I looked at reported mortality rates and infection rates. Looks just like the regular flu so far. Do you have some data that indicates otherwise?
Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
11–20 of 48 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#12I found this so baffling that the best I can say is I don't know, and I've found no explanation satisfactory. "Denial" doesn't cut it, it's mass delusion. The first Chinese quarantine was a giant red flag that nearly everyone ignored.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#13I looked at reported mortality rates and infection rates. Looks just like the regular flu so far. Do you have some data that indicates otherwise?
As I understand it, the difference from flu is that it's much, much more contagious. 10 pct hospitalized is very different if there are 100,000 cases vs 100,000,000. There are roughly a million hospital beds in the U.S., I dont know how many ventilators but a lot less. The healthcare system could be easily buried if we can't "flatten the curve". The same number of people, roughly, will get sick, just not as many at a time.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#14We have not seen the impact of the virus and most people do not have a sense of how fast it can spread. We have not seen the impact it has on hospitals. People will start to get scared once they see the hospitals getting full and the care workers starting to burnout, given the 10+% hospitalization rate. Unfortunately by that time most of us will be forced to stay home. Look at what is happening in Italy. Only after t…
If the hospitals get massively overloaded, then people who are not sick from the coronavirus still won't be able to go because there will be no room for them, even if they need to quite desperately.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#15Consider what the media stands to gain from all this frenzy. You think they want people calm or reading/watching/consooming as much as possible all hours of the day?
Use your judgement
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#16It's because they're still in the denial stage. The panic stage will follow very shortly. It's just a matter of social contagion. See also: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/four-thing...
Not really. Some people like to stock up on bottled water and toilet paper so they can play zombie apocalypse, but taking appropriate safety measures to prevent it from spreading is a sufficient response.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#17Consider what the media stands to gain from all this frenzy. You think they want people calm or reading/watching/consooming as much as possible all hours of the day? Use your judgement
They don't have a shortage of things to hype up, never have, but the market dropping actually hurts them.
I'll follow the money, and not conspiracy theories.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#18https://www.flattenthecurve.com/ Is one of the best resources I’ve found and should answer most of your questions.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#19This is my personal opinion and I could be 100% wrong. But I think this is no worse than crazy cow disease or Zika virus or SARS.
Media, as always, cares about clicks and will publish sensational articles. In China the virus has peaked and the president of China declared victory over the virus today. We are 2-4 weeks behind China.
It is estimated the virus will peak in 2 weeks from now. So next 2 weeks get ready for catastrophic headlines. Then eventually daily new reported cases in Italy etc will start dropping and panic will be over.
I think I have contracted the Coronavirus but since I am a healthy 31 years old person I have fought it off and defeated it.
Re: Ask HN: Why is everyone I talk to in the real world so unperturbed by Covid-19?
#20I looked at reported mortality rates and infection rates. Looks just like the regular flu so far. Do you have some data that indicates otherwise?
As I understand it, the difference from flu is that it's much, much more contagious. 10 pct hospitalized is very different if there are 100,000 cases vs 100,000,000. There are roughly a million hospital beds in the U.S., I dont know how many ventilators but a lot less. The healthcare system could be easily buried if we can't "flatten the curve". The same number of people, roughly, will get sick, just not as many at a…
But the data so far indicates it’s no more contagious than a common flu (R0: 2-4).
Are all of these 10% hospitalized were hospitalized because they are in a serious condition or because of the panic?
The fact that the panic puts a stress on the healthcare system does not mean the panic is justified.
I’m ok with the panic if the data says this is serious. So, again, do we have such data?