How are you guys coping with the other C word?

Hi everybody,

I am having a calming G & T after a fraught trip round the supermarket.
Things are not too bad yet but holes are beginning to appear.
People are stocking up on flour, yeast, butter, tinned goods, cat litter and pet food.
The big shops have massive warehouses and a formidable supply chain but if this carries on for more than a few weeks some shelves will empty.

Cheers,

Georges

The increase of CoVid-19 cases in Europe is very alarming. Portugal takes now the 13th place in confirmed cases and I predict it to get higher as the health system is now testing more people. Though the majority of Portuguese have been responding to the appeals of the government in keeping civil hygiene and manners approaches and staying at home there are critical situations that have not been predicted by the authorities. They have not requisite in time enough personnel and equipment to attend the crises started one month ago. Our minister of Health commented that the case is new and that she is learning from other countries results, but I think that she meant countries with similar culture that are now having a hard time.

Yesterday, a dead man waited 11 hours in a street to be retrieved and taken away by the emergency units. His wife told that he was alive after having a stroke and called the ambulance but nobody come to attend him because he demonstrated to have CoVid-19 symptoms, which we almost all have at this time of the year. This is a shame.

CoVir-19 deaths are few still with 12 numbers (double in one day) but I believe these to increase to the rates of Spain and Italy for our sort of social cuddling culture. Many guys cannot dispense their daily espressos (strong coffee) and procure places where it is served just to have a conversation with other folks. I hope that people in Europe understands the grave situation we are confronting.

There will be millions of dead in the world like it happen with the Spanish flu.

This CoVid-19 monster is leading to the EU disintegration and probably to the Euro's abolition. The bureaucrat system of the European Union is slowing the decision processes to take action when comparing with the speed of the virus in propagation. Some countries like Italy and Spain are feeling the pinch for such slow responce by the European Commission which is the executive branch of the European Union. All what has been instructed by the executive (Ursula von der Leyen) was like "brushing" the issue by saying to the many "Save Yourselves".

The European Council that regulates the interests of each EU government did not specify anything in particular that would oblige the the Commission to take the lead. In reality, nobody from the EU has stepped forward to help affected countries but instead we could see the so "Save Yourselves" into action in the attitude taken by some of the countries. It has been informed that the Checks postponed the supply of medical equipment to Italy just to be prepared for what is coming to them. In fact what we see is help arriving to Italy and others from third countries like China, Russia and Cuba. Where is the Union?

The same situation can be seen in the economic matters. To curb the spread of the virus, restrictions have been imposed in peoples movement which will lead to an economic crises worse than the one of 2008th that only recently has been overcome by the EU members. Again, the Commission has given freedom to each country to deal the issue by spending/injecting money into the affected businesses but the action cannot simply be extended to a long period for the lack of available money in circulation along the period of curfew that has no predicted end. Very little is sold in a low consuption environment. I see nobody buying a car or property if they cannot drive it or see it. Italy is one of the "bigs" in the EU that most probably will enter into bankruptcy by July 2020, due to the high deficit that can be compared to the situation of affected countries in 2011 (Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal). This will start a chain reaction when the smaller ones see themselves with empty hands. I do not predict other big ones entering in the scenery when they may be in resection too.

Collapse can be predicted. Meanwhile folks ! .... just Save Yourselves.

VG

The News is not good from here in the States... many people, especially the young are not taking it seriously.

- Students in spring break are traveling to beaches anyway and when interviewed  just scoff and laugh the virus off.

- Pranksters are taking video of themselves licking the products on the shelf at Wal-Mart calling themselves the Walmart lickers in defiance of pandemic rules.

- An NBA player wiped his sweat from his body and jersey all over the microphones and podium during a press conference in defiance of virus rules. He later discovered he has the Covid19 virus, and gave it to a teammate. Shortly after the NBA suspended the season.

- Our politicians in government are all trying to set up the other party for blame of the spread of the virus... and trying to claim success for any advancement made to curb the virus... when it is the medical science community that will make the advances. The politicians are acting like spoiled children filling the virus legislation with pet projects like cutting emissions standards for airlines to fight global warming... at a time when airlines are struggling to stay solvent. I kid you not.

There are a lot of good people making sacrifices and many Americans are being appropriately conscientious... But with the puerile response of many Americans, we may need the Grace of God to get through it.

It looks as if the European Union provides little or nothing useful for its member states in a crisis like this. The EU Emperor has no clothes and this pandemic has exposed it, especially with the tragedy in Italy.

Here the mainstream media was caught airing footage of Italy's crowded Covid wings and claiming it to be New York. There was also footage from a pandemic movie being shown as the conditions in New York.

These networks must know when millions watch someone might catch them on it... but in their hubris, they disregard such consequences... They do, after all, monopolize the public airwaves to a degree.

And updating... politicians are still trying to blame the other for any pandemic failures while taking credit for any pandemic victories.

So far as I can tell, the most successful response has been South Korea... as they already had pandemic preps in place from the SARS outbreak... plus their culture honors and cherishes their elderly highly. My wife taught HS math for 40 years and all her South Korean students were remarkably different than many Western students in that regard.

Of course, Sharia countries like Iran and Communist countries like China will not reveal their real numbers or their failures, and will exaggerate their successes.

Grinder said:

Wow

It looks as if the European Union provides little or nothing useful for its member states in a crisis like this. The EU Emperor has no clothes and this pandemic has exposed it, especially with the tragedy in Italy.

Here the mainstream media was caught airing footage of Italy's crowded Covid wings and claiming it to be New York. There was also footage from a pandemic movie being shown as the conditions in New York.

These networks must know when millions watch someone might catch them on it... but in their hubris, they disregard such consequences... They do, after all, monopolize the public airwaves to a degree.

And updating... politicians are still trying to blame the other for any pandemic failures while taking credit for any pandemic victories.

So far as I can tell, the most successful response has been South Korea... as they already had pandemic preps in place from the SARS outbreak... plus their culture honors and cherishes their elderly highly. My wife taught HS math for 40 years and all her South Korean students were remarkably different than many Western students in that regard.

Of course, Sharia countries like Iran and Communist countries like China will not reveal their real numbers or their failures, and will exaggerate their successes.

Grinder,

Yes: the EU is essentially Soviet Bloc-governing lite.   Bless Great Britian for demanding they regain their freedom and self-determination.  I hope Poland follows Britian's lead soon.    Currently, 30% of the counties in the US have no (zero) confirmed cases.  

I have read more than once that SWEDEN has virtually no social restrictions, but extremely low infection rates.  I have not reasearched this to confirm.   We were mentioning fitting entertainment programming a few weeks ago.   The British classic "The Prisoner" has got to be the absolute perfect choice.    Patrick McGoohan is trapped in a psychotic, thought-controlled camp, and can't get out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQYtbbsJzM

.

https://youtu.be/sjDuwc9KBps 
interesting way to handle food.

Grinder said:

The Prisoner

The Prisoner was a great series...

"I am not a number, I am a free man!"

Been a while since I watched it... I may check if it's on DVD.

Grinder,

The beautiful part is the end, when the judge says "On Behalf of us all, we thank you."  Glad you could come by and speak your mind !

Reminds me of every form response I've ever got from a customer service department or government official's hack spokesperson.

The CoVid-19 will be remembered in history as the monster that killed thousands but it will be remembered too in the EU as the virus that spoiled the dream of unionism. There are no doubts that the EU after these crises will not be the same as it was in the last 27 years since foundation. This monster has demonstrated that the facts that separated EU countries in the past are still present today and that history is not forgotten. EU patriotism is low and the "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" immortalized by Alexander Dumas in the novel "The Three Musketeers" doesn't exist. It is more like one for himself than the "One for all, all for one".

Madame Ursula von der Leyen, the president executive of the European Commission, finally contacted the many saying that the Union will use economic measures to help the most affected EU countries (maybe Spain, Italy and France). It is directed to those that have lost business/income/salary. The idea is to avoid layoffs by an instrument to help in short-time-work. Spain already responded that they cannot support the bill alone for much longer. Meanwhile, Japan, Luxemburg and Lithonia have responded with help in medical supplies.

Portugal has now 8,000 confirmed cases and 187 deaths. The quarantine system is leading to a lesser accentuated curve of infected people, moving towards a plateau before starting to go down. This shows that lesser patients are arriving at hospitals alleviating congestions, as we saw in Italy and Spain 's hospitals. However, it also means that the crises will be extended for a much longer period of confinement now estimated to last till the end of May or longer till a vaccine is available. Portugal is heading to bankruptcy too.

Sweden is the only country in EU that has not adopted the quarantine system. They preferred to reserve confinement to the older people and those in high risk for dying of the disease. Testing has also been done among this cohort of population. Schools and shops weren't closed and factories are in full swing. They have now about 5,000 confirmed positive patients and 252 deaths. I believe that they will have a higher number of deaths but one knows that the older will go first. In fact this is what is done in Spain and Italy (and surely in Portugal and other countries) when the choice of patients to use available ventilators is decided by the doctors treating them. The older are kept in hospitals with no IC units. Sweden will be the first country reaching the end of the pandemic in Europe.

Let's keep our camaraderie here in the forum. let's look after each other, mate.

Best

VGama

Just to add another wrinkle to what was just said...

Better to peruse these posts with civilized comrades than suffer the slings and arrows of social media... which is often more alarming than network newscasts. Social media such as Facebook has gotten so divisive... even opinions of this pandemic are in extreme camps...

1) It is all a government conspiracy and it's no worse than a bad cold

2) Apocalypse Now

I figure the truth is somewhere in between... the question is, which side is the truth more heavily weighted toward. I don't doubt politicians in all countries will take advantage of this crisis. And I don't doubt, like Max says, the networks are using this pandemic as their crisis-du-jour to get ratings and revenue, not to mention a bloated sense of self-importance.

I am guessing nearly everyone in this forum is over 50, putting us all in the higher risk categories... that being said, I have greater concern as my beloved wife is 67 with past bronchitis issues... making her very high risk... not so much to contract the virus but the greater danger of mortality. So we have taken greater precautions to avoid the first group I mentioned who do not take it seriously and can be asymptomatic carriers.

But at the same time we will be smart about it. I recall the Y2K hoax 20 years ago where many were expecting a complete grid crash from computers unable to handle the century reboot from 1999 to 2000. That shall go down as the great panic hysteria and prepping panacea of modern history.

On the other hand, we are also afflicted with "normalcy syndrome", recalling the lyrical talents of Frank Zappa and his song "It Can't Happen Here".