This IS a very nasty bug.
It is 17 times more contagious, and 5 times more deadly than the ‘common flu’.
If there are 20,000 deaths from the common flu, out of 1.3 million cases then the math works out like this:
1.3 million ‘usual’ cases times 17 = potential 22 million infected because it is more contagious.
22 million infected times 3% mortality = 660,000 deaths. (and I am using conservative numbers)
That’s about one out of every 500 people.
But there is more to consider.
This ‘flu’ has a high percentage of those requiring hospitalization and critical care. Not so for normal flu. When hospitals are full the death tolls will rise.
When stores are closed people will die from lack of other medications.
This could easily reach a million deaths related, or one out of every 300 people.
***BUT***
Just like the common flu, if you wash your hands and avoid sick people it can be a very mild flu season.
It is not time to panic, it is just time to make sure you practice good hygiene and disinfecting. Doing nothing is a bad idea.
Some of the people on these threads can’t seem to walk and chew gum at the same time. Being aware of the seriousness of this and preparing for it, while refusing to become hysterical, seems a fine line that some can’t walk. We keep needing to accuse one another of ‘not seeing everything in the same way’. That makes us no better than the leftists who are trying to make political currency of a potential disaster.
I don’t believe it’s ‘just like the ‘flu’ - I think it has the potential to be much, much worse. But I believe we have competent people trying to walk that fine line themselves; and there are things we can do to protect ourselves and prepare.
Spending a lot of time projecting gloom, doom and criticism of the president doesn’t seem expedient in the situation.