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Pandemics and Epidemiology (COVID-19, monkeypox, etc.)

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A list of things you can do if you are feeling cabin fever. Feel free to add to this.

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First of all, wiki has an article under "2019–20 coronavirus pandemic".

While the outbreak started around New Year's Day (12/31), it's picking up steam around the Asia-Pacific region especially since Mainland Chinese people tend to travel a lot.

For reference, the BNO Newsroom twitter has a special feed for any info on the coronavirus:

https://twitter.com/bnodesk?lang=en


The WHO has page about COVID-19 and any other concerns people may have. I suggest peeps go to the Q&A page to check for official details.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

Edited by nombretomado on Jun 3rd 2020 at 3:21:48 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#301: Feb 5th 2020 at 12:20:01 AM

Taiwan News: Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang calls for end of mask hoarding

He even points out that healthy people don't actually need these damn masks. Something I've thought for a long time. The only reason I wear a mask at all is to humor the rest of my family.

Remember: these masks are actually meant to keep you from coughing and sneezing on other people. They're meant to protect others from you. Any protection they might offer from outside pollutants or germs or whatever is a coincidence — this isn't the masks' intended purpose.

TBH, it seems way too many people treat these masks as security blankets. They don't really make you any safer, but they make you feel safer.

And that wouldn't be an issue either if it weren't for the fact that the limited supply of these things means that healthy people buying masks they don't need means that sick people who do need these masks might not be able to buy them.

Also, it seems Xinnie has been avoiding the public eye for the last few days.

Taiwan News: Rumors rife as China's Xi disappears from public view amid virus outbreak

Also, the new hospital built in Wuhan to house more patients? It's apparently more like a fucking prison than a hospital.

Taiwan News: Video shows interior of new Wuhan 'hospital' resembles prison

Edited by M84 on Feb 6th 2020 at 4:42:09 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#302: Feb 5th 2020 at 1:33:48 AM

BTW one of the evacuees from Wuhan has the virus, making the total number of confirmed cases in Taiwan 11.

Focus Taiwan: Returning evacuee confirmed as Taiwan's 11th Wuhan coronavirus case

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ominae Since: Jul, 2010
#303: Feb 5th 2020 at 3:53:05 AM

The Diamond Princess is suspending further cruises and is moored in Yokohama after MHLW personnel did tests on the passengers/crew and recorded 10 passengers to be positive.

Japan Coast Guard is mobilized.

On the other hand, the quarantined passengers are given access to the internet on the house.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#304: Feb 5th 2020 at 3:56:55 AM

That ship made a stop in Taiwan too.

Disgusted, but not surprised
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#305: Feb 5th 2020 at 4:09:31 AM

Well the claims that China somehow managed to raise a hospital out of nowhere to treat the coronavirus infectees were always suspicious.

There was a report on that in a TV channel here and I thought to myself "there has to be a catch, the CCP can't pull something like this off".

Ominae Since: Jul, 2010
#306: Feb 5th 2020 at 4:14:18 AM

The Department of Health in Manila announced a third case. In this one, it's someone from HK who didn't have the symptoms.

Also read some "alternative" articles on some writers pissed at the WHO for not backing a travel ban for people who come from places that have the coronavirus. They tried to do an Armor-Piercing Question at the end of their articles though...

raziel365 Anka Aquila from South of the Far West (Veteran) Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
Anka Aquila
#307: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:34:26 AM

@ M84

From what I'm understanding, the CCP is taking a medieval approach to the Coronavirus, as in isolate the ill and burn their bodies once they die, whether they recover or not is beyond their concerns.

As for Xi, the wildest possibility is that he's another affected by the virus, the other is that he's going to stay out of the public until he can get something to bolster the CCP propaganda machine.

Instead of focusing on relatives that divide us, we should find the absolutes that tie us.
KazuyaProta Shin Megami Tensei IV from A Industrial Farm Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Shin Megami Tensei IV
#308: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:37:54 AM

The second chance is far more likely, he really doesn't want to take the blame for this.

Watch me destroying my country
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#309: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:46:52 AM

It'll be a cold day in Hell when the man accepts blame for anything.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#310: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:50:07 AM

Yeah, the article even posits that he's letting his 2nd in command handle everything so that he can avoid blame.

Edited by M84 on Feb 5th 2020 at 10:55:19 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#311: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:52:59 AM

This Coronavirus outbreak is a fucking mess and China as usual handle it poorly... It's still an improvement over their past handling of SARS, though... which says a lot really. However, I'm impressed that China is still able to spare some time and effort to fuck Taiwan up in the middle of this crisis. Always keep your priorities straight, China. And yet, as usual Xi Jinping is an insecure coward about facing the outbreak.

Now, moving on to my country, Indonesia. We have also decided to ride the "Let's quarantine China" train. I don't know for how long, though, considering uncle Xi already threaten to stop it or he'll bring out the belt. To make things worse, the travel ban bring all the cockroaches out from whatever shithole they have been hiding. For an example, in Bandung, one of the more prominent cities in Indonesia, the local government want to make a inter-religion parade of tolerance.

It's basically a parade of people from various religions in Indonesia marching together to show solidarity. It's just show and isn't going to solve religious intolerance problem here, but I guess it's nice. Of course, the Islamic fundamentalists throw a tantrum about how it'll ruin Islam somehow and yelling that we should ban all Chinese (i.e. East Asians because these people aren't going to be able to the differences) from entering Indonesia and expel the ones that are already in Indonesia.

I guess it's the equivalent of you and your friends discussing about foods and suddenly someone says: "Hitler have some good ideas."

Heck, even before the travel ban, there are already a few weird cases like a local figurehead of a tourist spot begging the Chinese tourists to go home. At least, he is polite about it I guess...?

I'm not trying to dismiss the danger of the Coronavirus, but while it's contagious as fuck, its mortality rate seem a tad overblown I think. I mean the casualties as far as I know are caused more by other factors like insufficient care or prior conditions that are worsen by the virus. So, it feels like with proper health care system and healthy body, the entire thing shouldn't be this disastrous. Of course, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

What am I trying to say is I'm more worried about what happened after the outbreak passed. I mean I feel the realpolitik stuff is somehow more discomforting than the outbreak, which is weird. Not to mention that how some countries, including China, respond to this outbreak are also worrying.

Edited by SteamKnight on Feb 5th 2020 at 9:54:47 PM

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#312: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:55:35 AM

"Fun" fact: Italy's travel ban to mainland China includes Taiwan too, apparently because the WHO listed Taiwan as part of mainland China. Vietnam did the same thing, but at least the Vietnamese government removed it when it was brought up by Taiwan.

Never mind that the confirmed number of cases in Taiwan is currently at 11.

Edited by M84 on Feb 5th 2020 at 10:58:37 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
#313: Feb 5th 2020 at 6:57:19 AM

Yeah, the WHO made it clear that "Taiwan" isn't a thing to the organisation.

Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#314: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:00:33 AM

An article on three steps Taiwan took early on that (so far) have apparently limited the number of coronavirus cases here.

Taiwan News: Three major steps in Taiwan’s effective response to Wuhan coronavirus

It boils down to Taiwan being Properly Paranoid the moment they heard of unusual pneumonia cases in China.

Disgusted, but not surprised
SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#315: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:06:15 AM

[up] Whenever Properly Paranoid people or methods end up being the right one or the right thing to do. I feel sad. It's fun in fiction, but in real life, it just feel uhh...

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#316: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:07:48 AM

It kind of stems from Taiwan being more or less Properly Paranoid when it comes to the CCP in general.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ominae Since: Jul, 2010
#317: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:13:49 AM

Some peeps have posted some stuff on Twitter that borders on a conspiracy thriller.


For instance, this:

https://twitter.com/jenniferatntd/status/1224551214756646914

Not sure if it's staged or it's something else...

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#318: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:17:09 AM

[up]Maybe warn us if there's a vid with a dead body in it next time?

And if you want real conspiracy fodder...

Taiwan News: Tencent may have accidentally leaked real data on Wuhan virus deaths

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As many experts question the veracity of China's statistics for the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Tencent over the weekend seems to have inadvertently released what is potentially the actual number of infections and deaths, which were astronomically higher than official figures.

On late Saturday evening (Feb. 1), Tencent, on its webpage titled "Epidemic Situation Tracker", showed confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019nCoV) in China as standing at 154,023, 10 times the official figure at the time. It listed the number of suspected cases as 79,808, four times the official figure.

The number of cured cases was only 269, well below the official number that day of 300. Most ominously, the death toll listed was 24,589, vastly higher than the 300 officially listed that day.

Moments later, Tencent updated the numbers to reflect the government's "official" numbers that day. Netizens noticed that Tencent has on at least three occasions posted extremely high numbers, only to quickly lower them to government-approved statistics.

There's no actual proof one way or another if this really is the case. Still, take the "official" statistics from the CCP with a huge grain of salt.

Edited by M84 on Feb 5th 2020 at 11:22:13 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#319: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:32:30 AM

It's quite mind-boggling looking at all the conspiracy theories that people create in respond of Coronavirus outbreak. I've already said in my previous post, but I find the responses to the Coronavirus outbreak more discomforting and by extension more interesting (Not a good kind of interest, but interest nonetheless.) than the outbreak.

From all the ridiculous conspiracy theories, to news about how Wuhan natives receive discrimination from their fellow Chinese regardless of whether they are at Wuhan during the outbreak or not, to how some Chinese pet owners kill their pets because they are afraid their pets can be virus carriers, to the travel ban brouhaha, etc.

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#320: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:36:38 AM

That's the world of post-truth politics for you. Only that it has trascended politics and now applies to every facet of your life.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
raziel365 Anka Aquila from South of the Far West (Veteran) Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
Anka Aquila
#321: Feb 5th 2020 at 7:50:57 AM

Also remember that we have the precedent of Chernobyl of a case in which a great power seems more concerned with covering its hide rather than actually solve the issue at hand.

In retrospect, I find it somewhat fitting & chilling that we had a miniseries based around the disaster and its fallout just the year before.

Edited by raziel365 on Feb 5th 2020 at 7:51:11 AM

Instead of focusing on relatives that divide us, we should find the absolutes that tie us.
dragonfire5000 from Where gods fear to tread Since: Jan, 2001
#322: Feb 5th 2020 at 8:04:27 AM

[up]Said miniseries is also apparently on China's shitlist right now, apparently since its themes are hitting too close to home.

"I squirm, I struggle, ergo I am. Faced with death, I am finally, truly alive."
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#323: Feb 5th 2020 at 8:26:29 AM

I think everybody who worked on that series should nod and take being literally Banned in China as the medal of honour that it is.

What amuses me more is that there has been time enough between publishing and banning for bootlegged DVDs to start doing the old school "pass the tape" rounds.

There is no higher praise to be had than when you help a population wake up to how, exactly, their government lies to them.

I'm kind of envious: memory sticks and DVDs are a darned sight easier to cart about (and clean) than Betamax tapes were... /South African grumble

Edited by Euodiachloris on Feb 5th 2020 at 4:32:18 PM

raziel365 Anka Aquila from South of the Far West (Veteran) Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
Anka Aquila
#324: Feb 5th 2020 at 8:58:46 AM

Because I more or less saw this coming sooner or later, Citizens in Spain are no longer using the China based e-commerce platform AliExpress out of fear the packages they send are contaminated with the coronavirus.

In other news, the virus has lead to a fall in the Chinese markets of 8%, which is the lowest since 2015; and apparently the World Bank is going to help out Mainland China in light of the diminished projected growth due to the epidemic.

Edited by raziel365 on Feb 5th 2020 at 9:06:38 AM

Instead of focusing on relatives that divide us, we should find the absolutes that tie us.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#325: Feb 5th 2020 at 9:07:12 AM

I did read a while ago this article which among other things says that humans tend to always downplay, be overly optimistic or minimize warnings of an impending disaster ... unless the threat is an invisible one such as a virus in which case the opposite happens.

Seems like the response to nCoV is bearing this out.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

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