News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

[littleoc]

@lostforgottensoul I have eczema and all the hand washing was making my hands bleed. So I went back to using a special lotion, which you can get over the counter most places. Fixed my hands (and my friend’s) right up

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[anthony]

I have friends in China as well as Chinese living outside of China (in Italy of all places, but still have family in mainland China) whom I'm in regular contact with and they disagree with your statement.

You may want to start reading more news vs. what a few friends say who are monitored for everything they say via any electronic means within a communist country: https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/heal...nts-tell-of-chilling-death-toll-clue-c-771538

You are naive to believe China is telling the truth. They aren't a communist country because they're open and honest.

 

[Sideways]

Here in Australia, we have a reasonably consistent national approach. Social distancing limits indoor and outdoor gatherings to 2 people, period. Anyone over 70 has been advised to self isolate. There's a 6 month moratorium on evictions. There's a range of social security supports for individuals who have lost their job, as well as those who may be able to hang on.

Everyone entering the country (citizens and permanent residents) are being quarantined in hotels, with food, for 2 weeks at no cost.

Supermarkets are working together to make their stores available for the elderly and disabled, and seperate times for health and emergency workers. Various distilleries are producing hand sanitizer and the defence force is chipping in to help the production lines in our one factory producing face masks.

Our big 4 banks have agreed on a consistent approach to supporting small businesses.

The military are helping out, in pretty much every measure, and then some.

Private companies that are usually competitors - working together. Opposing political parties, at different levels of government, working together.

There are people still doing the wrong thing. Not taking it seriously. We're not getting everything right. We weren't well prepared. We don't have anything like enough PPE or hospital beds (and staff to manage them). But there's a hell of a lot to be proud of.

We'll get through this thing. It will leave devastation in its wake. But Australians are, for the most part, working together as best they can.

 

[siniang]

You may want to start reading more news vs. what a few friends say who are monitored for everything they say via any electronic means within a communist country: https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/heal...nts-tell-of-chilling-death-toll-clue-c-771538

You are naive to believe China is telling the truth. They aren't a communist country because they're open and honest.

You realize this is a classic "he said - she said"? The sources that are the basis for this article? A handful people interviewed from a population of over 11 million? Who never ever ever ever could have an agenda of their own? Or could've been cherry-picked? Not any more reliable than my own personal contacts.

My Chinese friend living in Italy (hence under no surveillance or oppression) is VERY openly critical, even oppositional, of the Chinese government, yet she agrees that the official numbers are reasonable. Live is returning to normal, schools are back open... she has friends in Wuhan she's in personal contact with and they confirm this, too.

The country has been in complete lockdown for 4 months. At times people weren't even allowed to go to the grocery stores/markets... everyone was tracked and if positive, they and everyone they'd been in contact were isolated.

Why is it so hard to believe that China might be telling the truth? Because it would challenge our own ways of dealing with this pandemic? It would tell us that, yes, it was our very own governments who brought this on to us? Yes, this is uncomfortable. It's easier to deflect from our own neglicence by saying China isn't any better off - it minimizes our own failures in a way.

As I mentioned before. Other places...HK, South Korea, Japan, Singapore....all seem to have this thing under control. Yet somehow China must be lying. Obviously.

Don't you recognize your own bias and prejudice? There is a deep-rooted prejudice and mistrust against China in the West. So everything being reported about China should be taken with the same grain of salt as we should do with any official reports from the CCP.

And if you believe Chinese living in China have no way of communicating without being monitored - you're the one who's naive. And that is a first-hand comment from my friend.

Frankly, I rather do believe first-hand reports from my friends whom I've known for 18 years over some random quotes in some random article that I can't verify. And all of my friends either live outside of China, now, or have lived outside of China at some point, so they obviously know the "other side" as well.

 

[anthony]

My Chinese friend living in Italy (hence under no surveillance or oppression) is VERY openly critical, even oppositional, of the Chinese government, yet she agrees that the official numbers are reasonable. Live is returning to normal, schools are back open... she has friends in Wuhan she's in personal contact with and they confirm this, too.

Journalists must have some credible sources to write this. There have been some leaked satellite images of mass graves too. I will sit on the fence on this and await evidence one way or the other. Nothing I've read is stating schools and such aren't open, which is what you are talking about. What news is stating, is that a mass under-reporting has occurred from China about actual deaths.

I'm sure many Chinese have ways of getting things out. Plenty seem to be getting out information about under-reporting, and it is being investigated by outsiders as much as can be as China have locked out all non-Chinese residents from many of the key areas that are stating to be open.

I have a lot of bias about most countries. I'm ex military. I know what a Government tells the media and they report on, is not necessarily close to the truth of what is happening. That is personal experience when abroad on operations.

America tells its citizens their electronic communications and activities aren't monitored; one man gets out the intel that tells the truth about just how much they are being monitored. In-between all that, plenty of people who work their, their family and such, tell they aren't being monitored. Have a healthy distrust about Governments based on experience, especially communist / dictator ones.

China is a communist country. They are at the top of the totem pole for lying and deceit. That is global fact. Right along with North Korea, Russia, etc.

 

[siniang]

There have been some leaked satellite images of mass graves too.

You sure you didn't mix this up with Iran?

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I did a quick google search and found absolutely nothing in this regard about China.

plenty of people who work their, their family and such, tell they aren't being monitored.

Chinese people know they're being monitored.
I'm from an ex-'communist' country and every person knew they were being monitored.

There may be the random person who's naive who doesn't think so. You can interview five persons and only cite the one that fits your narrative. You have a mistrust in governments. I have a mistrust in journalism being objective when it comes to certain topics that have a deeply engrained stigma. Hence why I like to draw my information from various sources from different ends of (political) spectra, while staying very clear of sources that are known for spreading conspiracy theories and "fake news".

 

[bellbird]

We'll get through this thing

Yeah you will :)
It's that Aussie spirit. The one we (New Zealanders) know so well, because we meet it so often on the sports field.

Except now we're out there battling alongside you.
I recognise a number of similarities in the plans our countries have in action at the moment. Let's just hope the masses comply.

Speaking of Aussie spirit, I stumbled on this classic video again today.
It always makes me smile. I hope it does to anyone scrolling on by, too.

 

[anthony]

You have a mistrust in governments. I have a mistrust in journalism being objective when it comes to certain topics that have a deeply engrained stigma.

Nope. I mistrust media too. They usually have agenda's and drive people the way they want to further report the drama that they create. Very few are objective nowadays. My information is not from one source about China, but I can't put them here. I think some of the stuff being leaked out of China has merit. Accurate? Time will tell that. Merit? I think there is evidence there and growing. Time will tell on that one too.

 

[siniang]

Nothing I've read is stating schools and such aren't open, which is what you are talking about. What news is stating, is that a mass under-reporting has occurred from China about actual deaths.

Under-reported deaths = under-reported cases because there is NO evidence or reason why China should have a massively different fatality rate, but even if we assume a rate as high as Italy, with allegeded 50k deaths, that's 500,000 infected. That would've taken way longer to contain.

But life is pretty much back to normal in China.

Again, my sources from China say the official numbers are reasonable. Maybe give or take a thousand. Certainly not tens of thousands.

"Leaks" is always a double-edged sword because hard to verify and rarely without agenda.

As you said, time will tell. As of now I just have no reason to not believe the official numbers - and it's not because I'm naive - and see attempts to claim otherwise as deflection efforts of our own failures in the Western World.

On the other hand, we also have this: Link Removed

And I realize this contradicts my earlier claim that Japan has things under control. I was under the assumption they do based on numbers so far, but a friend of mine just sent me this article. So I guess we'll also have to see what numbers are doing in Japan in the next week or so.

 

[blackemerald1]

Even a drunken half competent Prime Minister who just read out WHO press releases could have at least impressed on folks how

^No folks & anyone reading ^^ post our PM is not a drunk & nor is he incompetent. That's insulting to his name & us all.

He's doing his best along with ALL of our State Premiers & Chief ministers. They are actually working well together. Yes there have been misteps but overall? since we've never had this happen to us before? Come on!

I think apart from the idiot factor Australia is doing ok. But we are far from the end of this pandemic & it will get worse before it gets better.

WE all know we must do our part - whatever that must be.

Not indulging in hysterical commentary should be part of doing one's bit imo.

We have a death toll of about 18 people as I write. Not 25 MILLION! That would be just about the entire population of our country - hello??? Doing the maths on any model is a precarious way to self-soothe. Try not to do that. The models and the maths are changing daily.

18 people dead is too many I know.

Many people I know have lost their jobs.

Many, many of my relatives are doctors and nurses.
I'm worried for them doing their jobs & I'm worried for their health.

But I also know that is what they trained for & they are up to it. They'd be insulted if I thought less. So every day they do their jobs I am damn proud of them.

Same for our defence forces and same for our Police forces.

And I feel much the same for those politicians making the BIG decisions here in Australia right now.

 

[Sideways]

@bellbird - word is that the latest financial support for workers will be extended to Kiwis living and working in Australia (elbow bump emoji).

Hamish and Andy have a direct line to my funny bone, so thanks for the laugh:)

 

[lostforgottensoul]

So, to add with keeping my hands sanitized at every step, my desk sanitized, twice a day, my phone sanitized twice a day, my cane sanitized each time I sanitize my hands, and all things coming in sanitized now I have to keep my shoes sanitized! Awesome! Did just that this morning and will continue to do so!

Hoping the social distancing order they placed as of today will break up these parties, which are still happening. Even outside of my own apartment. Many groups of people are found throughout.

I want to go out to see if I can find some ground beef and chicken to make my food last longer. Just waiting until my next days off (Wed and thurs). I have to go to my pain dr Thurs so maybe easier that day since Im not good with getting out unless forced out and my therapy appointment will be a phone call. Also will need to get gas that day too.

The doctor in the White House Cornovirus task force said that stay at home orders maybe relaxed and some business (and schools) maybe able to reopen in middle America where the numbers are small or non-existant. Not sure how true that statement is. I dont live in middle America. I know MO was sited in one of the press conferences as having a good number of confirmed cases and they are middle America. So dunno. Anyone in middle American with a low number of cases, can verify that info? Very curious.