[alancalverd]

The WHO expert said 4% of the population could die of covid19. . That prediction caused the panic and Trump is correct to penalise them.

Herr Fuhrer Trumpf does not understand basic English.

If nobody did anything to prevent it, all the evidence suggests that 4% of any population exposed to COVID 19 will eventually die from it. Compared with, say, swine vesicular disease, fowl plague, or foot and mouth, that's a fairly low mortality rate, but for some reason most people ascribe more importance to human mortality than of other species, and the medium-term morbidity of COVID is a serious embarrassment to employers, economists and politicians, so most sensible people have done something to mitigate its effect. 

The figures seem still to be fairly consistent with 2 - 10% of those infected dying from COVID, depending on the age cohort and various other factors, so the WHO statement was absolutely correct.

Trump is a dangerous idiot, a proven coward and draft dodger, and a professional liar. Unfortunately he also happens to be president of a generally lawless state  and will say or do anything that appeals to his repulsive electorate.

A precaution is something you do to prevent something bad happening to you - think seat belt. A mandatory requirement is something you do to prevent something bad happening to other people - think speed limit. Only a mandatory requirement can eliminate COVID. Anything else merely extends and delays the epidemic. 

[acsinuk]

Look at Diamond Princess ship on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ We know WHO were totally incorrect in
 their prediction by 100 times and have landed us in an economic mess. On the positive side we have enjoyed being quieter and healthier by following outdoor pursuits like cycling and social distancing,   Perhaps Boris could prioritise the creation of bike super highways by creating 5 metre wide bikeways along the side existing railway lines.  We would need to flyover stations on steel gantries  every few kilometers but if we could link these bikeways to our large parks like Hyde park to Richmond park and the Embankment that would relieve the rail network considerably and keep us all healthier.

[Bored chemist]

We know WHO were totally incorrect in
 their prediction by 100 times and have landed us in an economic mess

I wasn't aware that WHO had made a prediction about the fate of the people on that boat.
Can you provide a link please?


Also, can you show that WHO are responsible for any government policies on economics?

[syhprum]

We have not found a cure for HIV but but persons with it in wealthy countries can obtain drugs to prevent it progressing to AIDS

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

The WHO expert said 4% of the population could die of covid19. . That prediction caused the panic and Trump is correct to penalise them. They must have known that 80% of the population would not even be infected and that a vaccine could not be developed for possibly years. The peak is over in UK and all we need do is avoid crowded areas, just as a hygienic precaution; not a mandatory requirement.  By all means still test and check people at the borders but forget any mandatory 14 day quarantine period unless the traveller proves positive as a carriers 

I object to the wording "4 percent dying". Western countries have long sustained their vinerable with flu vaccines etc. Part of the reason people live longer is that they are protected from this sort of virus. Unfortunatley novel virus and no vaccine mean the populace that is protected no longer have the protection to sustain them in their vunerability. Does emphysema kill you or covid  ?

[alancalverd]

A recurring problem is that COVID is not always reported as the cause of death. CoD is at best an opinion and proof of COVID infection remains difficult.

When the numbers were small enough for hospitals to cope, it was established that 20% of those infected would require hospital treatment, and 20% of those would die in hospital within a few weeks, hence 4% fatality was a scientific fact, and we have no reason to believe otherwise.

Once the numbers exceeded the capacity of the acute hospital service, we know that infective patients were discharged to care homes, where the death rate pretty well doubled, but their CoD was not rigorously tested and thus was recorded as pulmonary infection or something similar. It is also the case that the actual cause of death of many hospital cases was a secondary infection beyond the competence of COVID-impaired lungs, that would otherwise have been survivable.     

So the only established fact remains that 4% of those infected with COVID will die prematurely of respiratory disease. It doesn't matter whether you are hit by a car, bus or truck, but standing in the road will lead to an early death. Same with COVID, and the gross statistics bear this out.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

early death

As compared to people who have never seen so much medical treatment as a sticking plaster? Early death as compared to a miner from africa who has not had corona. I really think not.