Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

At what point do we take a step back and start locking things back down again? When it's too late again?

Why would we need to do that?

 

[tsubaki]

Makes total sense to me.

I mean, its obvious there isnt just 1 thing we can do, its a combo, from washing hands to clever vaccines. They all help. As for TTI, I know its your hobby horse, and you are not wrong that its been patchy, and thats being generous. Bur being honest, has a decent system been developed and adhered to anywhere in the Western world?

No, but then the Western world has singularly failed to deal with this. We've got more efficient takeaway delivery networks than we do things that would actually prevent lockdowns, deaths, economic damage and so on.

 

[tsubaki]

He is an imbecile but on that he isn't wrong. Zero covid is impossible and we need to progress from just surviving to actually living.

Right - but without having better defences against this virus (and other viruses) we'll never be able to do that. That is the point here - if you don't want another lockdown, we have to have something to prevent us ever getting to the point where it is that out of control. We still do not have that.

 

[roydo]

No, but then the Western world has singularly failed to deal with this. We've got more efficient takeaway delivery networks than we do things that would actually prevent lockdowns, deaths, economic damage and so on.

What vaccines were developed in the Western world?

I mean I dont want to get into a Davek type geo political (not even sure what that is if I am honest), discussion, and mistakes were made, everywhere, but at the end of the day, the window to some relief has come pretty much from UK, EU, and US pharma.

The big enemy not that long ago.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Right - but without having better defences against this virus (and other viruses) we'll never be able to do that. That is the point here - if you don't want another lockdown, we have to have something to prevent us ever getting to the point where it is that out of control. We still do not have that.

We have never had a track and trace system in the entire the history of humans and we've never had this issue in the past - the body will adapt and life carries on.

 

[Mrk]

No, but then the Western world has singularly failed to deal with this. We've got more efficient takeaway delivery networks than we do things that would actually prevent lockdowns, deaths, economic damage and so on.

Probably because they've had hundreds of billions of dollars spent on R&D over the past 15 years, coupled with the fact that western democracies are not wired to deal with events like this, either socially or economically.

It'll take an international effort to develop such technology, processes and standards - I hope to god it happens - but it would be fair to acknowledge that all of the wests resources have gone into actually defeating what is immediately in front of them, rather than thinking long term. Far from ideal, but certainly understandable.

 

[BlueToff]

We have never had a track and trace system in the entire the history of humans and we've never had this issue in the past - the body will adapt and life carries on.

Suppose the worry is has the precedent been set?

We proved that to stop flu, we could just lockdown every winter (and obviously have flu jabs on top of that).

 

[BlueToff]

Probably because they've had hundreds of billions of dollars spent on R&D over the past 15 years, coupled with the fact that western democracies are not wired to deal with events like this, either socially or economically.

It'll take an international effort to develop such technology, processes and standards - I hope to god it happens - but it would be fair to acknowledge that all of the wests resources have gone into actually defeating what is immediately in front of them, rather than thinking long term. Far from ideal, but certainly understandable.

In all fairness what's the other alternative.

People say 'look to the east' etc but they've had harsh lockdowns too and generally live a very different way to us.

What's the other option? Go into hermit mode like Aus and NZ and stay there?

 

[Mrk]

In all fairness what's the other alternative.

People say 'look to the east' etc but they've had harsh lockdowns too and generally live a very different way to us.

What's the other option? Go into hermit mode like Aus and NZ and stay there?

I think there probably is a middle ground and I'd bet a lot of money that technology will be the answer - I wouldn't like to be the person tasked with finding that solution though.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Suppose the worry is has the precedent been set?

We proved that to stop flu, we could just lockdown every winter (and obviously have flu jabs on top of that).

And make everyone else want to jump off a bridge? A great solution in the long term. I'm not a particularly depressed person but I'd rather be dead than lockdown every winter.

There is no real need or obligation on the general public to prevent all flu deaths. Sensible measures yes but lockdown should never happen again.

 

[Mrk]

Suppose the worry is has the precedent been set?

We proved that to stop flu, we could just lockdown every winter (and obviously have flu jabs on top of that).

We're ruled by consent though - I think this is a key issue here. Personally, I think people will be quite happy wearing masks in the winter, mainly because it seems like common sense and hardly infringes on people's civil liberties, but if a government here or anywhere else tried to introduce lockdowns to combat something we've always dealt with... they wouldn't be in government much longer.

 

[Tramps_mate]

I wouldn't believe a single word from China tbh..

 

[roydo]

I think there probably is a middle ground and I'd bet a lot of money that technology will be the answer - I wouldn't like to be the person tasked with finding that solution though.

Think nature will be the answer.

There is a school of thought that the Spanish Flu never went away, we just call it a cold or flu these days. And what folk forget re the vaxes, is they do more than protect and reduce transmission in the short term. They also teach your immune system to recognise and deal with Covid, naturally.

 

[Tramps_mate]

"at a certain stage we are going to have to live with this virus"

the man is an imbecile

Its correct though. It will never go away.

 

[Mrk]

Think nature will be the answer.

There is a school of thought that the Spanish Flu never went away, we just call it a cold or flu these days. And what folk forget re the vaxes, is they do more than protect and reduce transmission in the short term. They also teach your immune system to recognise and deal with Covid, naturally.

You're right, but, I don't think that should be any reason for us not to look for long term solutions. We all know Covid-19 is here to stay and it'll flare up every so often, we now need to start thinking about the next 'black swan' event. We should embrace the power that technology has to mitigate things like this happening in the future.

In some ways we were lucky this time - people have been happy to buy newly issued government debt to support the economy. If this happened in the middle of a financial crisis... yeah... I wouldn't like to see that.