International COVID-19 Megathread

[jamestroll]

I have donated 100.00 to India covid relief and I hope everyone considers doing the same!!

[jamestroll]

https://orf.at/stories/3236982/
Full Lockdown for *everyone* in two Austrian states and looks like the entire country could follow suit. Schools closed, shops closed, no leaving home for non-essential reasons no matter vaccination status. As if the Vaccines didn't even exist.

Apparently some parts of industry actually support it, because of Austria's situation with being dependant on the winter season and the reasoning that it's less bad to take the hit now, and get numbers down that so foreign tourists can/will come, but it's still nuts. Who is going to get vaccinated if you have to stay home anyway?

Austrians should go out and over throw their tyrannically government now!!!

[jamestroll]

Austria moving into a 20 day lockdown for everyone and an universal vaccine mandate starting in February.

If Germany had balls, we would do the same.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59369488

I am glad Austrians are protesting this!

They should over throw their government.

NO

MORE

LOCKDOWNS

[jamestroll]

If Germany had balls, we would do the same.

No, this is really not a good idea.

Zero Covid is dead, we are all going to have to learn to live with it to a degree.

Yes!

I encourage all citizens of countries with lockdowns to stand up to their government and over throw their government if necessary.

[jamestroll]

If Germany had balls, we would do the same.

No, this is really not a good idea.

Zero Covid is dead, we are all going to have to learn to live with it to a degree.

Yes!

I encourage all citizens of countries with lockdowns to stand up to their government and over throw their government if necessary.

this in many countries count as a crime

I DO NOT CARE! STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS!!!!

[jamestroll]

If Germany had balls, we would do the same.

No, this is really not a good idea.

Zero Covid is dead, we are all going to have to learn to live with it to a degree.

Yes!

I encourage all citizens of countries with lockdowns to stand up to their government and over throw their government if necessary.

You realize that the only way out of lockdowns is a high immunity rate? That said, I think general vaccine mandates should only be ultima ratio as a very last ressort, but seems like everything else has failed here? At least they're doing something.

And before anyone says "just leave unvaccinated on their own", when more of a quarter of the population doesn't have immunity, the hospitals will collapse when the virus is just left to "run its course". And when hospitals are collapsing, patients with non-Covid diseases will suffer or die as well.

You do realize there will never be lockdowns or any restrictions ever again in the United States, right? One of the reasons Virginia Governor was lost by Democrats was over fear of pandemic restrictions.

I am fine with mask mandates (I mask myself) and vaccine mandates but closing down businesses is never going to work in the United States. It just pushes gatherings to less regulated private homes or big box stores.

[jamestroll]

Let's not ground people like teenagers when most people down the right thing and were vaccinated.

Now if we could get more people to properly wear masks...

[jamestroll]

If Germany had balls, we would do the same.

No, this is really not a good idea.

Zero Covid is dead, we are all going to have to learn to live with it to a degree.

Yes!

I encourage all citizens of countries with lockdowns to stand up to their government and over throw their government if necessary.

You realize that the only way out of lockdowns is a high immunity rate? That said, I think general vaccine mandates should only be ultima ratio as a very last ressort, but seems like everything else has failed here? At least they're doing something.

And before anyone says "just leave unvaccinated on their own", when more of a quarter of the population doesn't have immunity, the hospitals will collapse when the virus is just left to "run its course". And when hospitals are collapsing, patients with non-Covid diseases will suffer or die as well.

You do realize there will never be lockdowns or any restrictions ever again in the United States, right? One of the reasons Virginia Governor was lost by Democrats was over fear of pandemic restrictions.

I am fine with mask mandates (I mask myself) and vaccine mandates but closing down businesses is never going to work in the United States. It just pushes gatherings to less regulated private homes or big box stores.

This was related to Austria, but still no different here. The virus doesn't care about politics, and the pandemic here and anywhere else won't end before herd immunity is reached. It's just basic science and math.

No matter how much you object from your computer:

1) Kids are still attending school
2) People are still leaving their homes
3) A majority of jobs are unable to be done remotely.
4) There is no longer a pandemic related safety net (and there shouldn't be at this point.. the pandemic showed just how lazy many american workers are!.. they need to get back to work and not live on government doe).

There will not be any more ing lockdowns, ever, in the United States.

Even if you got your way and shut all non essential businesses and schools down, people would still gather in private homes all holiday season long unmasked and spreading the virus.

[jamestroll]

damn it.

No one better ing attack me over my lack of support for lockdowns. In actual reality, I am one of the few people who care about covid on a day to day basis and still recommend masking and support vaccine mandates to get us out of this mess.

It is the path of least resistance and least economic pain to end the pandemic.

[jamestroll]

NO

MORE

LOCKDOWNS!

END

THEM

NOW!!

[jamestroll]

I bet SirMohamed has not left his house even one time since March 2020 and is probably waiting until Covid is completely eradicated off earth before leaving his house next.

Funny he is probably screaming against everyone who is leaving their homes while someone who has to leave their home to doordash all his needs and wants on his doorstep.

[jamestroll]

I am glad I live in the United States

I am glad Euros are finally fighting for their rights!

[jamestroll]

If Germany had balls, we would do the same.

No, this is really not a good idea.

Zero Covid is dead, we are all going to have to learn to live with it to a degree.

Yes!

I encourage all citizens of countries with lockdowns to stand up to their government and over throw their government if necessary.

You realize that the only way out of lockdowns is a high immunity rate? That said, I think general vaccine mandates should only be ultima ratio as a very last ressort, but seems like everything else has failed here? At least they're doing something.

And before anyone says "just leave unvaccinated on their own", when more of a quarter of the population doesn't have immunity, the hospitals will collapse when the virus is just left to "run its course". And when hospitals are collapsing, patients with non-Covid diseases will suffer or die as well.

You do realize there will never be lockdowns or any restrictions ever again in the United States, right? One of the reasons Virginia Governor was lost by Democrats was over fear of pandemic restrictions.

I am fine with mask mandates (I mask myself) and vaccine mandates but closing down businesses is never going to work in the United States. It just pushes gatherings to less regulated private homes or big box stores.

This was related to Austria, but still no different here. The virus doesn't care about politics, and the pandemic here and anywhere else won't end before herd immunity is reached. It's just basic science and math.

Let me ask you this:

Do you think any state in the United States will actually do anything?

[jamestroll]

Lockdowns are clearly an ultima ratio and most people don't want to go into hibernation from November until May each year. But vaccination everyone who wants to be vaccinated and doing many rapid antigen test does not seem to be enough against the delta variant, see Germany and Austria.

Learn to live with the virus! Do not be a wuss

[jamestroll]

Well, there are basically three "solutions" to the problem. 1. Almost complete vaccinations. 2. Societal hibernation from November to May (as far as Germany is concerned). 3. Thinking "Oh, it can't be THAT bad. Learn to live with the virus!" and let many people get sick and die. I still think, that the first one is the best solution.   And if force is necessary to achieve that, it's maybe justified, at this point.

As far as I am concerned, I am double-vaccinated, plan to get my booster shot, when it is due, got warned today that I was possibly exposed on Thursday, have a sore throat and will get a PCR-test today, for which I will travel 15 km by bike to not use public transport. And we celebrated the 60th birthday of my aunt this weekend with about 30 fully vaccinated and pre-tested people. So, we clearly adapted to the virus and learned to live with it, but it's still complicated and nothing to handwave away. 

DEPLOY THE TROOPS NOW TO FORCE VACCINATIONS!!!

[jamestroll]

I bet SirMohamed has not left his house even one time since March 2020 and is probably waiting until Covid is completely eradicated off earth before leaving his house next.

Funny he is probably screaming against everyone who is leaving their homes while someone who has to leave their home to doordash all his needs and wants on his doorstep.

I see, you try to make this personal, which is kind of ridiculous. I'm fully vaccinated and will take a booster shot next month. What I'm doing is taking some precautionary steps like wearing medical masks in indoor stores and indoor restaurants while not sitting at the table, work mostly remote and avoid larger gatherings. I'm not that worried about myself or my wife, but I have no desire to spread the virus to anyone more at risk than myself.

The entire point here is that some places like Austria, parts of the Netherlands and Germany, the virus spread has apparently gotten out of control to a point where hospitals are on the brink of collapse. We have to live with the virus, but when too many - mostly unprotected - people get infected at the same time, too many will actually become sick and need ICU treatment. How are hospitals supposed to deal with this? Doesn't matter? Tell that to medical personell which already understaffed and underpaid. Or to the cancer patient, who can't get treated in time. At some point these countries have to measure their options and at least impose contact restrictions for unvaccinated people.

If 85-90% are vaccinated or have immunity, the problem wouldn't exist. As long that isn't reached, the virus will continue to spread in fast pace and cause major problems for hospitals.

Get your booster now!!!

[jamestroll]

Germany is getting belted by new cases at an all time high.

But the mortality rate is not there. Clearly, vaccines are doing their job.

Sweden looking very good given the cold weather approaching.

Winter is coming.

GET VACCINATED NOW!!

[jamestroll]

I do not understand why countries just do not deploy their armed forces to force vaccinations? It seems more logistical than shutting the economy endlessly.

[jamestroll]

I do not understand why countries just do not deploy their armed forces to force vaccinations? It seems more logistical than shutting the economy endlessly.

Restrictions on the use of the armed forces to enforce domestic law for one thing; many countries have their own versions of the Posse Comitatus Act. Using them to administer those vaccines is perfectly fine though - army medics are trained with using those needles.

I do not. Deploy them now!  NOW!

The unvaccinated are selfish and foolish.

It is not "my body, my choice" its ing destroying society.

[jamestroll]

https://twitter.com/notesfrompoland/status/1463841112808906757

Excellent!

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!

[jamestroll]

The President of the RKI will demand that Germany go back into lockdown today at an emergency meeting with Merkel and the Traffic Light coalition leaders.

Hoping they tell him to  off.

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS!!

GET VACCINATED NOW!!

[jamestroll]

I was going to travel international next month, partially to trigger the online left, but that may not be possible if the US implements a quarantine requirement on returning travelers.. even those with three covid shots .. ugh

[jamestroll]

https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2021/12/02/coronavirus-en-peru-variante-omicron-adelanta-restricciones-para-los-no-vacunados-covid-19/

Peru will begin to require vaccination proof to enter indoor spaces beginning December 10th and their vaccination program is now in full speed.

I hope my Virginia proof works for them...

But it will be interesting to see how a country with vaccine passports work in practice but in a country with such an informal economy, enforcement would be probably sparodic.

Peru is literally proof that harsh lockdowns were never going to work. They wrecked the country. Thank goodness it is relatively open now.

[jamestroll]

I was going to travel international next month, partially to trigger the online left, but that may not be possible if the US implements a quarantine requirement on returning travelers.. even those with three covid shots .. ugh

If you were already going to take time off to travel, is 7 extra days really a deal-breaker?

I’d imagine for the vast majority of Americans, yes. This wouldn’t affect me because I have the option of working remotely whenever I want, but I only have 15 vacation days a year and that’s more than most. Using 7 days (if I’m require to work in-person, as most people are now) would mean using 1/3 of them quarantining myself which is enough of a disincentive for me not to bother. Or, e.g. my sister, who’s a college student planning to abroad during her winter break to meet our grandmothers for the first time since pre-pandemic, would likely cancel if it meant missing a week of class.

I’m skeptical it’s going to happen, but any enforced quarantine period is likely enough to be a massive disincentive to travel internationally esp in this country.

I just would refuse to comply with a quarantine requirement in my own damn country being fully vaccinated, with a booster shot, coming from a country with a far lower per capita case load than the United States.

But as someone who is not very risk tolerant (even if a quarantine is not enforced, I would hate to be caught), I would probably just end up cancelling.

[jamestroll]

More proof that lockdowns are BS

On March 15 2020, with 28 confirmed cases and no reported deaths, the Peruvian government declared a nationwide state of emergency. This quickly introduced a series of strong control measures, which included closing borders, restricting freedom of movement nationwide and banning crowds from gathering. Schools, universities and churches were closed. In general, all non-essential activities or services were restricted, including non-emergency primary healthcare.

But unfortunately, the early adoption of these measures wasn’t enough to lessen the impact of the pandemic. Cases immediately started to climb.

The government had acknowledged that adopting a strict lockdown would be difficult. Peru has a large informal workforce and a fairly limited social security system – meaning that staying at home, off work, would be hard for many. So the government announced a series of policies, such as cash transfers, to try to protect people’s livelihoods while asking them to stay at home.

But the state didn’t have the capacity to deliver cash and food in a way that prevented citizens from needing to venture out. People still had to go out and form long queues in banks to receive their cash transfers. Many also still needed to travel daily to food markets. Both became potential infection hotspots.

https://theconversation.com/how-peru-became-the-country-with-the-highest-covid-death-rate-in-the-world-169779

People have also ended up crowding at banks as they attempted to access coronavirus relief funds.
The government's stimulus package to help millions of Peru's most vulnerable families was a good idea, but its distribution was poorly designed, said Kristian Lopez Vargas, a Peruvian economist and assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
In a report last year, the agency that regulates Peru's banks reported that only about 38% of adults have a bank account. The lack of access to the financial system means a majority of aid recipients have to go in person to the banks to obtain their money.
"It was not hard to anticipate people's behavior in their attempt to access this aid," Lopez Vargas told CNN. "Instead, these policies caused unnecessary harm by inducing people to gather in large crowds in banks."
Many Peruvians also live and work in ways that simply can't be reconciled with social distancing, he pointed out. According to Lopez Vargas, more than 30% of households in Peru live in overcrowded conditions, with four or more people sleeping in the same room.
And more than 72% work in the informal economy, according to Peru's National Institute of Statistics and Information. For those living day-to-day in the informal sector, earning an income oftentimes depends on going out to work and not self-isolating.
This, combined with the needs of millions to obtain food and other items from crowded markets, "was an explosive mix," Lopez Vargas said.