@Invidia said:

@Genplant:

they showed a picture, taken within the last seven days, of Trump, at some convention or meeting, standing with four or so people - one who has announced he (that person - who was pictured standing immediately next to Trump) now has Covid-19.

It's probably the COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY from BRAZIL....

Yep: It was, indeed, that Brazilian official you mentioned.

It's anyone's guess how things may evolve regarding that matter in the coming days, as right next to an infected person (and perhaps they shook hands) is decidedly "too close for comfort" in a matter such as the coronavirus - not to mention Trump is smack dab in the age group that's most vulnerable.

@Lemons said:

In all seriousness, the coronavirus has affected our family to a small extent. My college-age sons have been home this week on their spring break and we just learned that their spring break has been extended by another week, and then their classes will be remote for the foreseeable future.

While the nerd in me loves a classroom setting, I think “remoting” and "social distancing" are two really great options for (I want to say containment; but at this point I think I’ll have to go with…) curtailment.

@Lemons said:

I don't know, but viruses don't care about economies.

Yeah. All these going on and on and on. Economies won't mean a thing if we all go the way of the dinosaurs. Science still can’t agree on what wiped them out.

@bratface said:

@Knixon said:

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@bratface said:

And stop touching your face!

Funny, you never realize how often you do...until you are warned not to.

Not such a big deal, as long as you WASH YOUR HANDS! (And do it properly.)

Which people should ALWAYS be doing, really.

The thing is we touch our faces all day long without realizing it. If you are out & about, you touch a doorknob to open a door, your nose itches & without thinking about it you scratch your nose, therefore you have transferred the germs from that doorknob to your nose!

Even before this virus took hold (for a couple of years now) I have been wearing a face mask in public, I keep my distance from people, etc. I'm a huge germaphobe but it also reminds me NOT TO TOUCH MY FACE until I get home & can thoroughly wash my hands. I must be doing something right because I have never had the flu & haven't had a cold in 40 years or so.

Sneaking in a line from "Rent"?

@bratface said:

I live in the Puget Sound area where most of the deaths have occurred albeit most were in a nursing home so were already immune-compromised. So I'm just a bit more careful than usual.

I can see it. I’ve worked in a nursing home (it’s been a minute); and pretty much everything is communal. I can’t see there being much chance for “social distancing”. Of course, someone getting ill would be isolated; but, isolation as a precautionary measure...can’t see that happening. So what we have is an already vulnerable population being put even more at risk.

@bratface said:

Starting Monday the 16th all schools (public & private) in 3 counties (King, Pierce and Snohomish) will be closed until April 24th. This affects about 600,000 students. The mayor of my city has declared an 'emergency'.

A good move.

@Lemons said:

@Invidia said:

I'm in TX. It's not here yet, but BIG CITIES like SAN ANTONIO and HOUSTON already have it and HOUSTON's also SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS because of it.

A man on the RACHEL MADDOW show from the NY TIMES just described what they did in CHINA to contain the virus. EVERYONE gets their temperature taken, and if it's high you get sent to a gymnasium or other area where you're confined because they also say 70 to 80% of contaminations take place in FAMILIES.

Then the NURSE that's assigned to you if you test positive gets you up and dancing (because that's also good for your lungs and helps to clear them).

But in ITALY the doctors have to CHOSE who will LIVE and who will die, so if you're a young mom who has KIDS she gets to live whereas GRANDMA gets to die.

And the GUEST on Rachel's show also said that we're heading for the same situation that's taking place in ITALY.

And Others also say we'll reach that point in another 7 to 9 days from now.

Sounds a little like fear mongering.

A nominee in case the World Health Organization decides to add dancing to its list of recommendations.

Stay safe and dance

@znexyish said:

Stay safe and dance

Thanks for that, I loved that song back in the day!

@Invidia said:

The average health bill reached $2,026 for the aged in 1978,

$764 for the intermediate age group,

and $286 for the young.

"Average health bill" means nothing. When I had gall bladder surgery last year, the "bill" was about $38,000. My insurance provider, Humana, sent me a report showing that they actually paid about $3,000. They even denied payment for my regular prescriptions which I received while hospitalized.

And NOBODY on Medicare pays a premium of $2,000/month. The Medicare premium is fixed at something like $150. Employer insurance, union plans etc, have a higher monthly premium, those are also the ones that actually pay the doctors etc a lot more.

A few weeks ago I also talked to a former DENTIST in his early 70's who said by his 60's he was so SICK of DOING his JOB that he QUIT even though he wouldn't get paid as much if he waited another 5 yrs until he would get the MAXIMUM amount of SOC SEC paid to him each month.

That is hearsay, according to you, and so I ignore it. Neener!

Since those JOBS are already STRESSFUL enough, why add to it by OBSESSING oneself with BILLING ISSUES???

And it's sad you apparently don't realize that doctors can't afford to lose money any more than anyone else can afford to spend more on products or services than they get from their customers.

That's what the PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS are for, to keep track of that kind of thing for them.

Keeping track of how much money you're losing, doesn't stop the losses. Indeed, it costs more to hire the accountant.

That's why people only spend about 5 or 10 min with the DOC, so that the DOC can see about 5 to 10 people per HOUR. The place is like an ASSEMBLY line. One set of employees checks you in at the front desk, another weighs you, takes your BP, TEMP, etc. Then after you see the DOC the NURSE takes over and tells you what the DOC wants you to do and takes you to the other person who draws blood. Then it's back to the FRONT DESK again where you get an appointment card for the NEXT VISIT.

And later on the NURSE also calls you back to let you know what your blood tests results were, and let's you know if there's anything that showed up that needs paying attention to.

And still later a STATEMENT shows up saying MEDICARE has paid the DOC about $200 for the visit.

That's about double the reality.

So MULTIPLY $200 times 5 or 10 people per HOUR and the DOC is making at least $1,000 and even up to $2,000 per HOUR (which you multiply by 8 HOURS which gives you $8,000 to $16,000 for just ONE DAY). Multiply that by 5 days and they make at least $50 K a WEEK or $200 K per mo. Multiply $200 K times 10 MONTHS (leaving off 8 weeks for VACATION) and they're living on EASY STREET by pulling in an income of 2 MILLION per year.

That's not the TYPICAL or average salary for a GP, but in theory they could make that much by only spending about 5 min with each patient they see.

In other words, the DOC is also RAKING in all kinds of MONEY by seeing so many MEDICARE PATIENTS, and only spending a SHORT amount of TIME with each one of them when they see them.

And what one suspects is maybe your brother might be giving you a HARD LUCK story as a way to keep you from asking to BORROW some MONEY from him???

Now deduct expenses, taxes, etc, and see what' s left.

It has nothing to do with lack of compassion or anything else. If my brother doesn't HAVE an office, and equipment, nurses, etc, he can't take care of ANYONE.

MY VET doesn't have an OFFICE or a staff. She makes HOME VISITS, and has a KENNEL where she BOARDS pets for people (where she also does SURGERY to keep pets from making still more pets).

And if she needs an x ray, she also uses another vet's equipment.

And as a RESULT of not having an OFFICE, she also takes care of even MORE PETS for people than other VETS who do have offices.

That is so silly. It's like saying nobody needs to have a car, because of Uber.

Do you understand why that's ridiculous?

Your vet is essentially benefiting on the largesse of others who do have the equipment she needs, and that you need for her to provide the service you need, and they're - and their direct customers - are paying for it, instead of you.

Maybe she should be named Scam Vet?

And the point about Uber was that Uber drivers DRIVE CARS!!! And those self-driving cars, if they ever truly exist and can be made to stop running into and killing people etc, will still be CARS that SOMEONE will have to buy, own, maintain, etc.

Also, the experts on self-driving cars that I've read and heard from, point out that self-driving cars tend to be useless in situations where people might depend on them most: rain and snow storms, etc. Also, good luck the next time New Orleans needs to be evacuated by self-driving cars.

@Lemons said:

To bring a little levity to the current predicament, I wonder how Sheldon Cooper would have responded to the Coronavirus?

He would revert to his "Shelbot" ways. Plus, poor Amy would have to sleep on the sofa...assuming he lets her into the apartment.

@znexyish said:

Stay safe and dance

A tad too much togetherness and random touching.

In contrast...

Dancing With Myself (Please note the “social distancing”.)

I think all here should read this article:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/peter-wehner-trump-presidency-over/607969/

@bratface said:

I think all here should read this article:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/peter-wehner-trump-presidency-over/607969/

After clicking on this I feel like I need to wash my hands!