Emergence of a Deadly Coronavirus

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What kind of disaster is the lockdown going to cause?

People going hungry?

If that happens, it’s not the lockdown that causes it. It’s your government’s response (or lack of) that causes it because their priority is to take care of corporations with your tax dollars instead of giving some of your own money back to you so people can eat.

Stark difference between the USA and Canada. Almost everyone here that’s screwed for money during lockdown qualifies for $2k/month. The biggest group that don’t are students. Chances are pretty good that most of them are working essential service jobs right now and will still be able to eat tho.

It will cause disaster if the lockdowns go on and on. And what if they can't get a vaccine for this virus? They haven't got one for the common cold or the norovirus. So will the whole world be in lockdown forever if they don't cough up a vaccine?

Having lockdowns is bearable for a few months but stretching into a year or more, things can get ugly. The economy needs to get running again sooner or later. People will become fed up and want their lives back. Children need to socialise physically with their peers, outdoors in the fresh air. There's only so much you can do in front of a screen. Physical social contact is also important and much needed. People will go mad with isolation or boredom and the crime rate will go up.

It's easy for youngsters of today to say "it will be a piece of cake, we have internet!" but like I said before, sitting behind a screen every day isn't as valuable as being able to go out the door for fresh air, sunshine, exercise and social interaction. I always feared the internet will take over everything, and now this virus is sure helping it to cause everyone to become internet slaves.

Disabled in Canada don’t get help apparently

There are programs in NYC where people can get immediate cash assistance if they are hungry.

There’s a “grab and go” program where people can get free meals in many school buildings.

There’s almost no way a person can go hungry in NYC, provided they are pointed in the right direction.

there's starting to be more talk about the damage taking place like hospitals starting to go out of business and less talk about how it's no big deal

The disaster is economic. In addition to lost jobs (Australia's unemployment over the last 2 months is estimated to be 17% when it should be 5%) and those who are working from home are in the process of taking voluntary pay cuts or put in the government's job keeper business hibernation program if their employer has lost > 30% of their income.

There are lost business/trade contracts, projects and tourism which will be difficult to resurrect. COVID-19 makes the the last GFC look like a minor hiccup. More like the great depression and that took a decade of recovery resulting in a World war.

Hospitals going out of business is one of the inherent problems of a capitalist approach to healthcare. I'm sorry your government is more concerned about health insurance providers well-being than the well-being of actual people.

Nothing that Lysol injecting rooms can't fix

so most hospitals in your country aren't seeing a negative effect in not being used?

Off-topic post reported to jimmy m. <joke>

Guys,
There seems to be an outbreak of politics here.
Quick, get the hydroxychloroquine!

how are essential services dependent on tax dollars doing with millions no longer having taxable income?

They wouldn't go out of business due to a short-term decline in use. They also wouldn't be immune to the effects of a long-term trend either. Being treated as a public asset insulates them to a degree from short term market pressures.

long term is the concern. and since this has never happened before it's hard to say how long is too long. too long might be less time than some might think. won't a continuing substantial loss of taxable income eventually cause damage to public assets?

Only as much as our governments allow. Canada/Provinces/Territories would just go into debt to fund hospitals & then taxpayers will pay it off later.

The problem in the USA is that hospitals are “in business,” in the first place. They should be “in service,” - as a public service; like they are in every other industrialized country.

Keep the shutdowns and lockdowns going to reduce the spread of the infection; if not, that's a problem for people who suffer badly from or die from the virus as well as being a problem for Trump.

Keep the shutdowns and lockdowns going until the economy plunges into a depression; if that happens, it's a problem for people who suffer badly from a financial depression as well as being a problem for Trump.

Those who are giddy, raise your hand.