SpankyMcFarland

Beyond finding more asymptomatic cases, Germany’s high testing rate may mean diagnosing symptomatic cases earlier. They also have an unusually large number of ICU beds per capita. Within Germany, there is a suggestion that the eastern part has a lower rate of infection; some have hypothesized this may be due to its higher rate of BCG immunization.

Any equipment or PPE ordered from abroad is vulnerable to a higher bidder until it gets across our border. We may see outright confiscation of such precious cargo en route by third countries before the end of this.

I saw somewhere that sales of alcohol had gone up by 40% in Canada in recent weeks. What do you think of Sweden’s approach to the pandemic?

There’s a fair bit of discussion in the US about the false-negative rate of RT-PCR tests for COVID-19:

I wasn’t referring to Europe. Let’s clarify that they’re now a serious problem for us as well. We will need a rethink on vital equipment for pandemics and maintain adequate manufacturing capacity within the country.

Scott Moe has just taken a swipe at Trump over masks.

The mask wars have begun:

How Covid-19 may be spread remains a matter of debate: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-breathing-talking-enough-spread-airborne

On the Cangov Covid website, two arms-length (approximately two metres) is what we’re aiming for up here.

From force of habit, I use Imperial for height, weight and golf. Beyond that it gets too cumbersome.

Perhaps you could expand on that?

François Legault just cited two metres in French and spoke of ‘keeping your distances’ in English.

Med students in Alberta are joining the contact tracing effort. It’s kinda surprising this didn’t happen some time ago with health care students across the country: I see John Haggie in NL is talking about it too:

What’s the population of Seoul? 38 million, apparently. Most South Koreans must live there: https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/heres-where-trump-might-have-gotten-his-bizarre-claim-that-seoul-has-38-million-people/ Now nobody is expected to carry such trivia around but this gem was asked of a journalist in an attempted gotcha moment.

I’m pleasantly surprised to see the poll results so far. The wet markets of China are dreadful enough without having to resort to science fiction.

And I would like to make a plea for a lovely word apparently heading for the ICU - phenomenon. Like criterion it should be on some sort of endangered list. Seems like the prone position may be better for COVID patients on ventilators: https://www.contagionlive.com/news/is-facing-downward-better-for-the-lungs-in-patients-with-covid19 In happier news, our government masters have tidied up the COVID page, making it a lot easier to see the main numbers: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Namaste or a wave will have to suffice.

I’m not thinking about the economy/pensions/investments/house prices right now, just hoping that me, my family, my friends and as many other Canadians as possible survive the next few months. Some of us have pre-existing conditions, like loads of miles on the clock for starters. One thing I saw discussed today for the US but could apply here - a Cloud-based platform to create a national clearinghouse for ventilators and PPE. Not that I anticipate too many places with enormous surpluses in these things if we really get hit hard. For now I’m mainly depending on the fact that I live on a sparsely populated island.

Ford is doing well at the moment. Elevated concern is the right tone.

Exactly. I’m quite happy to be wrong about such a turn of events.

Ford seems to be doing a decent job in the COVID era, keeping the partisan rhetoric down and bringing people together. Praise where it is due.

Frances Ha, not exactly my sort of movie but excellently done, the story of an idealistic young woman who probably watched Friends as a kid trying to make it as a dancer in New York, keep a roof over her head and sustain a friendship under strain. Despite the arty talk, issues of wealth and class are right under the surface with these bohemians. There are comic moments but many sad ones too which the black and white treatment is well suited for. The script and acting are first rate and one of the coolest British songs ever written is featured:

An observation by Edward Jenner, the vaccination pioneer (quoted by Alun Evans):

The (approximate) ten-fold difference in mortality between flu and COVID-19 matters a lot:

Taiwan and Singapore have done remarkably well so far despite their proximity, and close links, to China. They seem to have learned more from SARS than we did: