Coronavirus Pandemic: Apocalypse Now! Or exaggerated scare story?

[Mari]

Coronavirus: Große Antikörperstudie soll Immunität der Deutschen gegen Covid-19 feststellen

Wer immun gegen das Coronavirus ist, kann vermutlich wieder zur Arbeit gehen und ein normales Leben führen. Forscher wollen nach SPIEGEL-Informationen nun testen, wie viele Menschen bereits an Covid-19 erkrankt waren.

www.spiegel.de

Germany is for national testing on Covid-19 and for the immune to return to work and normal life

It's about conducting a nationwide large-scale test that will identify antibodies to the new coronavirus present in every citizen's body, so that two large groups are distinguished: those who are still at risk of infection and those who are immune, according to Der Spiegel. The latter would receive from the authorities a kind of "pass" that would allow them to gradually re-enter their jobs abandoned because of Covid-19.

According to SPIEGEL information, a large study is in preparation in Germany to investigate how many people have already become immune to Covid-19 after undergoing an infection.

The study is to be coordinated by the epidemiologist Gérard Krause from the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig, the German Center for Infection Research, the blood donation services, the NAKO Health Study, the Robert Koch Institute and the Institute for Virology at the Berlin Charité are also involved.

The project has not yet been finally approved, but the researchers hope to be able to test the blood of more than 100,000 subjects for antibodies against the Covid-19 pathogen from April. The test should be repeated at regular intervals to monitor the progress of the pandemic.

The scientists want to find out how far Sars-CoV-2 has already spread and how many infected people it actually kills. The results of the study will make it easier to decide when to reopen schools and allow major events. If everything goes according to plan, the first results will be available at the end of April.

However, the tests currently available sometimes also work with harmless coronaviruses against which 90 percent of adults carry antibodies. The researchers hope for a more precise test procedure in two to three months. Then it could be determined more reliably whether someone is still at risk from Sars-CoV-2 and can infect others or not.

"The immune person could be given a type of vaccination card that, for example, allows them to be exempted from restrictions on their work," says epidemiologist Krause.

 

[biuta]

Stereotyping Chinese people? You can walk down some streets in China and wonder if you are in Europe or North America, except all the signs are in Mandarin.

@WIN 52 where do you see stereotyping? I actually went to China and I was impressed. What they did in the last 30 years is really impressive. I am not sure how many people saw this:

Watch China's Metro System Grow Over the Past 30 Years

www.inverse.com

What I was referring to was the TIME Magazine cover in relation to the discussion that China might be the next big Empire. Please see my comment in the full context it was given.

 

[Glenn]

We should probably start talking more about what we think will happen next as I think we have a great advantage in this global community of ours, once we start collaborating we can hopefully map out part of the puzzle and maybe even match some of the pieces in it.

Well, since you have broached the subject, I have been thinking on the similarities of the last 2 panic scenarios. This one and the climate (we're all going to die, entire ecosystems are collapsing) panic. Surely the goal, (end result) would be the same, the rapid destruction, or restructuring of our economy (on a planetary scale). And massive loss of liberties, and freedom of movement.

I think it is possible that, at some point, they will 'marry' the two plans. At some point, they can abandon the covid panic and lockdown, but flood the media with reports of how beneficial the lockdown was to CO2 numbers blah, blah, and say that governments now can continue the restrictions that were used in the lockdown, so that we can save the planet. Could be a pretty seamless move on their part.

I can't see them expending that much time and energy to push the climate panic, to just let it go to waste.

Also, when I am watching the news, everyone seems like zombies. Faithfully and with seeming glee, spouting fear and gloom. When I think of the phrase, 'programming is complete', I think of these zombies, for these things could never be carried out with their complete programming.

 

[Aeneas]

While we are on the subject of films, a few virus films are on Youtube at the moment

Another film to add would be "Soylent Green", which is a scifi from 1973. It gives an answer to what the PtB could do with the older people if they feel the need to bump up the number of deaths. The elderly in nursing homes are already vulnerable as they are in isolation with no family members or friends allowed to visit.
The plot is briefly:

In the year 2022, the cumulative effects of overpopulation, pollution and some apparent climate catastrophe have caused severe worldwide shortages of food, water and housing. There are 40 million people in New York City alone, where only the city's elite can afford spacious apartments, clean water and natural food, and even then at horrendously high prices. The homes of the elite usually include concubines who are referred to as "furniture" and serve the tenants as slaves.

No spoilers, only to say that the PtB found an innovative way to combat hunger and overpopulation at the same time.

Here is a trailer:

 

[etezete]

Another film to add would be "Soylent Green", which is a scifi from 1973. It gives an answer to what the PtB could do with the older people if they feel the need to bump up the number of deaths. The elderly in nursing homes are already vulnerable as they are in isolation with no family members or friends allowed to visit.
The plot is briefly:

No spoilers, only to say that the PtB found an innovative way to combat hunger and overpopulation at the same time.

Here is a trailer:

definitely one of the movies of my youth that impressed me the most. Maybe THE one.

 

[Pierre]

While European citizens can not leave their house and even less their country, illegal immigrants in Portugal receive (temporary) citizenship and full access to healthcare:

Undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers in Portugal have been granted the same rights as residents, including access to medical care, during a state of emergency to curb the spread of coronavirus.

"This is not an automatic regularization," the border control agency SEF told AFP on Monday, indicating that immigration processing should resume at the beginning of July.

The border police did not say how many people were affected by the measure, which came into force on Friday to allow migrants to access public services and social aid provided by the state.

Portugal's decision was welcomed on Monday by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic.

“(It is) a good practice to protect vulnerable people and society in response to the pandemic,” Mijatovic wrote on her Twitter account.
[...]
"In times of crisis, it is a duty for a secure society to ensure that migrants have access to health, stable employment and housing," Portuguese Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita told local newspaper Publico.

The state of emergency, declared on 18 March, is expected to be extended on Wednesday for two more weeks.

According to an official figures on Monday, Portugal has suffered 140 deaths caused by the coronavirus out of 6,400 reported cases.

Source: i24NEWS

 

[genero81]

It is all part of the script, new ways to engage the masses in mindless activities and keep them primed in order to react emotionally to social media posts and hashtags.

I think you may be right. How do you get people to isolate themselves and at the same time unify them to support the 'party line?' I know! Have them shout out there windows at the same time everyday in solidarity with the troops. (i.e. healthcare workers)

 

[hlat]

Does anyone else in Germany experience that people here seem a lot more obedient than elsewhere? For example, before crossing over the road, the pedestrian traffic light, even when there is no car in sight, the light must be green before they start walking to the other side.

In Los Angeles, most pedestrians wait for the red light to turn green before crossing the street, even when there are no cars in sight.

In New York City, they cross the street whenever they feel like it.

Yes, it occurred to me that they must not be too smart, as making everyone isolate at home creates a situation where those who can think for themselves have nothing better to do than poke fun and holes in their 'realty creating' narrative.

My parents are at home and not thinking for themselves. They leave the TV on which tells them what to think. I poked some holes in the narrative, which my dad found interesting but my mom covered up the holes.

hm, is NYC a very polluted area?

Yes, NYC is polluted.

 

[loreta]

definitely one of the movies of my youth that impressed me the most. Maybe THE one.

I think Brazil is a fantastic movie to see now, a classic and also 12 monkeys. Both by the genial Terry Gilliam.

 

[WIN 52]

@WIN 52 where do you see stereotyping? I actually went to China and I was impressed. What they did in the last 30 years is really impressive. I am not sure how many people saw this:

Watch China's Metro System Grow Over the Past 30 Years

www.inverse.com

What I was referring to was the TIME Magazine cover in relation to the discussion that China might be the next big Empire. Please see my comment in the full context it was given.

I said that in 1997 and 1999 when traveling extensively through China, when I was exporting breeding livestock to China. The livestock included most beef cattle breeds, dairy breeds, pig breeds and ostriches. Mostly shipping livestock as well as semen and embryos. I saw the potential future back 20+ years ago.

My stereotyping comment was more directed at the wide range of genetics that I saw in the people along with the mixing of those genetics. You can walk down some streets and the people looked like they could have been on a street in Minnesota, except they all spoke Mandarin. Not the stereotypical short slant eyes that many Western people think Chinese look like. That is all I meant.

 

[Ellipse]

I confirm the hospitals are empty, as my colleagues said. They called me this morning to go and do a reunion (meeting I mean) in order to discuss about our job for the next weeks. I'll report you more after our meeting. I asked quickly for the situation: Hospitals are empty, nurses and doctors have much much less work than before (at the begining of the crisis, they told me to go in confinement at home, so...). What about frightened patients who think they caught the virus?

I wonder, does the hospital inform the staff about the global ICU situation in France?

Marseille IHU published an interesting map showing the ICU charge across the country. Seems to be the same as Donjuan noted for Italia, it's not uniform:



Source : Didier Raoult (@raoult_didier) | Twitter

 

[Glenn]

Are you in Paris? My son over there told me this is happening, and that it right now is his only social contact. He and neighbors open their windows (on to the courtyard), sing and applaud a bit. For the health workers.

No, Vancouver.

 

[Inquorate]

NSW Australia is in almost complete lockdown. We have 2000 'confirmed cases of corona virus', and 20 'corona virus deaths'.

Let me just work out the percentages on that one... Yeah, she'll be right mate, seems legit.

 

[Yupo]

definitely one of the movies of my youth that impressed me the most. Maybe THE one.

Someone came out with a meal replacement a few years ago and named it Soylent. UGH! Probably someone too young to remember the movie. Seriously unfortunate name. I understand it sells well anyway.

 

[biuta]

I wonder, does the hospital inform the staff about the global ICU situation in France?

Marseille IHU published an interesting map showing the ICU charge across the country. Seems to be the same as Donjuan noted for Italia, it's not uniform:

View attachment 34829

Source : Didier Raoult (@raoult_didier) | Twitter

This might explain the overflow to Switzerland?