Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[old goat]

Most thru hikers had their permits in hand before Trump flu hit. The PCT permit covers all jurisdictions along the hike they were permitted for, and these permits weren't cancelled by the Forest Service. But the Forest Service isn't issuing new permits and the hikers have to follow the terms of the permit they had. Which means respecting local rules and closures. Not sure how that works when California is still under state wide stay at home order. The PCT permits are also restricted this year to starting on the date and location on the permit, not skipping ahead or back, and hikers were only given a certain number of days to get through the Sierras too, to avoid them bunching up in spots due to snow or other issues. I'm sure if the Forest Service wanted to enforce this could screw up a lot of peoples' hikes. But all levels of government only seem to be enforcing extreme circumstances. Closed resupply points will no doubt make it harder for them if they are let into the parks. Current update from PCTA/USFS from May 18: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/

California is not on a statewide lockdown. Varies by county, some counties are in Phase 2. As far as Federal Land closures--yosemite is opening in June under some restrictions and limitations. Not sure how those would affect through-hikers. Shasta is open I'm told, so I assume other Federal lands in the California Cascades as well. I would think rangers will have their hands full dealing with people in the road-accessible sections of the Parks and NF's and will not be too worried about apprehending through hikers. Through hiking seems like about the lowest risk thing you can do aside from never leaving your house.

[KQ]

Whoo hoo! No new cases for 7 days in W2! Only 3 people isolating at home. No hospitalizations.

[Deebased]

Active cases at the time of testing, which didn't include testing for antibodies, so the total number of sailors that had the disease could be much higher? also, 26% infection rate is "low" in your view? Regardless, this is a relatively healthy population compared to the rest of the US. I'm not sure their death rates or rates of serious complications are indicative of the general population.

If only 30% of the population is susceptible that's great news and would significantly change the data models.

[k2skier112]

Stealing that.

+1

[Viva]

*Hamsters apparently have similar enzyme receptors as humans.

Syrian hamsters have been used for studying stress-induced weight gain and other metabolic phenomenon that can't be tested in other rodent models. I assume that they still are. Some k00l behavioral research into anxiety and depression is also being done on these buggers.

A study used hamsters (is that small enough?) with fans to simulate the wind blowing across cages from an infected group to a healthy group. Mask barriers were placed just on cages with the infected hamsters, or masks covering the healthy hamsters:

-no masks over cages- 67% infected

-mask over healthy hamster cage- 33% infected

-mask over COVID-19 hamster cage- 17% infected

The results shows that if infected hamsters* or humans — asymptomatic or symptomatic ones — put on masks, they protect other people.

I like it. But what you summarized above is not thorough- are the infected animals actually suffering COVID-19 (as you wrote above) or are they asymptomatic hosts? Were the viral loads of each infected animal assessed? My understanding, to date, is that humans, and presumably hamsters, with COVID-19 symptoms are far more likely to spread infection than, seemingly, non-symptomatic hosts. Would you post a link, please? Thanks!

[dtown]

Live in the suburbs of Chicago, liberal leaning news station posts confirmed cases on their site by zip code. I look mine up....0.02% of the zip code has been confirmed positive. Just north of 300k people in the zip code, 75 confirmed cases, even less hospitalized...local hospital has more than enough icu capacity and is furloughing people. Ready for this BS to be over, my POV is it’s getting out of hand and I’m not one to get fired up over this stuff. It’s clearly become political, wonder what this would have been like in a non-presidential election year.


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[bobz]

Most thru hikers had their permits in hand before Trump flu hit. The PCT permit covers all jurisdictions along the hike they were permitted for, and these permits weren't cancelled by the Forest Service. But the Forest Service isn't issuing new permits and the hikers have to follow the terms of the permit they had. Which means respecting local rules and closures. Not sure how that works when California is still under state wide stay at home order. The PCT permits are also restricted this year to starting on the date and location on the permit, not skipping ahead or back, and hikers were only given a certain number of days to get through the Sierras too, to avoid them bunching up in spots due to snow or other issues. I'm sure if the Forest Service wanted to enforce this could screw up a lot of peoples' hikes. But all levels of government only seem to be enforcing extreme circumstances. Closed resupply points will no doubt make it harder for them if they are let into the parks. Current update from PCTA/USFS from May 18: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/

Okay, thanks, I didn't know there was a whole PCT permit. For JMTers, and others doing Roper High Route or roll-your-own long treks, I think it's still a permit issued by the entry trailhead agency. If those are reserved, the reservation isn't a permit, but a reservation to claim a permit within a day or so of the entry date. And if they aren't issuing permits, the permit isn't happening (and the Yose website says that permit reservation fees are not refundable).

Anyway, it's looking like wilderness areas are opening up somewhat soon, so hopefully that will be moot. Though I suppose that some people will need to change plans re certain resupply logistics, and maybe carry more food for a section or two than they'd hoped to.

[KQ]

Twitter Users Slam Pepsi Poster Promoting A Florida COVID-19 Testing Site

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

this dystopia sucks.

[Benny Profane]

Twitter Users Slam Pepsi Poster Promoting A Florida COVID-19 Testing Site

There used to be rules in Marketing. You don't connect your brand to bad shit in any way. What the fuck. Yes, truly dystopian. And, of course, Floridian.

[KQ]

There used to be rules in Marketing. You don't connect your brand to bad shit in any way. What the fuck. Yes, truly dystopian. And, of course, Floridian.

Pepsi - the official sponsor of Covid 19

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Why couldn't this be a cool dystopia like "Escape From New York"?

[simple]

Sorry that Idiocracy is our life. We never even got real hoverboards

[bobz]

Attachment 329184

Then there's these guys, who couldn't come up with actual masks, at a time when mask wearing is, well, somewhat common. So they wore watermelons on their heads and robbed a convenience store.

[AK47bp]

Twitter Users Slam Pepsi Poster Promoting A Florida COVID-19 Testing Site

At least it’s not Crystal Pepsi


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[bodywhomper]

Annie Glenn, widow of John Glenn, died


https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1...glenn-memoriam

[Rideski]

Live in the suburbs of Chicago, liberal leaning news station posts confirmed cases on their site by zip code. I look mine up....0.02% of the zip code has been confirmed positive. Just north of 300k people in the zip code, 75 confirmed cases, even less hospitalized...local hospital has more than enough icu capacity and is furloughing people. Ready for this BS to be over, my POV is it’s getting out of hand and I’m not one to get fired up over this stuff. It’s clearly become political, wonder what this would have been like in a non-presidential election year.


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[LongShortLong]

It’s clearly become political, wonder what this would have been like in a non-presidential election year.

I assume you mean if it happened in say 2006 Bush, or 2010 Obama (everything is political with 45). By mid-January or earlier, extreme contact-tracing starts (ala Taiwan). The US would have led the effort and seen that all the cruise-ship passengers were de-boarded, tested, treated, and quarantined. If CDC still failed to produce a test in this timeline, the president directs/issues emergency approval of WHO provided tests. Academic and commercial testing also allowed/approved. By mid-Jan or earlier, several billion budgeted by US, with contributions from every country with an arm to twist, for worldwide control efforts led by CDC and WHO with CCDC cooperation. If US community spread happened in that timeline, we'd have had early, strong social distancing. By now, we'd be mopping up a few stray cases in dumbfuckistan, and the economy would be open and firing at 90%, perhaps 100%. There'd be Rand Paul and some youtube experts complaining about the billions the US wasted on a disease less widespread than MERS.

eta: Election year epidemics only matter for presidents named Trump. Any other president demonstrates leadership and wins re-election off the massive swell of support.

[Vt-Freeheel]

this dystopia sucks.

Not this one




What you don't know, the legend goes, can hurt you
If you only want to live and die in fear
They tell us to believe just half of what we see
And absolutely nothing that we hear
Resist the twised truth no matter what the cost
Supplant the rights with wrongs inside our heads
Outlawing all the questions to the answers
That no one likes when someone ends up dead
Dystopia
Dystopia
Dystopia
Dystopia
What you don't know, the legend goes, can't hurt you
If you only want to live and die in a cage
There's panic and there's chaos rampant in the streets
Where useless thoughts are peace are met with rage
Demoralized and overmastered people think
The quickest way to end a war is lose
Dictatorship ends starting with tyrannicide
You must destroy the cancer at its root
Dystopia
Dystopia
Dystopia
Dystopia

[schuss]

I assume you mean if it happened in say 2006 Bush, or 2010 Obama (everything is political with 45). By mid-January or earlier, extreme contact-tracing starts (ala Taiwan). The US would have led the effort and seen that all the cruise-ship passengers were de-boarded, tested, treated, and quarantined. If CDC still failed to produce a test in this timeline, the president directs/issues emergency approval of WHO provided tests. Academic and commercial testing also allowed/approved. By mid-Jan or earlier, several billion budgeted by US, with contributions from every country with an arm to twist, for worldwide control efforts led by CDC and WHO with CCDC cooperation. If US community spread happened in that timeline, we'd have had early, strong social distancing. By now, we'd be mopping up a few stray cases in dumbfuckistan, and the economy would be open and firing at 90%, perhaps 100%. There'd be Rand Paul and some youtube experts complaining about the billions the US wasted on a disease less widespread than MERS.

eta: Election year epidemics only matter for presidents named Trump. Any other president demonstrates leadership and wins re-election off the massive swell of support.

Yep. Also was a total layup as there were playbooks and the recent Ebola practices experience to leverage. All Trump had to do was sign the checks, say "great job" and the professionals would have done the real work to keep everyone safe. Instead we have this mess, with an extra helping of making it political around shaming people who take proactive measures (which is the only reason it's not worse).

[Bunion 2020]

Rest assured, the political posturing is going to get much worse. Have a nice day.

[Deebased]

I assume you mean if it happened in say 2006 Bush, or 2010 Obama (everything is political with 45). By mid-January or earlier, extreme contact-tracing starts (ala Taiwan). The US would have led the effort and seen that all the cruise-ship passengers were de-boarded, tested, treated, and quarantined. If CDC still failed to produce a test in this timeline, the president directs/issues emergency approval of WHO provided tests. Academic and commercial testing also allowed/approved. By mid-Jan or earlier, several billion budgeted by US, with contributions from every country with an arm to twist, for worldwide control efforts led by CDC and WHO with CCDC cooperation. If US community spread happened in that timeline, we'd have had early, strong social distancing. By now, we'd be mopping up a few stray cases in dumbfuckistan, and the economy would be open and firing at 90%, perhaps 100%. There'd be Rand Paul and some youtube experts complaining about the billions the US wasted on a disease less widespread than MERS.

eta: Election year epidemics only matter for presidents named Trump. Any other president demonstrates leadership and wins re-election off the massive swell of support.

That's some wonderfully creative story telling.

Reality--

Pretending any govt would have taken massive steps to address CV before the last week of Jan is fantasy.

China didn't lock down Wuhan until the 23rd. Taiwan full lockdown was 2 weeks later.

[Bunion 2020]

Sad but true. Unfortunately humans are reactive rather than proactive.

[k2skier112]

Karens are having so much fun. What a great time to be alive!

=========

Austin Mayor Steve Adler decided to channel his inner Kim Jong Un on Monday when he announced an extension of the city’s shelter-in-place orders.

But it was the decision to urge Austinites to rat out their neighbors that raised eyebrows. As you might imagine, the Karens of the city took Adler’s exhortation to heart.

The mayor declared that the updated version of the order, which mandated the closure of non-essential businesses and the implementation of social distancing practices, would now require residents to wear face masks when they go out in public. The new order extends the restrictions to May 8.

According to the Mayor, the city will impose penalties against those caught in public without wearing the face coverings. These punishments could include fines of up to $1,000 and even jail time. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhart, who was with the Mayor during the announcement, said: “There certainly will be enforcement if we do not see a community-wide embrace of social distancing and appropriate masking.” She added, “If we see really egregious violations that are threatening community health, we will certainly enforce.”

Adler then stated that they are hoping for Austinites to “self-police,” and affirmed that “these kinds of orders carry with them criminal penalties and the force of law.” At this point, he urged residents to report those who are not complying with the order. “If you see violations in the community, construction sites, restaurants, it’d be good to call 311 and let the city and the county know that that’s happening.”
Austin 311 is a non-emergency contact line for the city. It is normally used to report fallen trees, malfunctioning traffic lights, and other such issues. But residents don’t only have to call the line to report activity — they can even use the Austin 311 app. Just as we have seen in Kentucky, many people are using the app to rat out their neighbors.

Here are some of the reports people have made on the app:

“3 guys not practicing social distancing.”

“2 guys on roof not practicing social distancing.”

“There is a large group of 10 or more people in my neighbor’s front yard.”

“Home Depot not requiring customers to wear face coverings per newest city/county order.”

“Ongoing basketball games, I have been noticing almost every afternoon people are violating the social distancing guidelines and playing basketball in large groups around 5pm at [a local park]”

“Two workers for DPR sitting together.”

“There is a group of people … that are being disruptive and not adhering to social distancing or stay at home orders.”

“People are not keeping social distancing of 6ft and are not wearing face coverings at Domain Central Park.”
These are only a small sample of the reports being sent by Austin residents through the app.

You're obsession with "Karen's" is unhealthily obfuscating your ability to apply logic to COVID-19

[LongShortLong]

Sad but true. Unfortunately humans are reactive rather than proactive.

You're right, people are good at delay and stalling, governments too. However, epidemiologists, including Americans, were aware of the potential in late December. One of Taiwan's first official actions was flight inspections starting December 31st. Testing and quarantine began the following week. I.e. governments were running their playbooks pretty early.