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Is the situation about the Coronavirus worrying?


communityabed

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So far I dont think there should be a panic. The media seems to be making it worse then it is. Unless you in Wuhan then I dont think you need to worry much. If you in a country that has been exposed the precaution would be best but otherwise if its not near you whats panicking going to do.

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communityabed
23 minutes ago, GatsbyGirl said:

if its not near you whats panicking going to do.

Ok. You are probably right. My natural propensity for anxiety skyrocketed after reading various threads on reddit/collapse.

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The media seems to be making it worse then it is.

So, business as usual.

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Well, when a virus attacking humans combines itself with a virus usually attacking animal, it MIGHT become both contagious (because the human targetting part) and deadly (because the human immune system doesn't know how to fight it). Each time a knew recombinant virus appears, the states and the World Health Organization have to find out how dangerous it actually is and take preventive mesures. Recent epidemies like the Flu pandemic of 2009 caused actually less deaths than the common flu. On the other hand, the Spanish Flu caused millions of casualities in the aftermath of WW1. To this day, I don't think we really know how contagious, nor how dangerous the new coronavirus really is.

I think the Chinese authorities takes the problem seriously, so there no need to worry too much now.

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2 hours ago, communityabed said:

Just the title. Searching for answers as to whether there's a real cause for panic.

Definitely not. I am flying to China within a month and a bit, and couldn't be the slightest worried about the illness. I would be more worried about having to push my flight back but have already considered the scenario.

 

The news tend to fear monger, and deliberately leave details out. Such as "precautionary measures", and focus solely on death tolls and infection rates.

 

Outrage garners ratings. Shock value sells. Gets eyes watching. One must learn to read between the lines as a result. 

 

Again. Precautions must be taken if in a city in China with high infection rates, but the disease was quickly acted upon and is under control. China has learned from SARS.

 

Wuhan is a city of about 11 million. Gives you a little perspective on how fast their government has acted. This should indicate how quickly they contained it.

 

Wuhan is already on lock down. Many Chinese airports have officials that scan your foreheads temperature for fever and several cities where this has spread to have ensured enough supply of face masks are available, stressing for the entire population to wear them in public.

 

Just about all deaths, were seniors, and just about all had underlying health issues (re: weak immune systems). Same reason health staff at nursing homes must take flu shots. The seniors they watch just don't stand a chance against the common flu. Let alone this illness, which clearly sucks to get, but with a strong immune system, should pass. This is also looking to be weaker than SARS. 

 

The high death toll with SARS, has more to do with poor communication and slow moving information about the spread of the illness. Very hard to contain, let alone develop vaccines in this setting. 

 

Many of the infected were hospitalized as a precaution to avoid further spread. 

 

For me, I have already purchased face masks and again, this is precautionary. I don't want to bring anything into China, let alone return to Canada with anything either. 

 

Like any illness, prevention is key.

 

Looking at how aggressive China is being, one should rest assured. 

 

Don't read into the headlines, and look into actual statistics, and know you will be fine.

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communityabed

@Perspektiv

Thank you so much for your perspective. I generally tend to read only trusted sources, mainly the Guardian. But I am beginning to think even that's having a detrimental effect on my mental health and general outlook. Even if I take a look at the stats, I don't know how to interpret them. I mean to me 1400 people infected sounds like a huge number. I don't know how to judge the proportion. Any hints on how to do that?

 

Would you also say that climate change is being blown out of proportion? Or is there genuine cause for worry?

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communityabed

Just to be clear, I definitely believe that climate change is real. I am not a denier. What I wanted to understand was the timescale. As in will it all go to pieces within the next 20 years? 30 years? by the end of this century?

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47 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

...Wuhan is a city of about 11 million...

 

Yeah, I've read in the news that about 500 people got contaminated and maybe 15 have died. No mention of the enormous size of Wuhan.

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45 minutes ago, communityabed said:

Any hints on how to do that?

500, 1000+, are a big number. 

 

Understanding how many people frequent the wet meat markets in Wuhan daily, would provide you with a better perspective as to how this was contained. Most in China prefer fresh foods (when I say fresh, we are talking slaughtered that very morning, when talking about meats), so understanding their culture would give you an idea of the sheer volume of people that frequent them.

 

As a westerner, I am used to buying frozen or refrigerated meat with a best before date on it. To my girlfriend who is born in Asia, this isn't fresh. She prefers pointing out a fish, having it killed before her eyes, and scaling and gutting it, herself. 

 

I don't bat an eyelid at this, as I was taught to prepare meats this way. 

 

Maybe it's due to my mother being the same way, but I have gravitated towards women with that type of upbringing. 

 

Traveling around Asia, I learned on the benefits of super fresh meat (the flavor can't be compared), but also the risks involved with this (if you haven't fine tuned your skills at knowing when to buy to ensure it's a its freshest or how to tell).

 

Also gives perspective to that number of contaminated victims.

 

Also, when you look at death tolls, you need to understand beyond the death itself. 

 

Were they healthy and young adults? Or were they infants, and the elderly?

 

The latter, indicates no further risk potentially than a regular flu. Something health officials have even confirmed.

 

So the word "deadly" needs to be used in context. The news avoids using that context. Main reason I hate watching the news. 

 

With their logic, flying is deadly. At that rate, best to live underground in a bunker with a foil hat.

 

Seeing nothing but healthy adults under 50, would indicate a high level of severity. Then you would be right to panic. 

 

I would panic too. 

 

Personally, I read the news of across the globe. You start to see the biases in some offerings. 

 

Question everything. Will make your life a lot more peaceful. 

 

In questioning, you then learn to look for information. Not rumors. 

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1 hour ago, communityabed said:

Would you also say that climate change is being blown out of proportion?

Should we panic? No.

 

Should we stop eroding our natural resources for profit, with no care about the future? Yes. 

 

The earth will not be destroyed by humans. The earth has survived extinction level events. 

 

Think we have the power to destroy it, and we are quickly humbled by a volcano or tsunami. 

 

If anything, we need to improve how we care for our planet for our own benefit. Not earth's.

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RoseGoesToYale

Consider the following:

-The majority of China's population is in their 40s and 50s. The majority of deaths have been in patients aged 50-something and older.

-The air quality in China is awful, and breathing that in all your life correlates with other diseases, i.e. becoming immunocompromised at some point

-China's healthcare system ranks lower than a lot of other countries, part of which may just be sheer population against not enough resources to handle it

-Because of higher population densities in Asian countries like China, people live way closer to each other. On a cultural note, you're more likely to see multiple generations of people in a single household, which means more people in the home and higher concentration disease spread within households.

-American newspaper companies would love nothing more for you to cower under your bed in fear and keep subscribing to their websites in order to satiate your morbid fascination with your own potential demise ("Let us keep scaring you! Now for only $1 a day!")

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No reason to panic. One, panic doesn't accomplish anything. Two, things like that happen frequently, swine flu, bird flu, whatever flu. Or that salad thing a few years back. Does anyone remember that? No? Thought so.

 

Couldn't care less tbh. Maybe I could open an office where people place bets on what the next virus fad will be. Haven't had anything fish-related in a while.

 

4 hours ago, GatsbyGirl said:

if its not near you whats panicking going to do.

Even if it's near you, what's panicking going to do?

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It just made me remember that I had Plague Inc. installed on my mobile...

I will simulate the current epidemics and let you know if I manage in Brutal mode 🤔.

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I don't think there is a need to panic. Still a good idea to always maintain good hygiene, though.

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how deadly is this?

"It could kill millions or nobody*. I suppose it might even bring a few people back to life! " Professor Farnsworth, Futurama episode "Cold Warriors"

 

*i'm aware coronavirus has already killed about 50 people

 

personally i don't think there should be any panic about it, it could be very dangerous but bare in mind, the flu also kills people. we need more information.

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From what I've read, the recent outbreak can be deadly, but it isn't exceedingly deadly for the type of virus it is. The doctors I've seen approach it as a normal virus, not a pandemic.

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Well I didn't manage to eradicate the human race yet, even adding unreallistic symptoms. But if you are really worried you can go to Groenland. Maybe Donald Trump will make another offer to buy this isolated island if the virus becomes pandemic.

 

More seriously, there are more contagious viruses than the current coronavirus. The main transmission would be from living animals to humans. The animals would be living wild animals and Chinese can eat almost everything that is edible. There could be human-human transmission via aerosols as well. With the long incubation period 7-14 days it is not easy to figure out how infection spreads. Yesterday there was 846 confirmed cases, with only 16 cases abroad so the epidemic is still very local.

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I donno... The media says one thing, the chinese government says one thing, social media an other. And personally I've very little trust in the voice of the media and governments. Actions speak louder.

I've seen videos of people reselling used facemasks and that's some scheming shit right there.  

 

It's hard to know where to put your trust in what's true when something's happening on the other side of the world... i'm not worried as I'm so far from it, live remotely and isolated and have no plans on travelling. 

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Facemasks aren't terribly effective. They're best used by sick people to prevent their germs from spreading, and the way people use them makes them superfluous. If you are counting on them to protect you, you need to use them carefully.

 

I don't really trust the government, media, or social media, but social media least of all. On this, I trust what the doctors say. It takes some digging to find that.

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5 hours ago, communityabed said:

Just to be clear, I definitely believe that climate change is real. I am not a denier. What I wanted to understand was the timescale. As in will it all go to pieces within the next 20 years? 30 years? by the end of this century?

Things won't go to pieces; the earth will survive.  But things are happening at a much more rapid rate than reputable scientists were predicting even 2 years ago, and it is time for humans and their nations to make plans for how humans will survive when we have less living space on earth.

 

 

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58 minutes ago, FeichtKatze said:

I donno... The media says one thing, the chinese government says one thing, social media an other. And personally I've very little trust in the voice of the media and governments. Actions speak louder.

I've seen videos of people reselling used facemasks and that's some scheming shit right there.  

 

It's hard to know where to put your trust in what's true when something's happening on the other side of the world... i'm not worried as I'm so far from it, live remotely and isolated and have no plans on travelling. 

This virus is not just showing itself in China; there are at least 10 countries now with people sick with it, and as of several days ago, 47 people in China had died.  In many localities around the world with less-than-modern epidemiology and medical care, some patients will die of the virus while assumed to have died of some other disease.

 

This is not a media or governmental creation.  That kind of conspiratorial assumption is just as dangerous as the disease.  

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3 minutes ago, Sally said:

This virus is not just showing itself in China; there are at least 10 countries now with people sick with it, and as of several days ago, 47 people in China had died.  In many localities around the world with less-than-modern epidemiology and medical care, some patients will die of the virus while assumed to have died of some other disease.

 

This is not a media or governmental creation.  That kind of conspiratorial assumption is just as dangerous as the disease.  

I just made it easier on myself by saying china, I know there are more countries involved but counting up 10+ countries just for the sake of correctness is annoying when most people you talk to already know the fact. 

I'm not saying any government created this flu what I mean is when something the scale of pandemic is knocking on our doorstep our governments and media are our windows into what's going on and we have to trust that they're giving us the best information. And they have a tight rope to walk, they have to find that sweet spot where they don't downplay what's happening too much yet don't hype it up too much. (I remember how my government reacted to the bird flu and it was an epic scandal.)
It's too early to say how this is going to play out, for now we can't do much else than wait and see. People are going to die that's given. And unfortunately there are individuals who are going to try to benefit from the panic; like the turd who resold used facemasks.

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11 hours ago, communityabed said:

Just to be clear, I definitely believe that climate change is real. I am not a denier. What I wanted to understand was the timescale. As in will it all go to pieces within the next 20 years? 30 years? by the end of this century?

ok, so the thing with the environment, is that it changes slowly. like slowly enough that it is hard for us to think about (how much did it snow ten years ago? not very important information according to our brain) but if it starts changing in a way that is hostile to us it would take us a very long time for us to try to change it back. so what effects we have on it in 20-30 years will be reflected by how it affects us in like 50-60 years, and it's going to be gradual change, not something overnight.

but there isn't a lot of good in worrying about it, because day to day there isn't a lot we can do. we can express a desire for political change, express our concerns to the businesses we work for (or choose to work for a business that works to change how we are affecting the environment) but a lot of the 'green lifestyle' stuff is just branding or not effective on an individual level. 

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This is a high risk to someone with a weakened immune system. However, so is a common flu. 

 

When you look at the death tolls annually from influenza, it truly puts this illness into perspective. 

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15 hours ago, gisiebob said:

ok, so the thing with the environment, is that it changes slowly. like slowly enough that it is hard for us to think about (how much did it snow ten years ago? not very important information according to our brain) but if it starts changing in a way that is hostile to us it would take us a very long time for us to try to change it back. so what effects we have on it in 20-30 years will be reflected by how it affects us in like 50-60 years, and it's going to be gradual change, not something overnight.

but there isn't a lot of good in worrying about it, because day to day there isn't a lot we can do. we can express a desire for political change, express our concerns to the businesses we work for (or choose to work for a business that works to change how we are affecting the environment) but a lot of the 'green lifestyle' stuff is just branding or not effective on an individual level. 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  - for 'evil' read 'climate change'. We can put pressure on business - they take notice when people stop buying their products for example, put pressure on local/government representatives - they can't be in office if we don't vote them in and if they don't do the things we voted them in for - then get rid. We can also consider how our actions can make a difference - be aware of how we dispose of non recyclables and keep in mind the mantra 'Reduce, reuse, recycle'

The virus may be little more than a cold - but theproblem with viruses is they mutate and cn become more virulent. From the bits I've read, scientists are concerned with:

 

a.  It has made the leap from animals to humans

b. The speed it's spreading - in China at the moment but cases are arising in Europe. Man is helping it, of course - you can fly from one end of the world to the other in around 24 hours; long before symptoms show and an entire aircraft can be infected in the process.

I would rather the authorities were over cautious than they ignored it - because we'd be quick enough to blame them if it went  the wrong way

 

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On 1/25/2020 at 5:25 PM, FeichtKatze said:

It's hard to know where to put your trust

I would trust the reasoning from the World Health Organization. 

 

Especially their medical experts. 

 

But I think common sense should be the best voice to listen to. 

 

Panic hinders your reasoning. Fear simply sharpens it. 

 

However, common sense shows one has nothing to fear or panic about. 

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