SARS II: Respiratory Boogaloo

^ Yeah Thailand dropped their day 1 and day 5 testing regulations, no quarantine either. I only had to fill out an online questionnaire and provide proof of vaccination. Heading there in 5 days

Still living under China's Orwellian covid regime and unable to go anywhere, I am quite jealous!

In a week they went from their first official case to two million people being infected.



That's 10% of their population. I'm betting that there's a whole lotta people dying in North Korea right now. A whole lotta people.

And that's the number they know about (with their extremely limited testing capacity) ... and are willing to admit to.

Considering that according to reports I've seen the overall health of the handful of NK Army defectors is pretty poor due to malnourishment and overall neglect, you have to wonder what shape the rest of the population is in. I mean, I assume the military is going to be better fed than the civilians. Covid has devastated countries where the overall state of health and health care systems is much higher. You gotta figure it's having a field day there.

Oh i didn’t realize that - what’s your day to day like? How are you getting food and shit?

I don't live in Shanghai, which is where the real shit has been going down. But I am three years and running without seeing my family, unable to leave China and return comfortably. I am bothered on a near-daily basis to get covid tests, often at ridiculously inconvenient times and places. My employer acts like a petty dictator, using various tracking mechanisms to make sure I don't leave the city, even during holidays. And I am always and everywhere at risk of getting flagged for exposure, which will result in homelessness and loss of freedom. It's wild.

Damn, that sounds rough. Sorry to hear that
So does your employer work close with the government and basically rat his employees out to them if they fall out of line?

The government breathes down all employers' necks, but especially mine because we're a public institution (a school). If, for example, I buy a train ticket or check into a hotel in another province, the government will know (because all such things are tracked) and might complain to the employer about it. It's happened before.

Why China is still obsessed with disinfecting everything

Yeah, well, lots of Westerners still obsessed with masking theater, so we all have our hangups.

I dunno, I've come down with a wicked cold (so much for any thought that covid shots, multiple boosters and a flu shot will do anything to stop Common Colds), so both times I went out today, I masked up and tried to keep proper distance and avoid physical contact. I figure even if it's not Covid (test was negative) who needs it?

And once again, the phrase "North Korea reports..."

This is not gonna be pretty.

Yes, East Asians have had this practice for decades, wearing a mask when you've got respiratory symptoms. I don't contest that it's a good idea.

That seems likely. Home tests are prevalent now, and I can't imagine most of the home test results are making their way to public health records.

That would mean that known complications from covid are 1/30 the official rate.

Time to stop obsessing and move the fuck on.

When three in my household got COVID, none of them did. Like why would I bend over backwards to figure out how to tell anyone.

The one I used had an app with instructions and while you would tap what result you got, that would get sent to the records (per user agreement).
Mine was negative, tho.

It's the same no matter the argument. ALWAYS look at the data and dismiss stats unless the data is attached to the stat.

Interesting editorial from New England Journal of Medicine drawing comparisons between the anti-smoking movement and pro-vaccination efforts.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

US drops testing requirements to enter the country (Bloomberg)