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It's okay to ignore it and not read the threads if that is what you want to do. But other people recognize that this could be a serious issue. Here is what one poster had to say who has some understanding of the issues:

People should be “all over” this thing. It is very serious. You cannot compare it to influenza because we have been exposed to influenza A and B and have built up some immunity to “the flu.” We have not been exposed to this particular coronavirus. That is why younger health care workers have died from this in China. These are CDC guidelines for hospitalized covid-19 patients:

“Currently, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 should be cared for in an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR) using Standard, Contact, and Airborne Precautions with eye protection. If an AIIR is not immediately available, consideration should be given to transferring the patient to a facility that has an available AIIR. If transfer is impractical or not medically appropriate, the patient should be cared for in a single-person room and the door should be kept closed. The room should ideally not have exhaust that is recirculated within the building without high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration. Healthcare personnel should still use gloves, a gown, respiratory and eye protection and follow all other recommended infection prevention and control practices when caring for these patients. If there are not enough AIIRs to care for patients with COVID-19, existing AIIRs should be prioritized for the care of patients who are symptomatic with severe illness (e.g., those requiring ventilator support).”
There are not a lot of these types of hospital rooms. And if nurses and physicians fall ill because of continued exposure and increased viral loads, we will have many deaths. The hospitals will be short of staff. Protective gear should be reserved for hospital workers first. If you have no hospital staff, the country will be screwed.

57 posted on 3/3/2020, 10:21:08 PM by doc maverick (I) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies | Report Abuse]

These measures described above remind me of the infantile paralysis (poliomyelitls) crisis of my childhood.

It seems we were able to provide enough Iron Lungs in a short time to treat many, many affected children.

We also came up with enough hospital space and professionals to deal with it.

I believe our medical system can rise to the present crisis.