Why the coronavirus outbreak increasingly looks like a pandemic

Vox ^ | Feb 23, 2020, 11:20am EST | By Julia Belluz

[Lazamataz]

During the last two months, as the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak has spiraled into a global threat, countries around the world have scrambled to impose travel bans, quarantine millions, and isolate sick people in an attempt to stop the spread of the new virus.

Yet, as of Sunday, there were 78,000 cases of Covid-19 in at least 29 countries, including surging case tolls in Italy, Iran, and South Korea, as well as an ongoing outbreak on a cruise ship off Japan.

The likelihood that we’re hurtling into a pandemic — a new disease that spreads around the world — or that we’re already in one, seems higher than just a week ago.

“Our window of opportunity [for containing the virus] is narrowing so we need to act quickly before it closes completely,” said World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Friday.

But other public health experts think the window has already closed. They say worrisome, new developments in this outbreak suggest containing the virus — particularly in low-resource settings — may no longer be possible, if it ever was.

“I don’t think the answer is shutting down the world to stop this virus. It’s already out,” Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy, said.

“When several countries have widespread transmission, then spill-over to other countries is inevitable,” said Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “One cannot shut out the rest of the world.”

[Lazamataz]

Important article. Read while you still can breathe.

BTW:

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!

[Dana1960]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/

[Jewbacca]

There are cases in Iran.

Iran will infect willing people who will promptly go to the USA and infect as many as they can before they fall over.

The WHO and CDC efforts assume rational, good faith, actors.

They don’t understand that there are plenty of homicidal Muslims.

[FreedomPoster]

Clearly you’re just an Islamophobe.

Or a Realist.

[Vendome]

Well, this pandemic /s will be over in 60 days...

[goldstategop]

This morning is while stupid lefty assholes are focusing on bogus climate change that won’t kill us. Go figure.

[goldstategop]

This is while stupid lefty assholes are focusing on bogus climate change that won’t kill us. Go figure.

[momincombatboots]

Thats the 3rd time this decade.. by a terrifying virus. Omg. Wait, its the 4th time. Dead again.

[null and void]

Eventually it will be declared a pandemic.

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[Hugh the Scot]

“WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!”

Quite true

[chris37]

This virus was caused by Climate Change.

How dare you!

[Sequoyah101]

Julia has spoken. Get your house in order. We are all going to die!

https://www.vox.com/authors/julia-belluz

[JonPreston]

Well, this pandemic /s will be over in 60 days...

totally flu.

[Leep]

And we barely survived Y2K!

[goldstategop]

We won’t have anything to worry about if we’re all dead.

[Lazamataz]

I notice one of your pingees is Mother Abigail.

How terribly appropriate.

Pinging Randall Flagg.

[wildcard_redneck]

The root meaning of “phobe” in “Islamophobe” carries the implicit meaning of an irrational fear whereas the vast majority people who fear islam have many good, valid reasons to do so.

Islam is evil.

[Lazamataz]

Well, this pandemic /s will be over in 60 days...

So was Captain Trips.

[9YearLurker]

The more we can slow it here the more opportunity we have to prepare and come up with vaccines and treatments.

[null and void]

He’s never asked to be on the list...