New Desperation Morale Blog Post

[Brad M-V]

A test on coughing was just done last week, and a cough will stay air born for three minutes. So, a person could cough in a room then leave, and someone else can walk into that room 2 minutes later and walk right through the air born mist and breathe it in. It will drift down wind, even a light breeze will carry it down wind for this time. In short, walking around outside of your safe place while keeping your distance is no guarantee someone sick won't getch'ya.

 

[MAS01]

While I don't want to chime in on the current good/bad status of everyone, here are a few things I think everyone should think about:

Is this the new norm when dealing with pandemic-type viruses? Will we be shutting down our economies every time one of these events pops up? And they tend to occur about ever 10 or so years. Have we in the US overreacted nationally to what are ostensibly regional events? Yes, NYC is a big event, but how much of the spread is due to reliance on mass transit and overcrowded conditions? I say this because in my little corner of MO, population about 150,000 in the two counties, we've had about 25 confirmed cases, yet virtually everything is shut down. Yes, it is tragic that 40,000+ have died in the US, but do you realize that 7700 people die in the US each and every day? What if a vaccine is NEVER developed? Do we just stay quarantined forever? The NIH under Dr Fauci has been promising that an AIDS vaccine is right around the corner for the last 35 years, and we still don't have one. Will we get back the rights that we have so willingly given up in the past month? How soon before we have to start carrying immunity papers on us and does this sound like "Papers, please" to anyone else? Why does the media forget that just two months ago, they and all the experts were saying that we had more to fear from seasonal flu? Anyone asked them about that and why they were wrong? How high will the number of suicides and opiod overdoses be this year as a result of government actions?

I've been telling people from the beginning, take prudent precautions, but don't panic. If you are in a category where the morbidity rate is highest, isolate yourself if it brings you peace of mind.

Anyone who wants to travel to Joplin, MO for a FtF game, I'm in, drop me a line.


Mark

 

[Robin Reeve]

By your viewpoint, you were on murder mission one year ago if you left your home when you had a flue. Seriously.

If I were conscious of the presence of the virus and that I could be carrying it without symptoms, thus potentially endangering other people, I would act criminally if I didn't take measures to prevent spreading the illness.
That is the reason of the present shutdown.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

I see some here are inclined to enter the Darwin Awards. It will be a very crowded field this year and applicants must observe the following criteria:

• You must kill or sterilise yourself.
• You must not harm others (EXC: audience convulsions from laughter).
• Heroic deaths to save others are excluded.
• You must be 18 or older.
• It must be sufficiently stupid or for no real gain.

Terms and conditions may apply.

 

[dlazov]

To put it in ASL terms:

10.31 CASUALTY MC: If an unbroken Personnel unit rolls an Original 12 during a MC, it suffers Casualty Reduction and is broken (or eliminated if not subject to breaking) [EXC: A hero/berserk-leader is wounded and must add +1 to his Wound Severity dr as if already wounded (17.11); see G1.14 for Japanese squads]—after any unit Replacement which may also be required by ELR Failure (19.13). If a broken unit rolls an Original 12 during a MC, it is eliminated. See D5.341 for Inherent Crews.

 

[asloser]

With all respect to my dear friend Michael, I am still hopeful. Maybe pollyannish wishful. But going from 11 tournaments in 2019 to two in 2020 (Copenhagen and the previously mentioned HEROES in Blackpool) would be too much to bear.

You should have done Bodö, it would have increased this count 50% And no drunk swedes around as everyone who might have been drunk was Norwegian or Finnish! ?

 

[Vinnie]

I can't see, even if aslok goes ahead, many non US players coming. Not due to any reason other than it being just about impossible to get travel insurance to attend.

 

[The Magnus]

You should have done Bodö, it would have increased this count 50% And no drunk swedes around as everyone who might have been drunk was Norwegian or Finnish! ?

Yeah, that was a bummer. And I would have had the money given everything I "save" by probably not going to Cleveland or Albany ? .

For non-Swedes - please note that I do not dislike drunk Swedes per se. Not even drunk Swedes after ASL games, but it is like downhill skiing, drinking should be limited to small amounts or to After-Ski, no heavy drinking on the slopes.

 

[The Magnus]

For the coming months: I am certain most governments have no clue at all what their intermediate goals are

You are totally right on that. But neither do I, and my medical staff only gives advise to my parents-in-law, not to me.

or how they will relax the rules they imposed, before they wreck their economies.

You are totally right again. Hopefully the economy of Sweden will be less wrecked because we never closed

So all of them are going to graciously manipulate public opinion and information over the coming months to explain their rationale and "science". It will be mostly cock-and-bull, but most people will swallow it whole.

In some countries, sure. But I know Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland very well, and you know Holland well. There are enough critical but honest journalists in these countries, and the majority of people tend to keep themselves well informed, so I think there will be little "swallowing it whole" in these countries. Yes, there are smoke-and-mirrors already now, but the debate is open and even the stupid "war of Covid19 ideas" between Sweden and Denmark tends to keep both countries honest.

Other countries will of course vary. A lot.

the 24-hour news maffia

Well, the four mentioned countries play by special SSR: No HIP, Concealment Counters automatically removed after 2 turns, and all players must stay vigilant during the game (no alcohol until game end). Note how I even here managed to make my posting ASL-relevant .

 

[Sparafucil3]

Sorry, I am a coward, so I am going to hunker down and wait for a vaccine next year. Good luck to you brave souls that go to these tourneys this summer and fall.

Are you a smoker? -- jim

 

[Sparafucil3]

If I were conscious of the presence of the virus and that I could be carrying it without symptoms, thus potentially endangering other people, I would act criminally if I didn't take measures to prevent spreading the illness.
That is the reason of the present shutdown.

So you're saying you don't know that the flu in general exists, you could be an asymptomatic carrier at any time during flu season, and you could potentially be exposing people? If any of this is true, then you are a murderer by your own definition which is why what you said is silly.

I am not commenting on what Peter said here, just the silly idea that Covid makes you a murderer and the flu, or measles, or chicken pox, or any other disease you might be unwittingly carrying is not. Your position is preposterous. -- jim

 

[Robin Reeve]

You don't understand my point.
When I know that the Covid is around and that I could be carrying it without symptoms, it is dangerous to run the risk of contaminating other people who can be hit much harder by it.
My first post answered to Scott who spoke of suicide.
I simply underlined what most governments have explained : even if one does not belong to an at risk category, shutdown prevents the propagation of the virus and saves lives.
I don't see what is preposterous in expressing what common sense has led most countries to do.
And, yes, some religious fanatics or excessively proud people have trespassed the orders not to meet on confined groups and have contributed in spreading the virus.
I do believe that their behaviour - as they were informed about the risk but decided not to respect the measures required - was criminal and they actually were sanctioned by the authorities.

 

[TopT]

First off Covid-19 IS NOT the flu, the avg death rate of flu is .1% & Covid-19 is 4.7. That is 47 times as lethal. The only thing they have in common is the mode of transmission. In keeping within the spirit of the forum, that is like telling your 1/2 squad to go kill that unarmed Jeep in CC, when in fact it is an armed, fully manned half track. It is not even close to the same thing!

 

[Sparafucil3]

You don't understand my point.
When I know that the Covid is around and that I could be carrying it without symptoms, it is dangerous to run the risk of contaminating other people who can be hit much harder by it.
...
I do believe that their behaviour - as they were informed about the risk but decided not to respect the measures required - was criminal and they actually were sanctioned by the authorities.

Robin, we understand your point clearly. You know the risks about flu season. You know the risks about any number of other communicable and deadly diseases. You could be carrying any of these during their particular seasons and be asymptomatic, spreading the disease without knowing, to people who can be hit much harder by it. If spreading Covid is tantamount to murder in your eyes, how is spreading any of these other diseases less of a crime? The problem isn't that we don't understand it. The problem is you're being inconsistent and we don't understand that. -- jim

 

[Robin Reeve]

I was not speaking of flu.
Covid19 is much less known than flu and seemingly more dangerous.
Those who considered in the beginning that it was just a flu have admitted that they took the threat too lightly.
Covid19 has a great proportion of people who carry it without symptoms.
Now, if I had flu, I would be very cautious not to be in contact with at risk persons.
Why do you attack me, while Mark and others also advise caution?
I don't think that I have a different opinion than them.

 

[Sparafucil3]

First off Covid-19 IS NOT the flu, the avg death rate of flu is .1% & Covid-19 is 4.7. That is 47 times as lethal. The only thing they have in common is the mode of transmission. In keeping within the spirit of the forum, that is like telling your 1/2 squad to go kill that unarmed Jeep in CC, when in fact it is an armed, fully manned half track. It is not even close to the same thing!

Do you think it matters to the dead how they died? Do you think it matters to their family? It's all about perspective I guess.

Second point: we don't know the mortality rate of Covid at this point. We don't have enough testing to determine exactly how many people have been exposed to it. What we do know is, that among those confirmed to have had Covid, the mortality rate is around what you posted. This story from CA suggests the spread could be 50 - 80 times larger than reported based on limited anti-body testing that has happened in Santa Clara County sampling. If this holds true more broadly, the denominator in our mortality estimates are 50 - 80 times under estimated. That does indeed put Covid more in-line with flu. We need more testing to find out. -- jim

 

[Sparafucil3]

Why do you attack me, while Mark and others also advise caution?
I don't think that I have a different opinion than them.

I am not attacking you Robin, I am attacking the idea that unknowingly walking around with Covid 19 is murder while unknowingly walking around with some other communicable and potentially fatal disease is not. They haven't suggested doing so was murder or have I missed that? They have suggested it is a bad idea, not socially acceptable, and not something they think people should do. None of those things are tantamount to murder unless there is some definition of murder for which I am unaware. I am all for caution. But calling someone a murderer is beyond the pale IMO. YMMV. -- jim

 

[TopT]

Do you it matters to the dead how they died? Do you think it matters to their family? It's all about perspective I guess.

Second point: we don't know the mortality rate of Covid at this point. We don't have enough testing to determine exactly how many people have been exposed to it. What we do know is, that among those confirmed to have had Covid, the mortality rate is around what you posted. This story from CA suggests the spread could be 50 - 80 times larger than reported based on limited anti-body testing that has happened in Santa Clara County sampling. If this holds true more broadly, the denominator in our mortality estimates are 50 - 80 times over estimated. That does indeed put Covid more in-line with flu. We need more testing to find out. -- jim

I could probably agree with this. I got really sick in January, Emergency room trip, tested and definitely did not have the flu but did have a 'virus'. It took me about 3 weeks to recover. The body aches were brutal. Again, in forum terms I was a SMC, in a building, and someone fired an ATR into a room a couple of doors down from me. It knocked me on my butt and it took me a couple of minutes to recover.
In real life I have had RPG's fired at me. Thankfully none hit close. Not all of the marines were that lucky.

 

[Sparafucil3]

I could probably agree with this. I got really sick in January, Emergency room trip, tested and definitely did not have the flu but did have a 'virus'. It took me about 3 weeks to recover. The body aches were brutal. Again, in forum terms I was a SMC, in a building, and someone fired an ATR into a room a couple of doors down from me. It knocked me on my butt and it took me a couple of minutes to recover.
In real life I have had RPG's fired at me. Thankfully none hit close. Not all of the marines were that lucky.

Both my daughter and fiance had "covid-like symptoms" and were told to self quarantine for two weeks. They cleared up in a day or so, stayed isolated for the required time, but never qualified for testing so they don't know. How many people are there just like you and them? We have no idea exactly how many people have been exposed. Until we do, mortality rates aren't valuable. All we know is that among those sick enough to be tested, the mortality rate seems to be high compared to the flu. Heck, I am betting the mortality rate for flu could be grossly over estimated as well. I have had the flu more than once. I have never been tested for it once that I can recall. -- jim

 

[Robin Reeve]

I am not attacking you Robin, I am attacking the idea that unknowingly walking around with Covid 19 is murder while unknowingly walking around with some other communicable and potentially fatal disease is not. They haven't suggested doing so was murder or have I missed that? They have suggested it is a bad idea, not socially acceptable, and not something they think people should do. None of those things are tantamount to murder unless there is some definition of murder for which I am unaware. I am all for caution. But calling someone a murderer is beyond the pale IMO. YMMV. -- jim

OK, so it was the word "murder/murederer" which created your anger.
Well, I take it back.
As said, it was just an answer to the notion of suicide - another strong word, but which doesn't seem to be a problem for you.
I was not thinking "assassination", but certainly at least "homicide without the intention to do it" - quite like when someone drives a car too fast and having drunk too much...

I simply wanted to point out that the prevention measures are not only there to keep ourselves from catching the illness, but to prevent making others ill.
I don't know how things developed in your country, but we have seen people in Switzerland and in France who didn't follow the instructions of their governments and who were fined - and even imprisoned in some rare cases...
So putting one's community in danger, and in danger of death for a number of people, is not just a social misbehaviour, or a "bad idea".