Topic: Corona Virus Panic/Discussion Thread

@Rudy_Manchego After a decade of severe underfunding our healthcare system really won't cope if that many people need hospitalising at once given hospitals already struggle when there's a bad flu season. My main concern is now anyone with a sniffle of cough will worry they have it, potentially clogging up GP surgeries, NHS 111 or even A&E departments and making it that much more difficult to treat those that really need it.

@mookysam To be fair though, if things do kick off and since it does start with a sniffle and a cough, you can't blame people for thinking they might have it. But anyway, it's gunna do what it's gunna do, an unstoppable force of nature, unless you plan on living in a bubble for the rest of the year you're at risk so bring it on I say.

I'm hoping I just get it mildly and nice and early so I can recover and kick back and watch it all unfold.

@Octane Exactly - mercifully, young children 'seem' to have very mild symptoms but the elderly and vulnerable are at high risk and they are people too. My father has had lung problems and is at high risk - a severe case could make him very ill or die.

@mookysam Also agree - some people are sensible and follow guidelines but plenty will just ignore it because they are worried about themselves or perhaps go to the docs and not even realise they have it.

@kyleforrester87 Your logic is sound except for the getting it early. No evidence that you get immunity from having it - so possible you could get it again.

Does anyone want to join my gaming commune? We all live in our rooms but interact online. Perfect for pandemics.

@Rudy_Manchego believe me, you get immunity from getting it early. Foxdie on the other hand, that’s what we should be worried about.

@JohnnyShoulder, @Rudy_Manchego, while I genrerally gree with your points, where do you get only a 1% mortality rate from?

Based on confirmed numbers it's currently sitting at just above 3%, and even if that's slightly up above the real number (due to Wuhan's health system being overrun, and due to potential mild cases not being reported), even taking those things into account the CDC & WHO are still saying it's likely around 2%.

@kyleforrester87 I mean, thinking about it, you make a good point. That is just good science.

Foxdie is worrying but luckily, I don't have DNA so they can't target my specific DNA. So all good there for me.

@RR529 Well, at this stage, all figures are estimations etc. I got mine from the Guardian where outside of Wuhan and in western countries, the rate is below 2% and closer to 1%. Of course, at this stage, who really knows and it is all projections. Iran, for example skews numbers since only 4 people there have it but hundreds have died (or whatever).

@RR529 It was on the BBC news this morning. I know that figures have varied daily, and for instance China keep changing how they report who has it etc which makes reporting on a definite figure tricky. Which wasn't my intention really, just to prove a point that it is a bit silly to start panicking here in the UK just yet.

The future is now, my friend (he typed on his keyboard, in isolation).

I'm gonna put stats on the next comment as else it will be bottom of the page.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Coronavirus Cases:
92,871

Deaths:
3,168

Recovered:
48,469

ACTIVE CASES
41,234

Currently Infected Patients
34,072 (83%)
in Mild Condition

7,162 (17%)
Serious or Critical

CLOSED CASES
51,637

Cases which had an outcome:
48,469 (94%)
Recovered / Discharged

3,168 (6%)
Deaths

This is a respiratory virus which has never been seen to act in this manner. We can all argue about the stats but the death rate is at 6% of closed cases with 17% of current cases in serious or critical condition.

If we survive this one, the next time a devistating virus appears chauffeuring carrier's from ground zero should be stamped on. The Who are proving to be inept at dealing with the coronavirus as its traits have never been seen before. Common sense is screaming stop what we are doing and reevaluate, close the shop, ban travel and go home for a fortnite. But every country is just waiting for the excrement to hit the fan.

@themcnoisy That answers a question I’ve had about the death rate, is it lower because we haven’t given people enough time to die? Yes, yes is it higher because of that.
That’s a pretty high, even if my age group is a lot safer. My parents might be a little more at risk and with the time you can carry it before symptoms start manifesting themselves, or look looking to get most people infected. How do we stop or form just making rounds over and over? Wait a year for the vaccine? Combine that with the fact that you aren’t immune after dealing with it and those at risk might even more at risk than the first death rate suggests.
Also, Chinia has been brutal with dealing with it with how it’s treated it’s people. The videos that get have proper seeing a lot of bodies over there too.
We’ve also already started to see some economic effects too.

@KratosMD well, you have people who paid a lot of money for holidays months ago and unless they are compensated they probably just like their odds and are happy to roll the dice. I don’t see the governments stepping in to compensate them any time soon so...

I think the reality is on balance the economic damage is just as much of a problem right now for a lot of countries, and governments will be looking to take practical steps to slow progression of the virus, accepting there will be some cases, while they buy time to come up with vaccines.

The sheer degree of incompetence I've seen in the American government's handling of this is just stunning. If I were a conspiratorial type, I'd take to thinking that the governments WANTS us to get sick.

But, as usual, when human stupidity is a possible explanation, that's typically the culprit.

This is probably what we should expect for electing a senile, ignorant, narcissistic clown as the head of our government, who has been attempting to dismantle our country's ability to respond effectively to emerging diseases for years now. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

@Ralizah I assume if people are afraid to leave their houses, they’re less likely to vote. The less people vote, the higher chance Trump has of winning. I really wouldn’t put it past them.

Shocking thing is why Americans voted for him in the first place. After he got away from being impeached, I thought to myself they probably handed him his second term already.

Edit: Oops, just remembered that we're not suppose to talk about politics here.

@KratosMD 'I feel like it's been such a long time since something like this has happened that we've become inadequate in terms of handling a situation like this.'

Exactly. Although it can be hysteria, you get too many people, my own family included, whom think its like flu. Its not like flu. China know exactly what it is, shutting down 8 million people with multiple deaths everyday in the Wuhan region since early January - even today there are multiple deaths in Wuhan.

China has started quarantining people who are coming back from Iran and Italy. Why are we reluctant to follow suit? They know more than we do, let's start cancelling planes, quarantine return Traveller's and get everyone off work for 2 weeks.

@nessisonett @WanderingBullet @Ralizah
Honestly - I really don't think the Dem's have a snowflake's chance in hell of taking it. For as much of an awful b***ard as Trump is, the country isn't on fire and his term hasn't been an abject failure. I honestly don't think any modern US President is logistically capable of failing within the system of government.

On COVID-19 - people in the UK at least, I think will mostly be fine. More people will die of flu this year than this specific strain of coronavirus. If you're otherwise healthy and get it - it'll kick the crap out of you like a regular, proper flu would for a couple of weeks.
And as with regular flu, if you've a history of respiratory issues or compromised immune system, then it'll hit you very hard.

Just be careful, maintain a good level of hygiene and don't panic!

@themcnoisy But that is in China, where it is at its worst. Its not going to be like that everywhere. People just need to use a bit of common sense and take the relevant precautions for their area.

@themcnoisy Yeah lets not take too much inspiration on anything from China.

@JohnnyShoulder I agree. But China are quarantining people returning from Iran and Italy. They have the most knowledge on the strain, apparently its been around since November last year and exploded in January. I don't understand the theory that we carry on as normal, then in the words of Matt Hancock 'lock down cities' once its bubbling under our noses. I can't emphasise it enough. China are quarantining returning travellers. We need to start quarantining everyone returning from anywhere within x amount of miles from a cluster. Here's an article from a Dr in the Guardian;

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/03/icu-doc...

We won't be able to cope. We told one of our staff to go into self isolation after returning from northern Italy. Unfortunately not everyone will be given that opportunity.

The reason I have been more worried than most is I'm a mile from the Arrowe Park on the Wirral and my wife is in the NHS. 4 kids in 3 different schools.

Yes it's early days and fortunately the spread is less potent than flu (so far). But its potential to wreak havok and become another viral mainstay is strong.

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-kill-deaths-uk-who-boris-johnson-a9369201.html%3famp

To summarise, even if the Coronavirus fades away the policies both the WHO and our own government have endorsed have been insufficient. Flying sick people around the globe, the lack of transparency from certain countries and every country is operating independently. Its a terrible combination.