Robert S

One week under curfew and I slowly am regaining my sanity (that the weather dropped by 10 deg C over the weekend probably helped). Current models predict the peak of the pandemic here in Austria to be reached in about 2-4 weeks. For now, the measures have been pretty stable for a week, but let's see what happens in the next couple of days. In theory, any measures taken should show an effect on Thursday, at latest, and if the exponential increase does not flatten by the weekend, I won't be surprised if curfew restrictions are increased. On the positive side, the numbers in northern Italy seemed to have flattened out a bit over the last couple of days (though who knows, maybe they decreased testing in northern Italy or have got a huge backlog), indicating that a peak within 2 weeks might not be that unrealistic (considering that the pandemic started in Italy a couple of weeks earlier and Italy started with measures about two weeks before we did here in Austria). But even if numbers start to drop off a bit after that, restrictions will only be removed very carefully, I am sure - out of fear of a second wave. Especially international travel and events with more than 100 people (sporting events etc.) won't be possible for the foreseeable future (at least until fall). Regarding the opening hours debate: that's one problem we don't have over here, as even in non-crisis times, almost all grocery stores are only allowed to be open for at most 12 hours (8 am to 8 pm; until 4 pm on Saturday's and completely closed on Sunday).

Just a question to the US guys here: why does have NY so much more cases than the rest of the US (even more than the rest combined)? Does NY state test way way more than the rest?

Iceland plans to test their whole population (360k), this will deliver some very interesting numbers (currently, they have 330 confirmed cases, which puts them up quite high on the list on a per capita basis).

Thanks, I assumed it had to be some celebrity and now that I remember that his name was announced as being part of Wrestlemania, I should have put 1+1 together. But I literally would never have heard that name if it was not for WWE. Was he the guy who did some pre-show shenanigans with Mojo Rawley or whoever a couple of years ago? I know that I might seem to be trolling, but I am serious (okay, not about the last part, as I looked this up myself now, but about never having heard or read is name before, except within the WWE context). And is this just a bad picture? Because that does not look like a football player (size-wise), except maybe a kicker.

Who is that between Becky and Roman?

I only made it through ten minutes of the tech reveal video until I had to tap out. The gamechanger is, *drumm-roll*, an SSD. As if they could have brought a new console on the market WITHOUT an SSD. The overview at the beginning could also have been summed up with "a better CPU + GPU and more RAM then PS4, still building on an x86 platform using the same FreeBSD fork as OS as before, probably similar APIs as PS4 and now with an SSD".

I have to admit, sometimes I just need to blow off steam. While factually speaking, what I have written above might be true, it also just might be a worst case scenario. I tend to be a pessimist. Trying to look at it emotionless, there are actually lot of positive things (our government so far seems to act with a clear plan, the top people keeping a cool head and are able to calm people down, so far; people themselves mostly seem to keep to the restrictions and discipline - though who knows how the public opinion will change after a couple of weeks of lockdown (*cough* Shining *cough*)), though in moments like an hour ago when I wrote the post above, I tend to fall towards bleakness. My hope is that after a week or so being more or less bound to home, I will be able to mentally adapt to that. Funny thing is, I have always considered myself an introvert, almost recluse. But now that the only real (i.e. non-chat or phone-conferences) human interactions I have are with my parents, who live in the same house as me, I really start to miss it, even if it's just the constant banter with my co-workers. I am in home-office as well since yesterday. For now I still would have the chance to work from the company as well, though the last time I was there (Tuesday morning), there were so few people there, that mentally it seemed to be an even worse choice to go there (disregarding the risk due to having to take public transportation - even though barely anyone is using them anymore right now).

This evening, I decided to stop following the news on a regular basis and only check the headlines a couple times a day. Now I wanted to go to bed and saw, that a whole state of Austria will be put under quarantine (with stricter rules then the current curfew), the state that my homestate is bordering directly to. Then I saw an interview with a virologist, who reiterated that 70% of the population will catch the virus sooner or later, no matter if you flatten the curve or not (though I remember having seens the models from the NYT, who stated otherwise). If that's the case and considering that at the peak 2.5 % or whatever are infected at the same time (a number I have seen floating around together with the "flatten the curve" models), and assumind that the illness takes on average 3 weaks, it would (assuming a constant rate of infection, which is obviously not the case, the more immune people you have, to lower the peak will be) take 1.6 years to get to that 70 % number. So the whole restrictions might last until (1) this time is up (2) a vaccine is developed, tested, ready and available in the necessary amount (3) the current government gives up and goes the original British way and just throws 15 % of the over 70 year-olds under the bus (4) the whole system breaks down and the democratically elected government(s) is (are) overthrown (and the new leadership goes for (3)) I don't want even start to think about my monetary situation. Right now, I have a nice amount of money on the side. Much of this money is bound in bonds. Those bonds have gone down by 15 % over the last two weeks and I have no idea if it's now the time to call it quits or stay and hope that (1) the stuff does not go dow much more and (2) in the long term (5 years) the losses are compensated. But then, pulling the money is also not a good idea either, as with the amount of (non-existing) money that the governments all over the world are now pumping into the economy, we are looking to tumble into hyperinflation. Additionally, while I might have a job with decent pay right now, after half-a-year or whatever of this state, who knows how many companies will go belly up, no matter how much money the government uses for bail-outs. My boss already fears, that our management might be looking to put most employees to reduced hours. I would not even be surprised, if there will be a government-dictated pay-cut. So you see, I am in a great mental state.

Day two of lockdown in Austria, day one of home office and I am already getting crazy. Now my uncle and aunt, who live in the same house as me, might have to go into home-quarantine for at least a week as they were in the region of the Austrian Corona hotspot (not that my 81-year-old uncle will follow the quarantine, mind you, old people ...). So I am not far off of being completely stuck in my home for a week (compared to now, where I can at least go for grocery shopping or the occasional walk).

While Avenue 5 is a pretty good show I am not sure if a show about people getting stuck in a (relatively) tight space for the foreseeable future is what I need right now to relax and forget the rest of the world. I am almost glad that yesterday's show was the season finale.

Do that, as long as you still can. All over Europe, it usually went the same way: The first sanctions were to forbid public gatherings above 500 people, then came closing of schools, afterwards closing of non-essential shops, restaurants, cinemas etc. And then finally (well, finally so far) came some lax forms of curfew (right now, there are five reasons to leave the house over here, (1) to go to / return from work, (2) to go grocery shopping, (3) to help others, (4) if your house is on fire (yes, they added that to the decree) and (5) to go for short walks (and that only either alone or with the people you are actively living together). In Italy, as people don't adhere to that rules, they are now talking about introducing a strict curfew (probably kicking out (5) and probably further restrict (1) and (2)). Oh yes, it does not help that the weather outside is as good as it can be, sunny, 18 deg C (65 deg F), flowers blooming everywhere etc.

Nobody said we couldn't have a bit of fun on the expanse of stupid people right now. So I got the information that two of the twelve people in my group at work are in quarantine right now, one was skiing in a resort a week ago, that in the meantime has been declared a red zone and the other ten days ago had contact to someone who eventually tested positive. One sixth! The Austrian government already introduced a curfew yesterday and decided to close any non-essential shops, but I am sure this will get stricter over the next couple of days.

So apartment wrestling it is?

See the positive side: at least your allergies and possible Corona-restrictions coincide time-wise. For me, my hayfever will start when I suspect Corona to wind down. Oh and by the way, sneezing, a running nose or whatever is not a typical Cov-19 sign (compared to a "common" flu).

The whole show was "just get this over with and go home", including post-production (they did not try at all to hide the cuts).

Sure, but where is the money in running an empty arena show (compared to re-running archived stuff)?

Judging by the sign behind her and her hair colour, I would guess Sasha Banks.

The could play Fire Pro.

Okay, I thought that was only bizarre for Europeans like me.

Putting such decisions on companies is wrong anyway. For one, you cannot expect companies to have medical, epidemical or whatever experts and two, companies have a tendency to do what is good for them (or for the stock prize) and less what is right for the common good.

I was quite shocked when I read yesterday that Merkel was using that number as she might be one of the last persons to use inflated numbers or similar that might cause panic among the population. Especially as here there is nothing to gain except trying to tell the citizens that this is really serious. Though I should mention that this number usually is used to indicate how many people will get infected within the next 2-3 years, not within the current epidemic (or pandemic, like the WHO now offically calls it).

My sister is living in Italy in one of the red zones and believe me, malls were already empty 2.5 weeks ago (my brother-in-law sent me some pictures that looked zombie-apocalypse-level). In Italy alone, there were 196 deaths today (well, the last 24 hours) even though they started shutting down public life two weeks ago. It might be that media has a tendency to cry wolf (as this is how they get viewers, clicks etc.), but sometimes they are still right.

I am not worried about my own health, but I have lots of family and friends that are above the 70-year mark. For example, my father is 83 and, while general being in good health, is very prone to illnesses that effect the respiratory system.

I have read a report that in Italy, they have a mortality rate of 5-6 %, in France and Spain about 3 %, Germany 0.2 % (or something like that). The problem is that different countries use different measures at what to count as COV-19 related deaths. Furthermore, in Italy they have begun testing every dead person for Corona. But the big issue (risk) with COV-19 is not the mortality rate itself, but the way that most of the people who get infected get barely any symptoms, i.e. they may wildly distribute the virus without ever knowing about it. There have been experts stating that without deeper precautions (like done in Europe all over the place right now), a spread from 25%-70% of the population might happen. And just type 7.8 billion * 0.01 (lower boundary of mortality rate) * 0.25 (lower boundary of a pandemic) into a calculator. Sure, the world population grows on average by 80 Million a year, but still.

FCW and OVW specials are nice, but what this world really needs is a special about DSW and what a shit-show that was.