Shanghai Disneyland will close in effort to contain coronavirus

If you have someone in your family with memory issues, you have that same discussion every time you talk with them.

College towns have seen a higher than average increase in infections and deaths, but not among college students.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/12/world/covid-19-coronavirus/...e-students

Of course, makes all the sense in the world. And that's part of the problem...for most college students, the whole thing is mostly just a nuisance; chances are they don't even feel sick. That's certainly the story coming from some of the COVID-positive people on my Failbook feed. Pity that's not the way it works with everybody.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

We had the opposite experience with our notary, he arrived with mask on, even had a portable table in their trunk in case they needed to use it, and expected us to sign outside. We already had a picnic table in our front yard so we just used that, but he was prepared - which was nice.

Jeff said:

Another anecdote... my mother can't understand why we're not having her over for Christmas, coming from The Villages. "I go to Cody's [bar] three times a week without a problem, and I'm not scared of it." She used to be a nurse.

Our union president had the same attitude. “Covid is not going to change my social life”. Her husband died last week from Covid. People in general do not change their behavior until it personally effects them, which I think has been discussed ad naseum in this thread.

Or they do what my parents do and take things unnecessarily seriously when they've got nothing going on, but then when it's time for a visit or some traveling or something they want to do they do it without question because "they say it's safer than it's ever been".

I've admittedly been quite liberal with what I've done in the last 8 months compared to many, and have been accused by co workers of killing Grandmas because I've regularly returned to theme parks. But I also have circumstances where I will in fact draw a hard line and say "no way" even if it's something I want to do. My parents will do as they please in the name of "we wore our masks and brought our own wipes to clean the seats" but then pride themselves on staying shut in when there's nothing fun going on that week.

So, maybe a couple anecdotes?

Churches this summer were hosting services outdoors because it wasn’t safe to be inside. Winter came, so since it isn’t safe to be indoors then we should do virtual services, no, they moved inside.

Saw an article yesterday from Fauci, we are talking about rolling out vaccines, now he is worried because he thinks not enough people will get them. How do you operate being that negative all the time? He isn’t focusing on the 60% expected to get them, instead the 40% who might be hesitant.

Have met a plethora of other people who think everything is rough, but support widespread opening because they can’t afford to continue living in this manner.

Finally, less anecdotally, I have seen noise about other countries who have handled this better, and yes, they might have. But we speak of them like they are on a pedestal and have done so well, yet last I check they are just as at risk as us for outbreaks, and quite frankly even more so because we are spreading it more and thus less people are able to infect. They are not.

That's not Fauci being negative, it's being proactive. You need a higher hit rate for vaccines to work. If the government is self-aware about this, it can do a better job selling the problem.

Your last statement doesn't even make sense. Of course they're prone to outbreaks, but while Australia is having concerts and people are doing their thing, we're setting up makeshift hospitals because there's no room for sick people. It's not "like" they "have done so well," they did.

TheMillenniumRider said:

last I check they are just as at risk as us for outbreaks, and quite frankly even more so because we are spreading it more and thus less people are able to infect. They are not.

This is the most backward logic I think I've ever read on this subject.
First of all, it's not true. We are so far from herd immunity that having more people with an active case means higher transmission, not lower. Neither the data, nor the theory, indicate that we anywhere even close to the saturation/herd immunity/slowing down of community infection. Their so-called "outbreaks" are a fraction of what we see every day.

So essentially, your argument is, "We shouldn't learn from other countries, because they're so busy protecting their valuables. On the other hand, ours already got stolen so we don't have to spend energy protecting them, so we're better."

Sorry, that reality is so "negative" but that doesn't make it any less real.

TheMillenniumRider said:

How do you operate being that negative all the time? He isn’t focusing on the 60% expected to get them, instead the 40% who might be hesitant.

You don't eradicate viruses with optimism.

No. You need sunlight and bleach.

eightdotthree said:
You don't eradicate viruses with optimism.

You missed a prime "Hope is not a strategy" opportunity.

You beat me to it.

I am not fit for this site.

Using hope as a strategy > Rip Ride Rockit

I am double posting for no other reason than I just received an 8 paragraph dissertation from my dad talking about all of the reasons why me suggesting that we skip a Christmas visit this year is "heartbreaking" "unfair" and that I need to "do the good and right thing" and visit and that I have essentially ruined Christmas by suggesting I will not come and visit. That was about half of the email. The other half talked about all of the COVID precautions they take and how safe they are when they go out to eat, go visiting, go to the mall, and fly from Ohio to Florida. Apparently taking the precautions and skipping our annual 6-8 hour visit where they sit and watch cable news or play on their iPads for the majority of it will undo 35 years of being a good son.

I feel your pain, and I'm waiting for more vitriolic responses before it's all said and done. That SNL sketch is so on point.

This is all kinds of unpleasant reality. There are only a few ICU beds open in the Orlando area. I thought we were doing better than that.

How Full Are Hospital I.C.U.s Near You? https://nyti.ms/2IRmmUR

I guess some vaccine recipients are having severe allergic reactions. One nurse required an epipen and steroids ending up in the ICU for a few days. Granted, it's only a few people thus far (our of how many?) but still interesting.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-alle...Abody_link

Whenever you get a traditional flu vaccine in a dr.'s office you fill out paperwork that asks a very common question about your history of any allergic reactions to the vaccine in the past. Then your doctor always asks you to wait around for 10-15 minutes in case a reaction develops regardless of how you answered that question.