COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

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Touring Mars
That point being that the current novel coronavirus outbreak is comparable to previous outbreaks of novel influenza viruses (such as the 1918 flu pandemic involving the H1N1 strain).
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Good. Let's discuss this 1918 flu for a while, please. What happened, and how bad was it? How many died? I have seen figures ranging from 40 million to 100 million dead. That seems like a ridiculous wide range. What was the population of the planet at the time? In what ways is the current global emergency similar or different to what happened back then?
 
Meanwhile, UK citizens evacuated from Wuhan have arrived back in the UK and are to be bussed out of RAF Brize Norton...

A5FC7274-3FC2-43E6-AABA-9F24002D7111.jpeg


Seriously, who booked that coach company?! :ouch:

(P.S. This is a real picture incase anyone thinks I'm joking...)
 
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Dotini
Good. Let's discuss this 1918 flu for a while, please. What happened, and how bad was it? How many died? I have seen figures ranging from 40 million to 100 million dead. That seems like a ridiculous wide range. What was the population of the planet at the time? In what ways is the current global emergency similar or different to what happened back then?
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Short answers to your questions without anything beyond cursory googling, in order:

1. People got the flu and died. It was very bad.
2. ~50million
3. ~1.9billion
4. There was a rather large war on at the time, and virology as a science was less than 20 years old. The word virus wouldnt really be defined until the mid 20s. So kind of different.
 
MaxAttack
Short answers to your questions without anything beyond cursory googling, in order:

1. People got the flu and died. It was very bad.
2. ~50million
3. ~1.9billion
4. There was a rather large war on at the time, and virology as a science was less than 20 years old. The word virus wouldnt really be defined until the mid 20s. So kind of different.
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Thank you for that. Perhaps that has relevance for today and could be discussed more.

Today we hear of the first two cases in the UK.


I also hear WHO is concerned about the origin of the novel coronavirus. Apparently the early story that circulated about the origin being the exotic animal market in Wuhan is not correct. I ask exactly why would anyone be concerned about the origin? Is having the exact animal or whatever of any use in determining a vaccine, for instance? I read on another forum that the first known case of this novel coronavirus was found in November of 2019.
 
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Touring Mars
Meanwhile, UK citizens evacuated from Wuhan have arrived back in the UK and are being bussed out of RAF Brize Norton...

View attachment 886482

Seriously, who booked that coach company?! :ouch:

(P.S. This is a real picture incase anyone thinks I'm joking...)
Click to expand...


Looks like that coach driver is well prepared for transporting them all in an small enclosed environment 👍



*edit* - It's fine. I understand he's wearing a hazmat waistcoat.
 
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Dotini
I also hear WHO is concerned about the origin of the novel coronavirus. Apparently the early story that circulated about the origin being the exotic animal market in Wuhan is not correct. I ask exactly why would anyone be concerned about the origin? Is having the exact animal or whatever of any use in determining a vaccine, for instance? I read on another forum that the first known case of this novel coronavirus was found in November of 2019.
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A detailed analysis may be able to prove whether the people infected at the Wuhan animal market were the original source, and there is speculation that this isn't the case. If all of the original confirmed cases of the outbreak are analysed and the viral genomes in each case are discovered, then it could point to a different original source.

As you know, I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories, but it is rather interesting and coincidental that Wuhan happens to be a prominent centre of coronavirus research.

Having recently worked in virology, I can see how it would be all too easy for someone to pick up an infection through sloppy safety procedures and, in my case, working with an idiot who should never be allowed anywhere near a live human virus. (Incidentally, another person who worked in my lab is currently one of the BBC's go-to guys for answering questions on this outbreak - and he is not the person I am referring to!)
 
Touring Mars
A detailed analysis may be able to prove whether the people infected at the Wuhan animal market were the original source, and there is speculation that this isn't the case. If all of the original confirmed cases of the outbreak are analysed and the viral genomes in each case are discovered, then it could point to a different original source.

As you know, I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories, but it is rather interesting and coincidental that Wuhan happens to be a prominent centre of coronavirus research.

Having recently worked in virology, I can see how it would be all too easy for someone to pick up an infection through sloppy safety procedures and, in my case, working with an idiot who should never be allowed anywhere near a live human virus. (Incidentally, another person who worked in my lab is currently one of the BBC's go-to guys for answering questions on this outbreak - and he is not the person I am referring to!)
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Thank you for that.

One of the very most disturbing attributes of this new strain is the incubation period of up to 14 days during which the virus may be spread from person to person. This facilitates maximum dispersal into a population before proper reactions are recognized as necessary. Before Wuhan was quarantined, 5 million of its 11 million population have fled to all points of the compass by river, rail, road and air transport. China as a whole has almost 10,000 confirmed cases with only 5806 in Hubei province. So it is spreading significantly to other provinces.

We know that following incubation is a period during which mild cold or flu symptoms present themselves. Eventually, pneumonia is the killer. Corticosteroids and oxygen can prolong life during this phase. Overall, there have been 213 deaths and 171 recoveries. My question is, what is the range or average time after infection for a victim to either expire or recover? One month? Six weeks? Two months?
 
Famine
That would include you. I assume you're sufficiently eager to contract it that you've booked your flights to Wuhan and plan to lick every surface on your arrival?
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Yup that would obviously include me. Well we have caused enough harm to this planet already.
 
TheCracker
Looks like that coach driver is well prepared for transporting them all in an small enclosed environment 👍



*edit* - It's fine. I understand he's wearing a hazmat waistcoat.
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Just watching live coverage of the buses leaving... and the drivers are not wearing any protection at all. Meanwhile, there's a person in a hazmat suit sitting right next to them. :ouch:

I mean, seriously...
 
Touring Mars
Just watching live coverage of the buses leaving... and the drivers are not wearing any protection at all. Meanwhile, there's a person in a hazmat suit sitting right next to them. :ouch:

I mean, seriously...
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British coach drivers ftw.

ionstriker
Yup that would obviously include me. Well we have caused enough harm to this planet already.
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So rather than proactively trying to help each other and ourselves through the problems that humanity faces, self-caused or not, we should get down to Wuhan and suck the hospital door handles?
 
ionstriker
Yup that would obviously include me. Well we have caused enough harm to this planet already.
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It's an interesting motivator for suicide, and a very weird vector to choose for the outcome.
 
Famine
It's an interesting motivator for suicide, and a very weird vector to choose for the outcome.
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How did you assume that lol. I meant if this ends up being what causes the extinction of humanity then so be it. I'm just speaking hypothetically of course. I like imagining post apocalyptic scenarios. As long as it's in your head it's all fun and giggles.

Well what exactly would you propose to reverse the damage done by us? It's basically too late. We are too deep in out practices to stop and reverse them. Imagine passing a bill to shut down all meat produce. Or something so drastic. None of this will work. No matter how much you discuss on forums about solutions and what not, none of this is going to pan out. So i might as well have a little fun talking about stuff that's probably not going to happen.
 
ionstriker
Well what exactly would you propose to reverse the damage done by us?
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"Damage"

Are we talking climate change here? You're advocating that coronavirus is a good thing because climate change? You are aware that people are dying of this right now right? And that you're saying basically "good, one less human". Right? I mean you could literally say that about anything... any murder... any atrocity.

Not that it has much to do with the thread, but fusion is your answer.
 
Danoff
"Harm"

The Earth is not alive.

Also, I have seen absolutely nothing so far to suggest that coronavirus is unstoppable or has remotely the potential to kill all the humans. Some people recover, presumably vaccination would work on it.
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Yes people do recover. Sadly no one here realized i was being humorous. In all seriousness i do hope this ends soon.
 
Danoff
"Damage"

Are we talking climate change here? You're advocating that coronavirus is a good thing because climate change? You are aware that people are dying of this right now right? And that you're saying basically "good, one less human". Right? I mean you could literally say that about anything... any murder... any atrocity.

Not that it has much to do with the thread, but fusion is your answer.
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I'm saying if all of humanity was to go extinct there would be nothing to worry about. I'm not suggesting mass genocide or some crap. I was bringing up a hypothetical situation where coronavirus or some kind of virus eliminating all of humanity being a better option. Hypothetically of course.
 
Tired Tyres
Alternatively "some people think" would be no different from Trump's "some people say." In other words not really anyone at all and just clickbait to generate some clicks.
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People are searching for it though: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today 1-m&geo=US&q=beer virus,corona beer virus

Here's the article from the USA Today about it: https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...on-google-trends-as-virus-spreads/4606997002/

It genuinely wouldn't surprise me if there are people who think Corona Virus comes from the beer...I'm looking at you Idaho.
 
Touring Mars
Just watching live coverage of the buses leaving... and the drivers are not wearing any protection at all. Meanwhile, there's a person in a hazmat suit sitting right next to them. :ouch:

I mean, seriously...
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Further to this, it seems that the drivers all volunteered to take this job and are going into paid leave/quarantine for the next 10 days. I guess that a full protective suit would be too restrictive for safe driving although I'm surprised they didn't at least give them medicated masks.
 

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