2019–20 Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Thread

[SitTwizzle]

In Germany too, shops have to maintain social distancing of 2 meters, it is so efficient that I don't need to wear a mask because when I have to go there, I am never close enough to anybody to contaminate, should I be positive; and sanitizer is provided, so with vinyl gloves (my first pair is getting weak only now) I just need a push of the pump to clean both my gloves and the handle of the trolley (while in other shops, trolleys are cleaned by staff for every customer).

And now that numbers of tests conducted are publicised and France and Germany have communicated them (not China, and Japan only very partly)

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

I can see Germany have tested thrice more (per million residents) than France, and that is after the beginning of broader testing in France yesterday (Friday) leading to 23.000 new cases reported in one day. Close relatives, a medical family, have all been infected (symptoms quite unmistakable for two of the children, young adults; one rather severe but better now) but it was unthinkable to get tests, or to stop working in medical work, or even to be protected from contaminating others, though they did all they could of course. Healthcare professionals in France, still have no masks, and even home-made ones have long been discouraged, they were misinformed by media pretending it was of no use. It is no surprise that we are still in explosion phase in spite of harsh confinement, yet the official numbers are a wild underestimation of the real ones.

I am really sorry US are doing their "usual thing". France and Germany (and probably others) did forbid exportation of masks, even those ordered by foreign hospitals long ago, but as far as I know, didn't seize anything elsewhere. This, as far as I know, "only" Czech Republic did, with masks but also the respirators donated (or lent) by China to Italy, while the very few ill people they had didn't need them.

[rockstaryuzu]

9 hours ago, Umebachi said:

grateful for the show of solidarity among the Canadian political parties in fighting the pandemic.  

Given how bitterly divided our political landscape has been in Canada in the last decade or so, I'm frankly astounded at the level of cooperation we're seeing between all the parties, provinces, and the federal government. It's actually very reassuring to know that common sense still prevails among them. Silver lining, I guess.

[rockstaryuzu]

5 hours ago, SitTwizzle said:

am really sorry US are doing their "usual thing"

That's just the thing, though, - it's not their "usual thing". It's Trump's thing, which is not the same at all. America has always been better than this, until he came along. No previous American President would have acted this way to their sworn allies. Probably not even to their enemies.  

[SitTwizzle]

7 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

That's just the thing, though, - it's not their "usual thing". It's Trump's thing, which is not the same at all. America has always been better than this, until he came along. No previous American President would have acted this way to their sworn allies. Probably not even to their enemies.  

Hmmm... Being French, I have long thought (and, in fact, said) after Voltaire :

"Gardez-moi de mes amis; mes ennemis, je m'en charge." ("Keep me [protected] from my friends; my foes, I'll see to it.")

Unfortunately this is not a place to discuss political/historical questions of these last decades.

[Figure_Frenzy]

14 hours ago, SitTwizzle said:

France and Germany (and probably others) did forbid exportation of masks, even those ordered by foreign hospitals long ago, but as far as I know, didn't seize anything elsewhere.

 

??

 

I was a bit confused at first when reading this — I mean, nothing wrong with prioritizing medical supply for own use? (and this is for the already-received supply.) Hijacking someone else's supply is entirely another thing -_- .

 

That said, even if the amount of the supply is plentiful and could be shared just to immediate neighboring countries, at least , it doesn't do a lot a good when the supply's quality is not up to par, is it?

 

*yea apologies for linking a news article not written in English but the point is when a certain amount of the medical supply (in this case the respirator mask) you received is of low quality, you cannot quite use the whole amount up for yourself, let alone sharing it to other countries that need it (and as far as I am aware, this issue doesn't just apply in Belgium, but also in Germany (and other countries that recently ordered the medical supply from China)). 

[SitTwizzle]

Well, Germany did so the very day when Italy called for help by other European countries, it looked like an answer though I suppose it was not, and France did so rather early, and a lot of them was for NHS, the British national health organisation, so for British public hospitals. I've read on a forum (so no reliable source) there were also some which should have gone to Sweden.

Both did so on March 4th :

https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2020/03/14/covid-19-la-discrete-bataille-des-masques-entre-la-france-l-allemagne-et-l-italie_6033075_3234.html

But this article is misleading because the so-called strategic reserves were there in 2009 but there was nothing left in 2020, and the government actually ordered masks, gloves etc on March 18th only. Respirators maybe even later, refusing proposals from French industries or administrations to get respirators and massive, reliable tests (150.000 to 300.000 were declared available from veterinary services, before mid-March).

[monchan]

Already late. And still no compulsory lockdown.

 

No emergency in Miyagi so I suppose Yuzu can still skate if he wants 

[rockstaryuzu]

7 hours ago, monchan said:

No emergency in Miyagi so I suppose Yuzu can still skate if he wants 

If he's been reading any of the news about coronavirus, I doubt he'd want to right now... at least not without bleaching the entire rink first, Pooh and all. 

 

Guys, I was talking to some colleagues this morning and ....some of them are sleeping in their garages for fear of bringing infection into the house and infecting their families...one guy sent his wife and kids away and hasn't seen them in weeks... another is terrifed her husband who just had a stroke last year will get it...and yet our hospital infection control is still more concerned with conserving PPE than preventing the spread... I'm just glad i'm not ER staff, I'm stressed out enough as it is. 

 

And we're still treating patients who screen as potentially infected...it's only those who definitively test positive who won't be treated*... I'm trying to be calm at work but I need to vent so I'm here. Sorry if I'm being a downer in this thread. 

 

 

* since we're a cancer center, they'll have their treatment postponed until their COVID infection resolves, so they'll be coming back anyway, hopefully not shedding virus all the while. Cancer treatment is relentless in an almost mindless way.

[ralucutzagy]

2 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

If he's been reading any of the news about coronavirus, I doubt he'd want to right now... at least not without bleaching the entire rink first, Pooh and all. 

 

Guys, I was talking to some colleagues this morning and ....some of them are sleeping in their garages for fear of bringing infection into the house and infecting their families...one guy sent his wife and kids away and hasn't seen them in weeks... another is terrifed her husband who just had a stroke last year will get it...and yet our hospital infection control is still more concerned with conserving PPE than preventing the spread... I'm just glad i'm not ER staff, I'm stressed out enough as it is. 

 

And we're still treating patients who screen as potentially infected...it's only those who definitively test positive who won't be treated... I'm trying to be calm at work but I need to vent so I'm here. Sorry if I'm being a downer in this thread. 

Oh, dear ... this is terrible ... The same thing happened in our hospitals a few weeks ago and it resulted in hundreds of doctors and medical stuff infected and quarantined hospitals, but our medical care system is not the best lol to say at least,  ... what can I say ... try to stay safe and take good care of yourself ... dear god, I can't wait for this awful virus to go away already ... ugh

[Umebachi]

Japan's constitution limits government authority to restrict civil liberties and freedom of employment.   This makes it more difficult to impose penalty or send police on those who are breaking social distancing - as explained in the attached article.  The Constitution reflects post-WW2 efforts to avoid the extreme authoritarianism and police-state conditions that existed in pre-War Japan.  This doesn't mean the state can't find ways to address these issues during an emergency period, but this gets us into political discussion which I want to avoid on this forum.     At this point, I am just relieved that the government is finally moving on the emergency measures.  

 

https://news.yahoo.com/japan-counting-obedient-citizens-lock-150001438.html

[yude]

19 時間前, rockstaryuzuさんが言いました:

If he's been reading any of the news about coronavirus, I doubt he'd want to right now... at least not without bleaching the entire rink first, Pooh and all. 

 

Guys, I was talking to some colleagues this morning and ....some of them are sleeping in their garages for fear of bringing infection into the house and infecting their families...one guy sent his wife and kids away and hasn't seen them in weeks... another is terrifed her husband who just had a stroke last year will get it...and yet our hospital infection control is still more concerned with conserving PPE than preventing the spread... I'm just glad i'm not ER staff, I'm stressed out enough as it is. 

 

And we're still treating patients who screen as potentially infected...it's only those who definitively test positive who won't be treated*... I'm trying to be calm at work but I need to vent so I'm here. Sorry if I'm being a downer in this thread. 

 

 

* since we're a cancer center, they'll have their treatment postponed until their COVID infection resolves, so they'll be coming back anyway, hopefully not shedding virus all the while. Cancer treatment is relentless in an almost mindless way.

 

To me it is good to have this thread for sharing our feeling, sadness, frustrations we have 

Meanwhile, in Japan...

 

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200407/p2g/00m/0na/017000c

 

Sendai updates: 22 patients now.

 

https://www.city.sendai.jp/kikikanri/kinkyu/200131corona2.html

[rockstaryuzu]

4 hours ago, yude said:

 

To me it is good to have this thread for sharing our feeling, sadness, frustrations we have 

Meanwhile, in Japan...

 

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200407/p2g/00m/0na/017000c

 

Sendai updates: 22 patients now.

 

https://www.city.sendai.jp/kikikanri/kinkyu/200131corona2.html

Thanks. It is good to share these things. 

 

That list of cases from Sendai is so detailed! So different from here where patient privacy is paramount. 

 

The number of males in their 20s that are hospitalized for this in Sendai... Yuzu, please be very very careful and stay home as much as possible! 

 

About the doctor thing....I wonder if they felt socially obligated to join the group dinner even if they knew they shouldn't. Social obligation is a hard one to kick. For example, I know the best thing to do is to wear a mask everywhere, and our public health authorities are starting to recommend it, but there is such a strong social stigma against it here (b/c masks = disguises in Canadian society and disguise = bad intentions) that I still don't wear it except when I know it's absolutely crucial... tough to be the one swimming against the current.

 

[makebelieveup]

Oh man I just want to come here and give you all the warmest hug. I feel so sorry reading all of these news and stories you guys shared. I live in the states and so far I have been working from home for 3 to 4 weeks now tho i still go out once a week for grocery. my family and i are all well and safe. im happy to still have a job..I feel blessed and thankful..I just really want hope you guys can stay safe and hopeful during this time.  

 

and tbh i hope Yuzu can just stay home. he has asthma and ice time is important but health comes first. without health or competitions, ice time would be meaningless

[mercedes]

lots of very young people in that Sendai list,it's very scary!

I hope everyone will recover from it....in Wuhan today was the 1st day without cases it seems so they are lifting the ban...they have been in lock down mode for 76 days!!

 

 

here before the virus people wearing mask were frown upon ,like wearing a mask was implying you were with dirty people who could pass you germs ...sort of insulting .

now of course if you go out without it people look at you like you are crazy and you have a strong death wish!

meanwhile our doctors and nurses are dying because thet weren't protected enougg while treating patiens.

[river]

Oh man, that Sendai list has so many 20-30 year olds on it. Stay safe, Yuzu.

 

I think we're starting to get the hang of the new normal here. More and more people are starting to wear masks - I live in a high-rise building, and two days ago, another woman and I got to the elevator at the same time, stood 10+ feet away, both wearing masks, and we agreed to take separate elevators. We're getting there.

 

Also, one of the nurses from work brought in a ton of cloth masks to wear in public and I might have chosen mine because the fabric reminds me of Origin 2.0... except it's obviously not sheer.