Coronavirus, it is all over the news

[Ian]

This thread is going to be closed very soon if people start attacking each-other, rather than discussing an important issue. I've let this thread go on much longer than I normally would, given all the aggravation and political partisanship in the posts.

The entire world is suffering. Many of us are in quarantine, many of us know someone (or will know someone) who is seriously ill or dies from this. I really don't want to have to close this thread or warn members.

 

[Giri]

From RT News :-
The US Navy has removed more than 100 sailors from a hospital ship docked in Los Angeles to aid the city’s fight against Covid-19 after seven crew members contracted the lethal virus – but exactly how remains a mystery.
The 116 medical staff members were pulled off the USNS 'Mercy' on Tuesday and brought to a nearby base where they entered quarantine, Lieutenant Rochelle Rieger of the 3rd Fleet told the Associated Press, adding that none have been hospitalized.
More puzzling, however, is how – and where – the seven infected sailors could have picked up the virus, given that the ship's entire crew of more than 1,000 were tested and cleared before it set off for Los Angeles in late March. Since then, none of the sailors have been allowed to leave the vessel.

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Two things about this report strike me as worrying.
Firstly it reveals much uncertainty concerning the efficacy of the test.
Secondly it highlights the extra difficulty of controlling the virus wherever people live and work in close proximity, in this case a ship but also by extension a military base, a monastery or anything in between.
I find it extremely unfortunate that there should still be ¨puzzling¨ aspects of this nature, they are not puzzles but evidence of the real nature of the threat we are facing.

 

[roadrunner]

I was in the US Navy for 23 years, so I don't find it worrying that Sailors previously tested were found to be infected. Very close quarters on a ship, even the large ones.

There's nothing really worrying here (outside the ordinary), other than the economic problems that will come from all this; it's still too early to know the true effects. Once we learn more about this novel virus and develop a vaccine this will all be forgotten for the most part, except the financial parts. At least that's how I see it now.

BTW, all militaries across the world are challenged by this virus.


P.S. I hope this thread will not be closed down. I would hope we can discuss very emotional topics without getting too emotional. I totally agree with the concept of vigorous debate without personal attacks.

Europe's armed forces face a war against coronavirus as military infections rise

They're patrolling streets in lockdown, disinfecting public spaces and supporting border control.

www.weforum.org

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Well, @Giri , he was referring to you. This forum has always been a lovely non political place until you started and I am OFFENDED BY IT. You need to learn the rules.

 

[Ian]

Well, @Giri , he was referring to you. This forum has always been a lovely non political place until you started and I am OFFENDED BY IT. You need to learn the rules.

Actually, I wasn't going to name names here, but my latest post was in relation to your post that I saw (there were others too before Zigs' post). It isn't acceptable to say that someone should get out of here because you don't agree with what they think:

@Girl. I want you out of here. YOU have no right to say the comments about my President Donald Trump. He is doing an awesome job. Go away. Wonder how your country is doing? I do not like you here.

I don't mind intense discussion, but we need to keep things polite and civil. A lot of us are going to suffer with our jobs, health and loved ones, so I understand that there will be strong feelings on this, but at the end of the day we are all on the same team.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I am offended at the verbal attack he made to my President. I have never ever attacked any leader of any country on this forum. To me he was not polite and civil, and I am offended. I was telling him I did not like his remarks. I do believe seniority has some merit here. When anyone attacks my President you attack the USA. The USA are allies with many countries, our boys have died in other countries fighting with them. Other countries take stuff from the USA when in need. And zigs paragraph was way ahead of mine. So zig was referring to him.

 

[Ian]

Esther, I'm just trying to keep this thread on Coronavirus - the political response is going to come up here and I don't see any harm in people being displeased with how leaders handle it, given how tied in it is to the epidemic. Normally I'd want to avoid politics on the forum, but in this thread at this time, it's unavoidable to an extent. I just hoped that people would use common sense so that we can keep this thread open. I do not want to see political posts that are unrelated to coronavirus, otherwise this thread will descent in to chaos.

I have zero problem with people being offended by someone elses remarks, as long as they are not hostile, unreasonable or break forum rules. One of the founding principles of your own great country is the right to criticise the government, a position that some other despotic countries forbid (and none of use would likely like to live in those places). I do not have to look very hard to find your remarks on Obama at the time he was president. That said, I would very much like the focus of this thread not to descend in to just attacks on Trump and would lock the thread if that is all it turned in to. The entire world is in this mess together and every country has less-than-perfect responses to it.

As I've mentioned, politics are normally not encouraged on the forum - but in a time with such a world problem, I don't mind it being confined to one thread for those that would like to express their thoughts when we can't meet people face-to-face as usual. The covid19 response is as much political as it is medical for the moment, so it's somewhat unavoidable to not talk about it to a degree.

My problem is with personal attacks on other members, which your post was.

Zigs has posted a warning, I've posted a warning - let's drop the personal attacks and continue this discussion about anything related to coronavirus. Anyone breaking rules will be banned from this thread.

Please - no more personal attacks, unrelated political bashing or agressive behaviour in this thread. This thread could be a really useful resource for people if it doesn't get out of hand. This is my last warning before people are blocked from replying to this thread or it is closed.

 

[Giri]

From El País -- Madrid - APR 15, 2020 - 19:35 CEST
The Minister of Social Security, José Luis Escrivá, anticipated this Wednesday that the Government will approve the new minimum vital income in weeks. Sources close to the second vice president of the Government, Pablo Iglesias, explained that on Tuesday they agreed with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to approve the new minimum income in May. Escrivá explained that the new social aid will benefit about 100,000 single-parent households.

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Although this falls short of the Universal Basic Income which has been mooted in some circles, it could be the beginning of a more humanitarian approach to society´s needs. It´s certainly more positive than anything I´ve heard of from the UK, where Raab´s promise of ¨Whatever it takes¨ translates as ..... well -- a loan at interest, in certain circumstances, unless you have a house to use as collateral ... in which case, ask your friendly Bank Manager.

But the Spanish government is perhaps realising that the system depends on the people spending money, and if business grinds to a halt then an injection of financial support at ground level isn´t a bad way of getting things moving again.

 

[Meadowlark]

World Health Organization knew about this in December 2019 and did nothing.

...and just lost funding from its largest contributor in the World. Thank you, President Trump.

Esther, I hope you are following this story from credible sources as it unfolds. It is even worse, far worse, than we had imagined. The facts are coming out each day now...and it isn't a pretty picture for either the WHO or China.

 

[Giri]

From Democracy Now :-

W.H.O. funding move draws dismay and criticism​

President Trump’s decision to halt U.S. funding to the World Health Organization, the culmination of a concerted campaign by conservatives and his own advisers, was met with widespread condemnation.​

António Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, said the middle of a pandemic was not the time to cut funding. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House in the U.S., promised to swiftly challenge the move and called it “dangerous” and “illegal” — Congress has already appropriated nearly $500 million. The German foreign minister also criticized the decision.​

But U.S. officials said there was agreement among the president’s advisers that the W.H.O. was too influenced by the Chinese government and had been too slow in sounding the alarm about the coronavirus.​

The pandemic has infected more than two million people worldwide, according to official count. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ So - the president´s advisers criticise the WHO -- are they the same advisers who encouraged the president to think that think climate change is a hoax? Was it them who let the president get up on his back legs and announce that America is the biggest country in the world ? If the president is correct, then the rest of the world must be wrong ... But Trump, as I´ve previously posted, has been wrong on just about everything so far -- so you decide.​

 

[Ian]

@Giri, I wish you'd left out the constant Trump stuff - it's just going to rile people up. Everyone is stuck at home, bored and frustrated at the situation - it's only going to wind people up on a place where we normally all get along and avoid politics. I think perhaps it is best after all to just lock this thread and go back to avoiding any political stuff and stick to gardening. Otherwise, many people will be wound up at a time when they turn to a gardening forum to escape this sort of thing. A gardening forum probably isn't the place to discuss politics after all.