Coronavirus Pandemic

[tufty]

Whilst I remain skeptical of the Chinese numbers, it should be pointed out that "The Epoch Times" is a conspiracy-peddling fake news outfit run by Falun Gong.

Just saying, like.

[(o)(o)]

@Deckard Looks good that might have to get one installed !! Paper alone isn't satisfactory IMO

Can't quite believe we're having this conversation, but I agree.

Remember my grandparents used to have a bidet in the bathroom. Never really understood why, but actually it's not a bad idea..

Happy to have the conversation it's human nature... When I started using wipes years ago I quickly appreciated paper is not nearly as thorough ! Stands to reason. I'm not sure of the environmental impact of paper + wipes vs bidet but I know which I prefer..

Also I have some very strong opinions about "western toilets"!! It's worth remembering that the modern style toilet only starting emerging in the 19th century and then only for the middle classes and up. Before that you would sit on a pot, crap out a window (the dutch did it in fields which is smart!). The problem with these new 'posh' ways of shitting is hemmoroids which most people get and yet most people would avoid if they pooped in crouching position.

When you poop like this you get your business done quick (and it PROPERLY evacuates your bowels - has to be experienced to be appreciated )... and it discourages hemmorids, which is caused mostly by people sitting and PUSHING on fancy toilets.



So 'if I win the lottery'... to go with the bidet, I'd like one of these!

[merman]

Keep your eyes on the Coronavirus Bill people... drastic powers being drawn up and rushed through for this very fascistic government

While it's not quite MARSHALL LAW as many dumbasses are calling it, the fact the emergency powers can last for up to two years combined with the postponement of the local elections for a year IS a concern.

And while I agree that the opposition parties should act sensibly at a time of national emergency, letting the Budget bill and these powers go through on the nod without any Commons vote does set things up nicely for more draconian powers to be put forward "in the national interest"...

[gilesgoat]

and it discourages hemmorids, which is caused mostly by people sitting and PUSHING on fancy toilets.

.. NOT REALLY ..

NOT "mostly" for sure, trust me !

First : it's due "horrible dietary habits", Second is very sedentary life, Third even worse if you are overweight, Fourth it's partially genetic you can be more or less predisposed to.

The biggest problem is lack of movement/exercise but also alchool, too little fibres and bad food.

[zip accident]

Btw check this graph : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coro ... c_in_Italy

UK at the moment is about 'at 27th' in that graph so let's say has to be seen what's going to be in the next 2 weeks.

As of 17 March 2020, there have been 31,506 confirmed cases, 2,503 deaths, and 2,941 recoveries in Italy, leaving 26,062 active cases.

That's really bad. Over 40% deaths compared to recoveries, I suppose the active cases are mostly expected to recover, but that still looks like nearly 10% fatalities.

[Space Cowboy]

What's wrong with low cost airlines ?

*Hugely* environmentally damaging. Travel has been made a key piece of what it's supposed to mean to be "human" in the latter 20th and early 21st century, but the commodification of airlines has come at an enormous environmental cost.

What are the environmental costs you're referring to? There's the suggestion that man's contribution to CO2 levels is a **huge** issue, not sure I agree with that when a single volcanic eruption dwarfs our own efforts, so what other costs are there?

[KlaxonCow]

I'll at least be finding out their current thinking on working from home. Thing is, this is likely only good for a couple of weeks - I work in IT support and have plenty of web work etc that can be done from home for now if they trust me to but I can't see it being something they'd agree to for 12 weeks if everyone else is in and needing support.

You should definitely ask them about working from home.

I did this with my boss over the weekend and he agreed, so I collected my work laptop on Monday - one final day at work - and then I've been working from home since.

Mind you, with my job, I am pretty much able to do all of it over the Internet. And, truth is, we do a lot of things for other business and, already, we're feeling the shutdown - there's less work coming in and cancellation of jobs, as everyone else is also shutting down and doing less trade themselves - so the reality is that there's increasingly less to be done.

(The true worry with us is that the amount of work just drops off too much, beyond cashflow's ability to handle. The boss has spent most of his time reviewing his insurance and talking to the local council about these promised "we won't let you go under" grants from the government and all that.)

One potentially compelling argument to make is that, if you're working from home and self-isolating, there's much less risk of you getting it and, therefore, being unable to work. That you could actually be one of their more dependable workers going forward, in working from home, because you're the most likely not to get ill from this and, thus, be able to continue working throughout all of this.

These are tough calls that we've all got to make, but employers have to think of it in these terms - if you insist everyone must come into the office, then you're putting many people into a confined space. If the infection reaches the office then - bang! - everyone's got it. Your whole office has to go into self-isolation because they're ill - who's left to keep doing work for you? No-one. Including potentially the bosses themselves, as they're not magically immune to catching it either.

But if all those who can work from home do that and stay in self-isolation, then you're got healthy employees, at much lower risk, who can keep on doing the work. Sure, perhaps not quite to the same levels of productivity, because of doing it remotely, but at least work will continue and things get done. And, if like us, the business finds it's getting much less work to be doing, then staying up and running is what counts, not maximal productivity at only doing half or a quarter the work you usually do anyway.

One of my mates works at a university in AV / IT support, and they've worked out an interesting system between them. Everyone now works from home from this week. Except one person who can go in and be the "physical hands", should anything need to be done physically. And they'll rotate who that person is. The idea being that one person on their own can't spread it to anyone else or catch it from anyone else - as long as, of course, hands are being washed and surfaces being cleaned routinely.

They've been basically setting up a system for lecturers to record lectures from home, and beam it out to their students.

Also, point out that, in the UK, it is being "strongly advised" at the moment. But, in other countries, it's being actually enforced. Actual curfews and lockdowns and travel restrictions, being legally enforced.

As an employer, get ahead of the curve and, indeed, arrange with employees to work from home, where possible, so work can continue in some form. Whereas, wait for the "right, we're shutting it all down" order to come, you could be up shit creek without a paddle.

Impress on them to understand that, for sure, this is going to get worse before it gets better, and we're probably in for quite a long haul here, so if you let me work from home, then I can remain healthy and keep doing work for you. Compelling us to work at the office could end up with a total business shutdown and no work done at all - should the whole office come down with this and have to simultaneously self-isolate for at least 14 days, or the government feels compelled to actually enforce travel restrictions that could simply stop your employees getting to the office at all.

And all businesses are facing this simultaneously. If your business does any B2B (business to business) work, then you can expect that all to start drying up. We do a lot of that, and have already seen the beginnings of it kicking in.

But, yes, I fully appreciate that this is a very tricky situation for you indeed, that's why I felt compelled to respond to your questions. To try to offer you some useful advice for your situation.

[PFVA]

Well, state of emergency has been declared.

In the meantime they got 240 ventilators from the private sector.

And one million and half masks for the health professionals and others will be distributed this weekend.

We have 642 cases and the 2nd fatality, a 72 year old man who happened to be the President of the Totta Santander Bank.

I went into town today to have a pre schedulled thyroid ecography done and i saw more lines, I'm starting to associate this virus with lines:

Lines

[Deckard]

No you’ve has 642 people tested positively for it with possibly tens of thousands having had it with little or no problems as they didn’t need to go to hospital.

[gilesgoat]

Btw check this graph : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coro ... c_in_Italy

UK at the moment is about 'at 27th' in that graph so let's say has to be seen what's going to be in the next 2 weeks.

As of 17 March 2020, there have been 31,506 confirmed cases, 2,503 deaths, and 2,941 recoveries in Italy, leaving 26,062 active cases.

That's really bad. Over 40% deaths compared to recoveries, I suppose the active cases are mostly expected to recover, but that still looks like nearly 10% fatalities.

.. which was what some Italian expert some weeks ago predicted "as a maximal case pulled out of the air" he was expecting a "max" of nearly 10% ..

[Deckard]

But presumably tens of thousands of mild cases as they wouldn’t go to get tested so 10% way too high ?

[(o)(o)]

For the benefit of the UK patrons here.

From a reliable source.

Recommend making preparations tomorrow for an extended stay indoors.

[tufty]

Bear in mind that the published figures lag the real infection rate by ~10 days or so; those who have been tested positive show up mostly because they are showing symptoms and have thus been tested. So if you follow up the curve 10 days from, say the ~650 cases *currently known* in Portugal, that gives something like 6,500 *actual* cases right now that will result in symptoms and show up in published figures in around 10 days' time. If we knew the percentage of non-symptomatic infections WRT the number that show symptoms, we could have a good guess at the number of actual infections, but I'm not sure that percentage is known.

[Ratsoap]

Have heard the same from a few people.

Always seems to be friend of a friend, mind.

Edit: @(o)(o)

[PFVA]

Has anyone noticed the Eurovision has been cancelled?

That thread won't be updated this year.