OT: Coronavirus

[Guest]

https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/12399...20320?s=19

[Guest]

@Ralphie said:
Bayer preps U.S. donation of malaria med chloroquine to help in COVID-19 fight: report

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/baye...ght-report

Well how bow da?
Good ol' chloroquine (aka hydroxychloroquine or Plaquenil) + good ol' azithromycin!  

Both drugs relatively cheap and readily available.  
Those taking Plaquenil have to be monitored for serious retinal side-effects, but that's usually 
only with high dosages.  

Let's hope that smallish French study ( https://www.en24.news/a/2020/03/hydroxychloroquine-would-be-effective-according-to-professor-raoult-of-the-ihu-in-marseille-after-a-first-limited-test.html)   gets confirmed with further testing.  

Potentially great news Ralphie, thanks for posting!

[Guest]

A federal plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic warns it 'will last 18 months or longer' and could include 'multiple waves'

A federal plan to tackle the COVID-19 coronavirus warned that the pandemic "will last 18 months or longer" and could include "multiple waves" as it continues to spread, according to The New York Times.
The 100-page plan, seen by The Times, was released Friday and was marked "For Official Use Only // Not For Public Distribution or Release."
"Shortages of products may occur, impacting health care, emergency services, and other elements of critical infrastructure," the plan reportedly said, noting this could include "potentially critical shortages" of diagnostic capabilities, medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, pharmaceuticals, and staffing in some locations.
It added that state and local governments, along with their critical infrastructure and communication channels, "will be stressed and potentially less reliable," The Times said.
"These stresses may also increase the challenges of getting updated messages and coordinating guidance to these jurisdictions directly," the plan states, according to The Times.
The plan reportedly laid out recommendations for how to curb the coronavirus' spread, including closing schools and canceling events, steps that many states and local governments have already taken
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-coron...ves-2020-3

[Guest]

I dont ordinarily agree with Mark Cuban,  but I think he has some valid thoughts here... on the stock thing I would say no buy back at least until any aid is repaid to the govt with interest.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/mark-cuban-says-bailed-out-companies-should-never-be-allowed-to-buy-back-their-stocks-ever-again/ar-BB11mjLK?li=BBnbfcN

[Guest]

I do question some of the actions being taken by retailers that are cutting their store hours.   they will still see the same number of people,  but now they are forcing those people to all do their shopping in a more condensed window of time.  How is this supposed to help stop the spread of the disease?

[Guest]

When you have 1000 new cases a day in one city, is this really enough???



New York governor orders 75% of workforce to work from home

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered 75% of the state’s workforce to work from home.

"The numbers have gone up overnight. I am going to increase the density control today. No more than 25% of people can be in the work force," Cuomo said Thursday. "Yesterday it was 50%. We're reducing it again, except the essential services that we spoke about yesterday. That means 75% of the work force must stay at home and work from home. Again, voluntarily I'm asking all businesses to have people work from home. As a mandate, 75% of your employee base must work from home."

[Guest]

80% of people in Madrid will get COVID-19, official saysFrom Laura Perez Maestro

A worker cleans the pavement of Plaza Mayor square in Madrid, Spain, on March 18. Manu Fernandez/AP

Eight out of ten people in the Spanish capital will get COVID-19, according to the president of the Region of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
“They will have mild symptoms,” she said, but added that "it will be a problem" for the vulnerable population, which is around 15% of people.

"This virus has been in Spain for a longer time and is going to spread to practically everyone, and in most, it will not leave lasting marks. But the problem is the vulnerable population," said Díaz Asuyo in an interview on Spanish radio.

She called the disease "lethal" for elderly people with pre-existing conditions, and said that in 24 or 48 hours "it can end the life of a person who is in the vulnerable population group."
As a result of this, the region of Madrid has sought to "save time," unify healthcare in the public and private sectors, and convert "normal beds into ICU beds."
Some 580 beds in these critical units are occupied, Díaz Asuyo said, and the Ministry of Health plans to facilitate "new rapid tests" to detect coronavirus this weekend.

[Guest]

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/12406...25954?s=19

[Guest]

So its almost here: State Department about to raise travel advisory to DO NOT TRAVEL. Domestic air travel will be banned. 

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
So its almost here: State Department about to raise travel advisory to DO NOT TRAVEL. Domestic air travel will be banned. 

Why its not banned already is beyond my comprehension...

I'd rather be doing too much than anything else.