Ongoing coronavirus happenings

Maybe China will pay for it as a way to keep us in.

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Or for a horrible twist, Mexico pays - thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Putrid Papaya. :nauseated_face:

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Sometimes it is literal. One of popular far right leaders (not affiliated with ruling party - he considers them left wing too) in Poland has recently called for mutilation and hanging of people he considers socialists in a YouTube video.

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Go science!

But, who will they be available for and when and for how much? It’s hard enough as it is to find even the most basic disposable surgical mask.

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I saw this tweet getting a bunch of likes and RTs, but can’t seem to find the source or an article talking about the bill eliminating max tax deductibles for billionaires. Is this bunk or is this telling the truth?

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“This might be the lowest point in the 74-year history of the Council of Economic Advisers,” said Jason Furman’s tweet.Harvard professor Jason Furman. Interesting detail: Furman was chairman of the CEA under Obama.

We’re going to wait for a low spot in the oscillation, then keep drawing the line down. Victory!

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I’m still unclear on the “whys” here, but that it seems to be completely ignored by state and federal authorities makes me furious.

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Well, the “why” of it being ignored is pretty evident. There are a number of factors that probably go into the “why” of the statistic itself. Lower income populations are almost always harder hit in pandemics, harder to maintain social distancing, less access to healthcare plays a role, well-earned distrust of the white establishment, probably as well. There are also some interesting immunologic factors unique to the native population, but I am not at all certain if any of those apply to Covid or not. Given the disproportionate impact of this bug on minority populations across the country, I suspect the social and economic factors are primary here as well.

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I think it is typical twitter bunk. The bill is currently being examined by legislators on the left (like Jayapal and Pocan), who so far think it doesn’t do enough (for example, they want funding to go to small business payrolls instead of small businesses in general), but the tax credit thing seems to be a proposal by “moderate” Richard Neal that isn’t going anywhere.

Balanced coverage from Politico:

(Here’s the actual bill, if you have some time on your hands.)

ETA: Oh, and thank you for adding your note of skepicism instead of just posting the “Democrats are just as bad” tweet.

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Sorry to burst any bubbles, but…

While this is cool technology, it’s absolutely nothing like what the title of the article implies. It’s not a mask that visibly lights up when someone with COVID-19 coughs, like some kind of novelty Halloween mask or rave accessory. The mask would have to be cut up and have the virus extracted (either by swab or solution) under laboratory conditions, then run through a specialized instrument to detect the fluorescence. At low virus concentrations, the test could take up to an hour (I’m guessing here, based on experience with other tests that measure total fluorescent unit count over time). Also, time is the enemy. The test likely requires immediate collection of samples and testing, as sensing the RNA of the virus becomes progressively more difficult as ribonuclease in saliva and in the environment chews away at the target RNA from the moment the virus ruptures.

So the best application of the technology would really be to collect samples via swab and place them onto the sensor material for testing. It could mean a very sensitive, accurate test that can be performed quickly (especially for people who are shedding high levels of virus - the advantage of a fluorimeter-based test is that, if it’s highly positive, it’s very quick), but the idea of a mask-based test is less Science and more Popular Science.

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Not as fast and fun as a black light in a cheap hotel room? Disappointed I am. :slight_smile:

Thanks for the explanation.

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How do you have a bamboo shortage? Had it never occurred to them to just grow their own?

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I don’t know about Canada, but down here we can’t get rid of the stuff. It will take over an entire streambank given half a chance.

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Well, pandas eat the shoots, and we know what gun control laws in Canada are like, eh? :wink:

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Eats, shoots and leaves? I have heard that about them.

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Pretty sure it will grow in Canada as well…

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No idea where I saw it—it was some time ago—but, something to the effect that driving while angry is as dangerous as driving while drunk.

Sorry I can’t cite a source or statistics, but it’s a sobering (ha!) thought, isn’t it?

(Also, sorry that’s a bit offtopic from coronavirus…though it does relate in that plenty of people seem to be on edge these days…)

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Yeah, it’s banned in a lot of towns here. Too many let it grow out of control, and it’s expensive to remove.

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It might be more a case of logistics (not having the people on hand to be able to grow and harvest bamboo, because the zoo isn’t open and operating, generating income to be able to afford to grow said bamboo).

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