Prepping for pandemic...

[wheresmymojo]

I was quite blasé about the novel corona virus outbreak but things I've read today have changed my mind.

I'm not usually a prepper but best things to stock up on for a pandemic?

Surgical face masks?
Latex gloves?
Anti bac wipes and hand wash?

This recent US report on the Coronavirus over there describes the condition of practically all the people who have it as stable or good, including people in their 60s, which is comforting.

www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200124/coronavirus-2020-outbreak-latest-updates

BBC says the number of cases is doubling every five days.

@Upherefordancing That is good.

I suspect more people in China are dying than would if they caught the same thing at another time simply because of the overwhelm factor.

I imagine there's a certain number of cases beyond which the mortality rate increases, not because the virus itself is more severe, but because the hospitals can't give every patient the same attention (or even admit them).

Hopefully all the cases in other countries will be controlled and we won't see any other epidemics. Fingers crossed!

So... Pakistan has reinstated flights to China. Pakistan owes China approx $19 billion through its belt and roads initiative. China have control of one of its large ports in Gwadar, where there have been rumoured cases. Pakistan officially has zero suspected cases of Coronavirus... allegedly. Pakistan also has senior doctors saying the entire country has no testing ability whatsoever. There are news stories online about Japan giving testing kits which arrived.... yesterday.

Then there is this news release in Pakistan:
TheNews.com

Am I being terribly tinfoil hattish to imagine that they are just thinking, "Fuck it, we can swallow the 2% fatality and keep on the good side of China"? And what does this mean for global spread?

I have scared myself a bit here.

Nah. More (apprentice practising since he was seven) teenage what's it got to do with me?

Looks like another child in Germany (the second one) has the infection. They are the child of a different colleague in that cluster.

Well this is an interesting news clip.

Basically top scientists in the US are saying 'we're already in a pandemic' we just don't know it yet.

I mean I know we've been having similar thoughts but it's the first time I've heard it said semi-officially.

twitter.com/beaubier/status/1224429569735684097?s=21

Unless those children were identified and isolated from day one the chances are that Germany is getting into local epidemic situation now.

We all know how quickly children spread a virus to other children who then pass on to their own parents.

Yes my 9 yr old DS came home and talked about the virus being in Newcastle. I’m being as level headed and neutral as I can around him!

Evidence of super spreaders. One man in China infected 15 other people...

twitter.com/qgirl50/status/1224424631228076032?s=21

who.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/c88e37cfc43b4ed3baf977d77e4a0667

WHO dashboard.

Basically top scientists in the US are saying 'we're already in a pandemic' we just don't know it yet

Such an interesting clip. More people need to see it.

There are news reports that they are turning a stadium and a conference centre into hospitals now in Wuhan.

If it were similar to a seasonal flu outbreak they would not be needing to build extra hospitals.

If it were similar to a seasonal flu outbreak they would not be needing to build extra hospitals.

Correct - and neither would there be much chance at all of anyone returning being infected. China does not do such massive damage to its economy and spend so many millions just because of a small flu like illness.

Hubei has reported another 2345 cases confirmed and 64 deaths for today...other provinces to follow (I will most likely be in bed though!)

I'm actually wondering whether.c.2500 ish cases is as many as they can test a day

I read they could test about 2000 a day so sounds right.

Well, it's being reported on twitter that the new Wuhan hospital includes an incinerator so bodies can be disposed of within its confines. So we will never know the true scale of this outbreak. The army are taking over the medical care. Just how many qualified doctors do they have? Am I the only one to think these are not hospitals but isolation units where you go to die. The videos show there is no comfort in them at all.
These hospitals send a shiver down my spine.

I seem to remember that the number on the Johns Hopkins map was under 10k on Friday. It’s nearly 20k now.

Now would be a good time for Germany to shut the schools in the affected city, before it gets out of hand. In 14 days time all the kids with close contact will come down with it, 14 days after that, most of the rest of the class, siblings, parents etc.

Send the whole lot home and close contacts only will be at risk.

teta - I agree, and there are lots of videos on Twitter of people being forcibly dragged away by guys in hazmat suits, One guy is so desperate not to be taken, it takes like 6 men to wrestle him into the ambulance. How can he even be that ill if he's fighting like that?!
There's definitely a lot about what is happening in China that doesn't sit right with me. Or just doesn't make sense.

Germany was at 10 cases earlier. Now 12. DD is supposed to go to Germany on a school trip.

I went to collect some facemasks i found in Screwfix today, they only let me take 4 and refunded me the rest. Told me they were limiting people as people were selling them on for £20 a mask on ebay

That is very scary. Germany is extremely close too.