Coronavirus/Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[Faulkner]

RIP.

 

 

[victoria foxton]

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by victoria foxton

[Aback]

 

You should also wash your hands before and after wearing gloves, it's not like gloves are germ-repellent.

 

 

Where do you get your data? Scholars are still discussing why Italy has been especially hit, so I don't understand where you're coming from. Also, the infection rate in NYC has unfortunately become twice the infection rate in Lombardy in the space of a few days.

 

It's really hard to measure how many times an entire population bathes (also: it's not related to the virus). I have no clue if Italians bathe more or less than other people. One thing is for sure: each one of us could never live without a bidet in their house

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LOL your imagery dates back to 1950s.

[DRW50]

 

https://deadline.com/2020/03/lucia-bose-dies-italian-actress-antonioni-fellini-1202890229/

[xtr]

 

I definitely hope that you and your family end up being okay. I saw you said you in another post that you don't have any symptoms. Hopefully, you don't have it, or if you do, you're asymptomatic and you'll end up being okay. It seems like a lot of people who have contracted this disease so far have been asymptomatic, and will be okay. Also, I did see a figure from a twitter account that is tracking recoveries of this disease, saying like 100,000 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far. I believe it's true because I also saw an article from Newsweek mentioning that. Hopefully, that figure can people some comfort knowing that a lot people have recovered from this.

 

 I wish more testing would become available so that people who have been exposed to someone/have severe symptoms can get tested. Those are the top two types of people who really need to be able to get testing right now, especially with the tests being limited. I hope they are working on getting more tests available for people and I did see somewhere where some places were starting to get the drive through testing sites. I hope you end up getting access to a test. 

[xtr]

I was reading up on Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat's recent proposal for a stimulus bill. I also read up a bit more on Mitch McConell's bill. It is more generous than what Mitch McConnell was trying to do, but there are some similarities as well. I could see the Republicans/Democrats doing some type of fusion of both bills. Nothing has passed yet, but here is some important information to know and what I think people may need to be on the lookout for should a bill pass.

 

Both sides  want to give money to taxpayers. Both Bills are saying they want these funds to go to taxpayers. Which is definitely good. Though, taking that into consideration it doesn't look like any people who were unemployed for the past couple of years or are disabled are going to get any payments. (Unless they change things). Both Bills are saying they will be looking at either the 2018 or 2019 Tax Returns to help determine who to make payments too. Mitch's bill said they would also look at 2019 Social Security records, for people who haven't filed Tax Returns for either years. So if you haven't already,  definitely get your tax returns for those years filed. Even if you made only a little bit money, you may still be eligible to get a payment. The way the Democrat's bill is looking,  if you just worked and filed a return you could get stimulus money.

 

Mitch wants to start giving money to people who made at least $2,500. But either way if you worked at least a little bit you could probably get some sort of payment. I also want to note that if you were a dependent on someone's return during these years,  it's looking like as of right now you wouldn't be eligible to get a payment. Say you were like 17, 18 both of these tax years and were claimed by your parents. And now you're 19, and now out of the house, it's looking as of now you aren't going to get a payment. Likewise if you were a full time college student (and under 24), who worked a little during these years and were claimed by your parents, it's looking like those people aren't getting payments either. Even if you were like 21 and 22 during these years and were working a little.

 

The Democrats proposal was talking about giving each taxpayer $1,500, plus $1,500 per child. That is more helpful to individuals and definitely families. The income people have to make in order to possibly get this payment phases out a little higher than the Republicans plan. Both of these current proposed bills could have the money being paid out recalculated on people's 2020 Tax Return. The Republicans want it to act and be recalculated as an advanced payment of a credit that will be computed again on the 2020 Return.

 

Some people could end up having to pay some of the money back, and I think that the types of people who are more likely to do this are people who have higher income (But I will definitely ask/research more about that, including at work, once a bill is finalized, and that's included in there). The Democrats also wants to use it as a credit on the 2020 Tax Return. People will get a credit on that return and it will be compared against the Advance Credit you got for the payment. If it's greater, you'll get to reduce your tax liability, if it's more it will be recognized as income and people will have to pay at least a portion of it back. 

 

Here is an article from Forbes talking about the differences in these plans and the implications it could have on people's tax returns.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonynitti/2020/03/23/house-senate-coronavirus-relief-bills-offer-drastically-different-cash-payouts-to-individuals/#66f295447110

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by xtr

[Faulkner]

 

[reallyhateskateonlost]

Bold and the Beautiful viewer frustrated with soap opera interruptions.

In these trying times, many soap opera viewers are seeing their daytime shows interrupted for federal, state and local news briefings. One woman had enough and complained to Illinois governor JB Pritzker about the constant briefings, which were affecting her ability to watch The Bold and the Beautiful. Pritzker, in one of his news conferences, apologized to the woman and said he too looked forward to the days where they could return to their regularly scheduled programming. 

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[Faulkner]

Pushed to summer 2021, at the latest.

 

 

[alphanguy74]

Scholars tend to go down rabbit holes and don't see the obvious.... The smoking rates come from WHO, The population density is just pure math, 60 million people in a country 2/3 the size of California. High speed trains are all over Italy, we don't have that in most of the United States, but New York certainly does, the SUBWAY is ground zero for the spread of this in New York, I can guarantee that. Of all the factors, the population density, and public transit are by far the biggest (New York metro ares has double the population of Lombardy). One other factor that I didn't mention, is that culturally, Italians have less of a personal bubble, they will Kiss and hug in a situation where an American will shake hands. New York City has almost half of the infections in the whole country, what is different there than the rest of the US? The density, the public transit, and the prevalance of apartment living. Los Angeles' rate is much lower, because those same issues are not at play. And AMEN about the bidet. Americans and their sole use of toilet paper is filthy, IMO... never understood it. I've been talking about that on social media, and people think I'm nuts. There is even ANOTHER factor that I didn't mention, Italian meet after work in town squares and socialize with each other, as opposed to America where they tend to keep more into their own house and space. 

Edited March 24, 2020 by alphanguy74

[DRW50]

I wish they would consider ending the Olympics, period - they bring crushing, decades-long debt to many of the host locations, and the world is not in a place at this point, financially or psychologically, for what is essentially a great deal of posturing and lying. I know I'm sure as hell not going to sit around and cheer Team USA at this point. They are being used as pawns by monsters. 

Edited March 24, 2020 by DRW50

[Faulkner]

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by Faulkner

[DRW50]

The Atlantic article has dated badly now that Cardi B is spreading conspiracy theories about the virus.

 

[alphanguy74]

I think New York is sucking up all the nations available test kits at this point

[Khan]

 

I think all that Jenny Craig has gone to her head.