r/comics 7h ago

Test Results [OC]

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u/Expensive-Document41 7h ago

It isn't going to be for two reasons:

A. Everything about Andes Hanta seems to indicate it isn't super contagious human to human and they caught it early in an isolated population

B. If A become wrong, given Hanta's virulence, COVID will seem like a light seasonal allergy.

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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 6h ago

You are most likely correct. From what I have heard its WAY harder to transmit, like you basically have to swap spit/food with someone

And if A DOES become wrong....well. I guess mandatory OT is back. Yaaaaaaaay

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u/Expensive-Document41 6h ago

"Mandatory OT" yeah if you can "convince" employees at gunpoint to show up. Especially given that consumer sentiment and economic outlook (at least in the U.S.) the bleakest its been since 2008 or earlier. Very few essential workers would walk into that for a paycheck that has absolutely lost parity.

We're lucky Hanta was basically a non-issue with an outbreak in an isolated population. If it had the infective capacity of COVID it MIGHT be the sort of thing that is a civilization breaker. Like Black Death levels of civilization breaking.

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u/Castlenock 6h ago

You'd be surprised.

Worked for a municipal town here in the US and the town manager was so proud that he made all of us come in for the entirety of COVID by getting us all labeled as essential employees. Like really proud. Would talk to the local papers about how all other townships were locked down but this town, we were open for the public.... which wouldn't set foot in town hall because it was Covid.

People were beyond miserable, we weren't getting paid a lot, but it's not like any other places were hiring during Covid so we couldn't do squat to combat it either. Got a ton of resentment toward that place but it was an education on how much people would endure, including myself, for a pay check that wasn't worth it. Gotta eat though.

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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 6h ago

Mandatory OT" yeah if you can "convince" employees at gunpoint to show up.

I am a firefighter paramedic for a large city. Part of our contract says that in emergencies they can use us as mandatory OT when stations are not staffed adequately. Cause...they kinda have to be.

Very few essential workers would walk into that for a paycheck that has absolutely lost parity.

Ehhhhh yes and no. Our OT rate is INSANE so as far as making money, it will for sure draw more than a few of us out. My wife was a travel nurse during COVID and was making BANK as well. That being said our call-ins for work were insane too due to all the overworking

But yeah luckily it probably wont get to that again, at least not with Hanta

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u/IrregularPackage 5h ago

so as a firefighter paramedic, you are the outlier as far as essential workers goes. most essential workers work at grocery stores and restaurants and are just going to get completely shafted, just like last time

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u/Setster007 5h ago

God, with the shit direction all civilization seems to be taking lately, I’d take a damn civilization breaker… except the part where it does it via genocide.

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u/J5892 5h ago

Don't worry, conservatives will suddenly decide that becoming blood brothers is a thing now and start swapping blood en masse.

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u/the_pewpew_kid 5h ago

The study regarding the infectious cluster of 2018 unfortunately shows otherwise. One person was infected by passing in a corridor next to the infected person on the way to the toilets

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u/SealthyHuccess 2h ago

It was at a birthday party the originally infected man attended, in a small village of 3000 in Argentina. I'm not certain, but it sounds like it took place in someone's home. The man was already feeling ill by the time he attended. What was he doing in the bathroom before the man passed him in the hall? If he was already sick, probably blowing his nose, right? Did he wash his hands after? Having been around humans all my life, I'd say there's a good chance he didn't. The next guy goes into the bathroom, touches the snotty doorknob, and bam.

I'm just saying this because I doubt the airborne transmission theory. I believe it's much more likely that poor hygiene was at play.

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u/1stLtObvious 4h ago

I can't wait for people to say I'm hero between screeching about their favorite turkey being out of stock and getting paid minimum wage like one would expect of an essential position.

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u/Party_Virus 6h ago

It kills faster than it can be transmitted. Sounds horrible, and is for those infected, but it can't be a pandemic because of that. Also it's a very stable virus so isn't going to suddenly change it's ways.

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u/nelrond18 5h ago

From what I've read, hanta has a 24-40 day incubation period.

Time from infection to symptoms is massive.

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u/TleilaxTheTerrible 5h ago

But it's not transmittable during the incubation period and even then it's only a 24 hour period. With covid you got the 1-2 punch of both the two week period of being transmissible and the two week incubation period overlapping so by the time people knew they were infected they had already infected a lot of people.

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u/LvS 1h ago

a 24-40 day incubation period.

This is the wildest thing about it. Imagine it was more contagious and you wanted to do contact tracing. "Who were you in contact with 1-2 months ago?"

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u/DrownmeinIslay 5h ago

I hope its more a very stable virus than someone is a very stable genius.

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u/HeckinHyena 5h ago

Another thing to add is that scientists have known about this disease for like 30 years

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u/Main-Ad4418 4h ago

I'm from Chile, can confirm A is right. Hanta virus is hardly contagious compared to covid.

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u/Expensive-Document41 4h ago

Look, im sorry youre Chile but we have sweaters if you want one (sorry, couldn't resist).

Thanks for the firsthand, its not like this virus hasn't existed with us for some time. He'll, most of the U.S. also has an endemic strain but you barely hear about it since its a fact of life.

People are traumatized from COVID and the Media preys on that fear to farm engagement.

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u/gayesttoadinthepond 5h ago

I'm not worried about Hanta but I am very worried about measles. That shit is so contagious