Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => COVID-19 => Topic started by: Petrochemicals on 04/03/2020 13:23:54

Title: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 04/03/2020 13:23:54
After listening to Thoma Moore on sky news state that in Italy epidemiologists estimate that the true number of infections is around the 75000 mark, Iran has 23 members of parliament have kopped it, and suspiciously in china the number of new cases are plummeting, it strikes me that the governments are not worried anymore over the outbreak.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Bored chemist on 04/03/2020 19:33:25
it strikes me that the governments are not worried anymore over the outbreak.
How do you define "worried"?
The governments keep posting advice, warnings and information.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: alancalverd on 06/03/2020 11:51:08
Amazing that, at your considerable expense, a committee of the great and good sat for a day and came up with exactly what your mum told you to do: stay at home, don't sneeze over other people, and wash your hands.

If only some Chinese mums had told their children not to eat carnivorous mammals, we wouldn't have the problem anyway.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Colin2B on 06/03/2020 13:53:35
If only some Chinese mums had told their children not to eat carnivorous mammals, .......
I though they were bats (to eat them that is)
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: RD on 10/03/2020 04:47:24
... If only some Chinese mums had told their children not to eat carnivorous mammals, we wouldn't have the problem anyway.

If you're referring to bat-soup, it's fruit-bat soup,
 ( I dunno if that counts as one of your 5-a-day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_A_Day)  :D ).
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Colin2B on 10/03/2020 07:21:06
If you're referring to bat-soup, it's fruit-bat soup,
 ( I dunno if that counts as one of your 5-a-day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_A_Day)  :D ).
Depends how much fruit they’ve eaten  ;)
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: alancalverd on 10/03/2020 19:21:47
The hysteria is quite interesting and probably justified.

I'm looking to arrange a half-day meeting of about 50 people in East Anglia. Present incidence of infection is about 25 cases in a population of 5 million, so there's a 1 in 4000 probability that there will be a carrier (cause) in that group. That may represent an acceptable risk of inconvenience and minor infection of one person, but the likelihood is that a carrier would infect about half the group, so the effect is disproportionate to the cause. At  current levels of lethality, we have a 1 in 4000 probability of causing 2 deaths, so the risk is not acceptable. 
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 11/03/2020 00:58:34
... If only some Chinese mums had told their children not to eat carnivorous mammals, we wouldn't have the problem anyway.

If you're referring to bat-soup, it's fruit-bat soup,
 ( I dunno if that counts as one of your 5-a-day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_A_Day)  :D ).
Yeah, just like the dog. I hear they where all fruit dogs too, and the snakes.

My problem is various members of parliament have contracted the virus now, in france italy, now the uk. It seems all together too pervasive at current levels to warrant the fear to the small number of recorded cases. If mps are getting it in the uk that is now an infection rate of about 0.125 percent already in parliament. Meaning the uk has around 60,000 cases at present  by the end of the week possibly 1 million, all over by  sunday. Almost all of the victims have underlying health conditions.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 11/03/2020 01:03:24
After listening to Thoma Moore on sky news state that in Italy epidemiologists estimate that the true number of infections is around the 75000 mark, Iran has 23 members of parliament have kopped it, and suspiciously in china the number of new cases are plummeting, it strikes me that the governments are not worried anymore over the outbreak.
To be honest Thomas moore was quoting someone from the WHO who also stated a mortality rate of 1-2%, misrepresented on the news a little i believe.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: RD on 11/03/2020 02:51:46
... and the snakes ...

Are there snake viruses which also infect humans ?.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00180-8
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 11/03/2020 05:29:38
... and the snakes ...

Are there snake viruses which also infect humans ?.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00180-8
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huanan_Seafood_Wholesale_Market

Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: RD on 11/03/2020 08:27:36
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huanan_Seafood_Wholesale_Market

Which apparently sells everything from badgers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8hE7_8BCY) to wolves, (including snakes).


Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 12/03/2020 01:40:07
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huanan_Seafood_Wholesale_Market

Which apparently sells everything from badgers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8hE7_8BCY) to wolves, (including snakes).



And koalas too ☺
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 12/03/2020 03:24:36
They are coming out of the woodwork now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-51847198

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-juventus-confirm-defender-daniele-21678138

In the words of Churchill,

Quote from: Winston Churchill
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Somewhere with very diligent tracking has a mortality rate of about 0.5, not great but again this is from the cases identified.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-reports-114-new-cases-of-coronavirus-brings-total-to-7869-idUKKBN20Z05C

Stikes me that this is a bit of a "boy that cries wolf senario", one day it may occour for real, very quick and very fast.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: evan_au on 12/03/2020 09:04:31
Everyone wants to shake hands with famous actors and presidents...
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: RD on 12/03/2020 11:04:33
Everyone wants to shake hands with famous actors...

Except Tom Hanks ... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-51847198
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: chiralSPO on 12/03/2020 13:48:24
They are coming out of the woodwork now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-51847198

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-juventus-confirm-defender-daniele-21678138

In the words of Churchill,

Quote from: Winston Churchill
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Somewhere with very diligent tracking has a mortality rate of about 0.5, not great but again this is from the cases identified.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-reports-114-new-cases-of-coronavirus-brings-total-to-7869-idUKKBN20Z05C

Stikes me that this is a bit of a "boy that cries wolf senario", one day it may occour for real, very quick and very fast.

Even if the mortality rate is actually only 0.1%, and if only 1/3 of the people on earth are infected (both conservative estimates), that's still 2.5 millions deaths. That's not a world catastrophe, but it's equivalent to a bad war (for reference, that's about 5x as many as have died in Syria so far). That's also a lower limit that we are, unfortunately, not on track to hit. The mortality rate will rise as hospitals get overwhelmed, and due to delays, obfuscation, and lack of coordination, it is more likely that closer to 2/3 of the world might get it. If the mortality rate gets up to 1% of 5 billion people, that's 50 million dead--on par with the Spanish influenza pandemic 100(ish) years ago...

So people shouldn't panic. But I would not call this "crying wolf" especially since it will take global collective action to limit the fatalities.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 13/03/2020 01:24:30
They are coming out of the woodwork now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-51847198

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-juventus-confirm-defender-daniele-21678138

In the words of Churchill,

Quote from: Winston Churchill
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Somewhere with very diligent tracking has a mortality rate of about 0.5, not great but again this is from the cases identified.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-reports-114-new-cases-of-coronavirus-brings-total-to-7869-idUKKBN20Z05C

Stikes me that this is a bit of a "boy that cries wolf senario", one day it may occour for real, very quick and very fast.

Even if the mortality rate is actually only 0.1%, and if only 1/3 of the people on earth are infected (both conservative estimates), that's still 2.5 millions deaths. That's not a world catastrophe, but it's equivalent to a bad war (for reference, that's about 5x as many as have died in Syria so far). That's also a lower limit that we are, unfortunately, not on track to hit. The mortality rate will rise as hospitals get overwhelmed, and due to delays, obfuscation, and lack of coordination, it is more likely that closer to 2/3 of the world might get it. If the mortality rate gets up to 1% of 5 billion people, that's 50 million dead--on par with the Spanish influenza pandemic 100(ish) years ago...

So people shouldn't panic. But I would not call this "crying wolf" especially since it will take global collective action to limit the fatalities.
Yes that is true, but you and I will reach the end of our lives at some point. Mainly over 70s people with underlying conditions, this is not spanish flu killing 40 million people between the ages of 20 and 60. Swine flu however.(from wikipedia)

Quote from: wikipedia
The virus was less lethal than previous pandemic strains and kills about 0.01–0.03% of those infected; the 1918 influenza was about one hundred times more lethal and had a case fatality rate of 2–3%.[68] By 14 November 2009, the virus had infected one in six Americans with 200,000 hospitalisations and 10,000 deaths – as many hospitalizations and fewer deaths than in an average flu season overall, but with much higher risk for those under 50. With deaths of 1,100 children and 7,500 adults 18 to 64, these figures "are much higher than in a usual flu season".[69]

At that I would worry, 85 percent beneath the retirement age. That would raise your 0.1 percent to 1 percent

Pneumonia killed 3 million in 2016, many from colds and flu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_pneumonia
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: d_eizzenheim on 14/03/2020 15:14:13
This corona virus has been the talk recently. With articles appearing online here and there. Not to mention, media has made it more troubling than it actually is. While it has affected many, the disease can be prevented by being clean all the time and making sure of your immunity. I have been searching for more ideas about the pandemic and I've gone through this blog post (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?&topic=69994.msg516407). It may seem I'm promoting or anything, but I was brought to places by this reading. Hope we will all be safe even after this crisis.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 23/03/2020 04:32:25
Amazing that, at your considerable expense, a committee of the great and good sat for a day and came up with exactly what your mum told you to do: stay at home, don't sneeze over other people, and wash your hands.

If only some Chinese mums had told their children not to eat carnivorous mammals, we wouldn't have the problem anyway.
Unfortunately they have gone a bit further than that now. I stand by the hysteria comment, basically if you are over retirement age, take it easy and do not mix too much, wash your hands etc, if under retirement age, dont sneeze on people. It is utterly ridiculous, there is not even any sport to watch other than betting which country will panic next.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: RD on 24/03/2020 11:15:41
I stand by the hysteria comment...

If exponential-growth continues, (e.g. doubling every 3 days), how many dead in the next month ? ...
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/21/upshot/coronavirus-deaths-by-country.html

... there is not even any sport to watch ...

Except marble racing (https://youtu.be/_cBHmu_cNww?t=14).
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: alancalverd on 24/03/2020 18:00:29
there is not even any sport to watch
There rarely is. Television's obsession with golf baffles me, and I have no idea why anyone thinks that overpaid wimps playing soccer is entertaining. Cricket, snooker and rugby are good on TV but sadly there isn't nearly enough cricket on the good channels.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 24/03/2020 19:54:56

there is not even any sport to watch
There rarely is. Television's obsession with golf baffles me, and I have no idea why anyone thinks that overpaid wimps playing soccer is entertaining. Cricket, snooker and rugby are good on TV but sadly there isn't nearly enough cricket on the good channels.
Where as snooke is a propper sport and cricketers and rugger players are badly paid. And thus the lack of pay is a reason for them not to play.

If exponential-growth continues, (e.g. doubling every 3 days), how many dead in the next month ? ...
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/21/upshot/coronavirus-deaths-by-country.html



Except marble racing (https://youtu.be/_cBHmu_cNww?t=14).
And in countries with a far more advanced pandemic
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-italy-spain-frances-full-21737649

Too many zombie apocalypse films for people

   
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: PmbPhy on 25/03/2020 08:36:20
All non-essential businesses have been closed down here in Massachusetts, USA. The hysteria Its gotten to be so bad that the Governor has called out the national guard in my neighboring town (Lawrence) and closed all non-essential businesses.

The hysteria confuses the heck out of me. When the virus hit our town shoppers bought up all the toilet paper and bottled water. Now why would they do that? That's like thinking "Him ... I may get that virus so I should get lots of TP."
Seems to me that more people will die of car accidents than this virus this year.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: alancalverd on 25/03/2020 12:44:43
I think the TP panic began, at least in the UK, with some brilliantly irresponsible journalism. The same static image has appeared several times on all the news channels, of one empty supermarket shelf in Australia, with no voiceover from the shop or any customers, so as far as we know it could have just been a regular Sunday "clean and restock", or, as the shelf was bent, clearing it for repair.

I have it in mind to circulate a photograph of my neatly cut lawn (there's nothing else to do!) , with the caption "potato famine hits Britain - residents eat grass" and see what happens.
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: chris on 27/03/2020 18:23:54
I though they were bats (to eat them that is)

Ozzy Osbourne must be crapping himself...
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Colin2B on 27/03/2020 22:18:31
Ozzy Osbourne must be crapping himself...
Is diarrhoea one of the symptoms? 

Good job no one threw a pangolin on the stage!
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: RD on 28/03/2020 15:46:24
How long does COVID-19 survive on gratuitous pens ? ...
www .youtube.com/watch?v=vq2DrA56HHs#t=20m40s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq2DrA56HHs#t=20m40s)
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: alancalverd on 29/03/2020 00:47:33
Around 72 hours seems to be the consensus, but this experiment should provide better data.

Anyway, it's good to see that cowardly little Donald can now write his own name, and heartwarming that the big boys applauded. And he did it first time, without breaking his felt-tip pen, so he didn't need the whole box that Mummy had given him. He is very special and we all love him for trying so hard - he knows lots of words and can say most of them!
Title: Re: Is there coronavirus hysteria?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 29/03/2020 03:07:19
Around 72 hours seems to be the consensus, but this experiment should provide better data.

Anyway, it's good to see that cowardly little Donald can now write his own name, and heartwarming that the big boys applauded. And he did it first time, without breaking his felt-tip pen, so he didn't need the whole box that Mummy had given him. He is very special and we all love him for trying so hard - he knows lots of words and can say most of them!

I sense underlying issues alan. Anyway i was more than grateful to the worlds billionaire rulers for issuing a whole 2 trillion dollars to buoy up the stockmarket. Shame that iswas not there to invest in ventilators before hand, remember running the country down is a bad thing (which is what is happeneing now according to chancellors past)because when an emergency comes it will be too late and you will have no reserves to fall back on and your country will be in serious trouble. Remember, it isnt prudent to live beyond your means, unless other countries are also devaluing their currency that is and you won't loose out. And your shares are knackered. And each government issue saves you the loss of 100 million quid. 

Gawd bles ya' mr osbourne.