Coronavirus

I agree with you Guap. It's not the flu, it's much more serious.

I’m surprised there haven’t been more COVID covers:

“It’s getting hot in here
But don’t take off your mask
I am getting too hot
But I’m going to keep my mask on”

I could see Dylan singing this or one of the numerous sad female singers that currently abound.

“To mask, or not to mask, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous COVID-19,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.”

Cheerful, eh?

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

I'm maintaining my theory (and it's just a theory mind you, I'm not an official scientist, doctor or immunologist) that very few people contract Covid19 outdoors.

The heat drives people indoors to seek shade and / or air conditioning. Indoors has all those touchable surfaces that are not subject to the elements of the outdoors and, unless cleaned almost constantly, can retain virus molecules.

Air-conditioned air is hardly the cleanest as it's usually just re-circulated. The heat also drives people indoors often WITH OTHERS - the main way Covid is believed to be spread: proximity indoors with others.

I believe this is the reason we are still seeing spikes in some areas during heat waves.

Outdoors you've got UV rays anywhere that's not in shade (which kills the virus).
You've got heat which MIGHT kill the virus (probably a little slower than heat combined with UV rays).
You've got open air currents which can disperse and dilute the virus (theoretically, in as little as a few inches, and some scientists say you need to inhale or ingest the virus molecules in a certain concentration to contract it).
You've got rain.
You've got the constant processes of precipitation, condensation and evaporation which cleans outdoor surfaces of contaminants at a relatively constant rate.

While there are many germs that live outdoors, contagious viruses without a host don't last or remain long on surfaces exposed to the elements. Outdoors may be the place with the most dirt, but it's probably one of the cleanest places to be in regards to contracting a contagious illness.

Now, all of that probably means zilch if you are outdoors and swapping spit with someone infected, coughing or sneezing DIRECTLY on their face or in their mouth, sharing the same drinking bottles or exchanging bodily fluids.

Yikes, they need to get a room.


Seriously: good post.

COVID bill looking DOA.

Gotta love incompetence.

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"This is that human freedom, which all boast that they possess, and which consists solely in the fact, that men are conscious of their own desire, but are ignorant of the causes whereby that desire has been determined." -Baruch Spinoza

RIP Herman Cain - died from Covid.

Yeah I guess... I mean, it was pretty brave of him to attend that rally with his family during a global pandemic. No masks. No social distancing. Nuthin. But yeah...sure, I guess? I don't know man. It feels a little troll-ish and I guess it worked, cuz here I come from out under my bridge. I don't wish the guy was dead but I'm having a really hard time feeling bad for him. Its probably because I'm soulless and emotionally unavailable but I have high self esteem. So it balances out in the end.

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We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...

Eh. Reality is complicated. He was very foolish (he was 74, so he was at very high risk) and died as a result, and I think we can note that without being glad he's dead, and thus retain a clear conscience.

Based on what I read on Politco today about the state of affairs in the halls of Congress. It’s more dangerous to be there than it was at that rally. But I agree. It is complicated. RIP

Looked at a site yesterday on Covid facts vs. myth.

Most were common knowledge at this point...

On heat killing Covid the answer was "Unknown."
While most other corona virus cases lessen in hot weather, how Covid19 reacts is unknown. Viruses tend to spread more in cold weather months - most likely from people being indoors with others more often.
(Personally, I reckon Covid19 likes 98.6 F. And apparently remains active in temps up to 107 F - a maximum fever. So perhaps only temps higher than that will kill it? Not too many places in the U.S. get over 107 on a regular basis.)

On if you can get it from your pets the answer was "Probably False" - as no known cases of the virus making animals ill have been recorded and no cases in humans have been traced to pets (however, tracing is not an exact science). Guidelines say treat touching animals the same as touching humans - wash hands before and after.

Wow Yoda! Did you almost yield to the dark side?

So was just about to have one relative come and stay with me after not seeing them since January and the government announced a few hours ago that some areas in the North West of England will be not be allowed to have family or friends from a different household inside your house once again... And I live in one of those areas.

Yet people can still meet to go to the pub without wearing masks in these same areas...

Wasn’t there a cat with symptoms, but who recovered? Too many stories abound so I may be confused.

You were brave to even consider it. Personally wouldn’t let anyone stay overnight in our house until this thing is over.

I heard that too and also an animal (lion/tiger?) in the zoo caught it, presumably from a human.

I won't let anyone into the house, period.

Tried to keep husband out, but he keeps coming back.

ha, good one

There was a story a couple months back about two tigers that caught it - at the Bronx Zoo I believe (but am not sure). It was surmised they caught it from their human handlers.

But as far as I know they only tested positive for it - I never heard they were sick from it. (But then, why would the zoo be testing tigers for Covid? Unless the handlers reported they contracted it first? Too many questions.)

The short blurb I read about animals (pets specifically) said that: too date, none have gotten sick from the virus (but it didn't elaborate as to if any were known to contract or carry it). It did say there has been no recorded spread from animal to human and that spread via pets is highly unlikely.

I'm not sure of the spread part, but I know animals have contracted it. There was a news story just the other day about how the first dog with a confirmed case had died.