Senate Pandemics in the Age of Globalization: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Discussion: See OP Warning

Makes sense technologically advanced countries with huge populations do well. There is already an established layer of working social infrastructure and buearcracy in place for society to function. The pandemic response can naturally extend from what’s already successful.

South Korea was already under risk of immanent threat. Maybe that constant readiness and acceptance prepares a society to action from different dangers.

 

Yeah I'm pretty baffled by this study's findings TBH... They make valid points, but seem to be ignoring other factors. Lots of small island nations don't even feature, for example.

 

It seems like you're cherry picking somewhat. Methodology questions in how they generated their assessments aside, they're binning the data into small, medium, and large countries and seeing significant differences. So yes, there are big countries that did well, and I'm sure there's also small countries that did poorly that could be pointed to. The point is that on average smaller countries did better with their methodology, not that every small country did better than every large country.

 

I did not interpret it that way. In fact, several dozens of pages back, I highlighted the success of several micro-states in handling the pandemic, because unsurprisingly they're tiny and can therefore mostly get a grip on these things. Those micro-states will inevitably skew the figures. I acknowledged there is a clear correlation, and that they made some valid points. What I'm contesting is their interpretation of the data. In other words, as a study, I think it is misleading.

I've had loads of people in the UK arguing that Australia has handled the pandemic well because they have a small population. I've tried to point out that this doesn't make sense as a primary factor once you closely analyse how, for example, we went from 8000 active cases just in Melbourne, to zero. I also did say I agree with the study's finding that organised responses have been important; and Aus's response has been prompt, and pretty draconian. The study claims that Aus being an island is important. This is garbage, which is why I highlighted the case of the UK. What Aus did was immediately close its borders to international flights, only allowing repatriations. The UK did not do this.

Our state borders have significant restrictions placed on them, or are completely closed, effectively turning the country into eight countries. Aussies have, for the most part, been very compliant with directives. When you look at the other countries that have done well, I see this strong tendency, for the most part. I highlighted this because the study barely mentions it.

 

I haven't read the actual study, just the references to the general conclusions outlined in the media article so can't comment. I do agree with you that cultural 'compliance with authority' has been a major factor in Australia's success and I also agree with the comments by the chap in the article that Australia is effectively "seven or eight countries" when it comes to pandemic responses and when those individual states have governments which are opposed in terms of political parties and have the power to make emergency laws, it is very easy to close borders and control movement (the ongoing 'spats' between QLD premier and NSW premier being a case in point).

 

Exactly. These are important factors. I have friends and relatives in Japan, Vietnam and New Zealand who point to very strong organised responses in those countries too. My nephew, who is a teacher in Vietnam, got docked a week's pay by his school when he snuck off to Hanoi during lockdown, just as a wee isolated example.

I suspect that the small-populations (microstates aside) thing is mostly coincidence, rather than a deciding factor, in most cases. I think they crunched the numbers, saw a correlation and inferred causation, which, I think is somewhat overstating the case.

 

It needs a certain brutality by the government. Both spending a fortune, and imposing pretty draconian restrictions. And it needs a population willing to put in with it.

 

Except your argument about why it's garbage is just that there's an island that had problems.

Under that same approach you're using, saying that not smoking is important for avoiding lung cancer is also garbage, because one can point to people who die from lung cancer but didn't smoke.

I can also demonstrate that global warming isn't happening because it was cold in some places.

 

Missouri has asked CVS and Walgreens to give back 25,000 doses to the state so the state can administer them instead.... But the state so far hasn't administered any doses in my area. So we may just be getting further away.

It's not like I can hop the state line to Kansas and do better. They're just as bad as Missouri.

 

My workplace made us fill out forms so I think vaccination is right around the corner!

 

Be really really careful @heels1785 as South Carolina now has the SA strain:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/28/sou...re-problematic-variant-from-south-africa.html

Other states would immediately be tightening up and doing lots and lots of contact traces to try and quarantine whoever could been exposed to it the best they can. But regrettably it's South Carolina so I fully expect the opposite to happen. Sorry.

 

The New York nursing home death toll undercount:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/nyregion/nursing-home-deaths-cuomo.html

 

Mom's doctor on a teleappointment this morning (so she could get her meds refilled), helped put her in the appointment queue and even told her they'd provide transportation to get her to that appointment when it comes, so hopefully she'll be getting the vaccine sooner rather than later.

 

But Cuomo wrote a book! A book! He should run for President.

 

A bit of good news? Again not does the vaccine(s) still look to be effective against the new variants but also the manufactures apparently can have updates for the vaccine at almost a moment's notice by simply "copy and pasting":

https://time.com/5933340/moderna-covid-19-vaccine-new-strains/

This technology truly is going to hopefully change the world not only for this but against all kinds of diseases. I hope this truly spawns an golden age of not only vaccines but preemptive medicine as well. About time we started thinking about "health" and instead of treating people when they get sick.

 

I still can't wrap my head around the conceit alone that someone would write a book on leadership before their crisis has even ended. I mean, there's chutzpah, and then there's this.

It just reinforces my belief that politicians are only half-human.

 

Agreed, except I see it as politicians being all too human. It takes a certain type of person to run for public office to being with. That’s it’s own thing. It takes another type of person to reach a position of power without starting to believe their own hype. That goes beyond politics to anyone who finds great success.

If an actor released a book about their life philosophy and a record of them singing it’s vanity and a way to make money, get attention, and maybe reinvent themselves. It’s all that for Cuomo. But how does the current governor of New York have time in the middle of a crisis to write a book? No doubt Cuomo plans to use this to help in a future presidential campaign. At the very least he wants to shape the narrative now as it is happening. And for sure he is very proud of the work he is doing and wants us to know that story.

 

I seriously doubt Cuomo "wrote" anything, just reviewed a manuscript a ghostwriter made.

 

Some good news?



Israel is dealing with one of the new variants so hopefully this is another sign that the vaccine(s) are working well against them. Just need them to get into people's arms faster. Seems like the Biden administration plan of throwing everything at it including the kitchen sink is the right strategy but more vaccine(s) need to come online for that to happen. I guess a lot is riding on J&J and other companies to see if they can help flood the market with vaccine doses.

 

So, my job is tightening social distancing/mask requirements for the employees, but guests can still go without masks if they say to admissions they have a medical condition.

Yet, Disney is able to enforce that EVERYONE (2 and up) wear a mask, even if they're outside, even if they're not on rides with the only exception if they're sitting still and eating/drinking.

 

It’s also confirmed the UK variant is here in SC as well.

And apparently @Luke02 I don’t warrant the same concern for good health even though I live here too.

But yeah, I fully expect our lawmakers to do exactly nothing about this. Gov. McMaster’s bold strategy has been to finger wag to us vaguely about being careful, all the while keeping everything open so people can party like it’s 2019. I think the positivity rate in this state has been above 25% since approximately Halloween, and we rank among the worst in the nation for vaccine rollout on top of that, so yeah, bang-up job citizens and politicians alike. I feel so safe living here.

 

Could we catch multiple strains at the same time? Or in short succession?

 

Drivers stranded in the snow in Oregon get leftover vaccine from stranded health care workers.

 

This is from the "Ask A Mortician" video series on YouTube. The host is usually informative but lighthearted. Not so much in this one - she's based in Los Angeles, and she gives an extremely sobering view of what's happening... with an epilogue about Newsom's ending of the statewide restrictions.

 

From my understanding natural immunity will be last awhile even against other variants but the new variants mean "herd immunity" is basically impossible naturally. We need to vaccinate a massive portion of the population for this to really end.