One of the favorite subjects of horror sci-fi — right up there with aliens, deadly asteroids and the machines taking over — has always been the deadly pandemic.

One of the things I'm surprised at, is how close so many of those old sci-fi books and movies were. No, there are no zombies (...yet), no enraged psycho-killer chimps ... but on so many of the basics — how it spreads, the incredibly widespread piles of misinformation, all the ancillary political BS, right along with the courageous healthcare workers and medical researchers out there on the front lines, battling for a cure before it's too late ...

and etc.

How about a discussion thread to compare and contrast what the sci-fi got right, and wrong?

ETA: Alternatively, if we've already had this conversation and I just missed it, somebody please point me in the right direction, and then never mind about this thread?

This thread is posted weekly, and is intended as a place for more-casual discussion of the coronavirus and questions/updates that may not warrant their own dedicated topics. Tell us about what the situation is like where you live!

Folks, I´m going crazy over here. My social interactions are extremely limited. Online gaming has been a timesaver, but my friends are not always available (I can´t even really work because both my computers broke down).

I play on the PS4 nights and daw, on the GMT-3 time zone, but that´s flexible. Some of the online games I have / can play:

• Path of Exile
• Rocket League
• Destiny 2
• Torchlight 2
• A Way Out
• Fifa 19
• GTA V
• Overcooked
• Doom
• Borderlands 2
• Titanfall 2
• Brawlhalla

My username on PSN is goombatrooper22.

Post your platforms and available games!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-04/coronavirus-numbers-victoria-rise-again-lockdown-suburbs/12422456

Victoria recorded its second-highest ever daily increase in coronavirus cases, with 108 people diagnosed with the virus overnight.

Residents of nine public housing estates in inner Melbourne will be required to stay in their homes due to an outbreak of coronavirus cases.

23 cases had been identified in more than 12 households in the Flemington and North Melbourne public housing estates

the nine towers included 1,345 units of housing and were home to about 3,000 residents.

"No-one will be allowed out of those public housing towers," Mr Andrews said.

I just watched the press conference. This article misses some details.

The residents of these public housing towers will not be allowed to leave their flats/apartments at all, for any reason. They can't even step outside their front doors into the common corridors. The common areas are potential transmission vectors, so these people have to stay inside their flats and not come out at all. And the lockdown starts immediately. Anyone currently inside can't come out. Anyone who comes home can't come back out. (I except some people will decide not to go home).

This is an extreme lockdown, beyond anything done in Australia so far.

Over the next few days, all residents in the towers will be tested for coronavirus. The lockdown is expected to last for at least 5 days, which is how long it's expected to take to test everyone and get the results.

This thread is posted weekly, and is intended as a place for more-casual discussion of the coronavirus and questions/updates that may not warrant their own dedicated topics. Tell us about what the situation is like where you live!