COVID-19 Megathread 4: Grandma Got Run Over by the Dow Jones

[Devout Centrist]

I'm concerned by the lack of long term preparations being made. Quarantining the population will flatten the curve...but it doesn't change the area under the curve. The same number of people will get infected over a longer timespan. What's more: we can't remain in lockdown indefinitely; we should be preparing to test everyone and quarantine the infected.

We're not using this time wisely. We need to be ramping up production of masks, PPEs, and ventilators by magnitudes more than what's currently being done. We need to be testing the entire population and yet, we're not mass producing tests in the quantities needed to do that.

No, instead we're relying on overseas shipments of masks (some of which are of dubious quality!), our medical stockpiles are nearly depleted, and the efforts to produce equipment in the US have stalled! Our Federal Government has left the states to fend for themselves.

This simply isn't sustainable. Sooner or later, this ersatz system going to break down, and millions of innocent people will pay the price for this gross incompetence.

[Devout Centrist]

Again:

Quarantining the population will flatten the curve...but it doesn't change the area under the curve. The same number of people will get infected over a longer timespan.

[Devout Centrist]

Again:

Quarantining the population will flatten the curve...but it doesn't change the area under the curve. The same number of people will get infected over a longer timespan.

Not necessarily, the virus can only spread through contact or proximity with another affected individual or surface contamination. Therefore quarantining can reduce both the rate of spread and also the total number of people infected.

Perhaps, if the rate of reproduction can be held below 1.0; we have no guarantee something like that will happen this time. Many of these stay at home orders have big exceptions. In addition, we have a large working class population that must continue to work outside during this pandemic. If they lack reliable protective gear (and most do), they risk acquiring and spreading the disease.

[Devout Centrist]

Penn Quaker Girl assured me that mathematically we can assume that 10,000+ will die AT MINIMUM. She studies / works with epidemics so I respect her advice regarding COV-19.

Quoted for posterity.

Let's check back on that prediction in 2 months time in the USA, and see how the logic of your argument unfolds.

You have 9,907 deaths remaining.

[Devout Centrist]

My rights to leave my house (and in Chicago, go in a park) should not revolve around other people's good or bad behavior.  Your thought process seems flawed.

We live in a society.

[Devout Centrist]

Why was Nevada left out of the West Coast compact? It's a D trifecta that's pretty typically progressive aside from Sisolak. Is it because Sisolak was sluggish in getting started with emergency responses?

Nevada doesn't want California dictating about Las Vegas. Newsom probably hates people moving to Nevada because of high taxes and living costs. There is also a nasty puritanical streak in some progressives.

Are you seriously suggesting that Nevada wasn't invited out of dislike for gambling and prostitution? 

No one fights for chastity and sexual purity like, uh, Gavin Newsom.

[Devout Centrist]

Very premature to say 'The worst is over!'

[Devout Centrist]

www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52289056

Can’t say trump has done a lot of right over the last few years, but this is an obvious move to make until the fire the head of the WHO.

Hopefully we see some major sanctions towards the ppc in the future.

Not a chance. The trade negotiations with Beijing are very telling, imo. He has no talent for this sort of thing.