Pandemic Addled Thoughts

[cmfireflies]

This pandemic has me thinking about stuff, and it occurs to me that it shows that, in the US at least, there's a sizable minority of people who just don't care about others, and are ignorant and proud of it. The fact that some people are flat out refusing to wear masks shows just how little people care about strangers.

Way back when we posted about Eli's morality and such, I used to argue that Eli wasn't evil for killing people to survive, that she was just doing what everyone else would be doing in her place. Turns out that was an understatement, some people would gladly have strangers die just so they can avoid some minor inconvenience.

Anyways I'm probably going stir crazy, but it's depressing when you think you're being cynical and reality proves you wrong. Screw guilt or morals, if Eli and Oskar are real, they should be able to happily munch on people, people would do the same to each other for less.

[Jameron]

I agree wholeheartedly.

BTW, it's not just the US, here in the UK the pandemic is exposing just how many people lack that empathy gene.

Time to stock up on everything you couldn't get in the shops during April/May, there's another wave on the not too distant horizon.

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[sauvin]

I'm seeing the same thing, people wearing masks improperly or not at all. This is at the same time many governments are talking about re-opening in order to get the economy going again, saying that if they see curves trending upwards, they'll shut down again - what I don't think they're taking into account is that by the time those up-trending curves are seen, no matter how firmly they clamp down, said curves will trend even more sharply upwards before they come back down again because of this stupid disease's incubation period and the fact that so many people can have the disease without being "symptomatic".

The president of the company where I work posted a letter on the walls near the time clocks saying they'd hoped we'd just batten down for a couple of weeks and then just be back to regular operation, but it looks like all the measures they put into place are going to be our "new normal" for the foreseeable future: staggered breaks, (selectively) enforced social distancing and so on. We've not seen much impact yet, and people tell me I'm just being a dreary old man when I warn them it's early days yet.

I've not been following the news closely lately, but seems I've heard some countries or localities have successfully "flattened their curves" and have re-opened cautiously but successfully, places like Germany and South Korea. Rightly or wrongly, I have the impression that the places that've had this experience have populations that understand discipline, respect and responsibility and/or have governments with the resources to conduct massive testing and contact tracing.

Most other places almost seem to be settings for a Stephen King novel.

[Jameron]

New Zealand had everyone apart from essential services isolate at home for a month, the same month, twice the "accepted" safe time to isolate. During this time you needed a damn good reason to be out and about or there would be consequences. They paid 80% of take home pay to all employed people (from the Government) so that bills could be paid. This coupled with effective track, trace, and isolate in addition to closed borders to non New Zealand citizens (easier with an island nation) has meant that they have weathered the storm better than most. Their professional approach which was lead by scientists has seen them with zero new cases and limited negative economic repercussions. Recently they let two New Zealanders back in from Britain who wanted to be with a relative before they died from non-Covid reasons. The mandatory two weeks isolation for people coming into the country was cut short due to the worsening condition of their relative and the total lack of symptoms exhibited by the two returnees. The NZ authorities assessed them as low risk but inexplicably did not test them for Covid 19, and assumed these two would behave responsibly and just let them loose to go to their relatives. On the way they stopped off and met with friends and infected them, along with others, and the family they were there to visit. Thereby proving the age old adage that no good deed goes unpunished. Thankfully New Zealand's track, trace and isolate system mopped these cases up and no long term harm was done.

Well done New Zealand, an oasis of sanity in a world seemingly gone mad.

Edit 14-07-20
The UK Government has just announced that face coverings will be mandatory in UK shops from the 24th July. Looks like they're finally taking it seriously on a people level

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