Originally Posted by Bwana:
Once again, don't come in this thread with some kind of political agenda, or you will be shown the door. If you want to go that route, there is a thread about this in DC.
Originally Posted by Dartgod:
People, there is a lot of good information in this thread, let's try to keep the petty bickering to a minimum.
We all have varying opinions about the impact of this, the numbers, etc. We will all never agree with each other. But we can all keep it civil.
Thanks!
Click here for the original OP:
Spoiler!
Apparently the CoronaVirus can survive on a inanimate objects, such as door knobs, for 9 days.
California coronavirus case could be first spread within U.S. community, CDC says
By SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA, JACLYN COSGROVE
FEB. 26, 2020 8:04 PM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating what could be the first case of novel coronavirus in the United States involving a patient in California who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did.
“At this time, the patient’s exposure is unknown. It’s possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement. “Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It’s also possible, however, that the patient may have been exposed to a returned traveler who was infected.”
The individual is a resident of Solano County and is receiving medical care in Sacramento County, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The CDC said the “case was detected through the U.S. public health system — picked up by astute clinicians.”
Officials at UC Davis Medical Center expanded on what the federal agency might have meant by that in an email sent Wednesday, as reported by the Davis Enterprise newspaper.
The patient arrived at UC Davis Medical Center from another hospital Feb. 19 and “had already been intubated, was on a ventilator, and given droplet protection orders because of an undiagnosed and suspected viral condition,” according to an email sent by UC Davis officials that was obtained by the Davis Enterprise.
The staff at UC Davis requested COVID-19 testing by the CDC, but because the patient didn’t fit the CDC’s existing criteria for the virus, a test wasn’t immediately administered, according to the email. The CDC then ordered the test Sunday, and results were announced Wednesday. Hospital administrators reportedly said in the email that despite these issues, there has been minimal exposure at the hospital because of safety protocols they have in place.
A UC Davis Health spokesperson declined Wednesday evening to share the email with The Times.
Since Feb. 2, more than 8,400 returning travelers from China have entered California, according to the state health department. They have been advised to self-quarantine for 14 days and limit interactions with others as much as possible, officials said.
“This is a new virus, and while we are still learning about it, there is a lot we already know,” Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “We have been anticipating the potential for such a case in the U.S., and given our close familial, social and business relationships with China, it is not unexpected that the first case in the U.S. would be in California.”
It is not clear how the person became infected, but public health workers could not identify any contacts with people who had traveled to China or other areas where the virus is widespread. That raises concern that the virus is spreading in the United States, creating a challenge for public health officials, experts say.
“It’s the first signal that we could be having silent transmission in the community,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. “It probably means there are many more cases out there, and it probably means this individual has infected others, and now it’s a race to try to find out who that person has infected.”
On Tuesday, the CDC offered its most serious warning to date that the United States should expect and prepare for the coronavirus to become a more widespread health issue.
“Ultimately, we expect we will see coronavirus spread in this country,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “It’s not so much a question of if, but a question of when.”
According to the CDC’s latest count Wednesday morning, 59 U.S. residents have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus — 42 of whom are repatriated citizens from a Diamond Princess cruise. That number has grown by two since Messonnier’s last count Tuesday, although the CDC was not immediately available to offer details on the additional cases.
More than 82,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported globally, and more than 2,700 people have died, with the majority in mainland China, the epicenter of the outbreak.
But public health leaders have repeatedly reminded residents that the health risk from the novel coronavirus to the general public remains low.
“While COVID-19 has a high transmission rate, it has a low mortality rate,” the state Department of Public Health said in a statement Wednesday. “From the international data we have, of those who have tested positive for COVID-19, approximately 80% do not exhibit symptoms that would require hospitalization. There have been no confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States to date.”
CDC officials have also warned that although the virus is likely to spread in U.S. communities, the flu still poses a greater risk.
Gostin said the news of potential silent transmission does not eliminate the possibility of containing the virus in the U.S. and preventing an outbreak.
“There are few enough cases that we should at least try,” he said. “Most of us are not optimistic that that will be successful, but we’re still in the position to try.”
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins:
Do you commission smaller works? Could you do custom work where someone sends in a photo that they want turned into a piece to be hung on a wall? Is there any way you could set up an online storefront in the interim?
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I am saving thousands on the kids inability to participate in their team sports , but in a few more weeks I might be willing to spend millions on building a sports complex so I can watch 1 show without being interrupted 20 times and I might burn all our board games by then too.
The kids have been entertaining themselves for the most part here. They're at the age where YouTube and Fortnite can occupy them for hours at a time. We still try to fit in plenty of family time, but I'm reaching my limits here..
They're so used to being active and being outside. I feel bad for them. [Reply]
US Postal Service could shut down by June, lawmakers warn
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, postal workers have been on the front lines, considered "essential workers" who must continue to do their jobs as usual while others stay home. But some lawmakers are warning that without more support, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) could completely shut down in the next few months, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Last week, Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, the chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Gerry Connolly, chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that the COVID-19 crisis is threatening the future of mail service in the U.S.
"The Postal Service is in need of urgent help as a direct result of the coronavirus crisis," they said. "Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House. Every community in America relies on the Postal Service to deliver vital goods and services, including life-saving medications."
The lawmakers said USPS, which is a quasi-governmental agency that relies on fees rather than taxes, may be forced to shutter as early as June, less than three months from now. They noted that postal workers delivered more than a billion shipments of prescription drugs last year, and ceasing operations during the virus outbreak could have dire consequences for the health of people around the country.
"The Postal Service needs America's help, and we must answer this call," they said.
"These negative effects could be even more dire in rural areas, where millions of Americans are sheltering in place and rely on the Postal Service to deliver essential staples," the lawmakers warned.
Americans are also counting on postal service workers to deliver millions of coronavirus relief checks — a process that won't start until the end of April and isn't scheduled to finish until September. However, it's unclear if it will have the funding needed to do so.
Maloney and Connelly proposed a bill that would provide a $25 billion in emergency funding for the postal service, eliminating its debt with the stipulation that it would prioritize medical deliveries during the crisis. They said the funding would save the jobs of more than 600,000 Americans.
A USPS spokesperson told CBS News on Friday, "The United States Postal Service appreciates the inclusion of limited emergency borrowing authority during this COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Postal Service remains concerned that this measure will be insufficient to enable the Postal Service to withstand the significant downturn in our business that could directly result from the pandemic."
The statement continued, "Under a worst-case scenario, such downturn could result in the Postal Service having insufficient liquidity to continue operations."
According to the spokesperson, USPS has experienced a significant loss in needed revenues during the pandemic and subsequent decline in economic activity, but it continues to work with lawmakers to ensure Americans' access to mail during this time.
However, when President Donald Trump signed into law the $2 trillion coronavirus emergency spending bill, it allowed USPS to borrow just $10 billion from the Treasury Department.
"That is woefully inadequate," said Fredric V. Rolando, president of the National Associated of Letter Carriers, in a plea for more funding in the next round of legislation. "The administration clearly does not understand the importance of the Postal Service, especially now."
Democrats are working to put together a fourth coronavirus spending bill that would give USPS more funding, primarily in order to boost the ability to vote by mail in the upcoming election, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
Post offices have so far remained open throughout the crisis, along with hospitals, pharmacies, supermarkets and other essential businesses. According to a New York Times report, at least 20 postal workers had tested positive for the virus by last Friday — a number that has likely increased given the rate of U.S. diagnoses.
With over 266,000 confirmed positive tests, the U.S. now has the most cases of COVID-19 in the world, contributing to the global total of more than 1 million cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. So far, over 6,900 people have died in the U.S. from the virus.
Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
I’m not going to get shit. So the details don’t matter to me.
But, I’d bet money that 90% of Americans thought when this was signed that it was free money with no strings attached. Because that’s how it was sold.
Not some complicated sliding scale involving different tax years. Depending on which side of the complex formulas your financials land on whether you get to keep your money or not.
It’s not complex, and in simple accounting terms, it is free money (yes there’s a larger argument if such an action is really “cost free” in terms of its macro effects, but that’s not what we’re discussing).
I’ll lay it out in 4 scenarios, one where the refund is bigger than the stimulus, one where what is owed is more than the stimulus, and 2 scenarios where what is owed/refunded is less than the stimulus.
For this purpose, imagine a single earner who earned $74K, and had a $10K tax liability.
Here are the scenarios as they would normally be:
Scenario A
Withheld $12K
Refund $2K
Scenario B
Withheld $8K
Owes $2K
Scenario C
Withheld $9,500
Owes $500
Scenario D
Withheld $10,500
Refund $500
Now we add in a 2019 stimulus and a 2020 tax credit of $1200 each
Scenario A
Withheld + Tax Credit $13,200
Refund $3,200
Actual 2020 refund accounting for 2019 stimulus $2k
Scenario B
Withheld + Tax Credit $9,200
Owes $800
Actual 2020 shortfall accounting for 2019 stimulus $2K
Scenario C
Withheld + Tax Credit $10,700
Refund $700
Actual 2020 shortfall accounting for 2019 stimulus $500K
Scenario D
Withheld + Tax Credit $11,700
Refund $1,700
Actual 2020 refund accounting for 2019 stimulus $500
As a result, nothing changes.
Hope that helps. [Reply]
Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat:
The models I've seen show that Missouri isn't even into the bell curve yet and the peak hitting in Mid May. We have a long way to go.
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
I went to Wal-Mart today. They were only allowing people in and out on the grocery side. They were counting people and were only allowing so many in the store at a time.
There were not arrows or any of that directional shopping. I would hate that bullshit also.
On the good side, there was pallets of all the different types and sizes of water. The store was 90% back to normal. The soup aisle was pretty thin and the biscuit area was pretty thin. Shelves were full of TP, paper towels and baby wipes. No Lysol disinfectant but most of the other cleaners were there.
Yeah, I went to Walmart yesterday too and saw a line standing outside. I was no mood to stand in a line in that chilly wind. And that wind causing me to have a simple harmless sniffle could possibly have some big implications when it comes to work. So I said to hell with this and ran to the store for a couple of items. I’ll swing back by Wally World some time this week to pick up the remainder of what I need. [Reply]
Racetrack is what ikea calls its flow of people right? I have never been in there but I thought there was a flow of where you walk even before the virus and Carol Haskins happened [Reply]
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins:
Do you commission smaller works? Could you do custom work where someone sends in a photo that they want turned into a piece to be hung on a wall? Is there any way you could set up an online storefront in the interim?
MILAN (Reuters) - Italy reported its lowest daily COVID-19 death toll for more than two weeks on Sunday as authorities began to look ahead to a second phase of the battle against the new coronavirus once the lockdown imposed almost a month ago is eventually eased.
The toll from the world’s deadliest outbreak reached 15,887, almost a quarter of the global death total, but the rise of 525 from a day earlier was the smallest daily increase since March 19, while the number of patients in badly stretched intensive care units fell for a second day running.
“The curve has reached a plateau and begun to descend,” said Silvio Brusaferro, head of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy’s top health institute. “It is a result that we have to achieve day after day.” [Reply]
Originally Posted by Donger:
In Spain, officials said fatality numbers had fallen for the third straight day while France reported its lowest daily toll in a week.
