D&D and the rising pandemic

[Zardnaar]

That is deeply and seriously incorrect.

Measles, rabies, polio, malaria, actual plague (which has three forms - bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic - all caused by the same organism), and smallpox - none of these has mutated into something less deadly. Malaria still kills 400,000 people a year. The rest have been beaten back by improved hygiene and/or vaccination. We can AIDS to this list, and ebola as well, come to think of it.

It is floated that covid-19 might go this route, because it looks like others cornonaviruses have in the past. And yes, this seems to happen to influenza strains. But is it NOT a general, predictable behavior that we can depend on.

Trying to be an optimist. Media likes sensationalism with new Covid varieties. Remember Mu?

In any event what else can one do? Already vaccinated and more or less avoiding big events. Avoiding plague pits and plague rats. Just watching it creep down the Island expect delta to be here by Christmas.

 

[briggart]

Something a podcast mentioned today that I hadn't considered: the Omicron variant didn't originate in a South Africa, so the reactions to have travel bans to there are kinda perverse.

What it looks like happened is that it originated elsewhere, and it just happened to be from a case in South Africa that researchers isolated the genome and shared their findings. Other countries might also have had cases and not shared the info. The researchers in South Africa potentially saved thousands of lives by not keeping the data to themselves, but their country gets rewarded with travel bans because policy makers don't understand the research process.

It's a good reminder that we should be cautious of our assumptions.

My understanding is that we don't know where it came from, and we don't have conclusive evidence showing it did not originated in southern Africa. The first cases detected were in Botswana and South Africa within a couple of days from each other, and most of the early cases detected outside of Africa could be linked to travel to Africa which, combined with the reported high transmission rate, suggests it came from that part of the globe.

 

[CapnZapp]

People are saying that Omicron's obscene infection rate coupled with it's mild symptoms(no deaths yet), might reduce the severity of the pandemic as it takes over.

Key word: "might"

Not saying this applies to you, but if you're willing to bet your life (as well as the lives of your relatives, and the lives of those patients that don't get care because hospitals are swamped), you are exemplifying my previous post.

 

[Mirtek]

And, if it were just about you, that'd be fine. But remember - statistically, it is still true that if you get covid, it is likely that someone else dies. This isn't just about personal risk, it is about being a risk to other people who didn't get a say as to whether you were going to go to a convention or something.

That's brings it back to the gernal issue of how much compliance can be required.

If we take it to the extreme, we're killing each other (or at least someone) just by reading/posting here on Enworld. The polution from the energy that we're consuming here becoming part of the overall pollution that is causing the premature deaths of ~9 millionen people each year (depending on which static you prefer).

At the end of the day the local laws are the standard to which we are required to adhere and they do set the bars how much we're allowed to hurt each other. And we are hurting each other just by existing, it's only a matter which degree is currently deemed acceptable.

As long it's legally allowed to go to full cinemas, bars, clubs, restaurants, then I will do so as I please. As will million others.

Friday me and some pals had a great night out, scheduled shortly because we were concerned it to be the last opportunity before the new restrictions are in force on Saturday.

Technically all bars, clubs, etc. can still open in Germany, but since Saturday you also need a negative test <24h even if fully vaccinated. Many locations are now closing on their own because they just see no way that enough vaccinated people will bother with the logistics of that (self tests don't count, a certified testcenter is required) to get the minimum number of people needed to just break even.

 

[Umbran]

Trying to be an optimist.

Maybe don't say stuff that is flatly not true to support your optimism, hm?

 

[Zardnaar]

Maybe don't say stuff that is flatly not true to support your optimism, hm?

Should have stuck an IMHO on it. I think that's the way it's gonna end up.

Could be wrong.

 

[Hussar]

Friday me and some pals had a great night out, scheduled shortly because we were concerned it to be the last opportunity before the new restrictions are in force on Saturday.

See, I just don't get that.

"It's not illegal, so, I'll do what I please" just seems wrong. I live in a country where there are no mandates, the laws haven't really stepped in at all. Bars had to close early for a couple of months was about it. And that was only bars. Restaurants were fine.

Which means I could go out for a really, really good steak last Friday with a few students for lunch and not be terribly concerned. We masked up the entire time except when eating. The servers and the chef were masked 100% of the time. Everyone on the street was masked. It's just what you do.

Needing the government to tell me not to do something before I'll actually do the right thing is bad.

 

[Ryujin]

Well, anyway, here's hoping that Omicron is the Cow Pox of Covid.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

See, I just don't get that.

"It's not illegal, so, I'll do what I please" just seems wrong. I live in a country where there are no mandates, the laws haven't really stepped in at all. Bars had to close early for a couple of months was about it. And that was only bars. Restaurants were fine.

Which means I could go out for a really, really good steak last Friday with a few students for lunch and not be terribly concerned. We masked up the entire time except when eating. The servers and the chef were masked 100% of the time. Everyone on the street was masked. It's just what you do.

Needing the government to tell me not to do something before I'll actually do the right thing is bad.

There’s whole books written about individualistic vs communalist if societies. The USA and Japan are often cited as the polar examples.

 

[Zardnaar]

There’s whole books written about individualistic vs communalist if societies. The USA and Japan are often cited as the polar examples.

Pretty much.

We're somewhere in the middle here but still inherited the "don't tell me what to do" and binge drinking aspects of British culture.