COVID-19 updates and discussion

Denmark just reported their third positive case this morning. Doctors are calling it a serious situation. Once they tracked his movements, everyone basically lost it. Apparently, he was rubbing elbows with a massive crowd at a conference in Chicago, and it looks like he brought the virus over from Italy.

This virus is going to trigger a whole new recession.

Germany is tightening up travel rules for folks coming from Japan, South Korea, and China—basically following the EU playbook, though they’re trying their best not to leave Italy hanging 😵

In Italy, we've got over 1,000 cases, while Japan's sitting at 250.

edit:

Now Italy and Iran have been added to the list.

Everyone around me is hacking up a lung and blowing their noses nonstop. You can't find a single thing at the local CVS; even the toilet paper is gone. Shelves are totally picked clean. Guess we’re going on a forced diet since the nettles are starting to pop up in the woods. I’ve already resorted to making scrambled eggs with nettles.

I'm currently DIYing some kind of makeshift mask out of an old T-shirt, which is honestly going to be quite the spectacle.

I consider myself a bit of a naturalist, so I know my way around edible plants—basically playing Robin Hood out in the wild now. Wild onions and stinging nettles are the only things boosting my immunity, plus the sun handles the disinfection. It’s warm enough here that I’m basically living in my swimsuit and diving into the bushes.

My plan is to chop up some red onion and leave it right by my bed to kill off whatever's left. Inhaling those vapors kills the viruses. Also, a little homemade moonshine infused with thyme to clear out the lungs—you just have to boil it and breathe in the steam.

casualbadger22 said:You should probably start taking Vitamin D too. Honestly, nothing in your body really works right without it.
I remember being totally loaded with all sorts of minerals and vitamins, yet I was severely lacking Vitamin D. I ended up in the ER three separate times—twice because of skin issues and once because my joints were so swollen—and it took them an entire year to figure out what was actually wrong with me. My blood work looked perfectly normal, so they basically thought I was losing it, until something would swell up and they finally realized I wasn't crazy.

If you want to avoid the flu season, maybe try heading up to higher altitudes? I guess there aren't as many bugs up there. The only thing we usually deal with in the mountains is a lack of Vitamin D.

I’d also suggest getting some Vitamin D3, the "sunshine vitamin," since you can't really get enough from food alone.

Most of us are pretty much deficient during the winter months when the sun isn't around much.
It's great for your immunity, fighting fatigue, depression, irritability, and stuff like that... just Google it. It's very likely one of the reasons why we feel so much better in the summer than we do in the winter.

I started taking it for the first time back in the fall, and I just went with the lowest dose I could find, which was 400IU—about 50% of the daily value. It's not expensive at all, especially if you grab it on iHerb, $8.25 180 capsules.

casualbadger22 said:Everyone around me is hacking up a lung and blowing their noses nonstop. You can't find a single thing at the local CVS; even the toilet paper is gone. Shelves are totally picked clean. Guess we’re going on a forced diet since the nettles are starting to pop up in the woods. I’ve already resorted to making scrambled eggs with nettles.

I'm currently DIYing some kind of makeshift mask out of an old T-shirt, which is honestly going to be quite the spectacle.

I consider myself a bit of a naturalist, so I know my way around edible plants—basically playing Robin Hood out in the wild now. Wild onions and stinging nettles are the only things boosting my immunity, plus the sun handles the disinfection. It’s warm enough here that I’m basically living in my swimsuit and diving into the bushes.

My plan is to chop up some red onion and leave it right by my bed to kill off whatever's left. Inhaling those vapors kills the viruses. Also, a little homemade moonshine infused with thyme to clear out the lungs—you just have to boil it and breathe in the steam.

Are you kidding? Where do you even live? 🤔

William Nelson59 said:Are you kidding? Where do you even live? 🤔

I'm currently down in the southern part of Germany.

briskowl24 said:I’d also suggest getting some Vitamin D3, the "sunshine vitamin," since you can't really get enough from food alone.

Most of us are pretty much deficient during the winter months when the sun isn't around much.
It's great for your immunity, fighting fatigue, depression, irritability, and stuff like that... just Google it. It's very likely one of the reasons why we feel so much better in the summer than we do in the winter.

I started taking it for the first time back in the fall, and I just went with the lowest dose I could find, which was 400IU—about 50% of the daily value. It's not expensive at all, especially if you grab it on iHerb, $8.25 180 capsules.

You can definitely go higher than 400 units, too. The sun is literally life itself. You don't see everyone catching the flu in the middle of July.

There’s this one doctor who gives solid advice on pretty much everything

The literal essence of life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOsM...2hM3lonvfNYb1o

.

Please, let's all just try not to spread any unnecessary panic.

Honestly, you guys are getting on everyone's last nerve with this constant preaching about how every single person needs Vitamin D... it's seriously driving me crazy.

If someone actually thinks they're deficient, they should just get a blood test first and then take whatever they need based on the results.

If people acted like this on a health forum, they'd be kicked out immediately.

Honestly, I think the only move left is to stick to some hardcore hygiene discipline and just stay out of everyone's hair. In other words, a healthy dose of self-isolation.

Rachel Allen55 said:Denmark just reported their third positive case this morning. Doctors are calling it a serious situation. Once they tracked his movements, everyone basically lost it. Apparently, he was rubbing elbows with a massive crowd at a conference in Chicago, and it looks like he brought the virus over from Italy.

This virus is going to trigger a whole new recession.

I mean, honestly? It’s looking pretty likely. I guess you could say it's almost a given!

Looking at the big picture... I mean, if you really sit down and think about the long game, things might just work out! I guess what I'm trying to say is that when you zoom out, everything starts to look a little different. Maybe we shouldn't sweat the small stuff too much right now? It’s all about that long-term perspective, I suppose!So, I guess the real question we have to face is how we’re actually going to adapt to him—and I don't just mean personally, but like, how we'll have to adapt on a massive, global scale as a whole species. It's a huge thought, right? Maybe we'll find a way, but wow, it's definitely something we're all going to have to figure out together!
If this thing keeps spreading like some kind of super-sneaky seasonal flu, I mean, it’s honestly pretty likely we won't ever actually get rid of it. Like, it might just become one of those things that stays around forever, you know? It could totally settle in and just become a regular part of our lives, popping up every single year like clockwork. I guess it's possible it'll just be our new normal!
So, I was thinking... if this thing stays just as tough to deal with as the flu—you know, like, if we see even more people ending up in the ER or facing much scarier health scares—then we really, really have to be ready. I mean, we definitely need to make sure our hospitals and medical staff are prepared for that kind of surge. It’s a big "if," I guess, but we can't just ignore it!

I mean, if you ask me, we’re looking at this on a medium to long-term basis. It's probably going to take some time to really play out, I guess!
Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what else rolls our way during this stretch! Who knows, right? Maybe some crazy surprises are coming, maybe not... we'll just have to hang tight and find out!

New diseases? Honestly, they’re just part of life sometimes. They pop up out of nowhere, and I guess we just have to figure out how to roll with the punches and adapt as we go. It feels like it's mathematically inevitable that something like this will happen eventually... you know? Like, it's almost certain that sooner or later, something new is going to surface.

Well, I mean, you also have to consider looking at things from a short-to-medium-term perspective, I guess! It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on that middle ground too.

There’s just one thing we really need to be ready for—and honestly, we have to be willing to actually step up and take action. I guess it comes down to that, you know? Being prepared isn't enough if we aren't willing to pull the trigger when it matters! Before... I mean, honestly? Let a crisis happen! I really think that if things go sideways, it’s actually a sign we did everything right. It’s just better to take those big, necessary steps now—even if they feel risky—to head off a disaster before it even starts. I guess it's way more effective to be proactive like that, rather than waiting until everything has already fallen apart and then desperately trying to play catch-up when everyone is at their weakest. It might feel intense, but maybe that's just how you know you're doing the right thing!

I mean, sure, it’s totally possible that we could just sit on our hands—or maybe not do nearly enough—and everything still turns out perfectly fine. But honestly? That feels like a massive gamble where the odds are all messed up. It’s such an asymmetrical risk, you know? Like, if it works, great, but if it doesn't... well, I guess we're just playing with fire.

At the end of the day, I guess every single nation can see exactly what happens when things just spiral completely out of control. It's pretty wild, honestly!

So, I was just reading that some folks over in Italy, South Korea, and a few other places have actually decided to shut down schools for a couple of weeks! It's all part of this massive push to try and get ahead of the virus and stop it from spreading everywhere. I guess they're really hoping this little break might help slow things down, maybe? It's pretty wild how everyone is reacting differently, but it seems like a huge move to just halt everything for a bit!
I was just scrolling through some news about how we’re all supposed to handle this whole crisis situation, and honestly? It’s a lot. There’s this intense debate going on right now about what it actually takes to survive these kinds of political shifts and economic rollercoasters. I guess you could say everyone is looking for a lifeline, right? Some people are saying we need to brace for impact, while others think if we just stay flexible, we'll be fine. I don't know, maybe there isn't one single way to do it. It feels like every time a major policy changes or some big news breaks, half the country panics and the other half just shrugs. I mean, survival isn't just about having enough groceries in the pantry—though, let's be real, that's pretty important too! It's more about staying mentally sharp and not letting the constant chaos get under your skin. I was reading some thoughts on this earlier, and it really makes you wonder how much control we actually have when things start spiraling at the federal level. It’s kind of wild, isn't it? One minute everything seems stable, and the next, you're wondering if you should start stockpiling canned goods like it's the end of the world. I'm probably being a bit dramatic, but still! It’s a lot to process. Just my two cents, anyway!

So, I was just reading about this and—wow—it looks like the administration under Giuseppe Conte is taking some seriously massive steps to try and get ahead of this coronavirus spread. It’s pretty wild! They officially confirmed on Wednesday that every single school across the country is shutting down until March 15th. And it doesn't stop there, either... they're closing down movie theaters, shutting down all the big theaters, and basically banning any kind of public gatherings nationwide. I guess I saw a report from Reuters where they got a look at the actual decree, and it basically says they have to halt all types of events where people gather in crowds and can't really maintain that safe social distancing—you know, that rule about staying at least six feet apart? Yeah, that's what they're targeting. It's a huge move, maybe even a bit radical, but it seems like they're really trying to go all out to keep everyone safe!

So, I was just reading that the Italian Minister of Sports announced Major League Soccer might have to play out in empty stadiums for a bit. It’s honestly wild, isn't it? I mean, when you're dealing with one of the absolute worst health crises we've seen in recent memory, I guess the US—well, obviously, countries everywhere—are being forced to make some pretty drastic calls. It's just one of those things, maybe it's necessary, but man, it feels heavy.

Honestly, anyone who says "see, I told you we shouldn't have done that" once we actually manage to dodge a crisis... well, they’re just as right as someone who brushes their teeth every single day and then claims "it was pointless" when they don't end up with cavities! It's such a silly way to look at things, I guess. Like, you can't exactly take credit for avoiding something that was bound to happen if you hadn't stepped up, right? Maybe it sounds a bit harsh, but it's true!
I mean, I guess some people might find this totally counterintuitive at first glance, right? But honestly, it’s really not that complicated—kind if you think about it like brushing your teeth or something! You can't just look at the final results we've already seen to get the full picture; you also have to account for the people who... I mean, they just haven't shown up yet! I guess nothing has happened so far... maybe? Just sitting here waiting, I suppose!I mean, honestly, we’re basically just doing everything in our power right now to make sure that—well, you know—that doesn't actually happen! We're really trying to prevent it, I guess.

There’s just one more thing that I think is absolutely crucial to wrap our heads around when we're talking about containment—it's really quite vital, I guess! I mean, honestly, I really think that everything we’re doing right now to stop it from spreading before this summer hits... well, it’s all going to be worth it. We're doing the right thing! I guess if we can just get ahead of it now, we'll be in such a good spot by the time the heat kicks in. It feels like we're making some solid progress, maybe? Fingers crossed!.
All that hard work and being super careful? It’s definitely paying off, I really think so. And honestly, it's pretty easy to see why.

Right now, looking at the short and medium term—I mean, basically from now until the end of summer—we're looking at two possible curves, or what people usually call parabolas, for the number of cases.
One version (if we stick to the stricter measures) hits a peak of maybe, say, 500 cases. The other one (if we go with the looser stuff) could hit 5,000.
Every single isolated case actually helps us push that parabola lower. It really just drags that curve down.
I guess it's because it stops the infection from spreading its full branch and taking up so much space on the curve.
So, with these cases, you either prevent them, you treat them, or you just sort of throw your hands up and let them happen. If we "give up" on prevention, then we better be ready to deal with the second part.
The first option is obviously way better.

Those parabolas show us exactly how much pressure we're going to have to handle.
The total amount of manhours needed (and I don't just mean any random hours, but actual medical staff time) along with all the other resources—you know, everything that goes into saying "hospital bed capacity," like ventilators, available doctors and nurses, food, medical supplies, and all that good stuff—it all follows those case numbers.
And we're lucky right now because we can actually track it, since there might come a point where things get so bad we can't even keep up anymore.

It's kind of a bonus we have this year, I suppose, because the virus is still relatively new, so we can catch a good percentage of carriers. Those measures could give us some really great results this year. Especially while everyone else in the world is more or less keeping pace, and fewer viruses are being brought into the country from our neighbors.
Without those precautions, we probably would've been looking at a hundred cases instead of ten by now.

As for what next year looks like... gosh, I really don't know.

At the same time, we can—and we really should—look at what other countries have gone through to figure out where the bottlenecks happen when an infection starts spreading (masks are such a classic example), and where the potential breaking points are, so we can expand our prep or prevent them now. We need to try and make sure we have everything we need for 5,000 or even 50,000 infections. Because, honestly, it's just so much easier to do that now than it will be when we're dealing with ten or a hundred times more cases.

And after that short and medium-term period is over, then we'll start getting ready for the long haul.

-briskjackal5

Oh, by the way, this is basically the site I always pull from whenever I'm digging into some data analysis—
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

I mean, I usually find myself paying way more attention to what's happening in the rest of the world rather than just focusing on China. I guess that's just how I look at things.

-briskjackal5

It’s no coincidence that in all of Europe, these are the only spots left without any virus cases: Gibraltar, the English Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, the Åland Islands, Mexico, Albania, Mexico, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Cyprus.

I wouldn't raise an eyebrow regarding those northern islands... but this other situation? They simply haven't tested enough people yet. It isn't that they haven't found anyone uninfected; it's just that they haven't stumbled upon the first case they can actually prove.
Regarding some places, you really have to wonder about the quality of their healthcare and overall organization. I assume Gibraltar would fall under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.

Nicholas Davis4 said:I wouldn't raise an eyebrow regarding those northern islands... but this other situation? They simply haven't tested enough people yet. It isn't that they haven't found anyone uninfected; it's just that they haven't stumbled upon the first case they can actually prove.
Regarding some places, you really have to wonder about the quality of their healthcare and overall organization. I assume Gibraltar would fall under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.

They aren't even really relevant when you look at the big picture

-briskjackal5

Donna White85 said:Honestly, you guys are getting on everyone's last nerve with this constant preaching about how every single person needs Vitamin D... it's seriously driving me crazy.

If someone actually thinks they're deficient, they should just get a blood test first and then take whatever they need based on the results.

If people acted like this on a health forum, they'd be kicked out immediately.

I'm with you.

Vitamin D isn't some magic pill. If you don't actually need it, you can overdose, and the side effects aren't exactly harmless. Giving medical advice online without seeing lab results or knowing a person's history is reckless and dangerous.

The sickness has officially reached the White House; even the President has fallen ill ☕

My neighbor in my apartment complex works as a flight attendant, and when we crossed paths outside the building earlier today, she looked like she was coming down with a nasty cold. 🙂

Can someone please make it make sense for me? Like, why is everyone else all over the globe wearing masks in places where the virus is ripping through, yet here in the States, we’re being told they’re basically useless? It's such a head-scratcher—on one hand, they claim it spreads through droplets and can drift out as far as fifteen feet, right? But then the story changes to say masks aren't even there to protect the healthy folks, just to stop the sick ones from spreading the junk to everyone else. Makes zero sense to me.

Up until now, the only people you'd actually see masking up around town were the folks whose immune systems were already trashed—you know, people waiting on surgery or some intense treatment who couldn't afford to catch even a tiny little sniffle.

Every country handles their infection stats differently. Take Denmark, for example—they’ve only got 6 people actually stuck in hospitals. The other 436 cases? They’re just chilling at home in isolation, but they still get tallied up as "coronavirus" infections. Out of those 436, at least 6 don't even have symptoms beyond a sniffle, but they’re officially logged because they fall into a high-risk age group.

Our Secretary wants to look tough and compassionate, but she’s really just making a mess by stirring up unnecessary panic. That first patient who caught it from Italy passed away after about 5 or 6 days. The guy told me himself he’d rank how he felt on a scale of 1 to 10 for worst illnesses, and this was barely a common cold—probably something he picked up at a ski resort. But since it happened in Italy, the government lost its mind.

They manufacture this massive media frenzy, and guess who picks up the tab? Regular Americans.

I’d love to see the data on how many Italians over 75 die from pneumonia or severe flu seasons. I’m pretty sure the frequency isn't any lower than this "coronavirus" thing.