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Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

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141–150 of 840 posts

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems worse than the average flu. Not likely that you'll die from it if you're young and not immunocompromised, but just because you don't die doesn't mean there won't be long term health effects. And if you have anyone over age 70 or under age 2 who you care at all about, their lives could be at risk.

Seems worse than the average flu AND unlike the flu, there's no vaccine (and there probably won't be one in time to make much of a difference).

Can anyone just explain how in hell it takes so long to develop a vaccine?

Vaccine creators aren't supposed to have billions of USD to make their job? What's the real problem here?

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention the virus is mutating and is now killing healthy people in their twenties in Hubei (if not at least serious disease requiring mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen). Also there is evidence the HIV drugs are no longer working due to the virus developing resistance. Those of you thinking "oh I'm a healthy young person I'm just gonna carry on doing what I'm doing" is gonna be in for a rude awaken…

Sources?

https://archive.fo/pgxDl

https://archive.is/zImUv

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#143

I've been checking for updates on the virus several times a day since it first started being reported in Western media around Jan 20 (in part because it's been a fun distraction, in part because I have friends in Wuhan). I like to think I'm generally an optimist, but I think it's been clear for several weeks now that this is going to have a significant worldwide impact. There are just too many factors in favor of unc…

Could you tell me in what way authoritatian countries (aka China) handles this situation better? Italy closed 50k people into quarantine, government talks about military and EU was deciding about closing borders. All of this days after confirmed cases. I am sure officials would have no trouble to isolate major city. China has many internal problems, we just do not see them. Government refuses foreign doctors. If cris…

The problem with the US is that healthcare is so broken that nobody will want to go to the doctor to get checked because it's too expensive.

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you tell me in what way authoritatian countries (aka China) handles this situation better? Italy closed 50k people into quarantine, government talks about military and EU was deciding about closing borders. All of this days after confirmed cases. I am sure officials would have no trouble to isolate major city. China has many internal problems, we just do not see them. Government refuses foreign doctors. If cris…

Don't count on the EU doing anything other then slow talk. They are definitely not going to close any borders. At least I would be very surprised if they did.

It's not a power the EU has. Health care as well is just not a subject the EU has any role in.

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#145
post #127

Rather then cancelling completely, a limited option would be to run the games in quarantine with just athletes, officials, and media. No spectators allowed. Athletes confined to the Olympic Village for a couple weeks before and after the Games, and bused to event venues with no public contact.

Japaneses prefer to kill all the population defending their "honour" than being rational.

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#146
As someone tangentially attached to the sports community, the olympics is already a bit screwed up anyway, simply because the sports seasons (and thus the qualification pathway) for many events in the games have been significantly disrupted by the coronavirus. Many athletes who were in touching distance of qualifying will not be able to, and other athletes will be sent in their stead (if it happens at all) Olympic qualification in most sports is extremely complicated, and this is having a serious effect.

That being said, sport is not so important (imho) that public safety should be put at risk, and cancelling the games (or postponing them) would seem a sensible option if things continue to get worse.

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you tell me in what way authoritatian countries (aka China) handles this situation better? Italy closed 50k people into quarantine, government talks about military and EU was deciding about closing borders. All of this days after confirmed cases. I am sure officials would have no trouble to isolate major city. China has many internal problems, we just do not see them. Government refuses foreign doctors. If cris…

Don't count on the EU doing anything other then slow talk. They are definitely not going to close any borders. At least I would be very surprised if they did.

Not the EU as an institution but single countries. I wouldn't be surprised if Austria closes their border if there are more cases in Northern Italy. Germany, Switzerland and France could also follow. I believe they'd still let freight through (maybe with tests for drivers) to not hurt the economy too much. Ironically, the refugee situation a few years back helped those countries as they now have the infrastructure to patrol borders better and built centers that could as well be used to isolate potentially infected people.

But I also wouldn't count on all of this happening too fast, there's still passenger flights arriving from mainland China in Europe.

Re: Tokyo Olympics “looking at a cancellation” if coronavirus not contained

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you tell me in what way authoritatian countries (aka China) handles this situation better? Italy closed 50k people into quarantine, government talks about military and EU was deciding about closing borders. All of this days after confirmed cases. I am sure officials would have no trouble to isolate major city. China has many internal problems, we just do not see them. Government refuses foreign doctors. If cris…

Just my opinion, of course, but I guess one very simple way I think about it is, a government that expends a lot of effort controlling its people even in normal times is naturally better equipped to do so than a government that generally encourages individualism and freedom among its population. For example, North Korea reportedly executed a guy for breaking quarantine [1]. China may not be nearly as extreme, but the…

That is just power fantasy. Do you have any evidence that shooting people for breaking quarantine has effect? I think it just causes people to avoid doctors if they experience symptoms. People do not want to "disappear" into quarantine. I lived under authoritative government and know how it works.

Initial situation was made much worse because China policed their doctors.

Also I do not think that China actually shoots people. It shutdown transport and pumps money into economy. Other states could do that as well.

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