How COVID-19 is affecting society

[danielravennest]

Big wheel keep on turning....

New daily record number of cases today, 77,885 but the day hasn't been closed out yet. California has passed New York for total cases, and Florida and Texas are not far behind. Seven south-eastern states are over 1000 cases a day, besides Florida.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Sinclair delays interview containing Fauci Covid-19 conspiracy theory

After ‘Plandemic’ researcher claims expert created the coronavirus, company says it is ‘incredibly aware’ of pandemic dangers

www.theguardian.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Thread

 

[Beebo Brink]

I'm still brooding about America's economic issues in the era of coronavirus. One stark truth to emerge is just how fragile (or rotten) our economic structure has become. We have wealth concentrated in the top 20-25% of the population, and the remaining 75% are basically working in the services industries that prop up the wealthy classes or the classes that are overly steeped in debt who spend as if they have true wealth.

This system just barely works when everything is going along fine, but rock it with a pandemic and we see the true nature of our economic engines. If the top 25% pulls back its activities and stops eating out, going to bars/clubs and spas, drops vacations plans -- all of which are non-essential entertainment and luxuries -- a hugely disproportionate portion of our society is suddenly without income; their jobs are fluff, nice-to-haves. Meanwhile, the people who actually engage in meaningful work -- the essentials services of factory work, transportation and distribution of goods -- are woefully underpaid for the work they do. So the risks they take are poorly compensated, with no benefits, no safety net, even though everyone else really NEEDS what they do.

All of which is just a long-winded way of saying "This is such a fucked up way to run a society."

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Primary health care in the US is suffering badly as a result of the pandemic and the outdated system of medical reimbursement, it seems -- another economic consequence of coronavirus

America’s Looming Primary-Care Crisis

The pandemic could put thousands of doctors out of business. Saving them may require changing how the health-care system works.

www.newyorker.com

America’s Looming Primary-Care Crisis | The New Yorker

Skip to main content Medical Dispatch America’s Looming Primary-Care Crisis By Clifford Marks July 25, 2020 New! Save this story for later. The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating a shortage of prima...

www.evernote.com

 

[Isabeau]

There’s a paywall to the article but if you read (click) through twitter, you can read it

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Texas hospital forced to set up 'death panel' as Covid-19 cases surge

A surge in coronavirus cases in rural Texas has forced one hospital to set up ‘death panels’ to decide which patients it can save

www.theguardian.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

This is paywalled, but if you can get in, it's very sad, and a completely accurate reflection, I think (including the Korean woman's reaction right at the end of the video).

Opinion | ‘That’s Ridiculous.’ How America’s Coronavirus Response Looks Abroad. (Published 2020)

From lockdowns to testing, we showed people around the world the facts and figures on how the U.S. has handled the pandemic.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Noodles]

And the death rate is starting to ramp up again, le sigh.

No no, we are phrasing it as the "Survival Rate" now, so it sounds better.

(/s)

 

[Free]

Hey, I'm sure glad that thing about how rising temperatures slows COVID-19 transmission turned out to be 100% non-fake news true!

 

[Sid]

No no, we are phrasing it as the "Survival Rate" now, so it sounds better.

(/s)

Probably from the same guys who came up with the term "Killed by friendly fire" for being (accidentally) killed by your own side.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Probably from the same guys who came up with the term "Killed by friendly fire" for being (accidentally) killed by your own side.

Needs quotes on "accidently" but yeah, pretty much.

 

[Govi]

No no, we are phrasing it as the "Survival Rate" now, so it sounds better.

(/s)

Umm... if we use that term, "Survival Rate," then we will have to say (if we indulge ourselves with speaking mathematical truth) that the Survival Rate is decreasing, which it does as the Death Rate increases. Given that, we must hope that President Dickwad heeds your counsel by trying and necessarily failing to put a good twist on the survival rate decreasing.

 

[Noodles]

Umm... if we use that term, "Survival Rate," then we will have to say (if we indulge ourselves with speaking mathematical truth) that the Survival Rate is decreasing, which it does as the Death Rate increases. Given that, we must hope that President Dickwad heeds your counsel by trying and necessarily failing to put a good twist on the survival rate decreasing.

Nah, it's cool, I usually hear it phrased as "The survival rate is over 95%".

 

[Innula Zenovka]

A new medical advisor for Trump and Pence?

Trump’s New COVID Doctor Says Sex With Demons Makes You Sick

The president is pushing the coronavirus theories of a Houston doctor who also says sexual visitations by demons and alien DNA are at the root of Americans’ common health concerns.

www.thedailybeast.com

ETA: God vs Zuckerberg

 

[Free]

A new medical advisor for Trump and Pence?

Trump’s New COVID Doctor Says Sex With Demons Makes You Sick

The president is pushing the coronavirus theories of a Houston doctor who also says sexual visitations by demons and alien DNA are at the root of Americans’ common health concerns.

www.thedailybeast.com

I laugh, but I also get how seriously dangerous morons like this can be.

Also, sex with Satan is far more debilitating.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Thread

 

[Beebo Brink]

Three weeks in ICU for a man who is 74-years old. He's got to be in rough shape, although his staff are putting a positive spin on it.

Herman Cain still hospitalized more than 3 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis

 

[Rose Karuna]

I ran across this and thought it was as good of an explanation as any over a lot of the right wing craziness related to COVID, Trump and other things.

Opinion | The Cult of Selfishness Is Killing America (Published 2020)

The right has made irresponsible behavior a key principle.

www.nytimes.com

You see, the modern U.S. right is committed to the proposition that greed is good, that we’re all better off when individuals engage in the untrammeled pursuit of self-interest. In their vision, unrestricted profit maximization by businesses and unregulated consumer choice is the recipe for a good society.

Support for this proposition is, if anything, more emotional than intellectual. I’ve long been struck by the intensity of right-wing anger against relatively trivial regulations, like bans on phosphatesin detergent and efficiency standards for light bulbs. It’s the principle of the thing: Many on the right are enraged at any suggestion that their actions should take other people’s welfare into account.

This rage is sometimes portrayed as love of freedom. But people who insist on the right to pollute are notably unbothered by, say, federal agents tear-gassing peaceful protesters. What they call “freedom” is actually absence of responsibility.

<snip>

Just to be clear, I’m not saying that Republicans are selfish. We’d be doing much better if that were all there were to it. The point, instead, is that they’ve sacralized selfishness, hurting their own political prospects by insisting on the right to act selfishly even when it hurts others.