Quarantine Life

Gregory Thompson3 said:So, here’s my two cents.
Since I actually had to quarantine twice because of COVID, I figured I’d share my experience.

The first time, I had this persistent cough. My manager suggested I should probably get checked out, so I called the local clinic nearby and walked them through my symptoms. They set up a test for me right away, and within half an hour, I got a text with the exact time and location to head over. I went in, but the test came back negative. Even so, because of that cough, the doctor advised me to stay in isolation just in case it was some atypical strain. So, I stayed home. About 24 hours later, I got a notification from the CDC letting me know I wasn't positive.

The second time happened when I was flying back into the States. I didn't have any symptoms at all, but I still spent 14 days hunkered down at home. I didn't even bother testing since I felt fine. I just received a few automated texts from the health department—since you have to list your travel history and info when entering the country—asking me to self-isolate and to contact my doctor or the local health authorities if any symptoms popped up. That was pretty much it.

Honestly, it's not that big of a deal to stay in your apartment for 14 days if that's what's required of you.
Especially if you end up testing positive.

Psychologically speaking, humans are social creatures, and physically, our bodies are built to cover massive distances every single day.
So, spending 14 days cooped up in an apartment does more damage to my mental and physical health than three days of coughing and popping Tylenol.

The people who disagree are the same ones who comment on everything with a fatalistic "well, it is what it is" attitude.
Like my neighbor, who looks at any heavy downpour and claims, "that's just how it goes," predicting floods and mass casualties. The only difference is that with this virus, the media broadcasts that panic to everyone, fueling widespread fear.

They’re making mountains out of molehills.
I just don't understand why, even after the elections, these idiots are still enforcing these measures. Infection numbers are rising simply because more people are getting tested. They never actually released the percentage of positive cases relative to total tests, did they?

It's no wonder the world is a mess for those of us living in it...

It’s being published somewhere—some kind of percentage of positive results. I really need to dig through the CDC's web pages to find it.

I found a figure for Austria. It’s at 7%.
Let's assume the situation here is similar, with 280,000 infections. Based on data from the CDC since March, the mortality rate sits at 1.5%.
With a population of 4 million, you could expect roughly 4,200 deaths.
How many people have been left jobless? Around 60,000, right?
And how many people are effectively "dying" because they can't find work? I'd imagine a massive percentage of those 60,000.

In my view, it is far worse when 60,000 people go hungry and subsequently die, compared to 4,200 deaths—especially when many of those would have passed away regardless.

As for the media and the politicians? They're both absolute trash. Just a bunch of people incapable of contributing anything useful to society, so they settle for what they do.

wanderingbadger77 said:I guess I'll keep lying for a bit. Where do you guys even get this inspiration?
Dentists are working.
Besides, what does that even have to do with isolation.
You guys are clogging up every single thread.

Look, if you have an actual toothache or some emergency—like a broken tooth—then yeah, they’re working. But routine checkups twice a year or getting your teeth cleaned where aerosols are being sprayed? Forget about it. You need to see a dentist regularly, not just when you're in pain. By the time it hurts, you're already too late.

crimsonranger3 said:Psychologically speaking, humans are social creatures, and physically, our bodies are built to cover massive distances every single day.
So, spending 14 days cooped up in an apartment does more damage to my mental and physical health than three days of coughing and popping Tylenol.

The people who disagree are the same ones who comment on everything with a fatalistic "well, it is what it is" attitude.
Like my neighbor, who looks at any heavy downpour and claims, "that's just how it goes," predicting floods and mass casualties. The only difference is that with this virus, the media broadcasts that panic to everyone, fueling widespread fear.

They’re making mountains out of molehills.
I just don't understand why, even after the elections, these idiots are still enforcing these measures. Infection numbers are rising simply because more people are getting tested. They never actually released the percentage of positive cases relative to total tests, did they?

It's no wonder the world is a mess for those of us living in it...

Oh, really? Is that so? 😁

But honestly, about 99% of people spend their waking hours—aside from work—basically staring at a screen or gaming in a total trance, so it turns out the average American is actually a social butterfly who exercises on an Olympic level every day.

I'll take that "covering huge distances" part... 🤣

So, I've been stuck in my apartment for 14 days, which has done more damage to my mental and physical health than three days of coughing and popping Advil.

I honestly think you've been worn down by self-isolation just enough to almost have a valid reason to complain about the government.🤔🤣

crimsonranger3 said:I found a figure for Austria. It’s at 7%.
Let's assume the situation here is similar, with 280,000 infections. Based on data from the CDC since March, the mortality rate sits at 1.5%.
With a population of 4 million, you could expect roughly 4,200 deaths.
How many people have been left jobless? Around 60,000, right?
And how many people are effectively "dying" because they can't find work? I'd imagine a massive percentage of those 60,000.

In my view, it is far worse when 60,000 people go hungry and subsequently die, compared to 4,200 deaths—especially when many of those would have passed away regardless.

As for the media and the politicians? They're both absolute trash. Just a bunch of people incapable of contributing anything useful to society, so they settle for what they do.

Wait, what kind of math is that? How does 1.5% of 4 million equal 4,200?🤔

You can track the percentage of positive tests right here:

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-testing
Right now, the US is sitting at 8.5%—but let’s be realistic—epidemics typically hit their peak when that number climbs somewhere between 30 and 40%.

neonpuma30 said:Wait, what kind of math is that? How does 1.5% of 4 million equal 4,200?🤔

The mortality rate isn't actually that high—the IFR here in the States is sitting somewhere around 0.1%. Maybe even lower, if you ask me. Honestly, my gut feeling? This whole COVID situation in America is probably going to end up looking like just another average flu season—with or without all the restrictions. We’re likely looking at somewhere between 500 and 1,000 deaths. Just an estimate, of course.

Just because you (and most of the crowd here) are total couch potatoes with zero social life doesn't mean everyone else is, or that this lifestyle is actually healthy for the human body and mind.

It’s why everyone is dealing with chronic ailments and carrying an extra twenty pounds—they just sit there scrolling or watching TV all day. Not to mention the mental health crisis. Society is spiraling, so I'm hardly surprised when people mock those who actually try to live in harmony with nature.

Have you seen Wall-E?

Gregory Thompson3: "Quote:"

neonpuma30 said:Wait, what kind of math is that? How does 1.5% of 4 million equal 4,200?🤔

That's 1.5% of 280,000—so, 4,200 infected.

silverstag24 said:So what?
Look, we’re only six months in and we basically already have a vaccine in the works. Honestly, instead of all this constant doom-scrolling and unnecessary drama, maybe we should just take a second to actually celebrate the progress.

That’s not my math problem to solve. If you want someone to hold accountable, go take it up with the WHO. Go ahead and vent to them instead.

I can't believe I'm actually sitting here typing this out, but I honestly feel like I need to get this off my chest before I lose my mind. It’s one of those days where everything just feels slightly off, you know? Like, you wake up, grab your coffee, and suddenly realize the entire vibe of the week is just... questionable. Anyway, I was scrolling through some old threads and saw what crimsonranger3 had to say about the whole situation, and honestly, I kind of get where they're coming from, even if I don't totally agree with the specifics. There's always that one person who sees the cracks in the foundation before anyone else does, and I guess that's just how it goes. But man, it really makes you stop and think about how much we overlook just because it's easier to stay in our own little bubbles. It's funny, in a weird, slightly depressing way, how we all just collectively decide to ignore the obvious stuff until it hits us right in the face. Just my two cents, I guess. Or maybe my two cents plus a few nickels for good measure. Whatever.

Look, I honestly couldn't care less about your abstract "cases" or these hypothetical scenarios you keep throwing around. Give me the actual clinical pictures and the hard numbers on the dead. Seriously, put in the work and produce some real-time data regarding current clinical presentations and autopsy findings—that’s how you actually see what kind of numbers we're dealing with. I really don't get how people fall for this scare tactic by using vague "cases" to freak everyone out. A positive PCR test isn't some magic wand that proves someone is sick or contagious, and it sure as hell doesn't confirm the cause of death.

Honestly, both of them are being driven by pure political maneuvering. But I just don't get why everyone is acting like they've lost their minds, insisting on treating a PCR test like it’s some kind of definitive diagnosis for a disease when we all know that's not how it works.

I get it. It’s just because you don't quite grasp how much fear works as a perfect little tool for keeping people in line. And let's be honest, maintaining that kind of control is basically the primary goal of any establishment out there.

We don't "practically" have a vaccine. We might have one by early next year—maybe. By summer, we might finally have enough doses to cover a significant portion of the population.

Quincy:

That isn't my math to do. That’s up to the WHO. Go complain to them if you're so concerned.

The WHO states that tuberculosis has been killing roughly 1.5 million people annually in recent years. This epidemic, for most of the world, has been going on for just over six months. Do the math.

Quincy:

I’m not interested in your abstract "cases." I want clinical presentations and actual deaths. Do us all a favor and produce real-time data regarding clinical symptoms and autopsy-confirmed fatalities. Then you can see what the numbers actually look like. I honestly don't understand how people fall for this fearmongering based on "cases"—a positive PCR test doesn't necessarily mean someone is sick or contagious, nor can it confirm a cause of death.

Were all those tuberculosis deaths you mentioned above confirmed via autopsy? ☕

Quincy:

Both of those things are happening for political reasons. But I don't quite grasp why everyone is pretending to be oblivious and accepting a PCR test as a definitive diagnosis of an illness.

Because PCR is the diagnostic gold standard?

Quincy:

I know. It's because you don't realize how effective fear is as a tool for control. And control is always in the interest of any establishment.

Right, which is exactly why authoritarian politicians everywhere try to downplay the danger... just look at Trump's "it will just go away" approach...

Andrew Booth29 said:The mortality rate isn't actually that high—the IFR here in the States is sitting somewhere around 0.1%. Maybe even lower, if you ask me. Honestly, my gut feeling? This whole COVID situation in America is probably going to end up looking like just another average flu season—with or without all the restrictions. We’re likely looking at somewhere between 500 and 1,000 deaths. Just an estimate, of course.

If that's the case, how do you explain the fact that over 20,000 people have already died in New York City, and they haven't even reached herd immunity yet?

Nicole James said:We don't "practically" have a vaccine. We might have one by early next year—maybe. By summer, we might finally have enough doses to cover a significant portion of the population.

Quincy:

That isn't my math to do. That’s up to the WHO. Go complain to them if you're so concerned.

The WHO states that tuberculosis has been killing roughly 1.5 million people annually in recent years. This epidemic, for most of the world, has been going on for just over six months. Do the math.

Quincy:

I’m not interested in your abstract "cases." I want clinical presentations and actual deaths. Do us all a favor and produce real-time data regarding clinical symptoms and autopsy-confirmed fatalities. Then you can see what the numbers actually look like. I honestly don't understand how people fall for this fearmongering based on "cases"—a positive PCR test doesn't necessarily mean someone is sick or contagious, nor can it confirm a cause of death.

Were all those tuberculosis deaths you mentioned above confirmed via autopsy? ☕

Quincy:

Both of those things are happening for political reasons. But I don't quite grasp why everyone is pretending to be oblivious and accepting a PCR test as a definitive diagnosis of an illness.

Because PCR is the diagnostic gold standard?

Quincy:

I know. It's because you don't realize how effective fear is as a tool for control. And control is always in the interest of any establishment.

Right, which is exactly why authoritarian politicians everywhere try to downplay the danger... just look at Trump's "it will just go away" approach...

Look, I’m really not one to defend Trump, but we have to remember that the US is a federal republic—most of these decisions actually fall under the jurisdiction of individual states and their governors. If we were dealing with some kind of absolute dictator, sure, he might try to declare a national state of emergency... maybe. But you don't see things playing out that easily in America. Most of these governors have been dragging their feet on certain measures, hoping they could essentially trap Trump in a legal corner.😁

Andrew Booth29 said:The mortality rate isn't actually that high—the IFR here in the States is sitting somewhere around 0.1%. Maybe even lower, if you ask me. Honestly, my gut feeling? This whole COVID situation in America is probably going to end up looking like just another average flu season—with or without all the restrictions. We’re likely looking at somewhere between 500 and 1,000 deaths. Just an estimate, of course.

From what, though? Or because of what? ☕

Cheers,

20k deaths in New York City represents just 0.23%.
More people die from freaking seagull attacks.

Nicole James said:If that's the case, how do you explain the fact that over 20,000 people have already died in New York City, and they haven't even reached herd immunity yet?

They're getting close—you can see the curve has flattened out now. In the city itself, you've likely got about 20% of the population infected, which puts it at roughly 1.6 million people, and out of those, about 24,000 have passed away. That works out to an IFR of 1.5%. Now, America clearly has a significantly lower IFR, and honestly, there are massive discrepancies between different countries due to all sorts of inexplicable factors.

Gregory Thompson3 said:So, here’s my two cents.
Since I actually had to quarantine twice because of COVID, I figured I’d share my experience.

The first time, I had this persistent cough. My manager suggested I should probably get checked out, so I called the local clinic nearby and walked them through my symptoms. They set up a test for me right away, and within half an hour, I got a text with the exact time and location to head over. I went in, but the test came back negative. Even so, because of that cough, the doctor advised me to stay in isolation just in case it was some atypical strain. So, I stayed home. About 24 hours later, I got a notification from the CDC letting me know I wasn't positive.

The second time happened when I was flying back into the States. I didn't have any symptoms at all, but I still spent 14 days hunkered down at home. I didn't even bother testing since I felt fine. I just received a few automated texts from the health department—since you have to list your travel history and info when entering the country—asking me to self-isolate and to contact my doctor or the local health authorities if any symptoms popped up. That was pretty much it.

Honestly, it's not that big of a deal to stay in your apartment for 14 days if that's what's required of you.
Especially if you end up testing positive.

Unfortunately, statistics show that the average American (who, according to the Federal Reserve, accounts for 86.5% of all bank deposits in the US) holds a savings balance of only $3.50. These are figures from a few years back, and I doubt much has changed since then.

For many small business owners, being forced out of work for 14 days is a massive blow. Being out twice is even worse.
A lot of people go under and have to close their doors entirely because they can't access funds during those 14 days.
I know this firsthand; I used to run a small business myself, and believe me, it isn't easy for them.

I'm not sure if you noticed, but think back to how many shops closed down after the spring lockdowns. In my city, there were quite a few closures over the last year, and from what I can see, that trend is continuing.

Being on sick leave for 14 days might not be an issue for you, but for many others, it is.

Andrew Booth29 said:They're getting close—you can see the curve has flattened out now. In the city itself, you've likely got about 20% of the population infected, which puts it at roughly 1.6 million people, and out of those, about 24,000 have passed away. That works out to an IFR of 1.5%. Now, America clearly has a significantly lower IFR, and honestly, there are massive discrepancies between different countries due to all sorts of inexplicable factors.

If 20 percent of the population has actually been infected, then they still need at least that much more to reach herd immunity—meaning we'd be looking at 40,000 deaths.

In other words, for reasons that remain completely unexplained, we aren't seeing 10,000 deaths plus whatever else is needed to hit that herd immunity threshold. Personally, I don't think it's particularly wise to just bank on those "unexplained" reasons.

Nicole James said:If 20 percent of the population has actually been infected, then they still need at least that much more to reach herd immunity—meaning we'd be looking at 40,000 deaths.

In other words, for reasons that remain completely unexplained, we aren't seeing 10,000 deaths plus whatever else is needed to hit that herd immunity threshold. Personally, I don't think it's particularly wise to just bank on those "unexplained" reasons.

The number of people required to reach immunity is being overestimated. Just look at the curve in New York City; they’re getting close. Based on current data here in the States, it's easy to calculate that the IFR is lower than 0.15%. Why there is such a massive discrepancy in mortality rates remains a mystery, but the data across different countries makes it clear. Anyway, lockdowns are just guesswork at this point. Look at the example of Israel.

Frank Martin2 said:Unfortunately, statistics show that the average American (who, according to the Federal Reserve, accounts for 86.5% of all bank deposits in the US) holds a savings balance of only $3.50. These are figures from a few years back, and I doubt much has changed since then.

For many small business owners, being forced out of work for 14 days is a massive blow. Being out twice is even worse.
A lot of people go under and have to close their doors entirely because they can't access funds during those 14 days.
I know this firsthand; I used to run a small business myself, and believe me, it isn't easy for them.

I'm not sure if you noticed, but think back to how many shops closed down after the spring lockdowns. In my city, there were quite a few closures over the last year, and from what I can see, that trend is continuing.

Being on sick leave for 14 days might not be an issue for you, but for many others, it is.

In the country where I live, those 14 days aren't paid.
Basically, you're looking at losing two full weeks of income because of quarantine, and that's a risk you're taking consciously. If you decide to travel anywhere outside the States, you have to accept that coming home means facing unpaid isolation.