COVID-19 update

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

New Zealand will be coming out of lockdown starting on Thursday. We have had around 20 deaths in total; there are 100 remaining cases, mainly in nursing homes. We seem to have broken the back of this monster, and hopefully our national wealth will not suffer.

Meanwhile, Australia, the UK and the US are suffering because the growth of conspiracy theory in those countries means that the social discipline required to enforce public health measures are lacking. That's what happens when you let your population get dumbed down.

Turns out that, due to efficient and scientifically-backed action from our Government which was supported by the broad mass of the population, we not only beat COVID-19 back with only 25 deaths in total, but we actually had modest, but positive, economic growth for 2020. Only Taiwan of the developed nations can say the same.

[Ián S.G. Txaglh]

i really envy the NZ its government and political culture.

almost total absence of credibility of local CZ politicians causes people to disrespect even rational measures, not to mention increased conspirationistic attitudes fuelled by disinformation sources, which are thus more credible than official sources. plus, local politicians are really quite incompetent, causing economic havoc where they should calm it down. would you say, that facing the biggest state budget deficit, our parliament approved significant decrease of taxes with increasing mandatory expenses? moreover, the change in taxes favours rich people much more that the poor ones. and common people rather consider not to go quarantine when ill or suspected, because with their low incomes, the 14 days isolation without proper compensation (it makes 36 % of the regular income) cripples their family budgets. the social tension is so high, that people go rather for a dance macabre of frequent parties that considerately stay at home. oy vay

[Açafat del Val]

Is that the Czech Republic which you're referencing?

I didn't know that Prague was in such poor shape. Much luck to you.

Hopefully the EU can help out. That would be the purpose, one would hope, of an economic confederation.

[Ián S.G. Txaglh]

Is that the Czech Republic which you're referencing?

I didn't know that Prague was in such poor shape. Much luck to you.

Hopefully the EU can help out. That would be the purpose, one would hope, of an economic confederation.

yes, it is czechia. our PM boasted during spring that we are "best in covid" not knowing, we really will be later, but worldwide in number of deceased per citizen and overall appalling anti-epidemic measures

thnx, at least there is the EU not allowing our politicians to capitalise each and every foul idea they come up with. the central controlled distribution of vaccine is among the things, i hope, which will be helpful quite a lot.

the former eastern block is still under the dark spell of the past, our civil society never really grew strong, and people seem to be prone to distrust and wild conspirations (i can only speculate why american and east-european societies became so similar). "funny" fact, according to latest polls, around 25 % of poles are afraid of covid, but almost 50 % are of the anti-covid vaccine... where is any sense in it, except for it being product of general fear, absence of education and proper critical thinking?

[Éovart Andrinescù]

[Açafat del Val]

*eyeroll*

Let her exercise some pride and relief. As if other nationalities wouldn't be doing the same.

Don't be jealous that other countries actually prioritize science and public safety over authoritarian / fascist populism.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

The funny thing is that Eovart is Australian. The Australian federal and state governments had a generally good response to COVID despite their federal government being a bunch of Trump-lite clowns.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Anyway, yes, Kiwi national pride. Please rise for our anthem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HVogejKx_c

[Éovart Andrinescù]

Admittedly my own pride was a little touched by your declaration that Australians are 'dumbed down' conspiracy theorists. This pandemic has brought out a lot of hasty talk about national traits and shortcomings, i.e. Açafat's quickdraw invocation of fascism, which confuses but doesn't surprise me. There are plenty of benign social-democracies that are currently being hammered by COVID. Conversely, the People's Republic of China, a contemporary gulag archipelago, has contained its own outbreaks remarkably well. I don't see how ideology and epidemiological efficacy correlate at all.

But, to quickly draw things to a characteristically Andrinesconian (read: sappy) conclusion, see Ephesians 2:19: 'Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.' I'm sorry I let my pride sweep me away. We should all try to be happy for each other's progress, and also hopeful for the amelioration of each other's pitfalls.

[Ián S.G. Txaglh]

Conversely, the People's Republic of China, a contemporary gulag archipelago, has contained its own outbreaks remarkably well.

there is this one thing which puzzles me, how would we know any relevant data from PRC? e.g. recent WHO research tells, that at least in wuhan, official numbers (infected, deceased) are at least one order lower than they, high probably, were. i lived in bolshevik country, i lived in the time of chernobyl (i was 16), so i would not believe any PRC official in regard to anything regime-sensitive even he tells me he has nose in-between his eyes

yes, czechia, UK, USA, ..., quite some political representatives in demo countries mostly pretty fucked up facing covid, but they are not secretive and publish even quite unfavourising data. well, we may debate what's good in it, but i prefer honesty and openness, even it does not bring the right fruit right at time, to totalitarian dirigism and cryptogamousness(TM).

i appreciate and admire your attitude to what you've said it is damn difficult to admit one's wrong and it is a mastery hard to achieve.

¡sa viva talossa!

[Éovart Andrinescù]

there is this one thing which puzzles me, how would we know any relevant data from PRC? e.g. recent WHO research tells, that at least in wuhan, official numbers (infected, deceased) are at least one order lower than they, high probably, were. i lived in bolshevik country, i lived in the time of chernobyl (i was 16), so i would not believe any PRC official in regard to anything regime-sensitive even he tells me he has nose in-between his eyes

You make an excellent point. We must of course exercise caution when taking data from the horse's mouth. I certainly wouldn't want to give the impression that I admire the containment strategy of the PRC. But, as a one-party state, they are 'playing on easy mode', for lack of a more sensitive term. It must be somewhat easier to contain an outbreak when you can simply ban people from going where they please under threat of force. I wish that some of my Australian countrymen were less inclined to fawn over the PRC's draconian measures as though they were worthy of emulation.

Anyway, if there's one COVID record we can all be proud of, it's Talossa's!

[Ián S.G. Txaglh]

You make an excellent point. We must of course exercise caution when taking data from the horse's mouth. I certainly wouldn't want to give the impression that I admire the containment strategy of the PRC. But, as a one-party state, they are 'playing on easy mode', for lack of a more sensitive term. It must be somewhat easier to contain an outbreak when you can simply ban people from going where they please under threat of force. I wish that some of my Australian countrymen were less inclined to fawn over the PRC's draconian measures as though they were worthy of emulation.

if we continue to dissect the chinese authoritative regime, you are right, that they have more tools in their arsenal to contain the epidemy, but they failed in the critical initial stage, when the epidemy started. the combinations of suspicion towards their subjects (there is no infection, only dissidents are trying to mess up our brave new world) and of trying not to loose the face (cos we cannot admit we started it) produced very similar political failure as this of clueless demo regimes later.

honestly, it was a quite a sad coincidence of circumstances - absence of proper legal background for food business in china (almost no regulations at; being an analytical biochemist, i know it from my friends who work in food analysis and regulations), by faaaar different level of urbanisation and market culture in china, their rigid authoritative/totalitarian regime, overall unregulated traveling (not that i cry for its regulation, but it gives us this kinda payback), increasing political populism in demo countries and generally increasing distrust for official institutions (including medical science). it is a toxin cocktail, which accumulated over time and became a founding ground for covid-19.

and in the light of this, i really admire people fighting it directly (nurses, docs, whole rescue system), cos despite what is or might be wrong, they go on. my bro and sister-in-law are nurses who are directly involved, so to them too!

sorry, if i am annoying, the steam must be vented