Fake web news reports on the coronavirus (OT)

Reality lays between fear and optimism.

The most effective plan prepares for the worst while hoping for the best.

JNF said...
I am not underestimating it, I am showing what has been happening. You mention Italy with a high rate so far, you must also show South Korea with a low rate. Can’t just focus on the worst. Many countries have cases with no fatalities and they have to be calculated as well.

The universal advice is that this virus is a multiple of times more lethal than the flu. You said yesterday it'd all blow over in a month. You still really believe that ?

Jasper, when will it blow over? I don’t know, but it is certainly running out of steam in China, Japan, and South Korea. These were the early countries hardest hit in January and February and they have seemed to be cycling through to a point of far more recoveries and fewer new cases each day and a significant downward trend in deaths. I sure hope it cycles through quickly. I want the least damage to society possible.

jasperx10 said...
I'm at a loss why there is very little testing going on in the US compared to other countries.

another attempt to control the narrative.

InTheShop said...
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

I say that our government is more stupid that malicious ...

either way I think we agree the government screwed the pooch

I think we have to remember that there are many sides to this virus and believe that's what we have to be concerned about; we all know that the market needed a correction so that's happening, Hopefully the very low unemployment rate will be a plus as we know that rate is going to rise; Sadly we have become a service type industry in America and this sector is going to get hit hard look at the layoffs that have occurred this week already. Looking at the medical side yes there are many people who are going to lose their lives to this virus and this is devastating to each and every one of us. Look at what we here on the forum have endured to stay alive so my heart goes out to the families that will be losing loved ones. But what happens when the emergency rooms are packed with people demanding testing and the people that need immediate attention such as heart attacks, car accidents, and such are not getting the help they need? I think we are all in agreement that the actions the government are taking will hopefully ultimately result in the slowing of the virus, save lives, and keep the hit to our economy under control before it becomes devastating! We are entering uncharted waters and I don't think any of us know what's going to happen this is a different world now from when we were kids. I think the time has come to quit blaming one party or the other, we can't go back and change anything anyway, Let's hope that the Government, and the citizens of this great country can band together and get through this crisis as we have done in the past! God bless America!

Larry

Vince, I spoke to a friend that has a place in Montana and asked why no cases. He responded that for all his life “social distancing” in Montana is defined as 6 miles..........not 6 feet. Hope you stay well.

Tom Hanks has tested positive...

"The NBA season is SUSPENDED over coronavirus: All games are postponed as Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tests positive a day after JOKING about outbreak and fans are dramatically sent home just before tip-off"

This overpaid clown joked about the virus, see the video of him touching microphones. He though it was funny. Who knows how many he infected? What does science tell us about the R0 ("In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number (sometimes called basic reproductive ratio, or incorrectly basic reproductive rate, and denoted R0, pronounced R nought or R zero[11]) of an infection can be thought of as the expected number of cases directly generated by one case in a population where all individuals are susceptible to infection.[12] The definition describes the state where no other individuals are infected or immunized (naturally or through vaccination).")? Preliminary science tells us the COIVD-19 R0 is between 2-3. We need it under 1 to stop the spread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyc6oqiazbi

https://twitter.com/davefox2/status/1237906382193438720

There should be criminal penalties for this sort of stunt.

On Philadelphia news this morning, it is announced that the Wells Fargo center is closed indefinitely--and a concert scheduled for tomorrow is cancelled. Presumably it also means that no Flyers home games--the sixers are already shut down.

So, again, my thought from yesterday: at least in some areas, the time for true containment may be past. Now it's really about limiting exposure to keep the spread as low as possible.


I also saw a sobering stat: Across the US, the last official counts indicate about 12,000 people have been tested--with about 1000 positives. That looks like a huge hit rate--but how many tests have been run on those who are asymptomatic, or only slightly so?

Some estimates are that 40-60% of the U.S. population will be exposed within a year. Angela Merkel said the figure may be as many as 70% in Germany. We are starting to hear that we won't be testing on the scale of other countries. Estimates are also that 1% of U.S. population may be infected now. I'm only reporting what I'm hearing.

Djin

Studies show smokers have a more than double the risk of ending up in critical condition. This *could* account for the high CFR in Italy (or it could be that Italy just hasn't tested enough people to show the true CFR i.e. people who have mild disease bring down the CFR dramatically, as in S. Korea); story translated from the Italian here:

Covid-19: in smokers the risk of ending up in intensive care is more than double
ISS, 11 March 2020
by Roberta Pacifici
https://www.iss.it/web/guest/primo-piano/-/asset_publisher/o4ogr9qmvuz9/content/id/5294087

It has now been shown that active and passive tobacco smoke seriously damages health and also promotes respiratory infections.

We are therefore not surprised that recent studies of Covid-19 have shown a more severe disease risk among smokers. A third more of Covid-19 positive smokers had a more serious clinical situation than non-smokers upon admission, and for them the risk of needing intensive care and mechanical ventilation is more than double. These studies also speculate that the smoker's condition explains the gender difference in the reported lethality rate which would be 4.7% in men versus 2.8% in women. In fact, the prevalence of smokers in China is very high and exceeds 50% while that of women is less than 3%.

Ceasing to consume any tobacco product is therefore even more important today.

In Italy there are 11.6 million smokers, 22% of the population over the age of 15. There are over 7 million men who smoke and 4.5 million women. Among students aged between 14 and 17, 11.1% and 13.4% occasionally smoke.

Attempts to quit smoking have been on the decline in recent years but scientific research has confirmed that many short and long-term benefits are obtained when you quit smoking. After a few weeks the respiratory gas exchange of the circulation improves, the cough and respiratory problems improve.

Quitting smoking is possible In Italy we have Anti-Smoking Centers, present all over the national territory, where specialists are able to help smokers in the process of cessation of the consumption of tobacco products also through personalized interventions. We use the need for changes in daily habits, which this epidemic imposes on us, to mature the need to abandon the consumption of tobacco and nicotine products. Call the Green Telephone against smoking 800 554088, active from Monday to Friday from 10 to 16 for information and support for change.

Post Edited (Buddy Blank) : 3/12/2020 7:38:17 AM (GMT-6)

JNF said...
Vince, I spoke to a friend that has a place in Montana and asked why no cases. He responded that for all his life “social distancing” in Montana is defined as 6 miles..........not 6 feet. Hope you stay well.

It's more like 12 feet to anyone from another state, except Californians, where they want to put us on the next bus out of town. I've been here almost 30 years and still put up with that kind of nonsense.

JNF said...
Buddy, The CDC, WHO and every expert says that not everyone should be tested. How irresponsible. Diagnostic testing is well established and should be followed. You say we should follow the professionals, then let’s abide by that. When Dr. Fauci say 330 million in the USA and 7 billion in the world should be tested then I am board.

Djin, again, so what you have heard about what Merkel speculates? Why repeat such an outrageous claim. What truly does she know that the CDC and WHO doesn’t know. And they in no way project 70% infection rate. And no country has in any way experienced that rate. Such statements inappropriately stoke fears and does cause undue fear, worry, and panic.

It's the health care professional that are giving these estimates based on modeling. Preparedness is not panic. You or anyone is free to believe our leader who, just a few days ago, said we had 15 cases which would likely go to zero soon. We don't have to test everyone, but we do need spot testing of asymptomatic people to see what the current infection rate really is. Experts say that when the threshold of 1% infected is reached, mitigation is needed because containment isn't possible.

Closed door meeting in Congress

Post Edited (DjinTonic) : 3/12/2020 8:05:43 AM (GMT-6)