covid-19 Tag

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to get a vaccine, please do (US-based resource).

Help India with the current COVID-19 wave.

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Re: The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying

America’s Racial Contract

The implied terms of the racial contract are visible everywhere for those willing to see them. A 12-year-old with a toy gun is a dangerous threat who must be met with lethal force; armed militias drawing beads on federal agents are heroes of liberty. Struggling white farmers in Iowa taking billions in federal assistance are hardworking Americans down on their luck; struggling single parents in cities using food stamps are welfare queens. Black Americans struggling in the cocaine epidemic are a “bio-underclass” created by a pathological culture; white Americans struggling with opioid addiction are a national tragedy. Poor European immigrants who flocked to an America with virtually no immigration restrictions came “the right way”; poor Central American immigrants evading a baroque and unforgiving system are gang members and terrorists.

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Re: The Real Reason to Wear a Mask

From an article about masks and why everyone is encouraged to wear one:

Masks can be worn to protect the wearer from getting infected or masks can be worn to protect others from being infected by the wearer. Protecting the wearer is difficult: It requires medical-grade respirator masks, a proper fit, and careful putting on and taking off. But masks can also be worn to prevent transmission to others, and this is their most important use for society. If we lower the likelihood of one person’s infecting another, the impact is exponential, so even a small reduction in those odds results in a huge decrease in deaths. Luckily, blocking transmission outward at the source is much easier. It can be accomplished with something as simple as a cloth mask.

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Re: Coronavirus: Is this the moment of maximum risk?

I just read an article about the next phase of the pandemic, written based on what’s been happening in the UK. It talks about this being the moment of maximum risk now that some countries are nearing the end of the first wave.

According to the article, they were able to “flatten the curve” by staying indoors, but because they did, they don’t have herd immunity (and therefore most of them are still susceptible). So they’re gonna relax because they did a good job, open everything up, and then game over.

I agree with most of the analysis, but it leaves out the fact that way more people had it than we first thought. If people can’t get reinfected and the virus doesn’t mutate much (those are both big ifs) then it’s possible this isn’t as dangerous a moment as the article is suggesting.

Either way, there are way too many unknowns right now (when we’ll have adequate testing, if we can get reinfected, how long the virus lasts, when we’ll get vaccines/treatments, etc) to feel comfortable opening things back up.

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Re: De-contaminating a surface with the coronavirus is a two-step process. A biohazard cleaner says people are skipping the first step.

Disinfecting a surface requires two steps. Cleaning first, then disinfecting. I didn’t know that.

Also from the article, here’s a look at how long the virus lasts on different surfaces (you can see why there was hesitation around recommending mask use):

COVID-19 Lifespan
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Re: This is the end of the office as we know it

I can maybe see this happening:

These new numbers represent a seismic shift in work culture. Prior to the pandemic, the number of people regularly working from home remained in the single digits, with only about 4 percent of the US workforce working from home at least half the time. However, the trend of working from home had been gaining momentum incrementally for years, as technology and company cultures increasingly accommodated it. So it’s also likely that many Americans who are now working from home for the first time will continue to do so after the pandemic.

I can definitely see this happening:

There’s a lot more at play than what employers and workers want, of course. The economic impact of the pandemic will likely force many employers to cut costs. For companies to reduce their rent obligations by letting workers work from home is an easy solution, one that’s less painful than layoffs. In Lister’s words, “The investor community is going to insist on it.”

Lots of interesting predictions in this article.

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Re: Coronavirus Numbers Reflect New York City’s Deep Economic Divide

Every single map of NYC that shows some kind of negative effect (violence, poverty, sickness, food availability, etc) on New Yorkers always looks exactly the same. The same “poor” and “wealthy” regions are always highlighted in exactly the same way. Inequality is how the city operates. It’s how the country operates. This is America.

https://theintercept.com/2020/04/09/nyc-coronavirus-deaths-race-economic-divide/

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Re: Come On, People, Enough With These Covid Conspiracies

We have to be the ones who double-check information from valid sources, picking through every headline and paragraph — because nobody will do it for us. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough of us who have either the media literacy or the internet know-how to spot the jig. That’s why I’m so disappointed by the people who should know better — who already understand the invisible hands stirring up fear and distrust. Watching these people share articles from ThisNewsIsFakeDotCom is the truly infuriating and inexcusable new development to come out of all of this.

https://level.medium.com/come-on-people-enough-with-these-covid-conspiracies-9129679a4562

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Re: After recovering, COVID-19 patients struggle to know when to stop isolating

We really need to figure this part out. It sounds to me like the safest thing to do after infection (or after feeling any COVID-19 related symptoms really) is try to isolate for as long as possible. And if you can’t, at least use a mask as often as possible to stop from infecting others.

I hope the testing situation gets way better, fast.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/1/21201045/coronavirus-covid-19-recovery-isolation-contagious-cdc-data

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Re: Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Are a Public Health Hazard

It’s worth putting time and effort into being accurate with the information you share.

Some basic tips:

  1. You should have an idea of the source for the information you’re sharing. If you come across something that seems outrageous, please do a quick search to see if any news organizations you’ve heard of have said anything about it.
  2. If something seems to be a rumor or you aren’t able to verify it, please state that it’s a rumor or unverified if you decide to share it.
  3. Don’t be racist.
  4. Use common sense. It sounds belittling, but I mean it honestly. If something you see on the internet sounds unbelievable, then you probably shouldn’t believe it. At the very least you should do a quick search before sharing.

https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-covid-19-misinformation-campaigns/

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Re: Coronavirus Slashed Global Air Pollution. This Interactive Map Shows How

I’m excited about a potentially smarter and healthier future for us.

“The rapid decrease we see in nitrogen dioxide due to covid-19 is unprecedented,” Dix said. “We are now witnessing a global experiment where one emission source is rapidly turned down (NOx), while other sources are still up or will decrease more slowly. A lot of atmospheric science will come out of this.”

https://earther.gizmodo.com/coronavirus-slashes-global-air-pollution-interactive-m-1842473790

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