# What is less than 7?



## JaniceM (Jun 24, 2020)

Only the most recent example of what I consider the locale's weird speech:

On the news, a local store was reported to have covid among some of its employees.  
Someone from the store said it's not too much of a concern, because "less than seven" employees were positive for the virus.  

What would you take "less than seven" to mean?  Six?  Two?  Undetermined and they don't want to say?  
And wouldn't you consider this type of wording to be odd?


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## Keesha (Jun 24, 2020)

My husband is from the east and they have some unusual sayings. I now just accept them as just that;unusual.


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## Pepper (Jun 24, 2020)

I would assume 6 people have the virus.


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## JaniceM (Jun 24, 2020)

Pepper said:


> I would assume 6 people have the virus.


I see your location, so it's not surprising we came to the same conclusion.   

But why the heck didn't they just say that?!?


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## Pepper (Jun 24, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> I see your location, so it's not surprising we came to the same conclusion.
> 
> But why the heck didn't they just say that?!?


Janice, I can't figure people out except to say they usually do the opposite from what I understand.


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## Keesha (Jun 24, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> But why the heck didn't they just say that?!?


Cause then it wouldn’t be their custom terminology and cause ‘people are weird.’


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## Pecos (Jun 24, 2020)

It is rather difficult to imagine that 6 1/2 people had the virus.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 24, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> Only the most recent example of what I consider the locale's weird speech:
> 
> On the news, a local store was reported to have covid among some of its employees.
> Someone from the store said it's not too much of a concern, because "less than seven" employees were positive for the virus.
> ...


Totally odd!


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## Kaila (Jun 24, 2020)

I would guess it means 6.

But @Pecos  could also be correct with the math!


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## C'est Moi (Jun 24, 2020)

Maybe he didn't know if the number was 5 or 6, and didn't want to state an exact number.


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## Tommy (Jun 25, 2020)

I agree with C'est Moi.  Perhaps there is a group of six individuals, some known to have the virus, others suspected but not yet confirmed.  As a native midwesterner that's how I'd interpret it.

I'm wondering why the person feels "it's not too much of a concern".


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## Ronni (Jun 25, 2020)

I have a bit of a different take.  I think that "less than seven" sounds somewhat less threatening than just saying 6 people have tested positive.  It's somewhat ambiguous and leaves one to draw ones own conclusion,  sort of diffusing the fact that THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH COVID IN THE STORE!!!!

I mean, clearly the reporter? is trying to minimize the concern.  He even says so!  So reporting the outbreak in a way that sounds less threatening just makes sense.


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## JaniceM (Jun 25, 2020)

@Tommy and @Ronni That was my first guess-  figuring he didn't want to alarm people, especially potential customers.


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## fmdog44 (Jun 25, 2020)

What if the total number of employees is 8?


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## JustBonee (Jun 25, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> Only the most recent example of what I consider the locale's weird speech:
> 
> On the news, a local store was reported to have covid among some of its employees.
> Someone from the store said it's not too much of a concern, because "less than seven" employees were positive for the virus.
> ...




Nothing anyone is saying about the virus anymore makes any sense  .....  and remember this world-wide pandemic  started with ONE person in China.


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