General Discussion/Q&A on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[drron]

Italy is the really worrying country.As of 19/3 33,190 cases and 3405 deaths.Tested 182,777.
So a mortality rate just over 10%.Why is it this high?

As well as the disruption caused to their economy and the EU is of no help.
"Given the difficult times, you might be forgiven for expecting to see some solidarity for Italy from the EU. For the EU’s champions, it is a beacon of European cooperation. But last week, when Italy pleaded for assistance and for emergency medical supplies, using EU’s Mechanism of Civil Protection, not a single other member state responded to the call.
Worse still, the EU is actively punishing Italy. The European Court of Justice (ECJ), which enforces EU law, ruled on Thursday to levy a €7.5million fine on the virus-stricken nation. The fine was administered for Italy’s apparently ‘illegal’ use of state-aid funds for the struggling hotel industry in Sardinia. To add insult to injury, Italy will need to pay an additional €80,000 for every day that the fine remains unpaid.'

The EU is treating Italians with contempt

Even amid the coronavirus outbreak, the EU has levied an extortionate fine on Italy.

www.spiked-online.com

And just when they nationalised Alitalia

Italian Government Takes Full Control Of Alitalia

The Italian government will be taking full control of Alitalia, starting with a 600 million EUR bailout of the airline.

onemileatatime.com

 

[Denali]

PSA, We start at midnight on Sunday.

No doubt, being this is AFFer, we will start a thread to discuss argue when exactly is midnight and/or Monday

 

[lovetravellingoz]

One of biggest problems with Covid 19 it that people who catch it are contagious for roughly double the length of time than for the flu and so it can spread very fast (logarithmic-ally).


BUT this also means that we can ALL act in ways that can greatly slow down that rate of spread. We can all make a difference to either slow it down, or to speed it up.

This is why social isolation and interpersonal distancing is so very important now.


We as a society still need to do the necessary things as we still need to produce and distribute food for example, but remove the unnecessary if that involves contact with other people.


Find ways to be productive with minimal or now people contact.


Please read the message below. Dan is an epidemiologist who I have been following, and I shared his first message (also repeated below).

A key message that he is communicating is that we can all help to really slow down the transmission rate so that we as a community can cope including our health system.





Update: Sunday, 15th March 2020



Hi everyone. I cannot stress how important it is to get a positive message out to the Australian community that there is something that each of us can do, right now, to make a massive impact on the course of Covid-19 epidemic here.



We have updated the graph today, Sunday the 15th of March 2020, with the amazing help of Tim Fazio (dead set legend ). This data is from the World Health Organisation, and we don't have the total number of infections in Australia for today. As you can see, Australia (in YELLOW) is still in the very early phase of the outbreak, we had a good starting point, but the upturn in the graph similar to the red countries is a bad sign. There is still time to make an impact, but that time is right now.

There is disturbing news coming out of Europe and America. Look at the RED countries and LISTEN to the stories coming out of them. Hospitals are completely overrun in Northern Italy like there were in Wuhan, many patients cannot even be treated now, multiple doctors and nurses sick and intubated, so many deaths. Spain is soon to follow, as are cities in America. I am deeply sad for what we are about to see unfold.

LOOK at the BLUE countries in Asia: Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan. They are so far ahead of us in this epidemic in time, but they have managed to "flatten the curve" massively. They have NOT had a hospital disaster, they have the capacity to treat their sick, and their communities will be OK. Countless lives have been saved.



The difference between the RED and BLUE countries? Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan adopted personal and government-enforced social isolation and interpersonal distancing at the EARLIEST stages of the pandemic. They did not wait for a massive increase in cases, they LEARNED from their experience of SARS. As soon as they heard about the novel coronavirus in Wuhan and detected cases in their countries, the PEOPLE went into social isolation "mode". The symbol of this in Asia is everyone wearing a mask in public - the mask is a sign that everyone understands what is going on. The people of these countries *get it* because they have been through this before. The governments of these countries *get it*. I need Australians to WAKE UP and get it too, before it is too late.



I cannot speak for the response of anyone else or any organisation. I am pleading with you to think about YOUR personal response. Let's not wait for anyone to save us, let's save ourselves. As a person that cares deeply about you, your families and the Australian community, I urge you to rapidly adopt a relatively strict version of social isolation and interpersonal distancing. This is what I am doing:
1. Do not leave your home if you do not need to. The safest place for you and your family in a viral epidemic is in your own home.
2. If you are able to work from home, do so. If you are a boss, please let your staff work from home as much as possible. Australians are smart, you'll work it out.
3. When you go out, do not touch another person, in any way, unless you have to. Keep your paws to yourself
4. When you go out, do not touch any surfaces that you do not need to. Keep your paws to yourself .
5. Cancel all non-essential meetings, find alternative ways to speak and meet online.
6. Wash you hands frequently, especially the moment you walk in your front door.
7. Don't touch your face.
8. Clean your phone several times a day, and don't leave it lying around when you are outside your home.
9. Find smart ways to support local businesses (buy a voucher online), artists (buy a song online ), but do it from the safety of your own home.
10. Talk to your friends, check on vulnerable people, listen to music, make memes, dance in your home, remember to laugh
11. Speak to every single person that is close to you, help them to understand what this social isolation "mode" is, why it is so important, and help them to start doing it, right now.

Covid-19 is a virus that passes from person to person, directly or indirectly. If every Australian adopts these measures, we can break the line of transmission between people and avoid the disaster that we are witnessing unfold in the USA and Europe. It is early enough for us to do this, we have time, but a narrowing window to act decisively.

It is possible I will get into trouble for saying all of this. But now I do not care, I know in my heart this is the right thing to do, and I am happy to accept any consequences.

Please look after yourself, your family and friends.
Think for yourself, fact check everything, use your feelings. If you agree that this is the right thing to do, please share this again as widely as possible, every day is critical now.

Original post (Friday 13th March 2020):
A few people asked me where Australia is at the moment with Covid-19. We reached our 100th case on Tuesday the 10th of March (3 days ago, x-axis), and we now have 199 confirmed cases (y-axis) - I've plotted this point with a red dot. We are testing really well, so it is a fairly accurate number, waaayyy more accurate than the USA which is on the precipice of a total disaster (separate story, I'm so upset). It's at a very early part of the curve, but you can see we are doing really well compared to other industrialised nations (we want to be as close to the Japanese, Singaporean and Hong Kong curves as possible). The next two weeks is absolutely critical to the direction of this curve. Total social isolation, complete interpersonal distancing, combined with massively increased testing (which we have just built capacity for this week in our labs) will flatten this curve and save countless Australian lives. We can do this with no vaccine and no effective antivirals. Each individual simply has to make it their personal responsibility to have minimal contact with all other people. Cancel all unnecessary things. I am running my clinics by phone so patients don't have to come to hospital. We have a narrow window of opportunity to do this, this could not be more urgent. I hope you understand I would not say this if I was not absolutely sure of how critical this is. Please share with your family and friends. Sending lots of love, take care please

Dan Suan MBBS FRACP FRCPA PhD

**I have removed my affiliations as I am speaking for myself only, I do not represent the views of any organisation that I work for or am affiliated with*

 

[amaroo]

Italy is the really worrying country.As of 19/3 33,190 cases and 3405 deaths.Tested 182,777.
So a mortality rate just over 10%.Why is it this high?

As well as the disruption caused to their economy and the EU is of no help.
"Given the difficult times, you might be forgiven for expecting to see some solidarity for Italy from the EU. For the EU’s champions, it is a beacon of European cooperation. But last week, when Italy pleaded for assistance and for emergency medical supplies, using EU’s Mechanism of Civil Protection, not a single other member state responded to the call.
Worse still, the EU is actively punishing Italy. The European Court of Justice (ECJ), which enforces EU law, ruled on Thursday to levy a €7.5million fine on the virus-stricken nation. The fine was administered for Italy’s apparently ‘illegal’ use of state-aid funds for the struggling hotel industry in Sardinia. To add insult to injury, Italy will need to pay an additional €80,000 for every day that the fine remains unpaid.'

The EU is treating Italians with contempt

Even amid the coronavirus outbreak, the EU has levied an extortionate fine on Italy.

www.spiked-online.com

And just when they nationalised Alitalia

Italian Government Takes Full Control Of Alitalia

The Italian government will be taking full control of Alitalia, starting with a 600 million EUR bailout of the airline.

onemileatatime.com

Bergamo is the epicentre - such devastation. The army rolled in overnight to remove the dead, they're talking about a generation being wiped out.

It's a beautiful town - we will make plans to revisit once this thing has passed.

Video di Bergamo, il corteo dell’esercito per portare le bare fuori città - BergamoNews

L'impressionante sfilata dei mezzi militari nella serata di mercoledì 18 marzo, pronti a trasportare i feretri nelle 11 città che hanno messo a

www.bergamonews.it

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Updated graph..we still need to flatten our curve more....

Also note where the USA is accelerating towards...they now are rapidly curving up which is frightening.

 

[Mogul]

LA now being locked down.

 

[Pushka]

I cannot believe this and I'm angry that this happened - yesterday! Not the NAPLAN but in Sydney yesterday On a cruise ship just berthed they had people with suspicious systems and had been tested for Covid - they let almost 3000 people off the ship and now three of those tests are positive! Ruby Princess.

Coronavirus Australia live updates

Australian borders have officially closed to non-residents amid the coronavirus pandemic, as the Prime Minister warns Australians to maintain a distance from each other where possible.

www.news.com.au

We just blew that curve off the planet and there is no excuse.

 

[p--and--t]

Third hand I was told today a hospital had advised their staff they believe a significant conduit for the virus is petrol pumps and shopping trolleys.

Is it every citizens absolute responsibility to stop this infection in its tracks.

If you leave your house or apartment and touch anything, wash your hands thoroughly for 20secs minimum

When outside stand a minimum of 1m from any other person.

Think about who may have touched that traffic light button, lift selection panel, door knob, escalator hand hold etc etc etc. Wash your hands.

 

[dajop]

Was thinking about the temperature screening that is happening all over Singapore. I have doubts about the accuracy and effectiveness of the devices being used, whether they are the temperature scanners you walk past, or the ones where you are tested by scanning forehead. Nevertheless, discussing with someone, it's the psychological/social pressure effect that is more important, you are more conscious of your wellbeing (even without an elevated temperature) and do act with more caution in terms of isolating yourself, you don't want to risk the embarrassment of being caught out.

Likewise with coughing. My god, the lengths we all go to, to suppress a cough until we are well away from people! Even if it's just a peanut stuck in your throat. When I was in Melbourne 2 1/2 weeks ago, people coughing all over the three trains (two V-line and one suburban) I caught, with no care in the world. I assume, I hope, that has changed now?

 

[Mogul]

Edit: Whole of California in lockdown.

 

[jase05]

Listening to the PM today I get the feeling that there is going to be some domestic travel restrictions put in place soon

 

[TheRealTMA]

Terrifying consequences

Self-isolation catnip: has coronavirus made Cats watchable?

Our critic gave Cats an unprecedented zero stars when it was released in cinemas. But the world has changed

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Pushka]

Another one of those "we are here for you" emails. Only an accounting technology could think anyone might be excited by their assistance to business. Whoopee. They aren't increasing prices. Seriously MYOB, just don't bother.

 

[VPS]

Speaking of cat videos - I do like this one

 

[dajop]

Organised religion does have a lot to answer for. This gathering is just a ticking time bomb. The Bangladesh healthcare system, which I've seen, is rudimentary at best. The only way that it won't have a huge effect is that if the more susceptible members of society have already left this earth because they were unable to get the care that would keep them going in more developed countries.

Massive Bangladesh coronavirus prayer gathering sparks outcry

DHAKA (AFP) - A massive coronavirus prayer session with tens of thousands of devotees sparked an outcry in Bangladesh on Wednesday (March 18) as the South Asian nation reported its first death from the global pandemic. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

 

[Pushka]

Organised religion does have a lot to answer for. This gathering is just a ticking time bomb. The Bangladesh healthcare system, which I've seen, is rudimentary at best. The only way that it won't have a huge effect is that if the more susceptible members of society have already left this earth because they were unable to get the care that would keep them going in more developed countries.

Massive Bangladesh coronavirus prayer gathering sparks outcry

DHAKA (AFP) - A massive coronavirus prayer session with tens of thousands of devotees sparked an outcry in Bangladesh on Wednesday (March 18) as the South Asian nation reported its first death from the global pandemic. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

 

[Pushka]

Maybe it's funny. Maybe evolution at work. Just watched an interview on Channel 10. Former AFL player come media interviewer was interviewing a rabid fan about not being able to attend. She leaned right over to him and he said - social distance please - she backed away then he proceeded to shove the microphone he was also using, into her face to get her reply. Given her rabidity I'd say some inadvertent spitting happening. He then puts the microphone right under his chin as he replies.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Maybe it's funny. Maybe evolution at work. Just watched an interview on Channel 10. Former AFL player come media interviewer was interviewing a rabid fan about not being able to attend. She leaned right over to him and he said - social distance please - she backed away then he proceeded to shove the microphone he was also using, into her face to get her reply. Given her rabidity I'd say some inadvertent spitting happening. He then puts the microphone right under his chin as he replies.

Just as well it wasn’t ex rugby player

https://rugby365.com/countries/england/video-thug-marler-faces-sanction-over-testicl_-grab

 

[Pushka]

Just as well it wasn’t ex rugby player

https://rugby365.com/countries/england/video-thug-marler-faces-sanction-over-testicl_-grab

That's probably a better option now!

 

[TheRealTMA]

That's probably a better option now!

YMSTBICNPC!!