Coronavirus

[mythbuster]

There is a long history of naming microbes after the locations of their major outbreaks. And a long history of these names being used in a derogatory fashion. Hence syphilis being known as "the French disease" by the British, and the 1918 flu being called the Spanish Flu because it was first reported by Spanish news outlets.
  The move away from this naming convention really dates back to the 2003 Flu Pandemic which CNN called the Mexican Flu until several government officials from Mexico called and complained. Only then did Sanjay Gupta get up to speed with H1N1 etc.
  Strictly speaking we call it the Brazil variant should be called the P.1 variant. But that's not very catchy for the news media.

[dismalist]

Here is a description of the murderous 1918 flu epidemic:

https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence

Do we know a lot more about dealing with epidemics than 100 years ago? About stopping them?

Discuss.

[Kron3007]

Here is a description of the murderous 1918 flu epidemic:

https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence

Do we know a lot more about dealing with epidemics than 100 years ago? About stopping them?

Discuss.

I think we know more, but it dosnt necessarily translate into practice in many places. 

[Parasaurolophus]

  Strictly speaking we call it the Brazil variant should be called the P.1 variant. But that's not very catchy for the news media.

Pretty catching, though!

(Sorry. I know.)

[apl68]

We have our game plan in place for the City Council meeting at the library this evening.  The Council and Mayor will be up front socially distanced from each other.  Which basically means that each one of them will have their own table.  They're setting the tables up an hour before the meeting begins.  We'll have the whole front of the building up by the service area lined with tables.  Hopefully there won't be too many patrons needing assistance this evening.  The staff have been wringing their hands about that upcoming inconvenience since yesterday afternoon. 

Socially distanced chairs for the public will be set up.  That will involve moving some furniture and displays.  I plan to do that myself after lunch.  An EMT will sit at the entrance to screen everybody who comes in, along with masks and hand sanitizer.  Somebody will walk the attendees to their seats.  We'll have hand sanitizer and masks at the front.  The public restrooms will be sprayed down before and after the event. 

I'll be there until we're all done.  Which will probably be a while.  The Mayor has a long "State of the City" speech to deliver.  What with COVID and the mass layoffs by our main employer last year, there's a lot to talk about.  Our head of Parks and Recreation--who's been doing quite an enthusiastic job--seems to think she's about to lose her job to budget cuts.  That would be really sad.

[the_geneticist]

Here is a description of the murderous 1918 flu epidemic:

https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence

Do we know a lot more about dealing with epidemics than 100 years ago? About stopping them?

Discuss.

I have my non-majors discuss this topic.  We have some of the same tools (soap, news media, trained medical staff, social distancing) and new ones (wide acceptance of germ theory, a vaccine, respiratory therapists, ventilators, etc.).  The hard lesson is that we know what we ought to do (stay home, don't socialize, etc.), but we are very bad about doing it. 
What's worrying is that we really didn't "beat" the 1918 flu.  It circulated for 30+ years as a seasonal disease until it was displaced by a more virulent strain.

[Cheerful]

The hard lesson is that most we know what we ought to do (stay home, don't socialize, etc.), but too many we are very bad about doing it. 

Friendly amendment.

Signed,
Sacrificing to do the right thing while behavior of many others is ignorant or selfish.

[apl68]

The Council meeting last night went well.  All safe meeting protocols were practiced, and everything went smoothly.  One Council member was attending remotely.  When they held their role-call votes you heard that odd, disembodied voice each time.  The Mayor's State of the City address, which was live-streamed, was pretty good.  People will be annoyed to learn that we are about to have a hike in our water rates.  But what are you gonna do--expenses keep going up.

Disinfection and take-down after the meeting went smoothly and efficiently, and I got home to have supper only an hour late.  This morning first thing the janitor and I finished moving our furniture and display stands back out like they  were.  Guess we'll be okay doing this once a month for as long as COVID rules remain in effect.

[sprout]

Our head of Parks and Recreation--who's been doing quite an enthusiastic job...

Is her name Leslie, by any chance...?

*ducks*

[apl68]

Our head of Parks and Recreation--who's been doing quite an enthusiastic job...

Is her name Leslie, by any chance...?

*ducks*

*aims lower*


Turns out she was not laid off.  Apparently she resigned for personal reasons and took another job.  She still plans to volunteer to help organize some of the civic events she was already helping with.  And to complete the downtown mural she has been painting.

[Caracal]

I have my non-majors discuss this topic.  We have some of the same tools (soap, news media, trained medical staff, social distancing) and new ones (wide acceptance of germ theory, a vaccine, respiratory therapists, ventilators, etc.).  The hard lesson is that we know what we ought to do (stay home, don't socialize, etc.), but we are very bad about doing it. 
What's worrying is that we really didn't "beat" the 1918 flu.  It circulated for 30+ years as a seasonal disease until it was displaced by a more virulent strain.

Lots of people have to leave home to work. Economic disparities mean those people are more likely to live with more people who have health conditions that make them more vulnerable. Thinking about everything in terms of individual choices is one of the huge mistakes of this whole thing. Another is assuming that socialization is optional and failing to provide good messaging about how people can do it in safer ways.

[Kron3007]

I have my non-majors discuss this topic.  We have some of the same tools (soap, news media, trained medical staff, social distancing) and new ones (wide acceptance of germ theory, a vaccine, respiratory therapists, ventilators, etc.).  The hard lesson is that we know what we ought to do (stay home, don't socialize, etc.), but we are very bad about doing it. 
What's worrying is that we really didn't "beat" the 1918 flu.  It circulated for 30+ years as a seasonal disease until it was displaced by a more virulent strain.

Lots of people have to leave home to work. Economic disparities mean those people are more likely to live with more people who have health conditions that make them more vulnerable. Thinking about everything in terms of individual choices is one of the huge mistakes of this whole thing. Another is assuming that socialization is optional and failing to provide good messaging about how people can do it in safer ways.

True, but in this particular point in time there is a huge segment of the population that simply dosn't believe.  This has been further fanned by politicians and the prevelence of false information.  So yes, even if everyone were on board there are social dynamics that make it harder for some people to follow the advice, but as it stands that is not the main problem.

There are many countries that have demonstrated that if everyone works together Covid can be largely controlled.  These countries all have people in these same jobs and situations (to varying degrees), but can manage.  The science is pretty clear, so it seems to me that the main problem is more related to personal choice in this case.

[Caracal]

I have my non-majors discuss this topic.  We have some of the same tools (soap, news media, trained medical staff, social distancing) and new ones (wide acceptance of germ theory, a vaccine, respiratory therapists, ventilators, etc.).  The hard lesson is that we know what we ought to do (stay home, don't socialize, etc.), but we are very bad about doing it. 
What's worrying is that we really didn't "beat" the 1918 flu.  It circulated for 30+ years as a seasonal disease until it was displaced by a more virulent strain.

Lots of people have to leave home to work. Economic disparities mean those people are more likely to live with more people who have health conditions that make them more vulnerable. Thinking about everything in terms of individual choices is one of the huge mistakes of this whole thing. Another is assuming that socialization is optional and failing to provide good messaging about how people can do it in safer ways.

True, but in this particular point in time there is a huge segment of the population that simply dosn't believe.  This has been further fanned by politicians and the prevelence of false information.  So yes, even if everyone were on board there are social dynamics that make it harder for some people to follow the advice, but as it stands that is not the main problem.

There are many countries that have demonstrated that if everyone works together Covid can be largely controlled.  These countries all have people in these same jobs and situations (to varying degrees), but can manage.  The science is pretty clear, so it seems to me that the main problem is more related to personal choice in this case.

There's some truth to that, but those countries have also done things to help with those social dynamics. I don't think the two things are totally unrelated.

[dismalist]

The weird thing is that there is no obvious correlation between what sophisticated countries have done and their corona death rates.

[Stockmann]

The weird thing is that there is no obvious correlation between what sophisticated countries have done and their corona death rates.

Define "sophisticated." If you mean "rich" then that's clearly not true - Taiwan has been a tremendous success, probably the most successful place on the planet, and it took vigorous action early, which pretty much no Western country other than New Zealand did, and had actually prepared for a pandemic (again, not much of that in the West - in terms of preparation the West has been pretty unsophisticated). Early action matters - countries that took vigorous early action got it under control. Also, actual compliance matters, not just nominal government action - if (part of) the population resists measures to the point of setting fire to testing centers (as in the Netherlands) then sensible nominal measures are not very likely to work. On the other hand, if the public voluntarily largely complies with suitable measures like wearing facemasks, as in Japan, then the pandemic can be controlled without Draconian nominal government action.

There are many countries that have demonstrated that if everyone works together Covid can be largely controlled.  These countries all have people in these same jobs and situations (to varying degrees), but can manage.  The science is pretty clear, so it seems to me that the main problem is more related to personal choice in this case.

This. Countries that have controlled it successfully include developing countries like Vietnam and, to a lesser extent, Uruguay. I do not believe these jobs and situations are somehow more severe in the West than in developing countries that have successfully handled the pandemic.
It's not that it's somehow not clear what to do to tame the pandemic. The means of doing so have been clear for months. Some, like social distancing or travel restrictions, were obvious from the start. Again, where people overwhelmingly want to comply with measures to protect themselves and others, the pandemic is under control, the economy has re-opened, etc. Where large numbers of people defy those measures, even to the point of setting testing facilities on fire, or even setting clinics on fire (Mexico), the pandemic is far from tamed, and wealth offers little protection.