[Kyng]

Here in the UK, things are a bit of a mess.

With over 32,000 deaths so far, we have the highest number of cases in the EU (or rather, we would if we hadn't left the EU four months ago). In order to keep the death toll down, we've been in lockdown since late March - only being allowed to leave the house for essential shopping; for health reasons; once a day for exercise; to help vulnerable people; or to go to work if we can't work from home.

However, there have been some changes introduced this week. The official slogan in England has been changed from "Stay home / Protect the NHS / Save lives" to "Stay alert / Control the virus / Save lives". In terms of specifics, garden centres are allowed to re-open (since they're considered relatively 'safe', and they have lots of perishable stock); exercise is no longer limited to once a day; and people who can't work from home are being actively encouraged to go to work (but they're being discouraged from using public transport). Other non-essential shops will re-open from 1st June, while restaurants and hairdressers will re-open from 4th July - but only if it's judged safe to do so.

On the whole, people seem to have been pretty negative towards the latest changes. The change from "Stay home" to "Stay alert" has been criticised as unclear and confusing - especially since it applies only to England (whereas Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all stuck with "Stay home", even while re-opening garden centres and making the other changes listed above). I understand that the four parts of the UK will need to differ in the specifics, to tailor their responses to their own individual needs; however, I think they should be co-ordinating on broad aims, and I don't see any evidence of that right now . However, at least we have a plan for returning things to normal (and I think that's important: it gives us something to aim for, and keeps us motivated through the tough days ahead)

[tc4me]

With us it will say the politicians allegedly better

[Darth-Apple]

We heard about it on the news here in America. Things are pretty much the same here. There are local governments overriding state and federal governments, and vice versa. Nobody knows what to believe.

Truth be told, we strongly disapprove of our leadership's handling of it (for the most part). We wish that we had leaders that had more sense, as much of the world does. American government made a fool of themselves.

It's a natural disease and there is only so much that you can control about it. But when the vice president has been exposed to it, doesn't quarantee or even wear a face mask, and then turns around and tells everyone "You should go wear a face mask and self-quarantee if ... "

The answer is always "the medical professionals told me I don't need to [X]" - Well the medical professors who don't agree with what they want to hear get fired and replaced, so in the end, it's the same answer. The rules don't apply at the top, but they apply for the rest of us.

[tc4me]

in Austria there is a decrease of 6.8 percent compared to Tuesday morning.

[Darth-Apple]

Roomate is sick with a fever. He didn't want to be tested and we told him that if he didn't get tested, we would all have to needlessly quarantee.

We don't think he has Covid. He's not severely sick, but he agreed to get tested tomorrow. We shall find out, hoping he comes back negative.

[tc4me]

Corona virus infection. If you get sick, doctors talk about Covid-19. The symptoms in Europe mostly resemble a harmless cold, which is also rather slow at the beginning. Possible symptoms include: fever, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle pain and fatigue - sometimes including sputum, headache and diarrhea. A minority suffer from viral pneumonia, the severe course of Covid-19. However, some patients remain largely asymptomatic.

[Darth-Apple]

Long story, but I'm now getting tested. Requirement from work as a result of a very stringent screening process. I lost a sense of taste and that raised some flags, so I'm in quarantee until I can get the results back.

I feel completely well in every other way, so I'm crossing my fingers that the test comes back negative. I'll keep you guys posted!

[tc4me]

Would a positive with little disease symptoms be bad? So I would be happy if I had been positive, I would already have antibodies and would immediately be immune

[Guardian]

That's crazy! I hope you got it but didn't notice and you're now immune. I'm seeing that happening to a lot of young people.

I've had no signs of anything, so not sure how I would feel about being forced to be tested... idk. Strange times.

[campingrhino]

Does anyone know if they're the same tests globally?

I've seen videos of the very intrusive swab of right up the nose and it made me cringe. That's in the UK, not sure if they're the same everywhere.

[Darth-Apple]

I had a swab put in my nose for mine. It wasn't too bad. It was a little painful, but it was otherwise pretty quick.

I'm hoping that I test negative because otherwise, a lot of people around me (including coworkers) will have to quarantee. It's a very scary situation right now.

[Lain]

Haven't been tested but I also only leave the house like once a week or less to smoke weed and buy cheetos/sodas so I mean I come in contact with too few people to actually be concerned about it lol

Not to mention our curve has flattened and the number of new cases daily is drastically closing. Like 60-70% of cases were in institutions like retirement homes, so once those started to fix themselves after about a hundred deaths or something, naturally there started to be less and less community/proximity-related cases. My chances are next to nil so I'll hold off on testing lol.

Remember kids, coke and heroin will cure the virus since the virus cannot survive without a host. : )

[Darth-Apple]

Tested negative. Means I'm not immune, whatever that means, because I certainly haven't had it before. I'm just very glad I'm okay.

Covid cases are shooting up at record rates here because of the protests. It's gonna be a rough rest of the year here.

[tc4me]

to you! Very good that you are well, bad that you do not yet have an immunity, and the rest of the population is so stupid, does not care about safety distance, infection risk, so who is such a jerk, I have NO pity

[Darth-Apple]

The protests here are causing the blood of thousands on the streets by the day. It's bad now, but it’s going to be a literal war zone as soon as the military gets deployed on the streets.

It's a horrible thing for human life because a lot of people are about to die. It's reopening the country fast and it's gonna get everyone immune very quickly, but there's gonna be death, and a lot of it. If not from covid, it'll be from the military. It’s all very sad.

It's a huge movement here that is very near and dear for everyone. I'm gonna be posting as neutrally as possible here in the coming days to try to cover it, but I do support the movement (not necessarily the riots, but the protests and the movement), so it's going to be hard for me to be unbiased about it. It's sadly something that needed to happen for social progress in a lot of ways. The death and blood involved is absolutely tragic, but the movement has a statement that has long needed to be made. All around awful scenario.

[tc4me]

Yes please, keep me / us up to date

[SpookyZalost]

It's scary, corporations run the government, there's rioting in the streets, a viral plague is killing people off, meanwhile the rich hide in safety.

I swear I saw the plot to this movie somewhere...

[Guardian]

As a former member of the military, and someone who swore to support and defend the Constitution, I also support the protests.

I've been vocal, if not here in my personal life, about militarized police and police brutality for over a decade. While deployed, as a teenager you have to keep your calm and not shoot the wrong person in a warzone. I saw teenage men make those decisions day in and day out, and usually made the right one. I never understood why police, who are not in a warzone, continue to abuse their power and make the wrong choices day after day.