Some of my rural Ohio friends say the same things. They really can't wait to stick it to people by not wearing masks when they are asked to.

We've gotten so devoted to the idea and language f competition that we've lost the ability to cooperate. We can be told what to do at times, but that's really more dominance than cooperation. The idea of all of us working together so that we're globally more well off isn't something we seem to be able to do right now.

I'm not sure this is breaking news. Nearly every flu-like virus mutates over time. Basically, the virus becomes usually more contagious (but less dangerous) as it mutates. But, unless it mutates to the point where it changes every time someone in infected (a la HIV), you can still create vaccines that help. Because this virus has a much lower mutation rate, you could get the first covid vaccine and it would help. You may still get the mutated version later, but your odds are lower of a serious impact from it (and then you build up more antibodies). I think that's what a lot of scientists are looking at now.

I think making a "perfect" vaccine is extremely difficult again any virus. Flu shots don't prevent you from getting any kind of flu (just the most prevalent ones that are in the vaccine). This article sounds like a "terrify your grandma" piece when all it is really saying is making one vaccine to hit all covid strands will be tough. And that is right (but not very scary, IMO).

America has this weird culture where if someone tells it to do something, they feel they have to do the opposite. Like a teenager yelling at their parents "you're not the boss of me!".

This county is getting what it deserves for its callousness toward human life.

America has oppositional defiant disorder.

What store was that? Im very curious.

It sounds like a lot of the leading vaccines are accounting for possible variations.

Son was telling us a story how he was behind a woman at a checkout counter. Everyone was wearing masks but this woman in front of him removed her mask to lick her fingers and count out the money. WTF?

Tom Wolf Hardware. Was buying hanging flowers saw them outside when I drove by. Love Brown Jerry's, DAngelos, and El Agave though El Agave also seems to be anti common sense saying you cant wear a mask if you eat there and they wont wear masks. Could be cultural but is definitely stupid.

Have to imagine a lot of these places that flouted guidelines and laws will be dealing with lawsuits in the future. If a waitress dies, you have a wrongful death lawsuit just waiting for a lawyer to jump on.

We had problems like that here then 500 people a day started dying. I don't recall hearing anything about an employee at a business. Thats pretty shitty and may be worth a talk to a manager.

I think she is the owner, little mom and pop shop. Small town snark, doesnt neccesarily offend me more just head scratcher on her not understanding the purpose of the masks.

Yeah somebody asked them on facebook and they said we will not be within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes. Dont really get their answer (seems a bit outdated) or why they wouldnt take the precaution for their customers. I guess some of the regulars couldnt see their pretty little faces then. And it was gloves for customers not masks (makes even less sense on why that would bother them), still no masks for them though.

So true. Quite the observation.

I saw a great meme today that said imagine if people in London during the Blitzkriegs were like, fuck you I'm turning the lights on.

I havent seen the lady there. Its usually the owner and his Dad. I frequent there because its a local small business.

D'Angelos changed owners last year and has gone downhill. Never was a big fan anyway. Brown Jerrys is really good, they have THE best baked beans I have ever eaten. El Agave is celebrating cinco de mayo tonight and the parking lot is packed, no social distancing. Crazy.

Try the Brew Haus sometime. Get there brew bites if you like fish. They have really good food.

Just a hunch here: could it be the fairly well reported problem of improper disposal of gloves? (at least if I'm skimming this correctly and they did not want customers wearing gloves). Just spitballing something that seemed like a reasonably high possibility.

Nah, they re-opened the county and like I said earler, they are packed tonight inside and out.

Once again I'll repurpose my own social media. In case it isn't clear, it's my post, based on something I saw with my own eyes.

Now what I'll mention here is that it isn't exactly a "normal" food truck as the term suggests. It's actually the little catering wagon / faux food truck (i.e. it doesn't go roaming streets/neighborhoods every day) for a local "gastropub". Instead of allowing people inside the restaurant - which IS very tight quarters as I recall from my one & only visit - they set up the mobile unit in their parking lot. So those folks are lining up as described for $20 burgers basically.

What in the fuck are we doing?

I like how cautious JIMGA is on social media - disclaimers even!

We disagree on a lot of stuff but I enjoy being FB friends with him.

There's a restaurant near me (Mexican) that is fairly popular locally. They were doing take out, but people were parked in the lot eating their food in lawn chairs and only about 25% were wearing masks. I'm sure it did not help that said restaurant was serving shots as well. So what better than crowding a bar and restaurant with people? Crowding the parking lot outside instead.

I mention the lawsuits because we got a letter from our business liability insurance company saying they wouldn't cover acts where we disregarded state/federal law or guidelines. It was quite vague but I'm guessing they are loading up for having to deal with these.

Plus there is a commercial running from a local personal injury attorney with the "if you or a loved one were exposed from the Covid-19 virus at work, contact us now".

I have a feeling a lot of these small businesses that think they're making a statement are going to be shocked when the lawsuits come in from employees and customers. And I'm guessing these same bunch of folks have plenty of Facebook posts on the topic that would make a good attorney smile.

I know they all mutate, but the vaccine part isn't even the concerning part to me. The indications from the article - again, with the large mandatory IF pending peer reviews etc. - were that the alternate strain is more contagious with similar hospitalization rate/mortality. I'd take more contagious but less dangerous if that is what it ends up being.

It's pretty rare that a strain mutates into more contagious and more dangerous. The more mobile version usually wins out after mutation and if it is more dangerous, people tend to stay at home (are more sick) and therefore less likely to pass it on. It certainly is possible, but it doesn't seem likely.

Here is a different article but with similar information.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/06/healt...rnd/index.html

This Pre print came out quite a while ago and media is just now reporting. It's not peer reviewed and a lot of virologists/ scientists have said it's basically junk.

The smokers/non-smokers COVID-19 numbers are strong enough that some researchers are taking seriously the idea that nicotine might inhibit coronavirus.

I swear, if it turns out that the end result of all this is that smoking is now actually good for you, then we are in the Matrix, and the machines are just fucking with us.

JIMG is gonna be the last man standing

Hey, at midlife, we can probably take up smoking with little downside!

Germany is opening up a shit ton, fully banking on seasonal effects. But of course we are down to around 750 cases per day. There is a failsafe that leads to renewed shutdowns if a certain number of cases occur within 1 week (50 per 100k inhabitants)

One good piece of news: a german institute is in the process of developing a new medication based on Antibodies from the first SARS. Basically would work similar to a vaccination in replacing the immune system, but short term.

I believe in the pre prints I saw they were evaluating using nicotine patches. I was thinking the same thing, what a trip that would be.

I've been telling people that when I'm on my death bed I want to try some meth.

Cocaine instea.
Its a far more intense and pleasurable high.

As a recovered semi-addict who has used both (albeit 20+ years ago)
Ill describe it this way.

Cocaine is like running 5000 mph for 30 minutes.
Meth is like running 250 mph for 10 hours.

I've told my wife at a certain point in my life, when no one is really dependent on me and debt, obligations etc. are in pretty good shape, I'm going to do whatever the heck I want.

But i was thinking about travelling places that may be unsafe (e.g. NK, Iraq, Iran), skydiving etc. and ... smoking pot (and not meth) :)

Well there's nothing to stop me from trying both!

Now you take that home, mix it with some heroin in a spoon....baby, you got a speedball going!

Somewhat similar announcements here from June 1st and onwards. Some leeway starting next Monday. I'm afraid it'll be a disaster and people will just act like we're all out of the lockdown starting tomorrow.

Same here. Problem is that with our federal structure, all it took to pressure everybody is one state and it's 'head minister' (where i live ... Guy has lots of Trump in him, including an ability to think he is smarter than he is, disdain for science and having the buck stop somewhere else) constantly pushing past everybody else. Essentially all 16 + the federal government would agree on a set of rules and then the little gnome went out and went past that at every turn. Now Merkel has thrown in the towel giving back the power to decide to the states and immediately that guy basically goes way past everything anybody else thought reasonable ... Funnily enough the one thing he upheld is the limit of contacts in public/private between different 'households'. I guess because that is not generating GDP.

I actually do think it is becoming increasingly clear there is a big seasonal effect and the virus spreads less 'continously' than thought. So this might not be a disaster over the summer.

But it will be a bitch to get people to go back into 'virus mode' later in the year, especially with everything open up in such a short amount of time. I mean, how do you argue some things need to be closed then when now pretty much everything is opened simultaneously ?

And you absolutely have to he on top of this thing and hunt down the early outbreaks, otherwise the same happens as in many countries in March/April, only this time you have the whole winter ahead where you pay for loosing that grasp. Not 'only' a single month of horror ..

For sure. And the plan here is to slowly unlock, with June 1st a small wave, July 1st another and with September 1st supposed to be a big reopening date. If seasonal effects are in work, mid/late October will be when we're all back to lockdown mode until April 2021.

heh I just posted that on facebook and already they took it down

THere was another part to it where some guy said "That's not a very professional answer. It's my choice, maybe I will refund my membership"

To which costco replies:

"We will choose not to refund you."

The best part is that she said she'd be getting a membership refund, and Costco responded, "We've chosen not to refund you."

Edit: DAMN IT, beaten out, AND I got the facts slightly wrong. Honestly I should just delete this post and keep what's left of my dignity. Eh.

Hopefully this isn't considered political. I just can't take this conspiracy wave on my news feeds. WTF people...

Sorry, just venting.

It has been horrible and will only get worse. My wifes side of the family are damn maniacs. Her and her sister are the only normal ones. I am really considering ditching facebook for a while.

Two polls today show public health is becoming more polarized. In one, 40% of self-identified Republicans said they refuse to wear a mask. In another, 20% said they would refuse a Covid vaccine when it is developed.

I have no idea how we get out of this without much greater death tolls.

So we're working from home until May 31. My supervisor indicated she is taking a few days off, from tomorrow through next Wednesday. Seemed strange, so today she clarified - she is going to Destin with her sister and her sister's kids.. Head. Against. Wall.

Can I wear it as a badge of pride that my boomer parents are the ones posting stuff making fun of the conspiracy theory people?

your dignity is mine! Mwuahahaha!

Without a vaccine or cure then we don't.

We have to come out of our holes sometime.