of quarantine violations per capita across different countries, I’m certain Homo Balkanikus would be leading the pack.

When they claim the virus is harmless and it’s all just some globalist conspiracy, they clearly haven't a clue. Offer to help someone who is infected and unable to move, since everything is supposedly "harmless," and they vanish instantly, always ready with a convenient excuse. It's obvious they're just talking crap for the sake of talking crap.

Naturally, if you stay rational and stick to scientific facts and common sense, they’ll tell you that you have no idea what you're talking about and that the scientific community is clueless too. Even though, in some other thread, they'll suddenly start pulling scientific facts out of thin air.

It’s time to drop this topic; let Dust and Sportivo take over the reins with their posts.

P.S. Speaking of phone tracking, notice how Austrians voluntarily download the App that tracks their contacts so they can react if an outbreak occurs. AT&T released info regarding people (anonymously) who were in contact and with how many others; I think several other countries practice voluntary App downloads too. I’m just curious how many times that App would actually be downloaded in a country in the Hilly North America.

Oh, look at you—the great American oracle, combining the mystical foresight of a Hollywood psychic with the cosmic intuition of Nostradamus. You clearly have all the answers; one just needs to know which questions to ask.

Paul Martinez73 said:There is zero point in debating this here; conspiracy theorists are convinced the Coronavirus is just some plot by the Republican Party, Beros, and Markotic to install a dictatorship in America (? Wtf).

When you point out that the most successful countries are actually handling things with much stricter isolation, they go silent. They advocate for things without having the slightest clue what they want or how to achieve it—they’re just talking trash. If it were Dust, he’d probably be trying to enforce lockdowns and similar nonsense within the first month, but since he clearly hasn't even hit 15 years old yet, you can't really blame him for being an idiot. But I’ve already commented on that Homo Balkanikus type who acts as the Coach, Doctor, and Seismologist all at once whenever the situation calls for it.

While those who are actually winning this fight are disciplined, aware of the stakes, and follow the rules without needing anyone to tell them what to do... if you compare the number of quarantine violations per capita across different countries, I’m certain Homo Balkanikus would be leading the pack.

When they claim the virus is harmless and it’s all just some globalist conspiracy, they clearly haven't a clue. Offer to help someone who is infected and unable to move, since everything is supposedly "harmless," and they vanish instantly, always ready with a convenient excuse. It's obvious they're just talking crap for the sake of talking crap.

Naturally, if you stay rational and stick to scientific facts and common sense, they’ll tell you that you have no idea what you're talking about and that the scientific community is clueless too. Even though, in some other thread, they'll suddenly start pulling scientific facts out of thin air.

It’s time to drop this topic; let Dust and Sportivo take over the reins with their posts.

P.S. Speaking of phone tracking, notice how Austrians voluntarily download the App that tracks their contacts so they can react if an outbreak occurs. AT&T released info regarding people (anonymously) who were in contact and with how many others; I think several other countries practice voluntary App downloads too. I’m just curious how many times that App would actually be downloaded in a country in the Hilly North America.

It’s funny how you just brushed off everything else—just to keep pushing this mindless nonsense of yours.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just trolling.☕

William Kim said:Looking at the infection stats globally, it doesn't look like the Southern Hemisphere is some kind of safe haven from the virus.

And if that turns out to be true, what then? Are we really looking at everyone being forced back into lockdown for another six to eight months by the tenth month of the year?

You really have to look at what season it actually is in those countries to understand how this is playing out. Most cases pop up when a hemisphere is transitioning from winter to spring. If you take a quick peek at the data tables, you'll see places like Australia (about 25 million people) sitting way down at the bottom with only 6,000 cases because they're moving from summer into autumn.

It’s not that summer heat kills the virus or anything; it just doesn't spread nearly as easily, which makes it way easier to keep under control.

Anthony Jackson2 said:It’s funny how you just brushed off everything else—just to keep pushing this mindless nonsense of yours.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just trolling.☕

And you, just rambling on like usual...
What does wandering off have to do with anything? And where exactly did I bring that up for you to respond like that...
You completely missed the mark, and honestly, I should have just ignored you... since you're clearly just spinning.

I was talking about those people who refuse to socially distance because they can't stand being stuck in quarantine... they complain about everything under the sun, yet suddenly they have no problem acting recklessly and infecting forty senior citizens in the process. I never explicitly said that’s exactly what happened, but honestly, it’s not like it couldn't have gone down that way...

I wonder if you can actually process this... Imagine if White Powder worked at a nursing home. Everything would just get on his nerves because he thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. He’d brush off some minor flu like it’s nothing, head out to hit up a BBQ with a buddy, maybe deal with a girl who works the counter at the local USPS, and then—since he’s clearly the genius who knows everything and fears absolutely nothing—he’d just stroll into work and tell everyone to screw off because, honestly, those old folks were going to kick the bucket anyway...

Look, I’m going to circle back here, but hopefully you finally see what I meant by my previous post and why your response missed the mark entirely. I’m assuming you don't spend much time around elderly people, but if you do, you really ought to be careful... because if you take this stuff too lightly, you could end up cutting someone's life short.

Just one or two European countries have more infections than all of India, Africa, South America, and the southern Asian nations combined.

Temperature doesn't matter here.

Paul Martinez73 said:And you, just rambling on like usual...
What does wandering off have to do with anything? And where exactly did I bring that up for you to respond like that...
You completely missed the mark, and honestly, I should have just ignored you... since you're clearly just spinning.

I was talking about those people who refuse to socially distance because they can't stand being stuck in quarantine... they complain about everything under the sun, yet suddenly they have no problem acting recklessly and infecting forty senior citizens in the process. I never explicitly said that’s exactly what happened, but honestly, it’s not like it couldn't have gone down that way...

I wonder if you can actually process this... Imagine if White Powder worked at a nursing home. Everything would just get on his nerves because he thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. He’d brush off some minor flu like it’s nothing, head out to hit up a BBQ with a buddy, maybe deal with a girl who works the counter at the local USPS, and then—since he’s clearly the genius who knows everything and fears absolutely nothing—he’d just stroll into work and tell everyone to screw off because, honestly, those old folks were going to kick the bucket anyway...

Look, I’m going to circle back here, but hopefully you finally see what I meant by my previous post and why your response missed the mark entirely. I’m assuming you don't spend much time around elderly people, but if you do, you really ought to be careful... because if you take this stuff too lightly, you could end up cutting someone's life short.

You're obsessing over me way too much—just leave me alone, man. I don't know what your deal is. Go ahead, hop on those special express buses and lick the handrails if it makes you feel better.

I think everyone—including Anthony Jackson2—realizes there needs to be some caution here; you can't just go around acting reckless with people.

But honestly, most people don't seem to grasp that this current setup is unsustainable. These lockdowns only make sense if they're buying time for actual alternative strategies—but we don't have any of that. We’re flying blind on how the government will react or how the public will handle it if this drags on. There's zero plan.

And setting the economy aside, it's pure idiocy to expect people who were traveling the globe and living freely yesterday to suddenly be trapped in their apartments for over a year—under phone surveillance and restricted even when trying to get to work. Only someone completely detached from reality would expect that. Americans and Europeans aren't like people in China who are conditioned from birth to obey the state. If someone tried to weld the doors of an apartment building shut in Europe, there would be a riot in the streets by day two—regardless of the danger, Corona, or the death toll.

If someone actually presented a viable plan to get us out of this mess, then sure, I'd support whatever measures are needed to execute it. But blindly supporting these restrictions—which exist solely for their own sake, strip away civil rights, and lack any real legal footing from the task force—isn't happening for me.

Anthony Jackson2 said:I think everyone—including Anthony Jackson2—realizes there needs to be some caution here; you can't just go around acting reckless with people.

But honestly, most people don't seem to grasp that this current setup is unsustainable. These lockdowns only make sense if they're buying time for actual alternative strategies—but we don't have any of that. We’re flying blind on how the government will react or how the public will handle it if this drags on. There's zero plan.

And setting the economy aside, it's pure idiocy to expect people who were traveling the globe and living freely yesterday to suddenly be trapped in their apartments for over a year—under phone surveillance and restricted even when trying to get to work. Only someone completely detached from reality would expect that. Americans and Europeans aren't like people in China who are conditioned from birth to obey the state. If someone tried to weld the doors of an apartment building shut in Europe, there would be a riot in the streets by day two—regardless of the danger, Corona, or the death toll.

If someone actually presented a viable plan to get us out of this mess, then sure, I'd support whatever measures are needed to execute it. But blindly supporting these restrictions—which exist solely for their own sake, strip away civil rights, and lack any real legal footing from the task force—isn't happening for me.

Nobody in the entire world actually knows the plan or the idea to resolve this virus pandemic. Even Rudan wrote about how we haven't had a major epidemic in Europe for practically 100 years, not since the Spanish Flu, and that we should listen to the old-school epidemiologists. It's because being an epidemiologist isn't exactly a glamorous career for the younger generation when we haven't dealt with an epidemic in decades.

The only thing we know for sure is that social distancing and isolation are our best tools. I have no idea where you guys got "two years" from, and now it's "12+ months of quarantine."
As for monitoring phones, I don't believe that will ever really take off, aside from the tracking you already have enabled by keeping your location on constantly. 😁

username_placeholder said:For instance, what they're doing in Mexico is total madness to me; it reminds me of much darker times.
They’re being even more blatant with their threats against citizens there.

Even here, the punishment is financial, or even prison time, if you essentially disagree with the official opinion and fail to follow orders.

To me, that causes more anxiety than the virus itself.

Mexico has been in deep trouble for a long time; this virus stuff is just throwing gasoline on an existing fire. The President gives addresses like Mamara used to during her best days, and his prime minister and government are just as chaotic as that Assembly in Dinamo Chicago.


That's the level we're dealing with.

Susan Kim2 said:Nobody in the entire world actually knows the plan or the idea to resolve this virus pandemic. Even Rudan wrote about how we haven't had a major epidemic in Europe for practically 100 years, not since the Spanish Flu, and that we should listen to the old-school epidemiologists. It's because being an epidemiologist isn't exactly a glamorous career for the younger generation when we haven't dealt with an epidemic in decades.

The only thing we know for sure is that social distancing and isolation are our best tools. I have no idea where you guys got "two years" from, and now it's "12+ months of quarantine."
As for monitoring phones, I don't believe that will ever really take off, aside from the tracking you already have enabled by keeping your location on constantly. 😁

Mexico has been in deep trouble for a long time; this virus stuff is just throwing gasoline on an existing fire. The President gives addresses like Mamara used to during her best days, and his prime minister and government are just as chaotic as that Assembly in Dinamo Chicago.

That's the level we're dealing with.

I've watched several videos of this guy now... I knew things were bad over there, but what's happening is some serious Dinamo Chicago level dysfunction. 🤣
Actually, Dinamo Chicago is nothing compared to this. 🙏

Rachel Cooper3 said:I've watched several videos of this guy now... I knew things were bad over there, but what's happening is some serious Dinamo Chicago level dysfunction. 🤣
Actually, Dinamo Chicago is nothing compared to this. 🙏

Honestly, if someone drops a line like that in a situation like this, who cares? It doesn't matter.🙏

I had no idea that Ada Lovelace was actually the daughter of Lord Byron.

Susan Kim2 said:Nobody in the entire world actually knows the plan or the idea to resolve this virus pandemic. Even Rudan wrote about how we haven't had a major epidemic in Europe for practically 100 years, not since the Spanish Flu, and that we should listen to the old-school epidemiologists. It's because being an epidemiologist isn't exactly a glamorous career for the younger generation when we haven't dealt with an epidemic in decades.

The only thing we know for sure is that social distancing and isolation are our best tools. I have no idea where you guys got "two years" from, and now it's "12+ months of quarantine."
As for monitoring phones, I don't believe that will ever really take off, aside from the tracking you already have enabled by keeping your location on constantly. 😁

Mexico has been in deep trouble for a long time; this virus stuff is just throwing gasoline on an existing fire. The President gives addresses like Mamara used to during her best days, and his prime minister and government are just as chaotic as that Assembly in Dinamo Chicago.

That's the level we're dealing with.

Twelve months plus is just the standard timeframe needed to develop a vaccine—not sure what else you want me to say, unless you think we can skip quarantine entirely before then?