It was a quiet start to the Jewish Holiday Passover yesterday. A succession of quiet Good Friday and Easter holidays are coming up this week.
A quiet Ramadan will begin on April 23 - Saudi Arabia, the home of Mecca, says it fears 200,000 cases among its 33 million residents.
How sad that these joyous holidays, which are all connected with some kind of feasting and togetherness, should be celebrated in isolation.
Let's continue the conversation.
Comments
Apparently, the SW Region of England at the moment has the lowest rates of covid 19.
The reasons suggested are:
More rural
More cautious (ie older)population
(more aware of having greater risk? being kept indoors? more compliant? age related to
previous experience of war, post-war and cold war circumstances?influenced by John
Wyndham's `apocalyptic' novels?)
Easier geographically to turn back `holidaymakers'?
I'd like to add another thought to what I said about the dangers of covid 19 previously:
Were the over 70s and other really vulnerable people not being `shielded', we'd have overall death rates soaring above the seasonal norm for 'flu.
Most of the dead from covid, so far, would not have died in a flu epidemic. They represent `excess mortality' over and above the losses that would have happened had we oldies been carrying on as usual.
I suppose it can be argued that current death rates are artificially low - I'd expect the isolation to reduce 'flu deaths as well.
Without isolation, hospitals & undertakers would have been overwhelmed.
Has anyone else seen this? Thoughts?
Also, I read Birx's daughter works for Melinda G and Birx herself sits on one their boards. Could not get the link to post.
My question is- who is producing these masks and where is our cut?
Gives a detailed account that is too long for summary.
They're also telling small businesses to start producing them, so the economy doesn't completely up on a halt.
Just bought 4 cute masks with cats on them (and some with cat mouths) myself.
My parents also ordered a bunch of washable ones for the family.
Been craving Jakartan street food for days now. And so worried about the street vendors as I imagine nobody's buying from them right now!!
Just ordered some ingredients so I can make my own "homemade street food". (it's challenging because we have a "No cooking with MSG!" rule in our house, so I'm finding ways to make my "street food" as tasty & authentic as the real thing. I'd normally be proud of myself, but I also feel terrible for the street vendors losing business because people prefer cooking (having full control & oversight over what they're eating these days).
I guess we will be purchasing homemade as well. Our govts are going to have to take a hard look at who is producing our medicine and PPES in the future. Had we all been told to wear masks, and access, in the beginning, the virus would not have spread as badly.
I'm craving a Pizza Hut Supreme thin and crispy
good morning (late for me).
I was up late trying to make masks for certain family members as I sew and they don't. One of the next gen kids only had a bandana. One of my gen is at risk for breathing issues. And, they all have an inlaw who doesn't sew.
So, I am close to half way done with 9 masks.
So, as grateful as they are, they and friends have "expressed concern" that I'm willing to make a run to the post office to get those out.
What they don't know is that I'm wearing a mask, gloves and using laundry sanitizer on my outside (and actually all our clothes).
It's not bleach or that color safe bleach (that one which doesn't appear to sanitize). Sure, I have TP but I also have a stash of laundry sanitizer.
@WildBoarBattle-maid, re the methylene blue: I checked it out because I, too, had a flashback to science class and danger POISON POISON POISON skull and crossbones warnings! The thing is, when it was first discovered (and used as a dye), the medical community found uses for it and considered it a miracle drug. I did a further search on methylene blue and it popped up on nootropic websites (nootropic = use of various drugs for cognitive enhancement and to improve memory).
There were lots of caveats for people that want to try it on their own for things like Alzheimer disease and cognitive improvement for people that had had brain damage as a result of strokes, accidents, etc. Those had to do with buying bulk methylene blue from unknown sources because that will probably kill you because lots of it has arsenic and other metals in it. There are no approved sources for oral use or any use for people at home. (Imagine my surprise, I didn't know that there was such a thing as people dosing themselves with methylene blue.) I would personally rather have it administered in a hospital under controlled conditions. If a person is taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors, it could slap kill them because it also increases serotonin. It was used as an antidepressant and an antimalarial in the past before safer treatments were found.
That being said, there are medical uses for it per Wikipedia: As a medication, it is mainly used to treat methemoglobinemia.[1][3] Specifically, it is used to treat methemoglobin levels that are greater than 30% or in which there are symptoms despite oxygen therapy.[3] It has previously been used for cyanide poisoning and urinary tract infections, but this use is no longer recommended.[1] It is typically given by injection into a vein.[1].
Also per Wikipedia: Methylene blue was first prepared in 1876, by Heinrich Caro.[5] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system.[6] In the United States, a 50 mg vial costs about US$191.40.[7] In the United Kingdom, a 50 mg vial costs the NHS about £39.38.
I'm sorry to quote a poor source such as Wikipedia but it is probably adequate to know that this is something that should not be done at home.
SwampMan and I were out on a grocery store run (he ran out of orange juice). We went through the drive through at Chick-Fil-A for spicy chicken sandwiches and all of the outside and inside employees were wearing masks and gloves. (We wanted to hear "have a blessed day!" from the young people.) We admired the pretty floral cloth face masks they were wearing. I'm not sure if it was their mothers, grandmothers, ladies from the area churches, or the store manager that sewed them.
At the grocery store, we were both required to take a cart for 'social distancing' purposes. As soon as I walked in, I saw a petite lady covered up head to toe and with a face mask on and with bright yellow rubber gloves. I waved both my gloves at her. I looked like I should have been in a Lawrence of Arabia movie with my baseball cap with the long flowing fabric sides for covering face and neck from insect attack during yellow fly season but now repelling virus. I also had on a gray shirt with a long-sleeved olive drab shirt over the top, jeans, and neon green shoes. We both burst out laughing at how ridiculous we look everywhere we go now.
We had our PPE bagged and tagged by the time we got to the pharmacy because we're down to the N95 masks without the one-way valve for exhalation. It is safer for everybody that way, BUT it is hot as hell. The pharmacy people were masked and gloved as well.
I told SwampMan that I'm going to make cloth masks today out of old blue jeans and camo pants just for things like drive through windows when we don't want to put back on the possibly contaminated masks that we used in the stores.
I'm kind of liking this whole mask thing because I can go out in public looking like a complete fright and nobody will know. (I mean, I went out drenched in sweat and manure of various kinds before so that isn't a change, but at least now nobody will know who I am.)
I may have missed a few because I was looking over a list of those that had died of the virus that were recorded on that day. They may have died on the previous day and their death was recorded the next. They may have died yesterday and their death will not be recorded until today.
Whole Uk, from John Hopkins site, running total of deaths so far almost 8000, not sure if that's hospital only or including deaths outside hospital as well. This is how the stats get so muddled.
One thing for sure, we can expect a surge in the Manchester area in 2-3 weeks - police broke up over 600 parties last weekend, both in houses & street parties, (complete with DJS, bouncy castles and fireworks, for Pete's sake!)
Some people won't admit they should have done as they were told until they've lost someone precious or are at Death's Door themselves.
Another thought about Oldies - my generation has come through risk of smallpox & diphtheria just after the war, a polio epidemic (all swimming pools closed), TB, Strontium 90, radioactivity from Windscale (now called Sellafield), ditto from Chernobyl, BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) hence new-variant CJD, in addition to what I mentioned before. All invisible threats, some just coming out of the sky. As well as the very visible Smog, generated at ground level.
Then there have been the animal epidemics where our movements had to be restricted - fowl pest (aka Newcastle Disease) in the early 1950s - I can still see the men wringing necks and throwing dead birds onto smouldering pyres as I waited for the school bus.)
Foot and mouth outbreaks - the 2001 one was terrible, around here so many animals were slaughtered the lanes in some cases ran with blood. I still cannot forgive Blair for not imposing animal movement restrictions immediately. His whole approach was suspect.
My point is that we have had it drummed into us to follow sensible instructions in order to survive. Authority was given more respect then. Many of the young now, on the other hand, think they know best.
I expect everybody here can think of examples in their own country.
A little bit of good news to gladden the heart.
* bans you from leaving your home other than for essential grocery shopping or to go to a health care provider or pharmacy, but you may take your vehicle to the garage to fill up with petrol so that you can do the aforementioned
* bans you from leaving your home for exercise for you or your pets (if you want your daily does of Vitamin D and do not have a private enclosed garden, stick your head out of a window on the sunny side of the house?)
* bans all sales of alcohol and tobacco products (we got warning of the former but none for the latter ban before lockdown commenced ... anyone who did have the financial means and space at home to stockpile would run out before the initial 3-week period ... it's there so you consume more than you would usually as you are at home all day ...)
Those who did stock up on alcohol and managed to stock up on tobacco products are now going to feel the pain of forced withdrawal along with the unlucky ones who did not manage to stockpile. Things could get nasty .... but bootlegging for tobacco products is doing a very brisk business (I buy cigarettes from 'under the counter' so it is easy to find a supplier) and the same may start to thrive for alcohol (the few idiots who tried to rob bottle stores ... about 20 or so I think ... will be amateur stuff from yesterday).
Rolling out mass testing, starting in crowded areas where people are most vulnerable and the virus would spread most rapidly, has been slow (lack of equipment). The government has also been honest in saying that the data and reliable scientific information is either absent or not comprehensive enough to make the right choice at this moment but the probable negative consequences of lifting the lockdown at the end of next week are not a risk we should be taking.
The President, Vic-President and Cabinet Ministers are taking a one-third salary cut and donating that to the COVID-19 relief fund (I bloody hope they backdate that).
Relief to small business has been racialised (no whites need apply, nor, well anyone but black people and in South Africa that means 100% black with no mixed race AT ALL) and that is going to lead to some kind of legal challenge.
COVID-19 is here to stay for a while ...
Well, the masks were finished and are now in the hands of the postal system. While we were practicing out social distancing at the post office, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in more than 10 years? And we were both wearing masks. How cool was that?
And, I was able to make it to JoAnn's before they closed (get a few more supplies for masks and stuff).
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-nyt-reporter-challenging-the-coronavirus-narrative
For all those criticisms against states that did not completely shut down.
Interesting, Sandie. Do you hear anything about how other countries in Africa may be doing?
Unless it is major news or is connected to South Africa, any news from elsewhere in Africa will not make headlines in South Africa so I would have to go looking for it! Unfortunately, most South Africans are like that!
Our President is president of the African Union (a bit like the EU) and he is trying to get African countries (those that are part of the union) to commit to funding and a coherent plan of action.
There are a lot of reputable and really good international health agencies who are present in Africa and have a lot of experience. It is bad for everyone if the virus flourishes and mutates in Africa so I am sure the international community will step in where African countries are not doing their bit to control the spread of the virus.
Here is a site with the information about a day out-of-date:
https://www.africanews.com/2020/04/09/coronavirus-in-africa-breakdown-of-infected-virus-free-countries/
Major stats as at April 9
Confirmed cases = 11,440
Number of deaths = 574
Recoveries = 1,405
Infected countries = 52
Virus-free countries = 2
Countries hardest hit (well over 1000 cases each), in order are:
South Africa
Algeria
Egypt
Morocco
BTW, the two countries that supposedly have no cases are Lesotho and Comoros. Also, since there have been so few deaths in South Africa (with the most cases) I assume that people in other countries are more vulnerable and are dying in far greater numbers than here.
Africa has stunned the world by not taking a leading role in the headlines about the global crisis we are now facing with the Coronavirus pandemic. There are numerous theories as to why this is so, ranging from Africa’s experience with epidemics, which has better prepared its countries to isolate victims of highly contagious diseases, to speculation about the disease’s ability to survive warm weather, to the disease has simply not arrived in large numbers, yet.
I was traveling in Africa during February at the time that the Coronavirus was making its way from Wuhan, China to the rest of the world. When I landed in Mauritius, I had to fill out a detailed public health survey while still on the plane, and before I could go through passport control, nurses wearing masks took every passenger’s temperature with a laser infrared temperature gun. Any passenger with a fever was pulled aside, and taken into quarantine. When I landed in South Africa a week later, government staff greeted all arriving passengers with a similar laser infrared temperature gun, as well as thermal cameras that detect elevated body temperature on a large display screen. Passengers with fevers were taken aside and screened further. When I returned home to the United States several days later, there was no screening whatsoever, and anyone with a fever could waltz right into the country.
https://africa.com/coronavirus-africa/
More than 8 000 people have been screened and almost 500 referred for coronavirus testing in less than a week in the Western Cape, the province with the second highest infection rate, Premier Alan Winde said on Thursday.
The population of the Western Cape is almost 7 000 000 and just over half live in the Greater Cape Town Metro. At least 40% will live in conditions that make them vulnerable for being infected, getting very sick, and spreading the infection.
Not enough people are being tested, not nearly enough.
The problem has been lack of equipment and labs that can process the tests, but there have been other minor things that have caused delays (such as lack of PPE for a testing site, and so on). Mobile testing machines have been purchased (I think South Africa ended up repurposing the ones used for TB, of which we have many as TB is a huge problem in South Africa, especially the Western Cape) but the testing is almost a waste of time with such small numbers. (And screening then testing means those who are infected but asymptomatic and infected but not yet showing symptoms think they are OK and are spreading the infection! ... Test everyone!)
We don't have enough equipment and personnel to do so. Testing and tracing contacts for testing, then isolating, hospitalising and quarantining (those who do not have the home conditions to self isolate) is the plan but it is happening slowly (hence the extension of the lockdown to buy more time) and in a race against the virus, the virus is winning.
Until we can find a cure or vaccination, if we do not ruthlessly contain the spread, we will be living with bodies piling up in the streets. (NO matter how wealthy or 'advanced' your country is, it does not have the capacity to deal with the millions who would need hospitalisation nor the hundreds of thousands who would be dying every day - check out New York: the funeral system cannot cope with the number dying and so special arrangements have been made with refrigerated trucks and mass graves.) There will be a vaccine and the lockdowns are buying us time for that, but, in the meanwhile, it is making the situation manageable, which is, ironically, perhaps why some people are thinking 'what crisis?'.
It is that it spreads so quickly and overwhelms any weaknesses in the host so quickly that makes it so dangerous while we have no vaccine or treatment.
We can recover from the financial losses of the lockdown, but how will we repair the damage to children, and us, of seeing bodies piling up in the streets and other horrors?
There is so much we do not know about this virus, but scientists have been working around the clock all around the world and there is a lot we do know. There are three main strains of the virus. That affecting the east coast of the USA is not the same as that affecting the west coast.
@ SwampWoman said...
Has nothing to do with the mayor, has nothing to do with governor, it has EVERYTHING to do with the residents.
Spot on.
Not going into details, but this is how i feel about some in indonesia too. Thankfully my dad helped me explain (and laid down the law) to people who don't take me seriously.
I've been helping people buy toiletries online & these people don't appreciate what's happening outside the house (The neighbourhood security guards are enforcing physical distancing, there are police at the suburban borders with temperature checks). I wasnt even aware the security guards guard the mobile vegetable vendors to keep people safely distanced & the police were out as I haven't left the house since March 16 when my cooking school locked down.
The housestaff think we're just being "difficult" (despite my running errands for them). I mean they wanted to collect COLD HARD CASH (germy money in person) from friends who borrowed money from them because they didn't have the patience to wait for a bank wire to clear. What are they even going to spend money on during lockdown when we're buying everything for them. They finally stopped nagging me after I told them the cost of outpatient treatment was over the amount of money wanted to collect.
A week later, they've already forgotten what to told them. Said tehy wanted to get some Salonpas (Japanese heated band-aids). Father happened to have some in the First Aid box. When I handed it to them, not only did they look rather annoyed at losing an excuse to go out, they tried to bring in a piece of plastic we'd left out on the porch (from an online veggies order) to let the viruses on it die. THEY JUST DON'T GET IT.
We're doing our best to protect our staff (so tehy don't have to go out & do the shopping/risk themselves like staff in other households, with me buying their toiletries for them & them complaining i bought the wrong brand of toothbrush). Other families would have had the staff go out into infection-zone and take the fall.
And they're acting like petulant children. I feel like I'm babysitting grown women older than me! Like some hormonal teenagers on a bloody curfew.
It's infuriating.
They won't even physical distance from me when I'm using the kitchen (while wearing a mask & visibly keeping my bottle of handwash nearby) because they're nosy. They should be grateful when I do the cooking since they get a break & can go watch TV in their rooms.
So father handed out some washable masks and told them, fine go out but laid down the rules:
- wear mask
- wash mask & all clothes right after
- Don't touch any door handles (ring bell at front gate so we can open front door for them)
- pump out hand sanitiser & don't touch anything
- shower (including wash hair) right after
After that they chickened out & said they'd already showered so maybe they'll go out tomorrows before they showered.
My dad said he's letting them out so they can see for themselves how things are being handled in Jakarta/burbs (they've been WhatsApp-ing relatives in the rural areas where it's understandably more relaxed since they're less densely populated & explained why they're not taking it seriously). My dad thinks it's necessary for them to see how the neighbour's staff are doing their bit.
He even made me do a little theatre demo on how far (1.5 metre) people are being told to queue at the tukang sayur (mobile vegetable vendors) as enforced by neighborhood security.
It's the only way they're ever going to take this thing seriously.
The Indonesian government is banning travel to home villages for Ramadan & Eid (require people to go on quarantine for 14 days before moving between cities).
Meanwhile in England, those who hate Boris are still in denial that this virus affects everyone (yes including Etonian white males in high office, those wretched privileged a-holes) & insist on making everything political & all about race.
Apparently if you have a "strange" crush on Rishi Sunak, that makes you a closet racist too. (Ooooh I wonder what Just Harry thinks of that!)
I guess my family consists of a bunch of classist a-holes too for doing our best to protect house staff too by taking care of them so they can stay indoors too, eh Maitlis?
Just so much toxicity in some souls that even a time like this can't help them grow some compassion. A whole bag of chips on some people's shoulders.
Say something figurative like "have fortitude & strength of character" and you can be sure some hateful person will twist your words and make you look like a monster.
Humans have so much in common but we insist on fixating on the differences.
I mean did we expect from humanity? Of course people are going to politicise this. Of course narcissists are going to ride on this.
It's because deep down they're hollow inside.
It's really showing during a time like this.
People are dying and they're going on self-glorification marathons on social media. It's extreme behaviour, if you ask me.
Naturally the only way to make up for it is by adopting equally extreme behaviours from the other end of the spectrum (so-called "kindness") by feigning outrage/concern over the most marginalised of our society.
It's extreme polarities of narcissistic behaviour and then a quick flick of a switch to "kindness" all on one social media feed. There's a lack of consistency there: one minute they're navel-gazing & staring at their own images. And then the next minute they're posting the most dramatic expressions of outrage/support to frontline/essential workers to make up for it.
It explains why these people rarely have a MODERATE view on anything.
I already know which people in the public eye I will continue to support after this mess is over.
Thanks so much for your updates from Indonesia! I loved your story about relatives wanting to go out and then being given the conditions and kind of changing their minds!
A short South African blessing from The Kiffness.
Kiff: adj. South African slang for extremely cool or awesome.
Hell, I'm annoyed I lost hours of my morning trying to explain to them so understand.
They're not relatives (the only blood family i have at home is my dad/one of my brothers usually), they're live-in staff at our house. Although we try to treat them like family.
We've managed to protect & never send them out for errands since the lockdown (but they're not taking it seriously since their relatives in the rural areas are WhatsApp-ing them about how everything's still hunky-dory in less densly-populated parts of Indonesia).
The thing is, we've protected them so hard they've been sheltered to what's happening in "the real world", so to speak.
So We're finally going to let them out now (with strict rules) so they can see for themselves what a dystopia Jakarta has become. Let them see with their own eyes the police & security guards keeping people at safe distances.
Maybe they'll gain some perspective & think twice next time before complaining about getting the wrong brand of toothbrush as people are dying from the virus.
I'll stop before this turns into another essay.
So, if you're taking votes on whether you should rant or not here, you've got mine. ��
Exhausting stuff. I wish I didn't have a reason to rant at all.
Taking people's advice to screen what news I'm taking in. I think I'll reduce my international news intake as There's enough at home to be infuriated about. 🤣
Every body is suffering right now. Everybody.
Hope you're all healthy.
Apparently if you have a "strange" crush on Rishi Sunak, that makes you a closet racist too.
This was the strangest narrative ever.
Rishi Sunak is young, good-looking, well-educated, and powerful.
Why would it be "strange" or "racist" to find him attractive?
Lots of women apparently find Boris Johnson attractive (based on his number of wives, children, etc.), and he's only got the last two qualities in that list.
@Nutty I'd also like to hear the logic behind being a closet racist if attracted to Rishi Sunak. The only reasoning I can think of is that "woke" logic would find anyone who is non-South Asian finding him attractive not a "true" attraction but rather fetishization which is racist. Then there is probably an element of him being considered a token member of the Conservative member.
I love your rants! Carry on.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8206855/Labour-councillor-apologises-saying-Boris-Johnson-intensive-care-publicity-stunt.html
I give up on the whole race thing.There s so much warped thinking about, most of it in denial about what we know of ancient history, modern history, genetics, geology, you name it.
There does appear to be some sort of correlation between susceptibility to the virus and, for want of a better term, ethnic background, in the US. Or is it a case of different levels of deprivation? Diet? Healthcare? Social behaviour? Genetics? Or something else?
In the UK, the fear of being seen as `racist' can lead to even greater injustices. Not just in the case of Meghan's behaviour but in the reluctance of some police forces to pursue dangerous criminals.
Btw Rishi Sunak is a Hampshire chap, born in Southampton, sometime head boy of Winchester College, highly intelligent, good looking - what's not to like?
See what I mean?
Using terms for identity gets very problematic very fast. I can think of how the word Oriental has morphed over time. It's considered racist to use when used in reference to East Asians from countries like China, Japan, etc... However the term was originally used to describe Arabs and peoples from the Middle East.
There does appear to be some sort of correlation between susceptibility to the virus and, for want of a better term, ethnic background, in the US. Or is it a case of different levels of deprivation? Diet? Healthcare? Social behaviour? Genetics? Or something else?
The correlation might be socio-economic status and its effects (weaker immune system, overcrowded living conditions, stress, bias in terms of medical care/intervention, compliance/non-compliance with government directives, more likely to work in essential service industries so more exposure) ... little effects here and there add up to some kind of significance perhaps. I doubt that it is genetics.
Here is an example: South Africa has the most infections per country in Africa but has a very small proportion of the deaths so far. Most people in South Africa are black (and unlike in the rest of the world, to be classified as black in Africa you must be 100% black African). Overall, deaths are still in low numbers in Africa, but maybe the tsunami is still going to hit us.
The UK also has seen a disproportionate number of deaths among black and Asian people. There seems to be a lot of speculation about why but none of it is backed by hard science. It does seem to be about socio-economic issues and culture and not genetics:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/07/bame-groups-hit-harder-covid-19-than-white-people-uk
I've always had a fetish for tall Englishmen with RP accents. Yet nobody's ever accused me of racism...