..good grief © Charlie Brown.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

the other day the wife/me had a potential Rona scare

kinda miss working in an actual office.

It's been nice re-opening the restaurant, mostly to regulars, but the bar thing feels like a huge mistake (and most of my bar friends, both owner/operator and low level employee, seem to agree) because it's one thing to regulate how people enjoy a meal and an entirely other thing to regulate how people enjoy an adult beverage (or two).


Seeing the Memorial Day Madness only further complicates my feelings on all this. I've found some dark humor in the rollout, though. For example, in restaurants customers can't have a drink without food on the table, and until bars are re-opened we haven't been allowed to open up bar seating, but once we are customers who sit at the bar ARE NOT allowed to have food, while customers at tables are STILL REQUIRED to have food.

It was bizarrely easy to forget Nebraska was run by a bunch of half-ass leaders doing a Maypole dance around the GOP for a few weeks, even easier to remember.

Otherwise, it's really strange being in the Midwest, in our usual economic/national crisis bubble, and yet more aware than ever that the coast's problems could come for us at ANY time. I can't tell if the summer weather makes it easier or harder to deal with all this than if we were transitioning into winter instead.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

Wife and I both are educators. We can’t figure out how they are going to open the schools. It’s going to be a shitshow. Also, our daughter was supposed to start kinder in August.

I work at a hospital and the stats they share out with us say there is a 4.7% positive test rate.

So if you're thinking about going out - just remember 1 out of 20 people you meet probably have it.

regardless of symptoms?

I'm personally treating it like it's everywhere but i'm not sure it works out that clean.

5% of people tested have it. Not 5% of the general population.

They threw some links on a page and put it on their donezo list.

Redfield is such a piece of shit.


Lawmakers Are Outraged By A "Lazy, Incomplete" Report From The CDC On Racial Data For The Coronavirus
“The Trump Administration would prefer to ignore the disproportionate impact this crisis is having on communities of color,” said Sen. Patty Murray.

Kadia Goba
Posted on May 28, 2020, at 11:05 a.m. ET


WASHINGTON — As communities of color are disproportionately dying from the coronavirus, Congress asked the CDC to collect national data on the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 cases and deaths.

On the day of the deadline set in law by Congress, the CDC responded with a page of links that referred back to its public website.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, “should be embarrassed by the lazy, incomplete, 2.5-page copy-and-paste job it calls a ‘report’ on the racial disparities of COVID-19 cases,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted last week.

Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, sent the report to Congress on March 15. The links that CDC forwarded include some racial and ethnic data on the coronavirus, but it is incomplete. The report includes a link to the CDC’s updating data on cases and deaths across the US, but only includes race and ethnicity information for less than half of the 1.7 million people who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The report also linked to the CDC’s data on hospitalizations broken down by race and ethnicity, but that page only includes data from specific network hospitals in 14 states, totaling just about 10% of the US population.

“This wholly inadequate response tells us nothing except what we already knew: the Trump Administration would prefer to ignore the disproportionate impact this crisis is having on communities of color,” Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on a Senate Health Committee, said in a statement.

The CDC did not respond to several questions on how it obtained its data or the timeframe in which it will update the information. And while incomplete, Redfield wrote that the CDC data does suggest “a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups,” adding that “studies are underway to confirm these data.” The CDC did not respond to BuzzFeed News’ requests to specify what kind of studies are being conducted.

The report comes after Congress passed its most recent coronavirus stimulus package, which required the CDC to report COVID-19 race and ethnicity data to several congressional committees, as they investigate the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on black and Hispanic people.

Last month, a group of bipartisan members of Congress urged the Trump administration to gather data on high-risk communities in order to better understand the racial disparity and aid those communities in response to the pandemic.

Health experts say complete reports are key to addressing COVID-19 disparities in communities of color.

“Thus far, the fragmented data we are getting from HHS, state, and local sources paint a very fragmented, but troubling picture,” Northeastern University health policy expert Leo Beletsky told BuzzFeed News in an email. “Systematic national data are necessary to understand the full scope of the issue and to target resources where they are most needed.

Beletsky went further to suggest the administration’s slow-walk of the data is an effort to avoid criticism of its coronavirus response and conversations about longstanding health disparities among people of color.

“Ultimately, these data will force some very difficult conversations about bungled responses so far, as well as about broader questions of race and racism in America. This is why agencies are dragging their feet on making these analyses available to lawmakers and the public.”

Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who also signed onto the initial letter to the CDC asking for race and ethnicity data for COVID-19, told reporters on Wednesday that black people represent nearly 40% of all COVID-19 cases in Boston (38% according to city data), despite being 25% of the population.

“We will use every tool at our disposal to uncover why this administration waited so long to take any action and make clear the grave consequences of their inaction,” Pressley told reporters on a call. “And while oversight is critical, we must also keep up the pressure on this administration to take action now before we are robbed, unnecessarily, of even more lives.”

Sen. Tim Scott, the lone black Republican senator and the only GOP member to call on the CDC to provide race and ethnicity data of COVID-19 victims, is instead urging states to report their own data.

“In South Carolina, we regularly receive and can readily access disaggregated demographic data on both cases and fatalities,” Scott told BuzzFeed News in a statement. “Our model is effective and consistent, and I hope other states and stakeholders would follow suit in reporting these critical numbers that can only help us stop the spread in our most vulnerable communities.”

As of Wednesday, black people, who make up about 27% of South Carolina’s population, accounted for 52% of the coronavirus cases, according to state data.

The House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES) also would require the CDC to provide race and ethnicity data to Congress with money to assist states with their collection of data. But that bill has not passed the Senate, where Republicans have said the legislation is dead on arrival.

In the meantime, the CDC is still required to provide another report within 30 days of the one just released.

“We are not done pushing for answers and action here, not by a long shot,” Murray said.

Small droplet aerosols in poorly ventilated spaces and SARS-CoV-2 transmission`

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30245-9/fulltext

SWIPE:

Globally, health-care authorities are searching for effective measures to prevent community transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although data on factors related to this transmission are scarce, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is thought to mostly be via the transmission of respiratory droplets coming from infected individuals.1 Small droplets, from submicron to approximately 10 μm diameter, produced during speech and coughing, have been shown to contain viral particles,2 which can remain viable and infectious in aerosols for 3 h.3 The droplets can be transmitted either directly by entering the airway through the air (aerosols),4 or indirectly by contact transfer via contaminated hands. The mode of transmission could affect whether an infection starts in the upper or lower respiratory tract, which is thought to affect the severity of the disease progression.5 Notably, the dose–response relationship of SARS-CoV-2 infection is still unclear, especially with respect to aerosol transmission of the virus. However, aerosols containing a small concentration of virus in poorly ventilated spaces, combined with low humidity and high temperature,6 might result in an infectious dose over time.
To better understand the spreading of respiratory droplets and possible preventive measures, we analysed droplet production due to coughs and speech by measuring the droplet size distribution, travel distance and velocity, and the airborne time in relation to the level of air ventilation.

We did a laser diffraction measurement using a spray droplet measurement system (Malvern Spraytec, Malvern, UK) to determine the size distribution of respiratory droplets in a single cough and during speech. In a cough from a healthy volunteer, we found two distinct types of drops, large droplets (100–1000 μm in diameter) and small droplets (1–10 μm), with the small droplets being much more prevalent (appendix p 1). During speech, only the small droplets were found (appendix p 1). Although large droplets have been specifically related to coughs,4 here we observe that both sizes of droplet are produced by coughing.
Next, we used a SprayScan (Spraying Systems, Glendale Heights, IL, USA) laser sheet to track droplets by filming the scattering of laser light by droplets from a cough7 to determine the speed of the droplets and their trajectory. Large droplets were observed to fall onto the ground rapidly (appendix p 2). We found that although the speed of the drops ranged 2–7 m/s at the start of the cough, the visible large drops (typically 500 μm in diameter) do not travel far before their trajectory bends down due to gravity to rapidly fall onto the ground within 1 s. This observation can be explained by balancing the forces of gravity (F=mg; where F is force, m is mass, and g is acceleration) and air drag (F=6πηRU, in which η is the air viscosity, R is the radius of the droplet, and U is the falling velocity), from which it also follows that the small droplets of typical radius of 5 μm will take 9 min to reach the ground when produced at a height of 160 cm (ie, average speaking or coughing height). These small droplets are of specific interest because they have been associated with aerosol transmission of the SARS-CoV-2.8 We also investigated droplets coming from the nasal cavity, and found that with normal breathing no droplets are detected above the background noise level (2·3 droplets, and 2·6 droplets for nasal breathing). From a sneeze, we found mostly very large drops, originating from both the buccal and nasal cavities, that are not persistent.
The same laser sheet was used to investigate how long small droplets from a cough will float through the air. We used a specially designed spray nozzle from Medspray (Enschede, The Netherlands) to disperse a controlled quantity of small droplets into the air, reproducing the effect of coughing. The droplets have an average diameter of 5 μm and are dispersed homogeneously by the spray nozzle. We analysed the number of droplets passing through the stationary laser sheet suspended in the centre of the experimental chamber using an algorithm that detects the illuminations caused by the droplets. We repeated this experiment in three rooms with different levels of ventilation: no ventilation, mechanical ventilation only, and mechanical ventilation supported by the opening of an entrance door and a small window (appendix p 3). In the best ventilated room, after 30 s the number of droplets had halved, whereas with no ventilation this took about 5 min, in agreement with the air drag calculation that shows that 5 μm drops from the average cough or speech height take 9 min to reach the ground. In a poorly ventilated room, the number of droplets was halved in 1·4 min.
Although we only studied healthy volunteers and did not study patients with COVID-19 or virus-laden aerosol droplets directly, our data on droplet size distribution and persistence does have implications on requirements to use face masks to prevent virus transmission. Transmission by aerosols of the small droplets studied here can only be prevented by use of high-performance face masks; a conventional surgical mask only stops 30% of the small aerosol droplets studied here for inhaled breath;9 for exhaled breath the efficacy is much better.10
Additionally, the long airborne time of aerosols we found here affects the reliability of temporal and spatial contact data between individuals as monitored by proximity tracing via smartphone apps. These findings need to be considered in the development and implementation of these apps.
This study shows that better ventilation of spaces substantially reduces the airborne time of respiratory droplets. This finding is relevant because typically poorly ventilated and populated spaces, like public transport and nursing homes, have been reported as sites of viral transmission despite preventive physical distancing. The persistence of small respiratory droplets in such poorly ventilated spaces could contribute to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings confirm that improving ventilation of public spaces will dilute and clear out potentially infectious aerosols. To suppress the spread of SARS-CoV-2 we believe health-care authorities should consider the recommendation to avoid poorly ventilated public spaces as much as possible. The implications are also important for hospital settings where aerosolisation by coughing and medical treatments and close contact with COVID-19 patients is very common.

If you are starting to think they are trying to kill you, it's because they are.

Choirs have been linked to several significant outbreaks of the virus

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/white-house-and-cdc-remove-coronavirus-warnings-about-choirs-in-faith-guidance/2020/05/28/5d9c526e-a117-11ea-9590-1858a893bd59_story.html

White House and CDC remove coronavirus warnings about choirs in faith guidance

By Lena H. Sun and Josh Dawsey

The Trump administration with no advance notice removed warnings contained in guidance for the reopening of houses of worship that singing in choirs can spread the coronavirus.

Last Friday, the administration released pandemic guidance for faith communities after weeks of debate flared between the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those guidelines posted on the CDC website included recommendations that religious communities “consider suspending or at least decreasing use of choir/musical ensembles and congregant singing, chanting, or reciting during services or other programming, if appropriate within the faith tradition.”

It added: “The act of singing may contribute to transmission of Covid-19, possibly through emission of aerosols.”

By Saturday, that version was replaced by updated guidance that no longer includes any reference to choirs or congregant singing and the risk for spreading virus. The altered guidance also deleted a reference to “shared cups” among items, including hymnals and worship rugs, that should not be shared. The updated guidelines also added language that said the guidance “is not intended to infringe on rights protected by the First Amendment.”

Two White House officials said the first version posted by the CDC was not approved by the White House. Once West Wing officials saw it, they asked the CDC to post a different cleared document without the choir references and other parts.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about policy discussions, said there have long been concerns within the White House that there were too many restrictions on choirs. A CDC official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the guideline change also said the updated Saturday guidance was approved by the White House.

Earlier this month, the CDC issued a report warning about “superspreader” events where the coronavirus might be “highly transmissible in certain settings, including group singing events.” That report described a choir practice in Washington state in March at which one person ended up infecting 52 other people, including two who died.

“Members had an intense and prolonged exposure, singing while sitting 6-10 inches from one another, possibly emitting aerosols,” the report said. The infections probably took place during a 2½ -hour choir practice attended by 61 members.

White House officials battled for weeks with CDC aides about the scope of reopening guidelines. Officials in Vice President Pence’s office, the domestic policy council and other members on the president’s coronavirus task force were resistant to establishing limits on religious institutions even as the CDC issued detailed road maps for reopening other settings, including schools and restaurants, and as the agency warned of the dangers of significant virus transmission rates at religious events.

Some officials in the White House and on the coronavirus task force did not want to alienate the evangelical community and believed that some of the proposals, such as limits on hymnals, the size of choirs or the passing of collection plates, were too restrictive, according to two administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss policy decisions.

Some restrictions imposed by state governments have become a point of contention for conservative religious leaders, an important constituency in President Trump’s political base.

Even as states have begun reopening, public health officials continue to warn against mass gatherings or settings in which people will be in close quarters, and note that religious gatherings have been the source of several outbreaks.

An outbreak at an Arkansas church killed three and infected dozens, according to a CDC report. The outbreak began after a pastor at the church and his wife attended church events during six days in early March and spread the virus. At least 35 of 92 attendees at church events became infected, including the three who died, all over the age of 65. An additional 26 infections and one death in the community were probably linked to contact with people infected at the church events, according to the report.

Bruh.

2020 has no chill

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-monkeys-escape-with-covid-19-samples-after-attacking-lab-assistant-11996752

I'd like to see 2020: The Worst Year. Shit might need to be a trilogy.

One in 10 Covid-19 patients with diabetes die within a week, study finds

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/health/diabetes-study-covid-19-deaths/index.html

"Just like the flu" they said??

And a number of the people they mentioned had diabetes and it stuck with me.

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-fauci-says-trump-not-consulting-health-experts-frequently-2020-6

Fauci says Trump no longer talks much to him or the rest of the coronavirus task force

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's top infectious-disease expert, said President Donald Trump was now only rarely meeting with public-health experts on the coronavirus crisis.

In an interview with the health-news outlet STAT News published early Monday, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was asked whether he was in frequent contact with the president on the progress of vaccine candidates.

"No," Fauci said.

"We used to have task force meetings every single day, including Saturday and Sunday, and about 75% of the time after the task force meeting we'd meet with the president," Fauci added. "So I was meeting with him four times a week back, a month or so ago.

"But as you probably noticed, that the task force meetings have not occurred as often lately. And certainly my meetings with the president have been dramatically decreased."

The US has been consumed by protests and riots in cities over the past week, but the nation also faces a second problem: how to get out of the coronavirus crisis. COVID-19 has killed more than 100,000 Americans, and the pandemic has devastated the economy.

Meanwhile, Trump has clashed with health experts, touting unproven treatments and ignoring the safety measures they've suggested, such as wearing a mask.

Trump has not hosted daily coronavirus briefings since April, when he disastrously proposed investigating disinfectant as a coronavirus treatment.

According to reports, the coronavirus task force, which Fauci is a key member of, continued to meet behind the scenes.

Trump and Fauci have also been at odds over the pace of states reopening from lockdown measures. In testimony before Congress in May, Fauci warned of the risk of lifting the restrictions too soon. The president is said to be intent on holding the Republican National Convention in August with no social-distancing measures in place.

The president recently unveiled a new campaign slogan, "Transition to Greatness," and pledged to lead America's economic resurgence.

In the STAT News interview, Fauci said he remained concerned about lifting lockdown measures in areas where infection rates remained high, alluding to the photos that emerged over Memorial Day weekend of people at packed pool parties.

"When I see a situation where there is a region, a state, a city, a county where there's a considerable amount of viral activity there, and you see people crowding around bars — and there were several pictures of that, that was quite striking over the last couple of days — or on boardwalks, where they're very, very close to each other, I do get concerned," he said.

for like the next year.

no doubt about it.

the group with the highest death rate from Covid was out in the streets for days.. and will bring it back to their aunties and grandparents.

CNN took their coronavirus info panel down as soon as the protests started. I barely heard one word about it from them since. Fauci and the gang are almost completely forgotten.

It's crazy how the biggest (still ongoing) story in a long time can be dropped so quickly.

once they let folks have a taste of summer it was over as far as folks being concerned about it.

Gonna be REAL tough to try and get people on board to go backwards.

The quarantine/lockdowns did exactly what they were designed to do. Slow down the virus, "flatten the curve", etc. It was never going to completely defeat it. We were able to accomplish what we intended to do, even with groups of people (as well as local governments) going against science and going about business as usual.

But where does that leave us? Well, we could continue to live in this midway point between normal life and lockdown, but can we really convince people to go about that life for another 4-8 months? Doubtful. The people who are tired of this and want to get back to normal life see the results of the last few months and rather than recognize the effectiveness and relative success, see it as a failure and proof that quarantines/lockdowns don't work since Corona is still here (assuming they admit it's still an issue to begin with).

We've tested people's patience and people are ready to just move on and deal with repercussions of opening up America. I can't argue with them. As someone who hasn't had their job affected (I am at 100% employment and working from home with no issue), doesn't have to worry about feeding a family, etc I can't possibly know what life is like right now for the people who are really impacted by quarantine/lockdown.

Mentally I'm getting exhausted, but I'll live. I'm going to continue to avoid crowds/bars/etc until all of this passes but I get it.

I read somewhere that for herd immunity we need ~60% people with antibodies. Based on testing we've done we are at like 8%. We're not even close to ending this.

but we have 2 kids under 5.. lol. I worked more at home than in the office.

but I agree with you as far as lockdown is concerned for people who lost jobs. Like.. if I worked in a restaurant how do I feed my family and pay my rent/mortgage?

It’s about to get super ugly. Then you have the GOP waiting to see if the economy bounces back before even considering another stimulus bill for working Americans.

Probably the largest transfer of wealth in our countries history.

Data suggests it's "very rare" for coronavirus to spread through asymptomatics
https://www.axios.com/who-coronavirus-asymptomatic-patients-08d84e31-1846-44d8-8fe1-2343ff850764.html


So, what does this mean?

Does "asymptomatic" means you catch it, never have symptoms and then recover from it? (Or maybe you have symptoms but even in when examining your health and using good faith you don't recognize it as COVID?)

Or does that mean people WITH symptoms are going out and spreading it, ala a zombie movie where someone is bitten by a zombie then starts to feel a little "off" but doesn't tell their friends they were bitten and ignores it until it becomes a problem?

Or does it mean, you catch it, you have it but you don't feel symptoms then you give it to other people, then later, say the next day you feel symptoms?

The fucking conservatives are saying "See - this is all bullshit - they told us one thing then later they told us another - AFTER THEY TOOK OUR FREEDOM AND RUINED OUR ECONOMY!!!"

But as the article says:

The bottom line: These statements are a reminder of just how little we understand about this virus.

most folks that have it dont actually show symptoms or get sick. which is the tough part because you have no real reason to get tested if you dont get sick.
edit: i'd imagine most folks are finding out they had it and are asymptomatic only ever got tested either
1) job reasons
2) somebody they came in contact with had it and got sick, so they got tested as well

>most folks that have it dont actually show symptoms or get
>sick. which is the tough part because you have no real reason
>to get tested if you dont get sick.

This is why we need A LOT MORE testing.

Also someone needs to explain exactly what this means simply in like a 1 minute clip.

They’ve said that presymptomatic people are very contagious at that stage.

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

It's irreversible and may lead to GOAT status if left unchecked by environmental factors.

but they can pass it to someone else who does?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2020/06/09/the-health-202-who-says-asymptomatic-people-usually-don-t-spread-coronavirus-experts-doubt-that/5ede874a88e0fa32f82355d4/ (I went incognito to see the article I was pay walled without it.)

Check out what Andy Slavitt tweeted, he had a lot of the same questions I did:

The biggest swipe from the thread is:
-they acknowledged to me directly that they can’t distinguish between asymptomatic and low-symptom people

This is what I was is confusing me - asymptomatic (have it , but don't have symptoms) vs. pre-symptomatic (have it, but symptoms will occur in the future) vs low symptomatic (have it, but don't realize they have it because they have mild symptoms the either don't notice, or mis-attribute to something like allergies.)


Link to thread: https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1270135499659923458

-thread-
NEW: The WHO made a surprising announcement that asymptomatic people w COVID rarely spread it.

I’ve talked to 4 reputable scientists, the White House, and the WHO.

I believe this was an irresponsible statement even though it was based on legitimate observations. Thread here.1/

Here’s what I understand. They have a relatively small amount of contact tracing work in China where they found most people claimed to have gotten sick from someone who had symptoms.

When I discussed with scientists and doctors, each was in a bit of disbelief that this would put out. They pointed out:
-there are 4 studies which show asymptomatic spread
-people are not reliable reporters of whether they have symptoms
-by their own admission, they can’t be sure

-reporter by member states doesn’t reach a bar of rigor
-WHO said up until a week ago that people didn’t need to wear masks. They then changed their minds.

I asked— does this mean people don’t need to where masks? They said no. People should wear masks.

(When I told them this would cause people not to wear masks, they were concerned).
-what they actually technically said was that symptomatic people so most of the spreading. The majority of people have symptoms so this is not news.

-in the us, 20,000 new cases are being reported every day. Most symptomatic people are home isolating. Where are these new cases coming from? Pre- & asymptomatic people.

---HERE IT IS (EMPHASIS HANDLE'S------------
-they acknowledged to me directly that they can’t distinguish between asymptomatic and low-symptom people
----Look at the thing above--------

-if this were true there would be no spread at schools. Israelis schools just shut due to spread of CV infecting students & faculty

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/09/who-scrambles-to-clarify-comments-on-asymptomatic-coronavirus-spread-much-is-still-unknown.html

Lowkey after reading about this yesterday and I had a twinge of regret I didn’t hit the protests, I was like “Dang I coulda taken that risk after all, since asymptomatic transmission is ‘very rare’”

Now that they’ve walked it back today I’m back on my “Oh no, that WAS a smart move on my part after all” bullshit lol.

But yeah things seem to change weekly in terms of new information about the virus that sometimes helps us and sometimes hurts us in terms of being ready to truly reopen in a safe way.

Hope the researchers keep on researching and we find out more and more (accurate) information.

on right now lol:

https://twitter.com/DrJCoftheDC/status/1269726459934863360

What changed?

I can't find any reasons other than:

People are sick and tired of being afraid to get sick.
I'm poor and I have no money so I need to go to work even if I get sick. (This is understandable)
The economy! (This, not so much.)


Seems like testing is still low - San Diego did less than 4,000 tests yesterday - with 3.1% coming back as positive.

That means if I go to work in a building with 200 people it's not crazy to think that at least 6 have it.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/jun/09/coronavirus-deaths-san-diego-county-surpasses-300-/

stimulus payments to us to encourage us to stay indoors but instead everything is reopening and CNN has stopped having the count of people who have died from COVID on their screen like they had 24/7 for the last three months.

We are in bizarro land.

All this is doing is making people think it is okay to not wear masks anymore even to stores, even when it is mandatory, which will of course make people who are trying to still play by the rules sick.

It is sad.

...Civil rights marches are getting better ratings now. ...they will jump onto the next thing soon ..bottom line is they dont give a shit about anything that happens, just eyes watching their commercials.

We are fucked smh..

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Maybe the ONLY thing they were trying to is to flatten the curve and not to actually keep people from getting sick ever - jsut spread the disease over a longer time.

In my mind we were distancing until there's a vaccine for it - or at least a treatment that helps people avoid getting seriously ill.

But maybe it was only about flattening the curve so as not to overwhelm the hospitals?

Since the hospitals were not overwhelmed AND since they have added more capacity maybe they figure they could increase the number of cases now?

real contact tracing for example

except we don't have that.

hospitals in many areas still don't have the equipment they'll need if things really get bad

doctors are already worn tf out, etc


and we still don't know how long anyone is immune after being exposed, how sure that is, etc.


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

People just said fuck it.. it’s summer.

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

it never tried that hard in the first place

WE HAVE ZERO FUCKING LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP.

if we had reacted properly from the top early, we never would've had to lock down so much or for so long.


and now it's all cycling through again


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

https://s26551.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/EaMdZ2SXgAUChFt.jpeg
https://www.arlnow.com/2020/06/11/vice-presidents-maskless-visit-to-trump-hq-in-rosslyn-criticized/


"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-11/houston-may-reopen-virus-hospital-at-stadium-as-cases-expand

Houston-area officials are “getting close” to reimposing stay-at-home orders and are prepared to reopen a Covid-19 hospital established but never used at a football stadium as virus cases expand in the fourth-largest U.S. city.

However, any plan to reinstate local lockdowns may hold little legal authority after Governor Greg Abbott issued executive orders to reopen the state that superceded county and municipal directives, Hidalgo’s spokesman, Rafael Lemaitre, said in an email.

...this is in Danbury CT just over the NY border. ...this is how people are going to need to handle themselves for a long time ..from what I hear, Texas and NC are not taking this serious at all .granted this is only what i'm hearing for a few friends and family, but it doesn't sound good at all.

Lockdown will be needed more than ever if people don't wake up.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EamdrR5WoAEScFm?format=jpg&name=large

...pops raised her, and obviously did a great job

Got an email because I do their unlimited movie pass.

We are getting a free month but I’m gonna cancel because I ain’t going.

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1273263899844972545

of being re-opened on Monday, 6/22/2020. The main and sole reason I care about this is that means I will finally be able to get a haircut.

Anyone here in other locales that opened up went to a barbershop recently? Outside of limiting the number of folks that are allowed inside, I wonder what other measures will be taken to keep folks safe.

My hockey rink just announced they are starting leagues up again in early July. All they are doing is excluding spectators and cleaning the locker rooms in between games.

I really miss playing and so does my fat ass. But I dont know. I think I'm good. Still 20 people out there in close proximity huffing and puffing all over each other. Probably 50% of them are non mask wearing virus-is-hoax people too. Nah.

Like places that are reopening are still requiring 6ft and a mask. How is this even allowed?

We figured it’d pick up in July but the organization already wrote it off. Shame because I know our team is anxious to get back at it and the same with folks from the other 4 or 5 teams I know from our league

At this point with the rona starting to spike again, I'm not comfortable with it. I wouldnt stand next to 15 people without masks in the grocery store, so why would I do it for a sport?

If they have open practice times again where I can get out there but stay in my own space I would probably do that.

Seems odd to have soccer or any sport right now.

and Mexicans play soccer every Sunday in the park behind my house.

Which is bizarre as hell to me but it’s good for my pockets

https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1273973204047069184

case increasing and the curve is getting steeper.

and it's not like we ever did a good job decreasing infections like other industrialized western nations. we just stopped the rise and held things at a high plateau level.

https://twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/1273063977648623617

surprising nobody...cases are declining in counties that voted for clinton and increasing in counties that voted for trump.

https://twitter.com/NavinPokala/status/1273604758054604802

Look at all the red on this page:

rt.live

All they had to do was quarantine unitl Early July but they couldnt do it. Now the economy wont recover for another two years at least.

https://www.kxan.com/investigations/state-lifts-covid-19-safety-precautions-for-child-care-centers/

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has repealed emergency rules for child care centers that were put in place after coronavirus started spreading across the state.

Up until June 12, child care centers were required to comply with a list of precautions included screening staff by checking temperatures, requiring parents to drop off and pick up outside only, and not serving family-style meals.

The emailed notice now leaves it up to each provider to decide what precautions they want to continue with at their centers.

COVID-19 cases among staff and children at child care centers are on the rise.

There are 436 reported positive cases of COVID-19 at 335 child care operations across Texas, according to Danielle Pestrikoff, a spokesperson with Texas Health and Human Services, 287 are among staff and 149 including children.

“Protecting the health, safety and well-being of people in HHSC-regulated facilities remains our top priority,” said Pestrikoff.

According to reopening guidance to child care providers, minimum class sizes are still recommended, as well as social distancing and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

“Providers are required to follow state Minimum Standards to ensure the health and safety of children in care,” explained Pestrikoff. “HHSC has provided Reopening Guidance to Child Care Providers to assist operations as they navigate through this process and to ensure they have the information and guidance they need to operate safely and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Oh wait, no it's the OPPOSITE:

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-county-health-officials-reports-spike-in-positive-covid-19-cases/2351365/


The trail head to Mt Woodson (Ramona side) was as packed as I have ever seen it. Parking lots are full in front of shopping centers. During a ride down the coast I'd say 20% of people are masked up.


The only reason we don't have a second wave is that we are still in the first wave.

I haven’t...

Twice before her cancer surgery and once after.

She also did an anti-body test the week they became available because she got really ill in late January and was hoping she had got it.

But she's the only one I personally know who has been tested - which is bad.

She's also been negative.

San Diego has a web page:
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/testing.html

as she went from hospital to nursing home to hospital.

she passed last month but never caught covid. During all this, her best friend passed away of Covid She was in NY and in a similar situation. Had a fall/injury, and was transferred to a rehab where she got infected. I never told her.

had several friends test negative and several family members of friends who have tested positive.

mom who i was staying with tested positive
sis and bro in law (who she visits to babysit, but not for the 3 weeks prior to her test) - both positive

And most Americans are "ok" with that. I say ok because they/we accept the binary that the options are an economy or lives.

No message

No message

when most of the us started to see declining cases my city started exploding (relatively). we went from 10 to 20 cases daily to around 100 at the time. since then we have stayed around 100, some days up to 150 and such but mostly around 100. lately weve started seeing closer and closer to 200 on the regular.

so im thinking as a whole it has been good, we have not yet let it get out of control but i guess i want to see the numbers go back to 20 cases a day. we were able to flatten the curve locally even though abbott decide to force a reopening...maybe?

as a reference we have about 750k people.

hopefully we start seeing this come down some after the bars closed.

She hasn’t been there since March but was set to go back Monday.
We nixed that today.

My 2.5 year old is schedule to go back on Monday. The kids age range is 2-3 years old and only 9 kids in the class and two teachers. The two teachers are required to wear mask, the kids will be encouraged but not required to wear a mask.

We are debating to send her back or keep her home. She has been out since March. We also live in San Diego, which is, like most places in California seeing a surge in cases. If we send her back she would be going from 8-3. The classroom very large and it has a large outside play area. They are going to try to keep the kids outside for the most part.

>My 2.5 year old is schedule to go back on Monday. The kids
>age range is 2-3 years old and only 9 kids in the class and
>two teachers. The two teachers are required to wear mask, the
>kids will be encouraged but not required to wear a mask.


Same age, turning 3 in October. Right now there's only about 10 kids in the class but it can flex up to 17 with enrollment

>We are debating to send her back or keep her home. She has
>been out since March. We also live in San Diego, which is,
>like most places in California seeing a surge in cases. If we
>send her back she would be going from 8-3. The classroom very
>large and it has a large outside play area. They are going to
>try to keep the kids outside for the most part.

I pulled her out in March and then we just kind of kept her. We're in San Antonio and shit is looking grim here.

More than 300 children in Texas day cares have caught COVID-19, and the numbers are rising

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/01/texas-day-care-coronavirus-cases-rising/

I'm not going out. Not sharing air.

I'll hike only non crowded trails during off peak times.

Think we have to stay like this until theirs a vaccine - so 6-12 more months AT LEAST.

Seems like when people share air they get the virus.

There are going to be an immense amount of casualties this fall.

I wonder how soon before we start hearing right wing rumblings about superior genetics.

What you’re referring to is an edited news clip of a single sentence from RW trash.
That doesn’t mean it’s rare. Just that it hasn’t been documented yet.
There are so many different ways to parse this that I shouldn’t bother
But what’s the point in spreading half information?

>But what’s the point in spreading half information?

...and the last person to win it peddled in less than half of information.

I find the WHO's clarifying statement confusing at best.

If it's true that *most* people are asymptomatic then how exactly are they accurately determining the transmission characteristics of the virus?

************************

I don’t understand with certainty the statement either
It is confusing. Everything about this is
And our central government is not helping that at all
But the only people that are taking an edited clip of a full presser are right wingers and conspiracy theorist and that should cause a person to pause sharing it.

technical lead and that's where my question came from.

The fact that they then had to come out and clarify what she meant isn't exactly reassuring either.

************************

This is like the third or fourth message that they’ve had to clarify.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/we-need-live-it-white-house-readies-new-message-nation-n1232884

WASHINGTON — After several months of mixed messages on the coronavirus pandemic, the White House is settling on a new one: Learn to live with it.

Administration officials are planning to intensify what they hope is a sharper, and less conflicting, message of the pandemic next week, according to senior administration officials, after struggling to offer clear directives amid a crippling surge in cases across the country. On Thursday, the United States reported more than 55,000 new cases of coronavirus and infection rates were hitting new records in multiple states.

At the crux of the message, officials said, is a recognition by the White House that the virus is not going away any time soon — and will be around through the November election.

As a result, President Donald Trump's top advisers plan to argue, the country must figure out how to press forward despite it. Therapeutic drugs will be showcased as a key component for doing that and the White House will increasingly emphasize the relatively low risk most Americans have of dying from the virus, officials said.


"We have to get back to business. We have to get back to living our lives. Can't do this any longer," Trump said in an interview with Axios last month before his campaign rally in Tulsa, where almost no one socially distanced and few wore masks. "And I do believe it's safe. I do believe it's very safe." A number of Trump’s own campaign staffers and Secret Service agents contracted COVID-19 in Tulsa.

Eager to move forward and reopen the economy amid a recession and a looming presidential election, the White House is now pushing acceptance.

"The virus is with us, but we need to live with it," is how one official said the administration plans to message on the pandemic.

As often is the case with plans crafted for Trump by his aides, the question hanging over this effort is whether he will stick to the script. Trump said this week that he's "all for masks," after months of resisting pressure for him to embrace face coverings. Yet in that same interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, the president said the virus will "just disappear, I hope."

That's not the message senior administration officials said they're preparing, and some of the president's allies have cringed when he's talked in the past about the virus disappearing, only to then see it further spread.

Next week administration officials plan to promote a new study they say shows promising results on therapeutics, the officials said. They wouldn't describe the study in any further detail because, they said, its disclosure would be "market-moving."

Officials also plan to emphasize high survival rates, particularly for Americans who are within certain age groups and don't have underlying conditions. The overall death rate from COVID-19 in the U.S. has been on the decline. More than 130,000 Americans have died of the virus.


One of the officials indicated that coronavirus task force meetings and public briefings will be more frequent — a shift already underway this week. Those meetings and briefings were daily for much of March and April, but they tapered off when Trump pivoted to focusing on the need to reopen the economy. Nearly 20 million Americans are now jobless and the unemployment rate remains in the double digits, despite a record drop in the past month.


Recent public briefings from the task force, so far, have taken place outside the White House complex. Members of the coronavirus task force, led by Pence, have taken questions from reporters five times in five different places, ranging from the Department of Health and Human Services to various Sun Belt coronavirus hot spots.

One official said moving the briefing locations is an attempt to minimize questions from the White House press corps. Another said it was also designed to prevent Trump from being tempted to take over the briefings.

Some of Trump's allies had lamented that he was hurting himself politically by spending sometimes two hours at the podium sparring with reporters and often veering off topic, rather than conveying a specific message about the pandemic.

In recent days, however, Trump personally asked the task force to resume briefings but decided he would not participate in them, according to three White House officials.

I see people on TV saying "It's not reasonable to think you won't get the disease, but you probably won't die so just go ahead and go back to work and problem solved."

These are the same people who said Obama LIED when he said "You can keep your doctor if you like him."

Fuck these people for eternity.

Like it's BEYOND me how people are gathering and partying like this shit isn't still going on.

There was a part of me that said ... "I could've gotten out of that"
Just the ego of me said that something that could take down animals multitudes my size and muscle ... that I would be able to get out.

There's something magnificently/tragically irrational about being an American.

You ever talk to people that think they'll be fine ... even if they get it ... it alls boils down to ego. Some of them it's about not drinking, some of them it's about being in good shape, some of them think they're just fighters and will tough their way out of it.

I agree with you about the selfishness, but do want to add on the ego of people is just baked into the cake.

Fuck these people's summer.

Hopefully it'd be 1 fucking summer. If they can't make it past 1 summer than what the fuck is wrong with them??

These are the same folks locking people up for 10 years for weed, or a commercial burglary??

Fuck these people - if the disease could stay 1:1 with these idiots I'd still not like to see it - but where the US is right now - fuck them.

You know what I did this weekend? NOTHING. I stayed away from the trails because I knew they'd be insanely packed. If I can do so can they.

During the 4th of July weekend. Hopefully most San Diegans avoided the beach. It appears a lot of people from Arizona and Nevada came into town this weekend. I do feel bad for all the people who work near the beach and decided to or had to work this weekend as they were probably exposed to a lot of people with the virus.

We stayed home this weekend. Didn’t see or BBQ with family or friends. I filled up an inflatable pool for my daughter and put her water table out with some chairs and a pop up tent at home. That was it.

Like...we were already doing bad, keep that shit up THERE

...to "sacrifice" their summer. But because they were selfish morons in late May, they fucked off their summer. And now, because they were morons on July 4th, they've likely fucked off the fall too.

spectrum.

Some are extremely safe and have barely left their homes and then others are having a BBQ like "y'all ain't coming?"

As far as young people gathering its crazy though. I feel like its a little easier to stay at home for people with families or at least significant others that they live with. For younger single people that live alone telling them to stay at home and stare at 4 walls every day and basically be a monk for an indefinite period of time is tough.

in his honor and asked why we weren’t coming. You really want me to come from NC to Western PA?

and then had the nerve to ask if we are coming up in August.

Nooooo!!!

Now these people say all the right things about wearing a mask and keeping my distance but they follow none of that advice with family.

cuz outing some rando crazy in a Trader Joes doesn't seem to be working.

I say we start following around folks in public who don't have a mask on. Put hands on em



Don't wanna wear a mask? Cool. Risk a roving gang beating that ass



This is all a horrible idea too but makes me feel better lol

damn near 130,000 in 4 months and that just the preliminary numbers, you know its going to be higher.

How can someone hear that that many have died and think, eh I don't need a mask. 6 feet is bullshit. I can go out.

I live in FL, so many people are not caring. My job doesn't care, they want to go back to business as usual, only mask themed.

I have been out of my house not for work, 6-7 times in the past 4 months. my wife and I are trying our damndest to avoid going out. I never go out with out a mask and I'm constantly washing my hands. When I go to work, I don't go to the restroom, cuz its a shared bathroom per floor and I don't trust people. I've seen go in there and not wash their hands, I don't a pandemic would change that.

Unless it affects them personally they don't give a shit.

Lack of imagination and empathy.

Trust me, once they're grandmother gets it they be posting on twitter to "Wear your masks!"

But they wait until that point they are selfish, and stupid. AND STUPID.

https://twitter.com/Lee4Wisconsin/status/1282120408888729600

Let's face it - ALL of those bars and restaurants and movie theaters are doomed.

What they need is a bailout - not to pressure people to go to them and get sick.

And I'd expect we'd all pay much higher taxes for a decade to recover from this.

threatening to move to texas and saying gavin newsome is gonna get recalled lol. thats all they whine about.

they live in such an online social/political bubble.

gavin newsome is mad popular and has like 80% approval on his handling of the virus. meanwhile texas is a covid hellhole.

... in these videos?

https://youtu.be/V6jQNYkwlA8

https://youtu.be/EeL2rc2uUOo

https://youtu.be/h6ADS1Oy-4A

https://www.cbs8.com/video/news/local/san-diego-comedy-club-rebrands-to-protest-to-stay-open-during-coronavirus-pandemic/509-01ae33b5-f752-4e91-8a9f-2d77464d3ecc

They have shows as cancelled "Thanks to Gavin Newsom."

And they're holding shows as "free speech protests."

These guys are just fucking bar owners trying to save their un-needed business.

Global pandemic means your comedy club might go out of business - tough shit.

And comedians railing against this don't get my money anymore. Not that Rogan ever got money - well maybe those NewsRadios DVDs I bought - he might have got some money from that.

This is fucking insane
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/14/politics/trump-administration-coronavirus-hospital-data-cdc/index.html

Give him more control of the narrative.

There's going to be a huge spike in deaths caused paper cuts and stepping on Legos

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/business/walmart-masks/index.html

https://twitter.com/hashtag/boycottwalmart?src=hashtag_click

She's super careful - but she shares custody of her kid.

Dad brought the kid to Arizona for the 4th of July.

So kids got it and she's got it. Don't know how the kid is doing but she's back at work (we're all remote.)

I don't know what the fuck we're going to do. This shit is so stressful. How is it possible to have fucked this up so badly?

DeSantis still wants schools to open, how sway? You got 100s of kids, dozens of staff. Instead of a controlled shut down, schools are going to be constantly opening and closing, that way worse than a controlled interruption in learning.

Plus, fuck I hate Americans, these I'm free or I don't think its real, have we really fucked our educational system so bad, that its ok to dismiss plain science?

I hate it here, My boss is asking me to come into the office more, I fought back, like you see this number, I don't trust people! How am i going to be ok with going in, when there is no guarantee other people are doing the right thing.

god damn it I'm tired of this shit.

We don't have any kids but I'm completely baffled by how this return is supposed to be work.

We go to the grocery store and pick up food from restaurants maybe once a week. We see stories everyday about some bar or restaurant or party that let folks in and ended up packed wall to wall. I'm with you...I don't trust too many people down here to be responsible.

Also, DeSantis has completely mishandled this whole thing. Because he doesn't want to admit that he blew it by not locking the state down in the first place, he's not even going to consider locking things down now, with over 10,000 every day.

And add to that an unemployment system that was designed to make things difficult for people who are out of work.

There are so many things going poorly and sooner or later, they're all going to collide and things are going to get even uglier.

I really feel like we're living in a simulation and have been for months. There's no way this is all real life.

It's gonna bend a lot of his people into a mind pretzel though lol

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1285299379746811915?s=19

We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! https://t.co/iQOd1whktN

with things like anti-anthem kneeling, or saying all lives matter, or being against any kind of gun regulation I can at least understand the bad faith arguments they're trying to hide behind.

but this is just some weird "because, my rights"/"freedom"... and that's the whole argument.

it might be the most baseless, petulant, selfish things i've seen, and it literally kills people (including the people taking this stance and their loved ones) for no actual reason. not even a good imaginary one.

Biden's message goes from "He was against masks from April until NOW" to "he was against mask before he was for masks."

I'll bet this is his new campaign manager's idea.

people and their argument of “freedom/rights”. Back in the mid-80’s when the seat belt law went into place in Michigan, a few of his coworkers in the fire department STOPPED wearing their seatbelts out of spite, because “the government was telling them to wear them.”

Firefighters. In a suburban department who had most of their calls responding to car accidents, and saw on a daily basis firsthand the difference between getting in an accident with a seatbelt on or off. Firefighters who had been previously wearing seatbelts because they KNEW seatbelts saved lives. And yes, they were Reagan conservatives.

After my dad telling me about this I lost all hope in us actually slowing Covid this year.

it would've been a much bigger deal. I remember people bitching about it a lot when i was younger. not so much about government control but definitely about freedom of choice and that seatbelts 'make me feel trapped', and shit like that. if we had social media you'd see people share stories of people trapped in their car because of the seat belt, some kid choked, etc..

i guess the most recent thing pre-covid is TSA, which can get annoying but people are pretty overdramatic about it. I guess since most people only fly i couple times a year it never really blew up

Your dad's story is not surprising at all, unfortunately. but does add a reminder that this behavior isn't exactly new.

>people and their argument of “freedom/rights”. Back in
>the mid-80’s when the seat belt law went into place in
>Michigan, a few of his coworkers in the fire department
>STOPPED wearing their seatbelts out of spite, because “the
>government was telling them to wear them.”
>
>Firefighters. In a suburban department who had most of their
>calls responding to car accidents, and saw on a daily basis
>firsthand the difference between getting in an accident with a
>seatbelt on or off. Firefighters who had been previously
>wearing seatbelts because they KNEW seatbelts saved lives. And
>yes, they were Reagan conservatives.
>
>After my dad telling me about this I lost all hope in us
>actually slowing Covid this year.

thats it.

there is no vaccine coming, people will die, others will survive. it's going to suck, because everything sucks.

the economy is going down, whether we "open" or not.

people are out of jobs. others are working even harder. you got people who never worked, collecting unemployment + 600 a week some how, your kids will all end up paying for this. it all sucks.

I got a stimulus check. I didn't need it. Would've been better if that money went to someone who actually lost their job because of the pandemic right? nope. This is what happens when you rely on the government for anything. The government sucks.

everyone reading this, save your money as best you can please. it's going to get worse.

but if one of us loses a job..

So we put it in our emergency fund.

My sister just lost her job in GA due to school budget cuts. Never know what the future holds.

and yes, the govt sucks at this shit. Shouldn’t be this hard for people to get relief.

if i needed it as a emergency fund lol

hell i pretty much did on a tv and a nintendo switch(purchased because if i'm going to be stuck at home i need entertainment)

in person.. indoors..

We signed up for it before Covid and every other event has been canceled but they are sending emails like “come on down”

Fuck that. Are you crazy?

Coming to an am radio station near you

Trump/repubs gonna go hard at the school thing. T



https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html#fn12

The Importance of Reopening America’s Schools this Fall
Updated July 23, 2020
Languages
As families and policymakers make decisions about their children returning to school, it is important to consider the full spectrum of benefits and risks of both in-person and virtual learning options. Parents are understandably concerned about the safety of their children at school in the wake of COVID-19. The best available evidence indicates if children become infected, they are far less likely to suffer severe symptoms.,, Death rates among school-aged children are much lower than among adults. At the same time, the harms attributed to closed schools on the social, emotional, and behavioral health, economic well-being, and academic achievement of children, in both the short- and long-term, are well-known and significant. Further, the lack of in-person educational options disproportionately harms low-income and minority children and those living with disabilities. These students are far less likely to have access to private instruction and care and far more likely to rely on key school-supported resources like food programs, special education services, counseling, and after-school programs to meet basic developmental needs.

Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than their school. The in-person school environment does the following:

provides educational instruction;
supports the development of social and emotional skills;
creates a safe environment for learning;
addresses nutritional needs; and
facilitates physical activity.
This paper discusses each of these critical functions, following a brief summary of current studies regarding COVID-19 and children.

COVID-19 and Children
The best available evidence indicates that COVID-19 poses relatively low risks to school-aged children. Children appear to be at lower risk for contracting COVID-19 compared to adults. To put this in perspective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July 17, 2020, the United States reported that children and adolescents under 18 years old account for under 7 percent of COVID-19 cases and less than 0.1 percent of COVID-19-related deaths. Although relatively rare, flu-related deaths in children occur every year. From 2004-2005 to 2018-2019, flu-related deaths in children reported to CDC during regular flu seasons ranged from 37 to 187 deaths. During the H1N1pandemic (April 15, 2009 to October 2, 2010), 358 pediatric deaths were reported to CDC. So far in this pandemic, deaths of children are less than in each of the last five flu seasons, with only 64.† Additionally, some children with certain underlying medical conditions, however, are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.*

Scientific studies suggest that COVID-19 transmission among children in schools may be low. International studies that have assessed how readily COVID-19 spreads in schools also reveal low rates of transmission when community transmission is low. Based on current data, the rate of infection among younger school children, and from students to teachers, has been low, especially if proper precautions are followed. There have also been few reports of children being the primary source of COVID-19 transmission among family members.,, This is consistent with data from both virus and antibody testing, suggesting that children are not the primary drivers of COVID-19 spread in schools or in the community.,, No studies are conclusive, but the available evidence provides reason to believe that in-person schooling is in the best interest of students, particularly in the context of appropriate mitigation measures similar to those implemented at essential workplaces.

Educational Instruction
Extended school closure is harmful to children. It can lead to severe learning loss, and the need for in-person instruction is particularly important for students with heightened behavioral needs., Following the wave of school closures in March 2020 due to COVID-19, academic learning slowed for most children and stopped for some. A survey of 477 school districts by the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education found that, “far too many schools are leaving learning to chance.” Just one in three school districts expected teachers to provide instruction, track student engagement, or monitor academic progress for all students, and wealthy school districts were twice as likely to have such expectations compared to low-income districts.

We also know that, for many students, long breaks from in-person education are harmful to student learning. For example, the effects of summer breaks from in-person schooling on academic progress, known as “summer slide,” are also well-documented in the literature. According to the Northwest Evaluation Association, in the summer following third grade, students lose nearly 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math. By the summer after seventh grade, students lose on average 39 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 50 percent of their school-year gains in math. This indicates that learning losses are large and become even more severe as a student progresses through school. The prospect of losing several months of schooling, compared to the few weeks of summer vacation, due to school closure likely only makes the learning loss even more severe.

Disparities in educational outcomes caused by school closures are a particular concern for low-income and minority students and students with disabilities. Many low-income families do not have the capacity to facilitate distance learning (e.g. limited or no computer access, limited or no internet access), and may have to rely on school-based services that support their child’s academic success. A study by researchers at Brown and Harvard Universities assessed how 800,000 students used Zearn, an online math program, both before and after schools closed in March 2020. Data showed that through late April, student progress in math decreased by about half, with the negative impact more pronounced in low-income zip codes. Persistent achievement gaps that already existed before COVID-19, such as disparities across income levels and races, can worsen and cause serious, hard-to-repair damage to children’s education outcomes., Finally, remote learning makes absorbing information more difficult for students with disabilities, developmental delays, or other cognitive disabilities. In particular, students who are deaf, hard of hearing, have low vision, are blind, or have other learning disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) and other physical and mental disabilities have had significant difficulties with remote learning.

Social and Emotional Skill Development
Schools play a critical role in supporting the whole child, not just their academic achievement. In addition to a structure for learning, schools provide a stable and secure environment for developing social skills and peer relationships. Social interaction at school among children in grades PK-12 is particularly important for the development of language, communication, social, emotional, and interpersonal skills.

Extended school closures are harmful to children’s development of social and emotional skills. Important social interactions that facilitate the development of critical social and emotional skills are greatly curtailed or limited when students are not physically in school. In an in-person school environment, children more easily learn how to develop and maintain friendships, how to behave in groups, and how to interact and form relationships with people outside of their family. In school, students are also able to access support systems needed to recognize and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, appreciate others’ perspectives, and make responsible decisions. This helps reinforce children’s feelings of school connectedness, or their belief that teachers and other adults at school care about them and their well-being. Such routine in-person contacts provide opportunities to facilitate social-emotional development that are difficult, if not impossible, to replicate through distance learning.,,

Additionally, extended closures can be harmful to children’s mental health and can increase the likelihood that children engage in unhealthy behaviors. An environment where students feel safe and connected, such as a school, is associated with lower levels of depression, thoughts about suicide, social anxiety, and sexual activity, as well as higher levels of self-esteem and more adaptive use of free time , A longitudinal study of 476 adolescents over 3 years starting in the 6th grade found school connectedness to be especially protective for those who had lower connectedness in other areas of their lives, such as home, and to reduce their likelihood of substance use.

Further, a review of studies conducted on pandemics found a strong association between length of quarantine and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, avoidance behavior, and anger. Another review published this year found that post-traumatic stress scores of children and parents in quarantine were four times higher than those not quarantined.,

In-person schooling provides children with access to a variety of mental health and social services, including speech language therapy, and physical or occupational therapy to help the physical, psychological, and academic well-being of the child., ,, Further, school counselors are trained in the mental health needs of children and youth and can recognize signs of trauma that primary caregivers are less able to see because they themselves are experiencing the same family stresses. School counselors can then coordinate with teachers to implement interventions to offer children a reassuring environment for regaining the sense of order, security, and normalcy.

Without in-person schooling, many children can lose access to these important services. For example, we know that, even outside the context of school closures, children often do not receive the mental health treatment they need. Among children ages 9-17, it is estimated that 21 percent, or more than 14 million children, experience some type of mental health condition. Yet only 16 percent of those with a condition receive any treatment. Of those, 70-80 percent received such care in a school setting. School closures can be particularly damaging for the 7.4 million American children suffering from a serious emotional disturbance. For those individuals who have a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional condition that substantially interferes with or limits their social functioning, schools play an integral role in linking them to care and necessary support services.

For children with intellectual or physical disabilities, nearly all therapies and services are received through schools. These vital services are difficult to provide through distance learning models. As a result, more children with disabilities have received few to no services while schools have been closed.

Safety
Extended school closures deprive children who live in unsafe homes and neighborhoods of an important layer of protection from neglect as well as physical, sexual, and emotional maltreatment and abuse. A 2018 Department of Health and Human Services report found that teachers and other educational staff were responsible for more than one-fifth of all reported child abuse cases—more than any other category of reporter. During the COVID-19 school closures, however, there has been a sharp decline in reports of suspected maltreatment, but tragically a notable increase in evidence of abuse when children are seen for services. For example, the Washington, D.C. Child and Family Services Agency recorded a 62 percent decrease in child abuse reporting calls between mid-March and April 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019, but saw more severe presentation of child abuse cases in emergency rooms. Children who live in a home or neighborhood where neglect, violence, or abuse occur, but who are not physically in school, are deprived of access to trained school professionals who can readily identify the signs of trauma and provide needed support and guidance.,,,,

Nutrition
Extended school closures can be harmful to the nutritional health of children. Schools are essential to meeting the nutritional needs of children with many consuming up to half their daily calories at school. Nationwide more than 30 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program and nearly 15 million participate in the School Breakfast Program., For children from low-income families, school meals are an especially critical source of affordable, healthy foods. While schools have implemented strategies to continue meal services throughout periods of school closures, it is difficult to maintain this type of school nutrition program over the long-term. This is a particularly severe problem for the estimated 11 million food-insecure children, living in the United States.

Physical Activity
When schools are closed, children lose access to important opportunities for physical activity. Many children may not be sufficiently physically active outside of the context of in-school physical education (PE) and other school-based activities. Beyond PE, with schools closed, children may not have sufficient opportunities to participate in organized and safe physical activity. They also lose access to other school-based physical activities, including recess, classroom engagements, and after school programs.

The loss of opportunities for physical activity from school closures, especially when coupled with potentially diminished nutrition, can be particularly harmful to children. Physical inactivity and poor nutrition among children are major risk factors for childhood obesity and other chronic health conditions. Over 75 percent of children and adolescents in the United States do not meet the daily physical activity level recommendations (60 minutes or more), and nearly half exceed 2 hours per day in sedentary behavior. Current models estimate that childhood obesity rate may increase by 2.4 percent if school closures continue to December 2020.,,

Conclusion
Schools are an important part of the infrastructure of our communities, as they provide safe, supportive learning environments for students, employ teachers and other staff, and enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to work. Schools also provide critical services that help meet the needs of children and families, especially those who are disadvantaged, through supporting the development of social and emotional skills, creating a safe environment for learning, identifying and addressing neglect and abuse, fulfilling nutritional needs, and facilitating physical activity. School closure disrupts the delivery of in-person instruction and critical services to children and families, which has negative individual and societal ramifications. The best available evidence from countries that have opened schools indicates that COVID-19 poses low risks to school-aged children, at least in areas with low community transmission, and suggests that children are unlikely to be major drivers of the spread of the virus. Reopening schools creates opportunity to invest in the education, well-being, and future of one of America’s greatest assets—our children—while taking every precaution to protect students, teachers, staff and all their families.

Promising trials in the news but I’m feeling pretty bleak.
Kids are losing their fucking minds(they’re on a Origami streak these days),my business is fucked for the time being,my country is going to shit.
I’m thankful for my blessings but this shit is hanging over my head like sword.It colors every aspect of life.

theyre showing classic movies.

why????

we've had close to two weeks of 500 daily cases and recently close to 10 deaths per day. the last 2/3 days have been daily cases in the 200s but deaths still near 10. MAAAAYBE the pause on reopening and roll backs are now starting to affect new cases and you decide to start showing movies?

i hope no one goes. i know a lot of people will.

Plus his argument on deaths per cases vs. deaths per capita is so glaringly stupid I can't process it.

He argues for looking at deaths/cases instead of deaths/population, while in the same interview he talks about additional testing leads to more cases, and thinks that is a bad thing.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/politics/trump-covid-death-toll-is-what-it-is/index.html

If ANYONE you know support him AT ALL they should be dead to you at this point.

What a cynical, nihilistic, lying sociopath.

He didn't even vote for Benedict, but I think his soon to be wife did and is still a supporter so he's being dragged down into the cult ditch with her. It's sad. He's always been a "conservative" but historically just identifies that way and never really followed politics at all before 2016.

He's acknowledged many of 45's numerous faults over the years but just today, when asked by another friend in a group chat if he thinks Individual 1 has handled COVID well, he answered "yet to be seen" and that was basically the end for me.

I've spent the better part of 2 months teaching this kid about systemic racism and decided today he's pretty hopeless. I feel like everytime I make any progress with him, or I get him to acknowledge the numerous flaws in his bullshit opinions/arguments, he spends the nite being brainwashed by Faux and then comes back to the conversation the following day having reverted back to the old ways of thinking and same bullshit opinions I'd torn down the day before.

Anyway I'm pretty well thru with him and like you said, anyone else who still even makes the tiniest fucking excuse for any of his bullshit. I just don't have anymore time for the stupidity/racism/fuckery.

Fuck them all.

>I've spent the better part of 2 months teaching this kid about
>systemic racism and decided today he's pretty hopeless. I feel
>like everytime I make any progress with him, or I get him to
>acknowledge the numerous flaws in his bullshit
>opinions/arguments, he spends the nite being brainwashed by
>Faux and then comes back to the conversation the following day
>having reverted back to the old ways of thinking and same
>bullshit opinions I'd torn down the day before.

Last month I had several talks with a former boss of mine and was really hopeful that progress was being made. She’s always been very conservative and had backed Trump while acknowledging “flaws”. Last month she’d finally started to understand BLM and white privilege, and had even posted a few things in support of BLM after being “all lives matter” for years. Then last week when baseball started she completely flipped back, mad at players for kneeling during the anthem. She’d previously acknowledged being wrong about Kaepernick, but last week when she saw people in MLB kneeling she just lost it and reverted back. Like she got reprogrammed.

if this were Obama's watch and 1000 people total died he'd be in Gitmo

With no signs of stopping - the spread is getting worse. Obama was criticized when we had TWO deaths from ebola.

Be sure to be in a safe space beforehand: https://www.axios.com/full-axios-hbo-interview-donald-trump-cd5a67e1-6ba1-46c8-bb3d-8717ab9f3cc5.html

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1292744279744487424
-----
More than 97,000 children in the US tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, a new report says, up 40%. Roughly 25% of all infections reported this year to date occurred in these 2 weeks. #COVID19

https://t.co/r0h1Yvaned
-----

people went to substantial lengths to protect their children from the virus during the quarantine. now they have to throw them to the wolves as schools reopen.

https://twitter.com/Jared_Carrabis/status/1305521504365535232

Let them all be stupid as fuck together and get them the fuck away from the rest of us.

Sick of these stupid ass people. I’m gonna end up punching somebody in the face in mid-sentence for saying this dumb shit before long. Can’t take much more.

I feel like all of these marches & news clips of these people should be saved and distributed regularly so that everyone can see how ridiculous they looked & sounded in the middle of a pandemic.

cause Americans are dumb as fuck

to George Floyd.

Pretty sure I spotted an OKP in that crowd.