Coronavirus

[Bicycle Bill]

-"BB"-

[Gob]

Worldwide coronavirus infections near 110,000.
There are almost 110,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins. The total is currently 109,965. The total number of deaths from the virus stands at 3,824.

Of the infections:

80,735 are in Mainland China

7,375 are in Italy

7,313 are in South Korea

6,566 are in Iran

1,209 are in France

1,040 are in Germany.

Spain has the next highest number of cases, with 673, followed by the US with 547.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... 0b8d944bbf

Volunteers?

Volunteers could be paid £3,500 to be infected with the coronavirus as scientists race to find a vaccine.

The Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre, London, is recruiting 24 people for the study.

They will be injected with two weaker strains of the deadly virus – which has killed more than 3,800 people worldwide – giving them similar respiratory symptoms.

A jab developed by the company Hvivo will then be tested. Patients will remain in quarantine for two weeks to see if it is successful.

Some 35 other vaccines are in development, and the UK government has promised an extra £46million in the fight against coronavirus.

However, experts have said a vaccine is unlikely to be approved in time to halt the current epidemic, which has so far seen more than 110,00 people across the globe fall ill with COVID-19.

[Big RR]

One potential bright spot, many flu outbreaks tend to subside as spring and summer roll around, and Covid 19 may well be among them. Hopefully we will use that break to hone our next response in the fall when it likely will return, but I wouldn't hold my breath with Trump and his cronies. As I recall, the early 1900s spnish flu outbreak was worse in the second season (Fall 2019) than the first, and we should be prepared for it.

That being said, I can only see some of the hysteria as being counterproductive, kind of like when people evcuate for hurricanes that never come, and then eventually just ignore the warnings. It's important to try and keep this under control, as it could be counterproductive come the fall.

[MajGenl.Meade]

On behalf of all those expecting autumn at any moment,

[Big RR]

You lost me there

[Crackpot]

He’s on the southern half of the planet therefore seasons are reversed and are going into the “dangerous” seasons for this virus.

[Bicycle Bill]

Didnt know whether to put this here or in the "puns" thread on the "Laffs" page....



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[Big RR]

Thanks CP; Meade, I have no idea what the nominal flu season is where you are, a thousand pardons. Not sure what a wanker is, but I guess it's some term signifying deep respect, right?

[Guinevere]

Didnt know whether to put this here or in the "puns" thread on the "Laffs" page....



-"BB"-

OK, *this* is funny!

[Sue U]

OK, *this* is funny!

Surprised you got the reference; I don't think you were even born yet when that movie came out.

[BoSoxGal]

[Long Run]

He caught that looking for love in all the wrong places.

[BoSoxGal]

Trump said he didn’t know people died of influenza; beyond how absolutely insane that statement is, his paternal grandfather died of influenza in the 1918 pandemic!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics ... index.html


This has to be the signs of a diseased brain, no?

[Guinevere]

OK, *this* is funny!

Surprised you got the reference; I don't think you were even born yet when that movie came out.

1977. Same year as the original Star Wars, which I did see as soon as it came out. My parents would not have gone to see, and I don't recall seeing SNF until quite a bit later. But the music, sure, remember it well.

BSG, it's not *that* funny . . . .

[BoSoxGal]

Bwahahaha! I forgot to quote the funny post! Although Sue's was a little bit funny. Is there anyone here who wasn’t born in the 70s? I think crackpot is our resident baby of the board and I’m pretty sure even he is that old?

This of course is precisely why I’m worried about all of us - we’re a bunch of high(er) risk geezers!

[Crackpot]

Old enough to know what it means young enough not to have willingly seen it. Believe I saw Star Wars in the 78 re release

[Scooter]

[rubato]

You lost me there

You know; nuclear winter, microbial autumn, like that.

yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

That's long been an issue in the hazardous waste business. In my company, anyone who worked in the lab or in the field - investigating potential Superfund sites or whatever - had to be fit tested for a respirator and many (depending on the level of severity of the site) had to be authorized for full face masks with self contained breathing apparatus. We used to have training sessions where people played soccer wearing either respirators or, for the really hardy, with a 40lb air tank on their backs and in full tyvek suits. I wish I'd taken photos.

We simply could not allow beards. A respirator will not adequately seal on your face to guard against vapors and airborne pathogens if you have too much facial hair. As it happens, if you are on a very hazardous site which requires SCBA then a full face mask will seal regardless of hair.

So if you went around our HQ and saw someone with a beard he was in accounting or IT or whatever. Not a field guy.

We had the same issue.
anyone who had to use a respirator could not have a full beard. It's tricky enough getting a good fit.

yrs,
rubato

[Bicycle Bill]

Today's cartoon from xkcd...



Randall Munroe (the creator) doesn't say so in so many words, but it could very readily be seen as a comment on the current coronavirus issue, and the guy in the hat could very easily represent Mr. Trump.

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