# The Quarantine Zone **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/the-quarantine-zone/29.md?page=36 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 37 --- ## [Air travel after lockdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523)
**Author:** [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523 "2020-05-22T17:09:43Z")
I’ve been wondering how things will return to normal. I read an article in The Atlantic about one guy’s experience traveling by air. He had a miserable experience even though there weren’t that many people on the plane… --- ## [Government forcing nursing homes to accept covid patients](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/government-forcing-nursing-homes-to-accept-covid-patients/853298)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/government-forcing-nursing-homes-to-accept-covid-patients/853298 "2020-05-22T05:05:40Z")
I first heard about this from people connected to the nursing home industry, but on looking around I see it’s been discussed a bit in the media as well, e.g. here. This seems to me to be one of the stupidest government d… --- ## [Shorts season \[and coronavirus transmission\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorts-season-and-coronavirus-transmission/854207)
**Author:** [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2020, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorts-season-and-coronavirus-transmission/854207 "2020-05-22T03:46:47Z")
I love wearing shorts when I can, and I live in a cool region of the U.S. (New England). For well over twenty years I’ve worn shorts for almost half the year, usually May through October, give or take a few days, and thi… --- ## [Probability of false negatives for both the virus and antibodies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-false-negatives-for-both-the-virus-and-antibodies/854175)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2020, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-false-negatives-for-both-the-virus-and-antibodies/854175 "2020-05-21T08:53:29Z")
Just curious about something, and I’m terrible with conditional probabilities. Given all that we know about the virus tests and the antibody tests, what’s the probability that someone has the virus and tests negative an… --- ## [Social distance when breathing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-distance-when-breathing/854198)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-distance-when-breathing/854198 "2020-05-20T18:00:51Z")
From what I’ve seen, the 6 foot distance relates to things like sneezing or possibly ordinary speech. (There’s a lot of ambiguity, disagreement, and confusion about it - see e.g. here - and I get the sense that it’s one … --- ## [COVID-19 transmission by touch - update?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covid-19-transmission-by-touch-update/854188)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covid-19-transmission-by-touch-update/854188 "2020-05-20T16:16:29Z")
I swear I saw a headline within the last few days (say 5/16 to 5/19) that said that the CDC (or some official-sounding organization) has revised their estimates of COVID transmission by touch. Their new guidelines now sa… --- ## [What about student loans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-student-loans/849873)
**Author:** [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2020, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-student-loans/849873 "2020-03-20T05:56:25Z")
I just saw this on MOHELA (the folks that service my student loan): So, if you’re still forking out funds for college, be sure to log into your student loan account and see what can be done. --- ## [Would it be possible that the "STAY HOME" could lead to agoraphobia?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-that-the-stay-home-could-lead-to-agoraphobia/853907)
**Author:** [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-that-the-stay-home-could-lead-to-agoraphobia/853907 "2020-05-19T21:07:54Z")
I had to go out today to my accountant, farther than I’ve left my house in longer than maybe 3 mos. And I was close to panic, wanting to get home, to my “safe place.” I have never felt this way before. I don’t want to fe… --- ## [Are You Sheltering in Place With a....Ghost??](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sheltering-in-place-with-a-ghost/853788)
**Author:** [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sheltering-in-place-with-a-ghost/853788 "2020-05-19T17:45:16Z")
Some people believe they are. And 45% of Americans believe in ghosts even though there is no evidence that they exist. Likely, the stress and distress of this pandemic is taking its toll. If you are sheltering in p… --- ## [How exactly is mortality calculated? It seems like it should be a simple matter but...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-is-mortality-calculated-it-seems-like-it-should-be-a-simple-matter-but/854076)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-is-mortality-calculated-it-seems-like-it-should-be-a-simple-matter-but/854076 "2020-05-19T17:36:19Z")
Looking at this morning’s statistics for the United States, I found that we had approximately 90K deaths and about 1.5M total cases, the latter figure including all cases ever–continuing cases as well as cases that had a… --- ## [How are you handling social distancing violations from strangers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036)
**Author:** [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036 "2020-05-19T16:12:14Z")
This weekend, my wife dog and I arrived at a park Early in the morning. There was only one other group, a woman with her son and dog. Their dog was off leash but she had a leash in hand. No one was wearing a mask, we had… --- ## [What do you now have time to enjoy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-now-have-time-to-enjoy/854017)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-now-have-time-to-enjoy/854017 "2020-05-19T16:11:29Z")
I am retired, all my social obligations are on hold for the foreseeable future and I certainly can’t stay in bed all day(Well, I did…until My Beloved started talking about her sword collection pointedly). Something has… --- ## [Boris Johnson Coronavirus](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-coronavirus/854085)
**Author:** [@n5tp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/n5tp)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-johnson-coronavirus/854085 "2020-05-19T14:17:42Z")
Has it ever been reported as to what medications were used in curing the British PM of his coronavirus infection? --- ## [Has anyone looked into the Vitamin D claims?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-looked-into-the-vitamin-d-claims/853882)
**Author:** [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-looked-into-the-vitamin-d-claims/853882 "2020-05-18T22:29:59Z")
The title is pretty much the thread. Should I run out and buy a bunch of vitamins?:smiley: Or are some slightly overzealous researchers misapplying some interesting research too the current issues. --- ## [how concerned should I be about my Mom's church reopening?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-concerned-should-i-be-about-my-moms-church-reopening/853956)
**Author:** [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-concerned-should-i-be-about-my-moms-church-reopening/853956 "2020-05-18T21:30:19Z")
Mom is still in our hometown, a small town in SW Virginia. Radford. Near Blacksburgh (go Hokies!). The church does not have one of those idiot pastors, more than a dozen of whom are now dead, who insists that God will p… --- ## [COVID case progressions in real time](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covid-case-progressions-in-real-time/852092)
**Author:** [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covid-case-progressions-in-real-time/852092 "2020-05-18T15:37:08Z")
This thread is about at least one COVID case, and how the disease has progressed in my Missus (lifetime smoker who just turned 40) and me (7 year smoker, 53 in June). This is not about attention seeking. I don’t partic… --- ## [Establishing criteria for dealing with pandemics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/establishing-criteria-for-dealing-with-pandemics/853735)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/establishing-criteria-for-dealing-with-pandemics/853735 "2020-05-18T11:43:51Z")
Experience in business and running shops has taught me to establish criteria to base my decisions on so as to minimize delays in making decisions. when it comes to human life it becomes much more difficult. I made up a f… --- ## [Respirator Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/respirator-question/850250)
**Author:** [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/respirator-question/850250 "2020-05-18T09:52:44Z")
There is a shortage of respirators, and ramping up production is time consuming. Is there any reason the old school iron lung with an oxy mask can’t be used? --- ## [So why not make PPE out of garbage bags?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-not-make-ppe-out-of-garbage-bags/851362)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-not-make-ppe-out-of-garbage-bags/851362 "2020-05-18T05:31:30Z")
We have seen the social media stories of medical personnel having to use garbage bags in lieu of proper personal protective equipment. People were outraged. That got me thinking. Why shouldn’t we make them out of polyth… --- ## [Do masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-masks-help-prevent-the-spread-of-covid-19/852440)
**Author:** [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-masks-help-prevent-the-spread-of-covid-19/852440 "2020-05-18T01:53:36Z")
Harris County (Houston) is going to order the use of face masks while in public - most of the masks will likely be homemade or surgical type. Does wearing a mask help prevent the spread of Covid-19? Common sense tells … --- ## [Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Temporally Associated with COVID-19. (Kawasaki-like)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pediatric-multi-system-inflammatory-syndrome-temporally-associated-with-covid-19-kawasaki-like/853488)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pediatric-multi-system-inflammatory-syndrome-temporally-associated-with-covid-19-kawasaki-like/853488 "2020-05-17T23:13:29Z")
Let’s first get out of the way that this Kawasaki Disease (KD) like illness is not a reason for parents to panic. It is very rare, and as of yet it is not even firmly established that it is a causative association. The r… --- ## [If one suspects one is infected, proper procedure is to stay home and ask for a test at home?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-suspects-one-is-infected-proper-procedure-is-to-stay-home-and-ask-for-a-test-at-home/853461)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-suspects-one-is-infected-proper-procedure-is-to-stay-home-and-ask-for-a-test-at-home/853461 "2020-05-17T22:52:46Z")
OK, so I haven’t found the proper protocol for this (and I don’t know if it varies by region): Considering how contagious Covid-19 is, I am assuming that if one is at home, but begins to develop symptoms that strongly s… --- ## [Can any inferences about community spread be drawn from death clusters in congregate settings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-inferences-about-community-spread-be-drawn-from-death-clusters-in-congregate-settings/853992)
**Author:** [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-inferences-about-community-spread-be-drawn-from-death-clusters-in-congregate-settings/853992 "2020-05-17T19:08:59Z")
I’ve been wondering something for a couple of weeks… Here in New Hampshire 80% of the Covid-19 deaths have been of people in nursing homes. Despite the extended stay-at-home order, deaths keep occurring, but they also ar… --- ## [Lockdown fires now a thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockdown-fires-now-a-thing/853792)
**Author:** [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2020, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockdown-fires-now-a-thing/853792 "2020-05-17T02:00:38Z")
Anybody hearing stories of locked down local businesses burning? There have been three around here in the past few days – usually go years without hearing about one. --- ## [Are drive-in movies open?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-drive-in-movies-open/853691)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-drive-in-movies-open/853691 "2020-05-16T21:02:49Z")
I know they’re not as common as they used to be, but there are still some in business. Have they been allowed to operate during the lockdown? The people watching the movie are all in their own car, which seems like adeq… --- ## [Next waves: Italy; Spain; U.K.; France?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-waves-italy-spain-u-k-france/853871)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2020, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/next-waves-italy-spain-u-k-france/853871 "2020-05-16T10:27:43Z")
Let’s start with the fact that despite big plans none of Italy, Spain, or the U.K. have blanketed contact tracing and isolation of contacts in place. All have had over 400 deaths/million (up to 580 in Spain) and all are… --- ## [What won’t change (even after the media hypes it?)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-won-t-change-even-after-the-media-hypes-it/853897)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2020, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-won-t-change-even-after-the-media-hypes-it/853897 "2020-05-16T04:33:52Z")
Ok, let’s have a thread to discuss what won’t be different after somehow COVID subsides or a vaccination is found. Airline flights will be the same misery on January 1 2023 as they were on January 1 2020. Fares may be… --- ## [Governors "forcing" nursing homes to take COVID-19+ patients](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governors-forcing-nursing-homes-to-take-covid-19-patients/853872)
**Author:** [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governors-forcing-nursing-homes-to-take-covid-19-patients/853872 "2020-05-15T23:29:44Z")
This has been the latest Conservative bugaboo in the Northeast: PA, NY and NJ governors (all evil Democrats, of course) “signed orders” that “forced” nursing homes to take COVID-19 positive patients from hospitals, and t… --- ## [What is the false positive rate for SARS-CoV-2 tests?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-false-positive-rate-for-sars-cov-2-tests/853826)
**Author:** [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-false-positive-rate-for-sars-cov-2-tests/853826 "2020-05-15T14:55:32Z")
I’m sorry if this has already been answered somewhere in this forum. I did a search and didn’t find any actual numbers (although there’s been a lot of discussion of false positives and negatives). I want to know the fal… --- ## [Your last social function?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-last-social-function/853697)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2020, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-last-social-function/853697 "2020-05-15T06:04:09Z")
When and what was the last social function you attended (defined as an organized gathering of more than 10 people who don’t ordinarily reside together or near each other)? I attended a funeral(!) around March 17th. By … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/the-quarantine-zone/29.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/the-quarantine-zone/29.md?page=37)