# 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:** 271
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5424 "2020-11-12T13:56:31Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > This seems common, but I do not understand this. It seems like restricting hours just forces more people into the shop at the same time. How is that supposed to help? … although NZ had one of the strictest lockdowns we didn’t have curfews: most shops that were allowed to open closed earlier volunteeraly anyway (due to staffing and restocking) : but we generally viewed curfews as not really adding anything to the lockdown. I preferred shopping late at night: less people around and no queues. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5425 "2020-11-12T14:02:04Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > It seems like restricting hours just forces more people into the shop at the same time. How is that supposed to help? I raised this point upthread several months ago (though thanks to the new search interface I can’t find the exact post). Back then, several businesses here had been calling for extended, rather than reduced, opening hours in order to reduce the overall customer capacity at any given time. I suppose it could be argued that extending the opening hours will actually increase the number of shopping trips overall, leading to more opportunities for interaction and infection in the stores and on public transport. Conversely, reducing opening hours makes it less convenient to shop (especially for casual or impulse purchases), so people might make fewer trips and stock up on more supplies each time, and thus stay isolated for longer. One might also argue that more shopping trips might lead to more trips and interactions for other purposes—for example, the more often one goes to the supermarket, the more likely one is to end up meeting friends and acquaintances, either by accident or on purpose. Anyway, this is all just informed speculation on my part. It helps to keep in mind that in Europe people are much more reliant on public transport than in North America, so the danger of infection isn’t just at the stores themselves but also on the trek to and from them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5426 "2020-11-12T14:17:03Z")
Panama has suddenly had a spike in new infections, with 3 of the past 5 days with over 1000 cases. For most of the past two months the daily average had been holding fairly steady at 600-700 per day, despite lifting most movement restrictions (aside from an overnight curfew) and opening most of the economy again. I have been half expecting this; it remains to be seen how the government will react with regard to imposing restrictions again. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5427 "2020-11-12T14:22:32Z")
That’s basically my read on the situation. I also think their hospitals will see more staff COVID cases since they should be interacting more with the other COVID positive staff without perfect PPE than they would with patients. > [@Morgyn](#): > > There are a lot of states looking at that reality. Saturday an author I follow on Twitter, whose husband works in the ER at a major Denver hospital, said that their COVID wards were full and the other nearby hospitals were almost there, too. They figure by the end of the week, Denver will have no COVID beds remaining. I live just outside of Denver and they have predicting that we run out of hospital beds any time now for about 10 days. Statewide we’re at like 80%. Several county health office sent a letter to the governor this asking him to follow guidelines and shut them down before it is too late. He declined and said they have the power to shut themselves down. At this point no one wants to be responsible for another shut down but I don’t see how they’ll avoid it with ski season coming. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5428 "2020-11-12T15:20:08Z")
[https://a.msn.com/r/2/BB1aW60b?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare](https://a.msn.com/r/2/BB1aW60b?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare) > The Covid-19 crisis in America is so dire now, international aid workers have arrived to help. > … > > Workers from Doctors Without Borders are trying to help the US get a grip on the pandemic, he said. More than 241,000 people have died from coronavirus nationwide – a number that is rapidly growing every day. > > “I mean, this is an organization that typically covers true disasters and medical crises all over the world,” [CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay] Gupta said. > > “And when they sort of look at a map right now and say, ‘Where do we need to be?’ they pointed to the United States. They were in nursing homes in Detroit. They went to Missouri. They’re in these different places trying to offer their services. And still, the numbers are what they are.” > > The numbers are simply staggering. On Wednesday, the US recorded 1,893 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The tally would reflect a new high since May, though it may be skewed by an outsized number from Georgia that could include backlogged deaths. > > More than 110,000 additional people in the US are projected to die from Covid-19 in just the next two months, according to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. > … ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5429 "2020-11-12T15:23:09Z")
The NYT covers the Science article on cross-reactive antibodies and kids: > **[The Children Never Had the Coronavirus. So Why Did They Have Antibodies?...](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/health/coronavirus-children.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=Health)** > > A provocative study suggests that certain colds may leave antibodies against the new coronavirus, perhaps explaining why children are more protected than adults. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5430 "2020-11-12T16:32:06Z")
New statement from CDC re masks: > **[Wear Masks To Protect Yourself From The Coronavirus, Not Only Others, CDC...](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/11/933903848/wear-masks-to-protect-yourself-from-the-coronavirus-not-only-others-cdc-stresses)** > > The public health agency had previously emphasized that masks protect other people from viruses you might expel. The new advice gives a less altruistic reason to wear face coverings. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5431 "2020-11-12T16:36:28Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > New statement from CDC re masks: Imagine if there had been a “real” president in the whitehouse last year. Someone with the balls/brains to tell the country that if they wear masks we’d get through the pandemic ok. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5432 "2020-11-12T17:33:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Imagine if there had been a “real” president in the whitehouse last year. Someone with the balls/brains to tell the country that if they wear masks we’d get through the pandemic ok.- It still would have been bad. But not **this** bad. We wouldn’t be first (i.e. worst) in the world. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5433 "2020-11-12T17:33:51Z")
Although most states had their highest recorded seven-day average a couple of days ago, they’re generally coming down now. (North Dakota has come down quite a bit). But a couple achieved new highs in new cases as of yesterday: Iowa Rhode Island Maine Connecticut Wyoming Colorado New Mexico Kansas Oklahoma Most states seem to be showing a slight downturn in the seven-day average of new cases, and so do the countries on the Johns Hopkins site. That’s some slightly good news. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5434 "2020-11-12T17:39:19Z")
This seems like a bad idea… [With North Dakota hospitals at 100% capacity, Burgum announces COVID-positive nurses can stay at work](https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/coronavirus/6753876-With-North-Dakota-hospitals-at-100-capacity-Burgum-announces-COVID-positive-nurses-can-stay-at-work) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5435 "2020-11-12T23:25:47Z")
Oredigger already reported this [upthread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-breaking-news/847758/5401?). In addition to the entire state of ND having no open COVID beds (at least as of yesterday), the city of Tulsa, OK, is reporting that they have reached capacity on their COVID wards. The mayor was begging for state or federal help during an interview today, saying that the crisis is beyond what can be handled at a city-level. Most of their patients aren’t even residents of Tulsa but are from the surrounding areas where, guess what, mask wearing is not mandatory or enforced. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5436 "2020-11-12T23:41:37Z")
It’s upsetting to hear that we’re seeing this kind of surge in Connecticut after going through hell last spring. Especially since most people here still seem to be following the rules and wearing masks. Contrast that to Houston. My sister who lives there reports that half the population appears to be going about their lives as normal. (Mainly young adults and college students.) Bars are packed. Indoor restaurants are packed. House parties everywhere. The other half wear their masks, stay home, and try to be careful. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5437 "2020-11-13T01:08:00Z")
The situation is so dire in Wisconsin, DHS has created a brand new category for the state and most of its counties for the number of cases. > **[COVID-19 is so bad in Wisconsin, DHS needed a whole new category](https://www.nbc15.com/2020/11/12/covid-19-is-so-bad-in-wisconsin-dhs-needed-a-whole-new-category/)** > > All but seven counties are already in it. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5438 "2020-11-13T01:15:41Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The first cruise ship to start sailing in the Caribbean has a positive test. I fully expected that to happen. The history of COVID so far shows that it is smarter and sneakier than the cruise ship industry. As far as I can tell, the only way at this time to ensure complete safety on this issue is to have all people for a particular ship come to a motel near the dock, and have each family unit be forcibly quarantined at the motel for at least a week before setting foot on board ship. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2020, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5439 "2020-11-13T01:30:31Z")
> [@robby](#): > > It’s upsetting to hear that we’re seeing this kind of surge in Connecticut after going through hell last spring. Especially since most people here still seem to be following the rules and wearing masks. > > Contrast that to Houston. My sister who lives there reports that half the population appears to be going about their lives as normal. (Mainly young adults and college students.) Bars are packed. Indoor restaurants are packed. House parties everywhere. The other half wear their masks, stay home, and try to be careful. I’m sorry but I must have missed the contrast. Could you elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5440 "2020-11-13T01:33:19Z")
“A passenger on SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream 1 has tested positive for COVID on a preliminary basis.” Using a [Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 Detection Test System, US (medicaldevice-network.com)](https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/projects/abbott-id-now-covid-19/#:~:text=Abbott%20ID%20NOW%20COVID-19%20is%20a%20portable%2C%20light-weight,locations%20including%20physician%E2%80%99s%20office%2C%20clinic%20or%20mobile%20units.) " The ID NOW™ molecular platform of the test is an instrument-based, isothermal system for rapid qualitative identification of infectious diseases. Its isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology facilitates accurate test results in few minutes." “Iso-thermal” means it doesn’t have to do temperature cycling to do the NA amplification (dunno if it’s detecting DNA or RNA or what), but it’s still doing amplification. It’s a swab test: some of the other fast tests are spit tests. and it’s only testing one sample at a time – so overall it’s slower than a machine doing 600 in two hours, but since you’re only doing one person at a time, you can be doing the swab for the next person while you’re waiting for the result. The ship mentioned in the link has 3 machines, they saturated their test pipeline by swabbing one person every five or six minutes. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5441 "2020-11-13T01:40:37Z")
A little bit here about what it might be like to get the Pfizer vax, provided it gets FDA approval. Sounds a bit like the shingles shot, and be prepared to keep the masks on, etc. as things ramp up: > **[Covid-19 vaccine may have unpleasant side effects. That will mean it's working.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-may-unpleasant-100438136.html)** > > Early data suggest several of the coronavirus vaccines may cause people to feel crummy for a few days. And then they'll need a second dose. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5442 "2020-11-13T01:47:06Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Contrast that to Houston. My sister who lives there reports that half the population appears to be going about their lives as normal. (Mainly young adults and college students.) Bars are packed. Indoor restaurants are packed. House parties everywhere. The other half wear their masks, stay home, and try to be careful. This is why we, as Americans, will never beat this. We just won’t, we’re not capable. When an actual vaccine is made available to the general public, enough people (Think of those who won’t even wear a mask today.) will never consider taking it, that covid-19 will be a general threat going forward. I would like to take this opportunity to tell all of my selfish co-citizens of ths country to go fuck themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5443 "2020-11-13T01:57:43Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I would like to take this opportunity to tell all of my selfish co-citizens of ths country to go fuck themselves. **Moderating** Let’s keep remarks like this to the Pit. No warning issued, but dial it back. Colibri Quarantine Zone Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=270) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=272)