Top US doctor says coronavirus now an ‘outbreak,’ possibly a ‘pandemic’

[mystery-ak]

 Top US doctor says coronavirus now an ‘outbreak,’ possibly a ‘pandemic’

By Amanda Woods

March 3, 2020 | 8:42am | Updated

A doctor on the front lines of battling coronavirus in the US said this week that the rapid spread of the deadly bug has risen to the level of an “outbreak” — and possibly even a “pandemic.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, told NBC Nightly News’ Richard Engel Monday that the illness — which has infected 100 people, killing six in the US — is “an evolving situation.”

“We’re dealing with clearly an emerging infectious disease that is now reached outbreak proportions and likely pandemic proportions,” he said. “If you look at, you know, by multiple definitions of what a pandemic is, the fact is this is multiple sustained transmissions of a highly infectious agent in multiple regions of the globe.”

Fauci urged the public not to compare the coronavirus to the seasonal flu — because the impact of the new bug can be far worse.

more
https://nypost.com/2020/03/03/top-us-doctor-says-coronavirus-now-an-outbreak-possibly-a-pandemic/

[Chosen Daughter]

I watched a program on Wuhan tonight.  Scary stuff.  They were pulling people from their homes.  Hospitals were full and there was dead bodies lying on the floors of the hospital.  People were saying their loved ones had been dead for days on the floor.  And they were welding the doors shut to keep people in their apartments.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Program+on+wuhun+welding+doors+shut&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dProgram%2bon%2bwuhun%2bwelding%2bdoors%2bshut%26form%3dEDNTHT%26mkt%3den-us%26httpsmsn%3d1%26msnews%3d1%26plvar%3d0%26refig%3d352a01713e3e4f51c572368041fc64c6%26PC%3dLCTS%26sp%3d-1%26pq%3dprogram%2bon%2bwuhun%2bwelding%2bdoors%2bshut%26sc%3d0-35%26qs%3dn%26sk%3d%26cvid%3d352a01713e3e4f51c572368041fc64c6&mmscn=vwrc&view=detail&mid=74B7616CCA2789CA048274B7616CCA2789CA0482&rvsmid=585A5D059EE60637DAC0585A5D059EE60637DAC0&FORM=VDQVAP


https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/02/08/horrifying-video-of-virus-risk-people-dragged-from-homes-shoved-into-metal-boxes-for-quarantine-884749

[jmyrlefuller]

Oh, good grief.

This is not a dangerous disease for the vast majority of people. Young people are almost completely unaffected, so schools will not be closed. The old and the immune-compromised are the ones at risk here. Focus on prevention and treatment for them, because it's obvious that the powers that be have proven completely incompetent at actually stopping this particular virus.

[Applewood]

Another day.  Another scary story about the coronavirus .  Seems the Post too has been suckered into joining the fear mongering press in the campaign to undermine the administration.

By the way, @jmyrlefuller -- schools have already closed in Washington State, and elsewhere, including around where I live, there are plans afoot to close schools and other institutions if the virus hits.

I'm still of the opinion that the virus will not claim as many people in this country as it has in other countries simply because our health care system is better than in most other countries.  We can handle this.  China, Italy and Iran can't.

[Gefn]

Since you all know the first rule in journalism is “if it bleeds, it leads”

My heart goes out for the people in Wuhan but this isn’t a pandemic...yet. I’m staying optimistic. I hope I’m right.

[libertybele]

Since you all know the first rule in journalism is “if it bleeds, it leads”

My heart goes out for the people in Wuhan but this isn’t a pandemic...yet. I’m staying optimistic. I hope I’m right.

How do you figure that this isn't going to be a pandemic??  The numbers continue to increase, the virus has spread to over 70 countries. The U.S. has gone from two to 127 cases.  In my area, we have a university who has over 20 student and faculty who were called back early that are in Italy. Why they went in the first place is beyond me. They will self quarantine -- but only for 14 days!  So the potential for the coronavirus to become widespread in FL will dramatically increase.  In the U.S. 15 states have reported cases with 9 deaths so far. 

Keep in mind that in FL we are experiencing warmer than usual temperatures, so it is possible that temperature isn't going to have any affect on this virus.

It is being reported that a vaccine is at least a year away.  That's a very long time when the death rate is now 3.5%.

No pandemic?  Highly doubtful. 

[Restored]

We have a campus near Italy and it is locked down.
The lack of information is troubling. The official who died in Iran looked pretty healthy until he got sick.

[Gefn]

@libertybele

My definition of a pandemic is like the 1918 flu. High mortality rate. While the coronavirus is troubling it hasn’t killed thousands and thousands of people yet. Yet.

When it gets to 50,000 dead or more, on multiple continents then I’d consider it a pandemic.

I honestly mean no disrespect to you or anyone else here and I hope it wasn’t taken that way. Right now this is troubling and serious, but not a worldwide pandemic. Perhaps a pandemic in China and other countries, but not here, and not worldwide. 

[bigheadfred]

@libertybele

My definition of a pandemic is like the 1918 flu. High mortality rate. While the coronavirus is troubling it hasn’t killed thousands and thousands of people yet. Yet.

When it gets to 50,000 dead or more, on multiple continents then I’d consider it a pandemic.

I honestly mean no disrespect to you or anyone else here and I hope it wasn’t taken that way. Right now this is troubling and serious, but not a worldwide pandemic. Perhaps a pandemic in China and other countries, but not here, and not worldwide.

Keep in mind the Chinese tried to cover this up and have been lying constantly. To completely lock down millions of people indicates they think it is serious. Their true death toll may very well number in the tens of thousands.

[thackney]

@libertybele

My definition of a pandemic is like the 1918 flu. High mortality rate.

When communicating with others, it is helpful not to make up your own definitions of words.  Mortality rate is not part of the definition of a pandemic.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic

Definition of pandemic (Entry 1 of 2)
: occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population

Definition of pandemic (Entry 2 of 2)
: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease

[jmyrlefuller]

Keep in mind the Chinese tried to cover this up and have been lying constantly. To completely lock down millions of people indicates they think it is serious. Their true death toll may very well number in the tens of thousands.

Or it means they have no clue how to maintain public health.

I mean, when was the last time you saw any pandemic originate here in America, the land that is supposedly so heathen because it doesn't have "universal health care?" No. All these things seem to emanate from Communist China.

[DB]

Oh, good grief.

This is not a dangerous disease for the vast majority of people. Young people are almost completely unaffected, so schools will not be closed. The old and the immune-compromised are the ones at risk here. Focus on prevention and treatment for them, because it's obvious that the powers that be have proven completely incompetent at actually stopping this particular virus.

It isn't that simple. There are lots of families that have both young people and older people in the same household. With the young people going to school and coming home to the same place that their grandmother lives there's a large risk.

[Restored]

The lawyer in NYC that has it is 50 years old and perfectly fit. He's in serious condition.

[DB]

The lawyer in NYC that has it is 50 years old and perfectly fit. He's in serious condition.

There seems to be a lot of that for those who get it.

The even bigger issue is if a lot of people need care at the same time. Then those that develop serious problems won't receive nearly as good of healthcare increasing the chances of them dying from it.

[verga]

Keep in mind the Chinese tried to cover this up and have been lying constantly. To completely lock down millions of people indicates they think it is serious. Their true death toll may very well number in the tens of thousands.

How much of it is legitimate health concern and how much is a response to the protesters demanding freedom.

[DB]

So when are the presidential candidates going to stop going out into the crowds due to this?

[Applewood]

The lawyer in NYC that has it is 50 years old and perfectly fit. He's in serious condition.

Well that I expect.  This virus is not the common cold.  For the healthy it seems to be like a bad case of the flu or pneumonia.  Healthy patients would be  in "serious" condition, but it doesn't mean life threatening.

A good friend of mine ended up in the ICU a couple of years ago with a bad case of the flu.  The flu back then was particularly potent and this friend let his symptoms go too long before some other friends literally dragged him out of his house, put him in a car and drove him to the emergency room.  Aside from bad knees, this friend is in generally good health.  So his condition was serious, but not critical.

[DB]

Well that I expect.  This virus is not the common cold.  For the healthy it seems to be like a bad case of the flu or pneumonia.  Healthy patients would be  in "serious" condition, but it doesn't mean life threatening.

A good friend of mine ended up in the ICU a couple of years ago with a bad case of the flu.  The flu back then was particularly potent and this friend let his symptoms go too long before some other friends literally dragged him out of his house, put him in a car and drove him to the emergency room.  Aside from bad knees, this friend is in generally good health.  So his condition was serious, but not critical.

Those serious conditions become fatal if there's not enough beds to go around. Which is what will happen if this takes off.

[Cyber Liberty]

When communicating with others, it is helpful not to make up your own definitions of words.  Mortality rate is not part of the definition of a pandemic.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic

Definition of pandemic (Entry 1 of 2)
: occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population

Definition of pandemic (Entry 2 of 2)
: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease

I was about to post this definition when I came across your post from Merriam-Webster.   The word "Pandemic" is rather loosely defined in the dictionary.  I think the CDC has abandoned the term because of this.

[libertybele]

How much of it is legitimate health concern and how much is a response to the protesters demanding freedom.

There is not only a legitimate health concern, but a significant health concern.  This corona virus is new.  It has infected over 90,000 people. 70 countries are seeing infected people, nearly 4,000 have died. The numbers continue to increase.  It is unknown if this virus will fade once the warmer temps are reached. 

Incubation period is long, surface life is long and it appears that it may reinfect those who have already been infected and recovered.

So yes, I'd say this is a significant health concern.

[Cyber Liberty]

There is not only a legitimate health concern, but a significant health concern.  This corona virus is new.  It has infected over 90,000 people. 70 countries are seeing infected people, nearly 4,000 have died. The numbers continue to increase.  It is unknown if this virus will fade once the warmer temps are reached. 

Incubation period is long, surface life is long and it appears that it may infect those who have already been infected and recovered.

So yes, I'd say this is a significant health concern.

It's a good thing for the country that Trump is better at crises than O'Bastard was.

[libertybele]

It's a good thing for the country that Trump is better at crises than O'Bastard was.

Actually, I am surprised that Congress turned loose of some $$ to combat this virus.

[Cyber Liberty]

Actually, I am surprised that Congress turned loose of some $$ to combat this virus.

They are starting to figure out they are the losing end of this food fight.

[thackney]

...and it appears that it may reinfect those who have already been infected and recovered...

I have read that as well.  That is a significant factor if true.  That means vaccines would not be effective.

[jmyrlefuller]

I have read that as well.  That is a significant factor if true.  That means vaccines would not be effective.

It flies completely in the face of everything we understand about immunity. It's almost certainly not true.