# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 164
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3271 "2020-05-22T20:55:45Z")
A whole lot of people are comparing Reykjavik to BFE, which is laughable. Sure, it’s not Manhattan, but it’s a whole lot more dense than some shithole town in the middle of nowhere. Hell, a lot of cities don’t have 20 story apartment buildings, but [Reykjavik does](https://guidetoiceland.imgix.net/351421/x/0/the-ultimate-guide-to-downtown-reykjavik-13?auto=compress%2Cformat&ch=Width%2CDPR&dpr=1&ixlib=php-3.1.0&w=883&). The more spread out residential areas are filled with [touching 2-4 story buildings](https://cdn2.wanderlust.co.uk/media/1047/reykjavik-main-image.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=1440&height=540&format=auto&quality=80), which is still a far cry from Green Acres, Arkansas or Shittsville, Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3272 "2020-05-22T21:21:59Z")
[quote=“psychonaut, post:3269, topic:847758”] [li] It’s been one week since **restaurants** were permitted to reopen, and already many of them are closing again due to a lack of customers.[/li][/QUOTE] This is going to be the big problem: the world has changed. The world has changed and the vast majority of people see that it simply is not safe to leave their houses and sit down amongst dozens of other people for the purpose of putting things in their mouths. And lots of other activities, too, and so businesses are going to fail. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3273 "2020-05-22T22:29:45Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This is going to be the big problem: the world has changed. The world has changed and the vast majority of people see that it simply is not safe to leave their houses and sit down amongst dozens of other people for the purpose of putting things in their mouths. > > And lots of other activities, too, and so businesses are going to fail. I don’t really think this is the case, at least not everywhere. Here in the Netherlands people seem to be waiting impatiently for restaurants to open up again. Since this will be at a much lower capacity at first, I don’t expect them to struggle that much. This is of course different for areas that rely on tourists from abroad. These just aren’t going to be around (although I’m seeing quite some German cars around, the last few days. Verstuurd vanaf mijn moto g(6) met Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3274 "2020-05-23T02:23:07Z")
[quote=“psychonaut, post:3269, topic:847758”] Today in Austria: [list] [li] A survey on **attitudes towards vaccination** revealed that 62% of Austrians would like to be vaccinated against coronavirus if/when such a vaccine becomes available. (This number is actually much higher than that reported in previous surveys on the desire to be vaccinated against influenza.) The same survey showed that 25% would not want to take a coronavirus vaccine.[/li][/QUOTE] Was there a follow-up question asking those who are against such vaccination why they are against it? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3275 "2020-05-23T02:55:35Z")
Patrick Ewing is in the hospital after testing positive. > **[Basketball legend Patrick Ewing in hospital with coronavirus](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/basketball-legend-patrick-ewing-hospitalized-after-testing-positive-coronavirus-n1213496)** > > The Georgetown University coach and New York Knicks legend warns that the virus "is serious and should not be taken lightly." ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3276 "2020-05-23T04:35:04Z")
5,306,158 total cases 340,040 dead 2,160,039 recovered In the US: 1,645,094 total cases 97,647 dead 403,201 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 5,197,739 total cases > 334,672 dead > 2,082,639 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,620,902 total cases > 96,354 dead > 382,169 recovered ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3277 "2020-05-23T16:13:35Z")
[In the developing world, the coronavirus is killing far more young people](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/coronavirus-brazil-killing-young-developing-world/2020/05/22/f76d83e8-99e9-11ea-ad79-eef7cd734641_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most) > [@](#): > > As the coronavirus escalates its assault on the developing world, the victim profile is beginning to change. The young are dying of covid-19 at rates unseen in wealthier countries — a development that further illustrates the unpredictable nature of the disease as it pushes into new cultural and geographic landscapes. > > [. . .] > Bolsonaro, a global leader in minimizing the disease, repeats a mantra: Only the elderly are at risk. So the best policy is to isolate only them. He has called it “vertical isolation.” > [. . .] > Pedro Archer, a physician at a public hospital in Rio, said his young patients have been stunned by their illness. Some had parroted Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly belittled the illness as a “gripezinha” — a little cold. Until they got sick. > > “I have people say to me, ‘I really had thought this was only a gripezinha, and now I see this is serious,’ ” Archer said. “I’ve seen people dying who have said the same thing.” Article attributes this, at least in part, to poor health care available to many younger people in the countries in question. But I wonder whether those in the USA who are claiming we only need to shut up old people and those obviously ill, and everyone else can carry on as 2019-normal, aren’t setting us up for similar problems. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3278 "2020-05-23T18:01:28Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > [In the developing world, the coronavirus is killing far more young people](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/coronavirus-brazil-killing-young-developing-world/2020/05/22/f76d83e8-99e9-11ea-ad79-eef7cd734641_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most) > > Article attributes this, at least in part, to poor health care available to many younger people in the countries in question. But I wonder whether those in the USA who are claiming we only need to shut up old people and those obviously ill, and everyone else can carry on as 2019-normal, aren’t setting us up for similar problems. I’d read somewhere that many developing countries skew much younger than developed ones, especially in comparison to places like Italy or Japan. This could skew infection incidence younger as well, since there’s fewer old folk to be victims in those places. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3279 "2020-05-23T18:56:31Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > … > Article attributes this, at least in part, to poor health care available to many younger people in the countries in question… Poor underlying health, maybe. But poor healthcare? Most of the younger people in the first world who aren’t dying of it aren’t getting much healthcare, either. They are staying home, resting, and drinking chicken soup, as they would for a cold or an ordinary flu. I’m pretty sure that “bed rest” is available medical care even to most of the world’s poor. > [@squeegee](#): > > I’d read somewhere that many developing countries skew much younger than developed ones, especially in comparison to places like Italy or Japan. This could skew infection incidence younger as well, since there’s fewer old folk to be victims in those places. And of course, we have younger people dying, too. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3280 "2020-05-23T20:16:01Z")
> **[Roughly half the Twitter accounts pushing to 'reopen America' are bots,...](https://www.businessinsider.com/nearly-half-of-reopen-america-twitter-accounts-are-bots-report-2020-5?fbclid=IwAR1ULx1HIU4y45hMf2t29JpwcyXZPEsZN2w_WZ7u-47V1FzGCX2skrdH9W4)** > > It's unclear who's behind the surge in bot activity or whether they're originating from the US or abroad. _Roughly half the Twitter accounts pushing to ‘reopen America’ are bots, researchers found_ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3281 "2020-05-23T20:31:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > [Nearly Half 'Reopen America' Twitter Accounts Are Bots: Report](https://www.businessinsider.com/nearly-half-of-reopen-america-twitter-accounts-are-bots-report-2020-5?fbclid=IwAR1ULx1HIU4y45hMf2t29JpwcyXZPEsZN2w_WZ7u-47V1FzGCX2skrdH9W4) > > _Roughly half the Twitter accounts pushing to ‘reopen America’ are bots, researchers found_ Well, of course. Bots are immune to coronavirus. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3282 "2020-05-23T20:43:46Z")
[Hertz is being killed off by Covid-19](https://apnews.com/3d73d765cb60bef45afc83fa0dd24775), just the latest corporate person felled by this deadly disease. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3283 "2020-05-23T20:46:47Z")
From [COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer](https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/) - Brazil is now #2 in cases, and is still in the exponential growth phase. Russia is number 3 and only recently hit peak numbers of cases while deaths have yet to subside. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3284 "2020-05-23T20:54:05Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Hertz is being killed off by Covid-19](https://apnews.com/3d73d765cb60bef45afc83fa0dd24775), just the latest corporate person felled by this deadly disease. Hertz was already on death’s door. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3285 "2020-05-23T22:05:11Z")
Today in Austria: [ul] [li] A poll on attitudes towards **compulsory vaccination** show that 55% of Austrians are in favour of making a coronavirus vaccine mandatory (if/when one becomes available), while 28% are opposed.[/li][li] Business and government leaders in **Italy** have been vigorously lobbying the Austrian government to open its border for tourism. IIRC the Italian side of the border has already been open for about a week now, but Austria is still imposing border controls and a mandatory quarantine for incoming travellers, which effectively prevents Austrians from vacationing in Italy.[/li][li] Current statistics: 16,402 confirmed infections, 639 deaths, 15,035 recovered.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3286 "2020-05-23T22:11:39Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And of course, we have younger people dying, too. Right, but the point was in a developing country it may appear the death rate is ‘n’ and “OMG All the Young are Dying!” where really the death rate is less than it might be if there were more elderly available to be infected, as in the US and EU. In each case the young are dying too. ---
**Author:** ![yo\_han\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yo_han_go/32/130_2.png) [@yo\_han\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yo_han_go)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3287 "2020-05-24T01:08:39Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Today in Austria: > [li] Business and government leaders in **Italy** have been vigorously lobbying the Austrian government to open its border for tourism. IIRC the Italian side of the border has already been open for about a week now, but Austria is still imposing border controls and a mandatory quarantine for incoming travellers, which effectively prevents Austrians from vacationing in Italy.[/li][/list] And Slovenia too. 3 consecutive days with no new cases and no deaths here. It does look as semi dick move from other perspective. All borders open here, some restrictions still towards Italy. OTOH. Things returning to normal. Probably “all normal” in June. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3288 "2020-05-24T04:07:52Z")
5,405,096 total cases 343,982 dead 2,247,322 recovered In the US: 1,666,828 total cases 98,683 dead 446,914 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 5,306,158 total cases > 340,040 dead > 2,160,039 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,645,094 total cases > 97,647 dead > 403,201 recovered ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3289 "2020-05-24T11:18:04Z")
Are there news articles that relate statistics from a site like [An interactive visualization of COVID-19 | 91-DIVOC](http://91-divoc.com/pages/covid-visualization/) to government actions or other events? Chile seemed to have the epidemic under control, but infection rate soared beginning April 30, and is now highest in the world. What happened? Chile’s death rate is still low, but is rising. Why is Brazil’s infection rate rising? What caused the sudden jump in new cases in South Dakota in early May? What works and what measures have little utility? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3290 "2020-05-24T12:26:11Z")
Brazil was simply not testing, meanwhile their president did not take the virus at all seriously - result is that there was no lockdown in practice and it has spread undiagnosed like wildfire. Two of his health ministers have resigned over his lack of any policy and the country is simply rudderless when it comes to leadership and actions in relation of the virus. The infection rate only appears to have jumped because testing has started well after the fact of the pandemic itself and in a nation of some 200million just 735k tests is nothing at all, less than 0.5% - which puts it way down the world order. The supposed infection rate is a massive underestimate, probably two to three times under - reported. Remember that Brazil has a relatively young population too, had the age profile have been similar to Italy or the US then the death rate would have been very much higher. As it is, just watch over the next two weeks - it will get to peak US rates in around that time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=163) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=165)