Kung Flu

[henry quirk]

Kirk: They're animals.

Spock: Jim, there is an historic opportunity here.

Kirk: Don't believe them. Don't trust them.

Spock: They're dying.

Kirk: Let them die!

[Luce]

Wuhan Flu ain't nothin to fuck wit

[Gravdigr]

I approve of the phrase Kung Flu.

[Clodfobble]

I have, admittedly, a bit of an apocalyptic mindset. I maintain that it's not unhealthy, however, because I'm also very sanguine about it--I fully accept that this thing is going to be a global pandemic with millions of deaths, and there's no point in panicking because there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Anyway. A friend of mine came down sick yesterday with a mystery respiratory illness, and is now in the ER for what they are thinking is a sudden overwhelming bout of asthma (she doesn't have a history of asthma.) Meanwhile, one of our weekly appointments just canceled today because the doc is out sick. Yes, yes, confirmation bias, sure, sure. I'm seeing what I expect to see. But they've already had two cases of folks who tested negative, were released from quarantine, and later tested positive--meaning it doesn't show up as early in the incubation period as we thought it did. There's also now a suspected case of transmission through the airway system of an apartment building, between residents who live ten floors apart--meaning it spreads faster and farther than we thought it did.

I fully believe that this thing's already everywhere; we just don't know it yet. But like I said, I see no point in panicking. It'll be what it'll be.

[Griff]

It's kind of reassuring seeing the planet fight back...

[Luce]

Originally Posted by Griff

It's kind of reassuring seeing the planet fight back...

Implies some sort of guiding intelligence to routine cause and effect.

[Griff]

True. Sloppy writing as a short cut for a long discussion of imbalanced natural systems.

[Undertoad]

Well let's see what's supposed to happen now

A) We figure it is downright impossible to project the flow and future of a contagion since we had no idea either and move on

B) We dunk on you hard because it is so easy and satisfying to do

sorry dude the national mood says B

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yeah yeah let's jump on glatt everybody.



maybe they won't notice the shit I got wrong.

[sexobon]

Y'all must be some of those whacko extremists I keep hearin' 'bout.

[Undertoad]

Mitigation

COVID-19: Everybody must stay home for 6 weeks-2 months due to its mortality and the economy is utterly flattened causing chaos

Flu: Some people get vaccinated

[Clodfobble]

They already had a case of a dog in China testing "weakly positive" way back when. The dog even died--but it was also 17 years old and stressed because its elderly owner had passed away, so no one looked much further into it. The last time an animal was really implicated in spreading a virus, the Chinese government seized and slaughtered some 20 million chickens, so I get the impression they're just trying to keep animal transmission, to the extent that it exists, on a low profile. Won't do any good to traumatize an already devastated population by murdering their pets, nor would it help for those who are less attached to become afraid and suddenly start dumping their pets on the streets en masse.

[henry quirk]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

They already had a case of a dog in China testing "weakly positive" way back when. The dog even died--but it was also 17 years old and stressed because its elderly owner had passed away, so no one looked much further into it. The last time an animal was really implicated in spreading a virus, the Chinese government seized and slaughtered some 20 million chickens, so I get the impression they're just trying to keep animal transmission, to the extent that it exists, on a low profile. Won't do any good to traumatize an already devastated population by murdering their pets, nor would it help for those who are less attached to become afraid and suddenly start dumping their pets on the streets en masse.

You know what happens now, yeah?

We kill all dogs & cats, replace them with apes who revolt and put us in cages.

'Calling, Doctor Zaius...Doctor Zaius to the vivisectionary...'

[xoxoxoBruce]

Not just dogs and cats, all pets except Bob Guccione's.

[Dr. Zaius]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

You know what happens now, yeah?

We kill all dogs & cats, replace them with apes who revolt and put us in cages.

'Calling, Doctor Zaius...Doctor Zaius to the vivisectionary...'

Huh? Sorry, with this virus going on I've been hanging out a lot in the Forbidden Zone.