Coronavirus outbreak

[samurai]

2 hours ago, StealthNuck said:

Exhibit B in Japan:

with 98% of the population wearing masks as well!  

[Russ]

https://globalnews.ca/news/7245944/coronavirus-canada-taxes-pbo/

 

Quote

But Giroux said if the programs are extended, or if Canada sees another year with a “big, big deficit” it would be “much more problematic.”

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

“We would probably need to do something as a country to restore something that’s more fiscally sustainable over the long term, which means cutting expenditures or raising taxes or a combination of both,” he said.

OH just wonderful.... Last thing I want is the government getting their hands on my hard earned money for their ridiculous spending and bailing out.

 

 

On the bright side....

https://www.narcity.com/news/ca/on/ottawa/canadians-tested-positive-for-covid19-1-of-people-tested-actually-had-it

 

Quote

Over the past week, an average of 40,665 people were tested daily, with 1% testing positive.

Good to see people getting tested if they feel sick and coming back negative. 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Russ

[Warhippy]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

https://globalnews.ca/news/7245944/coronavirus-canada-taxes-pbo/

 

OH just wonderful.... Last thing I want is the government getting their hands on my hard earned money for their ridiculous spending and bailing out.

 

The alternative to helping people and business of course being outright and complete economic collapse

[thedestroyerofworlds]

https://www.si.com/college/tmg/tony-barnhart/spanish-flu

 

The Pandemic And College Football: A Look Back At The 1918 Season

[Gawdzukes]

On 8/1/2020 at 6:18 PM, bishopshodan said:

I'm all cash, all the time.

Never use a ccard or even my debit. I try not to complain cause it's a small thing but covid has annoyed me for that.

So much easier to spend and track money on debit. Plus you don't have to waste money and time driving to the bank. My brother always does that to me. Instead of etransfer, he'll just drop off $200. Thanks for nothing, literally, because if I don't drive to the bank right away I'm going to eventually waste that money on nothing, or it's sitting in my wallet for 3 months and I eventually forget why I have it. I'm sure you're different but that's one of the reasons my brother is poor.

[Gawdzukes]

11 hours ago, Warhippy said:

The alternative to helping people and business of course being outright and complete economic collapse

Hard earned money man, very hard earned. lol

 

People that don't think there are going to be financial ramifications for everyone are living in a dream world.

 

Can't wait until tax season. Watch the fireworks, especially if there is a viable cure/fix.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Gawdzukes

[Gurn]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/covid-19-conspiracies-creating-a-public-health-crisis-in-canada-experts-say/ar-BB17vlyH?ocid=msedgdhp

"MONTREAL — A lively crowd gathered outside Francois Legault's office in downtown Montreal in mid-July to send a message to the Quebec premier: his government cannot force them to wear masks in indoor public spaces to fight the spread of COVID-19.

 

"Long live freedom without a mask," read one sign at the rally, which drew several dozen people. "My body, my choice" read another, alongside a drawing of a medical mask with a line across it.

The anti-mask movement is not unique to Quebec, nor are masks the only source of conflict in the country when it comes to public health directives around the novel coronavirus. But the issue is one of several at the heart of a growing online movement of disinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

Researchers say conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are spreading at an alarming rate across the country — and they warn misinformation shared online may lead to devastating consequences and push Canadians to shun important safety measures.

"I think that people should be enormously concerned," said Aengus Bridgman, a PhD candidate in political science at McGill University and co-author of a study published last month on COVID-19 misinformation and its impact on public health.

The study found the more a person relies on social media to learn about COVID-19, the more likely they are to be exposed to misinformation and to believe it, and to disregard physical distancing and other public health guidelines. About 16 per cent of Canadians use social media as their primary source of information on the virus, Bridgman said in a recent interview.

His research team surveyed nearly 2,500 people and examined 620,000 English-language Twitter accounts, but Bridgman said COVID-19 misinformation also spreads on other social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram and Tumblr.

For example, a Facebook group called "Against mandatory mask-wearing in Quebec" has over 22,000 members to date, while another group with a similar mission has nearly 21,000 members.

The posts on these pages vary, from questioning the science behind wearing masks and lambasting Horacio Arruda, Quebec's public health director, for the mandatory mask rule, to accusing the World Health Organization of bias and Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates of creating the virus.

Another study published in May at Carleton University indicated 46 per cent of Canadians believed at least one of four unfounded COVID-19 theories: the virus was engineered in a Chinese lab; the virus is being spread to cover up the effects of 5G wireless technology; drugs such as hydroxychloroquine can cure COVID-19 patients; or rinsing your nose with a saline solution can protect you from infection.

Bridgman said the speed at which these conspiracy theories circulate online makes it difficult to verify where they originate. And while some right-wing groups in Canada are pushing these falsehoods, Bridgman said people across the political spectrum are vulnerable to them.

"This is a Canadian challenge," he explained. "People across levels of education, across age groupings, across political ideas, all are susceptible to misinformation online. This is not a phenomenon that is unique to a particular community."

Protests have taken place across Canada since the provinces put COVID-19 lockdown measures in place earlier this year, from Vancouver, to Toronto and Quebec City, where hundreds rallied at the provincial legislature July 26 against mandatory mask-wearing.

Alexandre Barriere was among dozens of protesters denouncing the mask rule on July 19 outside Legault's Montreal office.

He compared mask-wearing to a dog muzzle and said he didn't believe the COVID-19 pandemic exists. "We live to be free. We're not in the world to be controlled like animals," the 29-year-old said in an interview.

Another protester, 65-year-old Antonio Pietroniro, said the pandemic was "bogus" and warned that, after making masks mandatory, the government would force people to get vaccinated against the virus.

"They're going to say you have to take the vaccine even though it hasn't been proven to be safe," he said, echoing the anti-vaccination movement that has gained prominence in Canada, the U.S. and other countries in recent years.

Alison Meek, a history professor at Western University, said there are similarities between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the anti-vaccination movement. Misinformation intentionally spread about COVID-19, she added, is also comparable to the conspiracy theories that circulated in the 80s and 90s during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"When you're scared, when you're frustrated, you want someone easy to blame... We want to point to somebody and say, 'Aha! You're the one — there's a bad guy here that did it,' as opposed to, 'this is just how these pandemics actually work,'" Meek said in an interview.

Governments have had to adapt their public health directives to keep up with rapidly evolving science about the virus.

Public uncertainty around the scientific process, combined with mounting frustrations with lockdown measures and a struggling economy has created a perfect storm in which conspiracy theories can flourish, Meek said.

"All of those things are coming together right now to make these conspiracy theories a real public health crisis that's getting more and more difficult to deal with."

She said conspiracy theories need to be countered with facts and evidence, adding that people should be encouraged to think critically about where they are getting their information.

Both she and Bridgman lauded social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook for removing videos and other posts that spread misinformation about COVID-19 — but both academics also said more needs to be done.

"People are dying because of these conspiracy theories and we've got to stop them," Meek said. "We've got to somehow figure out how to challenge them."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 3, 2020.

[JM_]

27 minutes ago, gurn said:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/covid-19-conspiracies-creating-a-public-health-crisis-in-canada-experts-say/ar-BB17vlyH?ocid=msedgdhp

"MONTREAL — A lively crowd gathered outside Francois Legault's office in downtown Montreal in mid-July to send a message to the Quebec premier: his government cannot force them to wear masks in indoor public spaces to fight the spread of COVID-19.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we're living in the golden age of bull$&!#.

 

As much as the Trump-era has revealed how much racism still exists, this virus has done the same thing for lack of critical thinking. Somewhere along the line we've lost the need for critical thinking in some people's everyday lives. How you could be "anti-mask" and still have a job is a stunner, but here we are. 

[Shift-4]

On 8/1/2020 at 6:18 PM, bishopshodan said:

I'm all cash, all the time.

Never use a ccard or even my debit. I try not to complain cause it's a small thing but covid has annoyed me for that.

I barter sheep, pie and wood carvings

[bishopshodan]

3 hours ago, Gawdzukes said:

So much easier to spend and track money on debit. Plus you don't have to waste money and time driving to the bank. My brother always does that to me. Instead of etransfer, he'll just drop off $200. Thanks for nothing, literally, because if I don't drive to the bank right away I'm going to eventually waste that money on nothing, or it's sitting in my wallet for 3 months and I eventually forget why I have it. I'm sure you're different but that's one of the reasons my brother is poor.

Yep, opposite for me. 

 

With a limited amount of cash dollars in my pocket, I can't over spend. Not so with ccards and debit. 

 

 

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/pay-in-cash.asp

Edited August 3, 2020 by bishopshodan

[RUPERTKBD]

5 hours ago, Gawdzukes said:

So much easier to spend and track money on debit. Plus you don't have to waste money and time driving to the bank. My brother always does that to me. Instead of etransfer, he'll just drop off $200. Thanks for nothing, literally, because if I don't drive to the bank right away I'm going to eventually waste that money on nothing, or it's sitting in my wallet for 3 months and I eventually forget why I have it. I'm sure you're different but that's one of the reasons my brother is poor.

Yep. e-transfers are the shizz....I use it to pay contractors, or one off bills and send money to my kids.

 

I have a chequing account, but I haven't actually written a cheque in years.....

Edited August 3, 2020 by RUPERTKBD

[nuckin_futz]

Coronavirus: Iran cover-up of deaths revealed by data leak

The number of deaths from coronavirus in Iran is nearly triple what Iran's government claims, a BBC Persian service investigation has found.

The government's own records appear to show almost 42,000 people died with Covid-19 symptoms up to 20 July, versus 14,405 reported by its health ministry.

 

The number of people known to be infected is also almost double official figures: 451,024 as opposed to 278,827.

 

The official numbers still make Iran the worst-hit in the Middle East.

 

In recent weeks, it has suffered a second steep rise in the number of cases.

 

The first death in Iran from Covid-19 was recorded on 22 January, according to lists and medical records that have been passed to the BBC. This was almost a month before the first official case of coronavirus was reported there.

Daily number of deaths from Covid-19 in Iran

Official figures vs uncovered data, 22 January to 20 July 2020

 

 

 

Source: BBC research

 

 

Since the outbreak of the virus in Iran, many observers have doubted the official numbers.

There have been irregularities in data between national and regional levels, which some local authorities have spoken out about, and statisticians have tried to give alternative estimates..

 

A level of undercounting, largely due to testing capacity, is seen across the world, but the information leaked to the BBC reveals Iranian authorities have reported significantly lower daily numbers despite having a record of all deaths - suggesting they were deliberately suppressed.

Where did the data come from?

The data was sent to the BBC by an anonymous source.

 

It includes details of daily admissions to hospitals across Iran, including names, age, gender, symptoms, date and length of periods spent in hospital, and underlying conditions patients might have.

 

The details on lists correspond to those of some living and deceased patients already known to the BBC.

 

The source says they have shared this data with the BBC to "shed light on truth" and to end "political games" over the epidemic.

The discrepancy between the official figures and the number of deaths on these records also matches the difference between the official figure and calculations of excess mortality until mid-June.

 

Excess mortality refers to the number of deaths above and beyond what would be expected under "normal" conditions.

What does the data reveal?

Tehran, the capital, has the highest number of deaths with 8,120 people who died with Covid-19 or symptoms similar to it.

 

The city of Qom, the initial epicentre of the virus in Iran, is worst hit proportionally, with 1,419 deaths - that is one death with Covid-19 for every 1,000 people.

 

It is notable that, across the country, 1,916 deaths were non-Iranian nationals. This indicates a disproportionate number of deaths amongst migrants and refugees, who are mostly from neighbouring Afghanistan.

 

The overall trend of cases and deaths in the leaked data is similar to official reports, albeit different in size.

 

The initial rise of deaths is far steeper than Health Ministry figures and by mid-March it was five times the official figure.

 

Lockdown measures were imposed over the Nowruz (Iranian New Year) holidays at the end of the third week in March, and there was a corresponding decline in cases and deaths.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53598965

 

**************************

 

I suspect many countries have been under reporting deaths. Oddly enough Iran's neighbor Turkmenistan has reported zero Covid-19 cases. But their President recommends all citizens wear a mask to protect against dust. lol

Edited August 3, 2020 by nuckin_futz

[wloutet]

7 hours ago, RUPERTKBD said:

I have a chequing account, but I haven't actually written a cheque in years....

If you still have cheques left over, does that mean there is still money in the account? LOL 

Edited August 4, 2020 by wloutet

[RUPERTKBD]

Upcoming MLB series between Detroit and St Louis postponed due to positive tests:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/03/us/mlb-st-louis-cardinals-coronavirus/index.html

 

They were hoping to get this series in, but it just wasn't in the cards....

Edited August 3, 2020 by RUPERTKBD

[Russ]

5 hours ago, gurn said:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/covid-19-conspiracies-creating-a-public-health-crisis-in-canada-experts-say/ar-BB17vlyH?ocid=msedgdhp

 

"They're going to say you have to take the vaccine even though it hasn't been proven to be safe," he said, echoing the anti-vaccination movement that has gained prominence in Canada, the U.S. and other countries in recent years.

 

Apparently they don't realize that it hasn't been fully tested yet and thats why it hasn't been released yet.....

[Russ]

2 hours ago, nuckin_futz said:

 

I suspect many countries have been under reporting deaths. Oddly enough Iran's neighbor Turkmenistan has reported zero Covid-19 cases. But their President recommends all citizens wear a mask to protect against dust. lol

I have a hard time believing most of these countries at the best of times with a lot of their slimy backdoor leadership and this definitely doesn't change my preception.   Hell took Iran a TON of pressure to finally admit they shot that plane down, like they would tell the truth unless forced too. 

[nuckin_futz]

1 hour ago, RUPERTKBD said:

Upcoming MLB series between Detroit and St Louis postponed due to positive tests:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/03/us/mlb-st-louis-cardinals-coronavirus/index.html

 

They were hoping to get this series in, but it just wasn't in the cards....

[stawns]

7 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we're living in the golden age of bull$&!#.

 

As much as the Trump-era has revealed how much racism still exists, this virus has done the same thing for lack of critical thinking. Somewhere along the line we've lost the need for critical thinking in some people's everyday lives. How you could be "anti-mask" and still have a job is a stunner, but here we are. 

the irony is that critical thinking skills have become the focus of curriculums in Canada, but now people are complaining about the lack of content.  Go figure

[Warhippy]

Alberta potentially walking back on their school reopening plan in the next few days.

 

Let's see what happens

[CBH1926]

Saw this story earlier.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/an-impassioned-obituary-for-a-79-year-old-coronavirus-victim-blames-trump-for-his-death-then-calls-out-texas-gov-greg-abbott-and-people-who-refused-to-wear-masks/ar-BB17wtBE?li=BBorjTa