# 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:** 69
**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:** [March 23, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1363 "2020-03-23T21:15:07Z")
Rand Paul could be another Patient 31: [he kept working for six days after virus test](https://apnews.com/0e99540d0d77587c88adeee3474d3ab4) > [@](#): > > Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says he was tested a week ago for the novel coronavirus, but continued working at the Capitol because he had no symptoms of the illness and believed it was “highly unlikely” he was sick. Paul also said he did not have direct contact with anyone who tested positive for the virus or was sick. > [@](#): > > Paul defended his actions in a statement Monday. Since most senators travel frequently by plane and attend “lots of large gatherings, I believed my risk factor for exposure to the virus to be similar to that of my colleagues, especially since multiple congressional staffers on the Hill had already tested positive weeks ago,″ he said. > > “For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol,″ Paul added. Current federal guidelines would not have called for him to get tested or quarantined, Paul said. > > “It was my extra precaution, out of concern for my damaged lung, that led me to get tested,″ he said. It’s too bad he had no concern for anyone else, but it doesn’t surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1364 "2020-03-23T21:22:39Z")
The man has a copy of a book entitled “The Virtues of Selfishness” on his bookshelf. Should we expect anything other than selfishness from a person named after Ayn Rand? Why should such a person demand selflessness from us? ---
**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:** [March 23, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1365 "2020-03-23T21:26:32Z")
[Neil Diamond totally fucking rocks!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waetVsqrn54) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1366 "2020-03-23T21:33:13Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Spain is removing respirators from people over 65 to give to younger people. > > [https://twitter.com/WellingMichael/status/1241491706677284870](https://twitter.com/WellingMichael/status/1241491706677284870) > > This is heartbreaking. Note that there are reports that in Northern Italy the cutoff is 60 which seems quite low to me. This has been [denied](http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/clinical-specialties/respiratory-/italian-embassy-corrects-uk-minister-claim-that-over-60s-not-being-treated/20040409.article). I trust the denial, to some extent. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1367 "2020-03-23T21:45:14Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Mormons do something stupid](https://apnews.com/14fc5e1316fb7c74daeb7043f367c19f)There’s pics so we know it happened. Fuck those people!!! If any of them wind up with COVID-19 and need hospital care, I’m totally fine with doctors refusing to treat them. They obviously trust their god more than they trust modern medicine and science. So leave them to God and leave the hospital beds and ventilators and the treatments to people who will appreciate them. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1368 "2020-03-23T22:00:23Z")
Today in Austria: [ul] [li] The Austrian foreign minister is calling on the EU to invoke its “solidarity clause”, which is intended to facilitate intra-union aid in the event of a terrorist attack or grave natural disaster. This clause was last invoked in March 2004 for the terrorist attacks in Madrid.[/li] [li] Austrian Airlines has announced that its fleet will remain grounded until at least 19 April.[/li] [li] The education minister has reported that currently less than 1% of all children aged 6 to 14 are attending schools, which remain open only for the purposes of child care and not for instruction. Schools are attempting to provide self-isolating children with distance learning material. In response to a public poll, 93% of teachers and 81% of parents support the government’s initiatives regarding mandatory self-isolation, but 23% of families report problems using the distance learning material. The government has announced that school-leaving exams will still take place this year, but could be postponed if necessary.[/li] [li] 3200 soldiers have been deployed to help screen those crossing the country’s borders (nowadays limited to teamsters, returning residents, and cross-border workers) and to maintain the country’s food supply. (Not sure what the latter involves—maybe they’ve got them stocking supermarket shelves and warehouses?) For the first time in Austria’s history, the militia has been activated (3000 members, about 10% of the total) and will be tasked with security-related duties.[/li] [li] People suspected of having coronavirus are supposed to call 1450, the country’s national health service hotline. (This hotline is not exclusive to coronavirus infections; it’s basically the number you call any time you need non-urgent health advice.) A couple weeks ago this service was completely overloaded; it was receiving over 20,000 calls per day, meaning callers had to stay on hold for hours before anyone answered. But the government has beefed up the staffing, from 30 to 300 operators and health care professionals. And call volumes have recently gone down to around 2800 per day. As a result, hold times have gone down to a much more manageable 3 minutes.[/li] [li] Speaking of health services, I went to my local pharmacy to pick up a prescription that I had ordered a few days before and found that it was closed due to a suspected coronavirus infection. There was a sign on the door saying that previously ordered medications could still be picked up by arranging an appointment by phone. I called them and the pharmacist came down wearing full-face protection (not just a respirator but also a visor covering the entire front of his head) and gloves. He gingerly handed me my medication through a tiny hole in the wall.[/li] Also, I went to my GP today. I noticed that all the books, magazines, brochures, and children’s toys had been removed from the waiting room. [li] The restrictions on movement have produced a measurable increase in air quality. In Tyrol, for example, carbon dioxide levels are 50 to 60% lower than what they were this time last year.[/li] [li] Current statistics: 3924 infected, 21 dead, 9 recovered. 115,600 people have registered as unemployed since 15 May.[/li] [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1369 "2020-03-24T00:01:23Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Spain is removing respirators from people over 65 to give to younger people. > > [https://twitter.com/WellingMichael/status/1241491706677284870](https://twitter.com/WellingMichael/status/1241491706677284870) > > This is heartbreaking. > [@ftg](#): > > Note that there are reports that in Northern Italy the cutoff is 60 which seems quite low to me. This has been [denied](http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/clinical-specialties/respiratory-/italian-embassy-corrects-uk-minister-claim-that-over-60s-not-being-treated/20040409.article). I trust the denial, to some extent. The thing that’s going to cause social unrest is that this will _ **not** _ be applied across the board; the wealthy and well-connected will get full medical treatment no matter what their age or pre-existing conditions. That will be true in every nation of the world (I’d guess). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1370 "2020-03-24T00:15:13Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > The critical thinking is lacking. > > Why would God kill all the old people? Aren’t old people less likely to be in support of same-sex marriage and transgender kids? Wouldn’t it be far more effective for God to only kill the people who support same-sex marriage and transgender kids, if his intention is to send some kind of message to humanity? This is an entity that is supposedly capable of surgical strikes. Why would he be so undiscriminating now? Why would anyone love an entity that punishes so unfairly? It makes no sense! Seems simple enough to me: the virus is not sent by God, but by Satan - who supports same-sex marriage etc. and wants to kill off its opponents. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1371 "2020-03-24T00:16:43Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The thing that’s going to cause social unrest is that this will _ **not** _ be applied across the board; the wealthy and well-connected will get full medical treatment no matter what their age or pre-existing conditions. > > That will be true in every nation of the world (I’d guess). I only have one data point from Spain. The Marquess of Griñón, Carlos Falcó, age 83, died like a dog due to COVID-19. He went to hospital on the 15th of March and ended up in ICU. But on the 21st he was taken out of the respirator to put someone else in his place. Apparently he was not responding to treatment, there were no respirators available, there was an influx of new patients in dire need of respirators, and it was decided that it was unethical to keep him (and several others older than 65 and also not responding well) in a situation where he was extremely unlikely to go through. Source (this is not something that you will find in the newspapers): acquaintance of mine who works as nursing staff in that hospital. The situation is grim. Here is a photo that was taken some 36-48 hours ago in the Universitary Hospital Infanta Leonor in Madrid: [[Album] Infanta Leonor Hospital, Madrid, 21-22 March 2020 ![](https://i.imgur.com/deMcclT.jpeg?fb "Infanta Leonor Hospital, Madrid, 21-22 March 2020") ](https://imgur.com/a/RNMtR1V) ---
**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:** [March 24, 2020, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1372 "2020-03-24T00:45:55Z")
> [@JoseB](#): > > The situation is grim. Here is a photo that was taken some 36-48 hours ago in the Universitary Hospital Infanta Leonor in Madrid: > > [Infanta Leonor Hospital, Madrid, 21-22 March 2020 - Album on Imgur](https://imgur.com/a/RNMtR1V) Aye: that’s pretty grim. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1373 "2020-03-24T00:51:58Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Kansas City just went into martial law or I guess they call it lock down/stay at home order. Martial law literally means the armed forces exercises the role of government, and that for key things, civil law is superseded by military law. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1374 "2020-03-24T00:54:33Z")
Oh, and apparently Canada saw 500,000 people apply for employment insurance last week, a figure roughly approximating 2.5% of the entire workforce. The normal figure would be a twentieth of that. ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1375 "2020-03-24T01:03:39Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Spain is removing respirators from people over 65 to give to younger people. > > [https://twitter.com/WellingMichael/status/1241491706677284870](https://twitter.com/WellingMichael/status/1241491706677284870) > > This is heartbreaking. > [@](#): > > Doctors in [Spain] with tears in their eyes tell how people over 65 must have their respirators removed to give it to the younger people suffering . Seniors are sedated so they don’t suffer. Man, I hope they’re not telling them. They probably have to legally and morally, but damn I would not want to have that conversation with those people. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1376 "2020-03-24T01:07:54Z")
> [@JoseB](#): > > I only have one data point from Spain. The Marquess of Griñón, Carlos Falcó, age 83, died like a dog due to COVID-19. He went to hospital on the 15th of March and ended up in ICU. > > But on the 21st he was taken out of the respirator to put someone else in his place. Apparently he was not responding to treatment, there were no respirators available, there was an influx of new patients in dire need of respirators, and it was decided that it was unethical to keep him (and several others older than 65 and also not responding well) in a situation where he was extremely unlikely to go through. Source (this is not something that you will find in the newspapers): acquaintance of mine who works as nursing staff in that hospital. > > The situation is grim. Here is a photo that was taken some 36-48 hours ago in the Universitary Hospital Infanta Leonor in Madrid: > > [Infanta Leonor Hospital, Madrid, 21-22 March 2020 - Album on Imgur](https://imgur.com/a/RNMtR1V) Horrible story. Thank you for the information. (I mean no disrespect to the loved ones of the Marquess, but I’m suspecting that this instance of an elderly member of the upper class being taken off a respirator, to make it available to others, will turn out to be an exception rather than the rule, globally speaking. Time will tell.) ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1377 "2020-03-24T01:16:16Z")
Washington state governor Jay Inslee issued a stay-at-home order starting 48 hours from now. ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1378 "2020-03-24T01:18:35Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > A few posts? tweets? down that page, [there is a composite picture of 4 Italian doctors/nurses](https://twitter.com/Travelito24/status/1241684250031783938). They all have marks, some of them even bleeding it seems, from the PPE they have been wearing. To get those marks, they must be working themselves to exhaustion, it seems. I am gobsmacked by their dedication and their efforts; I salute them all. > > Soon, US health care workers will look like that too, I’m afraid. I stand up and give them a Medal of Honor winner salute. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1379 "2020-03-24T01:38:43Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Fuck those [Mormon] people!!! If any of them wind up with COVID-19 and need hospital care, I’m totally fine with doctors refusing to treat them. They obviously trust their god more than they trust modern medicine and science. So leave them to God and leave the hospital beds and ventilators and the treatments to people who will appreciate them. Those believing in divine healing can obviously be confined to churches, temples, and sacred theme parks so their sanctity doesn’t spread. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > (I mean no disrespect to the loved ones of the Marquess, but I’m suspecting that this instance of an elderly member of the upper class being taken off a respirator, to make it available to others, will turn out to be an exception rather than the rule, globally speaking. Time will tell.) Triage is relentless. How long can upper classes avoid public health facilities? Meanwhile, [CDC says coronavirus survived in Princess Cruise ship cabins for up to 17 days after passengers left](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/cdc-coronavirus-survived-in-princess-cruise-cabins-up-to-17-days-after-passengers-left.html). How about a little more space-sterilization, kids? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1380 "2020-03-24T01:51:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Oh, and apparently Canada saw 500,000 people apply for employment insurance last week, a figure roughly approximating 2.5% of the entire workforce. The normal figure would be a twentieth of that. I was one of them. Last week at the auto parts factory we went from “mandatory overtime next Saturday like usual” on Monday to “you are being laid off and this is your last shift” on Friday. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1381 "2020-03-24T01:53:19Z")
Do we have a separate thread where we’re following Trump’s daily briefings? Saw his briefing today (Monday March 23). Once again, Dr. Fauci was NOT there! WTF? ---
**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:** [March 24, 2020, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/1382 "2020-03-24T02:00:38Z")
(I’ll just use Psychonauts template, if I may) Today in Slovenia: [ul] [li]New government amidst the crisis (well that is more than week old news, but ok). From left centrist to Orban wanna be rightist. Just fricking great.[/li][li]It is total quarantine here, recreation in solo and dogwalking still allowed, groceries et al are open with strict queues outside, social distancing and sanitizing and rules enforced by clerks (no police needed yet). [/li][li]Handmade masks are getting common as non other are available. [/li][li]Being another neighbor if Italy you’d fear the most, but looks like we got a bit lucky (compared to other neighboring states, it is still worse than in USA). Trajectory is not so steep, looks relatively promising). Reasons might include early public transport ban, socializing limitations and going full south korea on testing. It is day 20 from first infected.[/li][li]Current statistics (2.05 m peeps): 442 infected, 3 dead, 0 recovered. 13,800 tested.[/li][/ul] Local infogram: [https://infogram.com/koronavirus\_slovenija-1hxj48e95vk54vg](https://infogram.com/koronavirus_slovenija-1hxj48e95vk54vg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=68) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=70)