India’s second wave • Hacker News Board

Re: India’s second wave

#391

Post by Abishek_Muthian » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 3:30 AM UTC

johnohara wrote: post #305

Based on over a year's worth of global data, it is reasonable to highly correlate confirmed positive infections with death counts, with only the degree varying from 2% to 6%. Using "official" numbers alone, and the exponential growth they have exhibited in the past week, it is impossible to deny that an unmitigated disaster is unfolding before our eyes in India. Speculate and blame all you want, the situation is dead…

>"How can I help?"

NGOs with selfless people are the ones which saved many from perishing on the roads during national lock-down in the first wave, Now they are the ones again helping the needy in the second wave where states, unions are taking the initiative for lock downs upon themselves; Yet the result is is same - Poor suffer and perish.

Those who wish to help, please donate to those NGOs. I'm not going name any to avoid spiraling this into another slug-fest and so I'm including a 'List of NGOs providing relief during Covid-19'[1] from the Govt. itself.

[1]https://www.investindia.gov.in/bip/resources/list-ngos-provi...

Re: India’s second wave

#392

Post by Abishek_Muthian » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 3:48 AM UTC

vram22 wrote: post #333

vram22 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guideline is: your mask protects me, and my mask protects you. From what I read earlier, when COVID19 was new, the guideline is based on the physics of masks and airflow, and how masks reduce transmission of the virus via speaking, sneezing and coughing.

So, by the quick probably prejudiced knee- jerk downvotes for a factual statement, I can see that anti-science (or maybe even anti-minority community)? types on HN are alive and buzzing, in their cesspools. Sharing this subthread on Twitter, so more people can see the fun and filth.

Don't take it hard upon yourself, I think there's anti-mask activity here judging from the how all pro-mask or 'mask facts' comments have been down-voted(likely automated).

Perhaps @dang can verify it, But I don't want to impose as moderating HN is extraordinarily hard job as it is.

Re: India’s second wave

#393

Post by bongoman37 » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 3:48 AM UTC

bamboozled wrote: post #354

bongoman37 wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know well connected people in Delhi who are advisors to the Health ministry and they are unable to find beds for their relatives. Things are truly fucked.

A colleague at my work from Hyderabad's cousin has it, I don't know how wealthy he is, but he got a bed yesterday in a "good" hospital, I guess there are some areas which are way more affected then others?

Delhi/Gujarat/UP are worse than other places. It also seems connections are trumping wealth right now.

Re: India’s second wave

#394

Post by selimthegrim » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:12 AM UTC

walshemj wrote: post #270

wonderwonder wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the UK it was the funeral of a single dead rich guy and a singular instance. OP just said that weddings are the basis for societal wealth. Without an alternative in an already poor nation, how do you expect them just to change, shrug their shoulders and say oh well, guess we are poor forever now.

Or stop treating women as cash cows maybe

You’re missing the point - how do you think people find marriage partners there? Often at other people’s weddings.

Re: India’s second wave

#395

Post by dartharva » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:41 AM UTC

gruez wrote: post #107

kanche wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In some places by 20x! https://i.imgur.com/VJHL2VT.jpg

how do they know a cremation was for a covid-19 victim?

COVID-19 victim bodies come in specialized vehicles with PPE-kit-wearing crews, at least as far as I have seen.

Re: India’s second wave

#396

Post by dartharva » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:44 AM UTC

FlyingSnake wrote: post #123

dtech wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are serious indications that India is under-reporting death count by a factor of 5-50x. Despite showing 5-10x lower death rate in your source, it was rare for European crematoriums have backlogs like in India [1] [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/india/non-stop-cremations-cast...

Wouldn’t the opposition parties, independent media, foreign watchdogs raise the alarm if that was the case (prior to the current strain)? This would’ve been a golden opportunity to discredit the ruling government.

No, arrests and convictions for spreading "misinformation" and "fake news" are very brutal in India currently (at least for those who aren't on the government's side).

Re: India’s second wave

#397

Post by dartharva » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:46 AM UTC

pknerd wrote: post #372

The problem with subcontinent countries is that their citizens mostly believe in pseudo science promoted by religious celebrities. Yesterday I was reading that Baba Ram Dev has suggested to inhale olive oil which will push covid-19 virus in stomach where it'd be killed by stomach acid. Such ppl exist here in Pakistan too one way and other and I see ppl don't bother to use masks when going mosques. Not sure what kind…

> Not sure what kind of stuff do these guys smoke.

Pretty sure they know whatever they say is slander, it's just the invisible hand of monetary incentives doing its job. Who knew public stupidity could be leveraged to such an extent.

Re: India’s second wave

#398

Post by ncallaway » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:48 AM UTC

ls612 wrote: post #299

ncallaway wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely this. People who refuse to wear a mask around others, or intentionally wear one poorly are just telegraphing how little they care for other people.

I'm vaccinated, why the hell should I wear a mask besides the fact that the government says so? The odds of me having any detectable viral load to transmit are extremely low. [1] [1] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0329-COVID-19-Vacci...

If you've reached your 95% resistance level from the vaccine, then I don't think it's particularly egregious to not wear a mask.

I'm sorry my two sentences didn't cover every single nuance of the complicated topic!

I will say, I think there is value to wearing a mask even after being vaccinated, as a symbol of social cohesion, but I totally accept someone deciding that isn't a good enough reason to wear a mask. But, if you don't wear a mask because you've hit your vaccine resitence level, I don't think you're being selfish.

That said, I still support a business or individual's right to require all people to wear a mask on their premises. After all, it might be impractical for them to properly screen who has and hasn't worn a mask.

Re: India’s second wave

#399

Post by dartharva » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:55 AM UTC

orblivion wrote: post #201

How many people close their windows and use air conditioning in India nowadays? Is it that season now?

Most don't. At most the ones in drier regions use cheaply-made desert coolers (that are effective, no doubt), but air conditioning systems are a sign of luxury in India.

Re: India’s second wave

#400

Post by pknerd » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 4:56 AM UTC

valarauko wrote: post #386

pknerd wrote: post #372

The problem with subcontinent countries is that their citizens mostly believe in pseudo science promoted by religious celebrities. Yesterday I was reading that Baba Ram Dev has suggested to inhale olive oil which will push covid-19 virus in stomach where it'd be killed by stomach acid. Such ppl exist here in Pakistan too one way and other and I see ppl don't bother to use masks when going mosques. Not sure what kind…

I haven't heard this particular Baba Ramdev remedy, though I don't think he'd suggest olive oil - he'd pick something native. Part of the issue in the Indian middle class (with presumably similar things in Pakistan) is the strong desire to find wisdom in old folk remedies. I can't begin to count the number of WhatsApp forwards early in the pandemic touting gargling with salt water as a means to combat the virus. That…

Yes Asians have lots of such hacks based on wisdom of ancient ppl. Many work too. My only concern is ppl don't take precautions like masks etc after following such hacks. In Pakistan ppl started taking a Herb based on Prophet Hadith which has nothing to do with this covid-19. Some one recommend and everyone started following as a religious obligatory. Many suffered from dirrehea . My friend died due to one of these hacks. He took no mask, got severe congestion and died.