Because we are a global community, I would like to create a thread for talking about the COVID-19 how this has impacted you. 

I work for a smaller, Chinese-owned tool company. Our workforce after CNY and the extended break was only running at about 40%, of which this is actually on the higher side compared to what I've heard about other, much larger tech companies. While we haven't felt much of the impact here in the US, I am sure we will soon. The way that some companies flow in goods from overseas will really have an impact on store shelves; Stores like Walmart that have large DC's and reroute the flow and quantity of goods so that the shelves don't look as bare. Target specifically doesn't keep extra inventory outside of what it knows will sell in a specific amount of shelf-time and therefore bases reordering on that known formula. Given that orders from China are typically 30 days on a Boat just to arrive on the West Coast, and then separate amount of Customs and transport times to other places in the US, the effects will start to be apparent really soon.

Not trying to start a fear-mongering thread, but a place where we can talk about this like educated adults.

- Nathan

State of VA has issued a State Of Emergency  and have left it up to the schools to decide whether to stay open.
I could understand the schools being uncertain about what/when to close, but they should be canceling the non essential after school related events (sports/plays/music).

Our schools in Virginia Beach have already canceled all after school activities. Along with my child's soccer program (non-school organization). They also have a staff only day on Monday for cleaning and to allow the teachers to prepare take home assignments in the case of closure.

One of our local districts is coming back after spring break on Monday...seems like an unusual decision. I know that there may be poorer kids in this district who rely on that daily lunch and whose parents can't afford to miss work. 

49 minutes ago, iahawks550 said:

That is some absolutely great analysis.  I really enjoy reading stuff  from people who know the subject matter.  Instead of getting links  from garbage websites and scare videos. 

Our company is doing work from home unless you are critical to business. Well guess who’s at work today? Currently working on a test that detects cardiac markers associated with heart disease. Takes a few hours of prep and incubation time then it’s passed through a spectrophotometer that translates the light waves into numbers or OD’s (optical density) 0.049 being negative, 0.500-2.000 strong positive. 0.100-.0499 would be consider cut off samples/suspect samples/usually considered weak positives. 
 

also working on using gold particles and disease specific nano chips for detection markers but that’s all experimental and years down the road.  Interesting how the CDC couldn’t get a simple PCR to work.  My guess is there was no competition to the 3rd party awarded the contract. CDC knew who it was going to choose regardless the competition.

Edited March 13, 20205 yr by BricksBrotha
Typo

13 hours ago, brickolodon said:

 

It will be fun to re-read this topic when coronavirus is over.

Honestly, this was one of the worst interviews I have seen.  The host and "doctor" were all about fear mongering.  Three months of food?  For what?  Is martial law coming?  This sort of hype needs to stop.  It's serious for sure, but let's not get carried away.  Social distancing and just simple sanitizing steps will slow this SOB.  Back in 2009 , the H1N1 did a lot of damage but nobody acted like this.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that swine flu infected nearly 61 million people in the United States and caused 12,469 deaths. Worldwide, up to 575,400 people died from pandemic swine flu.

That was some serious crap, but people were not acting like this.  Maybe it was better leadership or maybe it was the lack of media attacking the leadership to make them look bad.  The truth is somewhere in between. 

5 hours ago, brickolodon said:

https://apple.news/AKvqqClDARUyJ_8fFyvaO4w
Don’t take it personal most of panic from media or looks like...

You are helping as well Mr. Sunshine.

You are helping as well Mr. Sunshine.

Sorry, my bad [emoji847] damn media tricked me again...

Friend of mine shared this https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/11/financial-crisis-coronavirus-italy/?fbclid=IwAR1joTcMbjjcqiitxzS8qm_t95pHeb6z-Qkh8-URPKWi9O0eBrgyYaqLvRA

About panic buying

 

https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/why-the-invisible-coronavirus-threat-triggers-hoarding-behavior-1979348/

Ohio state officials now believe there are 100,000 cases or more in their state.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/ohio-likely-has-100000-cases-says-health-official/article31063164.ece

 

38 minutes ago, Ed Mack said:

That was some serious crap, but people were not acting like this.  Maybe it was better leadership or maybe it was the lack of media attacking the leadership to make them look bad.  The truth is somewhere in between. 

The current situation is bad (to what extent exactly is uncertain, but unquestionably bad). Up until this, an honest view would be that things have been pretty great in this country the last 3 years (other than the media, and half the country simply hating everything/anything the president does). And yet every single day since his election has been portrayed as a national crisis/disaster (which it hasn't been). So now that something truly bad has happened - look out.

I don't believe that anyone else would have left us with fewer cases of the virus (and nothing anyone else would have done can compare to the benefits of the early shutdown of travel from China). Yes, he says absolutely awful things (if we let them off the boat our numbers will go up), but it is that drive (even if it is selfish) that benefits our nation. He might not care about anyone, but he wants to succeed, and although his motivations are likely far from pure and wholesome - that doesn't really matter.

I live in Columbus. I was talking to my neighbor yesterday who is a health prof at OSU. She said that there is a formula that is used that says that if a virus is spread person to person in a community environment with social interaction that studies have shown that typically it means that 1% of the population is invected. Then they did the math of the population of Ohio x 1% and they came up with the 100,000 number. I'm no expert but that's what someone who is supposed to know more told me. I asked her the exact same question of how did Governor DeWine come up with the 100,000 infected number.  

3 minutes ago, Gonkalin said:

I live in Columbus. I was talking to my neighbor yesterday who is a health prof at OSU. She said that there is a formula that is used that says that if a virus is spread person to person in a community environment with social interaction that studies have shown that typically it means that 1% of the population is invected. Then they did the math of the population of Ohio x 1% and they came up with the 100,000 number. I'm no expert but that's what someone who is supposed to know more told me. I asked her the exact same question of how did Governor DeWine come up with the 100,000 infected number.  

'Health Professor" is pretty vague.  She could be teaching theoretical dietary habits for all we know. I dont claim to be an 'expert' but I do have a degree in both Medical Biology and Allied Health Science.  I have worked in the biotech industry straight out of college for 14 years, at the same company.  I work with diagnostic immunassays.  The formula the Ohio State health Officials are using is a proven formula based on centuries of data collected throughout history.  

Now this current society we live in seeming loves to deny/forget/refuse to learn from History. The calculation is necessary since right now, its impossible to test everyone.  That number could be lower and could be higher. The reality is, the prediction of 100,000 is closer to actual cases than say 7500. The number will only go up if people continue to feel like it wont effect them, its only being overblown etc and dont take necessary precautions.  If the state officials are confident enough to release those numbers, with the way State agencies run, i would safely predict their number is actually very  conservative.

2 minutes ago, BricksBrotha said:

Now this current society we live in seeming loves to deny/forget/refuse to learn from History. The calculation is necessary since right now, its impossible to test everyone.  That number could be lower and could be higher. The reality is, the prediction of 100,000 is closer to actual cases than say 7500. The number will only go up if people continue to feel like it wont effect them, its only being overblown etc and dont take necessary precautions.  If the state officials are confident enough to release those numbers, with the way State agencies run, i would safely predict their number is actually very  conservative.

“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.” - Albert A. Bartlett

It seems appropriate at this time, even more so that CU-Boulder has cancelled today due to confirming 1 case of COVID-19 on campus.  The numbers we're seeing in the US are very much understated and people seem to just want to focus on denial instead of the reality of the situation.  But I'm pretty sure that ignorance doesn't stop chest congestion, high fevers, and death.

55 minutes ago, BricksBrotha said:

Ohio state officials now believe there are 100,000 cases or more in their state.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/ohio-likely-has-100000-cases-says-health-official/article31063164.ece

 

I read that but I really have to wonder about that one.

33 minutes ago, TANV said:

“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.” - Albert A. Bartlett

It seems appropriate at this time, even more so that CU-Boulder has cancelled today due to confirming 1 case of COVID-19 on campus.  The numbers we're seeing in the US are very much understated and people seem to just want to focus on denial instead of the reality of the situation.  But I'm pretty sure that ignorance doesn't stop chest congestion, high fevers, and death.

https://www.peakprosperity.com/video/crash-course-chapter-4-compounding-is-the-problem/

41 minutes ago, BricksBrotha said:

'Health Professor" is pretty vague.  She could be teaching theoretical dietary habits for all we know. I dont claim to be an 'expert' but I do have a degree in both Medical Biology and Allied Health Science.  I have worked in the biotech industry straight out of college for 14 years, at the same company.  I work with diagnostic immunassays.  The formula the Ohio State health Officials are using is a proven formula based on centuries of data collected throughout history.  

Now this current society we live in seeming loves to deny/forget/refuse to learn from History. The calculation is necessary since right now, its impossible to test everyone.  That number could be lower and could be higher. The reality is, the prediction of 100,000 is closer to actual cases than say 7500. The number will only go up if people continue to feel like it wont effect them, its only being overblown etc and dont take necessary precautions.  If the state officials are confident enough to release those numbers, with the way State agencies run, i would safely predict their number is actually very  conservative.

The layman microbiologist that I am, a100,000 cases would mean hundreds, if not thousands dead.  I don't see that yet.

I didn’t think that 100,000 actual cases was the most scary aspect of that.

Scariest part was that it doubles every six days. 

5 minutes ago, House Schubert said:

I didn’t think that 100,000 actual cases was the most scary aspect of that.

Scariest part was that it doubles every six days. 

I think they were indicating it could reach that number.

I think they were indicating it could reach that number.

I think they meant that even though they only have 6 confirmed cases, there might be 100,000 people with the virus in Ohio (including those sick but not tested, and those with no symptoms but carrying the virus). They were just highlighting the lack of visibility.

A great idea that I heard to help businesses survive the next few months is to buy gift certificates from them!

1 hour ago, Ed Mack said:

The layman microbiologist that I am, a100,000 cases would mean hundreds, if not thousands dead.  I don't see that yet.

I agree, the death rate probably wont climb anywhere near that, but we are talking about affected, . The transmission model does not lie. Italy's death rate is so high because their health system was so overwhelmed that instructed them for triage to the highest rate of recovery.  Essentially signing the unhealthy to their deaths.  I dont see our health care system doing that.  But once it spreads, it spreads.  Too many people giving into the lies being spewed. Its good for people to hear some words of caution.  

If anything, it has taught me to keep some TP in stock at all times!

My refinery is forming a virus ride out team in case it gets to that point. We will send the majority of people home and a skeleton crew will work around the clock to keep the plant running. Should be fun living at the refinery for a month.

7 minutes ago, Thanos75 said:

My refinery is forming a virus ride out team in case it gets to that point. We will send the majority of people home and a skeleton crew will work around the clock to keep the plant running. Should be fun living at the refinery for a month.

My father used to be a machinist at Chevron and would work on the "Cat Cracker" all the time.

On another note, here is some potential "good news"...

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/03/809904660/why-the-death-rate-from-coronavirus-is-plunging-in-china?t=1584128903900

Also, the last temporary hospital has closed in China, there's video of it. 

More good news...

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200303_20/

9 hours ago, Legojona said:

I'm mostly afraid of the side effects of the panic. I think those are very real. Sorry to hear about the people getting laid off. 

In the Netherlands the stores are getting emptier and social gatherings are canceled. I worry for the elderly that are at the least socially isolated and at worst not recovering. 

Sad stuff. 

Blaming politicians for this is easy right now, but I will wait for the research afterwards to have a verdict. 

Agreed. The panic is much much worse than the disease itself. It is terrible to hear that people are losing their jobs, vacations cancelled, all the creature comforts and necessities of life are scarce or gone. Still in disbelief at the run on toilet paper. I legitimately ran out and went to find some this morning only to discover countless people with loads of it in their carts. Not food or medical supplies. TP????