O/T Coronavirus Thread (3)

[WanChaiMiller]

If you look at what has happened in London (population density 4,542 per square km), Madrid (5,400 / sq. km) and New York (10 431/sq. km – seriously?) – all major airline hubs - it’s not hard to see why they have been hit so hard. It’s a matter of maths, not politics.

The above begs the question of why Seoul got off so lightly with a pop density of 17,000 people per square kilometre. My suspicion is that South Korea is a country that learned lessons from the SARS and MERS outbreaks that have hit it in the last twenty years, such that both the government and the public were better able to recognise the risk and deal with it.

Hong Kong and Singapore have similar population densities - not sure the phrase Id use is a 'matter of maths'. Id be more interested to know how they dealt with it. I think we ignored their experience.

The thing that stands out for me is countries which advocate the use of masks seem to have better outcomes. HK announced yesterday it would give every citizen a mask for the next phase when they exit lockdown.

HK, Singapore, South Korea and, dare I say, China all fell back on their experience of MERS and SARS. They know the risks and methods to protect themselves and quickly slip into mode.

They've had procedures in place since the SARS outbreak in 2002. Temperature is tested at airports and border crossings, there is continual advice on washing hands, wearing masks and advise on self isolation if you show symptoms.

[WanChaiMiller]

Im sure it was our initial plan of herd immunity that allowed the virus to run free, in a similar way to Italy. Then, when we changed tack, it was impossible to control.

[millertop]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52540266

No surprise really.

Apologies if it’s already on, I miss some posts on this thread

[flourbasher]

Poor ol' Kerr is getting some hammer on here lately, I feel like sticking up for him, but I'm sure he'll cope. Anyway, who's going to take any notice of a steel erector/robot installer/pool cleaner/professional mingler/Disney character like me? My input would carry no weight at all, would it Roly?

One of these jobs sounds like a right Mickey Mouse role.

[rolymiller]

This is the kind of thing that happens when folks blame the chinese entirely for the pandemic Howdy...

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...risis-11979388

[rolymiller]

Michelle Roberts

Health editor, BBC News online

Could coronavirus have been circulating in Europe in late 2019, many weeks before it was officially recognised and declared a threat there? That is the suggestion being made after a French doctor has revealed that he treated a patient in Paris with all of the symptoms of coronavirus just after Christmas.

How does this change what we know about the pandemic? It might be that the test result is an error and so does not change a thing.

But it if is correct, it could mean spread of the disease was going unchecked in Europe while all eyes were on the East in Wuhan.

Certainly, any laboratories in Europe with samples from patients sick with similar symptoms around that time might want to run a test for coronavirus to see what it reveals so that we can learn more about this new disease.

[howdydoo]

Michelle Roberts

Health editor, BBC News online

Could coronavirus have been circulating in Europe in late 2019, many weeks before it was officially recognised and declared a threat there? That is the suggestion being made after a French doctor has revealed that he treated a patient in Paris with all of the symptoms of coronavirus just after Christmas.

How does this change what we know about the pandemic? It might be that the test result is an error and so does not change a thing.

But it if is correct, it could mean spread of the disease was going unchecked in Europe while all eyes were on the East in Wuhan.

Certainly, any laboratories in Europe with samples from patients sick with similar symptoms around that time might want to run a test for coronavirus to see what it reveals so that we can learn more about this new disease.

Maybe it originated in Europe. Or better still, Boris has been caught on video shagging a chicken and it started in his bedroom.

[CAMiller]

Maybe it originated in Europe. Or better still, Boris has been caught on video shagging a chicken and it started in his bedroom.

That's a disgraceful comment Howdy. I have some very good friends who are chicken.

[rolymiller]

Maybe it originated in Europe. Or better still, Boris has been caught on video shagging a chicken and it started in his bedroom.

In which case Howdy maybe you shouldn't have been so quick to blame the Chinese...look at the stick chinese people are getting highlighted above...

[CAMiller]

In which case Howdy maybe you shouldn't have been so quick to blame the Chinese...look at the stick chinese people are getting highlighted above...

Same is happening here Roly. Maybe it didn't originate in Wuhan, China but data seems to indicate it did. Does that make all Chinese culpable, of course not but there will always be some who will be unable or unwilling to separate the two e.g. white supremacists who have been behind many of the attacks in Chinatown here in Seattle. Is it any different to many people incorrectly believing all football fans are hooligans?