Dear Tig.
I’m about to begin my thrice-weekly English-as-a-second-language class.
Right now I want to express — for the sake of getting it "on the record" — that I perceive (rightly or wrongly) a significant amount of hysteria in the developed world‘s reaction to coronavirus.
I am all in favor of taking recommended public health measures to stop its spread.
And of course I am delighted by the political damage the virus inflicts on Trump.
But let us remember that around 50,000 Americans die every year from seasonal flu.
Although I am fully prepared to see what happens — and will make no final pronouncement until trustworthy data has been collected — I find it very hard to believe (at this point in time) that anywhere close to 50,000 Americans are going to die from coronavirus this year.
That said, I do see real possibility that the nation’s healthcare delivery system will be overwhelmed because so many old people require hospitalization and intensive care.
When this situation sorts out, I will be totally willing to eat my words.
For now, I just want to get them off my chest.
I’m about to begin my thrice-weekly English-as-a-second-language class.
Right now I want to express — for the sake of getting it "on the record" — that I perceive (rightly or wrongly) a significant amount of hysteria in the developed world‘s reaction to coronavirus.
I am all in favor of taking recommended public health measures to stop its spread.
And of course I am delighted by the political damage the virus inflicts on Trump.
But let us remember that around 50,000 Americans die every year from seasonal flu.
Although I am fully prepared to see what happens — and will make no final pronouncement until trustworthy data has been collected — I find it very hard to believe (at this point in time) that anywhere close to 50,000 Americans are going to die from coronavirus this year.
That said, I do see real possibility that the nation’s healthcare delivery system will be overwhelmed because so many old people require hospitalization and intensive care.
When this situation sorts out, I will be totally willing to eat my words.
For now, I just want to get them off my chest.
Love
Alan
Dear A,
As Dr. Gaudi said today, I don't mind over reacting. He keeps talking about a curved hill instead of a spike when the worst gets here in about 2 weeks.
A spike will overwhelm the hospitals and healthcare .
That's what put Italy in such dire straights. Too little too late. Even with our current shut downs we may be too late.
Until testing starts rolling out we don't really know the extent of Covid 19 here.
Extrapolations for death go into 6 figures.
Some Airlines are halving their flights. Many gringos still in Mexico?
Ohare and N.Y. were terrible sights last weekend. People trying to get home all at once packed in terminals taking hours to go through the hoops laid out.
Some virus was transmitted there I'm sure.
Wonder if a recovered person is immune . It would seem so but no one has mentioned that.
Love
F
Dear F,
Thanks for your email.
Over-reaction is a two edged sword.
Trump's 48% (?) approval rating is, at bottom, an over-reaction.
White people feel their privilege slipping away and they over-react by treating every pronouncement by the psychopath as if it were God's Truth.
Reason depends on prudence and proportionality which makes it unusually easy for folks on both sides of the aisle to become integral parts of The Problem.
Still, I'm all in favor of the political damage Trump suffers, and hope over-reaction continues until November 3rd.
Sometimes you fight fire with fire.
Elsewhere...
Like you, I am surprised there has been no comment concerning the conferral of immunity on those you have been infected. Furthermore, when we discovered that surviving Ebola conferred considerable immunity on the previously-infected, it became possible to use blood fractions to treat newly-infected people.
Have you seen "Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian?"
Love
A
Dear F,
Here's a follow-up case in point.
The headline below says "millions" could die.
But the sub-title cites the number of dead worldwide at 7176 - and that's AFTER the disease ran a virulent course in China.
And after the first case of coronavirus was identified in China on November 17 - four months ago today.
Here are U.S. seasonal flu death statistics, by year, since 2011. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html (See table 1 of this CDC tabulation.)
AND! Although there's a vaccine for seasonal flu, only 45% of American adults get it.
'Millions' in Iran could die from coronavirus:
Live Updates
WHO urges governments to do more as virus infects more than 179,000 people and has killed at least 7,176 worldwide.
This is a good time to reprise my link, "Self-Terrorization Is The National Pastime."
We humans are crazy mofos.
More often than not we only pretend to be rational.
What we REALLY want is a feel-good gusher of self-satisfying emotional eruption.
More often than not we only pretend to be rational.
What we REALLY want is a feel-good gusher of self-satisfying emotional eruption.
Love
A
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