I am not into some of the latest posts myself because they are more on "lofty" subjects like economics & written in more complex terminology, and are sometimes huge walls of text that it's hard to focus on/get through.

That said, some of it has been somewhat on-topic......I just skip some of it or skim it(as a good chunk of it is above my head and/or a bit "boring" to me) and look for updates on the world situation by those still posting such, and think those who don't want to read such posts(by anyone) should try their best to do the same.

Thing is, they have nowhere else to post it on GOG except maybe PM, and PMs have a 2 user limit(per pm channel)....also if they made a thread on this sort of thing alone it'd likely be shut down.

I agree we should MAINLY talk about the virus's effects worldwide(news reports, information, etc) & other things directly or closely related to the situation, but if some can talk civilly while doing such posts AND keep such posts to a minimum shouldn't we give them a "safe space" to do so to be kind to our fellow man?

Why would it have reached it's goal or not be useful? Covid is still ongoing & some might need the info posted here(or even just a place to talk with fellow users and get a bit of respite from the problems we are all facing).

I agree the offtopic should likely be pushed to PMs or reduced, though.

That was the OP who said that, a few posts before mine.

I get somewhat what he means....the thread went a bit off into talking about social-economic systems and other things, and he(OP) wants it to be on the thread topic(COVID) and stuff related to it......I respect all that, I just think it'd be best to keep this thread going and enjoy GOG's good will(in allowing this thread to even exist) & ignore posts each of us don't want to read(unless they are overly bad/rude/etc) rather than ask GOG to step in/lock it.

Yeah, and now my home state is being hit hard as well(we're the new epicenter by official numbers).

Oh well, we will get through this, I believe(NY state, the world, etc)....we just have to persevere and soldier on through all this.

We have more ordered grades as well(percentages)....the lettering thing is just how teachers categorize each percentage bracket, iirc.

(i.e. A/A+ is like 100 or so percent to like 85-90%)

Welp I was wrong, this isn't just the flu. I mean it's not the end of the world, and mostly elderly and health complicated people are dying, it's still much worse than I thought at first. Let's hope the US's death rate doesn't end up like Italy's. Stay clean and careful out there folks, especially if you're 65+.

Agreed, sorry for my contributions to this problem.
Has anybody else seen this video (about disinfecting groceries)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjDuwc9KBps
Does anybody of you do all that stuff? I can't anyway, since disinfectant isn't available in shops anymore (even nursing homes for the elderly where it's essential fear they might run out of it). So I just let groceries stand around for a few days, or wash those who need to be put in the fridge in water with detergent.
Irritating situation, if I could I'd no longer go shopping and just live off my hoarded supplies. But maybe the situation will escalate (and who knows how long it will last), and then it would be even worse if I ran out of supplies and had to go shopping.

Yeah, if there were disinfectant/sanitizer in the shops and pharmacies anymore, my girlfriend/partner would be the first to buy it in bulk and hoard it, to do exactly that.

Such as it is, we are also forced to just use detergent/soap and hot water with some mechanical action (washing ;) on everything we buy. Once a week we venture out into this zombie city to do our grocery shopping, with masks on. No need to stay away from people - they stay away already.

Once we arrive back to our place, we put our clothes in big bags to be washed later, straight take a shower and start washing everything. I mean, everything we bought from the supermarket. Let it dry on a cloth on the table. THen stick it in the fridge or cupboard.

I sometimes wonder if I would do half of these things if it weren't for my better...half. (i know the answer, hell no)

I just buy canned/boxed stuff for the most part, and try not to worry about it too much**.

(**I don't try to get it, though, but i'm not gonna worry too much over this.....if it happens it happens)

I saved up food over the last several months for ANY emergency, so i'm set on many things food wise for several weeks at least.....otherwise I go out around every 4+ days if I need other things.

Well, I don't have a better half, and I'm not doing all that tbh (especially the "washing clothes" part...I figure the virus can't survive on clothing for more than a few hours, so I just put my clothes for the outside on a chair, shower, and change into my clothes for being at home).
Masks also aren't available for private citizens in shops anymore. I found some old FPP1 masks in the cellar though (expiry date 2010...lol) and wore one to the supermarket a few days ago. Pretty uncomfortable and I had to take my glasses off, because it's fogging them up so badly. I'm glad I can stay at home presently and don't have to use public transport under those conditions.

I try not to worry about it...there are so many vectors one could get this from it's almost impossible to avoid it entirely(this is more to inform than to depress/etc you or anyone else).

Do you use cash(paper money and coins)? If so and you touch money someone infected touched you might get it.

(If one maybe "disinfects" their money and doesn't touch their face while handling it until it's "clean" one would likely be ok, though)

Any food containers in stores could be contaminated if those stocking were infected and didn't wear gloves, or if someone else touched it then put it back(some still do that sadly).

(One could use gloves till the food is home and then disinfect the packaging or remove it from said outer packaging, though, while wearing gloves)

and the list goes on.....
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Of course, if one wears gloves/disinfects/etc like some do while outside & bringing stuff inside that would likely mitigate said issues a good deal...the problem is most don't do such things.

One of the supermarkets in my area actually asks customers not to pay in cash anymore, you have to pay with card...but then you need to enter your number on that surface which everybody else touches...it's better of course for the protection of cashiers though.
China actually made a major effort to disinfect bank notes, but I'm not convinced cash is that dangerous. Groceries from the supermarket are freaking me out a lot more, not sure if that's irrational. But main source of infection seems to be droplet infection from other humans anyway (though smear infection from surfaces is possible).

I usually use something that can hit the buttons but is disposable when such situations arise....dunno if that'd work for every such keypad/surface, though.

It isn't if one follows proper precautions, but imo it is one of the biggest possible vectors that people don't keep an eye on as much as they should.....cash changes hands often in stores and they don't disinfect it when giving it from one person to the next.

Well droplets can land on food sitting out in the open...it's one reason why local markets close to me have shut their bulk food bins(for like candy and nuts and such) & started prepackaging some deli stuff(salads and cold cuts) so people(mainly staff) won't handle it too much.

I'm not actually sure either, how long it would survive on clothing. I heard plastic and stainless steel were the surfaces it stayed viral on the longest, though cardboard could be worse (uncertain noisy data).

What scares me is that it can survive on aerosols and gets transported by them for hours. I know a bit about aerosols, and the damned tiny particulates suspended in air are mostly invisible and number in the millions in a sugar cube sized volume of air. This is especially bad in bigger cities.

Luckily, the virus would have to be aerosolised somehow first - respiratory droplets are much bigger and don't travel very far at all. Their lung penetration is much lower than aerosols also.

Aerosols would be a problem in public bathrooms and hospitals, mostly, where um, certain actions, would release the virus in aerosol form. Masks designed for instance to filter PM2.5 particulates would work for protection, which is yet another reason healthcare workers need them.

Not many of them around though.

I think this interview is worth watching:

Interview with Professor Kim Woo-joo from Korea University Guro Hospital

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAk7aX5hksU

On cardboard it's supposedly only up to 24 hours for survival of the virus, on plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours, at about 20° Celsius (longer if it's colder). With aerosols it's supposedly 30 minutes-3 hours from what I've read...but I don't know if there's really that high a risk on the outside. The way I understand it it's more of a danger in enclosed spaces. Public transport seems to be bad due to air conditioning, there was that study in China about a bus where people got infected over as much as four and a half metres. In that situation one can't really do anything, unless one has a good mask.

Thanks for that...will watch it later(going to store for needed things).
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That said, some pics for all below:

One is about a doctor supposedly fired for criticizing his hospital's handling of COVID, and the other is a supposed "shame piece" on people wanting to flee/fleeing NYC before/as a result of the total lockdown there.

(Pics are from chan sites[albeit sfw] so take them with that in mind)