COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic

[kanc]

I never had my real job before, and I'm looking forward for it... but it's getting hard due to pandemic And I don't mean the part time job i had long time..

I also wanted to go on trip across USA, like Texas.. It's getting very hard to recover.

 

[RandomMe]

Looks like the new Spongebob movie will be released in theaters in Canada soon:

Box Office: ‘Sonic’ Bombs In China As ‘SpongeBob 3’ Gets Canadian Theatrical Release

Did 'Sonic' open soft due to the "new normal" or because Chinse moviegoers weren't into 'Sonic' or Jim Carrey?

www.forbes.com

It does seem like some studios will release movies in other countries that are not as hard hit by Covid-19.

Like Portugal (except Lisbon, the city was hit by a second wave).

 

[Asa]

Well, I am taking it seriously as I was reluctant on going to the cinemas when it was announced that they would reopen during this month and the old normal is already gone.

I doubt the old normal is gone forever. I'm sure it'll come back next year or two.

 

[Light Lucario]

I doubt the old normal is gone forever. I'm sure it'll come back next year or two.

I don't know about that. While movie theaters are hoping to be able to release movies again within the next year or two, I'm really not sure if they'll be able to survive at this rate.

 

[Asa]

I don't know about that. While movie theaters are hoping to be able to release movies again within the next year or two, I'm really not sure if they'll be able to survive at this rate.

Well, let's all just wait and see.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I actually feel bad for the kids, more so than anybody else. Kids are having major interruptions in their education, who knows how well they can catch up. Also younger kids might feel like the world we live is “normal” just because they don’t know any better. Kids are missing out on stuff like birthday parties, summer camp, and other things that builds childhood memories.

 

[wonderfly]

I actually feel bad for the kids, more so than anybody else. Kids are having major interruptions in their education, who knows how well they can catch up. Also younger kids might feel like the world we live is “normal” just because they don’t know any better. Kids are missing out on stuff like birthday parties, summer camp, and other things that builds childhood memories.

Covid-19 is certainly turning into the defining adolescent experience for Gen Z, much like the Sept. 11th attacks for Millennials and the Fall of the Berlin Wall (or arguably the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster) for Gen X.

My kids are going to be required to wear face masks in school this Fall. That's just...something you won't forget as you get older.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

Covid-19 is certainly turning into the defining adolescent experience for Gen Z, much like the Sept. 11th attacks for Millennials and the Fall of the Berlin Wall (or arguably the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster) for Gen X.

The thing about those is that they lasted a day, and for the most part life went to mostly normal the next day for most people. Or at least that’s how I remember 9/11 being for me as a 6th grader who lived nowhere near New York. Obviously it would be different for people who lived in the area of knew someone who was involved.

My kids are going to be required to wear face masks in school this Fall. That's just...something you won't forget as you get older.

Your kids have to physically go to school? My district is going virtual at the start of the year, but we are going to move into half the kids go Monday’s/Wednesday’s and the other half go Tuesday’s/Thursday’s at some point. I don’t know how we are going to enforce masks. There are some kids we can’t get to spit out their gum or put their phones away, how are we going to get them to keep their mask on? Not to mention social distancing. I’m always being hugged, grabbed at, groped, etc by kids. They also are fascinated by my whistle and always want to blow it. How are we going to explain keep your distance to young kids? I want to go to my job. Seriously, I’m sick and tired of being in my parents house where I have to play the role of the teen daughter. If I found out that school magically opened tomorrow, I would be there in a heartbeat, I just don’t understand how it can be done though. Well that’s my rant for today.

 

[Light Lucario]

I actually feel bad for the kids, more so than anybody else. Kids are having major interruptions in their education, who knows how well they can catch up. Also younger kids might feel like the world we live is “normal” just because they don’t know any better. Kids are missing out on stuff like birthday parties, summer camp, and other things that builds childhood memories.

I never did stuff like summer camp, but summer was still supposed to be fun and relaxing for kids. A lot of kids can't do that now and that is pretty rough.

Covid-19 is certainly turning into the defining adolescent experience for Gen Z, much like the Sept. 11th attacks for Millennials and the Fall of the Berlin Wall (or arguably the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster) for Gen X.

My kids are going to be required to wear face masks in school this Fall. That's just...something you won't forget as you get older.

It will be even worse if one of their classmates or teachers get sick. I truly hope that your kids will be safe, but the prospect of having on-campus learning for this upcoming year doesn't look good. I've heard of many teachers in different states who get sick just from having on-campus meetings to discuss reopening plans. All of the schools I went to at least a few hundred people on campus at a time. The hallways are always full of students, so there's no way to social distance. Not to mention enforcing mask wearing could be difficult.

Virtual learning should be required for at least the next school year. That might not be the easiest solution. It is hard to do classes all day at home, especially when there's no breaks, and I'm sure it's a huge burden on the teachers too. It's just the safest option. More time and resources should be put into making virtual learning affordable and easier instead of wasting efforts on reopening on campus learning. Cases will just increase in those states/counties and they'll just have to close schools down again anyway.

The thing about those is that they lasted a day, and for the most part life went to mostly normal the next day for most people. Or at least that’s how I remember 9/11 being for me as a 6th grader who lived nowhere near New York. Obviously it would be different for people who lived in the area of knew someone who was involved.

I don't know how normal it was for most people. I didn't really fully understand 9/11 when it happened myself, but I clearly remember most of my teachers being depressed for pretty much the rest of that week. A lot of people sadly dealt with more racist garbage too. It definitely had a huge impact on the entire country too. People were scared, a lot of people were full of anger, and the first time I heard the term collective trauma was in relation to 9/11. It was probably a more impactful moment if you lived within the area or knew someone who passed away, but the single day had a huge impact on the entire country. COVID-19 isn't a single day, but it has drastically affected people one way or another. We can't really get back to a pre-9/11 time much like I don't think we'll be able to get to a pre-COVID-19 time at this rate.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I don't know how normal it was for most people. I didn't really fully understand 9/11 when it happened myself, but I clearly remember most of my teachers being depressed for pretty much the rest of that week. A lot of people sadly dealt with more racist garbage too. It definitely had a huge impact on the entire country too. People were scared, a lot of people were full of anger, and the first time I heard the term collective trauma was in relation to 9/11. It was probably a more impactful moment if you lived within the area or knew someone who passed away, but the single day had a huge impact on the entire country. COVID-19 isn't a single day, but it has drastically affected people one way or another. We can't really get back to a pre-9/11 time much like I don't think we'll be able to get to a pre-COVID-19 time at this rate.

Yeah I know that people were depressed, scared, etc, but we (or at least I) still went to school like normal. I went to the state fair with my family the following weekend like normal. My family got upgraded to digital cable a couple of days later like we had scheduled. I still went to Girl Scouts every Tuesday like normally did. (Which come to think of it, 9/11 was on a Tuesday. I don’t remember if that meeting was canceled.)

I’m not saying that everyone forgot about 9/11 on 9/12 nor am I saying that nobody’s life was impacted. I fully understand that I would be telling a different story right now if I lived in the New York area and/or knew somebody who did. To me, Covid-19 is like if something on the scale of 9/11 happened once a month for the entire year.

I apologize if I sound rude. That is not my intent.

 

[Light Lucario]

Yeah I know that people were depressed, scared, etc, but we (or at least I) still went to school like normal. I went to the state fair with my family the following weekend like normal. My family got upgraded to digital cable a couple of days later like we had scheduled. I still went to Girl Scouts every Tuesday like normally did. (Which come to think of it, 9/11 was on a Tuesday. I don’t remember if that meeting was canceled.)

I’m not saying that everyone forgot about 9/11 on 9/12 nor am I saying that nobody’s life was impacted. I fully understand that I would be telling a different story right now if I lived in the New York area and/or knew somebody who did. To me, Covid-19 is like if something on the scale of 9/11 happened once a month for the entire year.

I apologize if I sound rude. That is not my intent.

Don't worry, I don't think that you sounded rude or anything like that. I just wouldn't say that life was normal for most people. Admittedly, I don't remember a lot of what happened to me shortly after it happened. I remember waking up to my Dad watching the news on TV, that classes were effectively cancelled for the day while we watched the news and I'm pretty sure the teachers were sad for the rest of the week.

For me, COVID-19 is if we had to deal with something on the scale of 9/11 every day. Or at least the fear and panic from that time every day. I've never been a big fan of social gatherings or large crowds, but I feel such dread whenever I see a bunch of people playing in the park while I try to walk my dog and I try to figure out how to avoid them. I get more nervous with people walking behind me, especially when there is a solid chance that they aren't wearing masks or wearing masks properly. I don't focus on it all the time, but it is nerve racking to try following the safety measures while other people around you clearly aren't doing so. That's a big reason why I don't think we'll be able to get back to our old normal. That kind of internal tension and panic doesn't go away so easily.

 

[wonderfly]

Brief side discussion: yeah, life went on like normal for good chunks of the country, but the Sept. 11th, 2001 attacks affected the whole nation for the rest of that year and on into 2002, with the Afghanistan War, airport screenings, American Flags on every corner, terrorist plots being feared (and thwarted). It was a time of fear and hurting and resolve and pride (if all that makes sense). The next time the country psyche shifted was with the onset of the Iraq War in March, 2003. That really split public opinion, and the "united" stage of America, from the Fall 2001 to Spring 2003 ended.

But I get what you're saying, Dr. Pepper.

Your kids have to physically go to school? My district is going virtual at the start of the year, but we are going to move into half the kids go Monday’s/Wednesday’s and the other half go Tuesday’s/Thursday’s at some point.

We have the option. Parents can enroll in virtual school, or enroll their kids in public school. Masks are to be worn on the bus and in hallways, there will be hopefully adequate spacing in classrooms, there will be temperature checks and lots of restrictions in place. I mean, if everyone in a packed Walmart aisle can wear a facemask, everyone in a school hallway can wear a mask.

Plus I'm also taking into account that kids are more immune (or have mild symptoms) to the virus

And yes, if there's a significant outbreak, we could be right back to where we were in the Spring, with home schooling.

My church, after being closed in March and April, and then slowly resuming some church activities over the course of May, June, and July, are set to resume full Sunday school classes in August. Virtual church services are still available (we broadcast on Facebook and Youtube). People are weighing the risks and determining what they think is appropriate.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

I doubt the old normal is gone forever. I'm sure it'll come back next year or two.

I never said they were gone forever.

 

[Red Arrow]

In Belgium, certain age groups were allowed to go back to school in June. On June 30th, my mother saw children crying because vacation started.

I don't know if this is true for the USA, but I always loved school and didn't like vacation so much as a child, and this seems to be true for most children (age 2-12) here. The "I hate school" idea prevalent in American cartoons is quite alien to us.

In September, it has been announced that all Flemish schools will reopen, regardless of a possible third wave. However, anyone above the age of 12 has to wear a mask (teenagers as well as all teachers), and teenagers can only go to school 4 days a week.

Analyses of covid-19 cases worldwide suggests that the coronavirus is spread from adults to other adults, and from adults to children, but not from children to adults or from children to other children. This means schools can stay open for children age 2-12 as long as teachers are very careful.

Closing schools was a really bad idea. Some children will have had vacation for 6 months... The quality of online education heavily depends on the strictness of parents.

I don't remember 9/11, I do remember the bombings of Brussels Airport by ISIS nutjobs in 2016, and I don't find it similar.

 

[Fone Bone]

Analyses of covid-19 cases worldwide suggests that the coronavirus is spread from adults to other adults, and from adults to children, but not from children to adults or from children to other children. This means schools can stay open for children age 2-12 as long as teachers are very careful.

Not so.

New Evidence Suggests Young Children Spread Covid-19 More Efficiently Than Adults

Two new studies from different parts of the world arrived at the same conclusion: that young children not only transmit SARS-CoV-2 efficiently, but may be major drivers of the pandemic as well.

www.forbes.com

 

[Red Arrow]

Not so.

New Evidence Suggests Young Children Spread Covid-19 More Efficiently Than Adults

Two new studies from different parts of the world arrived at the same conclusion: that young children not only transmit SARS-CoV-2 efficiently, but may be major drivers of the pandemic as well.

www.forbes.com

Oh my god, I have been hearing the opposite in the last few months. This article is from two weeks ago and I guess it's already outdated!

Children rarely transmit coronavirus to others, studies confirm

www.brusselstimes.com

 

[wonderfly]

Oh my god, I have been hearing the opposite in the last few months. This article is from two weeks ago and I guess it's already outdated!

Children rarely transmit coronavirus to others, studies confirm

www.brusselstimes.com

Some things to consider:

The study done (in Switzerland) in your link, Red Arrow, was done from March 10th to April 10th, 2020.

The study done (in Chicago) in Fone Bone's link was done from March 23rd to April 27th, 2020. That's roughly the same period. Both studies are just recently published (in July).

That's kind of the way these studies work, we get the results weeks/months later. Look for more studies published in the coming months, for studies that have been conducted over the summer.

This article on the Chicago study has some quotes that are relevant (parts in bold are my doing):

For this study, Heald-Sargent and her colleagues took a look back at nasal samples taken from 145 patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

The researchers found that young children had average viral loads 10 to 100 times greater than adults.

"Kids certainly have virus and are replicating virus in their nose as efficiently, if not more efficiently, than adults," Heald-Sargent said. "It would be logical they can also spread the virus or transmit the virus."

However, that infection risk simply hasn't been demonstrated in real-world epidemiological studies, counters Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in Baltimore.

"It's one thing to find virus in the nasal passages of a child versus finding epidemiological evidence of children passing it on to other people," Adalja said. "That's the key thing -- we're still not seeing outbreaks being driven by children to the extent they are driven by older individuals, and that's despite the fact that they have the virus in their nose."

According to the CDC, just 7% of U.S. COVID-19 cases, and less than 0.1% of related deaths, have occurred in people under the age of 18. And so far in 2020, fewer children have died from COVID-19 than typically die from the flu in a given year.

It remains a mystery why kids haven't been shown to be as infectious as adults when it comes to COVID-19, Adalja said.

It could be that children don't get as sick and therefore don't cough as much, spreading airborne virus, Adalja said. It also could be that because children are smaller, their airborne respiratory particles are more likely to fall to the ground before an adult can inhale them.

Heald-Sargent thinks the problem might be with the timing of the epidemiologic studies that showed low transmission rates in children.

"A lot of the epidemiologic surveys have been done in a period of social distancing and isolation, where schools were shut down quite early and day cares as well," Heald-Sargent said. "The people who were going out in the community were the adults. They were the ones at work and going to the store."

As lockdown restrictions have relaxed, more spread is being observed among children, Heald-Sargent said.

For example, a study from South Korea earlier this month found that kids 10 or older can spread the virus just as efficiently as adults.

"I'm not saying schools shouldn't reopen or day cares shouldn't reopen. It's a very nuanced and complicated discussion, and different for different areas," Heald-Sargent said. "We can't assume that children cannot spread the virus. Everyone is assuming because it hasn't been seen, it does not happen. Now I think we need to challenge that assumption."

 

[IDistractedYou]

I am late to the thread but how is everyone doing with the ongoing pandemic?

I am not the most social and pretty much stayed at home before this but it is even wearing on me. I care for my mostly independent, but doesn't drive, Mum who is a lung cancer survivor with 1 lung so I am extra cautious. My husband while not immunocompromised is the type that a strong cold can knock him back for weeks. I'm fortunate enough to have a pretty hearty immune system but do my part by wearing a mask, limiting trips, etc.

That being said we did have a COVID scare at work on my team and reading about what this virus does and the as of yet unknown long term effects it is frightening. I mean we know now Shingles comes from Chickenpox so from this...shudders. I did get tested twice at a local pharmacy it is uncomfortable but not painful. (One test was inconclusive hence the second) Only side effects were a headache and sneezing afterward from having a big Q-Tip shoved up into my brain. I try to keep informed but the sheer amount of information and misinformation out there I do not always have the emotional and mental bandwidth to keep on top of it. But still err on the side of caution as here in the US I doubt this is ending anytime soon. Though I do wonder if we'll see a decrease in the common cold and flu this year due to mask use and sanitation?

I have been fortunate enough or unfortunate given your take to keep working for a home improvement chain overnights. So my public exposure is extremely limited at work. That being said I wear a mask for 10-12 hours a night throwing freight weighing 60-235lbs. around with no problem so I find it hard to believe people have a hard time wearing one for a Target run. (If that was too blunt for the the thread I apologize.)

One thing I have discovered is I am becoming less picky about the foods I buy regarding brands, types, etc. Bread running low? English muffins or tortillas work too. Can't find refrigerated milk? Try shelf stable cartons. Ketchup, mustard, vinegar (White and Apple Cider), and basic spices can be mixed to make sauces if they're sold out. Also I have found really good food (taste and "gourmet") items at unexpected places like the Dollar Store, Discount stores like Ollie's, Gabriel Brothers, etc have food as well.

Really hope everyone is doing well and is staying safe.

 

[Light Lucario]

We have the option. Parents can enroll in virtual school, or enroll their kids in public school. Masks are to be worn on the bus and in hallways, there will be hopefully adequate spacing in classrooms, there will be temperature checks and lots of restrictions in place. I mean, if everyone in a packed Walmart aisle can wear a facemask, everyone in a school hallway can wear a mask.

Putting aside how long it took Walmart to require masks for a moment, the two situations really aren't compatible. A lot of people go in and out of stores like Walmart every day, but they don't tend to spend six hours there five days a week like kids do with school. It's easier for people to social distance within a store since they're just going in and out to get what they want/need. I haven't been inside a Walmart for at least ten years, but they're pretty big too. Everyone can wear a mask while walking a school hallway, but I don't know how effective they'll actually be if there are hundreds of students crowded together. Based on the schools I went to, which does include a private high school and college, there just isn't enough room for students walk around the hallways while being six feet apart. There's also the issue of where people still refuse to wear masks going into stores. I don't think I've heard of any stories of that being a problem in Walmart specifically, but wearing a mask is still considered controversial for at least some people when it really shouldn't be.

I haven't been on a school bus since I was twelve, but if they're still full of chaos now as they were back then, I don't know how well they can manage wearing masks, especially when buses are also pretty crammed. They didn't even have seat belts installed when I was a kid, although I don't know if that has changed yet. The spacing issue in classrooms is also a big concern, especially when classrooms are usually pretty small. To be fair, maybe the public school system in your area is different than it is in mine and I'm going off a lot just by what I remember of what my schools were like too. But based on what I've seen and heard, on campus learning is just not a safe and viable option. If they really wanted to have schools reopen in time for the fall, the situation should have been handled better from the start and schools should have gotten more funding to help cover safety measures as opposed to being forced to reopen now when the situation is even worse than it was back in March.

Plus I'm also taking into account that kids are more immune (or have mild symptoms) to the virus

And yes, if there's a significant outbreak, we could be right back to where we were in the Spring, with home schooling.

I haven't heard of kids being more immune or having mild symptoms to the virus before, so I kind of find that notion questionable off the bat. I think there was an article a few weeks ago where nearly one hundred babies in Texas tested positive for the virus. There have been some cases of students testing positive just from starting school or doing some sport team tryouts too. Even if they do just have mild symptoms, they could still potentially spread the virus to other people, including their families and teachers. Not to mention the risk is still pretty high for all of the adults working at schools too.

In Belgium, certain age groups were allowed to go back to school in June. On June 30th, my mother saw children crying because vacation started.

I don't know if this is true for the USA, but I always loved school and didn't like vacation so much as a child, and this seems to be true for most children (age 2-12) here. The "I hate school" idea prevalent in American cartoons is quite alien to us.

It probably varies as to when it starts, but it's pretty common in the US to hate school for a number of reasons. It might not because of the education itself, but just dealing with terrible students and/or teachers. I think kids do like to learn, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll enjoy the school experience. Plus, our public education system is just flat out terrible. Teachers are paid so poorly, getting support for special needs is way more difficult than it needs to be and funding is pretty minimal, so I'm not sure how different it is in Belgium in that regard.

Closing schools was a really bad idea. Some children will have had vacation for 6 months... The quality of online education heavily depends on the strictness of parents.

I don't think it was a bad idea. It was a necessity back in March and I'd say it's still needed now with cases being even higher. Online education might not be the best way for a lot of kids to learn, especially kids in preschool, kindergarten and elementary school. Not to mention having the Internet and computer to handle online courses can be too difficult to manage as well, but I do think it's the only way for school to happen for the foreseeable future.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

Closing schools was a really bad idea. Some children will have had vacation for 6 months... The quality of online education heavily depends on the strictness of parents.

Exactly. I understand why they had to close them, but I wish it didn’t have to be that way. My principal told us about how there was this one family from our school that was ignoring emails and phone calls and not logging in to online classes. He went to their house, but no one answered the door, despite the fact the windows were open, the tv was on, and three cars were in the driveway. They obviously don’t care about school. Online schools are just not for everybody.