COVID-19

[BrianV]

Can I strongly advice everyone to stay at home in the coming weeks. Best time to enjoy your flightsim and family to limit the spread of coronavirus. In Ireland we have a daily 42% rise in numbers so the health system is due to collapse in the coming 2 or 3 weeks. We are all on the same slope. Hope Orbx too can close offices and work from home.  Stay safe!

 

[carlosqr]

It arrived here to Costa Rica already, fortunately all cases are under medical control and is not as terrible as in other countries but it is unbelievable that it reached places so far like the French Polynesia

Just see this map

 

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd

 

In my case they have to beg me to get me out of my house so no change for me

 

Cheers

 

Carlos

[John Mac]

Hi Brian,

Living in Ireland too. Hope employers take on board what health authorities are advising. Not everyone can work from home.

John.

[bvdboomen]

I live right in the center of the Corona virus here in The Netherlands.

My school has decided to send the students away and we are about to start online learning to keep things going.

The supermarkets have trouble gaining stock due to "doom day preppers".

[eaim]

2 hours ago, BrianV said:

Can I strongly advice everyone to stay at home in the coming weeks. Best time to enjoy your flightsim and family to limit the spread of coronavirus. In Ireland we have a daily 42% rise in numbers so the health system is due to collapse in the coming 2 or 3 weeks. We are all on the same slope. Hope Orbx too can close offices and work from home.  Stay safe!

 

There's no chance I can work from home, so as long as I don't have the virus i'll have to go into work.

[Benny]

1 hour ago, eaim said:

There's no chance I can work from home

 

Yep, like most people.  It' getting here to, Canadian a big traveler so that must be the reason.

In my case I have my shop and work alone, I rarely see people.

I agree, good time for flight simming

[Jack Sawyer]

One thing here in Atlanta is the ridiculous Pavlovian social media response by buying up non-edible toilet paper. The reason for this eludes me.  

 

Not too worried about it, I think it’s overhyped in the USA.  

[robpol471]

Here in Italy the situation, especially in the northern areas, is dramatic.
The latest figure talks about over 20,000 COVID-19 positive and, unfortunately, there are 1500 deaths so far.
Hospitals in northern Italy are collapsing due to the saturation of lack of beds.
Another emergency is the depletion of masks and self-contained breathing apparatus.
The whole population is confined to their homes and it is impressive to see from the webcams
a completely deserted Italy but a characteristic of the Italian people is that of being
unfortunately, a people united only in ... calamities, in ... singing and in music like this
video shows and which is a wish to all the inhabitants of this "wonderful" planet
to be all united to defeat this virus!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDRiINXik00

 

[Jack Sawyer]

5 minutes ago, robpol471 said:

Here in Italy the situation, especially in the northern areas, is dramatic.
The latest figure talks about over 20,000 COVID-19 positive and, unfortunately, there are 1500 deaths so far.
Hospitals in northern Italy are collapsing due to the saturation of lack of beds.
Another emergency is the depletion of masks and self-contained breathing apparatus.
The whole population is confined to their homes and it is impressive to see from the webcams
a completely deserted Italy but a characteristic of the Italian people is that of being
unfortunately, a people united only in ... calamities, in ... singing and in music like this
video shows and which is a wish to all the inhabitants of this "wonderful" planet
to be all united to defeat this virus!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDRiINXik00

 

Wishing you all the best, prayers sent to you my friend.

[robpol471]

Thank you very much Jack but we must "all" extend our prayers to the whole scientific world
that we hope will find the "medicine" that eradicates this damned virus that has hit here in Italy
fatally, above all, the elderly considering that 90% of the deceased have more than 70 here
years.

[eaim]

1 hour ago, robpol471 said:

Here in Italy the situation, especially in the northern areas, is dramatic.
The latest figure talks about over 20,000 COVID-19 positive and, unfortunately, there are 1500 deaths so far.
Hospitals in northern Italy are collapsing due to the saturation of lack of beds.
Another emergency is the depletion of masks and self-contained breathing apparatus.
The whole population is confined to their homes and it is impressive to see from the webcams
a completely deserted Italy but a characteristic of the Italian people is that of being
unfortunately, a people united only in ... calamities, in ... singing and in music like this
video shows and which is a wish to all the inhabitants of this "wonderful" planet
to be all united to defeat this virus!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDRiINXik00

 

Stay safe, well as much as you can.

[patful]

2 hours ago, Jack Sawyer said:

Not too worried about it, I think it’s overhyped in the USA.  

Not overhyped if you're asthmatic and 60ish.  I work from home, but picked a bad time to destroy my foot, so I've seen more doctors in the last month than in the last 40 years, inevitable that I'll get it. An in-law's family has already been quarantined.

[Smudger]

2 hours ago, Jack Sawyer said:

The reason for this eludes me.  

The reason for this Jack, is us olduns don't realise you can survive on toilet paper alone

 

But , in all sincerity stay safe folks, it will pass, the sooner the better.

[robpol471]

Thanks for your words Eaim.

 

I have been in "prison" in my house for 15 days and it is the only problem that I have and that in a while I will have to choose whether to risk taking COVID-19 or ... starve!

 

By now the supplies are few and even if I am equipped with a mask my 72 years they begin to weigh and I would like to buy everything in the supermarket except the..COVID-19!

 

A piece of news that, hopefully, gives some hope that this COVID-19 is at least thwarted more effectively.

 

In some Italian hospitals, an experiment is underway on several affected patients COVID-19 of a drug that treats rheumatoid arthritis but seems to be effective in counteracting
pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

 

All patients treated with this drug have pneumonia and are in serious condition enough to be under the help of self-contained breathing apparatus.

 

The head of the hospital in Naples (southern Italy), who coordinates this experiment with the collaboration of Chinese doctors, said "encouraging results"
by patients treated with this drug clearly specifying that caution should be exercised having regard to the execution of COVID-19 affected subjects undergoing the experimental treatment and that the the drug manufacturing company is giving its full availability to the supply of the drug which is starting to be requested by many Italian hospitals.

[NeilG]

 

 

The toilet rolls disappeared here in England as well, along with the hand sanitiser. The biggest enemy, it seems to me, is fear.

2 hours ago, robpol471 said:

Here in Italy the situation, especially in the northern areas, is dramatic.
The latest figure talks about over 20,000 COVID-19 positive and, unfortunately, there are 1500 deaths so far.
Hospitals in northern Italy are collapsing due to the saturation of lack of beds.
Another emergency is the depletion of masks and self-contained breathing apparatus.
The whole population is confined to their homes and it is impressive to see from the webcams
a completely deserted Italy but a characteristic of the Italian people is that of being
unfortunately, a people united only in ... calamities, in ... singing and in music like this
video shows and which is a wish to all the inhabitants of this "wonderful" planet
to be all united to defeat this virus!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDRiINXik00

 

God bless Italy, cowed but not defeated. I watched tte footage of people singing from their windows. What a wonderful response. Listen, everyone. We will get through this. There have been worse things that our parents and grandparents had to survive.i hope and I pray that this will have the effect of teaching us the importance of international friendship and cooperation. Together, I am sure our scientific brains will find something to combat this soon. 

[Stillwater]

We all just need to slow to the unavoidable epidemic by all measures, to keep the peak number of infections low enough for the hospitals to deal with it.

There is no absolute safety, but every little measure would be useful. Remember, with every meter people put between each other, with every handshake we avoid and with each handwash we reduce the probablities. Not more, but not less.

[NeilG]

2 hours ago, Jack Sawyer said:

One thing here in Atlanta is the ridiculous Pavlovian social media response by buying up non-edible toilet paper. The reason for this eludes me.

 

Not too worried about it, I think it’s overhyped in the USA.  

 

2 hours ago, Jack Sawyer said:

One thing here in Atlanta is the ridiculous Pavlovian social media response by buying up non-edible toilet paper. The reason for this eludes me.  

 

Not too worried about it, I think it’s overhyped in the USA.  

 

14 minutes ago, robpol471 said:

Thanks for your words Eaim.

 

I have been in "prison" in my house for 15 days and it is the only problem that I have and that in a while I will have to choose whether to risk taking COVID-19 or ... starve!

 

By now the supplies are few and even if I am equipped with a mask my 72 years they begin to weigh and I would like to buy everything in the supermarket except the..COVID-19!

 

A piece of news that, hopefully, gives some hope that this COVID-19 is at least thwarted more effectively.

 

In some Italian hospitals, an experiment is underway on several affected patients COVID-19 of a drug that treats rheumatoid arthritis but seems to be effective in counteracting
pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

 

All patients treated with this drug have pneumonia and are in serious condition enough to be under the help of self-contained breathing apparatus.

 

The head of the hospital in Naples (southern Italy), who coordinates this experiment with the collaboration of Chinese doctors, said "encouraging results"
by patients treated with this drug clearly specifying that caution should be exercised having regard to the execution of COVID-19 affected subjects undergoing the experimental treatment and that the the drug manufacturing company is giving its full availability to the supply of the drug which is starting to be requested by many Italian hospitals.

Is there anyone that can go out fir you to get you supplies? Are you able to contact any authorities that can get something fir you? 
that’s good news about the drugs. I’ve read also that anti virals used against HIV and others against Ebola are also being worked on. Let’s hope and pray.

[JoHubb]

I live in Northern Ireland where we are, for better or worse, forced to follow GB rather than what seems the more appropriate Irish advice. There are no restrictions in NI whatsoever and almost no testing.

 

The Health Secretary in GB is Matt Hancock (son of Tony?). His latest wheeze to prepare for the train crash that's coming is to ask Rolls Royce (aeroengines) and JCB to tool up their production lines to make intensive care ventilators. It seems Hancock and his Public Health doctors imagine that intensive care ventilators are akin to air-con units. It seems to have escaped them, that these are highly complex electronic medical devices with myriad settings and warning systems. They can only be safely operated by highly skilled personnel - much more skilled and knowledgeable than anyone in Boris Johnson's cabinet collective of woodentops.

 

That Hancock has called in RR and JCB is understandable as the country has no home-based capacity to build intensive care ventilators. Almost all such units in use in UK are made in the EU. A case of the law of unintended consequences. How ironic!

 

All might be well in the end, though. JCB makes earth-moving equipment. 

[robpol471]

Thanks NeilG for your kind interest.

There is the possibility of having assistance with supplies but obviously with requests they are many by ... old men like me and beyond because I live in the capital Rome
and honestly I don't want to weigh down ... as long as I can, those who work in the elderly care also because, fortunately, I have a supermarket very close to home and I have a ... twenty year old experience and ... speed in purchasing food.

Obviously I will take due precautions as a mask and gloves even if I have to say that in the area where I live, fortunately, no cases of COVID-19 have been reported.

 

[robpol471]

Every day at 6 PM LT the Italian Civil Protection communicates the trend data in Italy of the evolution of COVID-19 and a little while ago new data were communicated which, unfortunately,
are not encouraging:

 

in the last 24 hours the people affected in Italy by COVID-19 have reached 20,600 and the deceased 368 bringing the total number of deceased over 1800.

[BrianV]

3 hours ago, Jack Sawyer said:

One thing here in Atlanta is the ridiculous Pavlovian social media response by buying up non-edible toilet paper. The reason for this eludes me.  

 

Not too worried about it, I think it’s overhyped in the USA.  

I wish you were right Jack, but this thing is multiplying daily at unprecedented level with resulting havoc on health services, economy and employment, and restricting social life. It is already bad in Washington State, California and Florida, and will get worse unless drastic measures are taken. A proper vaccine is unfortunately still far away, best thing is to help slow the rate of spread so health services can do their work.

[robpol471]

Given that I am not a doctor and therefore a "non-expert" but from what is happening in Italy I note that the danger of this COVID-19 lies mainly in the fact that there is no specific medicine or vaccine to counter it.

 

However, from the data that are communicated daily, it can be seen that mortality is very high in elderly subjects especially with chronic diseases and therefore easily attacked by "any" virus because pneumonia "untreatable" like the current one caused by COVID-19 can, unfortunately, easily cause death.

 

So far in Italy, among the more than 1800 deaths, the youngest person was 48 years old while 90% of the deceased is aged 70 and over and "all" with chronic diseases that, as explained by doctors, "any" curable pneumonia would have resulted certainly at the patient's death and let alone with an incurable pneumonia.

 

The people infected but healed in Italy are so far about 2300 and the only explanation I can give myself that these people are healed "without specific treatment" should be the fact that these people generated "antibodies" that eradicated COVID-19 and another explanation could be given by the fact that the more the age there are fewer cases of contagion detected in Italy and it is known that antibodies are generated less as our age will increase.

 

Last consideration: the danger of this COVID-19 for its diffusion is also given by the fact that it propagates even from subjects who do not show symptoms such as fever or cough and just yesterday an elderly man with a very high fever was found negative to COVID-19 while the elderly wife who "showed" no symptoms, tested positive for the COVID-19 test.
 

[robpol471]

Unfortunately COVID-19 is not satisfied with causing so much pain to our humanity but it is causing, among the many categories of work, serious damage to "ours" too
dear Civil Aviation.

In Italy there are many airports closed or with reduced functionality such as LIRF and LIMC and now all the European airlines are in serious difficulties and, unfortunately, the layoffs of the staff begin.

Last in time is today SAS that announced the suspension of many of its flights starting tomorrow.

 

[robpol471]

Things that only a ... COVID-19 makes them happen in Italy!

 

Today Pope Bergoglio left the Vatican and in a deserted Rome, walked to a church in the center of Rome to pray against COVID-19.

 

However, he also risked...arrest because we are forced to stay at home throughout Italy but it is allowed to leave the house by car or on foot only for cases of necessity such as for example
go to a pharmacy, get food and those who are authorized to leave the house to go to work but need to always fill in a pre-printed self-certificate that can be downloaded from the internet where in addition to general information we have to specify for what need we are outside the house and if the police  they stop you and verify that the declared one is not a necessity, ranging from a fine to a report criminal.

 

So far about 8000 stupid people in Italy have been reported because, for example, they "ran away" from home to go skiing or  22 boys caught playing a football game in a country where the rate of COVID-19 infection is among the highest in Italy!

 

https://youmedia.fanpage.it/gallery/aa/5e6e74e3e4b0e8c226d9cec2?photo=5e6e751ae4b0e8c226d9cec4&noshow=true

[Ken Terry]

Here is the best article I have read about the data and shows where it is working and not working

https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

 

Regards

Ken

[adambar]

Something doesn't add up to me, over 22,000 dead from the flu this season in the US and 40 or so dead from COVID-19, give me a break, 29 of those coming from one nursing home in Washington St. 

[magnetite]

Trump's Coronavirus Address

 

Someone's having trouble breathing.

[F737MAX]

1 minute ago, adambar said:

Something doesn't add up to me, over 22,000 dead from the flu this season in the US and 40 or so dead from COVID-19, give me a break, 29 of those coming from one nursing home in Washington St. 

There's a considerable lag between cases being identified and subsequent deaths.
Unfortunately, the US (and here in the UK) are about to see exponential increases in positive test results for COVID-19 and resultant deaths.
You are going to see a very large jump in cases and deaths soon.

The excellent link provided by @Ken Terry shows what is coming our way.



 

Quote

Countries that are overwhelmed will have a fatality rate between ~3%-5%

Bearing in mind that this graph is a week old.

France now has 5,400 cases, 120 dead (2.22%)
Spain 7,753 cases, 288 dead (3.7%)
Italy 24,747 infections, 1,809 dead (7.3%).

Caveat to these numbers is that they are 'today' (15/3/2020).

This is NOT a bad seasonal influenza outbreak.
 

[robpol471]

Hi Ken,

 

this is the world situation today with the number of infected and deceased from  COVID-19:

 

               COVID-19 INFECTED    DECEASED

CHINA                       81003            3203

ITALY                         20603            1809
IRAN                          12729              511

KOREA                        8086                72

SPAIN                         6391               196

FRANCE                     4481                 91

GERMANY                 4585                   8

USA                            2952                 57

SWITZERLAND        1359                 13

UNITED KINGDOM  1143                 21

 

[robpol471]

A clarification: my data do not include the healed.

[robpol471]

From Italy I sincerely wish "everyone" to never see what is happening here despite the enormous efforts of doctors and nurses to whom my and all Italians go, a dutiful thanks
for the huge work they are doing.

COVID-19 is not a "normal flu" because it must be "above all" remembered that there is still no medicine as for all the other viruses that if they are affected in the vast majority they treat themselves at home while with COVID-19 "much more" is needed to be admitted to a hospital where they have to manage large inflows of infected people who, I remember, must be completely isolated from other patients.

In Italy, hospital doctors are making desperate appeals because they tell us there is no shortage much that one has to choose who to cure between a person infected by COVID-19 and who comes in a hospital with other diseases.

Fortunately and hopefully hard, in Italy there is a ... call it a "moratorium" Politics and all between the government and the opposition are looking for solutions and the use of
about 20,000 doctors among newly hired and elderly called back to service, the construction of new areas hospitalization and the transfer of patients with other diseases to other Italian hospitals who have free beds to assist them.

I assure you that in 72 years I have never seen or even imagined being in ... war with a ruthless enemy that forces us all to be delivered to our homes and see a few "heroes" doctors and nurses fighting to exhaustion this enemy bastard called COVID-19 and therefore again I beg you with all my heart not to underestimate this COVID-19 because an enemy if you see it you can fight it but this is an enemy invisible that hits you treacherously and the only solution to win it, is to make it visible with a vaccine or a medicine that, unfortunately, is not yet there.

With this I thank you for your attention and for me I am almost 1 am it's time for me to go to sleep, I send you a big one

CIAO everyone from Italy!
 
Roberto

 

[Rodger Pettichord]

Thank you all for a rational, reasonable, informative discussion.

[olderndirt]

A thing I haven't seen mentioned is how an event like this tends to reveal realities about the folks we elected.  Not to be political but, when this has run its course, we'll have a different bunch of heroes.

[BrianV]

8 hours ago, adambar said:

Something doesn't add up to me, over 22,000 dead from the flu this season in the US and 40 or so dead from COVID-19, give me a break, 29 of those coming from one nursing home in Washington St. 

Don't look at total numbers yet, look at percentages. It seems to be about 20-times more deadly than flu, but is still not as widespread. This is the reason for the major global concern. Anyway, this site is about the love of flying so have a look at flights this morning. The sky is still busy, but many are bringing home their citizens before an almost complete lockdown. For quite some time, I think we will all be grounded in the real world, airlines are parking planes and sending staff home, so we are more than lucky that Orbx and this wonderful community can keep our passion for flight alive.

[betelgeuse]

Ninety percent of SAS employees have been laid off.  Easyjet expects to ground almost all its aircraft this week.  Flybe has gone and with it 75% of the airlinks between N.Ireland and GB, permanently, and you cannot cross the Irish Sea by road or rail! Things will eventually get better but according to UK 'experts' Covid-19 will pose a threat until Spring 2021. 

 

If/when we get through this, air fares will have to rise to realistic levels compared to the competition i.e. rail travel. In the UK, travel from Bristol to Edinburgh in the train takes 7 hours and costs around £200 ($250 US) but Flybe would have taken you from one city to the other in an hour for £18.99.  No wonder it went bust! 

 

 

 

[Aussieflyer38]

20 hours ago, Jack Sawyer said:

One thing here in Atlanta is the ridiculous Pavlovian social media response by buying up non-edible toilet paper. The reason for this eludes me.  

 

Not too worried about it, I think it’s overhyped in the USA.  

 

Hi Jack,

I can't work out the toilet paper thing either, and nobody can give me an answer. If we cant  get food, which is more important, we wont need toilet paper.

 As in other places Australia has gone mad also.

Don

[Richard Lincoln]

My last deployment, I traversed the East Coast of AU and PNG, am now in Perth, everywhere I have been this last month has shown Panic Toilet Paper buying. The only sane place I visited the last month was PNG, which is odd. I am home for a month happily suffering from the Kirin Virus 

[andy1252]

1 hour ago, Aussieflyer38 said:

I can't work out the toilet paper thing either, and nobody can give me an answer.

Hi Don,

 

I've been assuming it's to use as disposable tissues for sneezing and the like. Unless people are *ing themselves in anticipatory terror!

 

[robpol471]

Due to the CONVID-19 pandemic the International Air Transport Association estimates up to $ 113 billion in revenue losses  for global passenger airlines. Alliances have warned that the loss of revenue planned does not include travel restrictions recently imposed by the United States and others countries.

In Europe, in addition to Italy, the escalation of CONVID-19 arouses much concern in Spain where the data published a while ago indicate that in the capital Madrid, which is
the most affected in Spain, 4165 are infected with 213 deaths while the total number of infected in Spain it rises to 9191 with 309 deaths.

 

The Spanish government has decreed provisions similar to those made in Italy but discontent of the Spaniards in social media is that this government decisions had to be
took a week ago mainly seeing what was happening in Italy and why on March 8, no one prevented demonstrations from taking place in Madrid with the presence of many thousands
of people with some of whom surely infected by COVID-19 as a well-known politician or like the wife of Premier Pedro Sánchez, present at a major demonstration in the streets of Madrid.
 

 

[robpol471]

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is working with with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut, announced a number of business closures earlier this morning. 

Bars and restaurants close at 8 p.m. ET. All local governments must reduce their workforce by 50% minimum and all non-essential personnel can stay home.

Meanwhile, Cuomo outlined the businesses that are considered essential and exempt from the shutdown:

• Grocery stores
• Gas stations
• Pharmacies
• Medical facilities