"This Coronavirus scare is all political!"

[Buckeye_Democrat]

That’s what half a dozen Trump-supporting coworkers said to me over the last couple days! Or they say it’s some kind of conspiracy.

I replied that the rest of the world couldn’t pull off such a stunt, such as the massive quarantine of Italy, and it’s ridiculous to think they would do it just for political reasons in THIS country!

I work in a factory, but even blue-collar workers shouldn’t be this stupid!

They always defend Trump NO MATTER WHAT! They act like he’s their blood relative or something, like a mother who insists her son “is a good boy” even after he murders someone.

They’ve also tended to express their sociopathic and selfish tendencies with gusto, such as how it’s terrible that sporting events have been cancelled “just because some old people might die”.

[Skittles]

1. I've heard that too, along with TDS!

more proof it is a CULT

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I happen to be one that thinks

the corona virus is overblown, but it's NOT political.

Some people may be trying to use it for political purposes, but the are idiots.

[Maru Kitteh]

4. I happen to think those who post "the are idiots"

may regret posting in a glass house. Just me.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Currently, the curve that fits our growth

is going faster than Italy.

It is likely skewed by more tests being done - but at the rate we are going, it will take us only 8 days (next Saturday) to get to the number that Italy has now (~18,000 cases).

Italy has now tapered off at least slightly from the exponental rate at which it was growing - we, on the other hand, are growing confirmed cases faster than the exponential growth of a couple of days ago.

Continuing at this rate, on approximately 5/1 we will run out of hospital beds. (There are about 1 million beds. About 65% are currently occupied, leaving 350,000 beds for COVID 19 patients. About 20% of all COVID 19 patients worldwide end up hospitalized. That means when there about 1.7 million ill, we will run oug of beds. Using a curve that fits with an r^2 of .9943 (a good fit), we hit that number about 5/1.

All of this reaction is to avoid hitting that point - or at least stretching out when we hit 1.7 million so that they don't all need hospital beds at the same time. (Remember - COVID 19 patients tend to remain in the hospital for 2+ weeks, needing ventilators much of that time).

If we're successful, you are probably still going to believe it was overblown - since it will just seem like a bad flu season (and we don't cancel everything for the flu). But I'd rather have you (and the folks on the other side of the political aisle) laughing at the over-reaction than have to have our doctors choose which patients to let die (the point they were approaching in Italy before their dramatic restrictions started to flatten their curve).

[AllyCat]

12. Well said Ms Toad!

[herding cats]

13. I've been wondering if we can reopen closed (due to budget cuts) hospitals?

It would take federal aid, of course, but if we could, we could help mitigate potential future damage.

It's something in our arsenal I've not seen mentioned. It's being explored I'm sure.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. Probably not.

Re opening them would involve all sorts of things, including re-stocking supplies and hiring the very many staff needed. I don't think there's a large excess of doctors, nurses, and all the ancillary personal needed just hanging around waiting for a job.

Plus, every other person who'd be needed: cleaners, IT staff, registration people, medical records people, and on and on. They are not sitting around unemployed hoping for something that causes the re-opening of a hospital.

[herding cats]

19. It wouldn't need to be fully staffed.

I'm not speaking of reopening them as normal hospitals. They could work as satellites of other hospital systems.

If they brought back retired staff as, Cuomo is currently doing, and supplemented with military medical teams it might avert potential bed shortages.

[stopdiggin]

27. still not workable

what about equipment, and then supplies? Can't be taking them away from other facilities, unless they are excess (which I haven't heard of). And then, even if the ancillary staffing was available (which I also very much doubt) and up to speed on training and protocol .. who is going to be supervising, scheduling, admitting .. passing meds ..
Maybe some very small relief around the edges .. but not any kind of real answer to basic (and fundamental) shortages. For my two cents .. I think we're better of strategizing (and maybe brainstorming?) around the infrastructure we currently have in place.

[herding cats]

14. It's a virus. It cares not what you, or I think.

Just so long as you take it seriously enough to follow the guidelines and mind your personal space and hygiene, you're entitled to your opinion.

Oh, and might I suggest you don't share your opinion with anyone who has family in Italy? That might lead to an impassioned dressing down.

[stopbush]

25. It's hardly overblown if you're in a high risk group.

No doctor is saying that hundreds of millions of people will contract the virus and die. They’re saying that hundreds of millions of people will contract the virus, that they’ll be perfectly healthy but that they will have the potential to act as carriers, infecting hundreds of thousands of people who will die from the virus.

That’s not overblown. That’s how viruses kill.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

32. People here and people who post on FB seem to think

that pretty much everyone will get the virus, get sick, most will get seriously ill and at least a third of them will die. Even if doctors aren't saying that, the perception is out there.

I try to be a sane voice in the wilderness and it's just not working.

[stopbush]

33. That's not what I'm hearing at all. That's not at all the perception.

If anything, most people seem to be taking the attitude they won’t contract the virus, but they’re still hoarding toilet paper.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

34. I'm glad you're not hearing that.

But I'm seeing a lot of: "This virus is a mortal danger to EVERYONE and if you don't get that, if you point out that some people are at greater risk than others, you're a calloused jerk who just doesn't get it!"

Even the very worst case scenarios (and worst case scenarios almost never play out except in disaster movies) a relatively small percentage of people will die. Yes, if every single person in this country gets this virus and 3 percent of them really die (which is incredibly unlikely) while the absolute numbers are horrifyingly huge, still some 97% of us will survive.

I've been doing some research on the 1918 flu pandemic. I cannot find population charts that actually show a drop in population from those deaths. What I can find is this.

https://ourworldindata.org/spanish-flu-largest-influenza-pandemic-in-history

Click on add country on the upper right to delete countries, and that will have also taken you to a list of all countries. Look at different ones.
What stands out? That’s right, two things. One is that the 1918 flu adversely and severely affected life span. Second is that the life span recovered in about two years. Hmmmm.

I guess taking the long view is unpopular.

[stopbush]

47. You're not taking the long view. You're creating a reality for yourself

then treating it like it’s a fact.

A sure sign of this is putting quotes around something you thought up all on your own, as if you’re posting a direct quote from someone else. Very much reminiscent of tRump’s “a lot of people are saying” bs.

[jpak]

37. So stop

Maybe?

[Dios Mio]

30. Overblown

“Overblown” will join “hoax” in the graveyard of obsolete words in about a week.

[walkingman]

3. AS soon as they experience the reality (and they will) then they will change their mind. I fear this

will be a Hurricane Katrina on steroids. We all will have to suffer but will learn a lot of lessons. The first being that we have our priorities wrong in America. In reality Trump will be the least of our problems although this will be his legacy.

[dawg day]

5. You are right...

They defend him like a deluded mom defends her killer baby.

[Midnight Writer]

7. The irony is that if better judgement prevails and we whip this thing, they will say "Told you so!".

[lunasun]

15. + exactly it will be see no big deal why close gatherings instead of closed events prevented surge

[alittlelark]

8. Say that in any grocery store.......t

I heard that today - from a SUPPOSED tRumper She looked nervous with 6 12 packs of diet coke and some item with NO Nutritional value

[True Blue American]

28. I saw women throwing snacks in her basket

Big bags, wondered what she would do with them. She Had no items that would suggest buying for others.

I had to clear a path for a tiny lady on a walker, but those I asked to move were very nice and I thanked them.

[lunasun]

40. Mmm I've worked with people that is their breakfast and lunch stuff like chips cookies and soda

I always imagine McDs is dinner ...

[True Blue American]

44. I know

I see the over weight toddle out of Starbucks in the morning with their calorie laden coffee and cookies, go to the handicapped parking with no sign, drive away.

I have a sticker, but seldom use it because I feel walking is good for me!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

35. Totally aside from what's going on right now.

I don't happen to drink soft drinks any more. Sometimes, when I'm at the grocery store, I'm astonished at how many soft drinks are in the shopping baskets of so many people. Why?

[True Blue American]

45. I noticed that

While observing the panic buying Friday.carton after carton. 7Up does settle ad upset stomach. I keep that.

[Initech]

9. Ever notice how the people who say that we shouldn't politicize tragedies...

Are the ones who are actively politicizing tragedies? I noticed this shit happening during the Parkland Shooting. That is the very textbook definition of hypocrisy.

[marble falls]

10. Ask 'em, "Why would Democrats destabilize politics in the country and offer a pretext to Trump ...

to declare martial law?"

[misanthrope]

11. Not just blue-collars

My wife and I are surrounded by right-wingers of various socio-economic levels and they all spout the same company line.

[lunasun]

39. Sadly I'm in Chicago not a RW in sight and I encounter this too ☹️ But if class makes a difference

I would use working to middle for the ones here . ..they think it’s a trump move ! Can’t fix stupid anywhere anywho
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213090024

[Brainfodder]

16. Probably by April Fool's Day some major suffering will have begun here and a lot more countries?

Last edited Sat Mar 14, 2020, 09:40 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm doomed, 75+ relative under my guidance will not give up everything, although by 4/1, expecting no choice in the matter with almost nothing open for business except essentials.

Between old folks ready to go home and young carefree carriers being stooges, yeah feeling kinda fucked, and I am not in a easy under %1 fatality chance category myself.

Good Luck!

[marlakay]

18. I couldn't get my older mom and daughter

To care they both think its not real. My younger daughter 38 told me she called both her grammas today in their 90’s and begged them to stay home, she told my mom she would pay for any extra deliveries she needs. I was real proud of my daughter, and she said she tried to get through to her sister too.

My younger daughter has kids in school and a husband in the military where they are quarantining people near his base and its in her area. So she takes it serious.

My mom already has meals where she lives so she doesn’t need to go out and I mail her anything she needs but my daughters offer was great. She wants her grammas to live.

[sdfernando]

20. Unfortunately it will take ur affecting

Them directly.... when a coworker or close relative dies....some...SOME will open their eyes....but not all.

[TlalocW]

21. I'm friends with a guy, and we're on FB together

He's a complete Trump-humper and has been spouting this BS for a few days. A mutual friend who is in the healthcare industry in a position that works with pandemics has routinely shut him down (along with me and a few others). True to form when he knows he can't argue against the facts, he resorts to be holier-than-thou and putting up passive-aggressive religious junk like, "The media are saying Coronavirus is coming, and everyone panics. The Bible says Jesus is coming, and most do nothing." It's something that he's tried to use on me enough that when he does, I point it out to him and declare myself the winner of the argument.

TlalocW

[stopbush]

26. Religious belief is a conceit that has absolutely no power against this virus, or any other

disease.

[dchill]

31. Religious belief has no power...

...against anything that can kick you in the ass.

[sinkingfeeling]

38. Uh, Jesus has been coming for over 2,000 years. The virus is moving

a lot faster.

[lunasun]

41. ++Good one ! 😉

[safeinOhio]

22. I hear they have almost found a cure at

Trump University. They have some of their best people working on it.

[Aussie105]

23. Unfortunately Trump has legitimized disconnecting from Reality.

If you believe in something hard enough, facts don't matter, and what you believe and say will come true.

Trump does it every day, many times.

Trump Reality Displacement Syndrome. Seeing life through a Trump lens.

Apparently some people are prone to adopting it. And liking it. Bless their hearts! Bless their tiny minds!

[C Moon]

24. Well, then I hope beyond all hope that these people soon find it hard to breathe.

[dchill]

29. I'm not the least bit sorry to say....

...that the only cure for their condition is to contract the coronavirus. Then MAYBE it wouldn't seem so political. I don't wish for that, though. )

[malaise]

36. That will change when they see Granny or Grandpa

in the funeral parlor or when the parlor rejects the body.

[kentuck]

42. They always support their Leader:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiQC0J-UwAAq0Qn?format=jpg&name=small

[Renew Deal]

43. There is no need to convinced them

Just remember they’re morans and move on.

[scarytomcat]

46. so to tank the economy and sell short?

seems possible to me