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

[harryopal1]

It is now established that the new virus originating in Wuhan is being transmitted from human to human and it is has spread to Beijing, Shanghai, Korea, Japan and Australia. The CPC is saying "don't panic."

Some interesting comparisons with Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 which swept around the world, infected supposedly 500 million people and killed between 50 and 100 million.The Spanish flu also was said to have originated in a piggery in China and there were no treatments available at the time. Various authorities suppressed early news and only published information about it's spread in Spain which gave rise to it being called Spanish Flu. The very young and very old were particularly susceptible. Others likely to be most vulnerable were people who were malnourished. In a country such as Indonesia I am not sure of the numbers of malnourished but I presume there are many.

It will be interesting to see how this develops in the next few weeks.

 

[jstar]

In Australia I would have other things to worry about. Not in the least the statements from the prime minister.

This is one of those things you really can do practically nothing about. Avoid contact? Dont' go outside? No more meeting people? Wear gloves and mask all day? I never saw them pick out people from the crowd with these heat scanners on HK airport btw.

 

[gemima]

I read it was less dangerous than SARS which seemed to have everyone on high alert but only killed about 800 people worldwide in the end (dont mean to minimize the deaths but normal flu kills many more than that each year). Might be too soon to know for sure though.

 

[harryopal1]

It might be safer to just stay in bed but then there are earthquakes, floods and lightning. Ohh yes, and there are the occasional tsunamis, avalanches, house breaks ins and maybe bed sores from lying in bed too long.

 

[Puspawarna]

I'm paying attention!

Substitute "landslides" for avalanches, and harryopal's list applies pretty well to my location.

 

[harryopal1]

I'm paying attention!

Substitute "landslides" for avalanches, and harryopal's list applies pretty well to my location.

Oops. I stand corrected but with the crazy weather patterns who knows... maybe Balil will experience an avalanche.

 

[jstar]

The worst case...

And reality....

 

[jstar]

Checking on plane...

Passengers scanned for coronavirus as plane lands on flights from China

Countries in Asia are stepping up defences against the spread of coronavirus after experts confirmed it is being passed between humans.

metro.co.uk

 

[harryopal1]

It is all in the laps of the Gods. If the virus mutates and becomes a serious killer then there is really no way these screening measures will be effective. So walking the aircraft aisle establishes that perhaps none of the passengers are ill... at that moment. But this does not guarantee that the illness will not develop later.
If I were with the CIA and it were seen that a collapse of the Chinese Communist government were in US interests I would be fascinated. Potentially, this could unravel that totalitarian government. If tens of thousands were to start dying across China it could well undo belief in the system.
Conversely were I a member of the Politburo, which doesn't believe in religions, I would suddenly start praying.

 

[Balifrog]

Not gonna change anything in my livestyle.
Lived 8 y in HKG and went through the yearly flu psychose and all the other stuff when they all wear masks and look.like walking ghosts...
Always made me laugh.

 

[gemima]

It is all in the laps of the Gods. If the virus mutates and becomes a serious killer then there is really no way these screening measures will be effective. So walking the aircraft aisle establishes that perhaps none of the passengers are ill... at that moment. But this does not guarantee that the illness will not develop later.
If I were with the CIA and it were seen that a collapse of the Chinese Communist government were in US interests I would be fascinated. Potentially, this could unravel that totalitarian government. If tens of thousands were to start dying across China it could well undo belief in the system.
Conversely were I a member of the Politburo, which doesn't believe in religions, I would suddenly start praying.

In the modern world (air travel) any viruses that are so dangerous will just end up affecting all big cities and the US would be screwed as much as the Chinese!

 

[harryopal1]

So now Wuhan is being closed down.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...easures-rein-spread-mutate-disease-death-toll

 

[dafluff]

200+ cases and "only" 3 deaths? That's probably about the same mortality rate as Indonesian street food...

 

[harryopal1]

Last report I saw said more than 600 cases and 17 deaths along with concerns that the authorities in China were holding back on reporting cases. Also reports that some hospital were having trouble coping with hospital alone having 300 cases.

 

[jstar]

Game Plague inc.

I bet that if my parents would have the ‘normal’ regular flu ? (not a cold), then at least one of them would die. As so many others in that elderly group. The resistance as of a certain age is just too weak. Luckily they get a yearly shot, but even that’s no guarantee...

 

[Bad_azz]

I just saw a video on Twitter of someone allegedly dying on the floor in a hospital of this virus, and someone attending to them in a hazmat suit.
:/
I won't share the link for obvious reasons.

[edit] 3 cities locked down now according to latest reports- 20 million people quarantined. Huanggang & Ezhuo along with Wuhan (believed to be where patient 0 contracted the disease in a livestock market).

 

[harryopal1]

It's all a bit like a sci fi disaster film. Perhaps Greta Thunberg will be the heroine who saves us.

 

[ChrisTex]

It's all a bit like a sci fi disaster film. Perhaps Greta Thunberg will be the heroine who saves us.

I think it will be Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr that saves us. They have experience in deadly diseases.

 

[BPNBound]

I cant remember where I read it, but did SARS have a much bigger impact on those that had Chinese ethnicity. The hotspots outside of China were in Toronto for example were in Chinese enclaves.

 

[Wisnu]

I think it will be Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr that saves us. They have experience in deadly diseases.

Or Prof. Robert Langdon.
Next sequel after Inferno.