COVID-19 Megathread 5: The Trumps catch COVID-19

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

People still say "YOLO"?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

People still say "YOLO"?

You mean the county in California?

Solid D in 2020, IMO. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

This is the late Christopher Reeve's son. He's been an ABC reporter for at least the past few years. However, this isn't the first time that I've seen something like this happening. One of the Five co-hosts on Fox News, Jesse Waters, has been anchoring from home, and was also photographed wearing a suit but not pants. You can't really bash people for not wanting to fully dress up if they aren't going into the studio; everyone makes mistakes.

lolol it's funny. You don't have to be serious all the time...

But if you want a super serious take, then there really isn't an excuse. If you're going on national TV, the least you could do is wear some sort of pants. Who would base this decision on the idea that they "know" the camera will only capture just above their waist? How lazy are these people? Why would you even risk it? I wouldn't even consider the idea. God forbid I think I can get away with it, only to become the butt of a joke across the internet and late night talk shows.

I have an online court hearing in less than half an hour. I'm currently wearing my Pittsburgh Penguins pajama pants and a pens sweatshirt, plus flip-flops. I haven't gotten around to putting socks on yet. However, I'm going to head upstairs in a minute and get changed into a shirt and tie, and yes even dress pants. Even if I only wind up wearing them for less than an hour for this relatively short hearing.

My point is, this is what folks like Reeve get paid the big bucks for. If you're going to appear on national TV, at least put some pants on. Take them off after your segment, but just make that half-assed effort at least.

If I'm meeting a professor or PSOM staff on Zoom, I'll throw on a nice dress and maybe some pearl earrings with a necklace.  

Otherwise, I'm fine with looking like a potato.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

I keep reading here that flattening the curve was not about reducing the number of cases/deaths, just spreading them out over time. But as far as I remember, all of the models showed *many* fewer cases and deaths (like multiples) with a flattened curve than in a business as usual scenario.

The reduced cases/deaths are a result of a normalized bell curve under the healthcare system encumbrance line. Once a health system collapses, the numbers of cases/deaths also skyrocket because that support structure is now gone.

The loss of life and out of control spread that happens once that scenario takes place is a result of the system collapsing more than the projected COVID-19 cases in a vacuum. In other words, those higher numbers also included lives that would have otherwise been saved from COVID-19 and other diseases/conditions as well.

Those nuanced stats are not discussed in public because that kind of detail is usually not necessary to get the point across, but it does generate confusion if people start scrutinizing the model against totals.

So how many people do you estimate will die from the virus if 200 million people are infected, but they are spread out in such a way that the health care system does not collapse?

I neither have the access to the necessary data nor the experience to make those estimates. I can tell you that they would vary greatly with the state of the healthcare system, who's infected, where, and how many at the same time.

I’m stipulating that the state of healthcare systems is good.  Assume no shortage of necessary medical care or equipment.  As for where, if we’re talking about herd immunity, you’d have to assume the infected are pretty evenly spread out around the county.  You can make any assumption you wish about who gets infected and when under our current stay-at-home regime.

For reference, the current IMHE model is estimating that 74,000 will die.

I don't know why you keep talking about herd immunity when we're still not even certain about whether or not someone who's had COVID-19 can be reinfected.

The “flatten the curve” model assumes that people have immunity once they recover as well.  Otherwise, how do you explain either of the curves in the “flatten the curve” figure ever declining?

I'm uncertain about this one. PQG might have an answer here.

Yup! And that's part of the reason why information from antibody tests is so important.  We need an understanding of whether COVID-19 operates like the flu or if it is more similar in nature to VZV (in terms of being able to contract it multiple times). 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

These people are fu**ing idiots.

https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1255190214152200199

He's being sensitive to the mask shortage.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Mask orders continue to spread across the country. Andy Beshear is now mandating all Kentuckians to wear masks in public by May 11: https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/WATCH-LIVE-Gov-Beshears-daily-COVID-19-update-569985941.html. Apparently, the general public will not be cited if they don't wear them, but they will be "asked" to put them on, and it will be mandatory for essential employees in businesses. The city of Birmingham, Alabama, is also making masks mandatory in public: https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/birmingham-eyes-requiring-masks-in-public.html. And in Colorado, Aspen is also requiring masks: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/04/28/face-masks-mandatory-in-aspen/. Both Birmingham and Aspen will fine residents if they don't wear masks. Aspen is the first place in my home state that I am aware of that is making it mandatory.

How long do these mandatory masks orders last for I've seen as soon as they can last a year

Honestly why would this be a big deal? Mandatory masks in public spaces are much less intrusive than various closure/lockdown/stay-at-home rules.

Because you're telling people what to do.

My own views aside, people -- especially Americans -- get very touchy about being told what to do (or when they sense that they're being told what to do).

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Im not sure breathing moisture that close to your face due to masks is healthy, but okay whatever.

I'm confused -- are you questioning the healthiness of wearing masks? (Not going after you, DTT, just asking for clarification).  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/Morning_Joe/status/1255440829046493187?s=20

Returning to work? I get it. 

But attending large sporting events?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AP/status/1255837450053857281

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Now they are saying we may be dealing with this for several more years. Are we still planning to shut the economy down into the mid 2020s now?

And after that I bet we will shut the economy down every winter due to seasonal cold and flu until 2030 when we are all required to wear hazmat suits everywhere.

"Dealing with" is an extremely broad term.  We've been dealing with the flu and the rhinovirus for eons.  

I know that you're extremely concerned about the personal economic impact of these stay-at-home orders, jimmie.  But it's out of our hands and we have to trust in the scores of brilliant minds devoting every waking minute to developing treatments, chasing down vaccines, etc. etc.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Governor Whitmer just extended the state-of-emergency for Michigan until May 28th. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Mask wearing will probably be a common thing, it is what stops most asian countries from suffering as badly from the flu, when I used to work at a restaurant a lot of the asian customers would come in wearing masks

It won't be a common thing after vaccines (and/or effective treatments) roll out. I'm worried about the meantime, after we enter the neutral state after the wave is over when we have 100--300 cases per day nationwide. Wearing masks during that period is still hysteria and I won't have it.

You know I like you, Grass.  But if someone wants to wear a mask, it doesn't matter whether you'll "have it" or not.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Does anybody know if Penn Quaker is alive and well? Just realized I haven't seen her post in some time and she was getting over Covid-19. I'm probably being paranoid and she's just busy with real life. She was always posting in this thread specifically.

Still alive and well, yes!

Just been busy wrapping up some end-of-the-school-year stuff!

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Does anybody know if Penn Quaker is alive and well? Just realized I haven't seen her post in some time and she was getting over Covid-19. I'm probably being paranoid and she's just busy with real life. She was always posting in this thread specifically.

Still alive and well, yes!

Just been busy wrapping up some end-of-the-school-year stuff!

If you hadn't responded, I was going to say "it's finals time," which, even with education being what it is right now, is a busy and stresseful time!

Yup! Finals wrapped up this past week (except for a handful undergrad courses).  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

On a totally unrelated note: Happy Mother's Day, y'all!

Last year, my mother got a little bit weepy on Mother's Day, telling my brother and I that she was "so happy none of her kids were in jail."  We clearly set very high standards in our family.

On a related note: I know that it's normally a day of spending time together, but please please either stay home or at least practice proper social distancing. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/davidlparsons/status/1258988672084373505?s=21

The "NO MASKS ALLOWED" is just baffling to me. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

The petulant narcissist just can't handle women asking him smart questions, ran away like a coward.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1259959091704799233

It also looks as if the reporter he told to ask China is Asian American? So her trying to get him to answer why he told her that specifically is a very important question.

Yes, it was Weijia Jiang. she works for CBS and was raised in WV.

Ah, brilliant PR, Mr. President!

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Referring to Dr. Fauci's Senate testimony:

https://mobile.twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1260232247753543680

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Something needs to be done about the California menace making decisions that impact the other 90% of us. Cancelling school for the fall semester is unacceptable. Severe repercussions are sorely needed for these traitors.

How DARE they act in the interest of public safety? Disgusting.

Indeed, let the poor burn good and thorough.

Ah, CT, the newest amendment to the Hippocratic Oath!

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://mobile.twitter.com/USDOL/status/1260910421151793152

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1262363632094117890

4 U.S. Code § 8. Respect for flag

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform.

To be fair (at least back home where I grew up in Texas), pretty much everybody and their mother violates flag code to some extent or another -- at least with regards to wearing the flag as part of clothing, embroidering the flag on "cushions or handkerchiefs and the like", etc. etc.  And every NFL team apparently violates flag code with the decal on the back of the helmet.   

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

2.44 million new weekly jobless claims (vs. 2.40 expected), unemployment up to 17.2%. 

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1263448114880548865

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Surrounded by Ford executives who were wearing masks, Trump told reporters he had put one on earlier in the visit.

“I had one on before. I wore one in the back area. I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,” he said.

"I could've gone out with that SUPER hot girl.  But when she asked me, I said no.  But I could've.  I totally could've."

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

I mean, what the actual f**k

https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1264978727416578048

"Isolate those at high-risk, let everyone else get on with their lives! End the madness!"

Taking a lot of liberties here, but I immediately see at least a dozen people in that freeze frame who would likely classify as at-high-risk.  And I can't imagine they'll isolate even under orders.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/USDOL/status/1265983743979933698

Per Bloomberg:

Continuing claims, which tally Americans claiming unemployment benefits in state programs, fell to 21.1 million for the week ended May 16, the first decline during the pandemic.