COVID-19

Discussions about serious topics, for serious people
Locked
mikeh
Fuzzable
Posts: 277
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:48 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by mikeh » Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:23 pm

Third case in the UK. Not much known at the moment, other than its imported rather than transmitted within the UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cmo- ... in-england

nefibach
Sindis Poop
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:59 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by nefibach » Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:26 pm

jimbob wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:55 am
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3871594

Is this a reputable source?


late Saturday evening (Feb. 1), Tencent, on its webpage titled "Epidemic Situation Tracker," showed confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019nCoV) in China as standing at 154,023, 10 times the official figure at the time. It listed the number of suspected cases as 79,808, four times the official figure.
Weeellll, it's from Taiwan, which is not known for being particularly sympathetic to China. That quote itself is not the worst of the propaganda coming out of Tencent, which is also claiming 25k deaths. There's no evidence for that at all.

However, like a lot of untruths, it's got a grain of truth at its centre. It's almost certain that there are a lot more cases of 2019-nCoV than the Chinese have confirmed, not because they are necessarily covering anything up but because firstly it looks like it does present very mild symptoms in some people and those people will not have gone to seek medical help, and secondly there is not an infinite supply of testing kits. There have already been reports that China's only testing severe cases because they just don't have the resources to test everyone.

I've also seen reports on Twitter that the reason we've seen no cases in Africa is that they're not testing because they don't have the resources or kits.

So we should reasonably expect the number of infections to be very much higher than reported, but there's no reason to believe at this point that the number of deaths is substantially higher than reported.

Herainestold
After Pie
Posts: 2029
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:23 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by Herainestold » Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:33 pm

There is a lot of anti-Chinese racism in much of the commentary on the coronavirus, but this something different, intra-Chinese politics. The province of Taiwan is never going to accept mainland statistics or analysis on these virus matters. Undoubtedly the current statistics are going to reflect under reporting because of the logistical difficulties of coping with this epidemic, but malicious ness should not be assumed. The Chinese are doing the best they can under extremely difficult conditions.
Masking forever
Putin is a monster.
Russian socialism will rise again

User avatar
Gfamily
Light of Blast
Posts: 5179
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:00 pm
Location: NW England

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by Gfamily » Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:48 pm

Herainestold wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:33 pm
There is a lot of anti-Chinese racism in much of the commentary on the coronavirus, but this something different, intra-Chinese politics. The province of Taiwan is never going to accept mainland statistics or analysis on these virus matters. Undoubtedly the current statistics are going to reflect under reporting because of the logistical difficulties of coping with this epidemic, but malicious ness should not be assumed. The Chinese are doing the best they can under extremely difficult conditions.
It may be my bubble, but I'm not getting any anti-Chinese racism in what I'm reading.
I'm getting comments about the nature of the regime, and the initial reluctance of the system to acknowledge the problem, but that's not racism (not as I would call it, anyway).
My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
ETA 5/8/20: I've been advised that the result was correct, it was the initial interpretation that needed to be withdrawn
Meta? I'd say so!

User avatar
lpm
Junior Mod
Posts: 5944
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:05 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by lpm » Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:50 pm

mikeh wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:23 pm
Third case in the UK. Not much known at the moment, other than its imported rather than transmitted within the UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cmo- ... in-england
... but not imported from China, imported from another Asian country.

Which implies it won't be long till people with it arrive from USA or Australia or France, magnifying the scale of identification problem.
⭐ Awarded gold star 4 November 2021

User avatar
bob sterman
Dorkwood
Posts: 1123
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 10:25 pm
Location: Location Location

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by bob sterman » Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:05 pm

Gfamily wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:48 pm
Herainestold wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:33 pm
There is a lot of anti-Chinese racism in much of the commentary on the coronavirus, but this something different, intra-Chinese politics. The province of Taiwan is never going to accept mainland statistics or analysis on these virus matters. Undoubtedly the current statistics are going to reflect under reporting because of the logistical difficulties of coping with this epidemic, but malicious ness should not be assumed. The Chinese are doing the best they can under extremely difficult conditions.
It may be my bubble, but I'm not getting any anti-Chinese racism in what I'm reading.
I'm getting comments about the nature of the regime, and the initial reluctance of the system to acknowledge the problem, but that's not racism (not as I would call it, anyway).
Indeed. I understand there is similar skepticism about the mainland statistics and management of the situation from current and former Hong Kong residents.

mikeh
Fuzzable
Posts: 277
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:48 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by mikeh » Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:12 pm

nefibach wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:26 pm
I've also seen reports on Twitter that the reason we've seen no cases in Africa is that they're not testing because they don't have the resources or kits.
Have been at least a couple of hundred tests done in Africa so far, just that countries had to chuck their samples at labs in South Africa and (I think (Senegal). So time consuming and expensive. WHO were ramping up the diagnostic capacity so a load more African countries now have access to do the tests without sending them abroad.

But yeah, testing on a small scale, so who knows what's in Africa at the moment.

User avatar
lpm
Junior Mod
Posts: 5944
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:05 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by lpm » Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:45 pm

Jeez, apparently the China whistleblower doctor who had to sign an apology for being anti-social has died of it.
⭐ Awarded gold star 4 November 2021

User avatar
jimbob
Light of Blast
Posts: 5276
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 4:04 pm
Location: High Peak/Manchester

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by jimbob » Thu Feb 06, 2020 5:35 pm

bob sterman wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:05 pm
Gfamily wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:48 pm
Herainestold wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:33 pm
There is a lot of anti-Chinese racism in much of the commentary on the coronavirus, but this something different, intra-Chinese politics. The province of Taiwan is never going to accept mainland statistics or analysis on these virus matters. Undoubtedly the current statistics are going to reflect under reporting because of the logistical difficulties of coping with this epidemic, but malicious ness should not be assumed. The Chinese are doing the best they can under extremely difficult conditions.
It may be my bubble, but I'm not getting any anti-Chinese racism in what I'm reading.
I'm getting comments about the nature of the regime, and the initial reluctance of the system to acknowledge the problem, but that's not racism (not as I would call it, anyway).
Indeed. I understand there is similar skepticism about the mainland statistics and management of the situation from current and former Hong Kong residents.
Certainly the view from those people I know from Mainland China too.
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

User avatar
Woodchopper
Princess POW
Posts: 7057
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 9:05 am

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by Woodchopper » Thu Feb 06, 2020 5:43 pm

mikeh wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:12 pm
nefibach wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:26 pm
I've also seen reports on Twitter that the reason we've seen no cases in Africa is that they're not testing because they don't have the resources or kits.
Have been at least a couple of hundred tests done in Africa so far, just that countries had to chuck their samples at labs in South Africa and (I think (Senegal). So time consuming and expensive. WHO were ramping up the diagnostic capacity so a load more African countries now have access to do the tests without sending them abroad.

But yeah, testing on a small scale, so who knows what's in Africa at the moment.
There are major Chinese commercial investments in Africa. So people will have been flying back and forth. The ability of African states to respond to an epidemic is much less than in China or developed states.

mikeh
Fuzzable
Posts: 277
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:48 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by mikeh » Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:21 pm

lpm wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:45 pm
Jeez, apparently the China whistleblower doctor who had to sign an apology for being anti-social has died of it.
Maybe not quite dead
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-51403795

FlammableFlower
Dorkwood
Posts: 1508
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:22 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by FlammableFlower » Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:36 pm

"I'm not dead"

"He says he's not dead"

Etc...

User avatar
Woodchopper
Princess POW
Posts: 7057
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 9:05 am

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by Woodchopper » Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:54 pm


mikeh
Fuzzable
Posts: 277
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:48 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by mikeh » Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:08 am

The coronacruise ship is not a fun place to be. 61 confirmed cases thus far.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51409800

User avatar
Boustrophedon
Stummy Beige
Posts: 2860
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 3:58 pm
Location: Lincolnshire Wolds

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by Boustrophedon » Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:14 am

Can we start panicking now?
Hjulet snurrar men hamstern är död.

User avatar
bob sterman
Dorkwood
Posts: 1123
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 10:25 pm
Location: Location Location

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by bob sterman » Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:31 am

Boustrophedon wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:14 am
Can we start panicking preparing now?
Yes

User avatar
lpm
Junior Mod
Posts: 5944
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:05 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by lpm » Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:17 pm

Is it time to return to my favourite rant?

End handshakes for ever.

There's no better way to catch diseases from strangers. I accept I'm likely to catch a cold if family in the same house are ill - but it's really f.cking annoying I'm expected to catch a cold from handshakes. If I die from coronavirus after catching it from from a tedious sales person who is subjecting me to a pointless business meeting I'm going to be really pissed off.

On another forum I think I concluded the Nazi salute was safe, but possibly not appropriate, while the Roman fist over the heart salute was the best solution.
⭐ Awarded gold star 4 November 2021

User avatar
El Pollo Diablo
Stummy Beige
Posts: 3323
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:41 pm
Location: FBPE

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by El Pollo Diablo » Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:23 pm

How does it compare, germwise, to that weird kiss greeting that continentals do?

FWIW I refused to shake some peoples' hands the other day precisely because I was coldy.
If truth is many-sided, mendacity is many-tongued

User avatar
Aitch
Snowbonk
Posts: 545
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:53 am
Location: St Aines

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by Aitch » Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:27 pm

On a related point, it would appear that it's economic effects (Sony closing factories and so forth) may soon start to bite - shortage of Apple phones!
Some people call me strange.
I prefer unconventional.
But I'm willing to compromise and accept eccentric
.

User avatar
shpalman
Princess POW
Posts: 8241
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:53 pm
Location: One step beyond
Contact:

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by shpalman » Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:28 pm

El Pollo Diablo wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:23 pm
How does it compare, germwise, to that weird kiss greeting that continentals do?
Please don't take that away from me.
having that swing is a necessary but not sufficient condition for it meaning a thing
@shpalman@mastodon.me.uk

mikeh
Fuzzable
Posts: 277
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:48 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by mikeh » Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:02 pm

El Pollo Diablo wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:23 pm
How does it compare, germwise, to that weird kiss greeting that continentals do?

FWIW I refused to shake some peoples' hands the other day precisely because I was coldy.
How do you lot greet each other in the Overlord Penthouse of a morning? I've got some ideas in my head about that, which could probably be made into a feature film,

Anyway, if you don't like handshakes, then elbow bump your way around town. Also allows for a snide dig in the ribs for people you are forced to greet but don't like.

User avatar
basementer
Dorkwood
Posts: 1504
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:03 pm
Location: 8024, Aotearoa
Contact:

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by basementer » Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:22 pm

Boustrophedon wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:14 am
Can we start panicking now?
Let's panic later
Money is just a substitute for luck anyway. - Tom Siddell

User avatar
lpm
Junior Mod
Posts: 5944
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:05 pm

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by lpm » Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:35 pm

bob sterman wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:31 am
Boustrophedon wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:14 am
Can we start panicking preparing now?
Yes
Not many of those hand sanitiser things left on Amazon.
⭐ Awarded gold star 4 November 2021

User avatar
JQH
After Pie
Posts: 2141
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 3:30 pm
Location: Sar Flandan

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by JQH » Fri Feb 07, 2020 4:36 pm

If the outbreak of plague causes disruption to the food supply we'll just have to eat our Brexit stashes.
And remember that if you botch the exit, the carnival of reaction may be coming to a town near you.

Fintan O'Toole

User avatar
bob sterman
Dorkwood
Posts: 1123
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 10:25 pm
Location: Location Location

Re: Wuhan Coronavirus

Post by bob sterman » Fri Feb 07, 2020 4:48 pm

lpm wrote:
Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:35 pm
Not many of those hand sanitiser things left on Amazon.
Need to find a way to turn readily available alcohol (vodka, gin, brandy etc) into a gel like substance to rub on your hands!

Any ideas???

Locked