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The Word from Wuhan

lrb.co.uk

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Re: The Word from Wuhan

#21

> There is a phrase in China for the way such tensions are manifested: when everyone denies all responsibility and tries to shift the blame back onto the blamer, they are busy ‘throwing woks’. I appreciate learning idioms of countries foreign to me, and in this case it makes for a great article.

There was an great episode on this topic on CBC a week ago: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/tapestry/the-life-giving-nature-of-... (Available on most Podcast apps too https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tapestry-from-cbc-radi...)

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#22

You can count on the states that have an official number of infected people of about 100 to have about 10000. You can count on US states that have 0 cases for those to have about 1000. We've passed containment options when we didn't do anything about 2 months ago. People just don't go to the doctors, especially with the news of how people are being treated on the boats.

Deductible of several thousand per person in our household. Good ol’ HSA plan (our other options guaranteed higher spending than that every year on premiums). Bet your ass we’re not going to the hospital unless we absolutely have to. And we’re lucky enough to have insurance and the means to pay if we have to (though it’ll hurt a hell of a lot).

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#23

The most fun anecdote: Zhang Wenhong, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Shanghai’s Huashan Hospital, became a national hero for a press conference speech: The first-aid team put themselves in great danger. They are tired and need to rest. We shouldn’t take advantage of good people. From now on, I’ll replace all the frontline medics with party members from different sectors. Didn’t you all swear to…

>with party members from different sectors

Pretty sure that was mis-translated ( Intentional or not ). What he meant was party member from within the Medics and Hospital. He didn't just suggest to put any party member in the frontline because they wouldn't be qualify in the first place.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#24

You can count on the states that have an official number of infected people of about 100 to have about 10000. You can count on US states that have 0 cases for those to have about 1000. We've passed containment options when we didn't do anything about 2 months ago. People just don't go to the doctors, especially with the news of how people are being treated on the boats.

Deductible of several thousand per person in our household. Good ol’ HSA plan (our other options guaranteed higher spending than that every year on premiums). Bet your ass we’re not going to the hospital unless we absolutely have to. And we’re lucky enough to have insurance and the means to pay if we have to (though it’ll hurt a hell of a lot).

> Deductible of several thousand per person in our household

Call your insurer. Many are waiving testing and treatment, including for HDHPs, in respect of SARS-Covid-2.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#25
This is how authoritarian socialism/communism pits people against each other. Imagine a massively broad and deep bureaucracy which controls every aspect of your life. Where so many things are illegal that practically everyone is breaking some law - and the government (or your personal enemies) just need a reason to get you reprimanded - piss off the wrong boss and your life is turned upside down.

Our system in the West isn't perfect but at least your mistakes (real and otherwise) typically don't follow you for the rest of your life, excluding extreme cases.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#26
post #23

The most fun anecdote: Zhang Wenhong, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Shanghai’s Huashan Hospital, became a national hero for a press conference speech: The first-aid team put themselves in great danger. They are tired and need to rest. We shouldn’t take advantage of good people. From now on, I’ll replace all the frontline medics with party members from different sectors. Didn’t you all swear to…

>with party members from different sectors Pretty sure that was mis-translated ( Intentional or not ). What he meant was party member from within the Medics and Hospital. He didn't just suggest to put any party member in the frontline because they wouldn't be qualify in the first place.

No no no.. translating is to put them in the 'headlights' of transparency of accountability. It's quite an angry comment.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#27
post #17
post #13

The question remains: what will happen when everyone returns to work and school? I would expect infections to flare up again. What then?

Deal with each new outbreak quickly and efficiently. The problem in Italy and China was that the outbreak got out of hand before measures to deal were in place, the big deal here seems to be that if people in critical conditions get support with breathing they often pull through, if they don't they die. If you are dealing with 1000's of cases providing supported ventilation is not possible. If you are dealing with 10…

Practically speaking, I think this means e.g. temperature checks at every school, place of work, subway, train, airport, and large residential building. At entry/exit, like metal detectors. Routine swabs / testing. Ideally could swap, put into an envelope and send off to a central testing facility. What else?

Given the reports of asymptomatic testing, not sure we can confine to small size flare-ups in the absence of this.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#28
>Teams of doctors arrived from every province in China to join the effort and an army of engineers was deployed to build two new hospitals in ten days. Millions of people watched the buildings go up.

That's unbelievable.

Where can I read or see more about that?

EDIT: Found something https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/31/pictures-china-builds-two-ho...

I am still in disbelief.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#29

Expecting local officials to deal effectively with extraordinary circumstances is unrealistic. A wealthy populous nation should be able to support a team of national experts to assist in times and places of particular need, in a variety of fields including that of infectious disease. The system described in TFA seems rather more like a struggle among competing cults of personality. "Your mayor sucks! Now you will be…

If your problem is “the division of responsibility and authority is disputed” or “collected resources aren’t being distributed due to confusion” or “key workers are distracted by CYA” a respected, competent leader might be just what they need.

I can't imagine a situation in which a revolving cast of new bosses imposed top-down from the more fashionable parts of the nation will make anyone local less "distracted by CYA". That situation certainly doesn't exist in Wuhan right now. If China has a CDC-equivalent, they should take the lead. Hiring another ceremonial head-to-roll at the local health department would be a waste of time.

Re: The Word from Wuhan

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Deductible of several thousand per person in our household. Good ol’ HSA plan (our other options guaranteed higher spending than that every year on premiums). Bet your ass we’re not going to the hospital unless we absolutely have to. And we’re lucky enough to have insurance and the means to pay if we have to (though it’ll hurt a hell of a lot).

> Deductible of several thousand per person in our household Call your insurer. Many are waiving testing and treatment, including for HDHPs, in respect of SARS-Covid-2.

Insurers are proven to live when you call them (source: personal experience in the past).
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