3 ms·

This is insane. I haven’t been really scared of the pandemic yet, but if this is the response, now, I’m terrified. Changing the number of infected people enter

This is insane. I haven’t been really scared of the pandemic yet, but if this is the response, now, I’m terrified. Changing the number of infected people entering the community does nothing when we already have transmission happening within the community at some fixed rate which is determined by the community. “Flattening the curve” of an exponential function means changing the rate of growth, not the fucking constant offset. It’s basic math. Innocent people will die off this incompetence. I’m a little lost for words.

orange_fritter 7y ago
I really lost heart when Trump addressed the cruise ship incident with "I don't want my numbers to go up." Just manipulation of the numbers to reduce fear/keep stocks up. But if the virus is a threat, it will become undeniable. I don't normally say this, but I hope Trump's right about the whole thing. Wash your hands and you'll be fine, right? We'll see in a month. Maybe a week.
logicchains 7y ago
But even the tinest of improvements is better than no improvements, because we all know the most important thing when making decisions is to only consider the possible benefits and never consider the cost!
arbitrary_name 7y ago
Who's going to die because they can't fly between the US and Europe?
- bratawurst 7y ago
  If healthcare capacity in the US becomes overwhelmed by an exponential function, every moment wasted by officials now, while the numbers are still low enough to do something real about, will turn out to have been a moment responsible for many thousands of needless deaths. I hope your flippancy turns out to be warranted. I just can’t get there.
- logicchains 7y ago
  People dying isn't the only consideration; public policy isn't made with the assumption "save human life at all costs", otherwise e.g. private cars (which kill 1-2 million people per year and injure tens of millions more) would be banned by now.

orange_fritter 7y ago

I really lost heart when Trump addressed the cruise ship incident with "I don't want my numbers to go up." Just manipulation of the numbers to reduce fear/keep stocks up. But if the virus is a threat, it will become undeniable. I don't normally say this, but I hope Trump's right about the whole thing. Wash your hands and you'll be fine, right? We'll see in a month. Maybe a week.

logicchains 7y ago

But even the tinest of improvements is better than no improvements, because we all know the most important thing when making decisions is to only consider the possible benefits and never consider the cost!

arbitrary_name 7y ago

Who's going to die because they can't fly between the US and Europe?

bratawurst 7y ago
If healthcare capacity in the US becomes overwhelmed by an exponential function, every moment wasted by officials now, while the numbers are still low enough to do something real about, will turn out to have been a moment responsible for many thousands of needless deaths. I hope your flippancy turns out to be warranted. I just can’t get there.
logicchains 7y ago
People dying isn't the only consideration; public policy isn't made with the assumption "save human life at all costs", otherwise e.g. private cars (which kill 1-2 million people per year and injure tens of millions more) would be banned by now.