The Coronavirus | Contains 4.5% Alcohol

[Moonface]

I would hate to have had remote learning when I was in primary and secondary school. That would mean every time it snowed I'd be forced to do school lessons at home instead of getting free days off and going out to play in the snow all day. Fuck that noise.

My company (Publix) just announced they're lowering their hours again. We're now 8am to 8pm. We usually run 7am to 10pm.

[Dragon Lord]

My boss told me today that we're going to be closing the store at 8:30 while this whole thing is going on instead of 10, so I will lose an hour and a half of pay tomorrow night. It sucks, but at least she's keeping the kitchen open (for now), so I don't lose the majority of my hours.

Going to be an interesting couple of weeks though. I highly doubt this will end on the 27th (for Minnesota), I'm fully expecting an increase to how long business are down for, especially since cases of corona virus are expected to rapidly increase in the state over the next week.

[Karo]

Florida has no such things...but we did have hurricanes so maybe we'd have to remote learn on hurricanes days.

I mean those hours are still very flexible for people to actually come in at publix? I generally don't do any shopping past 9 anyways. XD

I'm sorry to hear that Night Lord. I mean we can hope that it not as bad as it been predicted? That probably the best that we can hope for really.

[Dragon Lord]

Honestly it's not as bad as they are making it out to be. I don't know why it's being so overblown.

One thing that has caught my attention, and I hate to get into politics here, but when the virus was first becoming a thing in China, Trump kept blowing it off as something not important and his infamous "once April comes and it gets hot, we'll be fine." quote, suddenly he changed to being so concerned about it and taking so many measures to combat it. Seems like this whole overblown ordeal is more of a show that Trump is putting on so he can make it seem worse than it is, and then when it's over he can take credit for "leading the world through such a horrible, dark time." Despite the fact that he's actually the reason why America doesn't have the necessary resources to combat it.

[Karo]

Maybe they are worried about any disease in general that is deadlier than the flu and is pretty transmittable from becoming another black death? I mean I think its good that we are taking preventative measures just where do you draw the line in interrupting people's lives?

Like I honestly hope nobody I know gets it and I hope you guys all stay safe (and with a paycheck please kthxlife) as for the whole Trump thing I think that has been his whole memo as president and this could also potentially be a stunt to help him win votes. "HE IS A PRESIDENT THAT TAKES ACTION" I means I think I am admittedly bias because I think the guys a complete asshole so my whole reaction to everything he does lately is, "Its prob to help him win the next election".

[Dragon Lord]

The Coronavirus isn't really any more dangerous than influenza. According to the CDC's website, since October 1st, 2019, there's been an estimated 22,000-55,000 deaths in the US alone from Influenza. Meanwhile Coronavirus is sitting at around an estimated 8,000 deaths worldwide with a large majority of those coming from China and Italy.

Corona Virus has a long way to go to catch up to the flu's death count. Even the infected total is far behind. Again, according to the CDC's website, since October 1st 2019, there's been an estimated 36,000,000-51,000,000 cases of the flu in the US alone, while Coronavirus is at ~200,000 worldwide.

[Moonface]

I think it's better to compare percentages rather than numbers. If a virus is around for 10 years and kills 500 people, but another kills 100 in 1 year, then the older virus isn't deadlier even though overall more have died from it.

[Dragon Lord]

Yes, but I'm not using a 10-year example for influenza. I'm using a six month period of the Flu compared to a four month period for Coronavirus. The Corona Virus has only killed about 8,000 people worldwide in those four months. Influenza has killed at least three times that amount in the United State alone in six months. The threat of the virus in China (where the most deaths have occurred) is drastically slowing down and they are on the other side of it already.

I'm not saying that precautions shouldn't be taken against the coronavirus, but shutting the whole country down is an extreme overreaction. If this is how we're going to react to the Coronavirus, then we need to act like this towards Influenza as well. But again, you think about the fact that it's an election year, so you start to realize that a lot of this is most likely Trump just trying to make this look worse than it is so that he can use his "victory" over the virus as a platform for re-election.

[Moonface]

Ah, my bad. Comparing similar time frames is a good way to look at it that I didn't realise you were doing.

I think what really boggles my mind is why this pandemic caused such worldwide panic. I don't recall this degree of panic happening for Ebola, or other forms of flu that have turned up out of the blue throughout the 2000's that have managed to become pandemics. It's all well and good to point fingers at Trump and say he used it to his advantage in some way, which he may have done, but that doesn't explain every other country in the world responding in very similar or even more extreme ways.

[queenzelda]

My husband who's works in the pharmacy is still having to go to work, same for the grocery store he works in: still has people going to work. If your looking for work, try a grocery store since the government isn't going to close them down anytime soon.

I just think it's funny with only 10 people can gather in one place, but grocery stores & pharmacies have more people working then over 10. lmao

[Moonface]

Grocery stores and pharmacies are probably exempt because they're deemed as essential services, same for any healthcare provider. Close any of those down and then you can't get food or care from anywhere, and that's just asking for problems.

What I really dislike is my company isn't doing sick leave for the virus, and I also doubt I'll see any form of a bonus as thanks for working through this hectic period nor the increased sales the company is getting for this.

[queenzelda]

Actually; if you get the virus some states have already implemented plans to help those who get it out. Check your state & see what they offer. Jing was telling me that the store he works in has implemented time off for anyone who contracts it & gets paid leave.

[Moonface]

As far as I'm aware it was voted against in Florida by some asshat who proceeded to take paid sick leave shortly after making that decision.

[queenzelda]

As far as I'm aware it was voted against in Florida by some asshat who proceeded to take paid sick leave shortly after making that decision.

Not all US states are that bad. There are some states that give two craps about the people who live there.

[Moonface]

As far as I'm aware it was voted against in Florida by some asshat who proceeded to take paid sick leave shortly after making that decision.

Not all US states are that bad. There are some states that give two craps about the people who live there.

Oh of course. Personally I think it shouldn't be a choice for states to make, it should just be declared as a nationwide requirement for everybody. All this does is encourage people who are sick to continue to go to work at this time because they won't get paid otherwise and then more people will get sick because of it.