04-28-2020, 07:39 PM
(04-28-2020, 05:44 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: This isn't a flu... you can't complain about having your post deemed "misinformed" if you're going to refer to a coronavirus as a "flu". Influenza and coronaviruses spread, manifest, and are treated very differently.
Is there a point you were trying to make that required us to only use confirmed cases and not the more accurate estimated total? Either way, the data would show that this is a far bigger health crisis than the 2009 H1N1 pandemic was.
Most of what you wrote is accurate. However, the flu and Covid-19 are spread primarily via respiratory droplets; coughing and sneezing around others (usually within 6 feet.) There is still some question about aerosolization with Covid-19. How they manifest are similar, usually upper respiratory symptoms, but Covid-19 has a greater range from no symptoms to severe and in need of the ICU. Treatment is supportive and aimed at treating your symptoms. With the flu we might prescribe something like Tamiflu, but it isn't as effective as the manufacturer leads people to believe and if you aren't in a high risk category you probably don't even need it. There is no "game changer" despite what the president and his proxies spread. The mortality rate of Covid-19 seems to be about 10 times greater than the seasonal flu. No one has immunity and there isn't a vaccine. I don't think a single country has herd immunity, because usually 80-95% of the population would need to have recovered to protect the remaining 5-20% from getting sick. So I'd really like to see list of countries which have allegedly achieved herd immunity. Some might try to cast doubt on the numbers because we haven't tested every person who was sick, but we don't test every person for the flu every year, either. Same is true for other infections like strep throat or gonorrhea. The incidence numbers aren't exact, but they are as accurate as the epidemiologist can determine. However, the numbers with a new viral infection need to be interpreted with care and more testing leads to more data which leads to better informed decision making when deciding upon a coarse of action and when. And just because someone isn't elderly or chronically ill doesn't mean they can't die from Covid-19. They are less likely to die, but there is still a chance they might. If you have worked in medicine long enough, then you have been around long enough to see those small percentages of things which are unlikely to happen actually happen. We have to balance people losing their life with other concerns such as people losing their job, home, or business. There is no easy or correct answer for everyone.
