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Corona / Covid-19 Virus - General Discussion (politics go to the Off Topic / Politics thread)

Mooney_Driver wrote:

You need that many people just for water supply? I would think that is quite improbable.

In any crisis (substantial crisis), water is one of the first things to go. The government, and lots of others have made a lists of the very essential stuff for things to have in case of a crisis, and water is the most important point. Each person, 9 liter for 3 days. I’m sure most don’t care, they expect everything to simply work even if an atom bomb should detonate. But again, there are others that go complete bananas, and can live for years. I think I actually have 20l of water , but that was from a announced failure/fixing of the water supply. It was supposed to last for 2-3 days, but lasted only a few hours.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

If I were a bit older, and particularly if I were habitually dependent on others to the extent of not having invested for my own retirement, I’d be quite interested in the younger population continuing to fund my living expenses through their ongoing work and income tax payments. I would not be asking younger people to give up the their lives and futures to protect me, especially when it wouldn’t actually work and when I could do it myself through my own behavior.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 27 Nov 17:41

Personally I don’t think the narrative that the younger generations sacrifice their social/economic lives for the health of the over 60s is very accurate, because this misses several important points.

  • Yes, without question the virus is deadlier for over 60s. But the “long Covid” symptoms seem to affect all adults regardless of age, possibly even particularly those in their 20s and 30s (by anecdotal evidence…the scientific data is still insufficient to make a sound judgement).
  • One of the main reasons for “flattening the curve” has always been to avoid a collapse of the health care system. Should it become overwhelmed, all under 60s who need medical care will suffer as well, even without coming into contact with Covid-19.
  • It is by now pretty clear that the psychological effects of Covid-19 alone reduce economic activity very noticeably, so it is incorrect to blame lost income solely, or even mainly, on lockdown measures. Except perhaps for parts of the economy that were directly shut down by government, e.g. restaurants, event management, tourism.
Low-hours pilot
EDVM Hildesheim, Germany

particularly if I were habitually dependent on others to the extent of not having invested for my own retirement, be quite interested in the younger population continuing to fund my living expenses through their ongoing work and income tax payments

Must be such a luxury to be able to run one’s own transportation, sanitation, healthcare and education systems out of one’s own investments without the general population having to share costs.

Last Edited by T28 at 27 Nov 20:27
T28
Switzerland

@T28, I do or did pay for the majority of those items directly or through private insurance, but going off on that tangent is a complete non-sequitur of the type for which you’ve become famous in my eyes.

The obvious point relevant to this thread is that there is no free lunch, somebody has to work to pay for the retired and relatively vulnerable to stay safely at home, avoiding COVID. It can either be the wage earning taxpayer, or it can be productive people paying return on individual investments, after-tax earnings invested by the retired. In the absence of individual retirement planning or investments, it’s the taxpayer paying out of pocket with nothing in return. The people providing that money through taxation (plus interest if it’s repaying debt) are doing a service to others.

I know regardless that my emotional health is great deal better when I’m earning a living, paying taxes and saving responsibly for my own future. Sitting around accumulating debt, either my own or public debt for future repayment, would not make me happy.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 27 Nov 22:08

Interview of Austria’s Elisabeth Köstinger by German mag Der Spiegel (behind a paywall)

Google translation:

I think she is spot on, and having lots of police will be the key otherwise half the skiers will just ignore it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I am less sure that the Welsh lockdown hasn’t worked. When it started, our COVID ward was filling up rapidly. It got to the point recently where they were talking about closing it down again, but it seems that whilst there are still cases trickling in (including a few pretty sick middle aged people), the situation seems stable.

This is in a rural part of Wales and I know the situation in the more urban areas is different. The firebreak hasn’t worked in the way that the last lockdown did (bringing down cases from a very high level to a negligible level) but has worked insofar as it has stopped a situation that seemed to be getting out of hand from doing so.

English NHS workers are due to start being vaccinated in just over a week. I haven’t heard anything about us yet, but I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

The Austrian minister sounds sensible and agree that we all have to figure out a way to keep the economy functioning. I have only one quibble: the interviewer is right that a negative PCR result early on means little. It seems to take 4-5 days after infection for results to show…. (at least based on my personal experience and that of others whom I know).

Tököl LHTL

It’s going to be awfully interesting which vaccine “we” will get. The Pfizer one seems ~95% effective and there is good data. The AstraZeneca (“Oxford”) one is ~60% and the 90% figure is supported only by sparse data and looks like a cockup anyway.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

This whole thing about skiing is totally absurd.

Skiing vaccations and the partying with it caused a lot of grief last winter and now the situation is worse, so what is more perverse then to press for renewed skiing fun?

Personally I have taken the decision never to ski again over this. I will not spend one cent anymore on people who are willing to murder a significant number of people and to destroy society further just by insisting on their share of cash over this winter season.

It is a time for choosing. Who is not for stopping this pandemic with all the sacrifices necessary is an enemy of those who are trying to safe lifes. Those who wish to keep people alive and healthy now need to rise up and put those criminals into their place. Permanently.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland
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