CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEW MEGA THREAD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been any hot spots in quite awhile - since Iran or Italy. So far very few outbreak areas. A good sign.

If this was really snowballing, we would see continuous new hot spots developing around the world but we are mostly seeing a more typical flu season like pattern.

I think you're following different reporting than I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been any hot spots in quite awhile - since Iran or Italy. So far very few outbreak areas. A good sign.

If this was really snowballing, we would see continuous new hot spots developing around the world but we are mostly seeing a more typical flu season like pattern.

I think you're following different reporting than I am.

+1

Several additional countries have rapidly increasing numbers. Within the US, we have Washington state and the Westchester cluster in NY. And this is without widespread testing (which is the key to knowing what the hell is out there).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been any hot spots in quite awhile - since Iran or Italy. So far very few outbreak areas. A good sign.

If this was really snowballing, we would see continuous new hot spots developing around the world but we are mostly seeing a more typical flu season like pattern.

I think you're following different reporting than I am.

+1

Several additional countries have rapidly increasing numbers. Within the US, we have Washington state and the Westchester cluster in NY. And this is without widespread testing (which is the key to knowing what the hell is out there).

I think we can add DMV at this point. We were basically at 0 cases on Friday morning, and already at 8, it's not even Sunday night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Average age of contracting this is 60 and death is 80.
People that age should be just quarantining themselves. The rest of us don’t need to disrupt our lives over a cold and fever that is mild for over 90% of people

Not everyone 60-80 is retired. All of my specialists are over 60. DH’s oncologist is 61. Many lawmakers and school administrators are over 60. Things will falter if they stay home.

My boss is 70.

It's difficult because a lot of retired elders provide support to other elders. My parents live in a small community where the median age is high. They are in their early 70s and healthy and mobile. They have a regular circuit of older neighbors they check in on and they bring people meals if meals on wheels is cancelled due to weather. It would be very hard to fill in that kind of informal community support either because of quarantine or because of widespread illness.

[Anonymous]

Places to watch:

Switzerland--has a population one-tenth of Germany's and yet its cases are one-third of Germany's. Trains are still running regularly between Milan and Switzerland.

Egypt--Insisted it had only two cases for a very long time even as cases were popping up in Canada, the US and elsewhere where their only travel had been to Germany. Likely only tested crew of Nile river cruise after several cases elsewhere were identified. Went from 2 cases (from a while back) as of Thursday to 49 today. That is combined with little confidence in the numbers and poor health care.

I'd also be watching Sweden and Norway (Finland canceled defense exercises with the latter over corona virus), Netherlands, and Belgium.

India is on my watch list despite a relatively small number of cases (39) relative to population because spread could become very rapid and India provides back office services to the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Places to watch:

Switzerland--has a population one-tenth of Germany's and yet its cases are one-third of Germany's. Trains are still running regularly between Milan and Switzerland.

Egypt--Insisted it had only two cases for a very long time even as cases were popping up in Canada, the US and elsewhere where their only travel had been to Germany. Likely only tested crew of Nile river cruise after several cases elsewhere were identified. Went from 2 cases (from a while back) as of Thursday to 49 today. That is combined with little confidence in the numbers and poor health care.

I'd also be watching Sweden and Norway (Finland canceled defense exercises with the latter over corona virus), Netherlands, and Belgium.

India is on my watch list despite a relatively small number of cases (39) relative to population because spread could become very rapid and India provides back office services to the world.

What is WRONG with Switzerland? Wow, that's astounding. Travel companies will lie. End of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Average age of contracting this is 60 and death is 80.
People that age should be just quarantining themselves. The rest of us don’t need to disrupt our lives over a cold and fever that is mild for over 90% of people

Not everyone 60-80 is retired. All of my specialists are over 60. DH’s oncologist is 61. Many lawmakers and school administrators are over 60. Things will falter if they stay home.

My boss is 70.

It's difficult because a lot of retired elders provide support to other elders. My parents live in a small community where the median age is high. They are in their early 70s and healthy and mobile. They have a regular circuit of older neighbors they check in on and they bring people meals if meals on wheels is cancelled due to weather. It would be very hard to fill in that kind of informal community support either because of quarantine or because of widespread illness.

I suspect that's part of what's going on in Italy. They've got a lot of small towns with a lot of elderly, and I think a community practice of the retirees providing a community for each other. It's sad to end that.
On the upside, my parents have finally figured out how to get groceries delivered to them, which is something I've been on them to do for ages.

[Anonymous]

Florida Blue to waive all co-pays, deductibles for testing

In an effort to encourage people to seek treatment, Florida Blue announced it will waive all copays and deductibles for testing tied to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Florida Blue, a licensee of Blue Cross Blue Shield, will cancel those fees for all of its commercial insurance plans, including the Affordable Care Act and Medicare Advantage policies.

https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2020/03/07/florida-blue-to-wait-testing-for-covid-19.html?ana=e_sflo_bn_breakingnews&j=90498987&t=Breaking%20News&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWmpNeE1qTmhZV1JrTXpWaiIsInQiOiIyUUNmZXVNV1wvWDJYUDNiQVR3TWtvb2M4aExOZER5eXFsVXV4YlRuSFhQQzFTZStHR2tUMG5tc2dEaGZUNEEyYjJoVnk4ZnVVaW41TmgrZ2o5SzV2MWxRcnV3OTFJeVwvN0tMRElcL2x4RzA2aHhcLzJDVGJQQUI5N1A0eFNCdFwvY2hVIn0%3D

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been any hot spots in quite awhile - since Iran or Italy. So far very few outbreak areas. A good sign.

If this was really snowballing, we would see continuous new hot spots developing around the world but we are mostly seeing a more typical flu season like pattern.

There is a lag. 14 days of incubating and infecting others, then symptoms.

That’s why we got to get our test kit numbers up and make shift testing and hospital beds up, plus respirators, masks, gloves, disinfectants.

And people have to do their part too, minimize social interactions and number of people you’re exposed to per day. Esp new people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Places to watch:

Switzerland--has a population one-tenth of Germany's and yet its cases are one-third of Germany's. Trains are still running regularly between Milan and Switzerland.

Egypt--Insisted it had only two cases for a very long time even as cases were popping up in Canada, the US and elsewhere where their only travel had been to Germany. Likely only tested crew of Nile river cruise after several cases elsewhere were identified. Went from 2 cases (from a while back) as of Thursday to 49 today. That is combined with little confidence in the numbers and poor health care.

I'd also be watching Sweden and Norway (Finland canceled defense exercises with the latter over corona virus), Netherlands, and Belgium.

India is on my watch list despite a relatively small number of cases (39) relative to population because spread could become very rapid and India provides back office services to the world.

People from India are steeling our jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saudi Arabia has become the fourth country to institute a lockdown after China, Vietnam, and Italy.

The Saudis have locked down the Qatif area in the Eastern province. Many of the residents work at Saudi Aramco, the national oil company. The population is largely Shi'ite, and 11 people have been found to be infected, all related to travel to Iran. No one is allowed to leave, but residents may return.

The Palestine Authority also instituted a lockdown on the Bethlehem area last Thursday, shortly after confirming 4 cases, all related to Italian tourists.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-saudi-qatif/saudi-arabia-locks-down-qatif-province-to-prevent-coronavirus-spread-idUSKBN20V0KY

The Qatif lock down area has a population of 500,000 per CNN.

Saudi Arabia has closed all schools and universities across the kingdom, which, geographically is one-fifth the size of the US and the largest country in western Asia.

The outbreak there, as reported, totals only 11 cases and is limited to an area of their eastern province opposite Bahrain.

[Anonymous]

Israel considering mandatory 14 day quarantine for all entrants to the country.

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-08-20-intl-hnk/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been any hot spots in quite awhile - since Iran or Italy. So far very few outbreak areas. A good sign.

If this was really snowballing, we would see continuous new hot spots developing around the world but we are mostly seeing a more typical flu season like pattern.

I think you're following different reporting than I am.

When was the last time you look at the data?
Cases per country. are soaring..


https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been any hot spots in quite awhile - since Iran or Italy. So far very few outbreak areas. A good sign.

If this was really snowballing, we would see continuous new hot spots developing around the world but we are mostly seeing a more typical flu season like pattern.

There is a lag. 14 days of incubating and infecting others, then symptoms.

That’s why we got to get our test kit numbers up and make shift testing and hospital beds up, plus respirators, masks, gloves, disinfectants.

And people have to do their part too, minimize social interactions and number of people you’re exposed to per day. Esp new people.

We would already be seeing huge numbers in hospitals and deaths...this virus has been infecting people in China since at least early November if not earlier. There are thousands of flights from China to around the world from November through the end of January. Yet there are only 3800 deaths worldwide and 3100 of them are in China where the virus originated and only two other countries have more than 100 deaths.

Don't forget the flu kills 35,000 Americans annually - 25,500 of them over 65.
This virus, despite being in circulation for more than 4 months during the virus season has only killed 3800 people worldwide and most of those are at the site where the virus originated.
The mass panic is really not warranted. Take precautions as you would to avoid getting sick - your elderly parents are still far more likely to die from the regular flu than from CoV2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Israel considering mandatory 14 day quarantine for all entrants to the country.

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-08-20-intl-hnk/index.html

Israel has 17 cases--this move would essentially shut down all tourism.