Re: The Coronavirus Thread - Part 1

by Vibe Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:26 pm

Hapless_Hans wrote:So, a few impressions and updates from the city of Berlin

Berlin so far hasn't been a hot zone of the infection in Germany, Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia were hit earlier and harder, and so life in Berlin hasn't been drastically different in the last 2-3 weeks as you might have been expecting from the surrounding news environment.
We've had the first confirmed cases only 2 weeks ago, the number has since risen to almost 300 (still relatively little in a big city), with no deaths.
One particular night in one particular night club in the Charlottenburg district, called "Trompete" (trumpet), was singlehandedly responsble for like 50% of Berlin's infected for while, so there also was this odd anecdotal and cozy flavour to the already very slow-burning thriller that the local Corona outbreak had been until now.

Yes, there's been the notorious, reflexive shortages in supermarkets, pasta, canned food and toilet paper, and they've become more glaring every day.
But the supermarkets are open, you can enter them normally, you can get stuff, people are shopping rather normally in behaviour (a friend of mine recounts though he saw two women fighting over a bulb of fennel, bizarrely).
Restaurants are still open, they're supposed to have a certain distance now between tables, and as the last few days have been rather beautiful and sunny people have been frequenting the cafés and restaurants, too.
People do not wear face masks in Berlin, so far, honestly the only two people I saw wearing them when I rode through my district on Saturday were two Asian students.

Now, the winter in Berlin is gritty, it's dark, damp and dirty and everyone is depressed, so usually in the first days of spring like this weekend, city life explodes onto the streets and cafés, people drinking and running around everywhere, or as we say, the loonies come out to play.
In the context of this, now everything has been very muted indeed, but in the last days there was much more a holiday feel to city life than that of a deserted, postapocalyptic hellscape.

But the changes have been gradual, and they've been steady.
First big events stopped happening, than all other followed. Clubs are closed. Since a couple of days, bars and pubs are now closed. The cinemas are closing. Theatres are closed.

Mid last week, I still went to a birthday party in a bar, with a small live concert, and I had the drunk-talking spit of what I must assume to be 20 different people on my face lol.
Then, I was planning to go to a concert on Saturday, small venue, Canadian singer Jessy Lanza @warrior @elfmeter, been looking forward to it since months, and it wasn't canceled until Friday. But then it was.

As for the impact on my life, well, I work for a small company providing rental furniture for events, from smallish to medium-big ones, so you can guess.
Since 2 weeks, every single job and order has been been canceled. We were doing incredibly well, actually rather having to struggle with the amount of growth loaded onto our few heads, and in the midst of investing our overflowing income heavily into the future infrastructure, now from one day to the next the revenue of our operation is exactly zero and it's not clear when it's going to change. It's not clear whether we will be even able to get cancellation fees as everyone else involved, agencies, locations, caterers, etc, are in the same situations.
We will survive for a couple of months or three, maybe for 4 with more harshly reduced salary. But then we're toast. Or anyway, we'll have to apply for emergency loans, reduced work assistance, etc.
It's not pretty, and yet there's a whole world full of people going through the same, or much worse, right now.
But then on the bright side, I'm pretty sure I don't have covid; sniffing, sneezing, sore throat, that's a good old common cold.

And nothing about my situation worries me in any way, whatsoever, as much as I worry for my mum and my dad, who are both in their 70s.

So brothers and sisters, stay safe, look out for each other, and don't forget what it's like to come together and meet one another in the flesh, because this will blow over and we will meet again.

And I sure hope Italy won't change its culture too much, after they've survived this. @Robespierre
Nor Spain. It's a beautiful way of living, going out, being in the street and in the pub.

Sorry about your business man. Hope you can make it and this ends soon.

This is where I got "lucky", my business literally is coronavirus Laughing

by Jay29 Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:58 pm

Update from the proactive and sensible land of the UK:

Boris has said everyone now needs to avoid all non-essential travel and contact and must work at home where possible. If you're healthy and not in contact with anyone displaying symptoms, you can go into work if's impossible to work from home. (more on this later)

However, bars, restaurants, and other non-essential businesses will remain open. As will schools. For some reason.

If anyone within a household has displayed symptoms, anyone else living there is advised to isolate for 14 days.

Boris says people should avoid leaving the house "even to buy food or essentials" (how's that gonna work, you pillock?)

We're allowed to go out for walks to exercise as long as its not in groups.

Anyone in the high risk group - over 70s, pregnant women, anyone with an underlying health problem - will be asked to remain at home for 12 weeks in the coming days.

So, we're slowly catching up with the rest of Europe with these measures. School closures are only a matter of time. Closing the majority of businesses when idiots continue to gather in groups is only a matter of time.

As for me, my university has moved to online classes now, but are keeping its libraries open (all 18 of them) for now. This means I'm still going to work, because I can't do my job from home.

However, I've come home with a sore throat, a lot of phlegm, and aches. My mother has been coughing all week (not a dry one, though) and didn't go to her job. My nephew has a snotty nose and chesty cough and has been off school. So, technically, I should be going into isolation for the next 14 days.

by Hapless_Hans Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:16 pm

Stay at home as much as possible. Listen to the experts, ignore the morons (foreheads). We will get through this together. pic.twitter.com/FRg41QehuB
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 16, 2020

by Firenze Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:03 pm

seeing vids in italy of people holding balcony discos for others Proud

by Perucho21 Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:02 am

Welp NYC now has the curfew in place Laughing

Gyms and cinemas are indefinitely closed. Restaurants only stay open until 8 and can only do take outs and delivery.

As I write this I'm on my way to pick up this delicious Chinese food

by Jay29 Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:54 am

Went to bed shivering. Now have a fever. Can't sleep but feel oddly hungry. Also no coughing, which is odd, because I was coughing throughout the day.

Anyway, seems I've got something.

My houehold of four adults and three young kids - the oldest of whom is 5 - will be locked down for 2 weeks now. We're either going to come out the strongest family ever or murder each other by day 5.

by CBarca Tue Mar 17, 2020 2:46 am

So many GL folk seem to be getting it (or something similar, or perhaps it's just sickness...).

Hope you get better soon Jay Sad

by guest_07 Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:36 am

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim
& Good day to the rest

Pray to God.

Hopefully
God help you all.

by Nishankly Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:20 am

Latest news from France:

We are under a 15 day minimum complete shutdown. Only pharmacies and Supermarkets are open. But even if you want to walk your dog or buy a single baguette, you need to sign an online declaration form to be able to leave your front door for anything.

The fine ranges from 38€ to 115€

Army called in to supervise the deployment of this rule. It starts today at 12pm.

I think I'll go stock up on alcohol asap.

by iftikhar Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:04 am

Any words from @M99? Doesn't he live in Italy?

by Hapless_Hans Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:22 am

guest_07 wrote:Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim
& Good day to the rest

Pray to God.

Hopefully
God help you all.

There is no god. Sorry to break it to you, brother.

by M99 Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:52 am

iftikhar wrote:Any words from @M99? Doesn't he live in Italy?

Where did you get that from lol?

I live in New York, city's in complete lockdown now. Thanks for the concern, howa re things back in BD?

by The Demon of Carthage Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:58 am

About the first human trial of a vaccine in Seattle, experts say it will still take many months to know if this vaccine, or others also in research, will work.

But even if these initial safety tests go well, it could still take up to 18 months for any potential vaccine to become available for the public.

by Robespierre Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:26 am

iftikhar wrote:Any words from @M99? Doesn't he live in Italy?

Just me does it here on GL

by Robespierre Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:26 am

Hapless_Hans wrote:
guest_07 wrote:Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim
& Good day to the rest

Pray to God.

Hopefully
God help you all.

There is no god. Sorry to break it to you, brother.

He meant Riquelme

by El Gunner Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:26 am

Never knew we had so many New Yorkers. Are you all immigrants there Laughing

by El Gunner Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:28 am

guest_07 wrote:Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim
& Good day to the rest

Pray to God.

Hopefully
God help you all.

Salaam akhi
Hope you stay safe as well

by rincon Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:57 am

2 weeks later I finally woke up feeling much better. Pretty sure its behind me now and I'll be out of it within a week. It hit me quite hard while my partner had the 'mild' version. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, cough, sore throat, fatigue, headache, mild fever, it's all mostly gone or diminished in the last 2 days. Only the cough remains strong.

Need to regain energy and strength since I feel very weak. Most importantly regain lung capacity once I can breath normally as it is extremely reduced right now.

by Hapless_Hans Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:08 am

Incredibly glad to hear you're doing better @rincon

You say 2 weeks, that's since the symptoms started? How long was the peak of it?

by rincon Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:45 am

Yes about 2 weeks overall. The first days (before I realized the possibility and quarsntined) was shortness of breath. Then it quickly became stronger and I would say the peak was about a week. Now for the last 3 days or so it has been improving, so past the peak. Particularly today I feel significantly better.

by RealGunner Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:53 am

That's great to hear man.

by Zagadka Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:49 am

Quarantine...Day 4

Decided to make the vlogs every other day instead of everyday, so I can focus on the quality of content and editing...not easy since I make them in 4 languages and delivery has to be spot on for each...and of course work during the week.

Watch to the end to see the stupidity of some people (the girl is from Queen's Uni in Kingston, ON)

Quarantine vlog, Day 4.

Social Distancing?? It’s nothing new!#coronavirus #COVID19 #SocialDistancing pic.twitter.com/Mwlb4MGLQi
— Sepp (@seppushka) March 17, 2020

by The Demon of Carthage Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:25 pm

@Sepp, lovely content, keep it up my man.

Also, when I went to your Twitter profile to see the video, I found this gem. Some people have the skills to be comedian and they don't even realize it:

This lady is a nurse in Tennessee.

She just left the grocery - it’s chaos - and she’s tired.

“Y’all, there are so many stupid people in this world...” pic.twitter.com/BCMSMm31vr
— Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) March 16, 2020

by The Demon of Carthage Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:28 pm

@rincon, glad you're getting better. Keep resting.

by The Demon of Carthage Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:29 pm

"Al-Qaida has now a WFH policy" - Sepp you killed me rofl

by guest_07 Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:38 pm

Hapless_Hans wrote:
guest_07 wrote:Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh to Muslim
& Good day to the rest

Pray to God.

Hopefully
God help you all.

There is no god. Sorry to break it to you, brother.

Its ok.

I with my belief,
you with your belief.

My belief make
me calm & steady
despite surrounded by
panic & worrying peoples.

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