All things CoronaVirus

[DocBarrister]

In today’s pandemic, we have seen over 1,000 Americans die IN A SINGLE DAY.

Doc -- You are way off base here.

8,000 people in the U.S. die every day from all causes. So an increase of 1,000 is definitely serious and meaningful. Getting up to 2,000 a day would be even more serious. But your comparison to the body bags from Nam filled with young GI's violently cut down in their prime is just not apposite. Disrespectful imho.

Also, note that it is not like the U.S. is the only place where this is happening. Every country is experiencing this.

At present, the U.S. is definitely doing worse than some other countries in dealing with this virus (e.g. Canada and HK). But we are doing much much better than many other countries (on a death per million population basis): Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark to name a few who are currently worse. TBD how the US will look on a relative basis after this is all over.

I think Trump is doing a completely lousy job. But ranting about how he's mowing down Americans like in wartime is too far to go.

Respectfully, I completely disagree with you. Frankly, discounting the deaths we are seeing today is extremely disrespectful. There is nothing ordinary about what we are seeing today.

A life is a life. And yes, there are some young people dying. A horrible aspect of this pandemic is how much some of these patients suffer before passing away. Dying of respiratory failure is a heartrending way to pass from this world. To make things worse, these patients are leaving us without their loved ones at their side

The scale of the deaths we are seeing today haven’t been seen for at least six decades (at least 1957), and the deadliness of this pandemic can only be compared to 1918 in modern times.

I am sick and tired of hearing the idiotic reminders of how many people die from other “ordinary” causes. That completely misses the point about what we’re dealing with here.

We are seeing thousands of deaths each day around the world despite the largest-scale global public health intervention in all of human history. Some of you still do not understand the horror of these pandemic death counts in the context of the massive efforts underway around the world. Without these unprecedented efforts, we would be seeing death counts that would match or surpass those “ordinary” causes ... something that had been almost unthinkable in contemporary times.

Trump has been wrong about many things, but he’s right about one thing ... this is a war.

Make a wrong decision now, and a hundred thousand or more people could die who would not have.

DocBarrister

[DocBarrister]

One of the most all-time famous articles in Life Magazine was published during the height of the Vietnam War. It displayed photos of all the American military personnel who had died in a single week.

In June 1969, LIFE magazine published a feature that remains as moving and, in some quarters, as controversial as it was when it intensified a nation’s soul-searching 45 years ago. On the cover was the image of a young man and 11 stark words: “The Faces of the American Dead in Vietnam: One Week’s Toll.” Inside, across 10 funereal pages, LIFE published picture after picture and name after name of 242 young men killed in seven days halfway around the world “in connection with the conflict in Vietnam.”

https://www.life.com/history/faces-of-t ... june-1969/

Now, there is certainly a distinction between the death of young people in their prime in a completely man-made phenomenon (war) and the death of primarily older individuals in the current pandemic.

Still, it’s worth noting that there was great power in seeing the faces of 242 young men who had died over a week. In today’s pandemic, we have seen over 1,000 Americans die IN A SINGLE DAY.

They used to chant, “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?!?”

A variant of that would be an appropriate question for Trump, albeit not nearly as lyrical or poetic. Just how many thousands of Americans did Trump kill with his incompetence and malignant narcissism?

I am still hoping we don’t get anywhere near the fatality figures of current models. But if we do, we’re looking at fatality numbers that will dwarf those from Vietnam.

In a true case of bitter and cruel irony, many of the people dying today are from that Vietnam War generation.

A sobering perspective.

DocBarrister

Just how many thousands of Americans did the Chinese Coronavirus and the Communist Chinese government kill with incompetence and malignant narcissism?

You are right. Xi Jinping and Donald Trump share many malignant mental deficiencies and abnormalities.

DocBarrister

[jhu72]

Mario Salerno, of NYC. A real hero!


Where is Jared Kushner going to live when NYC runs out of ventilators?

[Jim Malone]

Turning supermarket aisles into one way here to keep the 6’ distancing better and some only letting less than a dozen in store at a time.

Most of the places around here have designated hours for elderly shoppers in the morning so they have a chance to get stuff on their own and away from less at-risk people. Some have first responder / healthcare worker hours too so they can stock up.

The low income people are gonna probably feel the most pain unfortunately.

[tech37]

Yes, Trump's hopeful rhetoric to stem tide of panic here and support Xi there (others will say lies) but back channels sent tons of PPE to help China... guess someone listened to the security briefings.

For the record, I think it's great that Trump sent help to China. I hope we as a country always reach out with aid to those in need.

Yes, I realize that left us short. Hindsight.

If we'd stamped down on the accelerator to re-stock, identifying and resolving all the choke points in supplies, whether tests, PPE, ventilators, etc...of course help the front lines (China) in trying to slow it down. And then at each new front line as it flared.

If there was ever a basis for international cooperation and support, it's a global pandemic. Rapid response with all international resources brought to bear is what's needed in such a challenge.

We did this very successfully with the Ebola outbreak.

Stomped down on the accelerator. Well put.

Putting aside Trump's idiotic "this is no big deal" comments that went on way too long and his shutting down the White House pandemic team, had the administration acted proactively (similar to CA) instead of reactively (which he is still doing), I'm confident we'd be in a much better position today AND we'd be getting out of this much more quickly than we will, with fewer deaths and less strain on the health care system.

No excuse for not pulling out ALL the stops to manufacture masks, PPE, and ventilators in January. Had manufacturers been pushed to go 24/7 two and a half months ago, we'd be in a much better position now in terms of supplies. What is the worst that would have happened? We end up with too many of them? So what? It would have frightened people "too soon"? Too soon? Are you kidding me? Look, Trump isn't the only one who was a day late and a dollar short. How many questioned the Ivies when they canceled their season? But he is the guy in charge who had the best info at the earliest point in time.

Had Trump been a leader instead of acting solely out of his own political interests for way too long (it's obvious he is pushing as much as possible on the states so he can try to blame the governors (a child can see that)), key parts of the country would have shut down earlier. Weeks even days would have made a huge difference.

Trump failed to invoke and broadly apply the DPA, which has exacerbated the manufacturing problem. ORDER these companies what to do and how, and at what price. Don't rely on their goodwill. Yes, many have acted altruistically (see our afan), but others haven't and some need prodding.

Trump has failed to have the feds take over ALL ordering and delivery of supplies. Instead, as Cuomo says, the states are bidding against themselves like on Ebay. This is not only idiotic, but it will cost the American taxpaper billions of dollars.

Trump is also woefully behind the curve on testing. In January, he should have ordered (using the DPA) all relevant companies to manufacture test kits 24/7 and to develop new, better ones. Better and earlier testing would have paid huge dividends, and saved the lives of many of our heroic health care providers.

Now that a quick (5/15 min.) and accurate test (Abbott) has been developed, Trump should use the DPA to order Abbott to manufacture machines and test kits 24/7 (they may be already doing so) and to license other manufacturers to do the same.

There are 18,000 Abbott machines in the country per Birx yesterday. But the government doesn't know where they are. Trump should sign an executive order requiring anyone with a machine to advise HHS or whatever is the appropriate entity of the machines' whereabouts and other relevant details within 3/5/7 (?) days so the government knows where they are. With that info, we'll be able to determine where new machine need to go and where we have enough of them. From what I've seen, the machine is relatively easy to operate and probably would only require a minimal amount of instruction for a low level tech.

Abbott says they can manufacture 50,000 tests a day which I assume is their 24/7 capacity. That is a small drop in the bucket for what the country needs. Abbott needs to be ordered to give up the propriety info, etc. to other manufacturers so we can dramatically increase the number of these 5/15 tests.

This won't be early enough for the first wave, but wide-spread testing is critical to the "lull" (hopefully we have a lull) and second wave phases. Obviously the testing needs to start with health care providers, first responders, employees of essential businesses, etc., but we need to get to the point where everyone in the country can get a 5/15 test whenever they want it, with no symptoms or exposure. Just for peace of mind.

Otherwise, we'll be flying blind when the second wave hits and we'll inevitably see brush fires springing up that run the risk of turning into wild fires, which could put us right back where we are now.

What is Trump's plan for the second wave? Seems as though he's sticking his head in the sand and hoping that we'll be done with all this once we've through the first phase. We won't be. We have time, at least some time, to plan for phase two. What's the plan, Donald?

It does sound like antibody testing (to test to see if someone has had the disease and recovered) is moving ahead, but this also needs to go full throttle as it will be critical to determine who likely will be immune during phase two.

Who needs a COVID-19 Commission Report after this screed?

[Farfromgeneva]

Mario Salerno, of NYC. A real hero!


Where is Jared Kushner going to live when NYC runs out of ventilators?

Staten Island?

[DocBarrister]

Mario Salerno, of NYC. A real hero!


Where is Jared Kushner going to live when NYC runs out of ventilators?

Staten Island?

How are you and your family doing, FFG?

DocB

[njbill]

Dr Fauci a late scratch.

Hopefully a healthy scratch.

[MDlaxfan76]

Yes, Trump's hopeful rhetoric to stem tide of panic here and support Xi there (others will say lies) but back channels sent tons of PPE to help China... guess someone listened to the security briefings.

For the record, I think it's great that Trump sent help to China. I hope we as a country always reach out with aid to those in need.

Yes, I realize that left us short. Hindsight.

If we'd stamped down on the accelerator to re-stock, identifying and resolving all the choke points in supplies, whether tests, PPE, ventilators, etc...of course help the front lines (China) in trying to slow it down. And then at each new front line as it flared.

If there was ever a basis for international cooperation and support, it's a global pandemic. Rapid response with all international resources brought to bear is what's needed in such a challenge.

We did this very successfully with the Ebola outbreak.

Stomped down on the accelerator. Well put.

Putting aside Trump's idiotic "this is no big deal" comments that went on way too long and his shutting down the White House pandemic team, had the administration acted proactively (similar to CA) instead of reactively (which he is still doing), I'm confident we'd be in a much better position today AND we'd be getting out of this much more quickly than we will, with fewer deaths and less strain on the health care system.

No excuse for not pulling out ALL the stops to manufacture masks, PPE, and ventilators in January. Had manufacturers been pushed to go 24/7 two and a half months ago, we'd be in a much better position now in terms of supplies. What is the worst that would have happened? We end up with too many of them? So what? It would have frightened people "too soon"? Too soon? Are you kidding me? Look, Trump isn't the only one who was a day late and a dollar short. How many questioned the Ivies when they canceled their season? But he is the guy in charge who had the best info at the earliest point in time.

Had Trump been a leader instead of acting solely out of his own political interests for way too long (it's obvious he is pushing as much as possible on the states so he can try to blame the governors (a child can see that)), key parts of the country would have shut down earlier. Weeks even days would have made a huge difference.

Trump failed to invoke and broadly apply the DPA, which has exacerbated the manufacturing problem. ORDER these companies what to do and how, and at what price. Don't rely on their goodwill. Yes, many have acted altruistically (see our afan), but others haven't and some need prodding.

Trump has failed to have the feds take over ALL ordering and delivery of supplies. Instead, as Cuomo says, the states are bidding against themselves like on Ebay. This is not only idiotic, but it will cost the American taxpaper billions of dollars.

Trump is also woefully behind the curve on testing. In January, he should have ordered (using the DPA) all relevant companies to manufacture test kits 24/7 and to develop new, better ones. Better and earlier testing would have paid huge dividends, and saved the lives of many of our heroic health care providers.

Now that a quick (5/15 min.) and accurate test (Abbott) has been developed, Trump should use the DPA to order Abbott to manufacture machines and test kits 24/7 (they may be already doing so) and to license other manufacturers to do the same.

There are 18,000 Abbott machines in the country per Birx yesterday. But the government doesn't know where they are. Trump should sign an executive order requiring anyone with a machine to advise HHS or whatever is the appropriate entity of the machines' whereabouts and other relevant details within 3/5/7 (?) days so the government knows where they are. With that info, we'll be able to determine where new machine need to go and where we have enough of them. From what I've seen, the machine is relatively easy to operate and probably would only require a minimal amount of instruction for a low level tech.

Abbott says they can manufacture 50,000 tests a day which I assume is their 24/7 capacity. That is a small drop in the bucket for what the country needs. Abbott needs to be ordered to give up the propriety info, etc. to other manufacturers so we can dramatically increase the number of these 5/15 tests.

This won't be early enough for the first wave, but wide-spread testing is critical to the "lull" (hopefully we have a lull) and second wave phases. Obviously the testing needs to start with health care providers, first responders, employees of essential businesses, etc., but we need to get to the point where everyone in the country can get a 5/15 test whenever they want it, with no symptoms or exposure. Just for peace of mind.

Otherwise, we'll be flying blind when the second wave hits and we'll inevitably see brush fires springing up that run the risk of turning into wild fires, which could put us right back where we are now.

What is Trump's plan for the second wave? Seems as though he's sticking his head in the sand and hoping that we'll be done with all this once we've through the first phase. We won't be. We have time, at least some time, to plan for phase two. What's the plan, Donald?

It does sound like antibody testing (to test to see if someone has had the disease and recovered) is moving ahead, but this also needs to go full throttle as it will be critical to determine who likely will be immune during phase two.

Who needs a COVID-19 Commission Report after this screed?

Pretty solid guess as to what an independent minded investigation would reveal in an 'after-action report'.
Could actually be worse when they get to the 'what did they know and when did they know it' analysis.

My only nit is that I'm not sure "January" is a reasonable expectation for the 'stomp on the accelerator'. Unless the intelligence briefings were explicit and ignored in that month (maybe last week of January?).

Bur definitely by early February... we now know that they knew all that was necessary to know... that we faced a deadly pandemic of huge proportions. No avoiding it with denials and happy talk. Absolutely no excuse by mid-February...and that next full month of denial was hugely damaging.

As has been the inept and chaotic management... even since mid-March when they at least admitted there was a serious problem. Every single day has mattered.

And it matters every single day now.
And they're still screwing up royally, all the while pointing the finger anywhere but themselves.
Zero taking responsibility in the White House.

[Trinity]

“Tensions run high on Russia’s state TV, with out-of-control pundits yelling and finger-pointing about the spread of the #coronavirus. On live TV, lawmakers accused each other of lying to the people, licking Putin’s behind and drinking before the show.“

Julia Davis. The Daily Beast.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/beware-of ... irus-gifts

Please note there is no travel ban for Russia. Ireland yes. Russia no.

[njbill]

Yeah, January may be a little harsh, MD. I guess I was getting on a roll, like “when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.”

[DocBarrister]

32,088 new confirmed cases

1,320 additional deaths

This pandemic isn’t slowing down in the U.S.

DocBarrister

[Farfromgeneva]

Mario Salerno, of NYC. A real hero!


Where is Jared Kushner going to live when NYC runs out of ventilators?

Staten Island?

How are you and your family doing, FFG?

DocB

Appreciate your asking. Still can’t get into hospital and worse there’s no communication between hospital, specialists and primary care. I am a medical proxy but her GP who was trying to move up a biopsy as late as ast week didn’t know she was in the hospital for more than a week (from falling and broken arm, needing rehab to walk, get up and down). She’s a wreck because they told her yest AM officially that 3/4 tumors on liver were malignant but have not given any more information to her or anyone else about beyond this fact. Have left msgs at hospital, specialist and go early this am and no response all day. Did talk to a nurse who’s lucky I didn’t hunt her down (I’m sure most are fine but this one was a typical small city miserable white trash lady with a bad attitude who clearly doesn’t have the capacity for empathy to have her job and is just taking a paycheck.

So I’m heading back to Atl this weekend, driving, have left my wife to deal with our two kids (5&7) while also working remotely for more than a week now. Will probably come back up but everything is fluid. Wish I had an idea what her timeline is like but no clue bc professionals have been non responsive to patient or proxy. Same deal as before, I’d roll the dice on having to deal with consequences before I let her die alone.

This time here also reminds me why I was going somewhere else after college.

Appreciate the inquiry though. Funny I’m more open on these stupid boards than I am with family and my closest friends of 15-30yrs. Have a weird thing about making my burden others so struggle to “share” with those people.

[seacoaster]

Yes, Trump's hopeful rhetoric to stem tide of panic here and support Xi there (others will say lies) but back channels sent tons of PPE to help China... guess someone listened to the security briefings.

For the record, I think it's great that Trump sent help to China. I hope we as a country always reach out with aid to those in need.

Yes, I realize that left us short. Hindsight.

If we'd stamped down on the accelerator to re-stock, identifying and resolving all the choke points in supplies, whether tests, PPE, ventilators, etc...of course help the front lines (China) in trying to slow it down. And then at each new front line as it flared.

If there was ever a basis for international cooperation and support, it's a global pandemic. Rapid response with all international resources brought to bear is what's needed in such a challenge.

We did this very successfully with the Ebola outbreak.

Stomped down on the accelerator. Well put.

Putting aside Trump's idiotic "this is no big deal" comments that went on way too long and his shutting down the White House pandemic team, had the administration acted proactively (similar to CA) instead of reactively (which he is still doing), I'm confident we'd be in a much better position today AND we'd be getting out of this much more quickly than we will, with fewer deaths and less strain on the health care system.

No excuse for not pulling out ALL the stops to manufacture masks, PPE, and ventilators in January. Had manufacturers been pushed to go 24/7 two and a half months ago, we'd be in a much better position now in terms of supplies. What is the worst that would have happened? We end up with too many of them? So what? It would have frightened people "too soon"? Too soon? Are you kidding me? Look, Trump isn't the only one who was a day late and a dollar short. How many questioned the Ivies when they canceled their season? But he is the guy in charge who had the best info at the earliest point in time.

Had Trump been a leader instead of acting solely out of his own political interests for way too long (it's obvious he is pushing as much as possible on the states so he can try to blame the governors (a child can see that)), key parts of the country would have shut down earlier. Weeks even days would have made a huge difference.

Trump failed to invoke and broadly apply the DPA, which has exacerbated the manufacturing problem. ORDER these companies what to do and how, and at what price. Don't rely on their goodwill. Yes, many have acted altruistically (see our afan), but others haven't and some need prodding.

Trump has failed to have the feds take over ALL ordering and delivery of supplies. Instead, as Cuomo says, the states are bidding against themselves like on Ebay. This is not only idiotic, but it will cost the American taxpaper billions of dollars.

Trump is also woefully behind the curve on testing. In January, he should have ordered (using the DPA) all relevant companies to manufacture test kits 24/7 and to develop new, better ones. Better and earlier testing would have paid huge dividends, and saved the lives of many of our heroic health care providers.

Now that a quick (5/15 min.) and accurate test (Abbott) has been developed, Trump should use the DPA to order Abbott to manufacture machines and test kits 24/7 (they may be already doing so) and to license other manufacturers to do the same.

There are 18,000 Abbott machines in the country per Birx yesterday. But the government doesn't know where they are. Trump should sign an executive order requiring anyone with a machine to advise HHS or whatever is the appropriate entity of the machines' whereabouts and other relevant details within 3/5/7 (?) days so the government knows where they are. With that info, we'll be able to determine where new machine need to go and where we have enough of them. From what I've seen, the machine is relatively easy to operate and probably would only require a minimal amount of instruction for a low level tech.

Abbott says they can manufacture 50,000 tests a day which I assume is their 24/7 capacity. That is a small drop in the bucket for what the country needs. Abbott needs to be ordered to give up the propriety info, etc. to other manufacturers so we can dramatically increase the number of these 5/15 tests.

This won't be early enough for the first wave, but wide-spread testing is critical to the "lull" (hopefully we have a lull) and second wave phases. Obviously the testing needs to start with health care providers, first responders, employees of essential businesses, etc., but we need to get to the point where everyone in the country can get a 5/15 test whenever they want it, with no symptoms or exposure. Just for peace of mind.

Otherwise, we'll be flying blind when the second wave hits and we'll inevitably see brush fires springing up that run the risk of turning into wild fires, which could put us right back where we are now.

What is Trump's plan for the second wave? Seems as though he's sticking his head in the sand and hoping that we'll be done with all this once we've through the first phase. We won't be. We have time, at least some time, to plan for phase two. What's the plan, Donald?

It does sound like antibody testing (to test to see if someone has had the disease and recovered) is moving ahead, but this also needs to go full throttle as it will be critical to determine who likely will be immune during phase two.

Great post.

[ardilla secreta]

Turning supermarket aisles into one way here to keep the 6’ distancing better and some only letting less than a dozen in store at a time.

Most of the places around here have designated hours for elderly shoppers in the morning so they have a chance to get stuff on their own and away from less at-risk people. Some have first responder / healthcare worker hours too so they can stock up.

The low income people are gonna probably feel the most pain unfortunately.

From my experience the senior period is a bad time to go because it’s excessively busy. Better to go in the afternoon when the panicky people are gone.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Mario Salerno, of NYC. A real hero!


Where is Jared Kushner going to live when NYC runs out of ventilators?

Staten Island?

How are you and your family doing, FFG?

DocB

Appreciate your asking. Still can’t get into hospital and worse there’s no communication between hospital, specialists and primary care. I am a medical proxy but her GP who was trying to move up a biopsy as late as ast week didn’t know she was in the hospital for more than a week (from falling and broken arm, needing rehab to walk, get up and down). She’s a wreck because they told her yest AM officially that 3/4 tumors on liver were malignant but have not given any more information to her or anyone else about beyond this fact. Have left msgs at hospital, specialist and go early this am and no response all day. Did talk to a nurse who’s lucky I didn’t hunt her down (I’m sure most are fine but this one was a typical small city miserable white trash lady with a bad attitude who clearly doesn’t have the capacity for empathy to have her job and is just taking a paycheck.

So I’m heading back to Atl this weekend, driving, have left my wife to deal with our two kids (5&7) while also working remotely for more than a week now. Will probably come back up but everything is fluid. Wish I had an idea what her timeline is like but no clue bc professionals have been non responsive to patient or proxy. Same deal as before, I’d roll the dice on having to deal with consequences before I let her die alone.

This time here also reminds me why I was going somewhere else after college.

Appreciate the inquiry though. Funny I’m more open on these stupid boards than I am with family and my closest friends of 15-30yrs. Have a weird thing about making my burden others so struggle to “share” with those people.

Best of luck to you and your family. Enjoy those kids. Life is precious.

[DocBarrister]

Mario Salerno, of NYC. A real hero!


Where is Jared Kushner going to live when NYC runs out of ventilators?

Staten Island?

How are you and your family doing, FFG?

DocB

Appreciate your asking. Still can’t get into hospital and worse there’s no communication between hospital, specialists and primary care. I am a medical proxy but her GP who was trying to move up a biopsy as late as ast week didn’t know she was in the hospital for more than a week (from falling and broken arm, needing rehab to walk, get up and down). She’s a wreck because they told her yest AM officially that 3/4 tumors on liver were malignant but have not given any more information to her or anyone else about beyond this fact. Have left msgs at hospital, specialist and go early this am and no response all day. Did talk to a nurse who’s lucky I didn’t hunt her down (I’m sure most are fine but this one was a typical small city miserable white trash lady with a bad attitude who clearly doesn’t have the capacity for empathy to have her job and is just taking a paycheck.

So I’m heading back to Atl this weekend, driving, have left my wife to deal with our two kids (5&7) while also working remotely for more than a week now. Will probably come back up but everything is fluid. Wish I had an idea what her timeline is like but no clue bc professionals have been non responsive to patient or proxy. Same deal as before, I’d roll the dice on having to deal with consequences before I let her die alone.

This time here also reminds me why I was going somewhere else after college.

Appreciate the inquiry though. Funny I’m more open on these stupid boards than I am with family and my closest friends of 15-30yrs. Have a weird thing about making my burden others so struggle to “share” with those people.

Boy ... you have your hands full.

Your family is looking to you for strength, so I can imagine why it’s challenging to discuss things with them.

Hang in there and remember, you’re only human. There’s only so much you can do. Take care.

DocB

[Farfromgeneva]

Never a dull day, but I always have to remind myself how many people have worse situations than anything I've dealt with in the last decade or so. Hopefully my typing this stuff at least reminds people it's not an abstraction but this pandemic has caused all sorts of unexpected consequences for everyone.

Just need to reread The Myth of Sisyphus and keep the message there close in my mind....

(cheap shortcut, though the essay isn't much more than 200pgs, if that but here's the final section of the essay from crib notes: Chapter 4: The Myth of Sisyphus

In the last chapter, Camus outlines the legend of Sisyphus who defied the gods and put Death in chains so that no human needed to die. When Death was eventually liberated and it came time for Sisyphus himself to die, he concocted a deceit which let him escape from the underworld. After finally capturing Sisyphus, the gods decided that his punishment would last for all eternity. He would have to push a rock up a mountain; upon reaching the top, the rock would roll down again, leaving Sisyphus to start over. Camus sees Sisyphus as the absurd hero who lives life to the fullest, hates death, and is condemned to a meaningless task.[4]

Camus presents Sisyphus's ceaseless and pointless toil as a metaphor for modern lives spent working at futile jobs in factories and offices. "The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious."

Camus is interested in Sisyphus's thoughts when marching down the mountain, to start anew. After the stone falls back down the mountain Camus states that "It is during that return, that pause, that Sisyphus interests me. A face that toils so close to stones is already stone itself! I see that man going back down with a heavy yet measured step toward the torment of which he will never know the end." This is the truly tragic moment when the hero becomes conscious of his wretched condition. He does not have hope, but "there is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn." Acknowledging the truth will conquer it; Sisyphus, just like the absurd man, keeps pushing. Camus claims that when Sisyphus acknowledges the futility of his task and the certainty of his fate, he is freed to realize the absurdity of his situation and to reach a state of contented acceptance. With a nod to the similarly cursed Greek hero Oedipus, Camus concludes that "all is well," indeed, that "one must imagine Sisyphus happy."[5])

[DocBarrister]

Never a dull day, but I always have to remind myself how many people have worse situations than anything I've dealt with in the last decade or so. Hopefully my typing this stuff at least reminds people it's not an abstraction but this pandemic has caused all sorts of unexpected consequences for everyone.

Just need to reread The Myth of Sisyphus and keep the message there close in my mind....

(cheap shortcut, though the essay isn't much more than 200pgs, if that but here's the final section of the essay from crib notes: Chapter 4: The Myth of Sisyphus

In the last chapter, Camus outlines the legend of Sisyphus who defied the gods and put Death in chains so that no human needed to die. When Death was eventually liberated and it came time for Sisyphus himself to die, he concocted a deceit which let him escape from the underworld. After finally capturing Sisyphus, the gods decided that his punishment would last for all eternity. He would have to push a rock up a mountain; upon reaching the top, the rock would roll down again, leaving Sisyphus to start over. Camus sees Sisyphus as the absurd hero who lives life to the fullest, hates death, and is condemned to a meaningless task.[4]

Camus presents Sisyphus's ceaseless and pointless toil as a metaphor for modern lives spent working at futile jobs in factories and offices. "The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious."

Camus is interested in Sisyphus's thoughts when marching down the mountain, to start anew. After the stone falls back down the mountain Camus states that "It is during that return, that pause, that Sisyphus interests me. A face that toils so close to stones is already stone itself! I see that man going back down with a heavy yet measured step toward the torment of which he will never know the end." This is the truly tragic moment when the hero becomes conscious of his wretched condition. He does not have hope, but "there is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn." Acknowledging the truth will conquer it; Sisyphus, just like the absurd man, keeps pushing. Camus claims that when Sisyphus acknowledges the futility of his task and the certainty of his fate, he is freed to realize the absurdity of his situation and to reach a state of contented acceptance. With a nod to the similarly cursed Greek hero Oedipus, Camus concludes that "all is well," indeed, that "one must imagine Sisyphus happy."[5])

Good stuff, FFG.

By the way, I kinda feel like Sisyphus each time I try to explain something to 6ft or rrr.

DocBarrister

[wgdsr]

Death count estimates for Wuhan in WaPo:

Chinese families should be sweeping graves now. But thousands still haven’t buried their dead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as ... story.html

Using photos posted online, social media sleuths have estimated that Wuhan funeral homes had returned 3,500 urns a day since March 23. That would imply a death toll in Wuhan of about 42,000 — or 16 times the official number. Another widely shared calculation, based on Wuhan’s 84 furnaces running nonstop and each cremation taking an hour, put the death toll at 46,800.

Wuhan residents say the activities belie the official statistics. “It can’t be right . . . because the incinerators have been working round the clock, so how can so few people have died?” a man, identified only by his surname of Zhang, told Radio Free Asia.

U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly concluded that China’s numbers are much lower than they are in reality.

Or more...

If accurate, this report should not surprise anyone who's paying attention re Chicoms.

It shouldn't. But it did indeed surprise most of our leaders.

It's plainly, CLEARLY a surprise to many of our Federal and State leaders who laughed this off, from both parties.

And the entirety of FoxNews. FoxNews trusted that it was no big deal, and pumped its viewers with this notion for weeks.

Remember the wanker who wore the gasmask to Congress? That freaking guy thought it was a joke, and believed China, and ignored Italy.

The security briefings warned early on that China was minimizing the severity of the outbreak and that it had a very high chance of being a global pandemic. The people at the top were properly warned. They failed to act in a timely manner.

there have been dozens of reports, viral and otherwise, that china had millions of infections, 10s of thousands of dead. crematories running 24/7 for months. have been backing out their numbers since the beginning.