Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: relocation, insurance, unemployed)

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Are these hourly employees? I don't understand why someone would behave this way unless a temp leave is financially disruptive.

Correct, hourly manufacturing.


But like I said before, we do have a mechanism in place to pay people to stay home if they check off certain boxes. The company has been communicating this since March. These persons were able to do so, and didn't. I don't know why and not my place to find out.

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'm surprised so many people are even going into the office. Unless you have your own office or work with a very small group it seems risky especially if you're there for 8 hours.

We have manufacturing on-site, and product demand has been through the roof all year long, so there are incentives to be at work to get product out the door. This isn't so much my group, as I am in the R&D group (and we can stay home as needed), but we have a large manufacturing presence here in MA that is in all 5 days a week. But like I also said, we do pay people (hourly manufacturing who need to be on site to work) to stay home if there is risk. All you need to do is alert HR that you fall under certain criteria and you get to stay home and get paid. It's cheaper for the company to pay an individual here and there to remain at home, vs deal with a facility-wide shutdown. There has been no in-office transmission to date.

[msRB311]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/grim-wa...ember/34685062

yikes

[Cantabridgienne]

The big spreader seems to be multiple-household get togethers. I don't see how limiting restaurants even further--without an industry-wide bailout, as other countries have done who have stricter rules--is going to help.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by msRB311

https://www.wcvb.com/article/grim-wa...ember/34685062

yikes

The number is scary but the sad thing is, this is still probably less than in March/April. The epidemiologists are work believe we were likely running at least 10X more actual cases than positive tests. That would put us closer to 30,000 a day at peak.



But less appetite for a slow-down than March/April, too.


I was shocked to learn today that BU plans on having students come back after Thanksgiving. I thought that all schools were going remote only at that point.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by msRB311

https://www.wcvb.com/article/grim-wa...ember/34685062

yikes

If you are gathering for the holidays with family this year, you might consider gifting them burial plots or urns. Sorry - dark humor. But I was shown disturbing images on smoker lungs, gangrene, amputated legs shown in schools to discourage smoking.

[redplum33]

Last night on the NBC Nightly News, they said they are urging everyone nationwide to cancel Thanksgiving plans.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by rach5

Redplum, so what is your goal/hope? My goal/hope is to curb cases until vaccines and better treatment. That news (and yes, I saw the 7 day reports!) was pretty much more than anybody could have hoped for (and yes, probably better than it will work in the long run) - and if it helps convince some people that it's worth distancing and mask wearing for a few more months, I am all for it. If there is no hope of a vaccine and better treatment - well than we better invest in cremation centers and PTSD treatment for medical providers.

I believe the opposite is happening. "Screw it, we'll have the vaccine soon."

[id77]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I believe the opposite is happening. "Screw it, we'll have the vaccine soon."

Likewise, if those same people were told a vaccine was impossible and that this would be going on for another 2 years, they'd just say "screw it, gonna die someday anyway."

There is nothing that can be said at this point to get individual people to take it more or less seriously than they currently are. Nobody's minds are going to be changed 8 months in and certainly nobody's going to be scared straight into being more cautious.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

The number is scary but the sad thing is, this is still probably less than in March/April. The epidemiologists are work believe we were likely running at least 10X more actual cases than positive tests. That would put us closer to 30,000 a day at peak.
.

Nope - covid wastewater data (covid is excreted in your poop, whether you get tested or not!) in MA now is the same as it was at the spring peak in MA - which was 3 weeks or so AFTER lockdown started. http://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm Even if a lockdown were started right now - cases will keep increasing for several weeks - so we are in really, really bad shape, and people don't seem to realize it.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by redplum33

Last night on the NBC Nightly News, they said they are urging everyone nationwide to cancel Thanksgiving plans.

I think people have been cancelling their 'normal' Thanksgiving plans since August. And Christmas.