Thread: Corona Virus

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Thinking about the effect of this virus in the USA.

A couple of points to consider.

A significant proportion of workers simply cannot take a fortnight off for for quarantine purposes. Something over 30% of US workers have no sick leave and no leave entitlements. Given the possibility of their being ordered to self-quarantine if diagnosed, how many of these workers are going to even consider getting tested? What is this going to do to the rate of spread of the virus there? And if they get sick and require hospital treatment, around the same proportion have no health insurance. If they are actually treated, they face certain bankruptcy, and loss of their house if they actually own one, or eviction if they are renting.

What is this going to do to the price of houses? And what will be the flow on effect, for example, with foreclosures as other houses become worth less than the amount of the mortgage?

Add these effects, plus the disruption to the supply chains, and what is the US economy going to look like six months from now? And the flow on to other economies, including ours, even though this sort of direct effect should be a lot less here, due to the labour laws and health system.

All this added on to the effects of the loss of tourists and foreign students, and the general loss of income as people avoid large gatherings - and cut spending because of uncertainty.

And about a third of Australian employees are also casual, part-time or similar and also don't have sick leave and can't afford two weeks off, so it could also cause a lot of hardship here. Fortunately we have Medicare for actual hospital costs.

Originally Posted by Red90

9 dead in the USA out of 118 reported cases. So much for that 2% and the bad Chinese health care system.

Point is, how many unreported cases are there? The US authorities have now gone back and tested people who died last week and belatedly confirmed that they died of SARS-19, so it's been around in the US for a while. The problem is that the CDC stuffed up the diagnostic test and then when they issued a functioning one basically banned it from being used on people who hadn't been in China - so by definition the forced the State medical authorities to miss people who were infected locally, that is community infections. Also, lots of infected people have had mild symptoms.

From the New York Times:

"Vice President Mike Pence said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was lifting all restrictions on testing for coronavirus, and would be releasing new guidelines to fast-track testing for people who fear they have the virus, even if they are displaying mild symptoms.
“Today we will issue new guidance from the C.D.C. that will make it clear that any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders,” Mr. Pence told reporters at the White House.
The federal government has promised to significantly ramp up testing, after drawing criticism for strictly limiting testing in the first weeks of the outbreak."

Originally Posted by Arapiles

I'm presuming that you're being satirical.

Yes, mainly...not gently either.

The (seeking out an RNA strand and inferring from the results) test for covid-19 is not an accurate one, apparantly, and neither as reliable as TPTB would have us believe.

The Panic Merchants over here (WA) have stripped supermarkets bare of hand Sanitiser and.... drum roll please..... TOILET paper.
Dunno why they think dunny stationery will be in short supply. Or powdered milk.

They are obviously comforted by Quilton et al.

I'm very much 'over' it, --- and we've only had one elderly person pass, one more who tested positive/ feeling unwell. !

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I wonder if sales of Corona beer have been affected?

apparently down 40% i read somewhere

Originally Posted by Arapiles

Point is, how many unreported cases are there? The US authorities have now gone back and tested people who died last week and belatedly confirmed that they died of SARS-19, so it's been around in the US for a while. The problem is that the CDC stuffed up the diagnostic test and then when they issued a functioning one basically banned it from being used on people who hadn't been in China - so by definition the forced the State medical authorities to miss people who were infected locally, that is community infections. Also, lots of infected people have had mild symptoms.

From the New York Times:

"Vice President Mike Pence said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was lifting all restrictions on testing for coronavirus, and would be releasing new guidelines to fast-track testing for people who fear they have the virus, even if they are displaying mild symptoms.
“Today we will issue new guidance from the C.D.C. that will make it clear that any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders,” Mr. Pence told reporters at the White House.
The federal government has promised to significantly ramp up testing, after drawing criticism for strictly limiting testing in the first weeks of the outbreak."

Interest and willingness for Testing will follow 'Availability' of the testing paraphenalia, - Someone has to invent /produce / Then ramp up production to meet demand... or to generate demand. And make profits all round.....................

- Now THAT's cynical !!!!

Other comment about the reliability of current testing :- Coronavirus: a reliable test is badly needed. We don’t have one | HealthInsightUK

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

And about a third of Australian employees are also casual, part-time or similar and also don't have sick leave and can't afford two weeks off, so it could also cause a lot of hardship here. Fortunately we have Medicare for actual hospital costs.

It helps,but there always seems to be some sort of gap or something that you have to pay.

In fact as more and more drop out of private cover,it is actually overloading the public system.

And even with private cover,if you go to say Greenslopes hospital,as an example,they want $200 before they will see you.

Yep, got sucked into using some of my private cover in a public hospital for the head surgery, - lots of out of pocket extras.

Same with CABG'ing, Fully private hospital, thousands for tests and stuff NOT covered by middle of the road cover... (But I ordered and GOT bacon & eggs breakfast)

Appendicitis in public hospital as public emergency patient. NO extra$

- I'm beginning to see a pattern...

Originally Posted by Ancient Mariner

This shouldn't concern one Kim Jong-Un as, apparently, he doesn't defaecate.

Wait a minute, North Korea is a puppet state of China so, my mind has a conspiracy theory evolving.

Stay tuned...………………………………..or smelly.