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Is It a Pandemic Yet?

nytimes.com

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Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#281

Post by trengorilla »

ropiwqefjnpoa wrote: post #36
James_Henry wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a highly virulent flu with the same risk factors and no vaccine for those that are at high risk. It may not be something to worry about, but I'd think we should do something to prepare.

Absolutely, but the news is causing a low level panic as they do report numbers, but don't emphasize what the numbers mean. I guess that's also the viewers fault as the math is grade school simple.

The news seems to mainly be reporting the 2% death rate when in fact it's more like 9% currently, so the panic could get much worse still.

Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#283

Post by jonplackett »

jerf wrote: post #193
mytailorisrich wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Stock up now while no-one is panicking yet That's what triggers panic buying... It's a snowball effect.

Call it tragedy of the commons, call it whatever you like; your not buying stuff now isn't going to prevent a run later. Socially, you're probably still better off buying sooner rather than later, because that means the system has more time to restock and ship things around for people later. If you're part of the end pile up, you're another stresser at the worst time. As evidence of this... the ideal time to stock up…

Thanks for this comeback - exactly. Ordering a few extra tins of beans and spaghetti is hardly going to create a snowball effect if you do it now. Food isn’t in short supply in general, it just may become in relatively short supply in the shops near you. They’ll reorder more by tomorrow with no issues. It’s just about having it in your house VS in a storage centre some place.

Masks is slightly different I will agree. They are genuinely in short supply and medical workers need them more.

Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#284

Post by mda »

mrb wrote: post #95

I will probably be downvoted for saying this, but... The seasonal flu alone kills half a million people every year. So any mild disease that is as contagious and barely twice as fatal will kill 1 million. And that's what's going to happen with COVID19. It is far more severe than the flu. We know COVID19 is as contagious, given how fast it's spreading and how unstoppable it is (R0>2, asymptomatic transmission, airborn…

Do you have any proof on the claim of the virus being "airborne"?

Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#285

Post by oska »

ValentineC wrote: post #274
forgot-my-pw wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's almost better to get infected now where hospitals are not full (if you're in a developed country and generally a healthy person). Wait out 2 weeks, then you build immunity after. Except when the virus mutates :(

Considering how many countries are panicking over the virus, and how much research is being shared, we should hopefully see a vaccine soon.

So far no vaccine has ever been developed for a human coronavirus. That includes SARS-COV (2003), MERS and the two common cold coronaviruses. So I wouldn't be counting on a vaccine being developed for SARS-COV-2 any time soon.

Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#286

Post by downerending »

mrfusion wrote: post #279
downerending wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also a good opportunity to ramp up on gin and tonics.

Is it really the same as the medicine?

Was joke. But yes, tonic water contains quinine, and that medicine is related to the compound used to treat malaria. (I think they're both used, but unclear on the specifics.)

Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#287

Post by monadic2 »

brutt wrote: post #236
gnulinux wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not an expert, but it's been stated by experts that coronoviruses, in general, spread slower during summer. This has not been proven for COVID-19, but presumably there will be some nontrivial affect on this virus as well.

Should I take risk of downvotes and explain it?

C’mon man just explain it, damn internet votes.

Re: Is It a Pandemic Yet?

#289

Post by matthewdgreen »

ValentineC wrote: post #275
ulfw wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's 35C in Bangkok, 36C across Malaysia and 32C in Singapore. How much hotter do you think it would have to get to make that virus die out?

Most Singapore buildings and its public transport system are fully A/C. It's similar for Malaysia and Thailand since they're still in the tropics, except those countries are less dense.

There's plenty of AC in the US as well.
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