Is it time to talk about coronavirus? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

A very difficult subject, indeed, but something that potentially will affect all of us in the not-so-distant future.

There is an official website that gives the most accurate report of cases around the world

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

Now, a week ago The United States was at 16-25 reported cases. Now, as of this post, it's up to 56.

Of course, China and South Korea are having a massive breakout of the virus and in Europe, Italy is having issues of its own.

My ultimate fear is that we trust our own governments to handle this problem for us.

The scary thing is, besides this virus continues to spread like wildfire, is the effect it will have on the economies of the world. Already, shipments from China are being delayed and the airline industry could tumble if we stop worldwide travel. Personally, I think as long as travel continues between affected countries, the spread is going to continue at alarming rates.

I was going to travel across the United States this Summer, but put those plans on hold for now. I don't want to be flying in germ incubators and one doesn't know how bad the virus will spread over the next few months. I certainly wouldn't want to book a cruise at this point.

I would hate to think of what conditions would be like to live within an affected zone. I hate to paint a doomsday picture of this, but unless drastic measures are taken to contain this virus, it could very well get to the point that this will affect someone we know.

I am sorry to paint such a bleak picture. Like all of you, I worry. One feels like this situation is totally out of our hands and we really depend on the right measures to be taken to ensure our safety.

 

[John Dirk]

I initially thought this was a small issue that would be quickly contained. After all, it does not cause severe symptoms in most infected people. The more I read however I realize that, precisely because the symptoms of this particular virus are not necessarily severe, it will likely be much more difficult to contain. People can have it in their systems and show little to no external evidence. They may actually feel fine and so not even know they have it from what I'm reading.

I would say the good news is that we'll hopefully have a vaccine ready soon and in time to treat the infected before things get even worse. In the meantime, we are reevaluating our International travel plans and may postpone.

 

[Malcolm R]

Coronavirus is being overplayed, as usual, by the press. The flu is a much larger threat, and has killed thousands more people in the US, but no one is in an uproar over the flu.

So far [in the U.S.], 16,000 people have died and 280,000 people have been hospitalized during the 2019-2020 flu season, according to preliminary estimates from the CDC.

"The flu season began early this year and took off aggressively," added Schaffner. "It began prominently in the southeastern states but quickly spread. So far, there is no sign that the momentum of the annual epidemic is slowing."

The majority of states, as well as New York City and Puerto Rico, are seeing high flu activity.

In total, the CDC estimates that 29 million people [U.S.] have gotten the flu so far this season.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/1300-people-died-flu-year/story?id=67754182

I'm not sure there will be a vaccine anytime soon, but there seem to be far deadlier virus threats out there that people aren't that concerned about. This is just "new".

 

[ChristopherG]

I think the real issue is how much information out of the country of origin is accurate. There are some questions on actual death rates and if this really came out of a wild life market or a nearby infectious disease research facility.

For China to immediately quarantine a city of 11 million people....they were pretty scared.

 

[John*Wells]

A friend of mine is so alarmed by it that they are canceling a trip to Europe

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have to disagree that Cornavirus is being overplayed.

The statistics are there. It's spreading rapidly and people are dying in a very short time period.

While I do agree there are other possibly deadlier threats, this is the one that is making the most noise right now.

And we can't sit and do nothing because date rates are rapidly rising each day and some think that the whole situation is being overplayed.

And as far as I can remember, no virus has affected the economy in this way.

 

[Malcolm R]

Overall mortality rate is estimated around 2-3%, with the majority of deaths among those over the age of 70 and with other underlying chronic health conditions (similar to any other virus, such as influenza or pneumonia).

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/

Mortality rate is less than recent outbreaks of other viruses such as SARS and MERS. Some people that contract this virus seem to have mild symptoms and recover fairly quickly.

Comparison with other viruses (Death Rate)

Wuhan Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
2% (estimate)

SARS
9.6%

MERS
34%

Swine Flu
0.02%

 

[Sam Posten]

2% mortality vice 0.1% mortality of the flu. Most coronavirus infected are healthy adults today, when this starts affecting elderly populations that 2% is going to go UP. .

 

[ChristopherG]

^ what he said....

 

[Sam Posten]

Also, you should get your yearly flu shots now, even tho it does not help with Coronavirus. Why? Because if you get the regular damn flu you'll be hospitalized next to people who have Corona and taking up resources they really need.

And because it just damn works, stop listening to granny on FB telling people it makes people sick.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/...u-season-the-vaccine-is-mostly-doing-its-job/

-REMOVED-

 

[Malcolm R]

Part of the panic seems to be the ease of transmission. They say it's not airborne, but it seems to move very easily from person to person, and it seems like people may not show symptoms until a few days after they could already be infected and contagious.

It also shows how gross people are if it's moving around this easily. Imagine all the other random germs you're coming into contact with every day because people won't wash their hands or use a tissue.

 

[Sam Posten]

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsa...uide-how-to-prepare-your-home-for-coronavirus

@Malcolm R yep
https://boingboing.net/2020/02/26/coronavirus-first-possible-pe.html

 

[JohnRice]

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/26/809650625/a-guide-how-to-prepare-your-home-for-coronavirus

A good bit of info in that article is regarding masks. Like it says, masks are far more effective at protecting people around the wearer than the actual wearer. Surgeons don't wear them for their own protection, but for the protection of the person they are operating on. So, if you're sick and live with other people, it's considerate to wear a mask.

 

[Mike2001]

This thing evidently spreads like the cold or flu. The last big flu pandemic with a death rate like this (the 1918 flu pandemic) killed 50 million people world wide, at a time when the world population was a quarter of today’s. I don’t think we are over-reacting.

 

[Lord Dalek]

^Yeah but the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic was in the final months of World War I when hospitals were much worse and lots of the effected were already dying from something else. Apples and oranges.

 

[John Dirk]

Also, you should get your yearly flu shots now, even tho it does not help with Coronavirus. Why? Because if you get the regular damn flu you'll be hospitalized next to people who have Corona and taking up resources they really need.

And because it just damn works, stop listening to granny on FB telling people it makes people sick.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/...u-season-the-vaccine-is-mostly-doing-its-job/

And before we get any wacko anti vaxers in the thread (These posts will be removed without warning, right @Ronald Epstein ?)

Why @Sam Posten ? If you can pose a viewpoint then why can't others respectfully disagree?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Why @Sam Posten ? If you can pose a viewpoint then why can't others respectfully disagree?

I am not speaking for Sam but my thought would be because opinions are not facts and spreading nonsensical anti vax stuff is in truth dangerous and increases risk for the public at large. It's just a bad idea.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Coronavirus is being overplayed, as usual, by the press. The flu is a much larger threat, and has killed thousands more people in the US, but no one is in an uproar over the flu.

It's the rate at which it can kill that has them worried. Coronavirus could kill 2% of the people infected. The kill rate for the flu is something like .1%, that's a massive difference and this is why they are concerned if there is a massive spread.

I'm not sure there will be a vaccine anytime soon, but there seem to be far deadlier virus threats out there that people aren't that concerned about. This is just "new".

The vaccine they are developing will not be distributed until 2021. It is for future outbreaks not this one. This one we will basically ride out.

 

[John Dirk]

I am not speaking for Sam but my thought would be because opinions are not facts.

Exactly. No ones viewpoint [opinion] is "fact" [especially in this area] and respectful discourse can only serve to inform. In the end we're all adults here and free to make our own decisions.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Meanwhile, the news keeps getting worse about the virus. And this makes it an especially bad time over at the Centers for Disease Control, which has seen its budget for pandemic response slashed.

I cannot go further on that without violating HTF's rules. But it would be more reassuring if our own government could respond to this threat (much more) vigorously.