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The Coronavirus - a virus from eating bats, an accident or something sinister gone wrong?


swordfish

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COVID-19 Contact Tracers or Cootie Cops?

https://reason.com/2020/05/15/covid-19-contact-tracers-or-cootie-cops/

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As if the viral-lockdown apocalypse wasn't already weird enough, now it looks like we'll be dealing with battalions of cootie cops checking on our comings and goings. Technically, they're "contact tracers" and their jobs involve speaking with people who test positive for the novel coronavirus, identifying those to whom they may have transmitted disease, and advising self-quarantine and self-monitoring for symptoms. It's a tactic that has proven useful in other countries when properly implemented, and it's supposed to focus on actual vectors of infection rather than on whole populations. But "properly implemented" is the key here, because, oh boy, does the prospect of an army of government interrogators set loose upon the land lend itself to abuse.

Much early talk about contact tracing was on technological tools, like phone apps. Those can be helpful, but they raise privacy concerns of their own, which contribute to resistance to their use. That reluctance has revived talk of traditional contact tracing using people to identify and question anybody who tests positive. Words like battalions and army really do capture the vastness of what's being proposed.

"There are many estimates on the number of contact tracers needed to keep the virus at bay as we reopen communities," notes the National Association of County and City Health Officials. "Given global experience with contact tracing, as well as staffing needs at local, state, tribal, and territorial health departments across the many disciplines needed for contact tracing, we estimate a surge capacity of at least 100,000 individuals will be needed."

New York state's reopening guide explicitly refers to "an army of contact tracers" and sets the hiring of 30 contact tracers per 100,000 residents as one criterion for permitting a region to reopen to normal social and business activity. Ultimately, the state expects to put between 6,400 and 17,000 contact tracers in place.

At ground zero for America's pandemic crisis, New York City's "'Test and Trace Corps' will launch with 1,000 contact tracers," Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week.

There is theoretically potential for doing this professionally and respectfully. The go-to trainer for many of the contact tracing programs is Johns Hopkins University, which has made itself indispensable for tracking the course of the virus. The university offers a free, online, certificate-granting course in contact tracing through Coursera. That course delves not just into the biology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the hows and whys of getting information from people, but also ethical considerations including respect for privacy.

But Johns Hopkins University isn't managing the deployment of the contact tracers it trains; that's being done by state, city, and local government agencies. And truly, there is no good idea that government officials can't turn to shit.

In the state of Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee's phased reopening plan, including an initial 1,371 contact tracers, "is raising questions about privacy rights," reports KOMO News. "The requirement that businesses keep a log of customers' names, dates and contact information is getting the most attention."

Specifically, the state requires that restaurants "create a daily log of all customers and maintain that daily log for 30 days, including telephone/email contact information, and time in. This will facilitate any contact tracing that might need to occur." That's records of all customers' information—not just those who have raised medical concerns.

"There are serious concerns with any plan that would require people to disclose their contact information and whereabouts for tracking," warns Jennifer Lee of the ACLU of Washington.

In California, Robert Levin, the director of Ventura County Public Health, went one better than Inslee. He had to apologize after a contact tracing program announcement during which, as he put it, "I gave people the impression that if you were isolated, you would be taken out of your home and put into a hotel room or a motel room or sequestered in some other way."

That's exactly the sort of "impression" that makes people reticent about volunteering the details of their shopping trips and social interactions to government-employed strangers. And, you guessed it, folks receiving official phone calls are holding back.

"Some people are a little suspicious. Some people hang up after I ask for their date of birth and address," Jana De Brauwere, a San Francisco contact tracer, told MIT Technology Review. "I understand that, the mistrust of the government, having grown up under communism. But it's too bad. I feel like they can benefit from this information: how to quarantine themselves, how they can protect their families, and what kind of support is available."

No matter how large an army of contact tracers is hired, winning people over is critical, because there is no way to make unwilling people cooperate.

"Participation in any contact tracing is voluntary, said Amy Reynolds with the state's Department of Health," KING5 reported of Washington's program. "Reynolds said while the state hopes people will cooperate to help protect the health of loved ones and others who may have been exposed, a patient has the right to refuse to share information with contact tracers."

Across the country, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is just one of many public officials begging people to cooperate with contract tracers.

But even if cooperation with contact tracers somehow became mandatory, enforcement would be a hell of a trick. There's nothing to stop people from lying to government officials they don't trust, and who continue to give the "impression" that they'll abuse any information they acquire.

"Countries with authoritarian governments or high levels of social cohesion have successfully used contact tracing, but we don't have either," bioethicist Jacob Appel told Axios.

Arguably, we do have an authoritarian government—but not one that possesses enough efficiency or enjoys enough support to make its whims stick.

So the burden is on public officials to demonstrate to our satisfaction that they're deploying an army of helpful contact tracers and not a plague of intrusive cootie cops. If they can convince the public of the wisdom of their tactics and the innocence of their intentions, maybe we can work together to resolve our health concerns.

 

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3 hours ago, Howe said:

tApVayGvQ3uBXpiqJOZ5kG6FYhh5Rh_wQ7ozNzcC

This thinking is dangerous. 

I’m on record as saying anyone who doesn’t go along with public masking is an inconsiderate jerk. Here’s a post I made on another thread.

Seeing lots of resistance to wearing masks. “A cloth mask is not going to stop a virus particle.” I think public health authorities could do a better job of explaining the justification for universal public masking. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/face-masks-importance-battle-with-covid19

Why Face Masks Are Crucial Now in the Battle Against COVID-19

As confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, the CDC is recommending that everyone wear a cloth mask when they go out in public.

Experts say the homemade masks won’t protect someone from getting sick, but they can help prevent the spread of the disease by those with the virus.

Experts also recommend that everyone continue social distancing and other preventive measures in addition to wearing face coverings.

All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 outbreak.

Public use of face masks has been common in China and other nations in Asia since the beginning of the new coronavirus disease outbreak.

Now, as the United States faces an increasing number of COVID-19confirmed cases and deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has started advisingTrusted Source Americans to wear masks, too.

“We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms,” according to the advisory published by the CDC. “This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity — for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing — even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.”

“In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission,” the advisory stated.

The CDC supported its new position by citing several studies about the asymptomatic spread of the disease, the first of which was published on March 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that all people should be wearing masks while out in public. Masks are a likely reason why the virus has been better controlled in China, South Korea, Japan, and other countries,” Dr. Subinoy Das, chief medical officer of Tivic Health and the chief executive officer of the U.S. Institute for Advanced Sinus Care and Research, told Healthline. 

The CDC is recommending, not requiring, mask use when going out in public. The agency stressed that the advisory applies to cloth masks — including homemade masks — not hospital-grade surgical masks and microparticle-filtering N95 masks.

“Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders,” according to the CDC.

Protecting others, not you

When asked about the CDC recommendation, President Donald Trump indicated that he would not comply.

“I just don’t want to wear one myself,” the president told reporters.

Most experts say you should.

“Masks should be worn anytime you are in public or people are nearby. Masks act as a physical barrier to protect you and others from viral and bacterial particulates. Many people unknowingly infect others by going out and spreading germs by coughing or touching others,” Keane Veran, co-founder and chief executive officer of Oura, a maker of face masks, told Healthline. 

“You can go out in public areas without a mask if there is no one nearby. Otherwise, regardless if it’s close quarters or spaced out, you should wear a mask with others around. This is precaution and courtesy to yourself and those nearby you.”

A cloth mask alone is unlikely to prevent you from inhaling microscopic virus particles, according to Rodney Rohde, PhD, chair of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program and associate dean for research at the College of Health Professions at Texas State University.

“The coronavirus will go right through cloth and bandanas… but it will provide a bit of respiratory protection, which can reduce depositing of droplets of the virus on surfaces and to people near you,” Rohde told Healthline.

Dr. Luke Padwick, an emergency physician and founder of Austin Emergency Center in Texas, likens the benefit of wearing a mask to coughing or sneezing into your elbow.

“Wearing a mask is good for two reasons: It’s going to cut down 95 percent of the breathing that sends the virus up to 6 feet away in a room, and also will reduce fecal/oral transmission by preventing the virus from getting into your nose or mouth” if you touch a contaminated surface and then your face,” Padwick told Healthline. “I think this will slow down the virus a lot.”

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23 minutes ago, Bobref said:

This thinking is dangerous. 

I’m on record as saying anyone who doesn’t go along with public masking is an inconsiderate jerk.

Perhaps you should direct your opinion to Dr. Karlyn Borysenko. She is a lifelong Democrat who created the shirt and is marketing them.

https://teespring.com/my-body-my-chocie?cross_sell=true&cross_sell_format=none&count_cross_sell_products_shown=5&pid=2&cid=2397

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44 minutes ago, Bobref said:

Now, as the United States faces an increasing number of COVID-19confirmed cases and deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has started advisingTrusted Source Americans to wear masks, too.

What the heck is a "Trusted Source American"?

 

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2 hours ago, Muda69 said:

What the heck is a "Trusted Source American"?

Ask the CDC.

Seriously, as best I can determine with cursory research, it refers to the CDC’s process for certifying various types of equipment, from respirators down to masks and gloves, as complying with standards.

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Coronavirus hype biggest political hoax in history

The new coronavirus is real.

The response to the coronavirus is hyped. And in time, this hype will be revealed as politically hoaxed.

In fact, COVID-19 will go down as one of the political world’s biggest, most shamefully overblown, overhyped, overly and irrationally inflated and outright deceptively flawed responses to a health matter in American history, one that was carried largely on the lips of medical professionals who have no business running a national economy or government.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/28/coronavirus-hype-biggest-political-hoax-in-history/

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6 minutes ago, Howe said:

Coronavirus hype biggest political hoax in history

The new coronavirus is real.

The response to the coronavirus is hyped. And in time, this hype will be revealed as politically hoaxed.

In fact, COVID-19 will go down as one of the political world’s biggest, most shamefully overblown, overhyped, overly and irrationally inflated and outright deceptively flawed responses to a health matter in American history, one that was carried largely on the lips of medical professionals who have no business running a national economy or government.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/28/coronavirus-hype-biggest-political-hoax-in-history/

You have officially gone around the bend.

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52 minutes ago, swordfish said:

 

EDITORIAL: CORONAVIRUS MEMES — Because laughter is contagious, too ...

How SF felt this weekend at Lowes when I saw another shopper without a mask......

Mask Shaming is now a real phenomena: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/coronavirus/mask-shaming-becomes-new-topic-of-discussion-during-fight-against-covid-19/2285899/

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A new cultural issue has arisen amid the coronavirus crisis and it’s being debated from coast to coast: mask shaming.

Mask shaming is when someone covering their face against COVID-19 shames someone for not wearing a mask, and the practice has evoked a lot of emotion on both sides.

“It happened to me the other day,” said Oakland resident Katherine. “I went for a walk in the morning and someone came up to me and said “put on a mask!” I felt bad.”

A lot of people were wearing masks along Lake Merritt in Oakland Wednesday evening, which is exactly what public health experts recommend.

“I don’t think it’s very good to shame anybody,” said Reggie Bailey of Oakland. “Not right now, a lot of tension.”

Some people say mask shaming is needed in the battle against the virus. Recently, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were both heavily criticized for being in public without masks.

On the other extreme, in Flint, Michigan, a store security guard was allegedly killed by a family apparently irate that the guard told one of them to put a mask on.

Psychologist Jonathan Horowitz, PhD, says mask shaming may be well intentioned in some cases, but it’s generally ineffective.

“You telling someone to wear a mask, especially if you’re doing so in an aggressive way or shaming someone, I just don’t think it’s helpful,” said Horowitz. “I don’t think it’s a persuasive way to do it.”

Resisting the call to wear a mask may be because people don’t like to be told what to do, and COVID-19 is intangible to people who don’t know anyone who has suffered from it.

“When we see death passing in front of us, yeah, then we’re highly motivated,” said Horowitz. “But it’s much harder to take action when the threat is uncertain and off in the future.”

 

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33 minutes ago, TrojanDad said:

Wow...really big workplace.  I thought you had retired........Thousands!!  Thousands....sounds a little MSMish, but I guess I'll take your word........

I don't work in one workplace. But since the beginning of this current pandemic, I have worked around thousands of people, which is what I stated. There are some places I work that have over a thousand workers. Your employer and @Howe's included. 

Try again.

40 minutes ago, TrojanDad said:

I thought you had retired

That's what you get for thinking. I've never stated that I was retired.

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4 hours ago, gonzoron said:

99.95% of  people don't mask shame. I don't, no one I know does, and none of the thousands of people I work around do.

Really......Not one?

Wondering where you got your 99.95% stat from.......😁

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6 minutes ago, swordfish said:

Really......Not one?

Worked for Howe.

 

6 minutes ago, swordfish said:

Wondering where you got your 99.95% stat from.......😁

Same place most stats on this Forum come from. Pulled it out of my hat.

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2 hours ago, TrojanDad said:

Thousands....impressive

I have buddies that are in sales, are contractors, suppliers, etc.  Puts them in many, many large workplaces.  Never heard them describe that they work among "Thousands of people".  

And they certainly don't know the pulse, cultures or behaviors of those workplaces, but you may be different.  You may really get to know these people....and how they act during lunch, breaks, in the locker rooms, etc.  I guess you really know the people of my company....the very fabric of them.....

But you did state 99.95% and we know how you have such a sound grasp of statistics..............

Sure seems like you show bias in who you choose to call out and who you don't call out.....and at this point, I would even add who you choose to defend......interesting lol 

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57 minutes ago, swordfish said:

Wondering where you got your 99.95% stat from.......😁

He is referencing a comment I posted on Saturday regarding the fact that updated Indiana State Department of Health coronavirus data reflects approximately 99.995% of Indiana residents have not tested positive for the coronavirus. Some people get very upset when they discover approximately 0.00405% of Indiana residents have tested positive for the coronavirus.

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5 minutes ago, Howe said:

He is referencing a comment I posted on Saturday regarding the fact that updated Indiana State Department of Health coronavirus data reflects approximately 99.995% of Indiana residents have not tested positive for the coronavirus. Some people get very upset when they discover approximately 0.00405% of Indiana residents have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Wrong. It isn't even the same number. 

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18 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Sure seems like you show bias in who you choose to call out and who you don't call out.....and at this point, I would even add who you choose to defend......interesting lol 

It's ok. He calls out on every post I make. And he's always shown to be wrong. More comical than interesting.

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5 minutes ago, gonzoron said:

Wrong. It isn't even the same number. 

A more accurate representation of updated Indiana State Department of Health coronavirus data would be approximately 99.99595% of Indiana residents have not tested positive for the coronavirus.

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