Can we then convince the MSM fed populous to stop panicking, Ian? I'm a touch older than you, I believe, and my instinct is to sit tight and let them figure it out themselves.
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Something to consider when people talk of;
“x”ty million die of Influenza A etc every year. this new “Flu” virus is nothing compared with that. We are over reacting
The simple fact is that Eradicating influenza a etc with it’s associated mortality from the human population is now impossible
However,
Covid 19 has an Ro of just 1.5 (new paper last night) so with good public health and containment of outbreaks It is quite possible that this new virus is able to be halted before it becomes normalised and endemic into the worlds population.
If we do nothing to limit Covid 19 then it will become endemic in the human population and worldwide flu deaths will go from “x”ty to something like 3x or 5x per year.
Next time there is an Ebola outbreak in west Africa should we just let it run its course with no attempt to contain it because it “only” kills a few hundred / thousand people?
I agree the media fuelled panic is a little over the top but the world , taking this seriously and thereby accepting a 10% or 20% write down on the equity markets (that are in all honestly just funny money not tied to the actual real economy) is a small small price to pay to potentially save millions of lives over the next 10-20-30-40 years
The markets will recover
Supply chains will reopen
If we can stop Covid 19 in 2020 then when you or your children get to 70 or 80 whenever that may be your chance of succumbing to a winter flu will be dramatically decreased
As a planet we don’t want covid 19 to become endemic in the human population like Influenza A etc already is.
This is about the long game
Steve
Yes Influenza A and friends is a virus endemic in human population with a mortality rate
Covid 19 is also a virus which has a higher mortality rate but is NOT yet endemic in humans
If we as a planet can contain Covid 19 now when it is in small outbreak stages then in 10 years time we won’t have a “winter flu” mortality rate 3 times or 5 times higher than it is currently
S
If public health measures (containment) can drive Covid 19 transmission to an Ro of less than 1.0
It will die out in humans
Sure it may jump again from whatever bat/pig/monkey host it is in endemically
And sure we may need to contain again in the future
That is no different to what is done with Ebola outbreaks
Drive Covid19 out of the human population
If as a planet we do nothing it will multiply to the point that it will never be able to be stopped and our only prevention will be limited efficacy vaccinations
Steve
The problem is going to be the US and its health system - one person who was sick went to hospital to be tested and came away with a $3200 bill - so now people are not getting tested because of the cost.
I'm not suggesting that we let corona take its course, but I think all the panicking is OTT.
My understanding is that the mortality rate is about the same for corona as any other 'flu, ~2%. The problem with the new virus is its longer incubation period allows more to become infected before realisation of contraction.
With a common virus an infected patient may spread the virus to x number of people, before becoming aware that they are infectious. With corona and its longer incubation, the infected person has the opportunity to infect 3-4x people, that happens exponentially.
This virus is not strong enough. If every man, woman and child (or whatever you identify as) was to get this virus, approx 7.5+ billion, with a mortality rate of just 1 - 2% this would only lower the population by about 112 million. And it is taking too long.
We need a virus that will take out 3-4 billion and quickly. That would trim us down to about where we were just a short 70 years ago. This is the only way to fix the global problems of over population, pollution, unsustainable growth, Trump and Scotty.
Mother nature will sort us out in the end. But there are too many people on the planet now. It is predicted that the global population will settle somewhere around 11 billion before 2100. How will we feed, water, shelter, another 3 billion+??, particularly if we now see shortages of essentials like food and water. What will it be like over the next 60-70 years? At Australia's current population growth of 1.6%, in 40 years we will have over 40 million! We don't have enough water for the 25 million we have now. Most of you are saying "I won't be around, don't care", my/your grandchildren and great grandchildren will be.
We need a better virus/global catastrophe.