To the people who still think this is overblown

amother

Azure

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:15 pm

Personally know 2 people in their 40s in NY that passed away, young fathers of young children.
I hope nobody experiences the suffering that their loved ones are going through.
I know a few others on respirators.

Those not taking this seriously boggle my mind. If Rabbonim and Hatzala asking you to stay home, stay the *#*@ home!!!!! Even if you would like to see evidence if this helps or not. We all would like to see that. We're trying to do whatever seems to make sense. Do you know of a better way? No, I figured so. Stay home!!!! Respect the people on the front lines, drs, nurses, respect Hatzolah, these people are putting their lives on the line for you, the least you can do is respect their request!

amother

Babypink

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:20 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

To all the people who think this is an overreaction, a media-hyped panic, no worse than the flu, cure is worse than the disease, etc.

Can you tell us where you live? Do you live in the NYC area? Do you know anyone personally affected by coronavirus?

I do not think this is overblown but I know someone who does. It's a close relative, lives in the NY area, knows people affected but not in hospital.
I can tell you where it's coming from.
This person was a fan of Trump from day one, but since he moved the embassy, let Rubashkin out, he acts as if Trump is G-d. He listens to far right radio and reads far right news. When this virus started even the moderate right like Fox news, forget the far far crazy right, said that this was all media hype and a hoax. They literally said this was a second attempt to impeach Trump since the first one failed.
They all spew the same arguments.
How many people died of flu this year? How many people die in car accidents but we don't change the speed limit to 25 mph. There are more but I feel sick typing this.
These people are a danger to themselves and to all of us.

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:27 pm

Ok, I'll bite.

I don't think the panic is overblown, because at this point it has reached a very serious level in the USA. Although I don't see how panic helps anyone.

However.

I think that the idea that we are now all quarantining is somehow going to stop this virus is overblown. In Israel, b'h a thousand times they have not had the same kind of epidemic that we are having here. Reason? They were much more aggressive in tracking anyone who might have had it, had contact with people who had it... weren't letting in to their country unless they get quarantined. They tested aggressively from day one. If someone tested positive, they tracked down anyone he came in contact with by checking cell phone records, and quarantining them as well.

Israel did not do a lockdown earlier than us yet they have - boruch hashem a thousand times - a much better handle it than the USA. That's what I think is overblown. The sense of panic and that somehow the lockdown we are doing now is going to help a lot.

crust

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:34 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

My point was that we are going on week 3 and the regulations and rules are not getting less, they are getting more and more strict. Lock down is not a QUICK fix at all. It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience.

I understand that.
There is a concept of al tiftach peh l'satan so I am afraid to continue the discussion of how late in the game we are.

I am doing what we are told to do and PRAYING and HOPING that Hashem should please help us with a flat out MIRACLE.

solo

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:38 pm

I know someone who is still talking bout how this is being blown out of proportion they live in Brooklyn. Work in the medical field. And know personally know ppl who r sick or have died. Like a poster above wrote they are trump supporters who listen to right wing talk radio and are still carrying on about how the news is manipulating the info for their own gain. And about the number of deaths annually due to flu. I gave a hard time listening to it

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:39 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

People in america, well, certain parts of america, did not head to the calls for lock downs at all, that seems to be the problem in america.
The lock downs, in america, even though started probably too late, will slow down the death rate some, hopefully. Even if it stops any number of deaths, thats a good thing, really.

amother

Slategray

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:40 pm

I don’t live in NY, but OOT in a small community. Over 2 weeks ago our schools, shul... etc all closed down. And my work started sending all non-essential employees home (I work for an “essential” business, but am B’H able to work from home). I just found out before shabbos one of my coworkers who sat right next to me has covid! I’m so glad we started the quarantine when we did. If I had wait another day or 2 I would probably have been exposed. Both my husband & I are immuno-compromised. I have asthma, which almost only flares up when I get a virus. I’m very scared I’m one of those people if I got the COVID I would end up in the ER due to my asthma issues. My husband is on medications to keep his Chron’s disease in remission, his meds lower his immune system. A few years ago my husband almost died from Chron’s, so we don’t want him to stop the medication. So far, the community, Jewish & non-Jewish, in my area has been overall very good about social distancing.

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:03 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Not at all. The lockdowns started here at the same time they started there, and the vast majority - like 99% - complied.

By that time it was too late. The amount of people sick is WAY too much. Especially in the New York area.

Sure, every person counts. So if we can make it 999 instead of 1000, great. But it would have been nice if the US would have been more aggressive with testing just a little bit earlier. Or a lot earlier. And done about 100X what they did. So we wouldn't have to have the enormous tehilim list we now have.

amother

Puce

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:14 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

The USA is a loooot larger than Israel. I doubt it would be humanely possible to do the kind of tracking Israel did.

crust

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:30 pm

amother [ Puce ] wrote:

The USA is a loooot larger than Israel. I doubt it would be humanely possible to do the kind of tracking Israel did.

If they would've taken the situation seriously early on then that would've been possible.

Perhaps each county would be mobilized to create their own tracking system. Apparently they are tracking it right now.

Anyway, whatever was was.

Praying that Hashem saves us.

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:45 pm

amother [ Puce ] wrote:

The USA is a loooot larger than Israel. I doubt it would be humanely possible to do the kind of tracking Israel did.

It takes very little manpower to check where someone was. It's a small computer program and done. Google maps and waze knows where you are at all times.

Or check the phone records to see who you spoke to. Where you went. It's all very simple and requires almost no manpower at all. It might be illegal in the US, though.

The thing is, that everyone who is saying, now, let's just save one life - don't you think it was the same idea two months ago?

If they would have tested everyone with symptoms, and asked people to self quarantine, etc. don't you think we would have a tenth of the cases we have now? Not just one less, a LOT less.

According to experts, this virus has been in New York since January. Each person tested and isolated would have resulted in that many lives that could have been saved.

But of course we're passed that now.

amother

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:54 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

This is what South Korea did with great effectiveness. They started testing early on and only quarantined people that tested positive and their contacts.

We lost months with ineffective testing and unclear, conflicting messages. Up until a few weeks ago the official US policy was that this was not a threat and would disappear soon.

amother

Natural

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 5:57 pm

Judging by how many people are annoyed/frustrated/angry at current public health measures, when people are already dying all around them, I seriously doubt we would have had much cooperation at a stage early enough to have made a difference.

The projections and forecasts were "fake news" until they very much weren't. Politicians themselves had a hard time grasping the kind of measures needed and would have faced tremendous opposition from the citizenry.

Even more ironically, if strict measures taken early enough would have flattened the curve , saving lives (but tanking the economy), those politicians would have been blamed for overreacting and causing a depression.

This was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation, even for those who could've had the foresight before this exploded.

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 6:06 pm

My parents and siblings live in brooklyn, with the exception of my married brother who lives in far rockaway.
They ALL think it's overblown. And get this- they also all have symptoms. My parents still go grocery shopping. My brother and his wife travel back and forth from my parents to my SILs parents every shabbos. They're splitting pesach.
As if nothing is happening.
Banging head

I'm so nervous for all of them. Especially my asthmatic father.

amother

Puce

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 6:12 pm

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

This! In USA people would be panicking about government overreach and breach of privacy. Especially if the virus' effect would be much lower than it's now. We were doomed from the start.

amother

Puce

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 6:13 pm

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

I'm so nervous for all of them. Especially my asthmatic father.

Please send them the heartbreaking voicenote of the young guy that's begging people to daven for him as he's being put on a respirator. He passed away this shabbos Sad

. I couldn't even listen to it.

amother

Emerald

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 6:17 pm

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

😘