Should I be concerned about buying coins from Continental Europe?

Far from me to look a gift horse in the mouth, I'm rather curious as to the whole process of understanding how these little monsters work and what they do and how they do it. The fact that most of the world's mail is still being accepted and delivered and that it's (still) safe for everyone involved in the process is fortunate and (as I understand it) based on conjecture rather than a definite clear cut data. Would such clear cut data on the time the virus survives by itself in the outside world even be possible? Would we ever be able to say "look this coronavirus has only 1hr on this surface once ejected from the body of a sick individual"?

 

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There's been limited lab experiments on this type to date. Some of it is also what we know about the other strands as the corona itself has been around forever it's just the first time seeing this type of it.

You obviously can't intentionally infect a letter and send it through and see what happens, but the lack of infections from it is a data point of it's own.

Metal and plastics seem to carry it the longest, but still really haven't seen anything where we know it was for sure transmitted by touching something especially if someone is following proper hygiene and washing their hands before touching their face/mouth/eating etc. It probably has happened to some extent but appears by far person to person is the most effective way for transmission and even there without widespread testing we're just guessing to some extent based off of limited test numbers of those that are actually symptomatic which they say 80-85% who have it will never be symptomatic or just have mild symptoms.

Not to be Debbie downer but it is also a positive in the sense that likely a lot more people have it than know it, but it is also almost certainly a lot less deadly due to the fact that many cases are almost certainly going unreported from having no symptoms

 

Sorry, my fault.
I didn't read the first post correct.

 

He's not talking about the virus, but the impact of the virus related activities on the postal service.

 

Rheingold, I'd say it was a stupid comment from you that had nothing whatsoever to do with my question, which you obviously didn't read.

 

She.

 

We are entering uncharted territory. It will be interesting to see if even domestic mail delivery will withstand the stress.

If you've been to a grocery store today you'll understand that this crisis is entering a new phase and all bets are off.

 

Are you living in the UK, David?
People went bananas in the stores here today. I was lucky to stock up some toilet paper and frozen bread. There was almost nothing left at 3 PM.

 

No, I'm in the US. I just returned from the grocery store an hour or so ago and it was like something out of a disaster film.

 

You live in the wrong place. Our local Lidl grocery had TP on sale - 18 mega-rolls for $11 and they had a lot of it. I did not need any but maybe should have picked up a couple for trade stock. I could use a Judaea Capta sestertius. How does three rolls sound. Deal?

 

LOL. I'm good on TP. But I'll let you know in a week.

 

At my hospital today we got a request for a COVID-19 test swab. Results should be in from the public health lab tomorrow. God help us all.

 

There's obviously no hand sanitizer to be had anywhere in Manhattan, but the two supermarkets near where I live seem otherwise to have plenty of inventory still.

I'm practicing "social distancing" to the best of my ability, given that I'm over 60 and have pre-existing health issues, but nonetheless I'm feeling rather pessimistic about my chances of avoiding this, and about what will happen to me if I get it.

 

Not to sound alarmist ... the US has 1 million hospital beds. This virus is projected to infect about 70-150 million people in the US, up to 20% of which will require hospitalisation. Of course not everyone will be infected at the same time, but still that is a huge strain on our healthcare system.

 

That's why I'm pessimistic. Especially if ICUs have to start practicing triage like they're already doing in Italy.

 

You grossly overstated the hospitalization estimate and posts like this is why there is full on panic

 

I would think, since mail travels on commercial airlines, That there will be delays in getting coins from Europe. "GOODS" are usually shipped on container ships. If airlines stop flying here from EU states, delays will be inevitable. JMHO.

 

"Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, said he expects 70 million to 150 million people in the U.S. will become infected with COVID-19, NBC News reported Wednesday."

"Monahan made the comments during a closed-door meeting Tuesday that included Senate administrative office staff and personnel from both parties, but no senators, according to NBC News."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/up-...he-coronavirus-congressional-doctor-says.html

 

End of November, 2019 I won a coin from a European auction house.
They sent the invoice 3 days latter and within one hour I paid with
PayPal. Five days go by and I receive an Email that they have to get
an export licence to ship. 4-6 weeks is their estimate. I figure by the end of
January. I email them for an update mid Feb. Crickets. I email them
once a week. Crickets. This past Tuesday I finally get an Email that
they are trying to secure the export licence. With the situation with
the Coronavirus, I hope to get said coin by July, 1st. I could see this
situation if I were trying to export an 8' Roman marble statue or a
Davinci painting. But a coin that was struck in an other country, not
the one issuing the export licence, seems a bit much. I won the coin
at what I think is a good/great price. I hope to place it into my collection
soon.

 

Other than Italy, what countries in Europe require an export license for coins? And if it is Italy, I suspect that the Italians have other things on their minds.