How are you guys coping with the other C word?

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

Georges Calvez said:

Good news, bad news in Finistère

Hi there,

The good news is that our case rate is dropping fast, only three new cases yesterday.
The bad news is that we are going to remain under lock down until the 12th of May and then we will be progressively released so this is going to drag on and on.
Coronavirus is going to be with us for a long time yet.

Best wishes,

Georges

memories

Frrench authorities enslaving the French people, using the German model of the 1940s

eonore

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 said:

memories

Frrench authorities enslaving the French people, using the German model of the 1940s

Your angry posts

I have refrained from commenting on some of your earlier objectionable posts, i.e dismissing Chicago as a dump, but equating the French government's efforts to preserve life to the occupation of France by the Nazis is rabid even for you.  As per the forum's terms and conditions, I suggest you restrict yourself to cancer and health related information, and keep your objectionable political beliefs to yourself.  They have no place in the forum.

 

Eric

Flyer83948

eonore said:

Your angry posts

I have refrained from commenting on some of your earlier objectionable posts, i.e dismissing Chicago as a dump, but equating the French government's efforts to preserve life to the occupation of France by the Nazis is rabid even for you.  As per the forum's terms and conditions, I suggest you restrict yourself to cancer and health related information, and keep your objectionable political beliefs to yourself.  They have no place in the forum.

 

Eric

France

I think that there is a valid concern that should be discussed about possible overreaching government powers versus individual liberties in a time like this or in future times of either real or fabricated crises, but I agree that equating the behavior of the current French government to the "German model" of the 1940's is unfair and unwarranted. 

Georges Calvez

Social isolation

Hi there,

I think that until something better comes along we are going to have to accept that a measure of social isolation is going to remain one of the principle measures against COVID19.
It could  be a while before we have an effective treatment or better a vaccine  and until then allowing people to mix freely will result in a wave of acute cases that will overwhelm the hospital ICU's.
Most governments seem to be of that opinion and I agree with it.
It looks like it will be a while before café society resumes but hopefully we can go for a longer walk in a few weeks.
Luckily the COVID 19 emergency does not seem to have affected too many men who were scheduled to undergo treatment.

Best wishes,

Georges

Clevelandguy

Too restrictive?

Hi All,

Ya know here in Ohio we have a stay at home order but if I wish I can still go to the big box stores or supermarkets with no PPE.  I feel with the unknowns of the Corona virus and the severity of this virus I choose to cover up.  The governments are just trying to flatten the curve so we don't have gurneys out in hospital parking decks and bodies stacking up.  A lot of people see this as a reduction of personal freedoms but I see it as a way of keeping the death count and hospital loads to a minimum.  Can you imagine what we would be looking at if there were no restrictions, I don't think it would be pretty so I choose to stay at home as much as possible and wait this thing out.

Dave 3+4

VascodaGama

MABs in action against Covid-19

The MABs are again proving its efficacy in therapies. We have seen these in action in PCa treatments and now in fighting the Covid-19. Dave (Clevelandguy) above has provided this below link to Leronlimab which may be the best in dealing with problems caused by over expressed immune system called to address the infection with sars-cov-2, inducing “cytokine storm” in the lungs. This is what we see in many Coviv-19 patients that deteriorate to a sort of pneumonia which has been caused by the activity of their immune system. Leronlimab manages to control the “storm” and balances the benefits of the immune action in the fight.

The immune system doesn't kill the virus but it kills those cells that have been infected by the virus, eliminating the infection for good. In fact, the action of the immune system in the lungs (where the SARS-cov2 is most active) can be so destructive to the extent of causing permanent scars in the lungs. Too much of the stuff can lead to cytokinesis (cytokine release syndrome) which can be fatal in serious cases. Let’s be hopeful for the success of this clinical trial. I strongly believe that one day we may have a MAB as the silver bullet to kill PCa for good.

https://www.targetedonc.com/news/leronlimab-continues-to-improve-health-in-patients-with-novel-coronavirus

Meanwhile Portugal has now 19,000 confirmed cases and 630 deaths (62 cases and 6 deaths in the municipality Albufeira where I live that has a population of 42,000).

Today, the President of Portugal has declared an extension of the Emergency State for more two weeks. The government will then define the measures to continue the fight against the crises. I think that the confinement will continue with shops, schools, etc, closed and people retrieved indoors, but some flexibility will be allowed in office business. They plan to reopen to social practices gradually in May. Thought many are already desperate to get out for a little espresso-coffee, the confinement may not be that bad to the Portuguese society in general as it promotes natality (birthrate). We are just ten million Portugueses but in 9 months we may duplicate that number. TV is boring and the bed very enticing for the young. Better to keep all those built Covid-19 field-hospitals to attend the pregnancies of December.

Best wishes to all. Remember, stay at home.

VGama 

Georges Calvez

Surviving

Hi all,

The big supermarkets are open and the shelves are well stocked including fresh fish and meat.
We have to queue to get in at times as they do not want too many in there at one time and we are supposed to keep a two trolley distance between shoppers.
Other shops that deal in gardening, household improvement stuff, office supplies, etc have websites where you can order and then collect the next day or have it delivered.
Walks and trips to the garden are limited but we can get enough exercise and we are eating well.
We have radio, television and our computers to amuse us and we do head off early to bed for a cuddle if we feel like it.
When this is over we will have to see which way the world goes; authoritarian government is not written into the script, hopefully when the current emergency has passed we can move forward to a better future.
Neither I nor my wife are in the best of health and we are both close to sixty but the hospital will make a decent effort to keep us alive if the worst happens and we end up close to the ICU, that is something to be happy about.

Best wishes,

Georges

Clevelandguy

Baby boom part two

Very well said Vasco, more babies coming?  Very funny..............

Dave 3+4

VascodaGama

Shame on China. Could it be 500% up?

 

I have been curious about the numbers reported by each country in regards to covid-19 infected cases. There is a huge discrepancy on the way each health authority manage and count the infected as well as the number of deaths caused by Coronavirus.

We have seen how badly China has reported, now untrusted and considered as manipulated with the intent of a cover-up. Everyone could now speculate that the total numbers in China near a 500% increase of what was originally reported, if that includes those who have never been to an hospital or have not submitted to testing.

However the same attitude is expected to occur in other countries as these do not follow the same standards in the prevention, in the fighting and in the reporting. WHO's recommendations always ended by telling the many to follow what they think it better for their country.

It is now said that in Europe several countries have not counted in their daily reports the number of death from nursing-homes, and that can also be judged as a cover-up with intent or purposes.

One could think that such is done to avoid panic in case the numbers increase exponentially everyday. The truth could disturb even the feelings of those in the front lines, like the doctors and nurses (the real heroes of the pandemic) as we saw happening in Italy and Spain.

In Portugal the health authorities have been transparent in informing, previously, the general folks about their strategy for the crises, but have not provided details regarding consequences or the need for a "plan B". In their system they will avoid hysteria at hospitals by keeping the majority of infected people at home and treating them at their place taking only the most critical cases while hospital beds exist. It looks nice at first sight but the system creates doubts about the way those numbers are counted and reported. If one controls the number of tests done each day then one knows what will be the increase of newer cases reported on that day. The death number follows equally. You can report that old people with other illnesses did die from other causes not from CoVid-19, shortening the numbers. This would be justified in nursing-homes, which institutions are not protected by the national health hospitals system.

The media look into the numbers to make their journalism and comment on a plateau, however, can we trust it to correspond to the reality?

Transparency may disguise a cover-up of a manipulated outcome. We see here the same daily rise of newer confirmed cases and the same rise of the number of deaths in the past week but several municipalities have claimed that the number at their districts are higher. Funeral agencies have also been reporting that they have a 50% rise in the number of dead people from other causes (not CoVid-19) which is suspicious for faking. The number of dead doesn't match the incidences rates before the pandemic. We may wonder if the numbers are that important.

One thing we aged PCa folks (70+) can expect is that if the monster strikes us, no matter in which country we live,  we should consider our selves lucky if we are taken into a well equipped facility. I will not care in which group in the report they will add me.

Remember, stay at home.

VG

 

Georges Calvez

Adjustments

Hi Vasco,

We have had two big 'adjustments' here, once when they added in the people that were dying in retirement homes and once when they added in the cases detected in public laboratories to those being detected in private laboratories.
Counting and reporting has been a bit ad hoc as the authorities have been caught with their pants down.
I doubt the true number of cases and deaths will ever be known.
We are getting towards the end of week 5, at least the lock down is not as bad as Spain.

Best wishes,

Georges

Chaunceym

Georges Calvez said:

C word

Hi Hew,

I have written to Vasco on this subject this morning.
Things were very quiet in France but last night we had a broadcast from Macron which closed schools, universities, banned large gatherings, etc.
According to Georgina things have now moved up a gear this morning with people doing long term shopping.
We do not have a lot locally but that could change quite rapidly.
We are in the phoney war stage; things could escalate, on the other hand they might not.
Governments are obviously hoping to control it until the warm weather arrives and that might slow down or halt the spread.
Hopefully for prostate cancer patients that are not in an advanced stage, old or immunosuppressed due to treatment, etc, they should have the same chance of surviving as the majority of the population which is very good.
Anyone who says it is just the flu is labouring under a serious misapprehension, it is a lot more infectious and a lot more lethal.

Best wishes,

Georges

Staying home mostly, pretty

Staying home mostly, pretty lonely and gives me.roo much time to think about it

 

Chaunceym

VegasMike said:

I am scheduled to have my

I am scheduled to have my robotic surgery on March 28.  Nervous about having my prostate surgery at the peak of coronavirus outbreak in the USA. Hopefully if the hosptials get filed with sick people, I will even be able to have my surgery. UGH  

Had mine last November,

Had mine last November, outstanding doc and quick recovery. You are exactly the person who needs to be able to have your surgery and not have to worry about catching anything else while there. Wish u all the best and a speedy recovery, it's very important to keep a good mental attitude throughout. If talking about it helps let me know

Georges Calvez

Light at the end of the tunnel

Hi All,

It is looking like if all is well then on the 12th of May we will be allowed out for unlimited time instead of for one hour only, we will be able to go up to 100 km from home, etc.
Bars, restaurants, cafés, etc will all remain closed.
We only had one new case in Finistère yesterday so maybe we can keep a lid on it with contact tracing, etc
So less than two weeks to go before we break out.

Best wishes,

Georges

eonore

Light at the end of the tunnel

States here in the US are beginning to lift restrictions, but I fear that not enough is known about the disease to properly inform the authorities.  I would hate to see a second wave in the fall as a result of false optimism.  We still do not have the testing and tracing capabilities to make it work.  As for me, since I am highly at risk, I plan to stay isolated until something changes in relation to the disease like effective treatments or a vaccine.

Eric

VascodaGama

That light may be from a lantern not the end of the tunnel yet

Yes, they are saying the same here. The State of Emergency ends on May 2 and is followed with a gradual relieve on restrictions but these are subjected to regulations contradicting constitutional terms on freedom and privacy. I foresee many court cases occurring against the government.

The municipality where I live (Albufeira) is the only southern region where no particular focus of the virus has been identified. This means that it has been passed from person to person. The number of confirmed cases continues increasing and the end of the confinement will lead to a high number of visitors from the north that will come to stay at their second houses by the beach. This could represent an invasion of undisciplined folks in the thousands. It is frightening to think that I have to oblige myself to obligatory confinement this Summer.

In any case, we, the over 70^th and cancer patients, are at increased risk for contagion due to those less civic that will not respect the new public hygiene way of living. In fact the TV has already broadcasted cases of discarded used masks and gloves at public areas, no social distancing among those walking on streets or at parks, etc. The rule imposed to the use of beaches obliges distancing by family groups of 10 meters (Probably some will have to swim at 1 Km far from the coast line. Lol). There is also that sentiment that the aged are the problem of the havoc at hospitals and the source behind the restrictions that do not allow a normal opening of the commerce and business. Younger people are less stricken by the virus effects so that they do not need to follow the rules. In some countries (for instance Sweden) the confinement of the older continues, including a fine to those that go out without convincing reason. Geo-tracking of covid-19 probabilities is now the subject of discussion around the world as many governments began to see it as a solution for allowing freedom on the movement of the masses. Surely I will drop my mobile in the trashcan if such is imposed.

After all, Sars-cov2 exists around the world and not all countries follow the same strategy in fighting it, or got conditions to do it. Without due medication or vaccine, this virus will be in the globe for a long time spreading around by contagious travelers. Either, we keep planes from flying, close the bothers and stop free movement of people to feel safe or risk going out enjoying life under the sun using masks and gloves, keeping social distancing and educated civic manners.

Let’s try to be safe.

Best,

VGama

 

Georges Calvez

Quiet in France

Hi All,

It is going to be quiet for a long time.
Only limited numbers of people are going to be allowed in a shop at one time, not more than ten people at a private meeting, no public meetings, etc.
Trains in France will be half full with all seats reserved, internal flights will be limited, international flights on verra.
We are supposed to remain in our departments unless we have a business or family reason to go outside.
Talking to people some of them seem genuinely afraid to go outside despite the fact that the risk in Finistère is very small.
My wife wants to go up to Roscoff when we are allowed, nothing will be open so we will sit on the seawall with a flask of coffee and a packet of sandwiches and biscuits.
The economy in Brittany is very dependent on tourism so we would like some visitors, on the other hand we do not want an increase in our low levels of coronavirus.
A lot of people in France have had to use their paid holidays during the confinement so they have not got any holiday for this year so they will not be going anywhere, add in the fact that a lot of people are broke so they cannot go away and it is looking like a quiet summer.

Best wishes,

Georges

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

Georges Calvez said:

Quiet in France

Hi All,

It is going to be quiet for a long time.
Only limited numbers of people are going to be allowed in a shop at one time, not more than ten people at a private meeting, no public meetings, etc.
Trains in France will be half full with all seats reserved, internal flights will be limited, international flights on verra.
We are supposed to remain in our departments unless we have a business or family reason to go outside.
Talking to people some of them seem genuinely afraid to go outside despite the fact that the risk in Finistère is very small.
My wife wants to go up to Roscoff when we are allowed, nothing will be open so we will sit on the seawall with a flask of coffee and a packet of sandwiches and biscuits.
The economy in Brittany is very dependent on tourism so we would like some visitors, on the other hand we do not want an increase in our low levels of coronavirus.
A lot of people in France have had to use their paid holidays during the confinement so they have not got any holiday for this year so they will not be going anywhere, add in the fact that a lot of people are broke so they cannot go away and it is looking like a quiet summer.

Best wishes,

Georges

U.S.

Despite the media, which insists on hysteria and absolute worst-case-scenario reporting, we have clearly turned the corner here in the US.   About ten states are reopening important segments, noteworthy is that Georgia is dropping almost all restrictions of any kind.  Florida is close behind, and my state of SC has reopened numerous key facilities.  Even the Peoples' Republic of California is allowing some portions of the Constitution to reappear -- a rare thing even in good times.  New York is shipping the ventillators it never needed to other locations, and the Mercy Ship is departing NY Harbor.   Overflow facilities set up by the Feds in larger cities mostly went UNUSED; a few did have partial use

The death rate is almost universally reported here now as around .1 percent or less, which is what non-hysterics were saying all along.  Yes, some hot spots, like NYC, were higher, but NYC is a cesspool as regards the ability to avoid others; people crammed together in a wholly unnatural living environment.   

Currently, the death rate in the US is around 1 in 5,500     (330,000,000 divided by 60,000)   The US is just this week went equal in Corona deaths to the 2017-18 deaths from the common flu, and in those years, NOTHING CLOSED.   There was no hysteria.  No one even paid it any attention.   In 1957 in the US, a flu epidemic killed 116,000 here -- DOUBLE the current Covid death numbers, and NOTHING CLOSED, no businesses were shuttered.  On the aricraft carrier in the Far East (the Roosevelt), with a confined crew of probably at least 4,000 with no possibility of privacy, last I ckecked, there were ZERO fatalities. NONE.   On the destroyer USS Kidd, which reports about 40% of the crew infected, there have been ZERO critical cases, and no deaths.  Probably more likely to be hit by lightening or eaten by an alligator than die of Covid, unless seriously compromised, or over 85.    Definitely much more likely to die in a car crash.

This whole affair has been an exercise in psychosis.    Denmark, Austria, Switzerland are all significantly reopening.  Sweden never really closed.   This has been the latest Y2K or AIDS scare.   Crawl out from under your beds when the nice man with the rifle says you may.  Bless all, and may freedom and sanity one day return to your lands,

eonore

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 said:

U.S.

Despite the media, which insists on hysteria and absolute worst-case-scenario reporting, we have clearly turned the corner here in the US.   About ten states are reopening important segments, noteworthy is that Georgia is dropping almost all restrictions of any kind.  Florida is close behind, and my state of SC has reopened numerous key facilities.  Even the Peoples' Republic of California is allowing some portions of the Constitution to reappear -- a rare thing even in good times.  New York is shipping the ventillators it never needed to other locations, and the Mercy Ship is departing NY Harbor.   Overflow facilities set up by the Feds in larger cities mostly went UNUSED; a few did have partial use

The death rate is almost universally reported here now as around .1 percent or less, which is what non-hysterics were saying all along.  Yes, some hot spots, like NYC, were higher, but NYC is a cesspool as regards the ability to avoid others; people crammed together in a wholly unnatural living environment.   

Currently, the death rate in the US is around 1 in 5,500     (330,000,000 divided by 60,000)   The US is just this week went equal in Corona deaths to the 2017-18 deaths from the common flu, and in those years, NOTHING CLOSED.   There was no hysteria.  No one even paid it any attention.   In 1957 in the US, a flu epidemic killed 116,000 here -- DOUBLE the current Covid death numbers, and NOTHING CLOSED, no businesses were shuttered.  On the aricraft carrier in the Far East (the Roosevelt), with a confined crew of probably at least 4,000 with no possibility of privacy, last I ckecked, there were ZERO fatalities. NONE.   On the destroyer USS Kidd, which reports about 40% of the crew infected, there have been ZERO critical cases, and no deaths.  Probably more likely to be hit by lightening or eaten by an alligator than die of Covid, unless seriously compromised, or over 85.    Definitely much more likely to die in a car crash.

This whole affair has been an exercise in psychosis.    Denmark, Austria, Switzerland are all significantly reopening.  Sweden never really closed.   This has been the latest Y2K or AIDS scare.   Crawl out from under your beds when the nice man with the rifle says you may.  Bless all, and may freedom and sanity one day return to your lands,

Your psychosis

I am not going to waste time debunking all your wrong and misleading numbers, other than pointing out that the death rate from the coronavirus is approximately five percent (1154000 confirmed cases and 67000 deaths), many times higher than the flu.  And that is with significant amounts of people practicing social distancing.  I cannot understand your need to minimize something that has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.  If you are so confident that the coronavirus is no big deal, why don't you help out in your community by volunteering at a soup kitchen or food bank, rather than ranting on the Internet.

MK1965

eonore said:

Your psychosis

I am not going to waste time debunking all your wrong and misleading numbers, other than pointing out that the death rate from the coronavirus is approximately five percent (1154000 confirmed cases and 67000 deaths), many times higher than the flu.  And that is with significant amounts of people practicing social distancing.  I cannot understand your need to minimize something that has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.  If you are so confident that the coronavirus is no big deal, why don't you help out in your community by volunteering at a soup kitchen or food bank, rather than ranting on the Internet.

I don’t agree

Eonore,

I don't agree with you. This year everything is added together: apples, oranges, pears etc. Every death is assuming to be covid-19 death.

Those numbers are misleading and purpose of it is to cause panic and hysteria. What happened to numbe of flu deaths, pneumonia deaths, MI, stroke deaths etc. Whoever passed away is counted as covid19 death.

i see something else in the background of CNN, MSNBC and other stations reporting and that is politics.

I totally agree with Max whatever he wrote in his post.

MK

eonore

MK1965 said:

I don’t agree

Eonore,

I don't agree with you. This year everything is added together: apples, oranges, pears etc. Every death is assuming to be covid-19 death.

Those numbers are misleading and purpose of it is to cause panic and hysteria. What happened to numbe of flu deaths, pneumonia deaths, MI, stroke deaths etc. Whoever passed away is counted as covid19 death.

i see something else in the background of CNN, MSNBC and other stations reporting and that is politics.

I totally agree with Max whatever he wrote in his post.

MK

Numbers

You are welcome to disagree, but facts are facts.  If anything, coronavirus deaths are vastly undercounted.  You can believe whatever floats your boat, but directing your anger at the media, the scientists, the doctors and the governors who are trying to keep us safe, speaks of your worldview and politics and nothing else.

 

Eric