Many countries take harsh steps as they struggle to contain virus

Every winter, since time immemorial, there have been viruses (viri for techies and Latin geeks) that spread around the world, causing millions up millions to cough and resulting in thousands of deaths among immunodeficient elderly people. So far, this infection seems to be basically the same.

So are we going to start shutting down society every time some virus spreads around.

The CDC says 12,000 to 16,000 Americans die from flu-related complications every year anyway, it's an unavoidable part of existence on this Earth.

So you think we should just let a totally new, not understood, potentially deadly virus spread unchecked because the flu exists?

And yet Japan still uses the outdated method of simply asking people to queue up on one side if they have been to Wuhan or other affected areas in China. 

So? What do you suggest as the new updated method?

No virus is nearly as contagious as the mass media hysteria.

So technically, we're not even at 1/10 of epidemic level.

Also, according to the CDC, the regular flu already results in 12,000 to 16,000 deaths annually in the US because of complications.

So what? We should wait until it catches up to the flu to do something? I never understand the point of this argument.

So you think we should just let a totally new, not understood, potentially deadly virus spread unchecked because the flu exists?

I think the best these extreme travel restrictions will do is delay the spread by a few weeks. But at the same time, they will help wreck the economy, probably causing more suffering than the virus itself. It's simply impossible to quarantine entire countries in this day and age.

The stats so far from the coronavirus:

"How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu?"

https://www.livescience.com/new-coronavirus-compare-with-flu.html

It's more contagious than the regular flu. Also, the virus could remain active on a surface for several more hours than the regular flu

The measure scientists use to determine how easily a virus spreads is known as the "basic reproduction number," or R0 (pronounced R-nought). This is an estimate of the average number of people who catch the virus from a single infected person

The typical flu has an R0 value of about 1.3 vs. R0 value for the new coronavirus to be 2.2 - meaning each infected person has been spreading the virus to an average of 2.2 people (almost 2x faster than the typical flu)

The mortality rate for a regular flu is about 0.1% vs. the mortality rate for the coronavirus is about 2.3%

In addition from the coronavirus, about 15% suffer severe symptoms, while the rest (82%) suffer mild symptoms

Thus, compared to your regular flu, the coronavirus is a super-flu

Meanwhile, Trump has appointed religious zealot, and anti-science advocate, Mike Pence, to head up the response to the covid 19 threat. One of his first acts as response leader was to forbid any scientists working on this problem from having any contact with the news media.

Aye. Straight out of the Xi handbook for authoritarianism.

I shouldn't be shocked anymore at such a turn of events, but, damn. What were they thinking?

How are different countries reacting to the covid 19 threat? Take a look at what the U.S. authorities are doing:

Against the advice of the CDC, Trump appointees flew 14 people from the Diamond Princess back to the U.S. who had tested positive for the virus, on a plane with people who had not tested positive.

Once the infected people were supposedly put into quarantine, Trump appointees took over their care, sending untrained civilians, without any protective gear, to interact with them on a daily basis.

Those same civilians were then sent back to their places of origin across the U.S., without being tested, and so far as we know, without even any tracking.

Yesterday, the first person infected in the U.S. who has not been to the Orient, and who has not come into direct contact with a known infected person, was announced to the media. That person lives ten miles from the supposed quarantine area.

Meanwhile, Trump has appointed religious zealot, and anti-science advocate, Mike Pence, to head up the response to the covid 19 threat. One of his first acts as response leader was to forbid any scientists working on this problem from having any contact with the news media.

One can only hope and pray that this will not all end in disaster.

It’s been bothering me since the outset that Australian scientists, having recreated the virus in a lab, literally stated that “there’s no human to human transmission of this virus”. They mentioned this innocently, so to speak, without motive, and so I take it that it’s likely a true statement. Yet one constantly reads of a ‘first human to human transmission case’. So much smearing over basic evidence simply doesn’t add up.

A link to the aforementioned article: https://apple.news/AvZ_XvT2KRMSy14w1sx7A9g

One of the biggest mistake is that in Asian countries including Japan did not block Chinese people 100%, no exceptions from coming into their countries from the start.

the irony of this story is that now, China/Hong Kong is blocking Koreans from coming into China, can you believe this BS,

Hey China, you have 80,000 vs Korea now has 2,000,

Meanwhile, Trump has appointed religious zealot, and anti-science advocate, Mike Pence, to head up the response to the covid 19 threat. One of his first acts as response leader was to forbid any scientists working on this problem from having any contact with the news media.

He’s just protecting the patent on the vaccine Donny told us we would have soon. See, since Donny isn’t a complete and utter imbecile, he knows that vaccine is just around the corner.

It maybe time for a lock -down or find the cure.

A man originally from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the global outbreak, who contracted the virus was charged alongside his wife in Singapore for allegedly lying about their whereabouts as officials tried to stem further infections.

And yet Japan still uses the outdated method of simply asking people to queue up on one side if they have been to Wuhan or other affected areas in China. As if someone who wants to lie about it will be caught.

38 cases? Suuuuure. Macron, you are embarrassing, as usual. At least you can say it's Italy fault. Suuuuure.

extanker - So you think we should just let a totally new, not understood, potentially deadly virus spread unchecked because the flu exists?

It's human nature to make comparisons. And people like to pass along information. Sometimes it's even useful information.

People need to take common sense precautions on their own. Wash your hands, stop, or limit, shaking hands, wear a mask, shave off any facial hair (or the mask won't fit properly), stay away from, or limit your time in crowds, cover your mouth when you cough, etc..

Governments have to decide how best to prevent/limit any contagion from crossing their borders. In and out. They also have to decide how best to prevent a spreading of the virus within their own borders. Isn't the U.N., or WHO, supposed to be leading some international preparation, and containment effort?

No virus is nearly as contagious as the mass media hysteria.

If there is 'hysteria' it's because some individuals have let what they've read make them feel that way. Who and what to believe is up to individuals, because unfortunately government leaders have shown they're NOT trustworthy. None of the world's leaders has been shown to be honest. Media outlets report what they say.