COVID-19 Symptoms Explained, day by day

[Uncle Phil]

It would appear that if you are in reasonably good physical shape with no underlying conditions, you apparently come out okay. There are and have been some exceptions to that as there are always exceptions in most cases - and the media loves to blow up the 'exceptions' to spread FUD - fear, uncertainty, and doubt which sells well for them. The video that Shuey originally posted seems to correlate that, the CDC percentages (if they can be believed) do the same and the experience in our work place does also. I understand completely the need for those in 'at risk' categories to stay at home and take all necessary precautions and for the front line medical workers to be protected. But the rest of the 'herd' has to build up an immunity or this 'plague' mentality will be around for a long, long time - or at least until the US presidential election is over (for those conspiracy theorists).

 

[woodybelle]

That is great that you are feeling better. I like hearing from people who have actually had it, to know that it is survivable. I am 69 years old and 3 people in our small town have passed from the virus and all were men over 65.

 

[Coop]

That is great that you are feeling better. I like hearing from people who have actually had it, to know that it is survivable. I am 69 years old and 3 people in our small town have passed from the virus and all were men over 65.

I'm 73 with COPD and some heart problems so I must be a canary. The Lone Ranger wore a mask and I'm not him. The odds of dying from the China virus in Texas is .03. If God wants to take me home, I have an idea he knows where to find me. LOL! All this fear is so disgusting.

 

[rwthomas1]

Fear, misinformation and a general lack of commonsense have dominated this debacle. Edicts have been passed down, many, not making any sense at all, being hailed as "leadership", and that is from both sides of the political spectrum.

Early in the beginning of the covidmania, I was having a coffee on my front steps. Along comes a person walking in my neighborhood, wearing a mask, who proceeds to berate me for not wearing a mask. Said that I was going to "kill people". I was 60ft from her, on my own property, by myself. This lunatic got a piece of my mind, and not the kind side, as I told her that if she was so concerned, she needed to get herself home. I have witnessed people kayaking, 100yards from shore, with a mask on. Riding a bike on a quiet country road with a mask on. What in the world were they protecting themselves from? And these aren't isolated incidents.

The entire mask/social distancing/hygiene thing was not presented correctly. Tell Americans that the HAVE to do something, or else, and you get what we have. There's one group who quickly toe the line and then insist that everyone else adhere absolutely, without thinking about what they have been asked to do, with punitive threats for non-compliance. And the other side who snarls, digs in their heels and extends the middle finger. And the third group, stuck in the middle of the insane asylum, wondering whatever happened to commonsense?

RT

 

[st11ray]

Fear, misinformation and a general lack of commonsense have dominated this debacle. Edicts have been passed down, many, not making any sense at all, being hailed as "leadership", and that is from both sides of the political spectrum.

Early in the beginning of the covidmania, I was having a coffee on my front steps. Along comes a person walking in my neighborhood, wearing a mask, who proceeds to berate me for not wearing a mask. Said that I was going to "kill people". I was 60ft from her, on my own property, by myself. This lunatic got a piece of my mind, and not the kind side, as I told her that if she was so concerned, she needed to get herself home. I have witnessed people kayaking, 100yards from shore, with a mask on. Riding a bike on a quiet country road with a mask on. What in the world were they protecting themselves from? And these aren't isolated incidents.

The entire mask/social distancing/hygiene thing was not presented correctly. Tell Americans that the HAVE to do something, or else, and you get what we have. There's one group who quickly toe the line and then insist that everyone else adhere absolutely, without thinking about what they have been asked to do, with punitive threats for non-compliance. And the other side who snarls, digs in their heels and extends the middle finger. And the third group, stuck in the middle of the insane asylum, wondering whatever happened to commonsense?

RT

I like the ones that are in a car all by themselves with a mask on. Who are they protecting? Themselves?

 

[Uncle Phil]

I like the ones that are in a car all by themselves with a mask on. Who are they protecting? Themselves?

The car ....

 

[CYYJ]

And I'm sure their research methods are impeccable and precise to the 10th decimal place...
As I always say, torture the data enough and it will confess to anything ...

Although I am not quite as cynical as Uncle Phil about the whole COVID restrictions thing (perhaps because I live in Canada, where we have kept our infection & death rate down to one-tenth that of the USA because everyone wears masks and we tend to comply with requests that our government makes of us), I do agree that the San Diego State University study of the Sturgis rally needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

The study has not been peer reviewed, something that is absolutely essential before putting any amount of trust in a scientific study.

Michael

 

[Uncle Phil]

Although I am not quite as cynical as Uncle Phil about the whole COVID restrictions thing (perhaps because I live in Canada, where we have kept our infection & death rate down to one-tenth that of the USA because everyone wears masks and we tend to comply with requests that our government makes of us)

Yes, but (except in may be Toronto and Quebec City and Vancouver - the latest COVID board says US deaths are 195,525 vs Canada deaths 9,555 so that's 5% if my math brain is working), you are by nature socially distanced because of how far is between places and how well spread out you folks are - so maybe it's not the masks after all ... If we tossed a few of our big cities out of the mix (you can have them if you like ), it would be interesting what the rate calculates to be. There is a great difference in Covid stats from province to province in Canada - pull Quebec and Ontario out, and the deaths are less than 1,000 total for all the other provinces from what I can find. What is also interesting is that if the CDC report is correct, then 'pure' Covid deaths (only cause of death) is 6% - about 11,731. As I say, torture the data enough and it will confess to anything. It would be interesting to know if there are differences in the way the Canadian system records a 'Covid' death versus the US system. And what is also interesting is when you look at "Deaths Per Million" which is a more accurate measurement, it is 590 for the US and 243 for Canada (assuming the information is correct) which means the Canadian 'rate' is 42% of the US rate. And if you wanted to torture it further, compare how many very large cities there are in the US versus in Canada, where the major problems are.

 

[CYYJ]

...you are by nature socially distanced because of how far is between places and how well spread out you folks are - so maybe it's not the masks after all ...

Hi Phil:

No, it's not population distribution. Except for remote areas such as Newfoundland & Northern Ontario (analogous to Alaska & rural Montana so far as population distribution is concerned), our population density is very similar to America. 90% of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the border with the USA, and the percentage of our population living in urban areas is the same as yours (82% in Canada, 80% in the USA).

What concerns me - as a 65 year old - is not the death rate, it's the infection rate. If the teenager next door gets infected, he's not going to die, he'll just have a lousy week. But if I pick up the infection from him, I'm at a much greater risk of serious illness or death.

I think we're testing people up here at about the same rate (adjusted for population) as America. What we have seen in the past few weeks is a few flare-ups in suburban areas, but no significant increase in infection in urban or rural areas. Like America, there is a correlation here between the number of people living in each housing unit (implies low income or poverty) and the infection rate. In my census tract in the City of Toronto, we have had no infections reported for over a month, but in the poorer areas of the city (population 3 million for the city alone, not counting suburbs) we are recording about 50 infections per day - almost all of which are in people under 45.

We also have the same disparity as America in the infection rate among minorities (black, South Asian, etc.) vs. the infection rate of the Caucasian community. I think that the cause is the same - lower incomes that result in increased density in housing units.

Michael

 

[mortenk]

I like the ones that are in a car all by themselves with a mask on. Who are they protecting? Themselves?

The idea is to put your mask on before leaving your house and leave it alone until you get home. You may not be close to others all the time, but if you mess with the mask all the time, you are increasing the risk of infecting yourself. That's probably why you see masks on people in cars - they probably came from the grocery store etc.

As far as fear etc. goes, the fact that almost 200,000 have died so far in the US demonstrates that it's dangerous for some. I'm not personally scared, even if I should catch COVID, but I am greatly interested in getting over this decease so that we can return to a more normal kind of life. Ironically, if we all put on masks and stayed at home for a month (at the same time!) this would be more or less history. That's why smaller countries have managed to get it under control. US is so diverse and polarized that you will never be able to have people agree to a common approach (and our administration hasn't really advocated for a common approach), and as a result, we are doomed until we get a vaccine. This has huge consequences on our economy, health, and quality of life - but we as a people have apparently decided that we would rather suffer for years than do the right thing for a month and move on. Sigh...

 

[Uncle Phil]

Ironically, if we all put on masks and stayed at home for a month (at the same time!) this would be more or less history. That's why smaller countries have managed to get it under control.

Smaller countries - like Peru (who has the highest death rate per million) and Belgium (second highest) and the U.K. (number 5)? If I understand things correctly (and I could be wrong), this is a virus that seems to exist pretty well outside of a host (remember all the 'airborne' and door knob information?). If that is the case, it's not going to be 'history' any more than the flu or other virus based diseases. "Doing the right thing for a month" ain't going to kill it. I wear a mask when I am out and about, especially in crowded scenarios, and I also test my temperature every day. I think taking super precautions for those who are at high risk or exposed consistently makes perfectly good sense. But some of the knee-jerk reactions from politicians based on the latest 'media flash' are a bit strange. Our state governor recognized early on that 'one size does not fit all' and what is needed in Nashville is not needed in Lynnville, population 368. I just hope the 'vaccine' (which is a weakened form of the virus from what I understand) is thoroughly tested to get the 'payload' correct. Not that big pharma would do a poor job of testing in order to seize the golden prize. But if the 'payload' is not correct, it will either be useless or you will see a great spike in infections.

 

[Uncle Phil]

What concerns me - as a 65 year old - is not the death rate, it's the infection rate. If the teenager next door gets infected, he's not going to die, he'll just have a lousy week. But if I pick up the infection from him, I'm at a much greater risk of serious illness or death.

Why you are young chicken at 65 - I'll be 68 on Sunday if I make it til then! And I am in a bit of the 'high risk' group as I have had pneumonia that almost killed me at good old USMC Parris Island and have scarring in my lungs. So I take prudent precautions - then go ride a motorcycle all over the place which is nothing more than a organ donor machine according to some ....

 

[Fawlty]

Here in Spain we had the strictest lockdown in Europe. We were not allowed out of the house for 2 months other than to buy food and supplies and then only solo. We were not even allowed outside for exercise. Only essential workers were allowed to work and all other employment was suspended. This was enforced with minimum fines of 600 Euros.

The virus did not go away. All that total lockdown achieved was to temporarily take the pressure off the hospitals.

We are now in the ascendance again. Restrictions are being imposed daily and some of them are draconian and ridiculous. Mask wearing is compulsory in the street and all spaces to which the public have access, whether or not social distancing can be observed.

We need to move on and take responsibility for our actions, using common sense precautions.

Lockdown is not a viable long term solution for a myriad of reasons in my humble view.

 

[Gerhard]

what is needed in Nashville is not needed in Lynnville, population 368

Actually the remote small communities in Canada have the greatest fear for the virus, I guess they live such intertwined lives that if one has the virus most have the virus. A lot of native communities are very cautious with visitors, and who could blame them for their caution?

 

[Uncle Phil]

Actually the remote small communities in Canada have the greatest fear for the virus, I guess they live such intertwined lives that if one has the virus most have the virus. A lot of native communities are very cautious with visitors, and who could blame them for their caution?

That is interesting difference - as I would guess that they are not probably exposed to much outside disease any way. That sort of goes along with Michael's analysis of poverty levels (from what I've seen is the case with many native communities) and greater infection rates. Small villages (at least down south) are sort of 'good fences make good neighbors'. Around me, we all know each other and will give a hand if needed, but we don't 'visit' on a regular basis. Cultural differences in various parts of the world are always quite interesting to me and do impact this sort of thing.

 

[rwthomas1]

The idea is to put your mask on before leaving your house and leave it alone until you get home. You may not be close to others all the time, but if you mess with the mask all the time, you are increasing the risk of infecting yourself. That's probably why you see masks on people in cars - they probably came from the grocery store etc.

As far as fear etc. goes, the fact that almost 200,000 have died so far in the US demonstrates that it's dangerous for some. I'm not personally scared, even if I should catch COVID, but I am greatly interested in getting over this decease so that we can return to a more normal kind of life. Ironically, if we all put on masks and stayed at home for a month (at the same time!) this would be more or less history. That's why smaller countries have managed to get it under control. US is so diverse and polarized that you will never be able to have people agree to a common approach (and our administration hasn't really advocated for a common approach), and as a result, we are doomed until we get a vaccine. This has huge consequences on our economy, health, and quality of life - but we as a people have apparently decided that we would rather suffer for years than do the right thing for a month and move on. Sigh...

The mask is such a pain in the ass, that I have to mess with it all the time anyway. Leave it on, take it off, doesn't matter. I wear glasses. Its a constant struggle to keep the glasses from fogging up and so I'm messing with the mask. Taking it on and off as needed is less messing with it than simply wearing it.

We can't all stay home for a month. Where exactly do you think your food comes from? Even if delivered to your residence, who do you think delivers it? I'm considered an essential worker as I work for a water/wastewater company. We cannot stop. Cannot. If enough treatment plant operators were to become sick, the ones able to walk would have to report to work. Yes, even if sick. You think Covid is a health crisis? Try what happens when raw sewage is discharged into the environment. Or the drinking water treatment plant is not run correctly. Its the dark ages in 72 hours. And guess what? All the businesses that support us have to work as well. Yep, we have hundreds of pumps, valves, pump stations, motors, etc. Things break each and every day. So pump suppliers, machine parts suppliers, vehicle parts suppliers, etc. etc.

And there is no doing the right thing and moving on. In the places where its "under control", that is a myth. All it will take is one person infecting a group, and that can happen anytime.

RT

 

[Uncle Phil]

RT - Just a question, since there is a treatment plant just down the road from my office.
How in the world do you deal with the smell on a hot day?

 

[rwthomas1]

RT - Just a question, since there is a treatment plant just down the road from my office.
How in the world do you deal with the smell on a hot day?

Smell? What smell? That is light odor....

Seriously though, we have office buildings around us and when they were built the companies paid for our odor control systems. At the time, we had the largest scrubber system in New England installed. It draws air off the covered primary clarifiers, the primary wetwells, grease system, GBT's, sludge tanks, etc. and removes the stink. Our plant is probably about 5% as stinky as one without odor controls. The scrubber system is a bit of a maintenance pig, and not cheap to run, but there is a huge difference when its on. And there are certainly areas that would gag a maggot, but luckily I don't spend time there! Wastewater treatment is actually a pretty neat thing. What we discharge back into the environment is the equivalent to a stream in the woods with regard to water quality. Considering how it comes in, its amazing. And the reality is you become somewhat immune to the bad smell after a time.

RT

 

[Uncle Phil]

The plant I go by every workday must have skipped the scrubber ....

 

[Nashcat]

Just an update, since I forgot earlier, since it turned out to not be a big deal for us. My 12 year old granddaughter that had Covid 19, about 4 weeks ago, has fully recovered. She ran a fever with cough for 4 or 5 days and said she felt tired, but that’s it. The other 3 members of the household didn’t do anything drastic, and never caught it. They just refrained from hugging and didn’t eat or drink after each other for a couple of weeks.

John