Why We Need to Calm Down About Coronavirus

[Anonymous]

*Before I start I would like to say of course the virus is concerning and people have died from it. The purpose of this take is to reassure worries and focus on prevention rather than fear*

Coronavirus has now spread all across the world and is creating a wave of panic. The media is a key factor in fueling the fear so here a few things that the media isn't necessarily telling you and may bring you some reassurance:

1. The death rate is actually super low.

It is sad that anyone has died from this virus, but we have to bear in mind that with over 111,000 people now infected, over 3,000 have died. That is horrible, but statistically, it means the vast majority has not. It has been dubbed a 'deadly virus' but the common flu can also be deadly to hundreds of thousands a year, as can driving a car. We don't panic that much every time we get in the car or catch a cold or flu, do we?

2. Thousands have recovered and are recovering daily.

What the media isn't announcing is that over 62,000 cases have fully recovered. Thousands of others have mild symptoms and are being treated at home with no critical threats to their health.

3. Most of those who died are the elderly and those with health issues.

This is again sad that these people are so badly affected, but if you are young and generally in good health, you have little reason to worry. The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are also under risk when catching the common flu, so precautions for them are actually always necessary.

4. But having said that...

Yes, the deaths mostly affect the elderly and they must still be extra cautious, but, there are also plenty of older people who have recovered also. An 101 year old man has recently recovered from the disease. The death rate for the over 80s is somewhere around or just under 15% - this isn't great but considering that age, there is still a 85% chance of recovery which is actually not as bad as you'd think.

5. Thousands have tested negative for the virus.

Bear in mind that there are thousands of people who thought they might have it and did not. Here in the UK, over 21,000 people have been tested. Only just under 300 have been tested positive. That means nearly 21,000 people either had symptoms or thought they were at risk by being to a certain country or through contact with someone. So even if you have symptoms, follow advice and get checked, but don't panic. Chances are you don't even have it.

6. The media wants to scare you.

As you probably know, online news aims to be clickbait - they want to make everything sound more dramatic so you click on it and they make money. News and media generally focus on the negative anyway - 20 people could recover on a certain day, but they'll choose to report on the 2 that died with pre- existing health conditions.

7. New cases are slowing down in China.

In the centre of the outbreak, new cases per week are getting lower due to China's containment methods. Although some 80,000 people in China have been infected, contrary to popular belief, not every Chinese person has been affected. The Chinese population exceeds a billion people, so there are millions who are completely unaffected by the crisis, despite the media portraying the whole country as a hot bed for the disease. It is predominantly serious in Wuhan.

Things NOT to do during the Coronavirus outbreak:

1. Compromise on hygiene

Hygiene is ALWAYS important, even when a worldwide pandemic is not occurring. But generally the advice for avoiding this disease is to wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 or even 30 seconds. Also avoid touching the eyes, mouth and nose with unclean hands as this is how viruses enter the body. The best way to stop this disease spreading is prevention.

2. Use it as an excuse to blame others or be racially abusive

Several stories are emerging of attacks on oriental and even Italian people over the Coronavirus. The disease is around the world now and this is a horrible way to treat someone. Anyone could have the disease and frankly, people are using it as an excuse. Your country probably didn't close their borders anyway, but you're not blaming them. There is no factual evidence for how the disease started, only possibilities. Yes, it may have come from the markets in Wuhan, and possibly because of the animals being sold. But we firstly don't know this for fact, and although what another culture eats may disgust us, it is the norm for them. I am sure what is being sold has been going on for a long time. Blaming gets us no where.

3. Stockpiling

I don't know the situation in other countries, but here in the UK, people are buying in huge quantities and emptying the shelves, and to be honest, I don't know why. Toilet paper is specifically being brought excessively. Firstly, I would like to point out that there are no coronavirus symptoms which will require a load of toilet paper. Secondly, if you should get the virus or be quarantined, you won't go without essentials. Deliveries will be left outside your home for you to collect if that be the case. You is going without, is those who now can't buy certain products because you've emptied the shelves. Many stores are out of anti-bacterial gel too - bear in mind that in order for you to not get this virus, other people need to be keeping their hands clean too - so if you're buying all of the antibacterial gel, you're not helping yourself because chances are someone else would be using it.

These are my thoughts anyway! Try to keep calm, stay informed, and follow advice. But don't overreact and live in fear!

[spuitkaas]

Good take, but I do want to add something.
Since this is a new virus, there's no previous immunity made by the body, like in flu, where we built up some immunity since childhood. Therefore it is more dangerous than the flu.
Also, don't be foolish and go with symptoms to work. In the Netherlands you have a lot of those people, however, just because you will just get sick and then better, doesn't mean everyone will. Some people can actually die from it and behaving hazardous is very ignorant. There's no treatment or vaccin like with the flu, so please think about the people around you.
Personally I don't really believe these statistics yet, because they're from China and censor is very big there. Also I think you can't be sure of any numbers right now. It's too novel.

[myTake Owner]

I am aware none of us can be sure of numbers, and they are changing daily, I just believe it has to be said that people are recovering. Plus, hopefully I have made it clear you should be checked if you have any symptoms - even if I developed a very mild cold I would getting checked, and certainly wouldn't be spreading it like some are.
Of course there are less treatments than there are for the flu, which is concerning, but hopefully this should happen in the near future. The trouble with vaccines is, although they do help in our immunity to the flu, they are always based on the flu from the year before, so we are never fully immune. But thanks for your opinion - I am hoping that everyone looks after themselves and also thinks of others! I was just hoping to ease some panic with my post.

[Rubenjann]

So truthful no one know if the actual Chinese figures are correct, and I too are a little anxious that a medical treatment as an antivirus , might be delayed a while , so even much more individual get the virus first. And sadly the figures from Italy shows a death rate close to 4,5 % , that fact and given that many people get the virus , will result with many casualties

[Rubenjann]

I think this virus is going to be a hard thing to come trough, and most of all it's going to make our Western world look weak and the fact we can travel around very easy, haven't done anything good for the fight against this I'lness , I'm not sure those old and weak people will thank those people who went for ski tourism in the alpes and brought back the Chinese virus, after all it's the old and weak who end up paying the ultimate price, for Europe's free traveling one of the main thing in EU. If things turn out at it's worse , this must get a lot of people to reconsider what good purpose EU have

[spuitkaas]

@Sbgirl I feel like it's no secret that people are recovering? It's probably a real Dutch thing, but people here are really not that concerned about the virus and keep saying that it's just a flu. The panic is actually not high enough I think.
A vaccin normally takes 10 years to make, now they're speeding it up, but it will probably still take 2 years or so so I'm not too optimistic about a vaccin. However, they said a malaria treatment might help, but more research needs to be done.
@Rubenjann I mean you can't really fight well against a virus. I don't think it makes the western world look weak persé. This is an exceptional case and I think it's foolish to question the whole EU system because of this one incident, while it has many benefits in normal daily life.

[Rubenjann]

We in Denmark bgot the virus , because it were easy to pass our border, for instance a group of 50 Italian fro Lombardi could go right into our metro and spend there time in several night clubs in Copenhagen. And Danes who went on ski holidays, knowing the virus were in the alpine aerea , and they came home again and spread the deadly virus. Result today 450 people have the disease, and it's rapidly spreading most of all because Danes are so dam hooked on traveling abroad, and the fact we didn't make any restrictions towards foreigners arriving at our borders

[spuitkaas]

Same here in the Netherlands. Virus came from people going on wintersport in Italy, however, a virus outbreak like this is very rare. You can't say 'maybe we should consider open borders' just because of this one outbreak.

[Rubenjann]

That's correct and , and it's important not to jump to conclusions. But I'm pretty sure everything will be different when this virus is over. I have just witnessed the most extensive intervention a Danish government has made in my lifetime, all in order to limit the transmission of Corona virus. schools are closed, all government employees are sent home, except the one in the hospital sector. all restaurants and taverns as well as sports facilities are closed. so buses and trains are not filled up completely and many more interventions like private companies are encouraged to send as many employees on holiday or they have to work from home. all because we are now over 540 infected in Denmark. So you see things just accelerated during the last few days, things not many could see a few weeks ago.

[spuitkaas]

I wish the Netherlands took more action like the Danish. We have about the same amount infected and our minister president just says 'maybe we should stop shaking hands'.

[Rubenjann]

Things just gone worse the last days people are beginning to die here also. I know it pretty old people who have other serious diseases, and they probably have died anyway I the near future. But then again with that I mind we all are going to die sometime aren't we? No fear and distrust have started to spread, perhaps even more dangerous than the decease it self

[Anonymous]

Nicely done here. Thank you for sharing. I don't normally get worked up about much. However, it is spreading like wild fire and very contagious. Much o four lives have halted not due to fear mungering but now surviving.

[myTake Owner]

Yes, of course the virus is a concern, but the point of my post is to say that the best thing to do is be wise when it comes to washing your hands, where you choose to go, etc. Thanks for your opinion.

[John_Doesnt]

First your graph is misleading because the coronavirus is new. The flu and measles and all those other diseases have been around for a long time so naturally more people have died.
1. The percentage of deaths is much higher than the flu.
The spread of the coronavirus is extremley rapid compared to the flu. And again, it's new! We don't have a vaccine for the coronavirus, but all of the other diseases on there have some sort of treatment available.
It's a crisis because it's a new disease that humans have never faced before. That's always a problem.

[myTake Owner]

I have said in a few comments on here that yes, its being new is a concern, and I am aware that it has a higher death rate than the flu, my point was that it is not a million miles away. Anyone just looking at the news headlines could be lead to believe that it was 80% the way they go on - the whole purpose of this post is for people like me (who suffer badly from health anxiety) hear some of the more positive statistics. Statistically, up hundreds of thousands of people do die yearly from flu, we just don't hear of it because its not new and most of the time it is the most vulnerable. I am aware the graph is a bit outdated, as it says, its from January, but it wouldn't let me post this without a picture, and I didn't want to post a pic of someone in dressed in full body gear to strike fear in anyone who suffers from seeing these things.
I have also included all of the health advice that is being given at the moment to prevent the spread - as I think this is super-important and we need to be vigilant. I haven't said we all need to chill and it will be fine - I am just sharing positive statistics which were are lacking in the media. I have got these all from a reliable source which is tracking the virus and every case.

[John_Doesnt]

Do you understand how percentages and multiplication works? The number a week ago was 500, now it's 974. That's almost double in a week. Next week it will be 2,000 and then 4,000. Only a week to double.

[Taylor_C]

Spreading is exponential, not linear. Comparing it to seasonal flu is just ignorant.

[John_Doesnt]

@Taylor_C it is ignorant to compare it to the flu, but the mytake owner did it anyway.

[John_Doesnt]

@myTake owner: now it's 1,200 cases. That was one day ago that it was 974 and now it's up to 1,200.
www.nytimes.com/.../coronavirus-us-cases.html
That is a massive spike.

[October808]

G@Gers are terrible with numbers. "It's just the flu". *hears about G@Gers dying in the next few months. *

[Kurαȷ]

You shouldn't ever calm down about a virus outbreak, though.
The worst outbreaks in history have always been those that people initially underestimated.

The swifter the reaction to an outbreak, the faster it will be contained.
A good example of this is the SARS 1, which in your graph shows higher infectiousness, but has historically infected less than 10% of what the current SARS 2 has already infected.
The SARS 2 has already killed 4 times as many people as the significantly more deadly SARS 1, and the outbreak has pretty much just began.

[myTake Owner]

As I said from the start, I know it is a virus outbreak and that is always a concern. I am not sitting back and chilling out because I believe its harmless. I actually have health anxiety, so I find the more positive news is helpful for people like me, who can drive themselves mad with health worries.

Swift reactions are important as you say, which is why I emphasise the importance of thorough hand washing and avoidance of touching the face. These are key practices to avoid catching the virus or any virus. What I really wanted to address is that panic can even be counterproductive in some cases - i. e. buying all the hand gel in stock so then someone else can't use it, and lacks the hygiene you do.
In terms of my graph - you can see at the bottom it is a little outdated. I only added it as it wouldn't let me post without a picture, and it was difficult to find one on the positive side. A photo with someone kitted up in a mask or full body suit might be enough to trigger panic for some people and that's who I am trying to reassure. Thanks for your input.

[October808]

So even if the data is wrong but makes you feel positive, that's all that matters to you? Are you a sociopath?

[Massageman]

Great points. As a Massage Therapist, I have the possibility of touching people every DAY!. And I'm not particularly worried since we always practice "Universal precautions" of the medical field. I will just add a couple questions about travel in the last month to my intake form and we should be good to go in most cases.

Just came back from my typical weekly grocery shopping. It took at least twice as long as usual as people were checking out with carts bulging with toilet paper, dozens of steaks and chickens, cases of water, bags of rice., and containers of hand gel. People can make their own hand sanitizer using 2 parts of rubbing alcohol and 1 part of aloe vera gel or glycerine. One lady was RETURNING a spray can of disinfectant. The clerk double-checked her desire to do so, quipping, "Are you sure? These things are like gold, now".

So, I returned home to my 20# case of rice, 2 cases of ready-to-serve soup, pastas, sauces, peanut butter, jelly, three large canisters of oatmeal, two cases of paper towels and TP, and numerous other essentials, all there- waiting- since this our standard stock for a 30-day "hunker-down".

[AllThatSweetJazz]

I hate people downplaying this thing. It's simple: Don't panic, take precautions in case it gets really bad. Take it seriously and if it turns out to be not that bad then you're safe.

1. It's not "super low," it's just low and that's only compared to more deadly things. 6.5% mortality is not a chance I want to take, fuck that. And if millions or billions are infected, that's loads of bodies even with a small mortality rate.

2. Okay, and thousands have died when their was only a dozen people infected 3 months ago.

3. So because it's old people and sick people we don't have to care as much? My parent's are in their 60s and used to smoke, that means *I* have to take care of myself so that I can make sure they don't get hit by something they're vulnerable to.

5. The test has been confirmed to not be reliable and quarantines have only been lasting 2 weeks when we know some people have no symptoms for up to a month, and what if it's longer? We don't know. There's at least double however many infected they say there are.

6. Okay, but if it is bad and they report it truthfully then it's going to look the same. Let them have their clicks if it means you can stay informed.

7. We know they've been lying about the virus but we're going to believe them about this? Nah, China is awful, we shouldn't trust them.

"There is no factual evidence for how the disease started, only possibilities. Yes, it may have come from the markets in Wuhan"
We know it is remarkably similar to a strain being tested on bats at China's only level 4 biosaftey facility. We know that a researcher was bitten by an infected bat and quarantined themselves. Guess where that one level 4 facility is, *across the street from the fish market.*

"stockpiling"
People should already have emergency supplies on hand and then when stuff like this happens, they can do their next shop early and buy a little extra, altogether that should be plenty to last 3-4 weeks. So weird how people are fiending for toilet paper though.

[RolandCuthbert]

Thank you for posting this. It is weird that people are saying there is an overreaction. I am reading a twitter account from a guy in Lombardy, Italy. Their hospitals are at 200% capacity. People simply do not understand percentages, infection rates, and death rates. They don't get that when you flood the health care system with millions of sick people, you can't care for them all and your death rates goes up because healthcare workers are overworked and are getting sick also. Iran probably has the highest death rate because they have no way to care for their people. And instead of following the standard set by nations like Italy, we seem to be following the Iran model. Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that just because I personally am not affected, I can't spread it to someone else who might die or I don't have to care about those who will.

[DeJjj]

Okay, so what. You’re just gonna live the rest of your life in fear? and I don’t mean to force religion or God on anyone but I live by faith and as long as you pray and take the proper hygienic precautions, you’ll be fine.

[RolandCuthbert]

@DeJjj Nothing you said made any sense. No one is saying live in fear. Scientists, doctors, experts say take proper precautions. Stop downplaying the severity or the seriousness of this virus. Stop saying it is just the flu. Stop saying what you do does not matter. Stop saying you can just go about your regular day just like normal.

This ain't normal.

[DeJjj]

@RolandCuthbert I’m not gonna stop saying it’s just the flu simply because that is all it is. You just seem to be the type to fall right into the dramatic uproar. Scientist said take precautions, not act like it’s the end of the world. You guys act as though this is the first of many epidemics. It isn’t and it won’t be the last. If it was as big of a problem that you and others are making it out to be the population would be severely low starting from years ago because I’m sure those who were living at the time of the last epidemic dealt with the same thing and survived. They know exactly how to control the spread of the virus. They just rather not at the moment, also, people aren’t being honest about who they have been in contact with which is the only reason the spread has gotten worse. They’ll have it under control come next month. Mark my words. It’ll be all forgotten about come summer. All of this is a scare tactic and it’s working like a charm clearly looking at your take on it and yea you are clearly living in fear seeing as though you want everyone to “Not downplay” something that can easily be prevented. Keep your hands clean and don’t touch all on things or on people. I guess it sounds too simple to be true but most solutions are simple it’s us that makes it more task full than it has to be. Relax and God Bless.

[RolandCuthbert]

@DeJjj And saying it is just the flu is a lie. You know that. I know that. Everyone knows that. Because every expert that has come on television has said that.

Captain obvious is telling me that other people have survived pandemics. Really?

And no, I won't mark you words. It won't be forgotten by summer. In fact, you had better hope that we are still dealing with cases come summer. So you really haven't read up on how a pandemic is supposed to unfold. You want a slower spread of the virus. You want the impact to be spread out over a longer duration. Because you can deal with it. If it hits hard and fast, it will shut down our healthcare system. Lombardy Italy is dealing with that situation right now.

www.thelocal.it/.../coronavirus-italy-knows-no-borders-health-expert-says-other-countries-must-enforce-italian-style-quarantine

You want to tell the folks in Lombardy about how things will be better by summer?

In an emotional Facebook post, Dr. Daniele Macchini, an Intensive Care Unit physician in Bergamo, near Milan, shared how exhausted staff are facing a constant battle to save a growing number of patients as hospitals work "at 200% capacity".

[October808]

@DeJjj People who rely on religion to solve all their problems are the first to go.

[Screenwriter]

I have an old friend with Pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. It's amazing we can still laugh about this. She is over 60. Every risk group you can think of. My cousin is over 70 and has MRSA. She's had some heart issues. Got another friend who has heart trouble. All of these women are very active and far more active than average women their ages. One is a college prof who is exposed to loads of people. Another works a job that offers programs for the elderly. No one has been sick yet. There is one case in Louisiana and 15 have tested negative.
I've made my own hand sanitizer with aloe and isopropyl alcohol to the percentage on the back of my store sanitizer. I have two bottles in use at my house, sing happy birthday twice while washing my hands. Watch how EVERYBODY is touching whatever I have to touch and sanitize when I get back to my car to drive home.
I've never washed my hands long enough in my life until now. I'm keeping some feet between me and others at coffee shops and while standing in lines. Getting it once isn't the issue. You can get it repeatedly. There isn't any immunity to it. One guy got it, recovered, got it again and DIED!
Young people are at lower risk, but should not be cavalier about overexposure or not performing due diligence. Don't lower your immune system by overexposure to sick people. Remember who died in 1918. Men between the ages of 19 and 26. Because they were crowded in Army barracks and it leapt from person to person. The spread of polio was stopped dead in its tracks because of home quarantines in the 40s and 50s. Signs were posted on doors and the infected kept home from school and from others in the neighborhoods. It too was a virus that, at the time, there was no cure for until the polio vaccine came out in the late 50s. Polio killed mostly the very young to infecting and paralyzing older children to the middle aged and left people horribly crippled. Recall the "Iron Lung"? That was for people whose polio paralyzed their diaphragms (a muscle) and couldn't breathe. It did the diaphragm's work. FDR was the most well known victim.
My friend says maybe people will be cleaner from now on. It only takes one infected, careless person to break through the wall of Chlorox and spread it. Let's all be squeaky clean and maybe in the warmer months, it'll die down. But by fall, we'll be in another flu season and it'll likely flare up again. Get your flu shot if you haven't already. It seems to offer a bit of immunity to covid 19.

[Naydyonov]

(1) Deaths.
(4607 deaths/(4607 deaths + 67 051 recovered)*100) = a current effective death rate of 6.43%.
(2) Spread.
The estimated number of people infected is now around 4-7 per infectee, from my knowledge.
(3) China is lying.
Based off all available information, they're full of shit. They spent weeks trying to cover it up, then started doing something when other countries found out about it. Equally, they have been under reporting their numbers by a large factor.
However, it is likely that the number of cases has diminished. I believe it's now probably only a few hundred per day. Maybe 200-300.
(4) Taking something serious doesn't mean panicking.
I think the best way to calm down about something is to address it then move on. Had the world, China in particular, reacted to this straight away, no one would have ever heard about this virus, as it would only have infected a couple dozen or so people. By China covering it up and my other countries taking zero measures to limit its spread (other than saying racism is worse than the virus, which is objectively untrue), the result is now that 124 thousand people have been confirmed to be infected, though the true number is likely nearer to 500 thousand (China under reporting, Iran + Egypt not having the capabilities to totally track the virus (especially Egypt), and other countries having data that is lagging by a week, as the symptoms tend to appear a week or so after being infected).

All in all, I'm afraid we have to take it much more seriously that we would like to because when it was still easy to stop, we decided to give not only zero shits, but negative ones.

[The6ix]

There will be a deadlier virus in the future that affects this world. This is merely a light tap on the hand. Your title says "Why We Need To Calm Down About Coronavirus". Well, why would schools shut down? Why would big companies like Nike potentially lose $17 billion? Why would the NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLB, and other pro sports leagues cancel their season? The list goes on and on. I believe this is a message from God and your wrong on one thing I was looking at the stats the coronavirus (the virus itself) is deadlier the common flu. Just because fewer people died doesn't mean it's less deadly. People won't take precautions next time, people will go back to trading, traveling, starting wars in the middle east, oppressing other nations and etc. But the next big pandemic will be deadly it will kill 1/3 of the world's population and this has already been prophesied over 1400 years ago. If people say the coronavirus is not that bad then I dare people to touch subway poles or public doorknobs around buildings and don't wash your hands then tell me how you feel.

[The6ix]

For those disliking my comment I guess you haven’t heard of plagues before? Spanish flu, the Black Death, Asian flu, etc. Watch, ignorance will bite people in the ass.

[Anonymous]

This is what mass hysteria does. When you get right down to it coronavirus is no different than strong flu. Dozens (no hundreds) of people die yearly from the basic flu.

For the extremely uneducated & those of limited intelligence - like my co-worker who was all but crying yesterday - the coronavirus is combated with basic hand hygiene. Illnesses like c difficile & hospital staph infections are far fking harder to get rid of but you don't see a bunch of slack-jawed fuckards (like the 38% idiot Americans who quit drinking Corona, their incredibly low IQ having them believe it was in the beer) crying about either disease.

As for closing schools & canceling events try & grow a functioning brain that can think for itself. General hygiene seems to be piss-shit poor. If you put a bunch of slobs together that don’t wash their hands they’re just a bunch of pigs that’ll spread the illness faster. So, to circumvent this the government is cancelling all events where non-hand-washing pigs may gather as the general low-IQ makes this venture far safer than allowing such two-legged pigs to gather.

Among people of higher intelligence I see no such concern as that among the non-hand-washing pigs who have come to realize oh we’re slobs & maybe we should wash our hands. The average omg one belongs among the ranks of the filthy animal that walked out of the washroom at a restaurant yesterday – didn’t even stop to wash her hands (and for the record she was white).

[Goodwifie]

I am one of those people with health issues because I take a medication that lowers my immune system.
I can say that I am worried but not panicked although I am getting pissed off at people who seem to be complacent because they are young and healthy and it's not going to affect them too much.
I work in a pharmacy so I'm feeling a little exposed and venerable.
Served a lady last week who said she'd been sent home from work because she had a flu so she was using her free time to go to the hairdressers.
Stop and think people.

[zagor]

The death rate is somewhere from 2-4%. Or about ten times that from the seasonal flu. Furthermore, there is no information available yet about long term effects: Will having a case but recovering greatly increase the chances of (say) lung cancer? Also, if 15% of those infected don't die, but require intensive medical assistance, how will that affect available medical care?

A lot of reasons not to underestimate the impact of this virus.

[Pamina]

The problem isn't that the desease itself is exceptionally fatal but rather that we're not properly prepared for it nor have a vaccine yet. Like with the flu, an infected person needs to be treated properly for it not to become fatal (especially if you're ederly or in some other risk group), and that's hard to do when it spreads so suddenly and exponentially that medical facilities are overwhelmed and overloaded. That's why the precautions happening across Europe right now are necessary - to slow down the spreading. That's what's called "flattening the curve":

Panic is never good though, I agree with that.

This desease will stick, we probably won't get rid of it again. It will become part of life just like the flu, and until we have a vaccine we have to be extra cautious. Hopefully this while thing will at least heavily weaken that insufferable anti-vaxx movement.

[Passinggas]

With all the traveling I did, I caught it and it sucked. I thought I had a knife in my throat, blowtorch on my head and I couldn’t work out because of full lungs, but it is gone. I had blood out my nose and mouth with green sht, lovely. However, I have a tremendous immune system because I rarely get sick and when I do, it is usually minimal. I am still living in my cabin alone and my girlfriend has been leaving my supplies on the porch while she stays at the house. Best damn vacation I had in awhile. I think I will go for a hike. Enjoy…what doesn’t kill ya will make you tougher.

[Flower7]

Well, I'm glad you seem to be feeling better. :)

[Passinggas]

@Flower7 Thanks... that is nice of you.

[Naydyonov]

Did you actually?

[GreenPenguin]

" I thought I had a knife in my throat, blowtorch on my head and I couldn’t work out because of full lungs, but it is gone. I had blood out my nose and mouth with green sht, lovely. However, I have a tremendous immune system because I rarely get sick and when I do, it is usually minimal."

I've got it right now. It's nothing more than having the flu. And my immune system is already broken. Not to mention the lungs that have been weakened ever since I had a rare case of pneumonia that damaged them permanently some years ago.

[mistixs]

@GreenPenguin "It's nothing more than having the flu." Did you know that different people experience different symptoms, and different symptom severities? :o

And even if you don't have severe symptoms, that doesn't mean it can't be deadly. Hypertension is called "the silent killer" because it's often deadly yet it often doesn't present many symptoms. Likewise, many people don't even know they're having a heart attack because it's often not that painful, but obviously heart attacks are often deadly.

[Passinggas]

@GreenPenguin If you have a weakened immune system you probably won’t have a high reaction to it as I did so it might linger, last longer and as @mistixs said it could be the "the silent killer" long term. But, who knows…

[Darkening]

Great mytake, and I agree with a lot of what you say, but im just curious, you say that the media isn't announcing is that over 62,000 cases have fully recovered, and if you aren't getting information from the media then where are you getting your info? I want to know bc I have no idea where I should be getting information and what types of sources I should be believing because on the news and radio im constantly hearing that you shouldn't believe any other sources except for trusted media and news sources, but on the opposing side im hearing that the news/media is lying and to not believe them?

[DiegoO]

Take this into consideration:

Would you trust a professional journalist who has access to valuable information, who travelled to get them sometimes, who have serious contacts with people who hold that information? Or... Some jane or john dow who only can tell what he/she has discovered on the World Wide Web and what he/she thinks about the discovery, and who uses statistics without even understanding it?

[mistixs]

"We don't panic that much every time we get in the car or catch a cold or flu, do we?"
More people have died of flu because more people have had flu, but the mortality rate for people who catch the illness is much higher among people who get coronavirus than get flu.

As for your chart. Most of the illnesses in your chart are one or more of the following:
1) extremely rare or extinct, and/or preventable by vaccines (coronavirus doesn't have a vaccine yet)
2) can't be contracted simply by being out in public and going about your day (HIV/AIDS)
3) have much lower mortality rates among people who get it (flu)
The ones who didn't meet the aforementioned characteristics also caused widespread panic (SARS and ebola).

[Taylor_C]

The numbers regarding how contagious the Coronavirus is, are not up to date. It's 20 times as contagious as seasonal flu, according to numbers published yesterday.
You should most certainly be stock piling food and necessities, not only because of this disease, but you should at all times be prepared to ride a societal crisis out. Anything else is irresponsible. The shortage in stores are due to just-in-time delivery system, which needs to change for security reasons. Preparedness is not panicking. It's being responsible.

[RolandCuthbert]

It is incredible to me that people think that over-preparing is somehow over-reacting.

The CoronaVirus is nothing to play with. We need a comprehensive strategy for how to deal with it.

Doctors in Lombardy are literally deciding who will live and who will die.

[Boppy]

I think that some forms of over-preparing may be considered unhelpful. If a handful of people panic and purchase a year's supply of food each, they'll temporarily limit their neighbors' food supply. People around here are having trouble finding toilet paper for sale because it's been sold out.

[RolandCuthbert]

@Boppy Yeah the toilet paper nonsense is an example of the result of a lack of leadership. If people feel like they are being given honest and verified information, they are less likely to panic. People are not stupid. They know something is wrong. They know the virus is widespread. Just do the testing, be honest and give them good information about what to do.

Otherwise,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQv5PWMzI-w

[lightbulb27]

here here! What is it about TP that has people so freaked? Maybe that it comes from china and they'll cut off the world supply? I'd be buying tissues?

One thing I'd say is to be a little bit racist or culturalist. It appears, not fact, that these viruses are popping out of "open animal markets" and they remain open in other countries. China shut theirs down... who knows for how long.

Seems like the world needs to motivate humans to improve their humanity and not slaughter whatever they find. that probably gets to financial conditions and such in those countries.

otherwise, we get another one of these viru down the road... and we may anyways.

[genericname85]

i really do not understand why the media blow up a common cold to the proportions of a zombie apocalypse... this realy just means one thing: the media are not to be trusted at all. there are only very few media outlets that actually cut the crap and don't spread bulshit.

[myTake Owner]

Although I would not call the virus as mild as the common cold, I do believe we are only hearing reports on the negative. Of course we need to be careful and be informed but I think the panic is unnecessary, especially as it has led to stockpiling and in some instances, racial abuse.

[genericname85]

it is a mild common cold. the Robert Koch Institute in germany already declared the pandemy status (meaning that it will be spread workldwide) but still determines covid-19 to be "unproblematic for the individual that doesn't belong to the endangered group of people", which are the elderly and people with a damaged or weakened immune-system.

[myTake Owner]

These are certainly the people who the worst affected - but we all need to prevent the spread as the more people who have it, the more vulnerable people are exposed to it.

[genericname85]

i disagree with that. if you look at it from biological standpoint, Humanity and viruses are in a constant fight for survival. humanity can only prevail if we as individuals keep exposing ourselves to disease that we can survive such that we will be fit to win that fight for survival in the future and not start losing it at some point.

[goaded]

There are very good reasons for trying to contain a virus, even if it's only a temporary delay.

[genericname85]

@goaded well there are very good reasons to actually expose yourself to viruses that won't kill you. we (as the human species) need to constantly evolve our immune system and we (as individuals) should constantly train our immune system. only that way humanity will be able to survive long term and not succumb to a puny flu in the distant future.

[goaded]

Well, you go and find as many viruses as you can to get infected with, I'll carry on avoiding getting the flu in the first place, as I had successfully done for decades, until this year.

[genericname85]

@goaded also i don't think that is an accurate depiction of the capacity of the healthcare system in terms of the flu at all. sure if you roll out a hazmat team over every single one who gets sick, that's too much but if we'd treat it as what it is: "a flu", instead of what we're treating it as "the zombie apocalypse", there would only be a fraction of the cost involved.

[genericname85]

@goaded yes avoiding it is reasonable. going to work in a hazmat suit or sheltering yourself in quarantene at home with supply for months of solo survival isn't.

[genericname85]

@goaded also you're 55, so you're best advised to be extra carefull anyway.

[myTake Owner]

I think, as this is a new virus we know little about, it is best avoided at all costs if we can help it. Once we know more about it, or have treatments available, who knows it may just become like how we view the common cold. But for now, I certainly would not encourage anyone to expose themselves to it. We need to know more about it. Everyone needs to be vigilant with their hygiene.
By the way, 55 is hardly on the elderly side for cause of concern - perhaps its not as good or healthy as a 20 year old but it is hardly within the vulnerable age group. I am trying my best to bring some positivity to the table so let's not scare people!

[genericname85]

it's a flu. we know a lot about it. basically everything. we do just not have a specialized antibiotic against it. that shit takes a bit of time. but other than that it's business as usual.

[goaded]

At least you've stopped saying it's just the common cold. You need to look up the difference between bacteria and viruses, though.

[October808]

Experts is the reason there is a pandemic. This is from Fenruary 2nd people. Experts telling scentists they're wrong.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/01/scientists-warn-ncov-more-infectious-sars-experts-have-doubts?fbclid=IwAR1GmeUWd2K5Dr2gm3dlTbif1REpzyx7zVEvNSi_lVMGIWmc-mb2fSJvgEU

And now we have this:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/t4N09qsMdPQ

I've known this was a possibe pandemic over a month ago.

[October808]

Hahah downvoted by someone who doesn't like hearing the truth.

[DiegoO]

I can understand your point of view. Panic is bad has been lethargic, however, some dose of panic is needed in these cases, otherwise, people are gonna be laid back and things will become inevitably worse.

A few weeks ago I told an acquaintance to take care (she lives in Europe). She was like, "it's like a flue, nothing be worried about". My only reply was big like 👍

[myTake Owner]

Yeah I don't encourage anyone having a really blasé attitude about it, as you say, it makes them too laid back, and it's often the fear that really makes us do things and pay attention. I just saw an article the other day about how 'morques need to make more room' - and I thought that was so unnecessarily morbid and unhelpful.

[francesco999]

I'm from Italy and the situation here is horrible, we can only go out for work and for food. today 2000 people have been infected and an infected one came to my shop, he only took a step at the entrance and turned around, so I'm not infected fortunately.

[October808]

Italy has 12,462 confirmed cases as of this moment. I hope you stay safe.

[francesco999]

thanks

[Flower7]

@francesco999 How did you know that the person who stepped into your shop was infected?

[francesco999]

he was from casoria and he said in the hospital he came to my shop i knew that when they controlled me

[Flower7]

Ok, I see. You got very lucky then. It seems like you were very close to catching it.

[Trojan35]

Thank you for this great topic, I also think in the same way as you do. Around 56.000 people die just because of flu in every year.. but from Corona? Just 3.800 people died already and also cases in China are slowing down. Despite all of that it's still hard to be not influenced by media sometimes and feel nervous, let's hope everyone will get better in a short time, no matter what their religion, race or skin color is.

[myTake Owner]

Your comment is spot on, I've have had a lot of opposing opinions (either being too blasé, which is concerning too, or claiming that coronavirus is far more dangerous than I believe it is). Obviously its sad anyone has died, and we need to be vigilant in not letting it spread further, but panic helps no one. We have to stay safe and remind ourselves of the more positive outcomes from time to time.