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8 minutes ago, XXL said:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/spain-coronavirus-response-analysis

How did Spain get its coronavirus response so wrong?


Spain saw what happened in Iran and Italy – and yet it just overtook China’s death toll in one of the darkest moments in recent Spanish history

It is one of the darkest and most dramatic moments in recent Spanish history. In the chilling table of daily dead from the coronavirus pandemic, Spain has taken top position from Italy - with 738 dying over 24 hours.

Spain is now the hotspot of the global pandemic, a ghoulish title that has been passed from country to country over four months – starting in Wuhan, China, and travelling via Iran and Italy. As it moves west, we do not know who will be next.


What went wrong? Spain had seen what happened in China and Iran. It also has Italy nearby, just 400 miles across the Mediterranean and an example of how the virus can spread rapidly and viciously inside Europe.


Yet Spaniards cannot blame that proximity. There are no land borders with Italy, while France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia – all countries that are doing much better – do have them.

This may, in fact, be one of the reasons for the country’s late response. Spain thought it was far enough away. “Spain will only have a handful of cases,” said Dr Fernando Simón, the head of medical emergencies in Madrid, on 9 February. Six weeks later he gives out daily figures of hundreds of deaths. The number of dead per capita is already three times that of Iran, and 40 times higher than China.

Workers install a field hospital for coronavirus patients in Madrid, Spain, on 21 March, in a handout photo.
 Workers install a field hospital for coronavirus patients in Madrid on 21 March. Photograph: Getty Images
On 19 February, 2,500 Valencia soccer fans mixed with 40,000 Atalanta supporters for a Champions League game in Bergamo which Giorgio Gori, mayor of the Italian city, has described as “the bomb” which exploded the virus in Lombardy.

In Spain, Valencia players, fans and sports journalists were among the first to fall ill.

The main reason for the quick spread through Spain may be completely mundane. It has been an unusually mild, sunny spring. In late February and early March, with temperatures above 20C (68F), Madrid’s pavement cafes and bars were heaving with happy folk, doing what Madrileños like best – being sociable. That means hugging, kissing and animated chatter just a few inches from someone else’s face.

On 8 March, just a week before the country was closed down, sports events, political party conferences and massive demonstrations to mark International Women’s Day all took place. Three days later, about 3,000 Atlético de Madrid fans flew together for another Champions League match in Liverpool.

 

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The Socialist-led government of Pedro Sánchez reacted late and clumsily. The country lacked essential equipment. Ventilators, protective clothing for doctors and coronavirus tests are still only just being sourced. China has gone from villain to saviour, as equipment and tests pour in – much of it brokered by the same Chinese immigrant community that has closed shops and shut itself away to avoid a racist backlash.

The virus has laid bare, too, deep faults in the Spanish care system. Private old people’s homes must turn a profit while charging people prices they can afford – which may be a basic pension of just over €9,000 ($9,900/£8,200). As a result, these were understaffed, unprepared and quickly overwhelmed, with death rates of up to 20%. The army was sent in, and found some people lying dead in their beds.

 

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Spain has a magnificent primary care system, but its hospitals have been hit by a decade of austerity since the financial crisis. It has only a third of the hospital beds per capita that are provided by Austria or Germany. Yet that is still more than the UK, New Zealand or the US. (Got that Bozo Johnson and Mr Ignorant Dump?)   :semifunny:

When Sánchez announced that he would be invoking emergency powers, he took more than 24 hours to put them in place – by which time part of the population of Madrid and other cities had dispersed across the country.

Poor coordination meant that the regional government of Madrid had closed universities and schools earlier that week, provoking a holiday atmosphere in which bars and parks were full and many families left for their beach homes.


The lockdown that began on 14 March has been efficiently enforced with police fines and popular pressure (including eggs hurled from balconies). As a result, Spain’s ghastly curve of fatalities will begin to flatten soon and ministers say measures should start being relaxed when the month-long quarantine ends on 11 April. Yet no one expects a return to normality.

When this is over, Spain will be extremely fragile. When the financial crisis hit in 2008, unemployment soared to 27%, public debt leapt upwards and the nosedive into recession was among the worst in Europe. Much the same will happen this year.

The solutions imposed a decade ago – austerity, jobs losses and salary cuts – will not be tolerated. The economist Toni Roldán has calculated that Spain needs a €200bn loan from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). That, however, must wait. For the moment, Spain must beat the virus. This has been the toughest moment so far, but there may be worse to come. 

This has been published in Boris Johnson's country. The very very nerve. 

 

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16 minutes ago, karbatal said:

This has been published in Boris Johnson's country. The very very nerve. 

 

I find it quite bizarre too :lol:

The British government is at least three weeks behind schedule after its entire government and top institutional figures bar the former Top Medical Advisor Professor John Ashton up until a couple of weeks ago were saying things like "I shook hands with lots of COVID patients in every hospital and I just washed my hands afterwards" or "we're aiming at herd immunity" or "we cannot afford to slow down business, a lockdown is too unprecedented, we will wait for the peak and then we shall intervene, delay technique"

But at least the journalist gives Boris & Donald some food for thought: "It has only a third of the hospital beds per capita provided by Austria or Germany. Yet that is still more than the UK or the US"  :1251:

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It really made me sad that it was The Guardian. I really admire that newspaper. Maybe in the UK it's happening as in other countries, that the complete interruption of revenues from advertisement has put media on the limit and are asking for a bail out from the Government.

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20 hours ago, PDC717 said:

Looking back through the first thread, including at the replies to my own comments, a few members here were extremely aggressive and downright awful towards anyone taking this seriously and were just as dismissive of the virus as Trump was/is. One in particular kept saying the standard "the flu is more deadly!" line, even though COVID-19 has a mortality rate over 30x higher. Now those members haven't commented at all in a few weeks, or simply changed their tune as if we wouldn't notice. Funny how that works.

People in the west simply became jaded and way too comfortable over the course of 70+ years since WWII, which was global society's, but especially western society's, last major test. A whole lot of people thought the comfort and technology of the modern First World made a pandemic like this an impossibility. Thus they dismissed it immediately.

you're a shit stirrer

And you have proven my points a hundred of times when I said it's MASS HYSTERIA.

If 90-100% of your post are in the Covid19 thread, on a Madonna forum, that's exactly what it is: MASS HYSTERIA. 

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They're saying now that one of the reasons why the death percentage is a little lower is because there's still capacity in the system to take care of the people who got it.

But in a few weeks when many more start getting sick the hopitals will be overflowing, and the death percentage will be much higher.

To be honest I don't know which is worse, getting sick right now and actually getting treated. Or get sick later and there not being a hospital bed for me and stuff. Same thing for my family.

This is very scary.

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39 minutes ago, runa said:

you're a shit stirrer

And you have proven my points a hundred of times when I said it's MASS HYSTERIA.

If 90-100% of your post are in the Covid19 thread, on a Madonna forum, that's exactly what it is: MASS HYSTERIA. 

Looks like I struck a nerve, considering you were the biggest culprit. I’m not stirring shit. It is a very important discussion to be had regarding the delusion of modern society, and why so many people, such as yourself, not only denied this was even a possibility but were overly aggressive about it.

Or it’s because Madonna is in between eras now, and it is the biggest story in the world? That’s not even true about my posts anyway, but nice try.

And keep fucking trying to dismiss it as mass hysteria all you want, tell the people in Italy it’s only media hysteria. There are over 8,200 dead in that country now, doubling the number of people who die from automobile accidents in the *entire country each year*, and the virus mortality rate is now pushing 11% there. Seriously, you’re vile.

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I sincerely hope that no other country goes through what is happening in Italy and Spain. I really hope that this was a case of perfect storm here and the rest of the world stays safe.

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Just now, PDC717 said:

Looks like I struck a nerve, considering you were the biggest culprit. I’m not stirring shit. It is a very important discussion to be had regarding the delusion of modern society, and why so many people, such as yourself, not only denied this was even a possibility but were overly aggressive about it.

Or it’s because Madonna is in between eras now, and it is the biggest story in the world? That’s not even true about my posts anyway, but nice try.

And keep fucking trying to dismiss it as mass hysteria all you want, tell the people in Italy it’s only media hysteria. There are over 8,200 dead in that country now, doubling the number of people who die from automobile accidents in the *entire country each year*, and the virus mortality rate is now pushing 11% there. Seriously, you’re vile.

Please, stop. Last time you used the line "oh I stroke a nerve" with me too. If you think now is the time for your I told you sos with this drama and hundreds of people dying each day in our countries and us in quarantine with symptoms and fearing for our elderlies, then you are the vile one. 

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7 minutes ago, karbatal said:

Please, stop. Last time you used the line "oh I stroke a nerve" with me too. If you think now is the time for your I told you sos with this drama and hundreds of people dying each day in our countries and us in quarantine with symptoms and fearing for our elderlies, then you are the vile one. 

I told you so? My posts are far too specific, well spoken and thought out to get bullshit accusations like that. Sorry. Look, you people are voluntarily taking umbrage to my comment. I also have no recollection of ever saying that to you. You are literally defending someone dismissing this as “mass hysteria”, meanwhile here in the US the governor of Florida refuses to do any statewide shutdowns and thus the state is about to turn into a complete and utter disaster. That is not hysteria.

Edited by PDC717
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6 minutes ago, karbatal said:

I sincerely hope that no other country goes through what is happening in Italy and Spain. I really hope that this was a case of perfect storm here and the rest of the world stays safe.

Every single projection has it happening to the US and UK, and Australia a little bit later.

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8 minutes ago, PDC717 said:

I told you so? My posts are far too specific, well spoken and thought out to get bullshit accusations like that. Sorry. Look, you people are voluntarily taking umbrage to my comment. I also have no recollection of ever saying that to you. You are literally defending someone dismissing this as “mass hysteria”, meanwhile here in the US the governor of Florida refuses to do any statewide shutdowns and thus the state is about to turn into a complete and utter disaster. That is not hysteria.

You are right, it was another member. My frustration and anxiety is making me answer too fast sometimes. Here's the caption.

 

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Anyway, there's no point in looking back at what we thought a month ago because, frankly, this is the first global dangerous pandemic we're going though. 

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Just now, karbatal said:

You are right, it was another member. My frustration and anxiety is making me answer too fast sometimes. 

 

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No problem!

All of this has me pissed off too. While my 71-year-old, partially disabled (due to terrible arthritis) mother lives with me and I am tasked with keeping her alive through all of this, my millionaire sister and her family went down to Florida, of all places, for a two week vacation.

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21 minutes ago, PDC717 said:

Looks like I struck a nerve, considering you were the biggest culprit. I’m not stirring shit. It is a very important discussion to be had regarding the delusion of modern society, and why so many people, such as yourself, not only denied this was even a possibility but were overly aggressive about it.

Or it’s because Madonna is in between eras now, and it is the biggest story in the world? That’s not even true about my posts anyway, but nice try.

And keep fucking trying to dismiss it as mass hysteria all you want, tell the people in Italy it’s only media hysteria. There are over 8,200 dead in that country now, doubling the number of people who die from automobile accidents in the *entire country each year*, and the virus mortality rate is now pushing 11% there. Seriously, you’re vile.

I won't answer to that because I think it's childish and it says more about you than about me. 
You don't know me, you don't know who I am, you don't know what I'm going through. In the future, refrain yourself with your passive-agressive post and just put me on ignore. Thank you very much.  

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4 hours ago, karbatal said:

It really made me sad that it was The Guardian. I really admire that newspaper. Maybe in the UK it's happening as in other countries, that the complete interruption of revenues from advertisement has put media on the limit and are asking for a bail out from the Government.

 

Me too

I generally love and respect The Guardian. Objectively the UK institutions have done jack shit nothing at all up until a few days ago compared to what the Italian and Spanish governments have done. Maybe whoever wrote this article didn't do their homework before coming up with their fantasy tale

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5 minutes ago, runa said:

I won't answer to that because I think it's childish and it says more about you than about me. 
You don't know me, you don't know who I am, you don't know what I'm going through. In the future, refrain yourself with your passive-agressive post and just put me on ignore. Thank you very much.  

... Orrrrrr you can just stop dismissing a pandemic that has the Italian military carrying hundreds of coffins away to temporary storage locations as media hysteria.

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Just now, XXL said:

 

Me too

I generally love and respect The Guardian. Objectively the UK institutions have done jack shit nothing at all up until a few days ago compared to what the Italian and Spanish governments have done. Maybe whoever wrote this article didn't do their homework before coming up with their fantasy tale

Just remember, the UK government told people to not go to restaurants and stores and movie theaters, causing a massive decline in revenue for those businesses, but then wouldn’t officially shut them down because then the business owners would be allowed to file insurance claims and people would be able to apply for unemployment benefits. That was honestly one of the most disgusting global reactions to the pandemic thus far.

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4 minutes ago, PDC717 said:

Just remember, the UK government told people to not go to restaurants and stores and movie theaters, causing a massive decline in revenue for those businesses, but then wouldn’t officially shut them down because then the business owners would be allowed to file insurance claims and people would be able to apply for unemployment benefits. That was honestly one of the most disgusting global reactions to the pandemic thus far.

 

I think the US government and the Trump administration have even managed to do worse than Dumpling Johnson. 

The only prominent American politician worthy of praise is Andrew Cuomo, for everything he's doing for the State of NY. God forbid that state falls because if NY falls the population in between coasts is done or at the very least severely impaired

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10 minutes ago, XXL said:

 

I think the US government and the Trump administration have even managed to do worse than Dumpling Johnson. 

The only prominent American politician worthy of praise is Andrew Cuomo, for everything he's doing for the State of NY. God forbid that state falls because if NY falls the population in between coasts is done or at the very least severely impaired

Well, *Idaho* topped 100 cases yesterday, which represented a daily increase of over 1/3. Everywhere is fucked.

Edited by PDC717
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33 minutes ago, Genevieve Vavance said:

I don't believe the numbers from China, there is something fishy going on, not meant to sound conspiracy theoretical I swear but ...

 

I don't think China is to be blamed squarely for all of this. The US government in particular should stop pointing the finger at China or stupid propaganda tricks calling it the Wuhan Virus rather than COVID-19 or 👑 Virus, as everyone else, everywhere else calls it.

Since China is not to be trusted why does the World Health Organisation feels instead so safe in co-running a Bio4SL Laboratory in Whuan? The most dangerous level of Biohazard laboratories. That is indeed fishy and at the very least highly contradictory. Regardless of the origins of the virus itself. China is not to be trusted, yet they run a laboratory of that kind on their soil? I don't get it. It makes no sense whatsoever

I don't believe China but I certainly do not believe America First Brainwash Drilling either. The US have caused massive poblems in the world 1945 onwards. Let's not even talk about the past twenty years alone

It literally became an Empire and not for the people, of any country, US citizens included

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Just now, PDC717 said:

Well, *Idaho* topped 100 cases yesterday, which represented a daily increase of over 1/3. Everywhere is fucked.

Idaho???? but there´s nothing i idaho! (and I love Boise, it´s not something bad,but they are in the middle of nothing, is that...how come this is happening in idaho!)

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1 hour ago, I Don’t Search I Find said:

@PDC717 Stop trolling and attacking other members. Ease up or you’re outta here again like your old problematic account from years ago. 

Well, PDC717 a.k.a. Beautiful Stranger is not taking his warning well and is bitterly ranting like a lunatic about this on Facebook, so he won’t be posting here anymore. For those who weren’t around back then or don’t remember, he was a big part of that Riverwide and theothershore nasty drama years ago. I didn’t even care about that anymore and let him post here again under a new name without blowing up his spot because it was soooooo long ago and he was just a teenager back then, BUT he hasn’t grown up much at all since then!  *FLUSH*

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