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Thread: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

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    Question Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    I have a request. This is going to people who are NOT in the United States. I know there are a lot of non-US people on this forum, and I'd like to ask for a response to a couple of questions. If appropriate, I plan to share what I learn from these questions outside of this group. If you can say what country you are from and your perspective, that would be appreciated.

    My questions:

    (1) What country are you from?
    (2) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country today? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    (3) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country at its peek? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    (4)Are masks required in your country?
    (5)What are most people's reactions to wearing masks in your country?
    (6)Are schools open in your country? Are they opening as normal?
    (7)In the US, they say the virus is going to go away after our November 3rd election. Any comments on this?
    (8)Any other comments about the US and how it is handling the virus?

    Lots of questions. I should have done this as a survey, but I'm curious to see what non-US people say, especially on my 7th question.

    Thanks!
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    Fanatic Member Delaney's Avatar
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    (1) What country are you from?
    France
    (2) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country today? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    Today : 2-3
    (3) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country at its peek? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    at the peek : 8 but for some region it was more 4-5
    (4)Are masks required in your country?
    Yes indoor and outdoor if the distance cannot be respected
    (5)What are most people's reactions to wearing masks in your country?
    I would say about 70-80% are ok with that, it really depends on the area of the country

    (6)Are schools open in your country? Are they opening as normal?
    They are on vacation leave. but the schools (primary, secondary and high schools) were open in June and will open in September unless a new wave occurs. Everyone has to wear a mask. Universities were not open. I don't know if they will open in September

    (7)In the US, they say the virus is going to go away after our November 3rd election. Any comments on this?
    mode joke = on : in God you trust, so why not, even a miracle: if you stop doing tests and consider that anyone dying of covid is dying because the heart stop beating, yes it can disappear

    Mode joke = off : it always make me sad when people stop using their brain and believe anything because they have heard it or read it one time without considering a beginning of analysis, critic on what is true/false, etc...
    This is a full topic who would deserve it own thread and not just for the US people. We are in a era of media and information (true or false, it is not important) what matters is not anymore the truth but the audience/number of click/finality.

    (8)Any other comments about the US and how it is handling the virus?
    I take the fifth
    More seriously, US is more 50 small countries in a certain way that a big one so it is difficult to judge.

    My only comment will be (and it is valid for not just this case and this country) : you cannot solve a problem by hiding it, you must acknowledge it, find solutions,apply these solutions and correct them if needed. But tell that to a politic... there you are going to need a big miracle...
    Last edited by Delaney; Jul 20th, 2020 at 02:39 PM. Reason: add info on question 4
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by Delaney View Post
    you cannot solve a problem by hiding it, you must acknowledge it, find solutions,apply these solutions and correct them if needed. But tell that to a politic... there you are going to need a big miracle...

    I liked this. Thank you for taking the time to answer. I really appreciate your
    (and hopefully others from outside the US) perspective. I have talked to a few people and wanted to get a broader view. I hadn't heard from anyone from France, so your response is great to see as well.

    Brad!

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    My responses:-
    1. The good old U of K.
    2. I would guess at a 4 but I'm not convinced our testing regime is enough to be at all scientific about it. I think it's troubling that I need to guess. I should know.
    3. I'd say a 7. I think our early response was far from perfect but there was a response and it could have been MUCH worse if we'd just done nothing.
    4. They will be from the 25th but only indoors (e.g. shops etc.)
    5. Generally accepting (we're Brits... it's what we do). Alot of people have been wearing them already and people have generally been pretty co-operative around the lockdown rules so I imagine our response to masks becoming obligatory will be much the same.
    6. Schools have not been open up until now but the plan is to open them from September - same as France in that regard.
    7. Um... wait... what? What does the election have to do with anything? That's a weird correlation to draw. Perhaps seasonality will have an effect but viruses are generally worse in the winter, not better. In the absence of any mitigating factors we are able to bring to bear (lockdowns, vaccines, etc.) my prediction would be an acceleration of the virus through the Autumn and Winter. Fortunately there are a variety mitigating factors that could have a significant impact and we're learning and getting better at them all the time. I do fear that the politicization of the virus by the Trump White House is likely to mean those factors aren't properly adopted and an election cycle will probably make that worse. If he's voted out then perhaps a replacement leader will do a better job of pushing the science but I feel like you'll be waaaay behind the curve by that point and a replacement will not be able to wield a magic bullet. And, while I think that Biden is taking the whole thing alot more seriously than Trump, he would be an untested quantity. Overall, I'm not optimistic but I could be wrong and I hope I am.
    8. I get confused about where Federal vs State responsibility lies but I will say that there seems to be lack of leadership all round. I think your Federal response has been absolutely terrible and grounded more in conspiracy theory than in science and that's... pretty terrifying actually. It's hard for me to comment on the State level response because we don't really get that reported over here. It feels like it's been a mixed bag but that's definitely not an informed opinion.
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by FunkyDexter View Post
    7. Um... wait... what? What does the election have to do with anything? That's a weird correlation to draw.
    There are many who believe that the coronavirus is a hoax propagated by one of our (a United States) political party to help them win the next election. It's thought to be a ploy to get Trump out of office. As such, they believe once the election happens, there will be no further need for the hoax to continue it (the "virus") will simply go away. ^It's nice of other countries to help perpetuate a US hoax^.....



    Thanks for your response! I hope those from other countries also take the time to answer. This is interesting and insightful!

    Brad!

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    Fanatic Member Delaney's Avatar
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    In France ( and I think in England also), we have some people that think that the covid is spreading through the 5G antenna... As I said when people stop using their brain and believe anything... make me sad and worried about the future
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Oh, I see. It doesn't particularly surprise me that that exists as a conspiracy theory (as Delaney says, we've got some over here although they're not as overtly political as that one) but I'm surprised it's got enough traction for it to be worthy of getting a question in this thread? How much traction would you say it has over there? Is it a extreme fringe thing or is there a significant minority who believe it? (and please tell me it's not a significant majority).
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback


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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    @jdc, yeah, we've got plenty. It turns out my sister is an anti-vaxxer (which came as a surprise, she used to be so rational when we were growing up) and her latest theory is that Corona has been seeded from chem trails so that we'd have to lock down. This would, in turn, make us more compliant so that they could control us. Who "they" are is unclear but... you know... them.
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    (1) What country are you from?
    Philippines
    (2) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country today? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    3, or maybe 4.
    (3) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country at its peek? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    It looks like we haven't reached our peak yet.
    (4)Are masks required in your country?
    Yes but not all are complying to this.
    (5)What are most people's reactions to wearing masks in your country?
    I think it is acceptable to most people.
    (6)Are schools open in your country? Are they opening as normal?
    Not yet but they plan to open it on August 24th, and they will allow "limited" face-to-face classes on "low-risk" areas, as per the news.
    (7)In the US, they say the virus is going to go away after our November 3rd election. Any comments on this?
    LOL
    (8)Any other comments about the US and how it is handling the virus?
    I really don't follow what's happening in the US right now but I am baffled why they weren't able to contain the spread of the virus there, looks like the US could have done better.
    Regards,


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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by FunkyDexter View Post
    @jdc, yeah, we've got plenty. It turns out my sister is an anti-vaxxer (which came as a surprise, she used to be so rational when we were growing up) and her latest theory is that Corona has been seeded from chem trails so that we'd have to lock down. This would, in turn, make us more compliant so that they could control us. Who "they" are is unclear but... you know... them.
    Puhleazzz.... it's engineered by Gates so that he can come in and "save" us with his "vaccine" that has nano trackers in it so that Big Brother can track us.

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Pffft. You're still just bitter about VB6.
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    COVID-denial is rampant, and not tied to Party affiliation. I see it as much from "free-stuffers" as from smug "Social Darwinists."

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by dilettante View Post
    COVID-denial is rampant, and not tied to Party affiliation. I see it as much from "free-stuffers" as from smug "Social Darwinists."
    I'd suggest that there's two different types of denial. For a significant number of people on both sides of the aisle, I think the major motivation is selfishness and/or laziness. These people are often young and don't want to make sacrifices when the likelihood of their dying as a result of this virus are low. The politically-motivated denial seems to be a specifically right-wing phenomenon.

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    (1) What country are you from?
    Australia
    (2) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country today? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    Health-wise: 3; Economically: 6
    (3) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country at its peek? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.
    Health-wise: 5
    (4)Are masks required in your country?
    There has been a spike in the state of Victoria and they have just mandated masks under certain conditions but otherwise no.
    (5)What are most people's reactions to wearing masks in your country?
    Generally speaking, they're an annoyance but nothing more, but there are some people clearly taking their cue from America and whining about freedom and violation of their rights.
    (6)Are schools open in your country? Are they opening as normal?
    Schools are open but there are restrictions.
    (7)In the US, they say the virus is going to go away after our November 3rd election. Any comments on this?
    That these people claim that the pandemic is a left-wing conspiracy while also deriding China for causing it just shows how delusional they and their leader are.
    (8)Any other comments about the US and how it is handling the virus?
    I'm a left-wing voter and voted against our current right-wing government but I think that they have done a fairly good job under the circumstances. Of course, I don't subscribe to the idea that a left-wing government couldn't have done just as well or better but that's a moot point right now. The point is that the government has tried to look after people and I se very little of that in the US. Trump seems only to care about the stock market because he thinks that's what will get him elected. In fact, it seems like everything he is doing right now is about his election prospects and so much of it is to the detriment of the people he's supposed to be caring for. I want to puke every time I hear him use the terrible number of cases in the US as an opportunity to brag about how many tests he is personally responsible for having administered.

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Interesting. In France, there is no denial behavior among the politics (left or right side, even for the extreme side) but there are critics about the way to deal with it : confinement, mask, and so on. The denial come from some people and on 2 principal topics : efficiency of confinement and mask. I didn't hear anything about a denial of existence of the covid (I am sure we have some who believe that but they are few and don't have the media light on them so...) but as said JMC, the young ones believe that it won't reach them and won't make them sick (it remind me the same with AIDS in its time). They just forgot that they can contaminate people more sensible and potentially kill them.
    Last edited by Delaney; Jul 21st, 2020 at 10:16 AM.
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by jmcilhinney View Post
    That these people claim that the pandemic is a left-wing conspiracy while also deriding China for causing it just shows how delusional they and their leader are.
    This statement/connection is one I don't think I've heard anyone make, which is extremely surprising. Funny.

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by techgnome View Post
    Puhleazzz.... it's engineered by Gates so that he can come in and "save" us with his "vaccine" that has nano trackers in it so that Big Brother can track us.

    -tg
    There is a video floating around, which I've only seen once. I wasn't sure if the Gates video was real or a deep fake. Do you (or anyone) know if it was real? Gates does talk about using an implanted tracker. The video was, however, from a long time ago.

    Personally, I find the idea of a tracker a bit off since it would be electronics that can still be hacked or spoofed. But this is a topic for another thread.....

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    Super Moderator jmcilhinney's Avatar
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by brad jones View Post
    There is a video floating around, which I've only seen once. I wasn't sure if the Gates video was real or a deep fake. Do you (or anyone) know if it was real? Gates does talk about using an implanted tracker. The video was, however, from a long time ago.

    Personally, I find the idea of a tracker a bit off since it would be electronics that can still be hacked or spoofed. But this is a topic for another thread.....
    I haven't seen the video you're referring to but I wouldn't be surprised if Gates had said something like that. I'm sure that a lot of techies and tech companies would be interested in something like that in principle at least. The idea that Gates would install such a thing by stealth along with an antiviral vaccine is laughable though.

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Meanwhile people are still using those tracing/tracking phone apps. Are the quarantine camps filling up or do they just dole out the apps as placebos?

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Quote Originally Posted by dilettante View Post
    Meanwhile people are still using those tracing/tracking phone apps
    shhhhhhhh.... They'll never know. They also won't notice all the cameras at all the intersections that are reading their license plates and can see in the windows..... They also won't notice the GPS trackers in their cars even though they are using live maps...... shhhhhh..........

    LOL

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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback


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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    (1) What country are you from?

    The UK

    (2) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country today? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.

    A 3 maybe, most things have generally reopened now apart from sports crowds, nightclubs and large gathering situations, but life is still far from being back to normal. I am not overly confident though we wont have a resurgence of some kind over the autumn and winter months.

    (3) How bad would you rate the coronavirus in your country at its peek? 1 being 'it was nothing' to 10 being it was horrendous.

    About an 8, it was pretty bad at the peak, i know one person that died from it, my sister in law got it and is still suffering chronic fatigue syndrome 3 months later, and a friend who is a Nurse got it bad and has fortunately recovered but has lost some of her sense of smell. Peoples perception of how bad it has been often seems related to personal experience i know some friends who know no-one who has been effected and it definitely colours their thinking.

    (4)Are masks required in your country?

    On public transport now, and in Shops from the 24 July, really it feels like we should have done this sooner every country that experienced Sars or Mers in Asia made Masks compulsory immediately, most other places sat and waited for evidence instead of following their lead.

    (5)What are most people's reactions to wearing masks in your country?

    Fine there has been no real problems here between mask wearers and non mask wearers

    (6)Are schools open in your country? Are they opening as normal?

    Schools are on holiday but are scheduled to be back in September in full. Our education minister inspires little confidence though that he has a workable plan.

    Some School buildings in the UK are very old and are generally bursting with students there is no spare space for social distancing, i predict that the re-opening of schools will be chaotic.

    (7)In the US, they say the virus is going to go away after our November 3rd election. Any comments on this?

    Some people in the US say this not everyone is deluded the US is a big place.

    (8)Any other comments about the US and how it is handling the virus?

    The State by State response seems to have varied, some good, some bad, some sad.

    The US Federal Government response has been pretty hopeless
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    Re: Non-US Perspective of US - virus feedback

    Thanks again to everyone answering my questions. It really is interesting and helpful.
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