DON'T PANIC.... well, maybe a little bit.

The US Centers for Disease control estimated there were approximately 45 millions cases of the flu in the US during the 2017 - 2018 influenza season with 810,000 hospitalizations and 61,000 deaths.

They also estimated "between 291,000 and 646,000 people worldwide die from seasonal influenza-related respiratory illnesses each year."

This flu comparison is getting tiresome. When was the last time flu season massively overwhelmed hospitals all over the world simultaneously?

It is vaguely reminiscent of the Y2K 2000 computer bug. Many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. And there were in fact many problems occurred around the world as the year turned over. Radiation overload and alarms went off in nuclear power plants in Japan, airline baggage collection systems in chaos, transport ticketing systems unable to cope and so on. But planes did not fall out of the sky and no major disasters although there expectations of that happening..

This is a patently ridiculous argument. Y2K did not cause planes to fall out of the sky because herculean efforts were made years prior to prevent that from happening.

In the future, the not so bright will make the argument that all the Covid-19 efforts were an "overreaction" because in the end only 100k or whatever number people died, when in fact many more would have died if it weren't for those efforts.

"We are overreacting because if it looks like you're overreacting, you're probably doing the right thing" - Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
 
While Covid-19 is a strain of the corona virus that causes influenza, the physical manifestation of Covid-19 which is respiratory infection takes up a HUGE amount of resources when compared to influenza's symptoms. This is the big difference: respiratory infection vs the sniffles.
 
While Covid-19 is a strain of the corona virus that causes influenza, the physical manifestation of Covid-19 which is respiratory infection takes up a HUGE amount of resources when compared to influenza's symptoms. This is the big difference: respiratory infection vs the sniffles.

Well the CDC did estimate 810,000 US hospitalizations for 2017- 2018. I doubt these were admissions for sniffles.
 
Well the CDC did estimate 810,000 US hospitalizations for 2017- 2018. I doubt these were admissions for sniffles.

"CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually since 2010."

Here you go.
 
Mortality rate for flu is about 0.1%. COVID-19 in China claims the lives of 1.4% of those infected. In Italy 12% of infected people die.

The Novel Coronavirus is NOT just another flu, it is at least 10 times deadlier. In the worst case scenario it’s 100 times more lethal.

Another meme that is going around in conservative (Trump supporter) circle claims that H1N1 infected 60.8 million people and claimed the lives of 12,469 during Obama’s administration, yet the “fake news” and “liberal” media didn’t make a big deal out of it. I gotta wonder if these folks actually graduated elementary school. They can’t calculate that the death rate of H1N1 was 0.02%, which is a fifth of the Flu. It wasn’t a friggin big deal because it wasn’t as dangerous as the Flu.
 
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I have no vested interest in trying to say that Covid-19 is not deadly or dangerous. My point is that whatever the reality it does seem we are poised at the edge of some kind of abyss carried along by international hysteria that is based a lot on wild guesses and fearful conclusions. So now, if you will excuse me, I am going to dig a deep hole and hide until all this blows over.
 
H5N1,. bird flu was a pretty big deal for me,. two HUGE chicken farms here in Cihideung, Lembang lost tens of thousands of chickens and two of our neighbours died from it,.,.,.
 

Someone broke down the data for Covid-19 official deaths and Covid-19 protocol burials in Jakarta on a per day basis for March/April. It looks like the burials are growing exponentially.


1436
 
I have no vested interest in trying to say that Covid-19 is not deadly or dangerous. My point is that whatever the reality it does seem we are poised at the edge of some kind of abyss carried along by international hysteria that is based a lot on wild guesses and fearful conclusions. So now, if you will excuse me, I am going to dig a deep hole and hide until all this blows over.
Wild guesses and fearful conclusions???
I think you need to speak to someone living in Madrid or Lombardy.
We aren't guessing - the virus has filled up all the hospitals in badly affected areas. Yes it's killing mainly older/ vulnerable people (who might have died of seasonal flu or usual pneumonia) but when hospitals are full people end up dying from all sorts of other illnesses.
 
I don't dispute that people are dying. However I presume the usual round of influenzas are still abroad and as previously shown these annually harvest their victims. It seems we are assuming that the spike in deaths showing burial protocols in Jakarta are all being attributed to Covid - 19. I don't argue that the latter is not responsible for many deaths but I am not sure that it is solely responsible.

Of course the reality is that we are facing a dastardly health hazard but the true nature of what is taking place is obscure. Does it make a difference? Does it really matter which particular strain of virus has taken another life? I would have thought being certain as to causes of death is important. In the short term we don't have the luxury of waiting until we have all facts. Ill informed I may be but I suspect that is also the case with so many medical experts where opinions have been often so different and suggested responses have also varied widely.

Anyway, back to digging my hole in which to hide.
 
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I'm sure all those "nutcase" doomsday preppers feel vindicted now. Never thought I'd see NY liberals buying bunkers in West Virginia hah!!
 
Alert – U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia, April 7, 2020

Location: Indonesia

Event: Alert: Information on the Economic Impact Payment, U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia


Coronavirus Tax Relief:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is taking steps to help American taxpayers during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Please visit the IRS website to learn more about coronavirus tax relief, the extension of the tax filing deadline, and the economic impact payment.


IRS warns about COVID-19 related scams:


The Internal Revenue Service today urged taxpayers to be on the lookout for a surge of calls and email phishing attempts about the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. These contacts can lead to tax-related fraud and identity theft. Taxpayers should watch not only for emails but text messages, websites and social media attempts that request money or personal information. The IRS will not contact taxpayers directly regarding the economic impact payment and will never ask for personal information over the phone or email. For more information, please see the IRS website here.
 
It is vaguely reminiscent of the Y2K 2000 computer bug. Many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. And there were in fact many problems occurred around the world as the year turned over. Radiation overload and alarms went off in nuclear power plants in Japan, airline baggage collection systems in chaos, transport ticketing systems unable to cope and so on. But planes did not fall out of the sky and no major disasters although there were expectations of that happening..

So maybe it is appropriate to panic a little bit.... but not too much.

As others have said - this is because there was a huge amount of work done to recode and test the systems. Focusing on safety critical systems.
 
An update from the US Embassy



Alert – U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia, April 8, 2020

Location: Indonesia

Event: Alert: Limited Passport Services, U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia

Current Status of Passport Services

Because of public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, effective March 20, 2020, the U.S Department of State began limiting its passport operations. Effective April 2, we have further limited our ability to offer routine passport and citizenship services overseas.

If you have recently applied for a passport or citizenship service, you should expect significant delays receiving your passport and your citizenship evidence documents. Contact the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to check on the status of your passport or citizenship document such as a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). Please consider waiting to apply until we resume normal operations.

In an emergency, the U.S. Embassy Jakarta can assist with an emergency passport for an adult or a minor. If you have not received your Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), an emergency passport may be issued as proof of citizenship.

For U.S. citizens in the United States, we are only able to offer in-person service at domestic passport agencies or centers for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.
 
Well, the coffin business is booming in Jakarta...

“Usually we sell between five to seven coffins a day, but now it is up to 20 to 30 coffins a day,” said Sahroni, 38, as he applied base coat onto a wooden coffin.
“Our working hours are now from morning to midnight,” said Sahroni, who uses one name.


 
local Yogya has installed glass spit shields at each cashier. Also the new wastafel sans towel outside
 

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