Emergence of a Deadly Coronavirus

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In COVID-19 testing, they always test for the flu first before they test for COVID-19.

According to this article in The New York Times that may be the case most of the time in the USA but not always.

"Almost all of those who spoke with The Times said that they were first given a rapid flu test, whose results come back within 15 minutes or so. When those came back negative, the medical team proceeded to administer a Covid-19 test. Though Mr. Edwards asked for a flu test, he was told the hospital had shut down flu testing to increase its capacity for Covid-19 tests."

https://www.nytimes.com/article/test-fo ... virus.html

I can't seem to find any evidence that flu is being routinely tested for in the UK coronavirus testing programme but perhaps it's so routine no one thinks it's worth mentioning.

I noticed that a doctor speaking on fox news said that she would test for flu first and if that tested positive she wouldn't test for coronavirus, and said that "getting both at once would be just bad luck" .... not that she would ever know if anyone had both, by the sound of it.

When you test positive for both influenza and COVID-19 simultaneously.

There wouldn’t be a 95-5 ratio with the regular flu. It would be more like 99.5-0.5.

According to the Good RX website, quoting WHO data, one person was found to have had the regular flu and COVID-19 simultaneously.

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 31 Mar 2020, 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Breaking news: Moscow reports vodka shortage

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/03/ ... ord-a69710

I feel, within at least some of the NYC deaths, that the “underlying condition” could have caused the death of individual people more than the concurrent COVID-19 infection. It would be difficult to tell how much effect the COVID-19 had on the overall survivalbility of the individual people.

There is certainly a preponderance of people dying who have “underlying conditions” over all age groups. Deaths are relatively rare even within very elderly people who have no “underlying condition.”

But the hospitalization rate among relatively younger people who tested positive for COVID-19 is alarmingly high. Between 1 in 5 and 1 in 6–much higher than what occurs in regular flu.

From: www1.nyc.gov

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 31 Mar 2020, 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

I also worry about small businesses. Many small businesses like restaurants are tenants and pay rent. I've read about people suggesting that a way to help such small businesses is to mandate that they are not required to pay rent to their landlords. I've also read about suggestions that anyone who rents an apartment be allowed simply not to pay rent for a period of time even with no requirement to pay the rent back in the future. All well and good, but there would have to be something done at the government level then to reimburse the landlords for the lost rent. Landlords have bills and mortgages to pay as well. In addition, rent is income for landlords (ie their job). Cutting off rent to landlords isn't any different than someone losing their job over this virus and no one coming to their aid to help them.

There is a moratorium on evictions and court actions in many places.

I believe there is also a moratorium on small businesses paying rent to their landlords in at least some places.

Small businesses can apply for low-interest loans from the government, as per the Stimulus Package (CARES).

Obviously, there will be a dramatic economic impact from all this. There won’t be a panacea for small businesses by any means.

Where’s one of the flamethrower drones when you need one.
as*holes,spreading disease and buying up the groceries from our ONE store.Tourists GO HOME!! !!
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/202 ... arn-of-to/

A common belief during the 1918 pandemic was that strong alcohol (whiskey) was a cure. As a result there were major shortages of alcoholic beverages during the pandemic because many people were buying these up. So I was wondering when the panic buying of whiskey would hit the U.S. I see no signs yet. But if all the whiskey manufacturers have retooled to making hand sanitizers, the production of whiskey might be put on hold, making a whiskey shortage even before there is a run on this product.


[Hmmm! According to your link Moscow is now in lockdown (shelter at home order)]

Last edited by jimmy m on 31 Mar 2020, 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

For those that are interested the following link describes the deaths in the U.S. due to the influenza (the common cold/flu). JAMA Publication

Many of the Tables are important from a numerical perspective. Table 5 shows two items of note:

That the influenza is interlinked to pneumonia and to underlying respiratory and circulatory deaths.

And that the elderly (>65 year olds) are the most affected.

People think they are outdoors and they are safe. BIG MISTAKE.

This virus doesn't really propagate through the air. That's not the main route. It mainly propagates through your fingers. So any kind of contact sport is inherently dangerous. What do I mean by "contact sport"? By that I mean any activity where your fingers have to touch ANYTHING that other people may touch. Look at this picture: I don't think you can play any water sport without your hands. As with most people, they catch the virus and they don't even know how they caught it.



Starting from yesterday, even neighborhood parks have been shut down here where I live. WHY? Because you see people playing tennis (balls), you see people walking dog into the fenced areas (opening gates with your hands), you see little children in playground structures (hands, faces and what not), and you see people sitting on benches (their hands on the benches). There is no wonder that even with shelter-in-place orders, the virus is still transmitting wildly.

Please sign and share the petition to keep the tourists from congregating in my small rural county.
http://chng.it/gk8LgVzjcw

I wouldn’t mind going to the Ozarks some day after all this mess is over.

I hope you would welcome me

But people should follow social distancing rules.

That's terrible! Where I am, people aren't even allowed to go to their cottages or second properties in small towns. Not even if they own the property. It's because the small villages don't want anyone extra coming in and putting a strain on their medical services or even the grocery supply. People have to stay-the-f put where they are. I'm sorry this is happening to you. I'm sorry people are so thoughtless.

I have trouble understanding the current strategy. In light of the fact that at some point we will need herd immunity from this virus, why are young healthy people in lockdown? Surely it would benefit the vulnerable few and make it safer to go outside sooner if the low risk group do mix?