Covid-19 closer to "home" than I'd anticipated...

[gotomu212]

Which is skewed because there is NO way we know the true number of cases out there. We are seeing the numbers from those who have been tested. (1) Not everyone is going to seek out medical assistance and testing especially when they have a mild case and (2) we did not test for a VERY long time. This has already been in the US for months. We just did not know it for sure because we did not have a test. Someone's cold? Or flu? Or upper respiratory infection? Could have easily been Covid19.

The absolute spike in critical case hospital care in China, Italy, Iran, and now the Us though does show a very rapid and very severe sudden explosion in cases. While it may have been circulating and misdiagnosed in the very early stages and mild cases not noticed, we would not have missed hundreds of people in one community suddenly needing emergency care. We would not have missed a nursing home losing 15% of their residents in 2 weeks. We would not miss otherwise healthy health care workers suddenly contracting respiratory illnesses. All of those things have occurred in the last 3 weeks (6 weeks for China). Based on the rapid/exponential hospital spikes its difficult to say this has been in communities for months and everyone just had mild cases but suddenly we have hundreds of severe cases.

The death cases aren’t the big showstopper at these current raw numbers, the hospitalization numbers appearing in isolated communities are what has health experts and governments shocked and point to a serious epidemic.

 

[lilstint]

There are several schools and universities closing without a single reported case among students or staff or anyone at the school under quarantine. The decision is definitely influenced by the media. The PR departments of those schools are saying "There is a media frenzy right now better to do something and not need to than to appear like we didn't react swiftly enough". They wouldn't be making such reactionary decisions without the constant media blitz about this.

Coronavirus

 

[RamblingMad]

+307 cases today in the US. I expect this to keep rising as we start testing more.

 

[lilstint]

Coronavirus

In response to those posters who have blamed the panic over the Coronavirus on the media please understand this. It’s not the media. It’s the NUMBERS. Two weeks ago we had only 15 cases in the United States and today there are over 1,200 cases. That being said thousands are out there who haven’t even been tested due to the woefully inadequate number of tests available. This is this VERY real and VERY serious.

Just look at the number in Italy. Two weeks ago Italy had less than 200 cases. Today Italy has now reported more than 10,000 total coronavirus cases in the country, where deaths from the virus have surpassed 600.

Also, Dr Anthony Fauci who is on the President’s coronavirus task force has also just reported that this virus is ten times more deadly than the flu.

One can not argue with numbers. People can deceive and lie but numbers cannot. It’s not the “media frenzy” that is behind the hysteria. It’s the numbers. This is a pandemic and must be taken very, very seriously.

 

[wvjules]

2 more in my county in MD (Montgomery). Total of 12 for the state. I think 8 are in my county. One is a first responder.

 

[Wendy31]

In response to those posters who have blamed the panic over the Coronavirus on the media please understand this. It’s not the media. It’s the NUMBERS. Two weeks ago we had only 15 cases in the United States and today there are over 1,200 cases. That being said thousands are out there who haven’t even been tested due to the woefully inadequate number of tests available. This is this VERY real and VERY serious.

Just look at the number in Italy. Two weeks ago Italy had less than 200 cases. Today Italy has now reported more than 10,000 total coronavirus cases in the country, where deaths from the virus have surpassed 600.

Also, Dr Anthony Fauci who is on the President’s coronavirus task force has also just reported that this virus is ten times more deadly than the flu.

One can not argue with numbers. People can deceive and lie but numbers cannot. It’s not the “media frenzy” that is behind the hysteria. It’s the numbers. This is a pandemic and must be taken very, very seriously.

The “the flu is worse” or “it’s just the flu” comments are getting to me.

 

[lilstint]

The “the flu is worse” or “it’s just the flu” comments are getting to me.

I hear you.

 

[okeydokey]

The “the flu is worse” or “it’s just the flu” comments are getting to me.

I know, they are so wrong.

 

[lilstint]

I hear you. We have both readily available diagnostic, preventative (Vaccines though not always 100% effective) and therapeutic (tamiflu) tools to fight the flu. What do we have in our arsenal to fight Coronavirus? Nothing.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

In response to those posters who have blamed the panic over the Coronavirus on the media please understand this. It’s not the media. It’s the NUMBERS. Two weeks ago we had only 15 cases in the United States and today there are over 1,200 cases. That being said thousands are out there who haven’t even been tested due to the woefully inadequate number of tests available. This is this VERY real and VERY serious.

Just look at the number in Italy. Two weeks ago Italy had less than 200 cases. Today Italy has now reported more than 10,000 total coronavirus cases in the country, where deaths from the virus have surpassed 600.

Also, Dr Anthony Fauci who is on the President’s coronavirus task force has also just reported that this virus is ten times more deadly than the flu.

One can not argue with numbers. People can deceive and lie but numbers cannot. It’s not the “media frenzy” that is behind the hysteria. It’s the numbers. This is a pandemic and must be taken very, very seriously.

But the numbers don't tell the whole story. Just because someone is infected doesn't mean they experience any adverse effects. For most people, its simply a cold. It doesn't warrant the level of panic we are seeing.

 

[lovemygoofy]

But the numbers don't tell the whole story. Just because someone is infected doesn't mean they experience any adverse effects. For most people, its simply a cold. It doesn't warrant the level of panic we are seeing.

It's not completely the numbers but it's the point of understanding. Look at the hundreds of thousands if not millions that end up in the ER and doctor offices with the flu, likely good portion of those people also had the flu shot and we at least have things like tami flu to help reduce the impact from illness. As you mentioned, lots of people are carrying the virus and not feeling the major effects but is a carrier for someone that can easily have major adverse affects of the virus. This isn't about keeping the healthy safe but keeping those people at risk safe and reducing the health institutions that have to treat the severely ill. It does absolutely take a community effort to keep all of us safe.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

It's not completely the numbers but it's the point of understanding. Look at the hundreds of thousands if not millions that end up in the ER and doctor offices with the flu, likely good portion of those people also had the flu shot and we at least have things like tami flu to help reduce the impact from illness. As you mentioned, lots of people are carrying the virus and not feeling the major effects but is a carrier for someone that can easily have major adverse affects of the virus. This isn't about keeping the healthy safe but keeping those people at risk safe and reducing the health institutions that have to treat the severely ill. It does absolutely take a community effort to keep all of us safe.

A community effort to prevent the spread of illness means doing exactly what has been advised. Washing hands,covering coughs, and staying home if you are sick. It does not mean shutting down the entire country. We didn't do that for H1N1, sars, mers, ebola, ect. We don't do it for rotrovirus, which has no real treatment other than treating symptoms and kills more people daily than this virus. This response has been overblown by a media frenzy.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Now my kid is running fever.

 

[mom2rtk]

Now my kid is running fever.

There's so much non-Covid stuff going around right now. I had to go pick my daughter up last night (2 hours away) because her roommate was just diagnosed with flu and pneumonia.

My thermometer battery is low. I'm going to get a new one today before there's a run on those.

I hope you guys all stay healthy.

 

[SaintsManiac]

There's so much non-Covid stuff going around right now. I had to go pick my daughter up last night (2 hours away) because her roommate was just diagnosed with flu and pneumonia.

My thermometer battery is low. I'm going to get a new one today before there's a run on those.

I hope you guys all stay healthy.

Thanks. Tough to figure things out this time of year! Her only complaint is a sore throat, so that's good. I was blaming the pollen yesterday, but then the fever started.

Hope your daughter doesn't get sick. I should probably get a new thermometer, too.

 

[Southernmiss]

Another thing, for the common viruses that have been going around forever many of us have developed immunity to them and we don't know it.

For novel coronavirus none of us have had a chance to build immunity or know how it will affect us.

 

[NYCgrrl]

A community effort to prevent the spread of illness means doing exactly what has been advised. Washing hands,covering coughs, and staying home if you are sick. It does not mean shutting down the entire country. We didn't do that for H1N1, sars, mers, ebola, ect. We don't do it for rotrovirus, which has no real treatment other than treating symptoms and kills more people daily than this virus. This response has been overblown by a media frenzy.

I disagree with you on all but one point. At least everyone knows how to wash their hands properly now and hopefully will continue to do so whether a new virus is around or not. If an "overblown media frenzy" reenforced the obvious- I'm fine.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I have a friend who works as an admin for a hospital in NOLA. Her office is being moved to make way for a virus ICU. It's getting real there for sure.

 

[erc]

A community effort to prevent the spread of illness means doing exactly what has been advised. Washing hands,covering coughs, and staying home if you are sick. It does not mean shutting down the entire country. We didn't do that for H1N1, sars, mers, ebola, ect. We don't do it for rotrovirus, which has no real treatment other than treating symptoms and kills more people daily than this virus. This response has been overblown by a media frenzy.

This is really you projecting. You seem to not understand that it is not necessarily how it will affect you as a young person, but the fact that in some age groups the death rate is 30% or higher. That is a huge death rate. I'm happy that you are only in the 0.2% death rate but many grandmothers and grandfathers have a 3 in 10 chance of dying if they get it. And imagine the strain on hospitals with all of the elderly getting critical care. It is not just about you. It is how you may be infecting others more vulnerable.

Everyone understands that right?

 

[Christine]

But the numbers don't tell the whole story. Just because someone is infected doesn't mean they experience any adverse effects. For most people, its simply a cold. It doesn't warrant the level of panic we are seeing.

Since our tests in the U.S. are so limited now, I think our numbers represent active illness (excepting the two members of Congress who were not exhibiting symptoms but got to bypass regular restrictions on test and be tested). Yes, I do believe that many, many people will get this and it will be a mild illness. But due to lack of test kits, our numbers today don't reflect that population.