Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

cnbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 186 posts

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#41

Post by derblitzmann »

vkou wrote: post #26
James_Henry wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't seen any good guides for individual and household preparedness, but I think that this guide "Interim Guidance for Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Homes and Residential Communities" ( https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-preve... ), especially the precautions section, can be a useful place to see what would be needed to prepare. Some things to have besides fo…

Do the N95 face masks that you can buy at the grocery even do anything to prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Not really, other than limiting spread from someone who is potentially infected and making it harder for someone to touch their face (virus on hands getting into body via eyes/nose).

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#42

Post by Alex3917 »

gsaines wrote: post #8
James_Henry wrote: post #4

Here are some actual documents on preparing for an influenza pandemic that the CDC is repurposing to prepare people for the coronavirus because of the similarity to the spread of the flu. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/pandemic-prepa... States will have their own influenza preparedness plans that they will probably be following for the coronavirus as well. One helpful thing that they advise governors t…

Thanks for posting these. I'm putting some time into preparing my family for any potential quarantine situations here in the US. These guides are aimed at policymakers and government officials. Have you, by chance, found any practical guides for what individuals can do to increase the resiliency of their households? I assume this is all very similar to having a well-stocked earthquake kit (which we do have), but I'm…

> I'm curious about any disease-specific preparations.

Before you get sick, start taking a multivitamin. Most people are vitamin D deficient in winter, which increases your risk of dying from respiratory infections, and it takes about 6 weeks to get your levels up. Also vitamin C, like 250mg. And do cardio.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#43

Post by claudeganon »

avtar wrote: post #39
claudeganon wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apologies, I’m not following what you’re saying with regard to death vs. quarantine.

I think they're stating a preference for a quarantine, even with all its potential impacts, since not having one could result in more deaths. Quarantines being transient in nature vs death being permanent.

Oh of course. I just think effective quarantines or delays of imposing them because of the underlying tenuousness of the American economy poses numerous risks. Short-sightedness is kind of a hallmark of American culture.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#44

Post by sky_rw »

ilamont wrote: post #23

So I see this information from the CDC and news outlets, but the head of the World Health Organization seems to be saying something quite different: “For the moment, we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus, and we are not witnessing large-scale severe disease or death.” https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/02/who-tries-to-calm-ta...

If this pandemic has exposed anything, it's that the WHO is a political entity woefully unequipped to handle any real scenario. The leadership has been seemingly downplaying this from day 1 and repeating talking points from the CCP. They are obviously trying to avoid causing panic in the financial markets, and putting that above actually informing world leaders and the public of the danger.

See their recent release stating that they can't call this a pandemic because they conveniently don't have the criteria setup for that classification any more.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#45

Post by sky_rw »

heavyset_go wrote: post #38
sky_rw wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Insurance is irrelevant if there aren't enough hospital beds or medical staff/facilities to handle a widespread pandemic. I think you're focusing on the wrong issue, likely based on the political nature of the current healthcare debate. The real guarantees of a disaster are: Do businesses have enough cashflow to handle lack of just in time inventory from China if their shelves run dry? Do millions of people in the US…

> Insurance is irrelevant if there aren't enough hospital beds or medical staff/facilities to handle a widespread pandemic. It's far from irrelevant. There are millions of people for whom a visit to the ER means bankruptcy, and should they contract the virus, they will avoid diagnosis, continue to go to work, and silently spread the disease to those who come in contact with them.

People are doing that anyway. By the time critical symptoms appear and you need to visit the ER, you have already been infectious and spreading the virus. Meanwhile the 80% of cases that are not critical won't drive people to even consider the ER (which is full of sick people with Coronavirus), and they will go about their day spreading the virus. As an example, see the rest of the world.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#46

Post by joshstrange »

sky_rw wrote: post #29
joshstrange wrote: post #17

Not sure if this is the right place but what would be best for one stock up on ahead of time? I'm thinking non-perishables or stuff with a high shelf life but what else should you consider buying?

It seems reasonable to make a run to Costco or Sams club to load up on dry goods and paper supplies. Better to do so now than after a panic hits. You don't have to go all doomsday prepper and get 10 year shelf life cans of beans. But maybe enough toilet paper, ramen noodles, and bottled water to last through 30 days of not wanting to leave the house much. Anecdotally, I was in Costco last week and saw a woman shoppin…

Yeah, I'm not building a bunker or anything. I just wanted to stock up of medicine/water/food in case there was a rush.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#47

Post by remarkEon »

humaniania wrote: post #33
vkou wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do the N95 face masks that you can buy at the grocery even do anything to prevent the spread of coronavirus?

My understanding is that the main purpose of the mask is to prevent people who are already infected from coughing and sneezing particulate onto other people.

This is true, but it also prevents you from touching your own face.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#48

Post by James_Henry »

derblitzmann wrote: post #41
vkou wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do the N95 face masks that you can buy at the grocery even do anything to prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Not really, other than limiting spread from someone who is potentially infected and making it harder for someone to touch their face (virus on hands getting into body via eyes/nose).

N95 masks will also limit the spread from someone who is actually infected, too. So the masks will, when used correctly help limit all spread and I am not sure why you say "not really".

But I should add, the CDC only recommends face masks for the infected and limits recommendation of N95 respirators to healthcare providers and those in workplace settings.

Re: CDC outlines what closing schools, businesses would look like in US pandemic

#49

Post by joshstrange »

DiffEq wrote: post #30
joshstrange wrote: post #17

Not sure if this is the right place but what would be best for one stock up on ahead of time? I'm thinking non-perishables or stuff with a high shelf life but what else should you consider buying?

So take a moment every time you use something and ask yourself - what will I do if I don't have this thing? If there is no good alternative or if the alternatives are unthinkable...Make a list from that. One thing to start with: You are on the toilet and you reach for the TP - there is none...now, add that to your list.

Yeah, most of my disposables I have 1 month+ already (Subscribe and Save is a godsend for things like TP, paper towels, shaving cream, razors, mouthwash, etc). Medicine/Masks/etc is something I don't have large stocks of but that will be rectified shortly.
Post reply on HN