Coronavirus/Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[Huntress]

Beginning Monday, people in Bavaria have to wear FFP2 masks in stores and on public transport. The other German federal states could adopt this rule soon.

 

On paper, this sounds like a good idea, but how are poorer people supposed to pay for these masks on a regular basis ... a pack of 10 FFP2 masks currently costs at least 15 € (~ 18 $), and prices will only go up once demand increases. 

 

https://www.thelocal.de/20210112/bavaria-orders-compulsory-ffp2-masks-on-public-transport-and-in-shops

[Faulkner]

 

[victoria foxton]

 

 

[janea4old]

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle is 

usually simply called "Fred Hutch". 

They one of the top medical research institutes.

They collaborate with the University of Washington science departments and medical school in Seattle, along with a few other medical facilities in Seattle.
The coordinated efforts of all this Seattle scientific/medical research makes the combined group very high ranking in reputation.

 

Because of this research collaboration, some of the staff at Fred Hutch research medical stuff that isn't cancer. It's all sorts of medical research.

 

Trevor Bedford is one of the Seattle research team scientists.

He is one of the top scientists in the USA who specializes in influenza strains, virus strains, epidemics, and the genomes thereof.
Bio: https://bedford.io/team/trevor-bedford/
He's been tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus for the past year.

 

This is his lab website: https://bedford.io/

 

He works with Next Strain which is explain here:

https://nextstrain.org/

 

I've been following his twitter since the first USA COVID case was announced in the news in early 2020.

 

It's very scientific, and I don't know enough science to understand most of it.  But if I read a news story about a new strain,  I go to his twitter and there's usually something about whatever is happening -- if what is reported is real.

 

He has a new twitter thread today (Thurs. Jan. 14, 2021) about the new South Africa COVID variant.

It's a 19-tweet thread, complete with illustrations, and I won't pretend to explain it,

but click to open the first tweet here, and then read all his replies to himself in the thread:
 

 

Edited January 14, 2021 by janea4old

[victoria foxton]

 

  

[victoria foxton]

 

  

[Faulkner]

Talk about a rock ‘n’ roll survivor...

[DRW50]

 

[DramatistDreamer]

This whole entire vaccine rollout has been an unmitigated disaster.

Now, we have the very real aspect of the most vulnerable and in need of vaccination having to wait behind scores of rich and well-heeled people who cut in front of the line. More of America's vast inequality on display. Other than Brazil, who got the Chinese-made vaccine that's only half effective, I don't think another country has handled this pandemic more poorly than the U.S.

Edited January 15, 2021 by DramatistDreamer

[Vee]

 

 

[victoria foxton]

 

  

[Khan]

See?  That's what we get for that dumb "Ice Cream Challenge" a few years back. 

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[OzFrog]

 

Oh I’d say the UK has come pretty close. Our government here has been reactive the whole time, and usually does not take the appropriate emergency measures until it’s too late. Add the Brexit chaos on top of that, and you can visualise the complete s**tshow we’re in right now.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Oh , I have been reading about the U.K. for a number of years now. I have family living in the U.K., a few of whom have worked for NHS, who told of how bad Brexit was going to be for NHS, and that was before the pandemic even emerged.

 

I have noticed that the countries with the shakiest governance are the ones struggling to cope with this pandemic, either because of arrogance, incompetence, indifference or some lack of connection with reality, or a combination of these factors. In some way, poor governance seems to be at the root of it all.

[amybrickwallace]

 

Same here. It's a nightmare.