Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[LinekersLegs]

The end of a life, while tragic, isn't the end of the world. Roughly 500,000 people die in the UK each year. This isn't like the plague or small pox, the vast majority of people will be fine. It's not that I don't care about those that die from this I just think it's important to put it into context. The media have whipped up such a storm around this that I'm more fearful of the problems caused by the panic, than the virus itself.

Tim, almost 5500 people have died in Italy alone, the bulk of them in the last two weeks, and sadly there will likely be many more before their outbreak ends.

To ”put this into context” Italy's population is about 60 million, and its normal death rate is 10.6 per 1000, which is to say about 640,000 deaths per year, or about 1750 per day.

This is a devastating and horrific virus.

 

[LostLegend]

They'll draft in cops, and any prisoner not infected will be kept in their cell the whole 24 hours.

Police are also a massively under-resourced sector, and, like the Army are going to have reduced numbers as well.

 

[WA Toffee]

Here in Vegas, the panic buying lasted about a week. There was no TP, meat, milk, eggs, bottled water etc. to be found anywhere.

Now it's calmed down. Yesterday and today the store near me had everything in stock (some more than others) all except eggs.

I'd like to think things will settle down a bit in parts of the UK by next week or so.

Australia started the panic buying about 3 weeks ago, people are still lining up at supermarket doors waiting for them to open.

Good thing is that the hoarders are too stupid to realise that local grocers have shelves full of everything - they are only emptying the shelves of the 2 big supermarket chains.

 

[RAFUH]

I have had the pneumonia jab many years ago it's a one off jab.
As becoming a grade 2 Diabetic the nurse then explained it takes a while for the jab to build up any immune defence in future life hence Diabetics should get it once diagnosed....any time of the year unlike the annual flu jab .....so as soon as it is available get it done asap

US also gives it again after age 65 if you got one for another indication before 65. There are also 2 types now. You should have one of each.

 

[Ruairi77]

The end of a life, while tragic, isn't the end of the world. Roughly 500,000 people die in the UK each year. This isn't like the plague or small pox, the vast majority of people will be fine. It's not that I don't care about those that die from this I just think it's important to put it into context. The media have whipped up such a storm around this that I'm more fearful of the problems caused by the panic, than the virus itself.

the mortality rate in Italy is 9%, nearly one in 10 people diagnosed die.

 

[BlueToff]

It won’t give you a stronger immune system per we. It would help reduce the risk that you would develop a bacterial pneumonia on top of having COVID or flu or some other virus.

Yep, I should have been clearer.

One of the results of getting COVID-19 badly is possible pneumonia. Appreciate that may not be bacterial (I don't know enough in this area, or I'd be a lot better off!). But again, surely if it was an option to roll it out to more people in the 'vulnerable' category, regardless of age, then it should have been done.

It might not have been an option. Production might have taken too long. But it's just one of those things that makes me think there was definitely some solutions/delay measures if we'd have acted quickly enough.

 

[LostLegend]

The end of a life, while tragic, isn't the end of the world. Roughly 500,000 people die in the UK each year. This isn't like the plague or small pox, the vast majority of people will be fine. It's not that I don't care about those that die from this I just think it's important to put it into context. The media have whipped up such a storm around this that I'm more fearful of the problems caused by the panic, than the virus itself.

I feel you are really underestimating the gravity of the situation we are in at the moment.

Everyone is focused on the potential death count (understandably) but I feel your attempts to shrug it off ill informed.

But there is so much more to it than that.
The level of disruption this is going to have to public services and utilities as they struggle to keep things running with reduced staff are short term issues.

Medium term issues of bankruptcy and extreme debt (both personal and nationally) due to business closures.

And long term issues of mental health from so many people losing loved ones and not being able to hold a proper service for them, frontline medical staff having to make have and have-not decisions on peoples lives based on what resources they have available.

No, this isn't going to kill us all, it probably wont even come close, but it will affect ALL of us in some way.

I've heard a quote from a research biologist that goes along the lines of "we all need to prepare ourselves mentally for what is going to happen in the coming months"

 

[TN Toffee]

Tim, almost 5500 people have died in Italy alone, the bulk of them in the last two weeks, and sadly there will likely be many more before their outbreak ends.

To ”put this into context” Italy's population is about 60 million, and its normal death rate is 10.6 per 1000, which is to say about 640,000 deaths per year, or about 1750 per day.

This is a devastating and horrific virus.

There is absolutely no debating this. However, with each passing day I’m getting more and more concerned about the devastation we are doing to our future in order to save lives in the short term. Two weeks ago, my mind could not have even conceived of mayors and governors, in an effort to save lives, being forced to effectively outlaw work in their cities and states and in doing so condemning thousands of hard working Americans to lose their homes and businesses.

I’m self-employed, but am fortunate enough to have some pretty substantial savings, as well as doing a job where I can probably easily, and safely, ignore any quarantine rules (I work outdoors, and usually by myself). Sadly, many aren’t so lucky, and it’s heartbreaking for all these people who are going to lose everything in the coming weeks and months in spite of having done nothing wrong.

I don’t have a detailed grasp of big picture finance, but I’m terrified of what may be coming in a month or two when a quarter, or more, of this country aren’t able to pay their loans anymore. I know banks can and do survive when a few people don’t pay up, but I don’t know how it works when a huge percentage can’t.

 

[RAFUH]

I don’t get how folks are still missing the point.

It is not about where it is now. It is about where it will be if we aren’t aggressive and proactive.

It would be like seeing a small fire in the middle of a drought stricken area and not trying to put it out.

 

[Archie Knox]

Go to the Asian supermarkets y'all. They got everything ya need, and these divvy hoarders haven't thought about that yet.

 

[Toast]

I don’t get how folks are still missing the point.

It is not about where it is now. It is about where it will be if we aren’t aggressive and proactive.

It would be like seeing a small fire in the middle of a drought stricken area and not trying to put it out.

Sadly, it's clearly being treated as paid time off by a few in the UK for now.. the utter knob heads.

 

[tim cahill]

the mortality rate in Italy is 9%, nearly one in 10 people diagnosed die.

These kind of stats can be deceiving. There will be many people that have been undiagnosed with mild symptoms. There are other factors as well. Italy has high levels of air pollution, high proportion of smokers and an old population.

But I'm not saying it's harmless, just that it could be far worse.

 

[tim cahill]

I feel you are really underestimating the gravity of the situation we are in at the moment.

Everyone is focused on the potential death count (understandably) but I feel your attempts to shrug it off ill informed.

But there is so much more to it than that.
The level of disruption this is going to have to public services and utilities as they struggle to keep things running with reduced staff are short term issues.

Medium term issues of bankruptcy and extreme debt (both personal and nationally) due to business closures.

And long term issues of mental health from so many people losing loved ones and not being able to hold a proper service for them, frontline medical staff having to make have and have-not decisions on peoples lives based on what resources they have available.

No, this isn't going to kill us all, it probably wont even come close, but it will affect ALL of us in some way.

I've heard a quote from a research biologist that goes along the lines of "we all need to prepare ourselves mentally for what is going to happen in the coming months"

I agree completely. The death toll won't be insignificant but I think the consequences that come from it will cause far more damage overall.

 

[Ruairi77]

These kind of stats can be deceiving. There will be many people that have been undiagnosed with mild symptoms. There are other factors as well. Italy has high levels of air pollution, high proportion of smokers and an old population.

But I'm not saying it's harmless, just that it could be far worse.

It could be far worse, the worst case scenario has to be planned for. At the moment it is overwhelming national health services. It's an unknown quantity. It could mutate further.

 

[LinekersLegs]

These kind of stats can be deceiving. There will be many people that have been undiagnosed with mild symptoms. There are other factors as well. Italy has high levels of air pollution, high proportion of smokers and an old population.

But I'm not saying it's harmless, just that it could be far worse.

There will also be people who have died because the ambulance didn’t get to them when they had a heart attack, the cancer patient who isn't getting treatment or the kidney dialysis that isn’t happening because hospitals are swamped.

Could it be worse, sure, but it is still really really bad in Northern Italy and sadly likely New York in the coming days.