COVID-19 could affect more races this year.

[izzy]

Hmmm, the symptoms of COVID-19 are not those of a cold. If you've got a runny nose etc. then it's a cold. COVID-19 is principally fever, 'flu-like symptoms such as aching joints, aching muscles, extreme lethargy, and possibly breathing difficulties.

Listening to people who have had a decent dose of it, and 10 days would be a decent dose, it doesn't sound like he had it from that description. Most 70-80 year olds with a decent dose seem to require medical intervention of some sort.

Thinking further, Marko lives in Austria doesn't he? Austria's first recorded case was late February so he was jolly lucky/unlucky to be one of the first in his country to get it... If he caught it in the UK when visiting the factory then he was also lucky/unlucky as there was only a handful of cases here in mid-February.

I get the impression people who fight it off get a pretty variable set of symptoms, after all most of the infections don't develop into a severe form so maybe the cough and fatigue but not the fever, or it's just in the nose and throat

Anyway fair enough we can't be sure. He thinks he had it, is the point, if we're arguing about whether his corona camp idea was cool or uncool

With that, not doing the camp only reduces the risk to say 50% or a bit more or a lot more. Even racing drivers can't self isolate for ever

There is a dose effect, in the number of particles you ingest

There are treatment effects, with how well protected your carers are and if they're carriers, as well as diet and equipment

Helmut would've had control of these, to perhaps actually reduce the risk

And then there's the idea of doing it to win, which is a bit wild, i can see it's something each of us reacts to according to how insane we are but you can't deny it's racy and original, free thinking and a bit challenging

[Just_a_fan]

It's also worth pointing out that the fatality rate from COVID-19 appears to be significantly higher in men than women. And his drivers are all men. Well, they're mostly little more than boys, really, but anyway.

[Jambier]

Do you think we will see a 2020 championship ?

I can't imagine any track opening to the public, so maybe we can have a few races behind closed doors.
But even that, I'm not sure it is possible

[izzy]

It's also worth pointing out that the fatality rate from COVID-19 appears to be significantly higher in men than women. And his drivers are all men. Well, they're mostly little more than boys, really, but anyway.

it's not such a huge difference and most of it seems to be about smoking and general health, that don't apply to racing drivers, with just some about two X chromosomes

https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/cor ... FEACXVILQ/

and we haven't actually established that the risk to the cute young drivers is higher inside the camps than outside, have we?

[izzy]

Do you think we will see a 2020 championship ?

I can't imagine any track opening to the public, so maybe we can have a few races behind closed doors.
But even that, I'm not sure it is possible

yes some behind closed doors will be the best we can hope for i think. Liberty are a bit in denial if you ask me, hoping not to lose everything. But perhaps once they get to a track they can have more than one race on it, while they're there

[Just_a_fan]

and we haven't actually established that the risk to the cute young drivers is higher inside the camps than outside, have we?

Luckily the team realised that it was a totally idiotic idea in the first place with no merit at all and prevented it.

[Just_a_fan]

Do you think we will see a 2020 championship ?

I can't imagine any track opening to the public, so maybe we can have a few races behind closed doors.
But even that, I'm not sure it is possible

yes some behind closed doors will be the best we can hope for i think. Liberty are a bit in denial if you ask me, hoping not to lose everything. But perhaps once they get to a track they can have more than one race on it, while they're there

That seems to me to be the best option. If they can get to a few tracks later in the year, run double headers with a practice session on Friday, qualifying Saturday morning, race Saturday afternoon, repeat on Sunday.

They need eight races in order to declare a championship season. 4 or 5 tracks run as above would do the job.

[izzy]

Luckily the team realised that it was a totally idiotic idea in the first place with no merit at all and prevented it.

they were so... responsible omg



but i don't suppose they really weighed up the relative risk, they probably instantly conjured a PR nightmare disaster scenario

[basti313]

Do you think we will see a 2020 championship ?

I can't imagine any track opening to the public, so maybe we can have a few races behind closed doors.
But even that, I'm not sure it is possible

yes some behind closed doors will be the best we can hope for i think. Liberty are a bit in denial if you ask me, hoping not to lose everything. But perhaps once they get to a track they can have more than one race on it, while they're there

That seems to me to be the best option. If they can get to a few tracks later in the year, run double headers with a practice session on Friday, qualifying Saturday morning, race Saturday afternoon, repeat on Sunday.

They need eight races in order to declare a championship season. 4 or 5 tracks run as above would do the job.

Why do we need to declare it a championship season?

Realistically the politics in Europe are calculating with big events not before August. And this is a calculation from Austria, a country not badly affected. I do not see a season at all in Europe.

[ajdavison2]

yes some behind closed doors will be the best we can hope for i think. Liberty are a bit in denial if you ask me, hoping not to lose everything. But perhaps once they get to a track they can have more than one race on it, while they're there

That seems to me to be the best option. If they can get to a few tracks later in the year, run double headers with a practice session on Friday, qualifying Saturday morning, race Saturday afternoon, repeat on Sunday.

They need eight races in order to declare a championship season. 4 or 5 tracks run as above would do the job.

Why do we need to declare it a championship season?

Realistically the politics in Europe are calculating with big events not before August. And this is a calculation from Austria, a country not badly affected. I do not see a season at all in Europe.

Just a slight caveat to add to that, it's 8 races AND 3 continents to be classed as a world championship season.

[LM10]

If the pandemic needs to stop in order for the season to start, then we'll not have any races before one of following four options happen - 1. vaccination in time, 2. herd immunity, 3. virus mutates and doesn't infect people anymore, 4. summer temperatures decrease R0 to under 1. Options number 1 and 2 won't happen soon enough and option number 3 requires big luck. So only hope would be number 4 to happen.

Or we need strict measures. No matter, if it happens behind closed doors or not, all people need to wear masks. Simple surgical masks are enough, if all wear them. And disinfection for everyone entering and leaving the grounds or the paddock. Just two measures among others which should be thought of as well. For example controlled entering, leaving enough space etc.
It's almost like a culture for people of asian countries to wear masks. It's time for people in the west to start doing stuff like that as well.

Of course, shortage of medical equipment everywhere would be a big problem as not even hospitals have enough, but the FIA/Liberty or whoever could start spending money to make things possible. Being a role model and showing people how to behave would be an important side factor.

[aral]

If the pandemic needs to stop in order for the season to start, then we'll not have any races before one of following four options happen - 1. vaccination in time, 2. herd immunity, 3. virus mutates and doesn't infect people anymore, 4. summer temperatures decrease R0 to under 1. Options number 1 and 2 won't happen soon enough and option number 3 requires big luck. So only hope would be number 4 to happen.

Or we need strict measures. No matter, if it happens behind closed doors or not, all people need to wear masks. Simple surgical masks are enough, if all wear them. And disinfection for everyone entering and leaving the grounds or the paddock. Just two measures among others which should be thought of as well. For example controlled entering, leaving enough space etc.
It's almost like a culture for people of asian countries to wear masks. It's time for people in the west to start doing stuff like that as well.

Of course, shortage of medical equipment everywhere would be a big problem as not even hospitals have enough, but the FIA/Liberty or whoever could start spending money to make things possible. Being a role model and showing people how to behave would be an important side factor.

1 it is possible as several are being tested at present
2 tried by the uk and didnt work
3 mutation can actually make things worse as any vaccine might not work on any mutation, meaning more research.
4 cold does not affect the virus as it spread greatly in northern italy during the ski season . and it has also been found that heat has no affect on it either

then there is the issue of masks....it has been repeated ad nauseum, that masks will not stop you getting the virus. it will help prevent an infected person from spreading it, but that is all

to even suggest that a race should be held "behind closed doors" is madness, irrespective of using a mask or not.

[Jambier]

Realistically the politics in Europe are calculating with big events not before August. And this is a calculation from Austria, a country not badly affected. I do not see a season at all in Europe.

In France, they have canceled today the Paris Motor Show. It was supposed to take place in October...
Detroit Motor show is canceled as well

So I agree with you, there is no chance to see a season in Europe, because even behind closed door, you still have all the F1 circus.
Nobody will want to take responsability for that.

So Maybe a full season on Abu Dhabi track in December then
No seriously, I doubt more and more to see any 2020 season

[LM10]

If the pandemic needs to stop in order for the season to start, then we'll not have any races before one of following four options happen - 1. vaccination in time, 2. herd immunity, 3. virus mutates and doesn't infect people anymore, 4. summer temperatures decrease R0 to under 1. Options number 1 and 2 won't happen soon enough and option number 3 requires big luck. So only hope would be number 4 to happen.

Or we need strict measures. No matter, if it happens behind closed doors or not, all people need to wear masks. Simple surgical masks are enough, if all wear them. And disinfection for everyone entering and leaving the grounds or the paddock. Just two measures among others which should be thought of as well. For example controlled entering, leaving enough space etc.
It's almost like a culture for people of asian countries to wear masks. It's time for people in the west to start doing stuff like that as well.

Of course, shortage of medical equipment everywhere would be a big problem as not even hospitals have enough, but the FIA/Liberty or whoever could start spending money to make things possible. Being a role model and showing people how to behave would be an important side factor.

1 it is possible as several are being tested at present
2 tried by the uk and didnt work
3 mutation can actually make things worse as any vaccine might not work on any mutation, meaning more research.
4 cold does not affect the virus as it spread greatly in northern italy during the ski season . and it has also been found that heat has no affect on it either

then there is the issue of masks....it has been repeated ad nauseum, that masks will not stop you getting the virus. it will help prevent an infected person from spreading it, but that is all

to even suggest that a race should be held "behind closed doors" is madness, irrespective of using a mask or not.

1. True, but the clinical testing phase normally takes not less than 18 months.
2. I mean herd immunity after a long time/years (because even with measures like most countries have them you'll have infections). I didn't mean berserker mode like the UK which was the dumbest idea they could have had.
3. True, but a mutation which makes the virus not infect humans anymore would not require a vaccine anyway.
4. There are hints and hope among researchers that high temperatures and high humidity might slow the spread.

As for the masks, I knew I would get that answer. That's why I wrote that it will work, if everyone wears it. Simple surgical masks are enough to reduce or even stop infected people's aerosols spreading around. I didn't mean FFP2 or FFP3 masks which would be necessary to protect someone, but if all people wear a surgical mask they'll protect each other.

[Big Tea]

Marko , and everyone else, needs to understand that they cannot isolate personal risk. If someone deliberately becomes infected they risk infecting others who may not have the same resilience. And if they are not as resilient as they think they risk using up precious, finite, health resources that are stretched to breaking point by those who become infected despite trying to avoid so.

I know 4 people who had/have it. One guy 71 very bad chest and quite frail, looks like he will recover. On guy 30, body builder, dead. 1 woman 40's Rough but over it, one woman 40's was not so rough nut in her 4th week of chest problems.

These are people I know or knew personally. I know of several others and all seem to have fully recovered, but all word of mouth. The guy I was 100% sure would not make it did, and the one I would give best odds did not.

Being a bodybuilder does not necessarily mean that you have a good immune system. Stress, for example, plays a significant role. If your body is in stress it produces adrenaline and cortisol and that's what makes you vulnerable against upper respiratory viral infections (not only that of course). There are many ways of your body having stress. Sports, being one of them, is good for your immune system, but only if you do it right. If you overexercise, you'll weaken your immune system for a couple of days. Even worse might be to keep on exercising while having a cold. No matter how simple your symptoms are, sports at the same time might turn things around in a dramatic way.
I don't know, if any of what I've written applied to the person you knew. Maybe it did and maybe, in combination, he caught the more serious strain of the virus. Maybe none of them was the case and he just was very unlucky. There's one thing for sure and it's that it's sad.

As you and izzy say, we always suspected him of using 'questionable substances' and he had a very poor diet if you consider verity, and Gwyn, tho old guy is not straight forward either. He has been ill for a while, so at first sign he was taken into hospital and had best treatment. Not everything is as black or white as numbers sugest


This is worth watching BTW