Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Admiral Yi]

For the love of god Yi, do I have to do everything for you?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Osterholm

I'd never heard of him either, and as much as I enjoy Joe Rogan, I tend to take a lot of his guests with a pinch of salt. This guy seems fairly legit. Rogan does have very legit people on, as well as the nutjobs.

I can't quite tell if you're being playful or spazzing out.

[katmai]

Governor of Washington is restricting gatherings of all kinds to no more 250 people. Includes concerts and sporting events

[crazy canuck]

I wondered how many people in the US have been infected with the flu and how many have died this flu season.

The numbers dwarf covid.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/03/the-flu-has-already-killed-10000-across-us-as-world-frets-over-coronavirus.html

That's an article from Feb 3rd, and all the numbers thus are wrong.

You can't say that the flu is a bigger future threat than Covid 19 without taking into account the recentness of the Covid 19 outbreak, and saying that it is a bigger past threat is silly in the face of the recentness of Covid 19.

The proper comparison is dead/sick or hospitalized/sick.  But then, of course, your entire point collapses.

The vast majority of people being tested here do not have Covid.  I know it is fashionable in this forum to panic but when the US actually starts testing why should one assume the experience will much different.

[Tamas]

Yeah people chillax, what could happen!

[Monoriu]

We have a couple of new cases every day in Hong Kong.  The latest news is that a group of eight people all got the virus when they returned from Egypt. 

[Razgovory]

The flu comparison is simply dishonest.  Other posters have explained why.

[Syt]

From reddit.



 

[celedhring]

The entire far right parliamentary group at the Spanish Congress has had to quarantine itself after its #2 tested positive (tempted to drop a Nelson here but I'll stay classy). Congress has had to shut down since they can't really proceed without 50 opposition MPs.

The aforementioned #2 was present at a rally this Sunday, shaking hands and kissing people while being in visible discomfort.

[Admiral Yi]

Dropping the kissing for a while sounds like a really good idea.

[Tamas]

It's HaBsburg FFS.

[Tamas]

During yesterday's phone conference of EU leaders, Orban highlighted the major link between illegal migration and coronavirus.

[Monoriu]

It warms my heart that there is still a Habsburg pretender 

[Tamas]

Following the number of reported cases seem largely pointless at this stage, as they only test people who have been in direct contact with a confirmed case (plus I'd imagine end up in hospital due to sever symptoms);

Unfortunately I have a cough + a fever. Turns out I can't get a test because I haven't been to any affected countries or come into contact with a known case. Even though I have been through an airport + to a concert. This seems a major flaw in the testing system to say the least

A colleague has also sent this insight from an anonymous person who works in the palace of Westminster. They write:

I work in parliament and developed the same symptoms as Nadine Dorries MP on the same day. I've had a dry cough, chest pain and fever for four days.

NHS 111 services triaged me away from Coronovirus on Friday. I could not be tested because I hadn't been in close contact to a previously confirmed case.

The official 111 advice for me this morning – after calling again to check after hearing about Nadine Dorries MP – is to go to work with a cough, wash my hands, and assume that I don't have it. (I am actually going to ignore that advice and work from home.)

I am worried that only testing people who have been 'contact traced' is missing a lot of people in the community, and that people like me may have coronavirus and are being advised to go to work anyway. Is this because the government simply can't do the number of tests needed?

The NHS 111 coronavirus tool is currently advising that unless you have had direct contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus or have recently travelled from an affected area, you do not need to call NHS 111.

[Syt]

Federal museums are also closing now. It's still unclear what happens with schools, because with 30% single parents in Vienna, for example, someone needs to look after the kids, and grandparents are in these circumstances explicitly not an option this time.

[Sheilbh]

This tracker is new and I love it
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/f94c3c90da5b4e9f9a0b19484dd4bb14