Coronavirus (Sports-Related and General)

[phillychuck]

Did he use his Ouija board, crystal ball, or tea leaves?

Nobody knows the future of the pandemic, this is a seat-of-the-pants, adjust-as-you-get-better-data thing.

Could be 2-3 weeks, could be 5 months.

[rpmcmurphy]

I am not an epidemiologist, but as a veterinarian I have a working knowledge of epidemiology, virology, and statistics. I am a small animal practitioner, not a specialist, so in no way do I profess to have deep insight into anything other than diagnosing and treating. Some on this board seem to be much better versed in mathematical models than I am. I am not trying to cause alarm but today’s numbers appear to be pretty bad:

That is a greater than 33% increase in both number of cases and number of deceased in one day. I tend to discount anything that anyone in this administration says, but seems to me that the 10 to 12 week lockdown mentioned by Mnuchin may be based on something other than tea leaves or a Ouija board.

[andyb]

It is most likely based on what would be best for Trump's reelection campaign. Since there is no way to know, they push the scenario that would be most advantageous to them - "Wartime President confronts unprecedented problem, solves it, then things are back to normal for everyone in plenty of time for reelection".

Of course they don't know and should never give any specific prediction. Even minimum predictions are misleading. Like when baseball says they will delay the season start by a few weeks. We pretty much know anything before July is unlikely and it is probably better than 50-50 that the season is done. Leaders give facts while reassuring that we can get through it together. Politicians give rosy scenarios as they spend trillions of dollars we don't have.

[Lawman]

Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: 'We're going to be fine'

https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-nobel-laureate-predicts-quicker-210318391.html

Here's what Levitt noticed in China: On Jan. 31, the country had 46 new deaths due to the novel coronavirus, compared with 42 new deaths the day before.

Although the number of daily deaths had increased, the rate of that increase had begun to ease off. Essentially, although the car was still speeding up, it was not accelerating as rapidly as before.

and this

He analyzed 78 countries with more than 50 reported cases of COVID-19 every day and sees "signs of recovery." He's not looking at cumulative cases, but the number of new cases every day — and the percentage growth in that number from one day to the next.

"Numbers are still noisy but there are clear signs of slowed growth."

[Philsmania]

Canada announced it won't be sending athletes to the Olympic games this summer if the games go off as scheduled on July 24. The way I see it, even if the pandemic subsides to the point that it is safe to hold the games, another big problem is that the athletes have been thrown completely off their training regimen by the pandemic and that if the games go off, the quality of competition will be poor and marred by injuries.

Canadian athletes will not compete at Tokyo 2020 Games due to COVID-19 risks |...

[bkox]

Exclusive: U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak

[el-pietro]

AMA on Reddit with a UK based ICU doctor - his first response on the UK approach is scathing

r/Coronavirus - I'm a critical care doctor working in a UK high consequence...

[bkox]

Olympics postponed until 2021

[Lawman]

Of all the sports that have been delayed/postponed, the Olympics makes the most sense. And, personally, one I care about the least.

[Philsmania]

Yeah, the Olympics just hasn't been the same since the Cold War ended. I remember growing up in the '70's and '80's how every four years when the games came around, what went on the day or night before in the games, regardless of what sport, would be the top water cooler and schoolyard conversation in the country. The rivalry with the Soviet Union was a big part of that. Eric Heiden became a household name. When the Soviets beat Team USA in the 1988 basketball final, there was outrage. Since the early '90's, however, the games are big yawn for most. A lot of people forget they are even going on. Apollo Ohno, who the heck is he? When Team USA basketball only got a bronze in 2000, Americans shrugged their shoulders.

[bkeich]

Of all the sports that have been delayed/postponed, the Olympics makes the most sense. And, personally, one I care about the least.

It is one of my favorite things, we get to see sports we dont see often and you get real upsets and fun stories.

Sad to see it delayed, it just shows that we really are not going to solve this anytime soon. I have to admit 2 weeks ago I thought this really could just be a big inconvenience, now it is really starting to look like a once / generation event (I thought 9/11 was ours, but honestly it may end up being this debacle).

When I hear almarist declarations like the Governor of California talking about 40-70% (depending on which day) infection rates I was just laughing that they were crazy numbers. I still think they are but I am wondering what a reasonable infection rate will be in urban areas. It is looking like it might be fairly large.

[el-pietro]

Yeah, the Olympics just hasn't been the same since the Cold War ended. I remember growing up in the '70's and '80's how every four years when the games came around, what went on the day or night before in the games, regardless of what sport, would be the top water cooler and schoolyard conversation in the country.

That might be the case for the US, but at least where I live its still a huge deal, and we rarely win more than a handful of medals, almost all in boxing, equestrian and in recent years rowing.

[Philsmania]

And, of course, don't forget Michelle Smith, swimming, in the '96 games.

[rpmcmurphy]

It is one of my favorite things, we get to see sports we dont see often and you get real upsets and fun stories.

Same here. And, it is the only sporting competition that my wife enjoys as much as I do.

[schillingfan]

I love the Olympics. My Dad was a gate judging in skiing in the Tahoe Olympics. He was a fences judge in the hurdles in the 1968 U.S. Olympic track trials. We spent a week in Ugene watching the trials. My nephew was on the U.S. Nordic team in the Utah Olympics. The 1980 Munich Olympics was one of the most traumatic events of my lifetime.

[julio]

Yeah, the Olympics just hasn't been the same since the Cold War ended. I remember growing up in the '70's and '80's how every four years when the games came around, what went on the day or night before in the games, regardless of what sport, would be the top water cooler and schoolyard conversation in the country. The rivalry with the Soviet Union was a big part of that.

Kind of sad, that it was never about the actual sports, the actual athletes - just the "us vs. them" that was promoted... and of course, that played to human instincts (the kind we have to keep under control to avoid blowing up the planet).

[el-pietro]

We literally don't talk about her! Whenever the Olympics come around the national broadcaster talks about all our medallsts... except for her. They never took her medals back, but its clear she cheated.

[Philsmania]

Yeah, the Olympics just hasn't been the same since the Cold War ended. I remember growing up in the '70's and '80's how every four years when the games came around, what went on the day or night before in the games, regardless of what sport, would be the top water cooler and schoolyard conversation in the country. The rivalry with the Soviet Union was a big part of that.

Kind of sad, that it was never about the actual sports, the actual athletes - just the "us vs. them" that was promoted... and of course, that played to human instincts (the kind we have to keep under control to avoid blowing up the planet).

Just saying, rivalries are the spice of sports. To most Americans, interest in the Olympic games seems to have evaporated once the rivalry with the Soviets evaporated. The spice was gone. Who knows, maybe we'll reignite the rivalry with Russia (those Soviets again) or start a new one with China. Truth be told, the Soviets took the rivalry far more seriously than we did, doing everything they could "doctor" their way to gold.

[julio]

Just saying, rivalries are the spice of sports. To most Americans, interest in the Olympic games seems to have evaporated once the rivalry with the Soviets evaporated. The spice was gone

This is undoubtedly true for some fans, and may be true for most - but not for all. For some of us, the performances are what is engaging - can so-and-so achieve a new personal best, etc. There's an aesthetic to be appreciated, apart from the "we won" aspect.

I confess, I don't entirely get the "rivalry" aspect, as it translates to "I hate the Mets!" (or whoever). I don't get a different satisfaction from beating the Mets (or the Braves, etc.), as opposed to, say, Cleveland. I want the Phils to win - but that's because I want them to play well, to achieve, not because they're not "the bad guys." But I know that others differ, and that's fine; I do sometimes have to wonder if some people know what the word "hate" actually means...

So I don't need a superpower rivalry to enjoy the Olympics. If the Russian pairs skaters are the best in the world, I want them to do well, to excel, because I want to see that. I don't want a foreign skier to fall so an American who's not as good can win. I have no desire to see Caster Semenya banned because her body's hormone level isn't "typical," so somebody who's not as fast can "win."

At the end of the day, the Olympics - sport in general - isn't just (or primarily) about winning. It's about striving, it's about becoming better, at whatever you do. Vince Lombardi was wrong.

Americans - by and large - don't get it, IMHO.

[zambonir]

For me the Olympics might be the ultimate in sports hypocrisy. All the faux community of college football with all the corporate welfare of pro stadiums! But of course I watched. More of a winter guy though.