# This is what I don't understand:



## JaniceM (Apr 15, 2020)

I've been hearing/seeing a lot about reopening everything by the end of the month or shortly thereafter-  but how could that approach possibly be safe/sensible?  
Science isn't my strong point, but it seems to me unless there's across-the-board testing of everybody-  unlikely, not even counting those who wouldn't cooperate-  the virus will still be out there.


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## win231 (Apr 15, 2020)

That's one reason why I think they're handing out a lot of B.S. about this.
We've had other epidemics that were just as bad or worse & they never closed down the whole planet.  And, if everything they're doing is working (like they say to flatter themselves), why do they keep reporting that the infection & death rates are steadily climbing?
If that doesn't make you suspicious, think about their asinine mask requirements:  "Non-Medical masks are required, but they don't protect you from the virus because they can't prevent transmission."


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## Aneeda72 (Apr 15, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> I've been hearing/seeing a lot about reopening everything by the end of the month or shortly thereafter-  but how could that approach possibly be safe/sensible?
> Science isn't my strong point, but it seems to me unless there's across-the-board testing of everybody-  unlikely, not even counting those who wouldn't cooperate-  the virus will still be out there.


Well, it’s not safe, it’s especially not safe for us, but we have to get things working again.  Rock and hard place.


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## Ken N Tx (Apr 15, 2020)

win231 said:


> why do they keep reporting that the infection & death rates are steadily climbing?


Because just about every death that happens is reported as virus related or caused by virus complications!!


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## squatting dog (Apr 15, 2020)

Simple... as more and more people are tested, and a more clear picture is emerging, they are finding the mortality rate isn't really any different than other virus's. It's way past time to open the country up. There are too many people using this panic to trample our constitution. 

I guess the only good news is there are now no longer any deaths from influenza, heart disease, obesity, or lung complications,  seeing as how they are all being lumped into this virus. (sarcasm)


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## win231 (Apr 15, 2020)

squatting dog said:


> Simple... as more and more people are tested, and a more clear picture is emerging, they are finding the mortality rate isn't really any different than other virus's. It's way past time to open the country up. There are too many people using this panic to trample our constitution.
> 
> I guess the only good news is there are now no longer any deaths from influenza, heart disease, obesity, or lung complications,  seeing as how they are all being lumped into this virus. (sarcasm)


And, there is no more crime to report.....


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## jujube (Apr 15, 2020)

My fear is that as soon as "they" announce an improvement in the situation and start re-opening businesses, there is going to be a huge surge in people going out and an increase in cases.  AND then the whole process starts all over again.


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## win231 (Apr 15, 2020)

jujube said:


> My fear is that as soon as "they" announce an improvement in the situation and start re-opening businesses, there is going to be a huge surge in people going out and an increase in cases.  AND then the whole process starts all over again.


I don't know about a "surge."  I just came from shopping.  Traffic was lighter than usual but both parking lots were full.


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## johndoe (Apr 15, 2020)

Ideally, the time to open up is when there is no more transmission because there is no one left out in public to transmit the disease. Those that had it will be cured or dead. The problem is how long will it take for that to be the case? It could take a year or more and what was formerly normal could be lost and difficult to regain. Since all the pieces are in place with ventilators and the like to deal with the virus, some re-transmission could be an acceptable risk by re-opening.


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## chic (Apr 15, 2020)

Since the "experts" believe it will be unsafe to reopen the world until the spring of 2022, you've got to consider how many deaths there would by other means than the virus itself, although related to it. Can people live in a quarantined social distancing state for two years? Is it fair to even ask this of us? We're not soldiers. We didn't sign on for prolonged deprivation and hardship. We're just caught up in a situation not of our making.


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## Butterfly (Apr 15, 2020)

chic said:


> Since the "experts" believe it will be unsafe to reopen the world until the spring of 2022, you've got to consider how many deaths there would by other means than the virus itself, although related to it. Can people live in a quarantined social distancing state for two years? Is it fair to even ask this of us? We're not soldiers. We didn't sign on for prolonged deprivation and hardship. We're just caught up in a situation not of our making.



I agree that this is very difficult, but though I didn't sign up for all this social distancing, etc., I don't want to drown in my own lung secretions, either.  "Fair" (though I don't see how "fair" enters into it)  or not, it's the hand we've been dealt, and IMHO it beats being dead.


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## Rosemarie (Apr 15, 2020)

jujube said:


> My fear is that as soon as "they" announce an improvement in the situation and start re-opening businesses, there is going to be a huge surge in people going out and an increase in cases.  AND then the whole process starts all over again.


Yes, this will happen if the virus is still active and present on all surfaces. People still need to be vigilant about cleanliness.


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## Furryanimal (Apr 16, 2020)

I am convinced that no government has an exit strategy for this.Even if it was possible to test everyone on the planet as my friend said you could be tested today and not have it and catch it tomorrow.
These things have turned up throughout history and killed millions.But whatever it was many recovered and many simply didn’t get it at all.The human race survived.
Unless governments plan to keep us in isolation forever (and any government that tried this would be overthrown)you have to release the shackles and let us take our chances.The Spanish flu, which was really
American flu ,was around for about three years.It died out in the end.
The major problem in my book was countries repatriating their citizens from China and not banning travel to and from there


at the outset.And I remain suspicious of how quickly it spread around the world.Nothing happens that quickly normally.
i am slowly going nuts.My only social contact is with shopkeepers and bus drivers.I fear for  mine and everyone elses mental health if this goes for too long.


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## Aneeda72 (Apr 16, 2020)

Furryanimal said:


> I am convinced that no government has an exit strategy for this.Even if it was possible to test everyone on the planet as my friend said you could be tested today and not have it and catch it tomorrow.
> These things have turned up throughout history and killed millions.But whatever it was many recovered and many simply didn’t get it at all.The human race survived.
> Unless governments plan to keep us in isolation forever (and any government that tried this would be overthrown)you have to release the shackles and let us take our chances.The Spanish flu, which was really
> American flu ,was around for about three years.It died out in the end.
> ...


I’ve always been pretty isolated since I retired from work so that’s not a problem for me, used to talking to shopkeepers, not used to just grocery clerks.  I think we should open up as well.  Us old folks can decide, on our own, whether we want to go or not.

On a concerning note, cases continue to grow in our state.  And in NJ, they just found several dead in a nursing home due to a tip.


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## Sunny (Apr 16, 2020)

Nothing is reopening by the end of the month. To do so would be suicidal.  It's a phony political promise.


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## squatting dog (Apr 16, 2020)

Sunny said:


> Nothing is reopening by the end of the month. To do so would be suicidal.  It's a phony political promise.


I'd place a wager on that. Of course, I'm cheating because outside of school closures and no groups larger than 10 people, Arkansas has not had one mandatory shutdown. Most of life here has gone on as always. 
Interesting to look at different states and how they're stomping on the bill of rights.


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## Em in Ohio (Apr 16, 2020)




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## Aunt Bea (Apr 16, 2020)

The good news is that we've proven social distancing works to slow/stop the spread and the healthcare system has been stress tested to prove that it can handle the current number of cases.

I think that business should be able to reopen gradually as long as we don't become complacent with social distancing, masks, hand washing, etc...

For me being retired, I'm free to resume my normal activities when I'm comfortable with it and that probably won't be anytime soon.


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## Em in Ohio (Apr 16, 2020)

PLEASE REMEMBER - This started at the end of February in the US with ONE PERSON (around 6 weeks ago).  Now, look how it spread!

- The first US case reported:  Feb. 26, 2020: 1st case of suspected local transmission in United States:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms the first case of COVID-19 in a patient in California with no travel history to an outbreak area, nor contact with anyone diagnosed with the virus.COVID-19: U.S. at a Glance*†  As of April 15th 2020 from:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

Total cases: 605,390
Total deaths: 24,582
Jurisdictions reporting cases: 55 (50 states, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)


*As of April 14, 2020, CDC case counts and death counts include both confirmed and probable cases and deaths. This change was made to reflect an interim COVID-19 position statement issued by the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists on April 5, 2020. The position statement included a case definition and made COVID-19 a nationally notifiable disease.
A confirmed case or death is defined by meeting confirmatory laboratory evidence for COVID-19. A probable case or death is defined by i) meeting clinical criteria AND epidemiologic evidence with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19; or ii) meeting presumptive laboratory evidence AND either clinical criteria OR epidemiologic evidence; or iii) meeting vital records criteria with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID19.
State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases. In the event of a discrepancy between CDC cases and cases reported by state and local public health officials, data reported by states should be considered the most up to date.


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## squatting dog (Apr 16, 2020)

That's odd, searching for a timeline brought up this from several sites...  The first reported case in the U.S. was in Washington state on January 21, 2020, which affected a man who had returned from Wuhan, China. He was released after two weeks of treatment. A few days later, another case was reported in Chicago, by a woman who had also just returned from Wuhan.[79] A third case was confirmed a day later in Orange County, California


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## Em in Ohio (Apr 16, 2020)

squatting dog said:


> That's odd, searching for a timeline brought up this from several sites...  The first reported case in the U.S. was in Washington state on January 21, 2020, which affected a man who had returned from Wuhan, China. He was released after two weeks of treatment. A few days later, another case was reported in Chicago, by a woman who had also just returned from Wuhan.[79] A third case was confirmed a day later in Orange County, California


I think the difference is in the term 'local transmission.'  (The first US case reported: Feb. 26, 2020: 1st case of suspected local transmission in United States )  That means they were not exposed because of travel to hotspots or a known carrier.  i.e. they don't know how the person got it.  I think the CDC is now calling it  "Community-acquired cases."  I should have included the other paragraph.

"Feb. 26, 2020: 1st case of suspected local transmission in United States:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms the first case of COVID-19 in a patient in California with no travel history to an outbreak area, nor contact with anyone diagnosed with the virus. It's suspected to be the first instance of local transmission in the United States. Oregon, Washington and New York soon report their own cases of possible community transmission.

Feb. 29, 2020: 1st death reported in United States:  The first COVID-19 death is reported in Washington state, after a man with no travel history to China dies on Feb. 28 at Evergreen Health Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington. Two deaths that occurred Feb. 26 at a nearby nursing home would later be recorded as the first COVID-19 deaths to occur in the United States."

U.S. COVID-19 cases include: 

Imported cases in travelers
Cases among close contacts of a known case
Community-acquired cases where the source of the infection is unknown."


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## garyt1957 (Apr 16, 2020)

jujube said:


> My fear is that as soon as "they" announce an improvement in the situation and start re-opening businesses, there is going to be a huge surge in people going out and an increase in cases.  AND then the whole process starts all over again.


Seems obvious, doesn't it? I guess we'll see.


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