Are we about to become the #1 hotspot in the U.S.? (Houston: new home, bars)

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by dmlandissf

I will not celebrate 4th of July this year - we would have been better off being part of the commonwealth imho. Canada is a diverse country and isn't populated by a bunch of ******** billy bobs. Only consolation is being in one of those coastal elite cities that conservatives like to deride. -)

Well, I’m liberal and originally from California and I find that most “coastal elites” are full of $hit douchebags. They’re the ones that like to degrade us in the middle of the country liberal and conservative alike. They’re the ones that judge the hell out of large swaths of the country without knowing what the hell they’re talking about.

I’d rather spend my time with moronic trump voters than garbage like that.

[AcresHomes44]

A hard head makes a soft behind. When you're in a rush to get back to normal, this is what happens. Houstonians were in their feelings about the shutdown, pushing hard for reopening, so the authorities are saying, "Give these people what they want, let them hang themselves" The only time I leave home is for gym and grocery shopping, maybe joyriding along 290 or Northside from Cavalcade to Gulf Bank.

[coolio69]

Originally Posted by bu2

If we are doomed its because people are rejecting what unites us. See the post about not celebrating July 4th. But I don't want to get too political here. That's for the political board.

https://nypost.com/2020/06/25/gettin...us-death-rate/

And as this article says, we need to be realistic about this virus. We can't avoid a big spread of the virus, but we need to avoid too rapid a spread. And its not as bad as the MSM makes it out to be, only for limited populations.

"...In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention *esti*mated in May that the coronavirus kills about 0.26 percent of the people it infects, about 1 in 400 people. New estimates from Sweden suggest that only 1 in 10,000 people under 50 will die from the virus, compared to 1 in 14 of people over 80 and 1 in 6 of those over 90....

Nearly all the studies find between 10 and 100 times the number of total infections as reported infections, with the average somewhere around 20 to 25 times.

In other words, while the CDC reports 2.34 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus, the actual number of infected and recovered people may be closer to 50 million. (CDC Director Robert Redfield told journalists Thursday that the number of cases may be 10 times higher than the earlier 2.34 million.)

Thus, the death rate, which would be 5.2 percent based on that 2.34 million figure, is actually more like one-20th as high — or 0.26 percent.

To be sure, these estimates still have some uncertainty. The *actual figure could be as low as 0.1 percent or as high as 0.4 to 0.5 percent, though treatment advances should mean it will trend lower over time. Even at 0.26 percent, the rate is still significantly higher than influenza most years, more comparable to a bad flu strain like the 1968 Hong Kong flu...."

Yes, but I'm kinda wary of the long term consequences the virus could leave behind like diminished lung capacity or heart function. Yes, I'm alive, but I have the lungs of a 40 year old smoker.

[BakersDozenSupply]

If we close the state down, everyone cries about the economy. If we open it up, everyone cries about the surge in covid. what do you want?

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by BakersDozenSupply

If we close the state down, everyone cries about the economy. If we open it up, everyone cries about the surge in covid. what do you want?

This is the dilemma. Find that middle ground as we had before. Keep things plugging along like when the TMC data was showing a linear growth line with total ICU census in the 80% range (which is its usual most of the time and not indicative of any problems) and Covid patients making up only around 15% of the total.

When things start getting out of hand, as they are now, make immediate changes to slow that growth down. Rinse and repeat until we get through this.

At the same time, require best practices like the use of masks.

[Pine to Vine]

I file this under the category of “Gee, who wooda thunk it?”:

"If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would've been to slow down the opening of bars. Now seeing in the aftermath of how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bar setting -- and, ya know, a bar setting in reality just doesn't work with a pandemic," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told CNN affiliate KVIA.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/27/healt...day/index.html

[mingna]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

I file this under the category of “Gee, who wooda thunk it?”:

"If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would've been to slow down the opening of bars. Now seeing in the aftermath of how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bar setting -- and, ya know, a bar setting in reality just doesn't work with a pandemic," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told CNN affiliate KVIA.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/27/healt...day/index.html

The service and restaurant industries generate a lot of revenue for Houston and the state, especially the bar industry in the Loop, with its young, cash-flushed patrons.

Abbott was probably heavily influenced by lobbying from them to open early, and open hard.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by mingna

The service and restaurant industries generate a lot of revenue for Houston and the state, especially the bar industry in the Loop, with its young, cash-flushed patrons.

Abbott was probably heavily influenced by lobbying from them to open early, and open hard.

I know. They drive revenue in all big cities. But that’s why we have a thread about Houston being the #1 hotspot. In this instance, Abbott placed his bets on the economy over science, and guess what? Science won.

Abbott should be removed from office due to negligence and incompetence.

[usayit]

Originally Posted by BakersDozenSupply

If we close the state down, everyone cries about the economy. If we open it up, everyone cries about the surge in covid. what do you want?

Just like most things in life, the answer is the middle.

A lot of people here can't get passed the black or white discussions because they are rooted in other similar discussions like Lib vs Cons, Dems vs Reps. They ignore the lessons learned in NY for example because NY is a blue state.

The real answer to this Covid crisis is a compromised approach lead by science/medical knowledge... not a political one.


Incidentally.. my town already lost a paramedic to covid and according to local talk there is now a firefighter in the hospital for a past couple weeks was today put on a ventilator. For our small town, we lost way too many already... .but we are flat a while now.. Most around here are practicing social distancing while businesses have remained partially open (never really a total shutdown) ever since this all started.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by mingna

It’s going to be harder to get many folks to wear masks properly, if at all, as our long, hot and humid season sets in.

It will help if we have readily available modified hot weather masks like in Japan.

What I had observed - people are pulling the same mask from their pockets or purses over and over again. Then readjusting it, touching every few minutes, pulling down, pulling up, then removing as they leave the store and reusing at another store, day after day, the same filthy mask, for days or weeks. They wear it just to appear that they follow the regulation when entering the stores or public places.
Some of the blue masks they wear are grey and filthy at the mouth area from breathing, moisture and dust.
Not sure how much those masks are protecting anyone...

You can buy cooling masks on Amazon. Not sure how much protection they will give, though...
https://www.amazon.com/Cooling-Gaite...ef=as_li_ss_tl