Are You Worried About Coronavirus?

[Annalee]

My brother has an annual conference each year and he just received word today there would be no conference to avoid flights within the U.S. or outside the U.S. for their employees.

[Michael]

I've come to some conclusions over the last few days and weeks and do not think people should be panicking. The Coronavirus seems to me to be a lot like the common flu with the exception that the common flu has a vaccine, that many take every year including the elderly. Since the Coronavirus does not have a vaccine, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems may have problems.

I believe that many of us with healthy immune systems should be just fine. There is a caveat to this- "IF" the vaccine is not implemented sooner than later, the heath care system could be overloaded. There are only so many ICU, hospital beds and respirators in the US. Like with the flu, pneumonia can be fatal if not treated. Sometimes a respirator and ICU are needed in one's recovery.

While I don't believe wearing a face mask is prudent at this time, there may be a reason to use one in the future if the hospitals and heath services become overwhelmed. Then there may be many more infected individuals in the general population that should be in hospitals or in supervised quarantine. That would make us much more prone to infection.

As a further note, I have been watching the numbers of infected and mortality rates for over a month. While my calculations may be skewed for several reasons- from what I have observed, I have seen the infected rate go from 40,000 to 110,000 in a month's time. That is a three-fold progression.

If you use a calculator and start with 40,000 as of February, and multiply it by three each month, by next January there could be 7 billion infected on the planet.

While that seems a bit absurd, the math is correct. Now, I'm sure there will be better cleaning, sanitizing, government involvement and possibly cures and vaccines before then. It still is a chilling reality if this virus is left unchecked.

[lovemykidstoo]

I've come to some conclusions over the last few days and weeks and do not think people should be panicking. The Coronavirus seems to me to be a lot like the common flu with the exception that the common flu has a vaccine, that many take every year including the elderly. Since the Coronavirus does not have a vaccine, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems may have problems.

I believe that many of us with healthy immune systems should be just fine. There is a caveat to this- "IF" the vaccine is not implemented sooner than later, the heath care system could be overloaded. There are only so many ICU, hospital beds and respirators in the US. Like with the flu, pneumonia can be fatal if not treated. Sometimes a respirator and ICU are needed in one's recovery.

While I don't believe wearing a face mask is prudent at this time, there may be a reason to use one in the future if the hospitals and heath services become overwhelmed. Then there may be many more infected individuals in the general population that should be in hospitals or in supervised quarantine. That would make us much more prone to infection.

As a further note, I have been watching the numbers of infected and mortality rates for over a month. While my calculations may be skewed for several reasons- from what I have observed, I have seen the infected rate go from 40,000 to 110,000 in a month's time. That is a three-fold progression.

If you use a calculator and start with 40,000 as of February, and multiply it by three each month, by next January there could be 7 billion infected on the planet.

While that seems a bit absurd, the math is correct. Now, I'm sure there will be better cleaning, sanitizing, government involvement and possibly cures and vaccines before then. It still is a chilling reality if this virus is left unchecked.

I looked on the CDC website about the H1N1 virus that rattled the world in 2009. I'll post below the final findings. It's interesting to watch news reports on youtube regarding that.

"To calculate the burden of 2009 pandemic influenza A (pH1N1) in the United States, we extrapolated from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations across the entire United States, and then corrected for underreporting. From 12 April 2009 to 10 April 2010, we estimate that approximately 60.8 million cases (range: 43.3-89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations (195,086-402,719), and 12,469 deaths (8868-18,306) occurred in the United States due to pH1N1. Eighty-seven percent of deaths occurred in those under 65 years of age with children and working adults having risks of hospitalization and death 4 to 7 times and 8 to 12 times greater, respectively, than estimates of impact due to seasonal influenza covering the years 1976-2001. In our study, adults 65 years of age or older were found to have rates of hospitalization and death that were up to 75% and 81%, respectively, lower than seasonal influenza. These results confirm the necessity of a concerted public health response to pH1N1."

[Valerie928]

I've come to some conclusions over the last few days and weeks and do not think people should be panicking. The Coronavirus seems to me to be a lot like the common flu with the exception that the common flu has a vaccine, that many take every year including the elderly. Since the Coronavirus does not have a vaccine, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems may have problems.

I believe that many of us with healthy immune systems should be just fine. There is a caveat to this- "IF" the vaccine is not implemented sooner than later, the heath care system could be overloaded. There are only so many ICU, hospital beds and respirators in the US. Like with the flu, pneumonia can be fatal if not treated. Sometimes a respirator and ICU are needed in one's recovery.

While I don't believe wearing a face mask is prudent at this time, there may be a reason to use one in the future if the hospitals and heath services become overwhelmed. Then there may be many more infected individuals in the general population that should be in hospitals or in supervised quarantine. That would make us much more prone to infection.

As a further note, I have been watching the numbers of infected and mortality rates for over a month. While my calculations may be skewed for several reasons- from what I have observed, I have seen the infected rate go from 40,000 to 110,000 in a month's time. That is a three-fold progression.

If you use a calculator and start with 40,000 as of February, and multiply it by three each month, by next January there could be 7 billion infected on the planet.

While that seems a bit absurd, the math is correct. Now, I'm sure there will be better cleaning, sanitizing, government involvement and possibly cures and vaccines before then. It still is a chilling reality if this virus is left unchecked.

I have come to the same conclusion as you Michael. I don't panic anymore.
This virus cannot be contained. The spread can be slowed and most of the world is trying. Slowing the spread is important, it keeps the hospitals from being overwhelmed, it gives time for anti viral medications to be tested, vaccine to be made. Whoever does create the vaccine will certainly never be forgotten!

[flying_babyb]

When the first case was diagnosed in the chicago area, there was a panic and masks. Now, not so much. I live in a smaller city and most people arnt even talking about it. My boss has started spraying a instrustal daycare cleaner, but thats cause shes worried about ALL sickness (shes got heart issues, two kids are immunosuppressed and so am i)

[Sunshine69]

I’m more worried about the mass hysteria created.

Hand sanitizer is sold out everywhere and disinfecting wipes are out of stock. It’s just ridiculous. Hopefully they won’t think of buying out all the bleach because that’s what I disinfect with.

Reminds me of the craziness at the grocery store seen before a snowstorm. People think we are going to be stranded for days by snow and clean out the bread and milk supply.

I now have a dcb who’s mom wants to keep him out of school and daycare because there’s been some local folks that tested positive. Funny thing is this mom runs a restaurant and the boy is present in the restaurant often and interacts with the customers. She doesn’t plan on closing her restaurant, too. I don’t understand her logic.

After the swine flu came out, I had all the symptoms. I called my doctor and they said there was nothing they could do. They advised me to stay home and wait it out and if I didn’t start feeling better in a few days to call them back.

We have no way to test every single person for Coronavirus. We don’t know how many people just stay home and ride it out without getting tested or how much contact their family and friends have had with them.

I’m just going to keep disinfecting and encouraging the kids to wash their hands, like I always do.

[Unregistered]

I'm the one from Ontario above. Blue skies, warm and sunshine today. Seems like everyone is out and about as usual. No masks. They may be extra happy as Walmart just restocked with a rather impressive stock of hand sanitizer. Part of me is tempted to go back later today to see if it has gone.

[Valerie928]

I'm the one from Ontario above. Blue skies, warm and sunshine today. Seems like everyone is out and about as usual. No masks. They may be extra happy as Walmart just restocked with a rather impressive stock of hand sanitizer. Part of me is tempted to go back later today to see if it has gone.

It would be interesting to see if all that sanitizer is gone already! Same here in NY with the sanitizer. The other big one is toilet paper. I went grocery shopping today and took note of the emptying of the toilet paper shelf. Like we can't as human beings survive without TP. It's insane. The bottled water also. I don't get it. Water will run from the faucet last I checked anyway.

[Michael]

It would be interesting to see if all that sanitizer is gone already! Same here in NY with the sanitizer. The other big one is toilet paper. I went grocery shopping today and took note of the emptying of the toilet paper shelf. Like we can't as human beings survive without TP. It's insane. The bottled water also. I don't get it. Water will run from the faucet last I checked anyway.

You can always buy PDI Sani-Hands. I bought a bunch because this article says the FBI purchased them for their agents in the field. The look pretty good. I use them also to wipe my iPhone screen, hands and TV controllers.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/fbi-orders-40000-in-hand-sanitizer-and-face-masks-in-case-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-in-us.html

"PDI hand sanitizer and wipes were necessary because they kill 54 different microorganisms within 1 minute so this disinfectant has both speed and power. The agency justified awarding the contract to PDI without a formal competitive bidding process because they are the number one rated in healthcare because of this kill time."



I see they are sold out at most of the stores online.

[Baby Beluga]

I have always been in the camp of frequent hand washing, keeping a clean environment, and to disinfect, sanitize, etc, as necessary. But not overly so as our immune systems need some exposure to germs.

Because of this virus, I am fearful that people may over sanitize and as a result we might get have bigger and worse viruses and illnesses on the horizon.

You can always buy PDI Sani-Hands. I bought a bunch because this article says the FBI purchased them for their agents in the field. The look pretty good. I use them also to wipe my iPhone screen, hands and TV controllers.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/fbi-orders-40000-in-hand-sanitizer-and-face-masks-in-case-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-in-us.html

"PDI hand sanitizer and wipes were necessary because they kill 54 different microorganisms within 1 minute so this disinfectant has both speed and power. The agency justified awarding the contract to PDI without a formal competitive bidding process because they are the number one rated in healthcare because of this kill time."



I see they are sold out at most of the stores online.

I like that these are 1 minute vs the 4 (?) Clorox wipes require.

[DaveA]

After looking things over I'm far more concerned about people's reactions to the virus than the virus itself. Neither "OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" or "It's nothing at all" is helpful. It will only take a little bit of stupidity to cause some major problems.

[Cat Herder]

After looking things over I'm far more concerned about people's reactions to the virus than the virus itself. Neither "OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" or "It's nothing at all" is helpful. It will only take a little bit of stupidity to cause some major problems.

Like the family that was possibly exposed attending a father/daughter dance at their local school after being told to self-quarantine? https://www.kmov.com/news/st-louis-c...f809e7778.html

[Unregistered]

Like the family that was possibly exposed attending a father/daughter dance at their local school after being told to self-quarantine? https://www.kmov.com/news/st-louis-c...f809e7778.html

Brings a whole new level to the won't say no, no cry parenting.

[Snowmom]

I just heard the first case has been identified in MN (Ramsey county). I haven't read any detail but from what I have heard it is an elderly man that was on a cruise.

Found a link to it http://www.startribune.com/minnesota...ase/568566962/

The second case is in my neighboring county.

I'm actually surprised we haven't heard from DHS directly. Usually my county's licensing reps are on top of this kind of stuff. When swine flu was a threat, they emailed us weekly with information and policy suggestions. I haven't heard one word from them in the last month except about the update to fingerprinting costs.

[MyAngels]

My son and his family were scheduled for a cruise here in a couple of weeks. It's cancelled, full refund given. I'm actually glad for this. I wouldn't step foot on a cruise ship right now, not because I'm afraid of catching anything, but because I'm afraid I'd be stuck on that thing forever