COVID-19 Catch All

[Bounce]

Yesterday, a spokesman for the Iron Butt Association shared this:

...

As I said earlier, Mike has not yet finished the update to the in-city requirements, so you might want to hold off. Just out of curiosity, is Toronto locked down?

Mike also had the following general comments regarding going for rides at this time.

Ira

----------begin Mike's comments-------------------

We understand no one wants to be told to do, and even if you have the
argument that you will bring gloves for gas pumps and/or cleaner to
wipe them down and not interact with anyone, our friends in the
medical community are telling us (effectively), you do NOT want to be
in a hospital right now. While having an accident is probably
statistically not likely this is just when odd things happen. So I
did ask, while we are out there riding remotely, are rural hospitals
impacted? The overwhelming answers was mostly they funnel anything more
than a broken arm or leg to larger city-based hospitals which if not
already overrun are gearing up to deal with Covid-19 patients.

Reports from riders last week (before a lot of the business close
orders) are also saying that if you hit bad weather, there is nowhere
to shelter right now. Many states have closed Rest Stops (some
have opened them back up for truckers at least - but that still
leaves you out in the cold). Even truck stops are mostly closed for
any kind of sheltering and of course you can't legally ride in CA,
OR, WA, IL, OH and most of the Northeast and even more than we can
track right now. Many of our favorite stops for bathrooms have
closed them to the public, even normally dependable McDonald's have
closed many restrooms.

And finally, breaking down on the road is going to leave you stranded
as most motorcycle shops are closed starting today in most areas.

It is really time to hunker down and stay close to home and ride another day.

Mike

 

[08FJR4ME]

THIS SUCKS !!! 

   We can still ride but as the post above says there ain't much out there that is open.

Good luck my friends, Dave

 

[mcatrophy]

We can still ride but as the post above says there ain't much out there that is open.

Lucky you. UK: no pleasure outings of any sort. Essential trips (for food, medicine and essential workers) plus up to one hour per day of outside exercise (keeping a distance from anyone else) only. 

 

[Bounce]

Lucky you. UK: no pleasure outings of any sort. Essential trips (for food, medicine and essential workers) plus up to one hour per day of outside exercise (keeping a distance from anyone else) only. 

That's not luck. That's how a real quarantine is supposed to work (and which doesn't work unless it's like that).

 

[08FJR4ME]

Since I am supposedly an esential employee I have to go to work every day. I am bored out of my ever livid mind. I have had 3 jobs drop in the last 2 weeks which is nothing compared to normal. Why the fook am I at work? I could easily bail and get paid due to underlying health issues. I know my boss will hold it against me down the road though. Will the company do something for the 10% that are required to show up while the remainder are safe at home. HIGHLY DOUBT IT.

Going nuts, Dave

 

[12tinker]

Acushnet, MA? Hope you're not making golf balls!

stay well. I'm required to go in, but we make needles possibly used for the vaccine

 

[08FJR4ME]

Nah, They moved out of the plant in Acushnet now. Kinda sucks because it did help our tax base quite a bit. That's where it all started though.

Dave

 

[Fontanaman]

Here is an interesting article. It compares the deadliest pandemics in human history. There is a nifty graphic showing the scale of human life lost. The 1918 Flu 50 million, AIDs 35 million, COVID-19 70,800.

These aren't great times now but the perspective helps.

 

[RossKean]

Here is an interesting article. It compares the deadliest pandemics in human history. There is a nifty graphic showing the scale of human life lost. The 1918 Flu 50 million, AIDs 35 million, COVID-19 70,800.

These aren't great times now but the perspective helps.

The number is currently double that and still growing rapidly.   I don't know where it will end out but something well over a million, I expect.   And that relatively low number only because of the extensive actions that we have taken. 

1918 influenza happened at a time when health care was nothing like it is today.  No idea what the mortality rate would be today - maybe just as high?  Attempts at mitigation were poor and not coordinated around the world.  News traveled more slowly and pandemic disease was not as well understood by the average person as well as most doctors.  While COVID-19 is less deadly than the 1918 flu, mortality is still very significant as is contagion. I would argue that worldwide mitigation activities have made a huge difference in the number of people who have contracted the coronavirus and the number of deaths.  For flu, treatment with pharmaceuticals was primitive and a vaccine wasn't even a hope.  Perhaps we will have a vaccine for the second wave of coronavirus? (Influenza second wave killed more than the first in some places)  Coronavirus is tough to stop because people can be asymptomatic or not develop symptoms for a week but can still spread the disease. Flu victims got sick much faster (and died more quickly).

AIDS is a little different.  NOT especially contagious but extensive spread was due largely to ignorance and poverty.  Initially,  almost 100% fatal and unfortunately a disease that one could have and spread months or years after initial HIV infection.  Infection rate in North America due largely to lifestyle choices and contaminated blood products. 

I agree that fewer people are likely to die from COVID-19 than from 1918 flu or AIDS.  It might or might not have had the potential to kill 50,000,000 people.  I don't know and don't want to find out.

 

[fjrob1300]

My deep thoughts passed along to those I care about.

So... to those thinking the quarantine is stupid and a waste of your valuable time. Try this exercise. Go through your list of friends and family. Pick 100 of them. Now pick 40 of them that will get the virus. They are the one who will now be sick . Not you of course , you don't have time for it. Some will get really sick . Now pick 3% of them to die. 12 people to die. Go ahead I'll wait. ......Who ya gonna choose? Your pal from grade school? Your Nana? Oh I know "crazy " uncle Rob? the next door guy you wave at with 4 kids? Oh ? you can't . But this is such a waist of your time. Go ahead and pick 12 of your friends and family that YOU can do without. That's how it works So there you have it you selfish piece of ****! Stay home!!! Wash your hands and cover your face. Some thing to think about as well. What if you were on someone else list?

I didn't mean to confuse folks with my math. I was using 40 as my number of sick folks. Hypothetically saying , what if you infected say, 40 people. Then using 3% death rate. 12 would be the answer. The thing is... if you were the one passing this along you don't know how many you would give it to.

 

[RossKean]

An interesting article on the number of fatalities.  Some have been saying that the death toll is grossly exaggerated in order to put forth their notion that this crisis is deliberately overblown by gov't and media to justify their handling of the situation and make good news stories and that many deaths are being blamed on COVID-19 that are actually due to other causes.  This article shows the other side of the coin and is pretty convincing.  The real truth may lie somewhere in between.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-accurate-is-us-covid-19-death-count-some-experts-say-off-by-tens-of-thousands/ar-BB13n5UY?li=AAggNb9&OCID=AVRES007

A bit of a long read but suggests that the number of reported deaths is far less than actual and we might not really know until this is over and statistical treatments of "excess deaths" in various regions can be compiled.  Epidemiologists often have to rely on this sort of methodology in the absence of testing data that confirms cause of death.  With woefully insufficient testing, the best numbers might only be determined using valid statistical treatment of morbidity data - at least for a time up until testing was starting to catch up.  If postmortem specimens were collected and preserved, some medically verified improvements in numbers should help with the process.

Unfortunately, we won't really know a lot of stuff for a while.  The real infection rate will be elusive until we do antibody testing after the fact on representative portions of the population and the death rate will wait until statisticians can get together and work things out.

 

[Fontanaman]

Unfortunately, we won't really know a lot of stuff for a while. 

+1 * 1000.  A look back in history confirms we don't know stuff for a while. 

 

[mcatrophy]

Our rules are changing from tomorrow, we are allowed to drive to an open space for exercise. I shall take that to mean I can ride to an open space, but not bother to stop when I get there, just find my way back home again. AKA: A ride out. Yippee!

I've been formally notified that our ferry crossing to Spain in a couple of weeks is cancelled, no surprise there.

Meanwhile, son and daughter continue to work from home, picture shows daughter's dining-room work-space.



Apparently this view is well known to work colleagues on her video conferences, as is the extra vocal input.

 

[Bounce]

We have a Bombay cat too (all black with "copper penny" eyes). A real velcro snuggle bug that vocalizes more as she gets older.

 

[Bounce]

 

[KevinLewis]

Finally some recovery after so many people are effected from COVID 

 

[KevinLewis]

+1 * 1000.  A look back in history confirms we don't know stuff for a while. 

Still it looks like that we wont for some time in the future as well. 

 

[FJRBluesman]

I didn't mean to confuse folks with my math. I was using 40 as my number of sick folks. Hypothetically saying , what if you infected say, 40 people. Then using 3% death rate. 12 would be the answer. The thing is... if you were the one passing this along you don't know how many you would give it to.

With all do respect. Last I checked 3% of 100 is 3 (.03x100). And 3% of 40 (.03x40) is 1.2.

30% of 40 is 12. Did they change the math during lock down too?

 

[fjrob1300]

With all do respect. Last I checked 3% of 100 is 3 (.03x100). And 3% of 40 (.03x40) is 1.2.

30% of 40 is 12. Did they change the math during lock down too?

Ya ya my maths suck... thanks for bringing it to my attention..... again.

 

[KevinLewis]

That sounds very complicated. I had to go through it thrice before I could get it.