[AZT]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Gentlemen, we all have our own political views, views on political figures, views on actions taken or not taken. This is an auto site not Twitter or some other political forum. It would be my earnest request we go easy with both the content and tone of our posts from both sides of the political divide.

Agree. As someone had mentioned earlier, we do not want this thread locked, it is a good resource for reliable updates. Request all to please fact check everything you post, if it isn't a news website, it's not reliable and should not be shared, either here or anywhere. What is considered a reliable news website should be fairly obvious, some of the links shared here are neither news nor reliable.

Lets save the mods some trouble of having to delete posts

[Chetan_Rao]

Note from Support:

Folks, as a frequent poster on the set of Corona threads myself, can I please request we lay off getting personal with our arguments, towards fellow BHPians or in general?

There's plenty of ways to dissect and debate policy, updates, news and everything else under the sun while staying respectful.

If you find some posts in poor taste or breaking forum rules (in letter or spirit), even something I may have posted myself (I'm far form perfect), kindly use the report post option and appropriate action, if deemed necessary, will be taken in line with our usual moderating standards.

Thanks for your support in upholding quality of content and discourse.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Guys, let us stay positive on the relaxation of lockdown mainly because on yesterday :

Positive, to me, would be extending the lockdown.

A friend on another forum makes this point: that the lockdown was not and could not be an end to the virus, it was intended to slow down the virus while preparations were made. He is worried about too many people thinking that there will be an end to India's corvid-19 problems with the end to the lockdown.

My personal opinion, and plan as things stand now (yes, two weeks is a long time in virus times: anything could change) is that the thing I plan not to do is rush out there on the streets and restart my social and shopping life. Even if lockdown is not a final solution for corvid-19, it seems to me that, on an individual basis, being shut in a house with minimal outside-world contact is about as much protection as one can have. I'm staying indoors!

I have to add a rider to this, and say that, yes, it's easy for me. There are positives and negatives to increasing age. Plainly, the negative is that catching the virus would be much more dangerous for me. The positive is that, as a retired person, my economic situation does not change whether I go out or not, and I appreciate that that is very different for the younger people. And vastly different for the poorer people.

We must only hope that after April 14th, social distancing measures stay in place till we see a considerable reduction in the number of cases reported. At the same time, extensive testing continues like there is no tomorrow and we are able to locate and contain the spread further. The virus isn't going anywhere and is here to stay but the pandemic must be arrested.

Quite. I do feel that voluntary isolation will continue to be a good idea for a while, particularly for the elders or those more at risk for other reasons,

Sure, this is a personal survival strategy, but it is far from entirely selfish. One less person catching the disease is one less person spreading the disease.

I also hope that post lockdown, we will see less posts on all these threads on Coronavirus as most of us will start appreciating traffic jams and bad drivers on regular basis after that!

This whole thing makes traffic jams and crazy drivers seem desirable. Today we dream of things that we ranted about two weeks ago!

Stay safe guys and whenever you get an opportunity, please educate the less informed about the spread and how to stay safe from it because my experience of dealing with supermarket store staff or apartment housekeeping or vegetable vendors hints at the common fact that most are grossly misinformed about this pandemic (that it certainly kills them if infected). Primary reason for this are local news channels that mostly broadcast negative news than anything positive.

Agreed. The odds, at least for the younger, fitter person, are certainly against dying from it even if one does catch it. But, none the less, it can still be a very horrible disease, with survivor reports entitled such things as my two weeks of hell.

Educate them all about the difference between "Self quarantined" and "Infected". Educate about the importance of washing hands with liquid soap (many still think Sanitizsers are a must), further educate as to how it spreads. Educate them about symptoms and recovery.

It's like believing that medicine must taste bad! If it doesn't have a long chemical name, and a chemical smell, surely it can't be powerful? Yes, good old soap can be and is powerful against corvid-19! Soap is our saviour!

On an entirely different topic...

The big religious meet in Delhi certainly should never have happened. It alone has increased far-away Tamil Nadu's figures badly.

But here's the good thing...

The task of tracing these people seemed impossible. The TN Chief Minister thought, make an appeal to them, so he did, and they have come forward in large numbers. All credit to those people (whether or not they should have gone there in the first place). And, regardless of flag, flavour or personal preference, all credit to the TN CM. Sometimes politicians do have good ideas!

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by nagr22

I just came across an app called 'Arogya Setu' released by Ministry of Health which supposedly tracks your phone's location based on Bluetooth and GPS and alerts you if anyone whom you have crossed paths with has been tested positive (provided that person too had the app installed).

Sounds like a great concept to me to facilitate Contact Tracing! Here's the link to install the app if anyone is interested:


Disclaimer: The app causes battery drain in some phones since it keeps BT and GPS on. I would recommend using the app only when you step out of the house.

Effectively speaking, someone will easily track one's movements.

[dailydriver]

NEW BORNS NAMED CORONA & COVID

Deccan Herald carries a report about an UP couple living in Chattisgarh naming their twin children Corona & Covid.

The names, they said, would remind them about all the hardships they conquered amid the lockdown, ahead of a successful delivery on the intervening night of March 26-27 at a government hospital here.

I was blessed with the twins - a boy and a girl - in the early hours on March 27. We have named them Covid (boy) and Corona (girl) for now," Preeti Verma, the 27-old mother of the newborns, told PTI.

However, the couple said they may change their decision later and rename their kids

[Miyata]

In a sobering perspective provided by a nurse anesthetist, which I guess many of us might not quite be able to relate with,

if you’ve never seen someone who’s scared and gasping for air or dying without a loved one by their side, it’s an awful thing to witness, and I hope you never have to. We can’t stop all the deaths, but we can stop most unnecessary deaths if we all do our part and ride this out from the comfort of our couches

Further adding on -

the only tool we have to mitigate the strain on our health care system is social distancing. It sucks, and it’s hitting the economy hard. Many people live hand to mouth and now find themselves without the income to get by—and $1,200 only goes so far. But I don’t want to volunteer to die for the sake of the economy, and I don’t think you would either—nor would many of your family or friends

Originally Posted by dailydriver

NEW BORNS NAMED CORONA & COVID

Haha...that's a news every bit worthy of international attention - They just might become the most famous twins over the next couple days!

[earthian]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

NEW BORNS NAMED CORONA & COVID

If they don't change their names, growing up they could well be the butt of jokes at school and would never forgive their parents. My wife tells me that in Chennai, a couple was seriously thinking of naming their newborn daughter Sunami ( without the T) since she was born on the day the Tsunami hit Chennai.

[AZT]

An interesting take - Keeping Up With Coronavirus News Is Not Worth Jeopardizing Your Mental Health

It’s a morbid fascination to watch a complex system implode. I’ll crane my neck to see the aftermath of a bad highway crash. I’ll sit back and munch popcorn as I catch up on my favorite new corruption scandal. And now I’ve anxiously glued my corneas to the slowly crescendoing global meltdown induced by the killer COVID-19.

Why do I give so much attention to something I can do so little about? Honestly, I don’t ask myself questions like that enough. That would require a more zen approach to my digital life. Ha. The opposite of my recent morning-evening-and-everything-in-between news refreshing habit. The coronavirus has made me a compulsive scroller, clicker, reader, Youtube commentary watcher, and lately even *sigh* CNN viewer.

My name’s Phil, and I’m a coronavirus news addict. I need help. I need some calm.

Now, I don’t not meditate. But the sometimes still waters of my mind are no match for the distressing rocks and boulders that keep getting flung in. My head’s more turbulent than a 747 in a supercharged wave pool.

Read more: https://thoughtcatalog.com/phillip-s...mental-health/

[nagr22]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

Effectively speaking, someone will easily track one's movements.

Well, considering that the maximum movement we are going to have over the next few weeks is to a nearby grocery shop, I guess thats ok. Lack of privacy is definitely a drawback but the pros of being able to quickly trace and isolate (and possibly treat?) people greatly outweigh the cons. I am ok to forego my privacy for a few months if it means the society is safer.

[lapis_lazuli]

Singapore has announced a month long lockdown.

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/...905344421.html

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by nagr22

... I am ok to forego my privacy for a few months if it means the society is safer.

I have long since given up my privacy for the reward of being able to ask Google where I went on a particular day.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli

Singapore has announced a month long lockdown.

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/...905344421.html

Clarification.

It's not a lock down. I have clarified this to multiple people who have messaged this post the news was aired. Definitely not in the same sence lockdown is being implemented elsewhere. And will be in effect from Tuesday.

All offices to be closed except essential services and critical economic activity. All schools to be closed.

Essential services will function for eg. medical, health care, energy, banking telecommunication etc. In addition, public transport will be running. Super markets, wet markets, food outlets all will be open.

I was very impressed with the clear manner in which the instruction was delivered first by the PM and followed by each ministers explaining actions and impact in their respective areas.

To the point and precise.

People are encouraged to stay at home. But are allowed to go around normally for purchasing daily groceries, excercise etc.

They are encouraged to go shopping on weekdays to manage the crowd better instead of going only on weekends. Supply chain will not be impacted. Delivery services are on.

Super markets, wet markets food delivery outlets and restaurants will function as per the normal timeline with some strict social distancing.

[poloman]

Originally Posted by vibbs

People are encouraged to stay at home. But are allowed to go around normally for purchasing daily groceries, excercise etc.

The only difference I see is that there won't be any enforcement of curfew by police. Even restaurants are closed with only delivery allowed.The above advisory may work in a small disciplined country like Singapore.

The only countries who could control the virus have been the once which enforced strict lock down. Italy, Spain and all initially did the mistake of leaving the 'stay home'part to the citizens and suffered hugely. Good that Singapore has realized though a bit late.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by poloman

The only difference I see is that there won't be any enforcement of curfew by police. Even restaurants are closed with only delivery allowed.The above advisory may work in a small disciplined country like Singapore.

The only countries who could control the virus have been the once which enforced strict lock down. Italy, Spain and all initially did the mistake of leaving the 'stay home'part to the citizens and suffered hugely. Good that Singapore has realized though a bit late.

I don't know how you look at it, but I would consider Singapore to have controlled it quite well from the day 1. Remember the first wave was in Jan with Chinese New year and Chinese visitors. Singapore got exposed much earlier than the rest of the world outside China. This spike is due to a lot of imported cases following the infection in Europe and return of a lot of long term pass holders following the restriction on entry from Europe and ofcourse the newly found local transmission cases.

It is not that police won't enforce curfew. But the fact that there is no curfew. Yes dine in for restaurants and hawker centers are not allowed due to social distancing requirements. But they are allowed to function.

Plus I don't think South Korea enforced any lockdown and they managed to control the infection quite well also.

[poloman]

Originally Posted by vibbs

It is not that police won't enforce curfew. But the fact that there is no curfew. Yes dine in for restaurants and hawker centers are not allowed due to social distancing requirements. But they are allowed to function.

Plus I don't think South Korea enforced any lockdown and they managed to control the infection quite well also.

I am not sure what is the criteria to measure the success of a country in controlling the virus spread. South Korea has 10,000 cases and 174 deaths for a country of population of Karnataka. It may be argued this is due to more testing, but neither Karnataka hospitals are overflowing with patients even with a global city like Bangalore.
In a country like Singapore, lock down can be planned. There won't be any cross country migration. The population is half of Bangalore. So things will be less chaotic.
Initially it was thought that China had messed up the virus control. But now seeing the spread in other countries, China's response is hailed as one of the best. It is all relative.