Re:CDC declined to test new coronavirus patient for days, Ca...
by simmanian on Thursday February 27, 2020 @02:40PM
(#22436958)
You're probably correct and I understand your frustration. I was just coming from a more personal perspective. If I contract the corona virus, it'd be probably no different than contracting the flu, because I'm young, healthy, and I have easy access to healthcare (since I'm working). A lot of people with the virus reportedly do not even have any symptoms.
Regarding global warming, again, you're right that this virus is an example of zoonosis. I was more talking about the potential for additional novel viruses spreading around the globe.
Re:CDC declined to test new coronavirus patient for days, Ca...
by jacquesm on Thursday February 27, 2020 @02:47PM
(#22437027)
> If I contract the corona virus, it'd be probably no different than contracting the flu, because I'm young, healthy, and I have easy access to healthcare (since I'm working).
That depends. The virus doesn't really care that you're young, healthy and have easy access to healthcare.
Yes, age is a factor, but you being young doesn't stop you from spreading it to those you love who may not be young, healthy and have easy access to healthcare.
That easy access to healthcare is predicated on a system that is not yet overloaded with cases in the 'critical' and 'serious' category.
It's all bell curves. So your personal perspective can (and will) shift as this thing develops.
Why is it that people need to be told the same thing over and over again?
Never mind: (1) the R0 [1] of this virus is somewhere between 3-4 and that of the flu virus is closer to 1, that means that you can have a lot more cases, and quite fast. (2) the flu virus has a mortality around 0.1%, this virus is somewhere between 2-3% [2]. (3) the chances of severe complications (pneumonia) with lasting damage are about 20% once infected.
This has nothing to do with global warming or 'dormant viruses', it is an example of Zoonosis [3] , a pathogen crossing the 'some animal' -> humans species barrier.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_reproduction_number
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_rate
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonosis
If this were a start-up you'd all recognize that it is positioned quite well to scale up, 'go viral', so to speak, no growth hacking required. Investors would be tripping over each other trying to get in on the ground floor, success almost guaranteed.