Cont: The all-new "US Politics and coronavirus" thread pt. 2

[Skeptic Ginger]

I think an even better sliver lining would be if he survived to admit he was wrong and raise public awareness.

Like Gary Busey and helmet laws for motorcycle riding. He was an activist against mandatory helmet laws until he got a serious brain injury from a motorcycle accident.

Cain is 74. He might not have a mild case.

 

[Stacyhs]

Not seen now, but one of the original photos in that Statesman article showed a protestor with a sign that said “goy kno,” which is an antisemitic in-joke among white nationalist types. Great crowd.

It's Alex Jones. A "great crowd" is a given.

 

[Mader Levap]

Does that ever happen? What's this about "weakening"?

It can happen, but not in way these morons think. There is strong evolutionary pressure to make virus less harmful. Not less infectious, mind you. So pretty much as you guessed.

There are few hundred different viruses causing something we call "common cold". I am quite sure significant part of them were in far, far away past worse.

Obviously, there is no guarantee it will actually happen and even if it happens, it will take long time.

 

[Craig4]

I think President Dumb **** just lost Texas. One of the dogs usually first in line to hump Trump's leg (Gov. Abbot) just issued a mask order.

 

[slyjoe]

...or, The PDJT.

or the IDJT (Impeached Donald J. Trump)

 

[The Don]

I think President Dumb **** just lost Texas. One of the dogs usually first in line to hump Trump's leg (Gov. Abbot) just issued a mask order.

I applaud your optimism but IMO when Joe (or Josie) Tex steps into the voting booth in November, they'll still vote GOP regardless of the administration's mishandling of Coronavirus and of the economic mess because of guns and God.

 

[lomiller]

The Governor of Texas orders masks mandatory.
I suspect some fireworks since the Lt. Governor stated yesterday that Fauci does not know what he is talking about and has hinted that the virus is a medis plot to get Trump.

There was a sudden shift in talking points from Republicans all across the country towards mandatory mask use. Clearly this is part of an organized strategy. I don't expect it will be long before these people are all claiming Republicans were promoting mask use all along and it was the Democrats holding things up.

 

[Darat]

I think President Dumb **** just lost Texas. One of the dogs usually first in line to hump Trump's leg (Gov. Abbot) just issued a mask order.

What on earth are you going on about, Trump was always telling people to wear masks, even before they'd even heard about the virus!!??

 

[lomiller]

I wonder how people think viruses weaken.

They don't get old and tired. They are little bits of protein that reproduce, making copies of themselves. How would a virus "weaken"? I guess it would have to mutate to a form that was just as contagious, less dangerous, but similar enough to the original that antibodies against the less dangerous form also protected against the original.

Does that ever happen? What's this about "weakening"?

IIRC less dangerous strains usually have a small evolutionary advantage and eventually outcompete the more dangerous ones. There is no evidence of this happening yet with COVID-19 so far as I know.

 

[Meadmaker]

There was a sudden shift in talking points from Republicans all across the country towards mandatory mask use. Clearly this is part of an organized strategy. I don't expect it will be long before these people are all claiming Republicans were promoting mask use all along and it was the Democrats holding things up.

Agents of Goldstein were responsible for telling people not to wear masks.

 

[Segnosaur]

What on earth are you going on about, Trump was always telling people to wear masks, even before they'd even heard about the virus!!??

It was the Obama administration that prevented people from wearing masks.

Sent from my LM-X320 using Tapatalk

 

[acbytesla]

I wonder how people think viruses weaken.

They don't get old and tired. They are little bits of protein that reproduce, making copies of themselves. How would a virus "weaken"? I guess it would have to mutate to a form that was just as contagious, less dangerous, but similar enough to the original that antibodies against the less dangerous form also protected against the original.

Does that ever happen? What's this about "weakening"?

IIRC less dangerous strains usually have a small evolutionary advantage and eventually outcompete the more dangerous ones. There is no evidence of this happening yet with COVID-19 so far as I know.

This! That pretty well describes the process.

But you do know that Republicans don't believe in evolution.

 

[Giordano]

IIRC less dangerous strains usually have a small evolutionary advantage and eventually outcompete the more dangerous ones. There is no evidence of this happening yet with COVID-19 so far as I know.

It depends on the nature of the virus and it’s modes of transmission. The selection is for what maximizes viral spread. For a particular type of virus that may be selection for a less rapidly lethal form of disease so that the infected host is up and about spreading the virus around. This was observed for a myxomatosis virus and rabbits in Australia. But for a different type of virus and/or a different environment a rapidly lethal disease that produces a large burst of viruses in a short time may spread the virus better.

I imagine a less rapidly lethal virus is selected among sparsely populated hosts for e.g.

 

[dudalb]

There was a sudden shift in talking points from Republicans all across the country towards mandatory mask use. Clearly this is part of an organized strategy. I don't expect it will be long before these people are all claiming Republicans were promoting mask use all along and it was the Democrats holding things up.

True, but that is what you can expect from politicans in general.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

It can happen, but not in way these morons think. There is strong evolutionary pressure to make virus less harmful. Not less infectious, mind you. So pretty much as you guessed. ....

It depends on the nature of the virus and it’s modes of transmission. The selection is for what maximizes viral spread. For a particular type of virus that may be selection for a less rapidly lethal form of disease so that the infected host is up and about spreading the virus around. This was observed for a myxomatosis virus and rabbits in Australia. But for a different type of virus and/or a different environment a rapidly lethal disease that produces a large burst of viruses in a short time may spread the virus better.

I imagine a less rapidly lethal virus is selected among sparsely populated hosts for e.g.

No sure how "sparsely populated" affects a pathogen's transmission. I would think absent a nearby host to infect would help the virus die out.

Giordano is right though, there are multiple selection factors. Take the MRSA 300 strain (bacteria but still a good example), it became the dominant strain and spread rapidly worldwide. It was the result of a mutation that allowed the Panton–Valentine leukocidin toxin to form. The bacteria became more virulent, not less yet that strain spread.

It was the Obama administration that prevented people from wearing masks....

Trump is claiming the N95 masks were depleted under Obama for the 2009 flu and not replaced.

He's oblivious to the last 3.5 years when he could have replaced the stock.

 

[Delphic Oracle]

Trump is claiming the N95 masks were depleted under Obama for the 2009 flu and not replaced.

He's oblivious to the last 3.5 years when he could have replaced the stock.

Also the Republican-controlled Congress that never allocated funds to replenish those supplies during Obama's terms.

 

[acbytesla]

This sign on an Arizona vintage store telling patrons they must wear masks is amusing.


"If you choose not to wear a mask, we respectfully ask that you postpone your visit,”

“We will be happy to debate the efficacy of masks with you when this is all over and you come in to sell your dead grandmother's clothes."

 

[smartcooky]

The Trump Administration's Coronavirus strategy has been complete, disastrous, cluster-****. It defies belief that a US Government effort can be so incompetent, but the graph doesn't lie.

Europe has closed its borders to people from the USA or transiting through the USA... and with good reason.

 

[Venom]

IIRC less dangerous strains usually have a small evolutionary advantage and eventually outcompete the more dangerous ones. There is no evidence of this happening yet with COVID-19 so far as I know.

Regarding this, the COVID19 virus SARS-CoV-2 itself can be understood as a less virulent and acute cousin of the original SARS virus and MERS virus, so I think we're seeing what a moderate acute respiratory disease can do compared to its more dangerous relatives.

 

[varwoche]

Kimberly Guilfoyle has tested positive. DJTJ is in isolation.

I'm all broken up over this.