Coronavirus thread 12

[VivaLeBeaver]

Can’t see one? Sorry if there is one.

middleager I just read that - awful.

the date on that is interesting given he got it in November

Sky news reporting 91 cases now?
What have I missed?

On a lighter note (believe me I am appropriately concerned but this just tickled me) someone has suggested on my FB feed that for those of a Gothic persuasion, four choruses of "Hey now, hey now now" is an acceptable and appropriate substitution for Happy Birthday while hand washing. So much less embarrassing in nightclubs too......

Terrifying isn't it Yolo and that's the impact on a healthy 25-year-old.

@itwaseverthus WHO say it's less contagious than flu. That is one good thing. I've had a cold and been instinctively washing hands with disinfectant, dettoling surfaces, taps etc after using so not to spread to dd. I agree it might be a biological weapon.

You may be right AbsentmindedWoman I know we as a family have always been shit hot on handwashing and avoiding germs thanks to my own ill health and it's a shock sometimes to see how cavalier people can be. I often hear people with slack hygeine bragging that they're never ill, as though their slackness has given them an advantage...terribly annoying.

@itwaseverthus My gut says this is more sinister than we are being told, as in biological weapon
You've hit the nail on the head there. Just look at the world map showing the numbers per country, Russia has only 3 cases! How can that be the case for such a big country?
Even if this is not the result of biological warfare this time, it shows the way to rule the world by fear ,

@ofwarren still says 87 when I look

Do we all need to calm down a bit? There's a real sense of panic starting on this thread now.

If it is a biological weapon it is an interesting one as it is mainly hitting the over 60s with underlying health issues. That is some programming of a virus. Its death rate (though high) is incredibly low for a biological weapon

And who benefits - the only real winners at the moment are Environmentalists (look at pollution over China/huge reductions in air travel etc) and I cant see how they would have the skill set

Unless the real weapon is fear

I don’t think talk of a weapon is useful or based on facts. This thread is better when it discusses facts.

Me too mymigraine Been loaded for three weeks since a friend returned from Bali very ill, coughing, spluttering and loose bowels (friend, not me). But I self isolated out of concern she may have had it. She saw GP who didn't test for COVID19 but parasites which were negative, great. But I still stayed home out of concern for what it may have been. Still absolutely loaded and with a sore throat now. I did ring GP who was pretty useless, saying pop in if I felt worse. I suggested I ring him instead.

WHO say it's less contagious than flu

Do they? I know initially they said it was more contagious, but they have more data now, obviously, so may have altered their statements on that. Has anyone got a link for this?

TheLadyAnneNeville, that would be sensible I so agree with you. Why encourage international level large gatherings is beyond comprehension. I was surprised Paris fashion shows went ahead straight after Milan. I’ve heard of a few international industry specific (to me) exhibitions and seminars started being cancelled since last week.

Thanks middleager

I feel sick reading that. I can get through that. I’m pretty tough lol. But if I had at same time as dh who looks after the kids??? And what will it be like for kids?? I’m feeling scared tonight

It doesn't matter how it started does it? Could have been an accidental release of a laboratory made virus - the third possibility for this sort of pandemic. A biological weapon could be used at literally any time, and as a planet we are woefully unprepared for it. The WHO last year shows what level of preparedness we should be at for an air bourne virus, and we're miles off.

@Comenext reported figures and actual figures are two very different things. There are plenty of countries on the list whose numbers should be taken with a large pinch of salt.

@Oakmaiden
It's not letting me attach a photo but someone on Facebook took a picture of sky news on their TV and it says 91 cases. I can't see it on their twitter though.

I'm genuinely interested in why some posters think it's a biological weapon? If you have a hunch surely there must be some evidence to back it up? I don't know if this'll put anyone's mind a rest with major health anxiety (like me) but we've been self isolated for 4 days waiting for a close family members test results coming back and I spent the past 4 days in absolute panic, I felt fluey, and today we got the good news they tested negative and i feel SO much better. I just worry some posters are getting caught up in panic. I know I can read something innocent and I panic about it. Anyway, hope everyone is doing well and takes some time for self care right now x

The only way it would be useful as a biological weapon would be if you already had a vaccine and had vaccinated everyone on "your side". I think that is pretty far fetched.

A decent biological weapon would have a far higher death rate - which would obviously cause more devastation, but would also be more likely to replicate itself out of existence as its hosts die before it gets back to where you are.

I think things are potentially bad enough without making tin foil hat stories to make it seem even worse.

*WHO report

Parts of this thread are starting to jump the shark a bit.

A pandemic is top of the risk register for the UK and far more likely than a biological weapon. Where is there any evidence that it might be one?

Surely nobody believes any information coming out of Russia!

The African continent is surprisingly unaffected. Really?
They need to test then they need to collate the information then they need to make an announcement. Miss any of these steps or partial stages and the results are inaccurate.

Spoke to DSis tonight. She was due to go soon on a short cruise leaving from Venice. There was a group of them flying there, spending a couple of days in Italy then taking the cruise. She has a DD with a serious heart condition, so she’s cancelled. DSis is also not in peak condition following some health issues and an operation. Apparently several of the group mocked her decision! I told her I think she’s been very sensible and to ignore those mocking her. I am getting pretty damn frustrated with those people sticking their heads in the sand and thinking only of themselves.