OT: Coronavirus XXVI: Keep Bickering to a Minimum

[Drivesaitl]

I suspect it's a misquote or a form of hyperbole and that the overall environment is much worse rather than the cases themself being worse. Considering the case load in ICU has more than doubled in two weeks, and the number of outbreaks happening in hospitals overall, I could understand someone's perception of that, but without better data, I'd trust your wifes opinion until we see something more.

Another consideration is that with the hospital outbreaks the ICU cases may be more examples of people with co-morbidities which would definitely give the perception that it is worse.

Sample sizes being what they are, you could also see that randomness making one ICU unit vs. another experience worse cases.

The RATE of overall cases resolving into either ICU, or fatality is far lower at this stage of the pandemic, then it was in spring. I mean I'm not disputing it being traumatic locally, Covid has been all over the world.

The only reason I'm banging this drum is I think that after nearly a year of this people ought to hear the positive resolutions as well. Throw people a crumb, give them some hope. Why not, considering that reduced mortality, reduced ICU rate, thats all real. People start to distrust information when authorities are purposely saying something counter to the studies and statistical facts out there.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Today's #COVID19AB update has been delayed until 4:30pm. Thank you for your patience.

Damned bingo ball got jammed again..tech difficulties being sorted out with a hammer.

ps that guy looks too much like Chiarelli. CONSPIRACY!

 

[Nostradumbass]

Yeah you've claimed that. It's not true though.



You're not even following the discussion. It's not about a 60K government worker vs a 24K private sector employee: it's a bout a 60K government worker vs a person making 24K on EI.

If the 60k government worker is working a job that can easily be automated out, then they are adding zero value. Automate the job, have the person sit on CERB or whatever at $2k/month, and the government's balance sheet has improved without any loss of productivity.

The government can lay off 2 or 3 of those people, hire 1 nurse/teacher/etc. and you have added positive value to the economy. Those people who brought no value can either retrain or find a job that pays them according to their skillset.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Damned bingo ball got jammed again..tech difficulties being sorted out with a hammer.

ps that guy looks too much like Chiarelli. CONSPIRACY!

 

[Stoneman89]

Why would someone be admitted to ICU if the "quality" as you put it isn't top notch? Does you wife work in ICU dealing with families of sick n deceased?
There were 24 top quality cases in Alberta 2 weeks ago and currently that number of tier 1 folks is over 50.
It is volume as you put it but it's volume in ICU for patients needing intensive care.

My wife sees all types of cases, for your info. I think you're missing the point. COVID presents itself in various people in various intensity, but dependent on their existing condition. From what she tells me, the overall intensity has not changed. There certainly are more cases now, and the intensity and vigour of the virus can certainly be felt to be diminished or enhanced by other factors such as age and other disease or condition, but again, the virus itself hasn't gotten worse. And that seems to be the inference of that report.

 

[Stoneman89]

If the 60k government worker is working a job that can easily be automated out, then they are adding zero value. Automate the job, have the person sit on CERB or whatever at $2k/month, and the government's balance sheet has improved without any loss of productivity.

The government can lay off 2 or 3 of those people, hire 1 nurse/teacher/etc. and you have added positive value to the economy. Those people who brought no value can either retrain or find a job that pays them according to their skillset.

Unfortunately, governments are not exactly known to be lean and mean. Cut back or remove a job, and others are created in another capacity. Multiple extra layers, and in many cases, nearly impossible to fire someone for incompetence.

 

[bone]

The RATE of overall cases resolving into either ICU, or fatality is far lower at this stage of the pandemic, then it was in spring. I mean I'm not disputing it being traumatic locally, Covid has been all over the world.

The only reason I'm banging this drum is I think that after nearly a year of this people ought to hear the positive resolutions as well. Throw people a crumb, give them some hope. Why not, considering that reduced mortality, reduced ICU rate, thats all real. People start to distrust information when authorities are purposely saying something counter to the studies and statistical facts out there.

Understood. This could also be a result of better testing as more and more of the people with mild or no symptoms are now producing positive test results. Doctors obviously have better data now to try and successfully treat the more extreme cases as well.

As more information comes out on this, I'm not overly afraid of it for me and my family, but do want to do my part to minimize spread in the event we were to get it.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

It's not that simple. If the value of the currency is stable globally, then that is one deflationary pressure removed, and there is no loss of value relative to other currency's. An increased in domestic money supply could increase inflation domestically, if more people are willing/able to spend more money on goods. But, giving billions of 'printed' money to a billionaire, isn't going to change what the grocery store is able to charge for produce, regardless of the change in the overall money supply.

I'm not arguing against the overall premise - that increased money supply would tend to decrease the value of that money. But I do argue that there are so many other factors at work, and that ultimately - as long as there is demand for Canadian currency - it is not likely to cause runaway inflation, or maybe even noticeable inflation. Other people receiving money only makes you poorer in an absolute sense if the people receiving that money are competing for the same goods and services you are. However, the money coming in is (in theory) going to people that once were able to pay for things, but then became unemployed/unable to pay for things. They have only maintained their competition with you (assuming you received no money), not increased it.

"In theory" is the key operative phrase here. Most of the CERB/bailout money went right back to the banks. Sure, nominally you can say Joe Citizen used CERB money on groceries, simply maintaining his place in the market and therefore not driving up prices. But in reality, no matter how bad times get, Joe Citizen finds a way to eat in this country. If you're really down to your last dollars, you're using them to eat above all else (serious drug addictions notwithstanding).

So really, it would be much more accurate to say Joe Citizen typically used his CERB money to pay his mortgage, or pay his rent to the landlord, who in turn paid his mortgage. People wouldn't have starved to death without CERB, there just would have been a massive amount of mortgage defaults and probably several banks go under. While CERB really did help people in dire straits on the individual level, it served as yet another bailout of the banks on a larger economic level.

Who truly pays for that bailout in the end? In my opinion it's ironically the people who were more risk-averse and tended to save their money or invest it in low risk ventures. I'm generalizing, but those who over-extended themselves and racked up significant personal debt and needed government help immediately upon loss of income to avoid defaults, despite not being anything close to impoverished, live to fight another day. The wealthy bankers are fine with all the extra money in circulation because it moves back up the chain to them anyway, pretty much immediately in this case. It's your regular Joe in the middle who actually saved for a rainy day that now has just a little bit smaller piece of the pie compared to those at the top.

 

[AM]

We should demand cameras in ICUs just so HfOil can confirm if cases are getting worse or not. Need more data in puke viscosity and phlegm amount. Maybe they are just faking it or the doc is lieing to make it seem like things are bad.

The docs probably are just chilling in their lunch rooms in front of big screen TVs watching how globally things aren't bad.

Are you offering to be an adjudicator?

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Germany hails couch potatoes as COVID-19 heroes | Calgary Sun

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Germany hails couch potatoes as COVID-19 heroes | Calgary Sun

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

‘A shadow of what I was’: COVID-19 ‘long-haulers’ shed light on brain-related symptoms

 

[Fourier]

The bank lowers the interest rate by printing money and buying short term bonds putting money into the system until the interest rate drops to where they want it. So when you hear they're dropping interest rates, that means they're adding to the money supply, when they're raising interest rates they're subtracting from the money supply.

That is quanitative easing. They can lower interest rates without doing that by simply changing the policy rate.

I am not sure why you are worried about short term increase in money supply. if you go back to when the pandemic started the $CDN is basically flat vs the Pound and Euro and up a fair bit vs the Green Back.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

 

[LTIR]

Are you offering to be an adjudicator?

There really is nothing to adjudicate. Everyone is/should be on the same page. It looks like a couple guys here are just too bored and arguing for the sake of argument.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

20 new deaths.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

20 new deaths.

Holy f*** that’s bad

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

860 new cases
10,031 active cases
264 in Hospitals
57 in intensive care
427 deaths

 

[Drivesaitl]

Hinshaw just answered to the irresponsible Macleans article in the question period today. Painful that she has to respond to such a negative article but she did so with her usual ease and clarity. good job, far beyond what she needs to be doing.

Just deplorable that such articles are published. I'd be looking for a lawyer.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Hinshaw just answered to the irresponsible Macleans article in the question period today. Painful that she has to respond to such a negative article but she did so with her usual ease and clarity. good job, far beyond what she needs to be doing.

Just deplorable that such articles are published. I'd be looking for a lawyer.

its pretty pathetic some of the goon politics going on where you have people dismissing or watering down their medical experts advice and then when that backfires they blame the expert.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Hot spots in the province:

Edmonton
Calgary
Red Deer
Lethbridge
Airdrie
Fort Mac
St. Albert
Sherwood Park


Each location has 100+ active cases.

 

[GMofOilers]

Holy f*** that’s bad

Is it though? No one likes people dying but Alberta averages 2200 deaths a month in 2019, thats 73 deaths a day by average.

Considering 88% of the covid deaths in the last 7.5 months are over the age of 80, I would say its prob on par for normal but because of covid we can make it look bad?

 

[Drivesaitl]

its pretty pathetic some of the goon politics going on where you have people dismissing or watering down their medical experts advice and then when that backfires they blame the expert.

Throughout the pandemic Hinshaw has been the best public health source of information I've seen, from any Health CEO, anywhere, and rivaled imo only by Bonnie Henry in BC. Both have been incredible.

I'll go further. She's the best public govt speaker I've seen in decades. Her consistency, ability to answer questions, flawlessly provide information, and her RESPECTFUL nature of doing all this is, jmo, beyond reproach.

What kind of sordid individuals, what degree of bitterness, hostility, results in attacking somebody like this and what they are so competently doing.

Anybody critiquing the fine work she' done should maybe consider what a difficult and thankless role she has. Speaking of which does anybody know how I could comment to that effect, specifically to AHS or encourage others to do so? She deserves some accolade.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Next, absolutely disappointeded that contact tracers are being abused on the phone by people taking the calls. Apparently this is now common, and contact tracers are being abused on the phone every day. They have a difficult job, just saying, and as unpleasant, and even frightening that it might be receiving a call from them regarding a potential exposure, are we really that society now where somebody phoning for the strict purpose of our collective safety are now commonly getting sworn and yelled at?

We really need to reduce some of the anger in our society right now if this is what the contract tracers are getting collectively, in response.

Gonna say it too. This is one of the first times I've seen Hinshaw look like this is finally all getting to her. I mean what can they even think about our society if you're in a role doing what she does, or aware of contact tracers doing what they do, and that we're seeing such vitriolic responses just in response to protective actions?


It speaks to our society and the message is really bad.