Face Shields

1. Central Banks can still stimulate banks to lend money to the rest of the private sector even when interest rates are already low. Once the interest rate gets to zero, the central bank can further lower it and impose a negative interest rate, i.e. when banks swim in cash they'll need to pay interest to the central bank. Thus far when this has happened, banks have refrained from charging their customers interest when they deposit money in the bank, but ultimately it might even come to that. Obviously the idea behind low and negative interest rates is to convey to those who hold cash that it's better to spend that cash rather than hoarding it (and thus stimulate the demand side in the economy, creating economic growth).
2. Lower central bank interest rates make money cheaper for commercial banks, who can pass on that lower price to their borrower customers, so it gets cheaper for those customers to spend/invest money in the economy. As explained above this central bank policy instrument doesn't "dry up" when interest rates approach zero.
3. If every quarter of the year shows a 20% decline, then the year on year decline will after 4 quarters reach 20% also.

 

this is a covid 19 subject but not a response to any other recent post.

just found an interesting article of a study of hospitalization of covid patients in new york. this study was published in JAMA (journal of the american medical association) and picked up by TIME magazine presenting data on 5700 covid 19 patients admitted to hospitals in the new york area.

---average age of hospitalizd covid patients was 63 years old
---6 percent were admitted with covid only
---94 percent had co morbid conditions
---88 percent had more than two co morbid conditions
---more than half of the patients were also being treated for high blood pressure
---more than a third for diabetes
---more than 40 percent were obese
---almost 20 percent were "morbidly" obese (think 100 pounds overweight)
---88 percent who were placed on respirators died
---21 percent of those admitted died.

the study does not indicate if the deaths would then be reported as covid deaths.

it does state the covid is a serious infection which should be detected and treated early. it also notes that co morbidities increase the risk

 

The face shields might not be such a bad idea. Considering people are wearing cloth masks and not protecting their eyes.

A face shield adds an extra level of resistance. A face shield and cloth mask might be equivalent to eye protection and a N95 mask. Assuming people wash their hands or use alcohol after handling their face shield and mask.

The face shield combined with a cloth mask is low cost and reusable. (50 php legal price limit for the shield.) Unlike the N95 masks which are disposable and have to be purchased repeatedly.

I cannot defend the motorcycle shield which is no longer required if the driver and passenger are wearing full face helmets.