D&D and the rising pandemic

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, THIS is an interesting wrinkle!

Coronavirus survivors banned from joining the military

Recruits who have survived COVID-19 are disqualified from joining up.

www.militarytimes.com

 

[Olrox17]

Yah.

So, we have had a statistical weirdness related to Covid-19. As you'd imagine, overall traffic volume is down. However, at least in my town, traffic accidents are up. Apparently, those idiots who are on the road are saying, 'Gee, the road's empty! I can go as fast as I want!' and they then smash into other cars and people, because they forget silly things like physics don't shut down during a pandemic.

That’s insane. Here in Rome, ironically enough, overall deaths are 9% LOWER than last year. Why? First, covid 19 hasn’t hit Rome hard, so that’s not a factor. Second, no traffic accidents, which makes a big, big difference.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Remember where you were when you found out the HIV drug AZT was made from substances found in herring and salmon semen?

Well, llama blood may prove to be key in fighting Covid-19.

A llama named Winter could be the key to fighting the coronavirus

Preliminary research suggests a tiny particle in llama blood can stop the coronavirus.

www.marketwatch.com

 

[Imaculata]

What's that fancy term for people who think they're a lot smarter than they are?

Mr President?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What's that fancy term for people who think they're a lot smarter than they are? Dunning whatever.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mr President?

Let’s not go any further down that road, mm’kay?

 

[Zardnaar]

That's it.

Learnt that term a few years back when my clan licked down several thousand dollars of in game currency. For a year.

Took around 8 clans 3 months to dislodge us. Get gude scrubs.

 

[Mage of Spellford]

Interesting comparison between the U.S. and Canada. Take New York out of the equation and the numbers are not as far apart as we would like to believe.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/covid-19-us-canada-death-rates-1.5553168

 

[NotAYakk]

I can't understand anyone who thinks that old people should have less a right to live.

So there is something called QLY -- quality of life years.

The idea is that if a medical intervention would generate 1 year of bedridden life on average, it is worth 0.9 QLY. If another medical intervention would generate an average of 60 years of fully mobile and 20 years of bedrest, it is worth 78 QLY.

This is used to pick where the medical system should throw resources. If someone is dying of 7 different things, and curing one means they die on average 1 month later, and they spend that month in a coma, should we do that intervention or should we cure the cancer in the 14 year old, whose prognosis is a 95% of a full lifespan with no side effects?

The easy answer is "do both", but resources are limited (and often represented by money). At some level you have to decide between them.

This leads to deciding that the age and health of the person does change the cost:benefit analysis of the medical intervention; or, in less abstract terms, that we "value the life" of an old person less.

What happens when you apply this rule to compare health care resources to non-health-care resources? How much GDP loss is saving X lives worth? X million dollars? X billion dollars? X trillion dollars?

 

[NotAYakk]

Interesting comparison between the U.S. and Canada. Take New York out of the equation and the numbers are not as far apart as we would like to believe.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/covid-19-us-canada-death-rates-1.5553168

Sure, but if you are removing the worst-hit US city, can you also take Montreal out?

About 1/3 of Canada's cases have been in Montreal. It, similar to NYC, has a heavily used subway.