4 ms·

It would seem that the horse is already out of the barn. Flights would have needed to be curtailed much earlier. In addition, we're seeing similar mutations pop

It would seem that the horse is already out of the barn. Flights would have needed to be curtailed much earlier. In addition, we're seeing similar mutations popping up independently in geographical areas - seems to be evolutionary pressure in these directions.

mc32 6y ago
Understood, but if we can contain the mutations regionally, it’s better than having them spread globally.
- UncleOxidant 6y ago
  The rise of these variants shows that we have to do a much better job with genomic analysis and surveillance and we have to be willing to be more proactive about shutting down travel to/from regions where these variants show up. I'm just not sure we have the political will to do what the science would suggest - we didn't for the original covid-19 and as it spread around the world political leaders of all stripes were slow to listen to the scientists. I guess I'm not sure that's going to change.
- Loughla 6y ago
  I think you lost me. How can we have an unfettered economy, not limited by lockdowns AND contain mutations regionally? These two statements you have made seem to be at odds with one another. Or am I overthinking/underthinking this?
  - mc32 6y ago
    One affects the global economy, the alternative affects a local economy, for example.
    - Loughla 6y ago
      The local economy is the global economy. Things I make here get shipped there, unless my business is shut down because of local mandates. Then nothing gets shipped over there. I think you're oversimplifying and I can't figure out how to explain myself.
      - mc32 6y ago
        Let’s say you produce wine in France. France has a new variant. We shut France down. You’re French and live there. You’re affected. I’m in Mauritania, I keep on working unaffected by your shutdown. You’re saying it’s preferable to have your economy, my economy and everyone else’s economy because... it’s better for you if we all get shut down?
        Loughla 6y ago
        No, I'm saying a local shut down in the economy may/does have impacts further reaching than the local economy, and that your statement is flawed. Shutting down local economies is exactly what shuts down global supply chains/economies. It's not like you can carve France out of the global economy and act like they don't exist for three months. It's not as simple as you're saying, is what my point is.
        mc32 6y ago
        Ok I won’t dispute this assertion, I will assert that a focused local lockdown is better than a global lockdown.
  - beamatronic 6y ago
    With total and complete mask compliance.
    - dang 6y ago
      Please stop repeating this. Repetition is tedious and lowers signal/noise ratio. HN is supposed to be for curiosity, and curiosity wants just the opposite. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&sort=byDate&type=comment&query=curiosity%20repetition%20by:dang https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so... Edit: also, can you please stop posting unsubstantive comments generally? It looks like you've been doing that a lot, and that's not what HN is for, for the same reason: it repels curiosity.
      - towhom 6y ago
        What exactly is the problem with saying wearing masks is going to help us get out of this?
        dang 6y ago
        The issue is that repeating the same thing over and over is not cool. If the account hadn't posted it three times in a row I wouldn't have replied. Since you ask, though: a comment saying "wearing masks is going to help us get out of this" and not adding anything interesting would be a bad HN comment. A good comment would add some information or new insight. Simply repeating what we've all heard a million times does nothing for curiosity.

mc32 6y ago

Understood, but if we can contain the mutations regionally, it’s better than having them spread globally.

UncleOxidant 6y ago
The rise of these variants shows that we have to do a much better job with genomic analysis and surveillance and we have to be willing to be more proactive about shutting down travel to/from regions where these variants show up. I'm just not sure we have the political will to do what the science would suggest - we didn't for the original covid-19 and as it spread around the world political leaders of all stripes were slow to listen to the scientists. I guess I'm not sure that's going to change.
Loughla 6y ago
I think you lost me. How can we have an unfettered economy, not limited by lockdowns AND contain mutations regionally? These two statements you have made seem to be at odds with one another. Or am I overthinking/underthinking this?
- mc32 6y ago
  One affects the global economy, the alternative affects a local economy, for example.
  - Loughla 6y ago
    The local economy is the global economy. Things I make here get shipped there, unless my business is shut down because of local mandates. Then nothing gets shipped over there. I think you're oversimplifying and I can't figure out how to explain myself.
    - mc32 6y ago
      Let’s say you produce wine in France. France has a new variant. We shut France down. You’re French and live there. You’re affected. I’m in Mauritania, I keep on working unaffected by your shutdown. You’re saying it’s preferable to have your economy, my economy and everyone else’s economy because... it’s better for you if we all get shut down?
      - Loughla 6y ago
        No, I'm saying a local shut down in the economy may/does have impacts further reaching than the local economy, and that your statement is flawed. Shutting down local economies is exactly what shuts down global supply chains/economies. It's not like you can carve France out of the global economy and act like they don't exist for three months. It's not as simple as you're saying, is what my point is.
        mc32 6y ago
        Ok I won’t dispute this assertion, I will assert that a focused local lockdown is better than a global lockdown.
- beamatronic 6y ago
  With total and complete mask compliance.
  - dang 6y ago
    Please stop repeating this. Repetition is tedious and lowers signal/noise ratio. HN is supposed to be for curiosity, and curiosity wants just the opposite. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&sort=byDate&type=comment&query=curiosity%20repetition%20by:dang https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so... Edit: also, can you please stop posting unsubstantive comments generally? It looks like you've been doing that a lot, and that's not what HN is for, for the same reason: it repels curiosity.
    - towhom 6y ago
      What exactly is the problem with saying wearing masks is going to help us get out of this?
      - dang 6y ago
        The issue is that repeating the same thing over and over is not cool. If the account hadn't posted it three times in a row I wouldn't have replied. Since you ask, though: a comment saying "wearing masks is going to help us get out of this" and not adding anything interesting would be a bad HN comment. A good comment would add some information or new insight. Simply repeating what we've all heard a million times does nothing for curiosity.