Coronavirus General Discussion (no politics, no flamewars!)

digital paradise wrote in post #19036951
I didn't see any names on them and they where washed in a bucket of salt water. I guess it depends on how often the operator changed water.

That reminds me, my brother, who's a sailor, told me in the old days sailors would use a length of rope that was at all other times dragging behind the ship, in the salt water and thus sterilised. Probably the most hygienic method of all.

Apricane wrote in post #19037079
I'd like to believe, but the source just doesn't look trustworthy to me. It still all sounds too good to be true. And, imo, too much good testing is false security. You can test negative and still cross the street and get infected if you're not careful. What we need to do is to kick this virus as a global collective, not just ensure our own personal safety and/or build reliable statistics because "evidence".

Here is a credible source https://www.selectscie​nce.net …five-minutes/?artID=51060 and here. https://abcnews.go.com …minutes/story?i​d=69875037 Basically it's all over the news.
here is the mask sterilization article https://www.theverge.c​om …95-face-masks-coronavirus

Here's a little bit of good news. Rather than having to lay off its workers, this company in the Akron Ohio has repurposed it's production line to instead produce face shields for healthcare workers:

https://www.wkyc.com …00-407b-97c3-c3114caeecdd

sapearl wrote in post #19037001
Very true Wilt about the old fashion POTS line and hardware still having power. Power comes from the phone company Central Office which has huge banks of batteries along with humongous diesel generators. We have several of the old style sets in addition to our smartphones.

Banks of huge batteries is what is used. Each cell is only a couple of volts, and many are put in series to make 48 volts (actually 53 volts, in my latter days in telephony). Each cell is the size of a trash can, and voltage is so low that you could attach wires to the terminals of a single cell and put them on your tongue, separate from each other, with no harm, unless they shorted, and then the wires and your tongue could be vaporized. Back in the early days, before safer designs were used, people got burnt by accidentally shorting the cells,with things like long screwdrivers and wireframe glasses.

Apricane wrote in post #19037079
I'd like to believe, but the source just doesn't look trustworthy to me. It still all sounds too good to be true. And, imo, too much good testing is false security. You can test negative and still cross the street and get infected if you're not careful. What we need to do is to kick this virus as a global collective, not just ensure our own personal safety and/or build reliable statistics because "evidence".

itsallart wrote in post #19037116
Here is a credible source https://www.selectscie​nce.net …five-minutes/?artID=51060 and here. https://abcnews.go.com …minutes/story?i​d=69875037 Basically it's all over the news.
here is the mask sterilization article https://www.theverge.c​om …95-face-masks-coronavirus

Just as Renata says, it's all over the news, and has been for at least two days.
Abbott's test scheme works with a device they've had in the field for some time already,
apparently providing positive results in around 5 minutes, with a negative coming at
somewhere around 13 minutes. Of course, there will always be margin of error,
and there's no way to fix the situations like Apricane's mention, but it's one of the
speediest testing methods yet found to discern between positive or negative.

This is a very positive step forward in the battle.

sapearl wrote in post #19037121
Here's a little bit of good news. Rather than having to lay off its workers, this company in the Akron Ohio has repurposed it's production line to instead produce face shields for healthcare workers:

https://www.wkyc.com …00-407b-97c3-c3114caeecdd

That's very cool.

There's more out there, as well.
After being bludgeoned to go into the respirator-making business, GM is now being assisted
by a voluntary contribution from Ford Motor Company in their own efforts to produce
ventilators and face masks, with Elon Musk putting some of his Tesla production
into the fray:
https://www.jdpower.co​m …-protective-equipment-ppe

I also read about John Dyson creating a functional respirator within around 10 days
after setting his engineers to the task, intending to bring no less than 15,000 into being:
https://www.popularmec​hanics.com …943465/dyson-ventilators/

SkedAddled wrote in post #19037140
Just as Renata says, it's all over the news, and has been for at least two days.
Abbott's test scheme works with a device they've had in the field for some time already,
apparently providing positive results in around 5 minutes, with a negative coming at
somewhere around 13 minutes. Of course, there will always be margin of error,
and there's no way to fix the situations like Apricane's mention, but it's one of the
speediest testing methods yet found to discern between positive or negative.

This is a very positive step forward in the battle.

For at least two days, really? All of those articles date from literally today, with only the one about the masks being more than 12 hours old.

Let's just hope it works out, because we don't really yet know if it works - as far as I can tell, neither of these technologies have been widely tested yet. The ABC news article does point out that deployment will be rushed, but we don't know what it could look like yet and just how wide it can be in a short time. And remember that flattening the curve depends on more than just identifying cases, but also taking concrete measures to stop the spread.

Apricane wrote in post #19037079
I'd like to believe, but the source just doesn't look trustworthy to me. It still all sounds too good to be true. And, imo, too much good testing is false security. You can test negative and still cross the street and get infected if you're not careful. What we need to do is to kick this virus as a global collective, not just ensure our own personal safety and/or build reliable statistics because "evidence".

Global collective is IMHO not doable. That would require one or several on each continent command centrals that would analyze the movement of the virus, coordinate, communicate and directs forces, resources etc. which may include laying the entire world still with no travel etc. Utopia.
The entire world economy would crash and could spark massive unrest everywhere and ultimately deliver a massive blow bordering on who knows what. People are jobless, rich are getting richer and human greed is there to profit from it all...we've already seen it so many times over.
So true, that one can be tested and be fine only to get infected across the street.

SkedAddled wrote in post #19037140
Just as Renata says, it's all over the news, and has been for at least two days.
Abbott's test scheme works with a device they've had in the field for some time already,
apparently providing positive results in around 5 minutes, with a negative coming at
somewhere around 13 minutes. Of course, there will always be margin of error,
and there's no way to fix the situations like Apricane's mention, but it's one of the
speediest testing methods yet found to discern between positive or negative.

This is a very positive step forward in the battle.

Yes, and yet, in the current situation where in one part of the country or state or even counties here people are still "partying" wildly for whatever reason (and there are many) and the mentality of "no one is going to tell me what to do" will result in the virus sweeping through this country or many others.
Yes, there is always

Rapid testing sure is welcome news, the old two day wait was better than nothing but far from perfection.
In my little rural town we now have our 2nd case, the first person has been released and doing well. This 2nd person had symptoms 5 days ago, was tested, results finally came back positive. On our local news they said the person began isolation today. That's great, where and who did this person come in contact with in the past 5 days?
In more rural areas like where I live I'm afraid people don't think it will find them. Some, esp. older people and those with common sense are taking it seriously, many are still working but taking extra precautions,most employers are making sure they are as safe as possible. I am seeing young people that are being extremely careless, they go from one house to the next, congregate in parking lots, party together, they are having a good time. When the virus ramps up among them it could be a disaster and it will be their fault only, the rules and guidelines are in place for safety and many don't care. Frustrating,

Apricane wrote in post #19037152
For at least two days, really? All of those articles date from literally today, with only the one about the masks being more than 12 hours old.

Yes, two days. At least.
news.google.com agglomeration can be narrowed by date.

I started reading about it yesterday, with coverage continuing today.
I've been hovering around there for over a week now, due to my state-imposed
'non-essential' whathaveyou. So I'm idle, and have the time.

SkedAddled wrote in post #19037158
Yes, two days. At least.
news.google.com agglomeration can be narrowed by date.

I started reading about it yesterday, with coverage continuing today.
I've been hovering around there for over a week now, due to my state-imposed
'non-essential' whathaveyou. So I'm idle, and have the time.

If you say so!

itsallart wrote in post #19037153
Global collective is IMHO not doable. That would require one or several on each continent command centrals that would analyze the movement of the virus, coordinate, communicate and directs forces, resources etc. which may include laying the entire world still with no travel etc. Utopia.
The entire world economy would crash and could spark massive unrest everywhere and ultimately deliver a massive blow bordering on who knows what. People are jobless, rich are getting richer and human greed is there to profit from it all...we've already seen it so many times over.
So true, that one can be tested and be fine only to get infected across the street.

I think you may be reading too much into my use of "global collective". This just means that if the remains anywhere then no one is really safe until we get a vaccine that works.

Apricane wrote in post #19037176
I think you may be reading too much into my use of "global collective". This just means that if the remains anywhere then no one is really safe until we get a vaccine that works.

Denis, I probably was. Well, a vaccine ain't gonna happen anytime soon. 1-1.5 years

I think this virus is going to run its course no matter what. We can "flatten the curve" and build up immunity that only lasts a few months and then the beast returns mutated a few times over and then what?

Grizz1 wrote in post #19037154
In more rural areas like where I live I'm afraid people don't think it will find them. Some, esp. older people and those with common sense are taking it seriously, many are still working but taking extra precautions,most employers are making sure they are as safe as possible. I am seeing young people that are being extremely careless. . . .

I'm in an urban area and can't leave. I notice the same age difference you do. So far, in my experience walking and shopping, older people here are careful about the six-foot minimum, but a few others ignore it, and they scare me.

Two pet peeves: (1) The guy who parks himself in the MIDDLE of the sidewalk, absorbed in his phone, never looking up. Hey! Move to one edge or the other! Give a moment's thought to how people are supposed to get around you. Or maybe thought isn't your strong point, huh? (2) Some customers in grocery stores, and even some employees, who walk around as freely as if it were last year. Twice today in Safeway, someone breezed past me from behind, two feet away if that, with no warning. One was a security guard.

I've begun to be rather confrontational about personal distance.

OhLook wrote in post #19037179
I'm in an urban area and can't leave. I notice the same age difference you do. So far, in my experience walking and shopping, older people here are careful about the six-foot minimum, but a few others ignore it, and they scare me.

Two pet peeves: (1) The guy who parks himself in the MIDDLE of the sidewalk, absorbed in his phone, never looking up. Hey! Move to one edge or the other! Give a moment's thought to how people are supposed to get around you. Or maybe thought isn't your strong point, huh? (2) Some customers in grocery stores, and even some employees, who walk around as freely as if it were last year. Twice today in Safeway, someone breezed past me from behind, two feet away if that, with no warning. One was a security guard.

I've begun to be rather confrontational about personal distance.

I agree that people are just too casual about this, especially in stores. I've noticed something similar the last time I went to the liquor store. They technically screen you at the entrance, and limit the number of people who go in, but then don't use that to keep a proper space in between customers or between customers and staff. I guess they believe that just because people were screened by answering a few simple yes/no questions that the person asking you cannot possibly verify that it makes the shop into some kind of safe zone. And it was both old and young people being careless that I've observed, especially the old actually.