The threat of Coronavirus to ECFC

[Grecian2K]

Fair comment Spanky. I apologise. Was just equally offended by the originating source.

 

[older-codger]

Last week (yes week!) over 4000 cases of influenza like illnesses were recorded in England alone with over 500 being hospitalised. As I type there are 20 cases in total of coronavirus here since it started. Half of those who have contracted it have now recovered and returned home.

Anyone remember the panic of Avian Flu that also started in the far east?

 

[IndoMike]

Well it would appear that Dr Donald has put Head(case) Nurse Pence in charge of arrangements in the good old USofA. So, presumably, even if a vaccine is perfected, it will probably only one needle per 10,000 unless you can afford to go private (and promise to vote Republican next November) And, if you think I'm being a bit over-dramatic here just check out his track record.

Only thing worse I can think of is that, if it becomes a real crisis over here, the put Flailing Grayling in charge.....ooh, errrm....hang on a minute.

Pence prayed for 2 days before he could decide if to give out clean needles to counteract the high level of HIV in Indiana. I assume God replied saying "just give the farking needles out and give me a break!".
Regarding Grayling, we really don't want pizza delivery companies doing the testing.

 

[IndoMike]

Last week (yes week!) over 4000 cases of influenza like illnesses were recorded in England alone with over 500 being hospitalised. As I type there are 20 cases in total of coronavirus here since it started. Half of those who have contracted it have now recovered and returned home.

Anyone remember the panic of Avian Flu that also started in the far east?

Oh gawd..

 

[Grecian2K]

Back on topic, and not trying to upset anyone any more but I'm minded of the (original 1970's) BBC series Survivors where a dreadful "new" contagion is spread so rapidly around the globe with lightning speed, facilitated by increasingly easy travel.

As OC rightly points out these new infections do appear with regularity. Thankfully most of them are (relatively) benign and, once the vast majority who might catch it have gained natural resistance any epidemic subsides. It is historical fact that, when the Conquistadors first arrived in central and south America, the measles that they brought with them and to which most Europeans were moderately resistant, was at first catastrophic for the resident population.

We are fortunate that the vast majority of these newly evolved "bugs" are (in most cases) not too life threatening save for the already weak or I'll - sad though that is. And (I can't recall who wrote it) but I recall reading the very true observation once that a pathogen that wipes out its host is NOT a very successful one in the long run.

Unfortunately once every few centuries a variety of disease breaks out that is so virulent and widespread that (for a time) it breaks the previously stated rule and causes huge scale wipe-outs. Back in the medieval times such "plagues" tended to take years, or even decades, to spread. Even the 1918 "Spanish Flu", although dreadfully severe, spread relatively slowly - although undoubtedly hastened by the repatriation of the brave survivors of WW1 which was, still, a relatively slow process.

Nowadays anyone with the means and desire can travel around the entire globe in a day or so. Which, surely, makes containment incredibly problematic.

And it is almost inevitable that, sooner or later, another real "black death" will mutate and - with 21st Century communications - be dispersed at a speed previously unthought of.

In a way relatively "benign" epidemics perhaps offer almost a "dry run" for dealing with the logistics and consequences of dealing globally with a pandemic.

 

[Grecian2K]

Regarding Grayling, we really don't want pizza delivery companies doing the testing.

Oh I don't know Mike. I'm fairly sure that some next-gen entrepreneur has already thought of a snappy name for this new opening.
DeliverFlu anyone?

 

[IndoMike]

Back on topic, and not trying to upset anyone any more but I'm minded of the (original 1970's) BBC series Survivors where a dreadful "new" contagion is spread so rapidly around the globe with lightning speed, facilitated by increasingly easy travel.

As OC rightly points out these new infections do appear with regularity. Thankfully most of them are (relatively) benign and, once the vast majority who might catch it have gained natural resistance any epidemic subsides. It is historical fact that, when the Conquistadors first arrived in central and south America, the measles that they brought with them and to which most Europeans were moderately resistant, was at first catastrophic for the resident population.

We are fortunate that the vast majority of these newly evolved "bugs" are (in most cases) not too life threatening save for the already weak or I'll - sad though that is. And (I can't recall who wrote it) but I recall reading the very true observation once that a pathogen that wipes out its host is NOT a very successful one in the long run.

Unfortunately once every few centuries a variety of disease breaks out that is so virulent and widespread that (for a time) it breaks the previously stated rule and causes huge scale wipe-outs. Back in the medieval times such "plagues" tended to take years, or even decades, to spread. Even the 1918 "Spanish Flu", although dreadfully severe, spread relatively slowly - although undoubtedly hastened by the repatriation of the brave survivors of WW1 which was, still, a relatively slow process.

Nowadays anyone with the means and desire can travel around the entire globe in a day or so. Which, surely, makes containment incredibly problematic.

And it is almost inevitable that, sooner or later, another real "black death" will mutate and - with 21st Century communications - be dispersed at a speed previously unthought of.

In a way relatively "benign" epidemics perhaps offer almost a "dry run" for dealing with the logistics and consequences of dealing globally with a pandemic.

What you say is a possible scenario. Hopefully this thing will run out of gas and the number of deaths will be less than feared. One thing for sure is that it is far more widespread than SARS, for example.
Clearly governments are taking it extremely seriously.
Yes, the consequences of stopping the world are also serious, but I don't think there is any choice. Governments can't just sit back and let it happen.
At the moment we just don't know how bad it will be

 

[hardi2b]

Well it would appear that Dr Donald has put Head(case) Nurse Pence in charge of arrangements in the good old USofA. So, presumably, even if a vaccine is perfected, it will probably only one needle per 10,000 unless you can afford to go private (and promise to vote Republican next November) And, if you think I'm being a bit over-dramatic here just check out his track record.

Only thing worse I can think of is that, if it becomes a real crisis over here, the put Flailing Grayling in charge.....ooh, errrm....hang on a minute.

I quote Socrates : When the debate is lost, slander becomes the weapon of the loser.

 

[Grecian2K]

I quote Socrates : When the debate is lost, slander becomes the weapon of the loser.

Err, not wishing to prolong the debate but what exactly in my post was "slanderous"?
If it was my observations about VP Pence? Well, it's all on public record.

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

Whilst the effects of the spread of coronavirus are already having a negative impact on the world economy, the fact is that a government can hardly sit back and say "Well, a few hundred of you are going to die from this virus, but never mind, let's just carry on as we are".
I don't sense there is any panic about it in the UK : maybe just some folks taking some precautions.
In the end it's a government decision, not in the public's hands or in the hands of big business, who I'm sure will be realistic about this problem.

Boris Johnson has called an emergency Cobra meeting......for Monday