Global Pandemic Lockdown

Started by Snarky, Sat 14/03/2020 11:38:17

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cat

I don't think there are genetic reasons, but this is related to measures taken by the government (in Italy people with symptoms went to doctors or hospitals while in Austria they are advised to stay at home and call a special phone number with doctors coming and testing them), the general situation of the health system (from what I've heard very bad in Italy, almost collapsing every year with the regular flu), the living situation (elderly live on their own vs. together with the rest of the family),...

There are numbers that the average age of infected persons in Italy is above 60 while in Germany it is below 50. This suggests that only severe cases were tested in Italy and much more people were actually infected.
It also differs how deaths are counted - did they die because of Corona or having Corona (i.e. would they have died anyway).

What is interesting is the fact that significantly more men than women seem to die from it. Does anyone have any information regarding this? Is this because of genetic reasons, hormones or maybe social reasons (e.g. women living healthier lives, less smoking etc)

Cassiebsg

Don't know about that, but I've wondered why children seem to almost unaffected by this. My theory, which experts may prove or deny (since I can't possibly be the one one thinking this) is that maybe they are being "protected" by child vaccines, ones that the older you get the "weaker" their effect might be? But we do know that kids also test positive and few have died while infected (if they died of covid-19 or something else is another story). Did this kids had their vaccines? Are they the ones parents decided not to vaccine them?
I don't know, probably this is pure speculation on my part and there is absolutely no correlation with the two (but hope those experts that can check and are after a vaccine/treatment, explore this rute, even if only to dismiss it).

I don't think genetics has anything to do with this, the virus doesn't seem to care about it anyway. Unless some people are genetically more "immune" than others, since we do know that there's a big percentage of the population that is infected and has no symptoms whatsoever.

Every time I hear the recommendation of "if you are sick or have these ... symptoms stay at home until 48 hours after you are symptom free." makes me feel like laughing (or crying depending on the situation)... specially when we know that are people testing positive for over a month... I'm not sure 48 hours will do anything except giving us a false sense of security.  (wtf)
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

KyriakosCH

Quarantine means 40 days  :=
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

Blondbraid

Quote from: KyriakosCH on Mon 13/04/2020 20:46:56
I wonder if there is some genetic reason for some countries being affected more than others. Not that on the surface of things there would be that many common genetic similarities between (eg) italians and germans.
Well, as far as I know less percentage of the population died from the black plague in Sweden and Norway than in the parts of Europe further south,
but there has been lots of population shifts since the middle ages and there are a great deal of cultural and lifestyle differences to account for besides the genetic.

As for men being more vulnerable to the virus, I bet it's lots of the same reasons men live shorter lives in general, because statistically more men smoke, eat more meat, more overweight, are less likely to seek medical help
and less likely to maintain closer relationships to friends and relatives (which would mean that they are less likely to have someone looking out for their wellbeing if they show signs of declining health).

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Mon 13/04/2020 22:08:00
Don't know about that, but I've wondered why children seem to almost unaffected by this. My theory, which experts may prove or deny (since I can't possibly be the one one thinking this) is that maybe they are being "protected" by child vaccines, ones that the older you get the "weaker" their effect might be? But we do know that kids also test positive and few have died while infected (if they died of covid-19 or something else is another story). Did this kids had their vaccines? Are they the ones parents decided not to vaccine them?
I don't know, probably this is pure speculation on my part and there is absolutely no correlation with the two (but hope those experts that can check and are after a vaccine/treatment, explore this rute, even if only to dismiss it).
I think it's because children's immune systems are still developing, so it's more sensitive and reacts quicker and stronger on some diseases.


cat

Quote from: Blondbraid on Mon 13/04/2020 22:29:22
I think it's because children's immune systems are still developing, so it's more sensitive and reacts quicker and stronger on some diseases.
This seems to be one reason. Another one I've heard of is, that children have less of those cells/receptors/whatever where the virus enters the body but people who take certain medication (especially for heart conditions) have more or more sensitive ones. Some data suggests that children not only have less symptoms, but there also seem to be less positive tests for children that had close contact to infected people which means they are not very likely to spread the virus.

Btw, I've heard that in Denmark schools and kindergartens open today - this is great news!

Slasher

I believe it is down to the immune system being either strong or weak.


CaptainD

Quote from: cat on Mon 13/04/2020 21:11:02
What is interesting is the fact that significantly more men than women seem to die from it. Does anyone have any information regarding this? Is this because of genetic reasons, hormones or maybe social reasons (e.g. women living healthier lives, less smoking etc)

Can't remember exactly where I saw it but I think this is due to a high percentage of Covid-19 related deaths being in patients with underlying cardiac conditions, which are more prevalent in men than women.
 

Ali

#227
The genetic variation between populations is an explanation people love to reach for, but I think we imagine much bigger genetic differences between nations/ethnicites/races than there actually are. Inherited predispositions to diseases do exist, but it takes us down a very dodgy road to start speculating that Italy and New York might suffering particularly badly because of "Italian genes".  Especially when there are much simpler, less eugenic, explanations.

KyriakosCH

Afaik in NY non-causasian people are hit harder, and it seems to be about relative poverty and lack of state measures there (late enforcement of quarantine being apparently key).
Besides, Britain has been one of the worst cases.
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

Blondbraid

Quote from: Ali on Wed 15/04/2020 15:10:13
The genetic variation between populations is an explanation people love to reach for, but I think we imagine much bigger genetic differences between nations/ethnicites/races than there actually are. Inherited predispositions to diseases do exist, but it takes us down a very dodgy road to start speculating that Italy and New York might suffering particularly badly because of "Italian genes".  Especially when there are much simpler, less eugenic, explanations.
Yeah, I think that with Italy especially, two big reasons are that they have a large percentage of older people in their population, plus many who smoke, both of which are risk factors,
but it also hit them at a time when many tourists were visiting the ski resorts in the alps, which would have contributed to the virus hitting Italy sooner than less popular tourist destinations.

At least in Sweden, some of the first confirmed cases of this virus came from people who'd been in ski resorts in Italy. Way too many people think it's OK to leave hygiene behind when they're being tourists.


Cassiebsg

Yes, Schools are opening, not all opened today and some are open in turns (like 0 and 1st classe, then 2nd and 3rd, and so on, to give the smaller kids a better change to grasp the rules).
Our School opened today and we were happy to send our son to school, finally! But it's not "same as usual", lots of new rules and social distancing (2 meters between each student, toilets to each class, doors to each classes and lots of lots of hand washing during the day).

But older kids will still have to wait for their schools to open. 
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

mkennedy

If you ever wanted to grow a mullet now you have an excuse! Originally when my hair started to get too long I suggested my mom take me to the barber, but she was worried about catching the CoronaVirus. Now that the whole state is locked down none of us could go out to get a haircut even if we wanted to.

Slasher

#232
**Children are dying alone in hospital without their mum / dad... it's beyond my comprehension and is insanity... And billions of people are sitting on their backsides allowing it to happen...

In a sad scene that is increasingly being played out across the country, in the early hours of Tuesday morning a patient with coronavirus was taken off a ventilator at a hospital in south-east London.

A matron told the Guardian (Newspaper): “It is heartbreaking that he died without his family being able to hold his hands or giving him a goodbye kiss but at least they saw him in his final moments via a video link.

cat

My partner cut my hair two days ago and he did a great job!

Blondbraid

Quote from: Slasher on Sun 19/04/2020 11:32:12
**Children are dying alone in hospital without their mum / dad... it's beyond my comprehension and is insanity... And billions of people are sitting on their backsides allowing it to happen...

In a sad scene that is increasingly being played out across the country, in the early hours of Tuesday morning a patient with coronavirus was taken off a ventilator at a hospital in south-east London.

A matron told the Guardian (Newspaper): “It is heartbreaking that he died without his family being able to hold his hands or giving him a goodbye kiss but at least they saw him in his final moments via a video link.
What? That's insane! I fully understand isolating people who are at risk but otherwise have a chance to go back to their lives once there is a vaccine, but forcing people to die alone and prohibiting their family from seeing them one last time because of corona is madness.
If my choice was between maybe getting a virus that would give me flu symptoms and force me to isolate myself for two weeks, or letting a loved one die without anyone close to them by their side, I know what I would choose.
Quote from: mkennedy on Sat 18/04/2020 21:12:19
If you ever wanted to grow a mullet now you have an excuse! Originally when my hair started to get too long I suggested my mom take me to the barber, but she was worried about catching the CoronaVirus. Now that the whole state is locked down none of us could go out to get a haircut even if we wanted to.
As for haircuts, I've never got what's the deal with them. As my username implies, I just save a ton of time and money by just letting it grow, keeping it tied into a braid so it don't get in the way, and simply cut off a decimeter or two one every year when it gets so long I accidentally sit on it. Easiest haircut in the world, AND people keep praising you for having such great dedication to keeping your hair long because they don't realize it's literally the easiest hairstyle in the world.


Mandle

While the current projections are estimating 400,000 dead if social distancing isn't taken seriously here in Japan, I just had a TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power) worker come to my door today to do the annual safety check of my house's wiring.

They have to come into the house to do so. I had to get out of the bath to hear what he was saying and I'm not sure if I heard correctly, but I think he was saying that, because of the risk of infection, I was supposed to leave the house before he came in to do the check.

I yelled that I couldn't hear him properly and also had to put some clothes on. He said something I didn't hear. By the time I was dressed he was next door so I went out on my bicycle on an isolated errand to avoid him.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't just a burglar/scammer. He looked legit. But I will be F'd if I'm gonna let someone who has been inside 100 or whatever houses today come into my house for any reason. The government is telling people to isolate and a branch of the same government is telling me they want to come into my house?

F THAT!!!

cat

@Blondbraid: It totally depends on the type of hair. I've had long hair worn with a ponytail or without for like 20 years. But it actually didn't really suit me. When I finally got my hair cut I got so many compliments, even from people I don't know that well, because it just fit my hair and face much better.

Back to topic: Since today our kid is in "emergency kindergarten", i.e. only kids of people who work are allowed there. It is still a very small group because many people are afraid and keep their kids at home, but it is better than nothing.

Stupot

I’m approaching the end of the 2nd week of my “lockdown”. It’s not so bad. As my boy is nearly 5 months old, I’ve been treating this “Tommy Time”, the paternity leave I never got the first time round.

We’ve been going out for a little walk around the block most days, but being sure to keep a safe distance away from anyone. I live in very a quiet area. Despite being technically in Tokyo, it’s actually considered basically countryside, so are few people out and about. But these past two weeks it has been notably busier out on the street than ever before. I think that instead of staying home, people are simply taking themselves out of the big crowded spots and coming to the “countryside” instead.

KyriakosCH

Well, at least 13 people signed up for the new circle of my online seminar, so that's some more euros for myself. Assuming rent price will fall (due to the crisis), it should mean I would have enough money to rent for a year, so that is some compensation.
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

Slasher

Yes, the lockdown means you can spend more time with your children... which is a good thing...

I just hope that the predicted economic crash does not come because we will all be forced to stay at home rather more than we want...


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