Per the https://www.endcoronavirus.org/countries reference that Banno linked and I also discussed here.

Not a good reference actually.

First of all, it's far too early to say that. This hasn't ended yet...at all. — ssu

See it as "currently winning" as opposed to "have won". The point of the reference is to show that some countries are dramatically bending their curves and gaining control over the virus, even from a large base of cases. That's important information.

Secondly, when you really look at those countries it seems that what is only thing that has been looked at is the graph without any reference to the actual number. Is it REALLY so that Singapore has done worse than Iran and should take example from the Islamic Republic??? I don't think so, with 3/million deaths compared to 77/million, the obvious Trumpesque response of the mullahs plus totally unreliable stats I wouldn't say that Singapore has done it bad and Iran has made better response. What that site (perhaps unintentionally) paints as the picture is that the pandemic has been beaten. Several of those "covid-19 beating" countries are scaling back their quarantine measures, so that will have implications. — ssu

It's of course good that countries like Singapore have a comparatively low base of cases and deaths. But due to the outbreak there, it has to work to regain control.

You can set aside Iran - it doesn't change the picture at all. The fact is that there are many countries that have the virus currently under control due to their effective action. As long as they continue to test and maintain strict border controls, they should be able to stay that way.

The linked page also lists what actions countries should be taking: act quickly (even with many cases, it's not too late), isolate infected individuals, strict travel restrictions, massive testing, face masks, social distancing, and don't reopen too early.

In my view, all the US states should be doing these things - the virus needs to be properly contained over the coming weeks before normality can return. Here are similar graphs for the US states:

https://www.endcoronavirus.org/states

Note that New York, from a large base of cases and a late lockdown, is now in a much better position. It's better late than never. As opposed to most other states, many of which imagine it's fine to be reopening even though the virus is still out of control there.

I've been concentrating on the developed world. Lockdown in some parts of the developing world, such as India, seems to be being carried out in a way optimized to protect the interests of particular classes and ignore the interests of others. That is a clear problem. First I've heard of an issue with TB, so I can't comment on that as yet.

India, seems to be being carried out in a way optimized to protect the interests of particular classes and ignore the interests of others. — Baden

Yeah, the caste system creates far more injustices than just inequitable coronavirus treatment.

Famines of biblical proportions means we'll have to sell ourselves to the Egyptians as slaves. We'll eventually get restless and kill all their sons and go wandering in the desert.

Sounds like fun.

I just think the unintended consequences could be far greater with the lockdown approach, for instance they are predicting an extra 1.5 million TB deaths due to lockdown (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-lockdown-could-lead-nearly-15-million-extra-tb-deaths/), and famines of “ biblical proportions. — NOS4A2

It isn't the lockdowns that are causing disruptions to treatment programmes and food production, it's the virus. It's not legitimate to just compare how things are affected by a lockdown to an idealized normal time absent the virus.

To make the point, consider how these programmes and other aspects of normal life would have fared during the 1918 flu epidemic.

Avoiding lockdowns during a pandemic doesn't imply "business as usual".

Only human beings can shut down such services. I think it’s a grave error to blame a virus for the choices only human beings can make.

Regions move to lockdown because of the potential downside consequences of not doing so. The consequences of not locking down need to be factored in as well.

It's like a fire is tearing through your neighborhood and someone produces a study saying that leaving your home means your garden won't be watered or the floors vacuumed.

Given that the victims of the virus are dominated by men who are over 60, there is a very important question that needs to be addressed:

Does it pose an existential threat to these forums?

You mean if all the old buggers popped their clogs, would we be screwed?

I'll leave that one to the gallery.

In the meantime, Piketty on the virus and social inequality.

I find it very difficult to give serious consideration to any intellectual with a French accent. I find it hard to hear them over all my "bullshit" alarms.

Are all those people cueing for a Rolling Stones concert?

You mean if all the old buggers popped their clogs, would we be screwed? — Baden

Yep. Someone's gotta pay for all this.

I find it very difficult to give serious consideration to any intellectual with a French accent. — Banno

Try turning down the sound, reading the captions, and mentally adding 'mate' to every second sentence.

But the captions are in French...

Durn. We'll never get you edumucated then.

I guess so. It's a prejudice I might have developed by watching too many SBS documentaries in which a French archeologist digs up a stone tool and from it reconstructs a religion based on the worship of the moon, complete with ritual baguettes.

THE WAR IS OVER!!

Return to work.

All the presidents in that video were democrats.

the presidents in that video were democrats. — frank

Don't politicize the end of the war! Just go out in the street and throw off your top hat beneath the ticker tape.

okey dokey

In the past month, Covid-19 has killed more Britons than died in The Blitz.

https://appeasement.org/?fbclid=IwAR0FgnPPk_u8TVeZInqm_lAtLQ42UWwsIbgP8SzTUUwsIjFa0_Q92nvyxdQ

@Chester Look! The English are ahead of the curve!

NPR talks about the Chinese "whitewash"

With Trump supporters (including Fox News) blaming China for the pandemic to deflect from America's mistakes, it gets hard to pick out the truth. We're left trying to apply logic and common sense to perceive the truth.

What’s hard to pick out?

so... who's voting for Starmer in 4 years time? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_United_Kingdom_general_election

What’s hard to pick out? — I like sushi

It's that I'm programmed to be skeptical of everything Fox says, but reason states that the CCP did screw up.

I would expect the CCP to lack transparency and I expect Fox to distort the facts.

so... who's voting for Starmer in 4 years time? — Professor Death

Well personally I'd vote for Lord Buckethead if I thought he'd beat Boris the professional turnip, so wet dish-cloth Starmer will probably get my vote unless he does something, which seems very unlikely.

Meanwhile, have some advice chaps.

https://erinbromage.wixsite.com/covid19/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them?fbclid=IwAR1BO5HezHqJ43-QY8bSC5oE7ycNfHmgRUJ7vmEQMoSeXavYbHai9wHBb2g

ALL US news channels are extremely poor places to go for information. They’re all there as entertainment services essentially - reporting actual news is clearly not a priority.

I cited NPR. Maybe they're different.

Bizarre that the article didn't mention air travel...

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/georgia-reports-lowest-number-covid-patients-in-a-month

Looks like the Georgia experiment was the correct course.