Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[AlabamAlum]

It’s a pity that some wise Zimbabwean doesn’t have a quote I could use.

[iam416]

Rhodesian.

[Dr. Strangelove]

In entertainment news, a federal judge has ordered Trump to put up or shut up.


https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020...2551597352516/

I saw this and was pleased. Put up or shut up, you twats.

I also see Trump has decided to go Birther on Kamala Harris. Fucking pathetic.

Oh and for the record, he used it on Ted Cruz too. Barak Obama. Kamala Harris. Rafael "Ted" Cruz. Boy I don't know....with names like those, are we sure they're real citizens?

Gee, I wonder who he's trying to appeal to with insinuations like these?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jon, the AB response varies by individual without any solid research that pins down why. There is anecdotal evidence that some of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 don't develop antibodies at all or those produced are insufficient to provide elimination of the virus within the body, protection from the complications of C-19 or further immunity. But, to my knowledge there is no pattern and researchers will offer the standard caveat: "needs more research." In the case of the link you provided, there is no link to the study itself so, I can't tell you if it was conducted properly and it's conclusions well founded. No link to the study itself is bad ju-ju. Articles that don't site the research, its in the public domain and accessible to me, I don't pay any attention to them.

For the purposes of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, keep in mind there is both an adaptive immune response (ABs) and an innate response involving T-Cells. There is some good research that finds some people who have been infected by one of the 4 more benign versions of the coronavirus, their immune systems will be primed to defend against SARS-CoV-2 and mount a robust AB and T-Cell response. It appears that it is these people, regardless of age, that fight the virus off and recover quickly. Completely naive, healthy humans may or may not mount a strong AB response and it appears that depends on the viral load from the initial exposure. Those with impaired immune systems either by age, acquired or congenital disease or unhealthy life-styles mount poor AB and T-Cell responses, don't do well and that is well documented.

The linked article on Sweden's experience suggests that without an AB response, herd immunity isn't going to develop. That may be the case globally, i.e., herd immunity for SARS-CoV-2 isn't going to happen. So, it's just not Sweden experiencing this phenomena. The article from the Economist that I discussed up thread suggests that - vaccine or no vaccine. Control? Yes. Eradication with only limited outbreaks as in measles or TB? No. Influenza has not been eradicated but it, along with it's disease burden, has been controlled. Expect the same for SARS-CoV-2.

The salient points: While critics of Sweden's response to the pandemic will note a high CFR, they'll conveniently neglect to mention that Sweden has achieved control of the virus by achieving low growth rates and absence of uncontrolled community spread while employing only the most basic mitigation measures - masking and distancing, very limited closings. At the same time they experienced only minor social and economic disruption compared to other EU nations along with the US that locked down and severely restricted personal mobility. Not only did Sweden employ just basic mitigation measures but they also employed a wide-spread, national testing and reporting system that allowed for rapid ID of newly infected Swedes and isolated them.

If readers here aren't getting the point that you win this battle with basic mitigation measures that everyone complies with coupled with an organized national, structured, wide spread testing reporting and tracking system you're not paying attention. The list of countries obtaining levels of success v. SARS-CoV-2 with this approach and are achieving control of the virus while experiencing minimal economic and social impact is long and doesn't include the US.

[foxhopper]

Just an honest take from someone with boots on the ground in the world I live in. The folks I know live paycheck to paycheck. They have missed mortgage and rent payment in the last few months.Most think the whole covid thing is bullshit. Some wear masks because they are told to. Some won't. most don't believe a thing they see on the news. Some work, some don't The ones that do have good jobs don't dare say what they really think in fear they will lose their pretend jobs. Most have some kind of a hustle that somehow pays the bills in normal times. Most live way beyond their means.Most are idiots that hardly have a clue. Most probably won't get out and vote. They live for "now:". They don't put a whole lot of serious thought in to the future but it doesn't stop most from having more kids.

And these aren't even the people who are out rioting and demanding to cancel everything....Most are good people. Some even god fearing. The real silent majority imo.

These are the kind of people I see everyday. Probably people you guys look down on, but I call them the real normal because they are what I know and see. And the ones that look like they are doing the best are the biggest frauds. If they were honest they are in the worst shit. Just like this country is.

I see a lot of you guys lying to yourselves. Scared to face what is really happening to the average American. You are the first to believe the news and our government. You really believe the news and government have our best interest at heart. Wake up.

[AlabamAlum]

Joe needs better handlers.

[AlabamAlum]

Here’s the vid. Doesn’t look like a photoshop.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Christ, just how big is his basement???

[AlabamAlum]

I think he’s out of his bunker and went to Costco to get some self-help books.

Trump or Biden. Jesus Christ, America.

[iam416]

Comparing Sweden and the UK. It's a blog entry discussing an article -- the article is what I should link, but I'm too lazy: https://www.nationalreview.com/corne...n-not-so-much/

Of some note (I largely agree that these were/are the 3 options):

[I]f a drop in GDP is unavoidable, governments can influence its size and scale. Politicians can react in one of three ways to a pandemic. They can do nothing, and allow the disease to rip until herd immunity is reached. Quite rightly, no government has pursued this policy, out of fear of mass deaths and total social and economic collapse.

The second approach involves imposing proportionate restrictions to facilitate social distancing, banning certain sorts of gatherings while encouraging and informing the public. The Swedes pursued a version of this centrist strategy: there was a fair bit of compulsion, but also a focus on retaining normal life and keeping schools open. The virus was taken very seriously, but there was no formal lockdown. Tegnell is one of the few genuine heroes of this crisis: he identified the correct trade-offs.

The third option is the full-on statist approach, which imposes a legally binding lockdown and shuts down society. Such a blunderbuss approach may be right under certain circumstances – if a vaccine is imminent – or for some viruses – for example, if we are ever hit with one that targets children and comes with a much higher fatality rate – but the latest economic and mortality statistics suggest this wasn’t so for Covid-19.

Also of note -- this relates to the UK, but it's germane to at least some localities in the US and certainly germane to the Media coverage:

Even more depressingly, a Swedish approach was always unrealistic in Britain. Panic and hysteria were the only possible outcome when the failure of the system became apparent. I’m not seeking to absolve Boris Johnson of blame, but he would have found himself in an impossible situation had he sought to ignore the official advice, and he inherited few, if any, working levers to pull.

I think, by and large, the United States tired to be in category 2 more than anything else. Even accepting that Categories 1 and 3 are poles on either end of the spectrum, I think the US defitnitely aimed for #2. A problem, IMO, is that this thing was politicized from Second 1. That's on PDJT. That's on the Ds. That's on the Media. The notion that if PDJT would have just led we'd all be throwing flowers at his feet is ludicrous. So, anywho, when it became politicized it was very difficult to effectively message in Category 2 -- i.e., we need to take this serious, but it's not catastrophic. A large number of the people thought it was a total joke and fair number refuse to wear masks; and a large number of people think life should grind to a total halt.

As a point of fact, the loss in economic output for UK for last quarter was over 20%. Sweden was at 8%. And Sweden has a lower per capita death rate from Covid.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I think he’s out of his bunker and went to Costco to get some self-help books.

Trump or Biden. Jesus Christ, America.

The sign looks digital and inserted into the video to me but i'll try to find the original video from a non-MAGA source.

[iam416]

Christ, just how big is his basement???

I think he’s out of his bunker and went to Costco to get some self-help books.

Periodically -- about once a quarter -- you two make me chuckle. About at the same frequency as a Tim Conway-Don Knotts movie or skit.

[Cody_Russell]

Here’s the vid. Doesn’t look like a photoshop.

It's not real. Funny, but not real.
Someone in the comments below the tweet shared a YouTube video. ... unless someone at CBS impressively removed the sign ... like something you would see in the entertaining movie "The Running Man."

[AlabamAlum]

I was kinda pleased that he was self-aware and trying to address a problem.

That’s even more depressing.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah the Costco visit happened in 2012.