Coronavirus - In the DR

[Cdn_Gringo]

If the goal is to reduce the instance of disease spread then you cannot carry on like it is the gripe because it is not gripe. If we cannot agree on the end result there is no way we will ever achieve it. It takes the efforts of everyone at the same time to lower the infection rate. Sure live your life and do what you need to. But do it in such a way that you reduce as much as possible the chances of giving someone the virus or getting it yourself. You don't necessarily have to lock yourself in the house to achieve this. You just need to make sure you maintain distance from others, clean common surfaces often and well, and wear a mask if you have to be close to others indoors our out.

For those eating in restaurants or drinking in bars have you watched them wash the glasses and utensils. I've seen some pretty lackadaisical practices so I cannot in good conscience patronize those establishments because they clearly are not doing enough to keep me safe and make me feel comfortable being there. Too many people you randomly encounter are infectious these days. Most don't know or choose not to stay home when they are sick and protect others and if the attitude on this site is representative many just don't care about anyone but themselves. That's why the DR can't control CV19. Not enough testing, and many people just are not prepared to do anything to protect others if it means having to change the way they do the things they want to do.

 

[Garyexpat]

I knew my gripe usage would spark responses. Let me clarify. What I mean to say is carry on like it was gripe in the sense that I would like to see everything back to how it was a year ago and, like gripe, (yes I understand there are differences) you deal with it and that like gripe old or sick should take extra precautions. I don't get how so many so easily accept losing their civil rights.
We have a perfect example of a 24/7 shut down with Colombia and yet their cases are spiking so how are masks and social distancing better or more effective than almost ZERO contact with others??? Please answer me that?
" if the attitude on this site is representative many just don't care about anyone but themselves. " This would only be true if I were to accept your thoughts and opinions on the subject. I care very much about the suffering this shut down is causing which will FAR out way the damage of Wuhan.
I am of the mind set that the large majority of people will eventually get it, and they just have to deal with it and sadly, like many other viruses, diseases, cancers, people will die.

 

[zoomzx11]

That should have only been a short term solution to an explosive situation like that in Wuhan. That it necessary in other countries was just pure buffoonery in not closing borders and quarantining travelers while doing contact tracing. Those needing to be quarantined could have been kept and paid lavishly for a small fraction of what a shutdown costs.

That it is still necessary is a testament to something profound about human society. I'll get back to you when I figure it but I think it distills down to "there may be rational thinkers among the people but together, people are stupid."

If the goal is to reduce the instance of disease spread then you cannot carry on like it is the gripe because it is not gripe. If we cannot agree on the end result there is no way we will ever achieve it. It takes the efforts of everyone at the same time to lower the infection rate. Sure live your life and do what you need to. But do it in such a way that you reduce as much as possible the chances of giving someone the virus or getting it yourself. You don't necessarily have to lock yourself in the house to achieve this. You just need to make sure you maintain distance from others, clean common surfaces often and well, and wear a mask if you have to be close to others indoors our out.

For those eating in restaurants or drinking in bars have you watched them wash the glasses and utensils. I've seen some pretty lackadaisical practices so I cannot in good conscience patronize those establishments because they clearly are not doing enough to keep me safe and make me feel comfortable being there. Too many people you randomly encounter are infectious these days. Most don't know or choose not to stay home when they are sick and protect others and if the attitude on this site is representative many just don't care about anyone but themselves. That's why the DR can't control CV19. Not enough testing, and many people just are not prepared to do anything to protect others if it means having to change the way they do the things they want to do.

The concise message for the bar flies is be safe and drink out of the bottle.
Too many people with independent contrary suspicious views that I am not wearing a mask, you cannot make me and it's a hoax perpetrated by the governments to control people.
A vaccine will help but the same anti mask people will likely refuse the injection.
I remember reading as a kid about people believing fluoride in water was a government plot.
There will always be people unwilling to cooperate for their own welfare or the common good.
Sad effect is they make stopping community spread more difficult.
My view is the general welfare over rules individual freedom to act in an irresponsible fashion.
A few individuals have the ability to keep us from stopping community spread. That is how it works with a pandemic, especially one in which we have asymptomatic people that spread the disease and do not give a damn.

 

[Dolores]

Bulletin #144 is published

Dominican Republic – Coronavirus Covid-19: Bulletin #144/9 August 2020

According to Coronavirus Bulletin #144 of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, the Dominican Republic has 80,499 confirmed cases, including 767 new cases. The number of confirmed cases depends on the completing of PCR tests. In the Dominican Republic, even the well off...

dr1.com

 

[aarhus]

I think some of the “freedom fighters” are confused about members of the forums support for curfew and restrictions and our view on the virus. We just respect and follow what the authorities here wants us to do during a global pandemic and health crisis. It does not necessarily always mean we are in agreement. Thats how it works normally.

 

[El Rey de Mangu]

I think some of the “freedom fighters” are confused about members of the forums support for curfew and restrictions and our view on the virus. We just respect and follow what the authorities here wants us to do during a global pandemic and health crisis. It does not necessarily always mean we are in agreement. Thats how it works normally.

If you feel the virus is a scam and you don't wear a mask or observe other preventative measures; and the virus turns out to be a scam, then you hurt no one.

If the virus is not a scam and you are infected, and infect others because of the above ideology, then you are an assassin.

 

[zoomzx11]

If you feel the virus is a scam and you don't wear a mask or observe other preventative measures; and the virus turns out to be a scam, then you hurt no one.

If the virus is not a scam and you are infected, and infect others because of the above ideology, then you are an assassin.

The very idea that the worldwide pandemic "could be" a scam is an absurd excuse for reckless people to do whatever they like.
What is likely to end up happening is a few resisters will continue the spread of the disease causing further restrictive measures and the likelihood of a total lockdown as the only choice left.
It only takes a few people who are silent spreaders to keep up the communiity spread of the disease.
These few stubborn uncooperative type can easily force severe restrictions on us all.
When the restrictions are imposed with hefty fines the resisters will scream the loudest about how their freedoms were taken away unfairly.

 

[Caonabo]

The very idea that the worldwide pandemic "could be" a scam is an absurd excuse for reckless people to do whatever they like.
What is likely to end up happening is a few resisters will continue the spread of the disease causing further restrictive measures and the likelihood of a total lockdown as the only choice left.
It only takes a few people who are silent spreaders to keep up the communiity spread of the disease.
These few stubborn uncooperative type can easily force severe restrictions on us all.
When the restrictions are imposed with hefty fines the resisters will scream the loudest about how their freedoms were taken away unfairly.

So Dr. Zoom, how long in your educated opinion, should the RD remain under 24/7 lockdown?
You know, so as to keep those few stubborn, uncooperative, silent spreading resisters contained.

 

[Son of a sailor]

To me it would take 6-8 weeks of total lock down to rid the entire country of the wuhan flu.
2 weeks for symptoms, 2 weeks for isolation/lingering spread/treatment, 2 weeks to clear......and add 2 weeks for the the uncooperative types..
and contact tracing.

basically it's impossible.

 

[zoomzx11]

So Dr. Zoom, how long in your educated opinion, should the RD remain under 24/7 lockdown?
You know, so as to keep those few stubborn, uncooperative, silent spreading resisters contained.

I would go with the medical experts as to removing lock downs.
Institute wide spread free testing and a tracing program. I would consider paying people to get tested if they did not flock to testing sites.
It is well known from countries experiences around the world what is effective.
It will be less painful in the long run to lock down now rather than stagger along with ineffective half measures.
Really want to bring tourism back then rid the DR of cases.
Whatever tourists are left will be attracted to safe destinations.

The DR is a small country and this is an opportunity to shine in the eyes of the world as opposed to being an ignorant shameful example like the US.
Richest country in the world with one of the worst rates of infection, poor per capita testing numbers, long delays in getting testing results and nearly zero tracing programs.
And they want to open the public schools? US is a classic example of what not to do.

We might as well get used to wearing the masks. Asians have worn protective masks for ages and the Asian countries have for the most part done well in reducing community spread.
Could they just be smarter than us?
Institute a tight lockdown with fines and the resisters will fade away.

I think it would be wonderful to see the DR join the list of countries that dealt successfully with the epidemic.

 

[Dolores]

Bulletin #145 has new statistics. The Ministry of Public Health is now listing the accumulated incidence of the disease per 100,000 inhabitants and the positivity rate per 100,000 in the National District and the 31 provinces. The new statistics enable those following the evolution of the disease to note how it has spread to provinces where there were practically no cases for the first months. The new statistical columns provide more detailed insights into how the disease is spreading and will serve to better monitor efforts of the new authorities to control the disease.

Read more:

Dominican Republic – Coronavirus Covid-19: Bulletin #145/10 August 2020

According to Coronavirus Bulletin #145 of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, the Dominican Republic has 81,134 confirmed cases, including 595 new cases. In Bulletin #145, the Ministry of Public Health has added columns that report on the provinces with the highest...

dr1.com

 

[windeguy]

To me it would take 6-8 weeks of total lock down to rid the entire country of the wuhan flu.
2 weeks for symptoms, 2 weeks for isolation/lingering spread/treatment, 2 weeks to clear......and add 2 weeks for the the uncooperative types..
and contact tracing.

basically it's impossible.

Has this worked anywhere in the world so the virus is totally eliminated?
It only took one case to get the world where it is.

 

[william webster]

Which just went into lockdown

 

[william webster]

It seems to always return....
especially after a reopening.... a consequence of the reopening
DR just needs to live with it

Social etiquette...hand washes, distances, masks

Spain

Just seven weeks after bringing its first coronavirus outbreak under control, experts say Spain is once again in a "critical" situation with the worst infection rate in Western Europe.


The country reported an average of 4,923 new daily cases of the respiratory disease during the last seven days, a higher amount than that of Britain, France, Germany and Italy combined, according to a tally compiled by AFP based on official figures.


The spike has led a growing list of countries to impose restrictions on travel to Spain, which has nearly 323,000 confirmed cases of the disease, the highest number in Western Europe and 11th highest in the world.


"It's a critical moment, we are right at a point where things can get better or worse," said Salvador Macip, an expert in health sciences at Catalonia's Open University who has written a book called "The Great Modern Plagues".


"This means we have to pull out all the stops to curb outbreaks before they become more serious," he told AFP.


There are currently more than 500 outbreak clusters in Spain, according to the health ministry. The ministry's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon acknowledged yesterday that there are cases of community transmission in some places that are "not perfectly controlled" but he said they had "gradually subsided" in recent days.

 

[Chirimoya]

Which just went into lockdown

Just the city of Auckland, 3-day lockdown.

 

[william webster]

Right..... sorry, not the country

DR might regionalize a bit.... they do sort of, I guess

 

[GringoRubio]

Has this worked anywhere in the world so the virus is totally eliminated?
It only took one case to get the world where it is.

China, New Zealand. Different cultures. One could be tyrannical and the other has homogenous and cooperative citizenship.

It's definitely possible. Just need to get to the R value under 1 (number of additional people infected per infection). Of course, you need to stay on top of your game in case new cases are imported like in New Zealand recently.

 

[Garyexpat]

Has this worked anywhere in the world so the virus is totally eliminated?
It only took one case to get the world where it is.

No, it is ridiculous and would at the very least the opportunity for people to go out? once a week like Colombia to get food. People who suggest this have the resources that many Dominicans do not have. Their struggle for food is daily, and don't even think about water since we can exist much less time without water. Many must make several trips a week to stand in line at wells fargo or caribe express to get a few hundred pesos to survive since many of their jobs are gone, plus many did this before because they never had a job. IF you have the resources, thank God I do, to stock up on everything you can survive extended periods. Think about people that live in areas where the electricity goes out for extended periods of time? How would you like to eat the little food left in their refrigerators?

 

[DR Solar]

We have not heard about Dengue this year nor other virtual or other pathogens that normally are reported In the D.R.

Yet we should now consider, or not, the real entrance of the seasonal flu. ???

Infectious Disease Expert Predicts When U.S. Coronavirus Cases Will Again Explode

Michael Osterholm warned a back-to-school surge in COVID-19 “will far surpass what we saw after Memorial Day.”

www.huffpost.com

 

[El Rey de Mangu]

No, it is ridiculous and would at the very least the opportunity for people to go out? once a week like Colombia to get food. People who suggest this have the resources that many Dominicans do not have. Their struggle for food is daily, and don't even think about water since we can exist much less time without water. Many must make several trips a week to stand in line at wells fargo or caribe express to get a few hundred pesos to survive since many of their jobs are gone, plus many did this before because they never had a job. IF you have the resources, thank God I do, to stock up on everything you can survive extended periods. Think about people that live in areas where the electricity goes out for extended periods of time? How would you like to eat the little food left in their refrigerators?

A 24hr lockdown in DR would not be like Columbia. Students actually study there!

At any rate we don't have the systems, infrastructure and other resources to enforce a 24. If it were to happen I envision it being a loosely policed thing where you are allowed out for grocery and other essential. Folks left and right bullshitting police as to why they're out and police saying ok. It's been a free for all in the barrios and Campos outside of the major urban areas. If this is not a scam virus, then I doubt a 24 lockdown would help. It's been published by the rain makers for months now that as soon as 24 is up, folks jam back into the streets and virus ignites like wildfire