8% of Iran's parliament has tested positive so far.

Maybe the USA started this virus. Conspiracy theories for the win

My son is showing the same symptoms I had. His cough isn't as bad as mine but he has a higher fever. If this is what I had I'd put it among the worst colds I've ever had. Definitely not fun, but you'd think it's the apocalypse here. Costco was sold out of water and toilet paper, the safeway next to us is sold of nearly all cleaning supplies, drinks, medicine, and essentials. The shelves at rite aid were nearly empty throughout the store. They told my wife they got a shipment of hand sanitizer in today and 4 boxes with over 100 per box sold out in 30 minutes.

Ugh. I got my canned goods sorted via amazon pantry, but I really do need to make sure I'm up on over the counter meds, disinfectants and I'd prefer to stock the freezer with some fresh(er) food so its not ONLY canned goods. Nothing overboard, just following NPR's "basic preparedness" story they put out last week.

I don't do good in crowded places on a good day, I wish I'd done that before this week.

Would like it to be confirmed but not surprising as we always talk about mutations.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/04/coro...-covid-19.html

Toss in China and how this has reduced their growth and encouraged companies to look elsewhere for manufacturing/redundancy. I looked for more current pics of before/after pollution over China and didn't find it, I do wonder if the manufacturing engine has restarted.

Did Pence really brag about having 2500 test kits available?

Only 2500.

And some people still want the government to run the nation's health care system.

At the Atlanta airport. Only one person with a mask. Look lighter than normal (but is a wed).

So they are all going to look like a Detroit Tigers game in August

It has decimated other countries.

The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency

And don't discount the horrible effects on mental health:

Trump says coronavirus is having a positive effect on the U.S. economy.

We have a toilet paper shortage crisis in Australia due to idiots stocking up on toilet paper. Canned foods also, but toilet paper is my main concern with 5 family members flying over the States to stay with us next week...

Tell them to bring some. Lots of TP in the good ol' USA

Yeah as usual they asked me if I wanted any shoes or anything from the States, and I did just say TP please. :D

BYOTP!

The water hoarding is interesting. I don't get how water will be impacted.

But, after researching for weeks about the complicated process involved with procuring passage on the Rise of the Resistance Ride at Disneyland, I'm pretty optimistic that this will be the absolute best time to ever go to Disneyland in a week and a half, midweek in March during a pandemic. (Unless they close it down).

I finished booking our hotels for northern Europe in mid-April and paid a little extra for refundable rates as I understand the virus is now a "known event" that travel insurance, or your credit card, will fight you on from here on out. We will go unless the airline shuts us down.

My next-office-over colleague at work has a Japan trip planned for the end of the month and he doubled down, cancelled, and re-booked because his hotel there was aggressively discounting fares to get people in. If the plane takes off, he's going. (And our agency may make him work from home for a week after he returns, as another benefit).

Honestly, if you are young(ish), healthy, and have time off from work, there's probably never been a better time to travel in recent history. We had an intern finish up here late last year with a year-long gap year planned all through Asia, and I've been looking at her Instagram shots in Japan this past week and seeing her photos at the same sites I went to 3 years ago that were jammed with tourists, she's getting amazing tourist free shots and talking about how peaceful some of these places are.

I joked about the concept of "virus chasing" today at work and think it's a viable strategy depending on your own personal risk tolerance and family situation.

I would not cancel a trip to Japan if I had one scheduled. I'd follow any government mandate to self-quarantine, etc., but life's too short to hide away at any threat.

If you are not over 60 and healthy, there is no reason to fear. Unless this thing mutates, this is strictly an old person killer.

Mostly, but not strictly and severe illness and hospitalization impact lives, too.

BYU is always in the hospital and he's fucking old. RIP bro.

I swear to God you just wait for me to post to contradict me. :)

Only when you misspeak. ;)

Trump just said the WHO estimate of a 3.4 percent coronavirus death rate globally is "really a false number" adding "this is just my hunch" but "personally, I would say the number is way under 1 percent."

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) March 5, 2020

Just go to any mall, restaurant etc. and stock up. Easy.

I know someone that is a sole proprietor. He is cancelling his trip abroad. He's not worried about getting the virus and dying, he's worried about being quarantined for an extended period of time (which obviously would negatively impact his business).

The WHO estimate is bonkers high, if that truly is the estimate. I think the number is far under 1% as well.



Still doesn't stop from the fact that he called the whole thing a 'hoax'.

95,000 global cases with 3,200 deaths. But agree that the number of infected (mild, ignored as the flu) is higher than the 95,000 which makes % mortality lower.

Need more testing kits for the West to come up with a good estimate.

I don't know what the death rate is, but I'll listen to the trained epidemiologists before people who just have a hunch.

In our office there are usually spare rolls in each cubicle. Gone. No joke.

As of yesterday the USA had done @500 tests total.

The spread of this virus is going to be alarming if we ever decide to mass test.

This is my point. You're capturing all the deaths from the disease and you're only capturing the sickest of the people who are infected. Certainly the number of people infected is far greater than 95,000. Sure, only going by the raw numbers (which is the only real number that scientists can go by, because it's the only numbers they have), those numbers are correct, however you really can't presume that it's an accurate number.

Like Q said above, if it is widespread (without the resulting deaths) then that is actually good news that will look like bad news.

But, because it will look like bad news, I don't think that the Dear Leader is going to prioritize testing. He was on Fox News last night saying that its fine for people to go to work with the virus.

I'd say good and bad news. Mortality for those over 65 is supposedly 8% or so. That population isn't prepared for it to be in their area and they're also the most likely to believe the Fox News line that this is no big deal.

I don't know where the death rate will eventually fall, but those uncertainties are being taken into account in the modeling. They aren't just dividing known cases by known death.

I think that is exactly where that 3% number is coming from.

Well, that was certainly a rapid evolution in your opinion of the virus. :D

How is any of that good?

My mother in law is in her late 60s. Had a heart transplant 11 years ago. Is in OK shape, but it would be a virtual lock this thing would kill her. She is as hard core a brainwashed Trump supporter as you will ever find. Reposts memes on FB, not capable of having a rational conversation, thinks he was sent by Jesus to undo everything Obama did, etc...but I certainly don't want her dead.

Fewer Fox News viewers?

I'm saying the reduced death rate from finding more mild cases isn't the only thing to think about. There will be a lot of severe illness and death if the virus runs rampant through the U.S. because we aren't prepared and so far we haven't really been looking for the virus.

dola

The one million tests promised by the end of the week won't happen.

Everything's a con.

I'm no scientitian, but it seems like we should have a lot more dead people around by now, based on the speed this spread around the world.

(I don't know shit, that's just something I don't understand.)

I'm guessing we've had a number of people die from coronavirus that were incorrectly labeled as flu deaths.

Or pneumonia.

So my wife is VP of Sales for a major company and manages offices all over the US. We live in NJ but her main office is in Portland, Or. She just had an employee text her to let her know someone in a Hazmat suit is going through all the offices in that building testing for the virus. It is a shared office building, and it includes several doctors offices. They wouldn't say if it is preventative or if there was a connection to someone infected. She is on the phone with HR right now. Crazy shit.

Well this is starting to really cause issues for the airlines. We're losing craptons of revenue per day, putting holds on training and new hire classes, reducing flying by 10% across the board and parking planes. That hasn't happened since '08. It's not to panic level yet, but guys assholes are starting to really tighten up.