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Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

virologydownunder.com

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Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#181

Post by el_cujo »

velcro wrote: post #44

At the risk of going full doomsday mode (and besides stockpiling on food and masks) - lets say pandemic happens and some useful meds/vitamins do go out of stock - is there any advice what those are i.e. what kind of meds/vitamins would be practical to buy right now to help fight/slow COVID-19/infection in the future?

I don't think anything is known to help in treating/curing right now, I'd guess most of the relevant medicine is just to treat the symptoms while you ride it out. Stuff like fever reducers (ibuprofen) or something to relieve the respiratory symptoms (dayquil/nose spray).

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#182

Post by mytailorisrich »

justin66 wrote: post #159
mytailorisrich wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do not tell people to stock up on food. There is no need and this is how you create runs on supermarkets and panic. If the situation becomes severe enough for this to become a problem, this will be organised by authorities. Keep calm, follow basic hygiene, and be ready to work from home at short notice. Maybe don't travel unless you have to. This is not the end of the world and the risk is low. Change course only if…

> Do not tell people to stock up on food. This is how you create runs on supermarkets and panic. No. Runs on supplies generally happen well after it becomes desperately obvious that the people advising preparation measures be taken were correct. The Costcos and Walmarts of the world, and their suppliers, can very easily absorb the bump in food demand from the very few who actually plan ahead. > If the situation becom…

I find it interesting that China has managed to keep things organised in Wuhan and throughout the country but American commenters on HN seem to expect that in their country it would be Mad Max.

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#183

Post by rblatz »

Aperocky wrote: post #141
johnwheeler wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Conspiracy theorists tend to mistake incompetence for malice; or partial incompetence for total incompetence. Hurricane Katrina doesn’t invalidate health and building codes; education; law enforcement and EPA, FAA, and SEC regulations. Decisions made are both bad and good, but it’s irrational to think the decision makers are generally untrustworthy.

One of the most glaring flaws of the conspiracy theorists is that they assume authority are bad for bad sake, like they're some mindless evil that does bad thing for .. no apparent reason. Even though the priorities of authority might not be aligned with that of the people, it is still a set of rational priorities, for personal gain etc. Too many conspiracy theorist make no sense because the act they suspect authorit…

This is why you see so many satanic cult/ritual references I. Conspiracy theories. It helps explain evil for the sake of evil.

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#185

Post by ianai »

carbocation wrote: post #45
ianai wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wish getting meds in advance were more accessible.

With few exceptions, you should be able to ask your MD for a 90 day supply with 3 refills (enough for 3 months immediately, with refills for the rest of the year).

Have to pay cash though if you’ve filed it recently.

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#186

Post by ilkan »

asdfasgasdgasdg wrote: post #11

We will see. The graphs of numbers of confirmed infected all seem to be bending down, but of course there's the possibility of biases like unreleased numbers and incomplete testing. I guess we will know in a few weeks which direction it is going to go. That being said, with death being so rare among the young, I don't see why most people should panic more than they do about flu season. Obviously it is a serious conce…

>with death being so rare among the young, I don't see why most people should panic more than they do about flu season

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your tone, but I'm not so cavalier about performing solo heavy-duty, months-long care of parents & grandparents and the possible loss of company senior execs/mentors and coworkers over 30.

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#187

Post by gfodor »

nemild wrote: post #165
rriepe wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is hilarious. Isn't 2012 the underlying model they use for everything today? Fearmongering is the go-to default for absolutely every issue the media covers. Then during an actual literal pandemic they take a short break from every other the-world-is-ending story to give us the "don't fearmonger" lecture. If you ever find yourself split in doubt between your own sanity and that of the media's, please for the love…

Two observations: 1. There isn't a single media (often, when your tribe is against another, you view the opposition as monolithic rather than a spectrum composed of different viewpoints) 2. And they're not insane, editors and social media algorithms are rational and reacting to reader incentives (but it is "insane" to mistake media sources for a rational human, because most media is about covering extreme events[1])…

Would you argue the US has a diverse media? Today, the concept seems laughable.

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#188

Post by jacquesm »

RobertRoberts wrote: post #143
jacquesm wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point, yes. But that's not the way to look at this. The way to look at this is what will happen over the next couple of weeks/months and to what degree we can avoid community spreading once the virus achieves a foothold, which - sorry - at this point is mostly a matter of time. Containment can be done early on and if done effectively can get you back into your 'no need to worry' mode. But once containment has…

There is a lot I can do for my family and friends about helping them not be _irrationally_ afraid. Eliminating irrational fear is valuable. Spreading undue panic is reprehensible. What are the numbers? What is the risk equation? If we avoid these, then we are not speaking from knowledge but simply guessing and editorializing. Which tends towards panic, not rationality.

Eliminating irrational fear is very valuable. But there is also something to be said for being rationally afraid: to try to put boundaries on how scary this thing really is and what the likely impact will be.

Undue panic is 'we are all going to die, the end is neigh' kind of bs.

But a measured response could easily be that it would be better to reduce travel if you do not really have to, avoid concentrations of people and so on.

The numbers that we know so far are impressive enough that I believe those measures are warranted. 1-2% mortality, aerosolized infection confirmed, tactile infection confirmed, reasonably long incubation time, tests appear unreliable, virus now present in 25+ countries, with serious outbreaks in several of those. This is no longer in 'common flu' territory, nor is it in 'black plague' territory. Let's hope it stays that way and can be pushed back into the bottle again or that a vaccine is developed fast enough and produced in quantity enough that the bulk effects can be reduced.

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#189

Post by jacquesm »

maxerickson wrote: post #144
jacquesm wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is that we can recognize that containment has failed and start planning accordingly. I don't think any rational authority is at this point still arguing that this will be contained to within the borders of those countries now affected. So you might as well accept that we do indeed have a pandemic on our hands, which will have substantial economic impact but need not have a substantial toll in terms of…

There's a lot of options between "ignoring it" and "declaring a global pandemic".

Such as?

Re: Past Time to Tell the Public:It Will Probably Go Pandemic, We Should Prepare Now

#190

Post by DyslexicAtheist »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #6

The premise of this article is that we should essentially press the “panic button” now, to get people through the shock of preparing for a pandemic while we know it’s safe to do so. > Suggesting things people can do to prepare for a possible hard time to come doesn’t just get them better prepared logistically. It also helps get them better prepared emotionally. It helps get them through the Oh My God (OMG) moment eve…

I didn't see the article making the case for "pressing the panic button". It made a case for having an open dialogue in places of power, to educate the public, and it provides a great number of practical tips on how to do so.
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