COVID-19

[Wild Bill]

US has about 600 confirmed cases now, per link below:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

Could get wild here in the next few weeks. Stay safe, boys.

 

[Henges24]

Can anyone remember an outbreak/scare like this happening?

Guy at work said he can only think of the AIDS epidemic.

 

[BabyIrish]

A kid in Avon IN tested positive and the school is shutting down for two weeks. I think we’re gonna see some panic in IN because of it.

 

[GreenGemsOmally]

First presumptive case in Louisiana just announced by the Gov, patient is being treated in Orleans Parish (my guess is at Ochsner - Jefferson Highway Campus, but could be anywhere).

I'm just hoping my workplace starts encouraging people to work remotely. We already can and do most of our job remote anyways...

 

[ACamp1900]

First presumptive case in Louisiana just announced by the Gov, patient is being treated in Orleans Parish (my guess is at Ochsner - Jefferson Highway Campus, but could be anywhere).

I'm just hoping my workplace starts encouraging people to work remotely. We already can and do most of our job remote anyways...

All the Deans and Chairs are having a meeting right now about this... I think our fac/staff meeting on Wednesday is going to cover when we go to this and how it looks... crazy times.

 

[arrowryan]

People are overreacting, if you ask me.

 

[BeauBenken]

Can anyone remember an outbreak/scare like this happening?

Guy at work said he can only think of the AIDS epidemic.

One that directly affected the global market in such way? Not that comes to mind for me.

Pandemics aren't new, and that is why many people still do not see the potential danger with this virus. Many people have been desensitized to a threat of a pandemic because they see it in the news all of the time: Ebola in Africa, 2009 Swine Flu, Zika Virus, West Nile Virus, etc. For many people, they have never been directly affected by these things, but they have seen them drummed up for years and so they see this and just think, "well, the flu kills tens of thousands of people every year, why should this worry me?"

I am cautiously watching this one though just because it seems to be only beginning and it seems that it's make up has made it incredibly hard to detect at times so we do not know the exact numbers. There have also been reports that should this not be largely stomped out in the US, it could become endemic.

 

[Blazers46]

People are overreacting, if you ask me.

Yup. I almost want the Virus just so I can be interviewed by CNN and tell everyone I survived it.

 

[ACamp1900]

Yup. I almost want the Virus just so I can be interviewed by CNN and tell everyone I survived it.

I mean, if the worst that happens is I get to work from home for two weeks then, bring it on. Still scary to think of my family getting it though... and feel for those who have or are going through it.

 

[wizards8507]

Can anyone remember an outbreak/scare like this happening?

Guy at work said he can only think of the AIDS epidemic.

Swine flu killed 12,000 Americans. This isn't that.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I have a few partially-baked opinions/guesses on this (the "partial" here is because one of my degrees is biochemistry and I have sort-of followed some of this virus stuff for years --- don't take the following TOO seriously though and stay being good readers.)

1. This one seems to be very contagious. You don't need a lot of contact to get it. So all the stuff about hand-washing and semi-isolation is good advice. I'm guessing is that this thing "gets" you by ultimately being inhaled or otherwise entering your mouth/lungs. It seems to especially like lungs.

2. Early "returns" MIGHT indicate that this thing is WAY more likely NOT to kill you if you are not an elderly or otherwise weakened human. The bulk of the Washington State deaths (almost all that have occurred in the US in this first penetration) have taken persons from one old persons housing facility. It makes you sick though.

3. The virus outbreak in China seems already slowing down in its growth rate. This COULD mean that sensible behavior can mitigate its spread. If this is true even in the societal chaos that is China, this is cause for optimism.

4. We WILL have growth outbreaks here and there in the world for a while. Reason: we are the stupidest "intelligent species" in the Universe, as we constantly prove. We will also have flare-ups in the US even after we get it "under control". Reason: US citizens have a 45 second attention span and consequent behavioral challenges.

5. We might get the Magic Bullet quicker than the CDC currently guesses. Reason #1: We're genetically smarter in the lab than we've ever been. Past history on times-to-vaccine might not hold. Reason #2: China is involved, and if this thing gets bad, they'll probably do one of their lovely activities --- non-voluntary human testing. Nothing like human testing to speed medical breakthroughs.

Partially-baked advice: Stay in the upper 1% of intelligent behaving humans rather than the "typical irresponsible American" range (lower 20%). Stay alert/educated for a year at least on this. Stay clean. Stay healthy. Don't panic and do dumb things with your money. These things pass. This one will.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I'm legit a bit worried about public Masses being canceled. But living through a plague doesn't sound all that bad.

 

[NDBoiler]

I mean, if the worst that happens is I get to work from home for two weeks then, bring it on. Still scary to think of my family getting it though... and feel for those who have or are going through it.

I really haven’t seen anything to be concerned about unless you are in one of the high risk categories - compromised immune system/underlying serious heath condition, elderly, infants. Even then I wouldn’t be any more worried about it than the seasonal flu, which most of us never think twice about every year. It would also be nice to see the media do some reporting on the vast majority of people who have had the virus and recovered instead of constantly stirring everyone into a frenzy. You know that’s not going to happen though because it won’t get the views the same way as inciting panic does.

 

[ACamp1900]

I really haven’t seen anything to be concerned about unless you are in one of the high risk categories - compromised immune system/underlying serious heath condition, elderly, infants. Even then I wouldn’t be any more worried about it than the seasonal flu, which most of us never think twice about every year. It would also be nice to see the media do some reporting on the vast majority of people who have had the virus and recovered instead of constantly stirring everyone into a frenzy. You know that’s not going to happen though because it won’t get the views the same way as inciting panic does.

I get all this,.. but if one of my girls come down with it, I know I'll be worried. My youngest had the flu last month for the record and I struggled with that too...

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I get all this,.. but if one of my girls come down with it, I know I'll be worried. My youngest had the flu last month for the record and I struggled with that too...

Yeah 3/5 of my household had flu B and that was a rough couple of weeks. I don't know what we would have done if my wife and I didn't have jobs that lend themselves to working remotely.

 

[NDBoiler]

I get all this,.. but if one of my girls come down with it, I know I'll be worried. My youngest had the flu last month for the record and I struggled with that too...

I understand completely, I wouldn’t want anyone in my family to get sick either. I guess my comment was more intended towards the panic aspect that some seem to be operating under.

 

[NDRock]

Biggest concern is the response. Would be bad if this triggers a long term economic crisis.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Like Acamp said, my only concern is my 3 year old boys.

 

[NDRock]

Like Acamp said, my only concern is my 3 year old boys.

Exactly, much less stressful now that my kids are older. Good luck. Twin boys must be a blast.

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

I understand completely, I wouldn’t want anyone in my family to get sick either. I guess my comment was more intended towards the panic aspect that some seem to be operating under.

I think the panic is justified, but I don't think its for the reasons you are saying. I don't think you should be worried about any serious illness from getting it, but what you should be worried about it spreading it to even more people if you get it. It might not effect you or anyone you spread it too, but the more people that have it the more likely it will be spread to the populations which it will effect. And the more people who do get seriously ill from it, the less effective our treatment is because we simply do not have the capacity to care for the numbers of people that would get seriously ill. Just look at what is happening in the locked down areas of Italy. They simply do not have enough spots in the ICUs or medical personnel to handle all of the cases. There are too many cases that require care for too long. What's worse is that it looks like we have an even lower capacity in the US so we will have an even worse response.

 

[Wild Bill]

I think the panic is justified, but I don't think its for the reasons you are saying. I don't think you should be worried about any serious illness from getting it, but what you should be worried about it spreading it to even more people if you get it. It might not effect you or anyone you spread it too, but the more people that have it the more likely it will be spread to the populations which it will effect. And the more people who do get seriously ill from it, the less effective our treatment is because we simply do not have the capacity to care for the numbers of people that would get seriously ill. Just look at what is happening in the locked down areas of Italy. They simply do not have enough spots in the ICUs or medical personnel to handle all of the cases. There are too many cases that require care for too long. What's worse is that it looks like we have an even lower capacity in the US so we will have an even worse response.

This is my concern too - our capacity to handle a large volume of cases, especially since it appears to be highly contagious like OMM pointed out in a previous post.

 

[wizards8507]

Like Acamp said, my only concern is my 3 year old boys.

Exactly, much less stressful now that my kids are older. Good luck. Twin boys must be a blast.

Kids don't get it. They can carry it, but it doesn't make them sick.

 

[calvegas04]

Not worried about getting it, I think the news is spreading fear. Worried about the economy crashing over this.

 

[pkt77242]

Kids don't get it. They can carry it, but it doesn't make them sick.

That is not correct....
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Kids don't get it. They can carry it, but it doesn't make them sick.

Ill err on the side of caution.

 

[BobbyMac]

I wonder if I had it last month? I got my 6 mo peddie in a Wuhan-Tang Salon where my chick & her friends go and got a 6 day bug the next day that was the worst flu I've had in 30 years. Had to breakdown and do a Zpack when it felt like Bronchitis was starting. Of course, chickiepoo gets it from me and was off work for a week

Anyways, my chick tells me the salon is closed and won't reopen until next Monday due to owner vacation. Hmmm? Also, the same type of Salon that is next to my local bank branch was dead azz empty when I ran up there at lunch and all of the workers were sitting in there with surgical masks on. They're in trouble.

In regards to the economy. I've been playing Tesla hard this year and was going to swear it off after my last sell in Feb but I put an order if at $600 this morning and I might get there tomorrow. I'm not going crazy because I may have to buy more on the way down.

Another positive are mortgage rates. Rates fell to all time low of 3.29% last week on 30yr and that's not the end of it. The 10 yr treasury's hit an all time low yield of .318% overnight and is at just .55% now. We could have low 2% 30yr mortgages right around the corner. I've got a 3.5% re-fi waiting on the appraisal to come back that I might be throwing out for the better rate.

A flu bug is crashing oil, that will not last. Buy buy buy.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I wonder if I had it last month? I got my 6 mo peddie in a Wuhan-Tang Salon where my chick & her friends go and got a 6 day bug the next day that was the worst flu I've had in 30 years. Had to breakdown and do a Zpack when it felt like Bronchitis was starting. Of course, chickiepoo gets it from me and was off work for a week

Anyways, my chick tells me the salon is closed and won't reopen until next Monday due to owner vacation. Hmmm? Also, the same type of Salon that is next to my local bank branch was dead azz empty when I ran up there at lunch and all of the workers were sitting in there with surgical masks on. They're in trouble.

In regards to the economy. I've been playing Tesla hard this year and was going to swear it off after my last sell in Feb but I put an order if at $600 this morning and I might get there tomorrow. I'm not going crazy because I may have to buy more on the way down.

Another positive are mortgage rates. Rates fell to all time low of 3.29% last week on 30yr and that's not the end of it. The 10 yr treasury's hit an all time low yield of .318% overnight and is at just .55% now. We could have low 2% 30yr mortgages right around the corner. I've got a 3.5% re-fi waiting on the appraisal to come back that I might be throwing out for the better rate.

A flu bug is crashing oil, that will not last. Buy buy buy.

Russia is crashing oil, which might last for a bit if they're taking a long term position against U.S. shale production.

 

[T-Boone]

Can it play running back?

 

[Luckylucci]

I wonder if I had it last month? I got my 6 mo peddie in a Wuhan-Tang Salon where my chick & her friends go and got a 6 day bug the next day that was the worst flu I've had in 30 years. Had to breakdown and do a Zpack when it felt like Bronchitis was starting. Of course, chickiepoo gets it from me and was off work for a week

Anyways, my chick tells me the salon is closed and won't reopen until next Monday due to owner vacation. Hmmm? Also, the same type of Salon that is next to my local bank branch was dead azz empty when I ran up there at lunch and all of the workers were sitting in there with surgical masks on. They're in trouble.

In regards to the economy. I've been playing Tesla hard this year and was going to swear it off after my last sell in Feb but I put an order if at $600 this morning and I might get there tomorrow. I'm not going crazy because I may have to buy more on the way down.

Another positive are mortgage rates. Rates fell to all time low of 3.29% last week on 30yr and that's not the end of it. The 10 yr treasury's hit an all time low yield of .318% overnight and is at just .55% now. We could have low 2% 30yr mortgages right around the corner. I've got a 3.5% re-fi waiting on the appraisal to come back that I might be throwing out for the better rate.

A flu bug is crashing oil, that will not last. Buy buy buy.

Well, oil was falling the last couple of weeks because the slowdown in worldwide demand due to the Coronavirus but that's not why it gapped down the way it did today. That was due to Russia giving OPEC the middle finger and the expectation that there will be not short term solutions to the weak demand. Also, some heavy speculation that many have wanted to drive the US shale producers out of business and now is a good time to do so.

 

[dad4aa]

Not sure how everyone else is handling it but I am not letting it effect me. I am not in the high-risk category and am controlling what I can in regards to taking the common sense precautions the CDC laid out. I just got back from a Caribbean cruise and had a great time. Heading to Cancun in May as well. Media ALWAYS makes things worse than they are because bad news sells.