# Coronavirus general discussion and chit-chat **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [August 12, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903 "2020-08-12T17:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/183 "2020-12-30T01:23:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > > > What about this: Most COVID patients worked hard to reduce their risk but were unlucky. > > I’ve chatted with my daughter (a nurse) and her fiance (an MD) about this. They both have tested negative since the start. My daughter has had her first vaccine. Their coworkers who have contracted COVID-19 have been less than meticulous in their behaviors away from work (going out to eat, attending family get-togethers, etc). I believe there is some cause and effect relationship between behavior and whether you get COVID. However, your implied claim of perfect correlation does not convince me. Personally, I have around two dozen Trumper-type relatives and none have gotten it yet. And the two close co-workers of mine who got it seem to me pretty cautious. This proves nothing because the sample size is too small and there is no rigor to the way I am measuring risky behavior. > [@](#): > > The three most dangerous words in medicine: in my experience. — Mark Crislip, President, Society for Science-Based Medicine ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/184 "2020-12-30T02:05:26Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I believe there is some cause and effect relationship between behavior and whether you get COVID. However, your implied claim of perfect correlation does not convince me. > > Personally, I have around two dozen Trumper-type relatives and none have gotten it yet. And the two close co-workers of mine who got it seem to me pretty cautious. This proves nothing because the sample size is too small and there is no rigor to the way I am measuring risky behavior. It’s also awfully easy to let confirmation bias get in your way. If someone doesn’t get it, we tend to assume they were careful: we don’t comb their past behavior looking for slight lapses in judgment. Once someone has it, everything they did over the past 2 weeks is now weighed differently, and I think it’d be pretty easy to find something in almost anyone’s story that now seems foolhardy (even without evidence that that was actually how/where they got it. Yes, prudent behavior can reduce risk. But I’ve known cautious people who got it and who have no idea how. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/185 "2020-12-30T03:21:42Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Personally, I have around two dozen Trumper-type relatives and none have gotten it yet. Out of curiosity, have they been tested to confirm this? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/186 "2020-12-30T05:47:59Z")
The claim that China must be hiding large numbers of cases has been made many times on the Dope, but rather than reopen any semi-zombie threads I thought I could post another counter data point here. NBC tonight carried [a report from Wuhan](https://youtu.be/S4ZrlYHyjZU?t=652) where their correspondent in Wuhan matter of factly mentioned the claim that there have been zero cases there in 200 days and showed images of busy streets (yes a lot of people wearing masks but that’s a precaution / culture). They are not even trying to hint at supposed hidden cases any more. I’m not making a political statement. I hate the chinese government and the lack of human rights. But it’s just an uncomfortable fact that China is currently as safe as countries like New Zealand and South Korea in terms of cases. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2020, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/187 "2020-12-30T11:31:33Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Personally, I have around two dozen Trumper-type relatives and none have gotten it yet. The _only_ people I’ve personally known who have gotten COVID-19 have been my sister’s husband’s family, also the only Trumpers I know. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/188 "2020-12-31T03:31:47Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > the lack of human rights The lack of human rights is exactly how you are able handle a pandemic appropriately. You treat people like cattle and don’t let them leave for anything, and community transmission dies very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/189 "2020-12-31T03:44:57Z")
That’s true. In the early days, much of the world was appalled by the treatment of hubei residents. In retrospect it was arguably the lesser evil but no one knew that at the time (including the Chinese). As well as stomping on human rights though, one advantage China had was the Chinese New year. Basically everyone stocks up on food and stays with their family for a week. Businesses close. So a nationwide lockdown was partially just a matter of saying “CNY extended… Stay where you are” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/190 "2020-12-31T15:24:20Z")
I have not shaved since July, of '79. Kept it trimmed to no more than 2" most of that time, but I have been letting it out for over a year. I hear it’s fine, if you’ve got the time, but, now, I might be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/191 "2020-12-31T22:35:45Z")
Regardless of the other regulations and the debates for or against, why can’t we agree to mandatory touchless or at minimum one swipe card transactions for the duration of the pandemic? I don’t know how many stores I have been to where I have to insert my card, verify that it is a credit or debit card, type in my pin, yes or no would I like a car wash, etc. I just want to pay for my purchase. But in the middle of a pandemic, I have to touch those buttons just like some guy with Covid did 10 minutes ago. If I can order online and it be touchless, I should be able to do it in a store. Mandate it during the emergency. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/192 "2020-12-31T22:38:29Z")
No way. My card does not have swipe and never will. Keep a pencil with an eraser and use that when you have to use a keypad. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/193 "2020-12-31T22:42:22Z")
This misses the point. Is it easier to mandate that everyone carries a pencil with an eraser or mandate that the terminal software just requires a swipe, a tap, or an insertion? ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/194 "2020-12-31T22:43:23Z")
It’s easier to make the keyboard your problem, whether you do the pencil thing or not. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/195 "2020-12-31T22:55:26Z")
A pencil is much easier (and cheaper) that re-programing 100s of thousands (if not millions) of terminals. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/196 "2020-12-31T22:55:50Z")
I just mean it’s not a mandate thing. A bottle of hand sanitizer solves the problem. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/197 "2020-12-31T23:01:47Z")
Here in Panama I basically just insert my card in the terminal, or sometimes the cashier inserts it. Then she gives me the receipt. At the start of the pandemic most places decided to no longer require a signature. I don’t have to touch anything anyone else did except sometimes the cashier. (But I use a credit card, not a debit card with PIN.) It surprises me that places in the US haven’t modified things to minimize contact. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/198 "2020-12-31T23:04:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > A pencil is much easier (and cheaper) that re-programing 100s of thousands (if not millions) of terminals. Again, this completely misses the point. The businesses themselves set up the terminals to ask all of these questions. They can just require a swipe. The point is not whether I can carry a pencil, or you can. It just, solely during the pandemic, requires them to not ask the upsell questions or to run everything as credit instead of debit. It’s trivially easy. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/199 "2021-01-01T03:35:25Z")
Besides the point of the questions (which the cashier could ask and enter the responses), I’m liking my newish credit card with tap-to-pay; no swiping needed. It’s fun when the cashier doesn’t know that their terminal had the feature. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/200 "2021-01-01T03:53:05Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > This misses the point. Is it easier to mandate that everyone carries a pencil with an eraser or mandate that the terminal software just requires a swipe, a tap, or an insertion? Based on the ethnic Chinese I see in my city, (Australia), getting them to carry the stylus is easier than getting the shops they patronize to buy new equipment, and banks to accept it. Of course, these were the same people who started wearing masks at the same time that their relatives in Taiwan, Shanghai, or Singapore did, but then, so are the people running the shops. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2021, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/201 "2021-01-01T07:48:03Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > why can’t we agree to mandatory touchless or at minimum one swipe card transactions for the duration of the pandemic? …the issue (at least, here in NZ) is that the cost of contactless transactions is prohibitive, especially for small businesses with very tight margins. They paid the same fee on transactions for debit cards as credit cards and it just wasn’t worth it to add contactless functionality. What happened here was the banks **voluntarily** waived additional fees for paywave transactions until Covid-19 was pushed to the borders. Which was a perfectly viable solution in a country that united to take control of the pandemic. Fundamentally there isn’t anything wrong with your suggestion. But the difference is the United States isn’t exactly united in its fight here. The current federal government obviously won’t step in to mandate this, and I can’t see the banks stepping up to waive the fees or the infrastructure. So its simply one good idea out of hundreds of good ideas to combat the pandemic that nobody will follow through on. > **[In fight against coronavirus spread, ANZ to provide free paywave transactions...](https://www.1news.co.nz/2020/03/18/in-fight-against-coronavirus-spread-anz-to-provide-free-paywave-transactions-for-small-businesses/)** > > The initiative is aimed at helping businesses and hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/202 "2021-01-01T13:07:12Z")
I got take-out from a local Italian restaurant recently. I handed over my card, she ran it, then handed me a receipt. No opportunity to add a tip! I had a ten in my pocket and left that. Why would a restaurant not offer the option to add a tip to credit card transactions? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903.md?page=11)