Coronavirus: what Canadians need to know

Prairie Mountain Health region has been elevated to the restricted level (orange) according to the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System. Starting today, masks will be mandatory in all public indoor places and at all indoor and outdoor public gatherings in the region. Public gatherings will also be restricted to 10 people, both indoors and outdoors.

People who do not have to wear masks include:

• a child who is under five years of age;
• a person with a medical condition that is unrelated to COVID-19, including breathing or cognitive difficulties or a disability, which prevents them from safely wearing a mask; and
• a person who is unable to put on or remove a mask without the assistance of another person.

Missed opportunity in Sweden:

Quote:

There’s nearly universal agreement that widespread, long-lasting school closures harm children. Not only do children fall behind in learning, but isolation harms their mental health and leaves some vulnerable to abuse and neglect. But during this pandemic, does that harm outweigh the risk—to children, school staff, families, and the community at large—of keeping schools open and giving the coronavirus more chances to spread?

The one country that could have definitively answered that question has apparently failed to collect any data. Bucking a global trend, Sweden has kept day care centers and schools through ninth grade open since COVID-19 emerged, without any major adjustments to class size, lunch policies, or recess rules. That made the country a perfect natural experiment about schools’ role in viral spread that many others could have learned from as they reopen schools or ponder when to do so. Yet Swedish officials have not tracked infections among school children—even when large outbreaks led to the closure of individual schools or staff members died of the disease.

“It’s really frustrating that we haven’t been able to answer some relatively basic questions on transmission and the role of different interventions,” says Carina King, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute (KI), Sweden’s flagship medical research center. King says she and several colleagues have developed a protocol to study school outbreaks, “but the lack of funding, time, and previous experience of conducting this sort of research in Sweden has hampered our progress.”

“We are trying to mobilize, but realistically with the school year ending in a few weeks, it seems unlikely we will be able to get what we want up and running,” says King, who adds that her queries to public health authorities about other efforts have come up empty. “There is some data collection happening in children, but it’s not focused around schools or, as far as I know, will not answer questions around transmission.”

Democrats fearmongering about covid for political gain at the expense of possibly promising treatments: Kim Iversen

More proof that people should be scared of the coronavirus, according to medical experts:

Quote:

I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they ” probably don’t have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know…” and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games…that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?

I’m scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I’m scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

Aristotleded24 wrote:

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others.

That article is wildly exagerated. He seems to be the one that is panicked and in his own words "scared" Stocking up on toilet paper happened in the first few weeks and people were just concerned because we had never been through a shutdown/pandemic.  People are quite relaxed now other than parents who are rightfully concerned that governments are cutting corners to get the babysitting service up.

PPEs are not disappearing from hospitals in great numbers. There have been no break-ins. Testing isn't done at hospitals. In Quebec you call a number and are told what to do to get tested if you qualify to be tested. People aren't rushing the emergency departments.

It seems his greatest fear is that the Olympics will be cancelled. He says "can you imagine". Sure. I have no trouble imagining it and I think the world could so without it just fine. Many atheletes don't come from the countries they represent. It's just a way to generate mass spending and consumerism.

As to the numbers in the next post. The point of lockdowns is to slow the spread of the disease which it seems to be doing somewhat successfully.

In closing I don't know anyone cowering terrrified in their basements. I don't see people running around in a panic.

That doctor's rant is rooted in politics not medicine. He is using his title to give his words more weight but he didn't write about the virus nor even the mental health impacts. He is actually quite insulting and paternalistic as though we are the unwashed masses being manipulated cause we aren't as smart as he is.

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games…that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?

I’m scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I’m scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.[/quote]

[/quote]

Pondering wrote:

Aristotleded24 wrote:

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others.

That article is wildly exagerated. He seems to be the one that is panicked and in his own words "scared" Stocking up on toilet paper happened in the first few weeks and people were just concerned because we had never been through a shutdown/pandemic.  People are quite relaxed now other than parents who are rightfully concerned that governments are cutting corners to get the babysitting service up.

PPEs are not disappearing from hospitals in great numbers. There have been no break-ins. Testing isn't done at hospitals. In Quebec you call a number and are told what to do to get tested if you qualify to be tested. People aren't rushing the emergency departments.

It seems his greatest fear is that the Olympics will be cancelled. He says "can you imagine". Sure. I have no trouble imagining it and I think the world could so without it just fine. Many atheletes don't come from the countries they represent. It's just a way to generate mass spending and consumerism.

As to the numbers in the next post. The point of lockdowns is to slow the spread of the disease which it seems to be doing somewhat successfully.

In closing I don't know anyone cowering terrrified in their basements. I don't see people running around in a panic.

That doctor's rant is rooted in politics not medicine. He is using his title to give his words more weight but he didn't write about the virus nor even the mental health impacts. He is actually quite insulting and paternalistic as though we are the unwashed masses being manipulated cause we aren't as smart as he is.

 

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games…that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?

I’m scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I’m scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

[/quote]

[/quote]

"Published six months ago."

Aristotleded24 wrote:

More proof that people should be scared of the coronavirus, according to medical experts:

Quote:

I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they ” probably don’t have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know…” and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games…that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?

I’m scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I’m scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

I am scared of COVID. I'm scared that it will become endemic, that we will not manage to defeat it.

Regular young people who are not scared of COVID are engaging in reckless behaviour that spreads it (note that I consider any behaviour that spreads COVID to be reckless).

Government and medical officials who are not scared of COVID seem to be perfectly willing to allow COVID to become endemic and to keep infecting people fore ever, and I think this would be a tragedy if it comes to pass, because it doesn't have to.

As B.C. shutters nightclubs, Trudeau defends choice to phase out CERB

As COVID-19 cases surge in British Columbia, prompting the closure of nightclubs and banquet halls, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his government’s choice to phase out emergency benefits.

At the end of July, Trudeau announced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB, will wind down as the government reworks the employment insurance system for the era of COVID-19. Though Trudeau said Canada is “not out of the woods,” he also said it’s important to begin placing building blocks for economic recovery.

“As we are living with COVID-19, there’s a lot of economic activity picking up again, and that’s a good thing. And obviously it needs to be done carefully,” he told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday.

“That’s why shifting from CERB, which was designed to keep people at home and not working, towards a more EI-like system that will have incentives to work and encouragements and supports for people while the economy gets growing again, is the right step.”

On Tuesday, B.C. said it had recorded 429 new cases of COVID-19 over the Labour Day long weekend. In response, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry ordered the closure of nightclubs and banquet halls, and set last call for bars at 10 p.m.

“It’s going to be a challenging time for those businesses,” Henry said Tuesday.

Other provinces are also encountering similar problems, even before the effects of students’ return to school this week are reflected in COVID-19 statistics. In Ontario, for example, Health Minister Christine Elliott announced a pause on reopenings Tuesday as the province reported nearly 200 new cases of the virus two days in a row.....

The regional patterns are just clearly significant: Basically of the Pacific has done way better than basically all of the major Western Hemisphere and Western European countries. Yes, including Canada:

Left Turn wrote:

Regular young people who are not scared of COVID are engaging in reckless behaviour that spreads it (note that I consider any behaviour that spreads COVID to be reckless).

Of course young people are reckless. Thus it ever was, and ever more shall be.

Left Turn wrote:

Government and medical officials who are not scared of COVID seem to be perfectly willing to allow COVID to become endemic and to keep infecting people fore ever, and I think this would be a tragedy if it comes to pass, because it doesn't have to.

The problem is, to eliminate a virus all kinds of things have to line up right, and they did not in the case of covid. Many countries, for example Sweden, have said they flat out are not on board with that. We had pretty drastic measures in place to try and stop covid, but they all failed. How long should we wait until the virus is eliminated?

Now it has been said that in the US, 80% mask usage can cut the infection rate down by 92%. If that trend continues, then eventually there is no covid. I could get on board with wearing masks indoors, but if they are that effective, why do we need restrictions everywhere else? Why cap the number of people indoors at 50? Why say people shouldn't sing in church? If masks work, they work, and we should be able to move on and lift the emergency orders quickly.

Guess which is the only European country which, as of today, is not experiencing a second wave?

A black mark on Sweden for sure, but with cases rising in other countries, the deaths will follow. It's quite possible that these other countries will start posting death percentages that move closer to what Sweden has.

You also need to take a look at the bigger picture. In Winnipeg and Vancouver, drug overdoses have risen up to take more lives, in some cases in individual months, than covid has taken in either place the whole year. I'm guessing fewer people died for those, and other such reasons in Sweden than other places. Also look at the public reception. I just took a Google for covid protests. I only found one article about protests in Sweden urging stronger measures, and that was back at the end of May one month before they reached their peak. That contrasts with citizens protesting lockdowns within the last month in places like New Zealand, Australia and  Germany. "Oh well, the government needs to provide income support for people. That's why they're protesting" is what people will say. It's true that the lack of a government response in the US created a desparate population that was fertile ground for lockdown protesters to exploit. But Germany did very well in terms of providing for the economic needs of people who could not work during the pandemic and making sure businesses didn't go under. Given all of that, you still saw large protests. People are becoming frustrate. For anyone who's in the camp that we should lock down until the virus is gone, my question is are you willing to risk full blown riots and social unrest to achieve that goal? Good luck doing the social distancing thing then.