All things Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

[Remius]

They are utterly screwed. With the amount of smokers and obese people with diabetes in that country coupled with a heathcare system that is on the verge of falling off a cliff, I wouldn't be surprised to see more deaths in the US than China.

Actually China has a huge smoking and diabetes issue which probably what contributed to the higher death toll.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

They are utterly screwed. With the amount of smokers and obese people with diabetes in that country coupled with a heathcare system that is on the verge of falling off a cliff, I wouldn't be surprised to see more deaths in the US than China.

I don't think they are qualified beyond asking a few questions to access medical conditions, I don't know what people want. It's like posting commissionaires at base entrances that can barely stay awake at 7am asking if you have a cold.

I agree and I have heard that having people in masks taking people's temperatures is more about optics then actual screening but they apparently weren't even asking questions to people.

 

[brihard]

39 new cases in Ontario overnight. That’s a 40% increase. We get figures at 1030 and 1730 daily. Lots of spread in Toronto and the Toronto region. Ottawa doubled from 5 to 10. More cases in outlying areas now.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus

I have it on good authority that at least one positive case was borderline asymptomatic, no fever, coughing.

Ontario has a strategic reserve of 216 ventilators beyond normal hospital capacity. With a third of our population, I figure we have maybe 1600 in normal use. So that stockpile maybe doubles our ‘spare’ capacity. 8000 cases will probably put us into ventilator triage.

Nova Scotia has presumptive cases now, so only the northern territories are still maybe clear.

11 new cases in Quebec. From 24-35. 45% day over day.

Alberta and British Columbia release numbers late in the day. We’ll blow through 300 today easily.

 

[Quirky]

I worry for my parents who are over 70.  I worry for my friends with medical conditions and I worry for people I know that are not yet back in Canada.  I’m not panicking but I have never seen anything like this.  My wife was in the middle of the whole Ebola planning and preparation with HC.  This is way different.  As bad a SARS was, I don’t remember the kinds of shut downs world wide this is causing.

At some point we all have to realise that death is inevitable and panicking over something that kills someone 10 years earlier isn't good for society as a whole. My parents are close to that age along with other family members. Beyond telling them to take the necessary precautions there really isn't much anyone can do. Life expectancy has ballooned in society. My dad should have died over 10 years ago because of cancer but because of medical advancements they gave him more time, but inevitably his time will run out, as will yours, as will mine. We definitely need to take precautions to stop the spread, but living in fear because of a virus that, in majority of cases, kills the oldest and most unhealthy to begin with is ridiculous. If anything, I hope this is a wake up call to the people who live unhealthy lifestyles that don't take care of themselves.

I agree and I have heard that having people in masks taking people's temperatures is more about optics then actual screening but they apparently weren't even asking questions to people.

People are trustworthy and will self-isolate. Right?  :rofl:

 

[Kirkhill]

Is this coronavirus different from SARS?

SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. In 2003, an outbreak of SARS started in China and spread to other countries before ending in 2004. The virus that causes COVID-19 is similar to the one that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak: both are types of coronaviruses. Much is still unknown, but COVID-19 seems to spread faster than the 2003 SARS and also may cause less severe illness.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus

I could argue that CoVID-19 is an example of a virus evolving to become more successful as a parasite.  An ideal parasite is one that the host doesn't notice, permitting the parasite to feed and reproduce while the host feeds and reproduces.

Pre SARS and MERS coronaviruses had limited access to one of the fastest growing gene pools on the planet.  They only infected 10 to 15% of the available population and then only when the population was sufficiently weakened so that they couldn't generate anti-bodies fast enough.

SARS was a breakout period.  The mutated SARS coronavirus spread quickly, generated symptoms early, assisting in making it easier to counter and it was fatal to the host in a high percentage of cases.  As a virus it was less than successful.  As a prototype it was promising.

MERS, I suggest, was a Beta model of the SARS prototype, a randomly generated Beta model at that.  It was less successful as a parasite.  It was more lethal to the host and spread slower.  It too was contained.

CoVID-19 appears to me to be another modified prototype, also randomly generated, but which is successful because, unlike MERS and SARS, it is "doing the other thing".  It has a longish, asymptomatic incubation period, it doesn't stress a large percentage of the host population which recovers (especially true of the young which offer a long lived support system to the virus) and it remains contagious long after the host has quelled any symptoms and accommodated the invasion by the new parasite.

Ideally, from the parasite's point of view, in a few years it will be as successful as its rhinovirus relatives and be as ubiquitous as the common cold.

We're not going to get rid of this thing. We, as a herd, will manage it.

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

It's astonishing that this POS actually went crying to the media thinking he's some sort of victim:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html

 

[Eye In The Sky]

For some education/awareness, I decided to watch the docuseries Pandemic on Netflix.  Don't be mislead by the short-worded series description, it investigates more than just influenza. 

There have been people working 'this type' of situation for years, and risking their lives and health while doing so.  Hats off to all the care professionals wading thru and working in the high-risk areas all over the world trying to prevent, and treat, these illnesses.  Some of those folks are represented right here on our forum;  to you, MarioMike. 

Also saw a post earlier this morning with a 'hats off' message to the folks in our national/global transport industries, who will be the ones going from location to location replacing all the panic toilet paper purchases, etc and might not have the option to 'remain home for a minimum of 3 weeks'. 

 

[mariomike]

Some of those folks are represented right here on our forum;  to you, MarioMike. 

Thank-you, EITS. But, I know there are many here who went through a lot more on military operations than I ever did on civvy-side.

 

[BeyondTheNow]

For some education/awareness, I decided to watch the docuseries Pandemic on Netflix.  Don't be mislead by the short-worded series description, it investigates more than just influenza. 

There have been people working 'this type' of situation for years, and risking their lives and health while doing so.  Hats off to all the care professionals wading thru and working in the high-risk areas all over the world trying to prevent, and treat, these illnesses.  Some of those folks are represented right here on our forum;  to you, MarioMike. 

Also saw a post earlier this morning with a 'hats off' message to the folks in our national/global transport industries, who will be the ones going from location to location replacing all the panic toilet paper purchases, etc and might not have the option to 'remain home for a minimum of 3 weeks'.

We were talking a lot about this at work when the school strikes began—That we’re super-fortunate to be in the position we’re in. Many of us have a lot of flexibility, options when time off is needed, and we get paid regardless. I worked several jobs in my younger years before being salaried, having benefits, etc. If I was in the same position now, working for an hrly wage with limited or no benefits, as many are, I’d be hard-pressed to figure out what to do with our schools being closed until April and reading everywhere about staying home as to avoid becoming ill/spreading illness. The majority simply don’t have that option.

 

[Jarnhamar]

[quote author=Quirky]

I don't think they are qualified beyond asking a few questions to access medical conditions, I don't know what people want. It's like posting commissionaires at base entrances that can barely stay awake at 7am asking if you have a cold.
[/quote]

Ever see the security at DHTC?  We have shitty big-base security because we don't take base security seriously.  Same with border crossings and situations like this. There's no reason why we shouldn't have been prepared or have a plan in place.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Ever see the security at DHTC?  We have shitty big-base security because we don't take base security seriously.  Same with border crossings and situations like this. There's no reason why we shouldn't have been prepared or have a plan in place.

What would a good plan look like? Does anyone know?

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

What would a good plan look like? Does anyone know?

Who knows, security requires a credible threat.  It also usually only gets put in place after something actually happens.

It will take a major incident for any organization in this country to change its actual posture.  The biggest issue for most CAF establishments is Access Control or lack thereof.  Most bases were built many years ago with no actual access plan in place and also when there were a lot less MVs on the road.

CFB Kingston comes to mind when I think of a base that was built with absolutely no plan for access control.  It's got a major highway running through the middle of it, no stand off for the gates, too many entrances. 

Ther are private residences that belong to the general public that you have to drive through the base to get to.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Who knows, security requires a credible threat.  It also usually only gets put in place after something actually happens.

It will take a major incident for any organization in this country to change its actual posture.  The biggest issue for most CAF establishments is Access Control or lack thereof.  Most bases were built many years ago with no actual access plan in place and also when there were a lot less MVs on the road.

CFB Kingston comes to mind when I think of a base that was built with absolutely no plan for access control.  It's got a major highway running through the middle of it, no stand off for the gates, too many entrances. 

Ther are private residences that belong to the general public that you have to drive through the base to get to.

These can all be turned into assets to a security plan. For example, highways (longitudinally) can be great barriers to various escape routes.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Also saw a post earlier this morning with a 'hats off' message to the folks in our national/global transport industries, who will be the ones going from location to location replacing all the panic toilet paper purchases, etc and might not have the option to 'remain home for a minimum of 3 weeks'.

Indeed

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

GF says her Costco is totally dead today once the TP ran out by 09:30.....guess that means that some folks are done panic buying and are now hunkering down.

 

[The Bread Guy]

GF says her Costco is totally dead today once the TP ran out by 09:30.....guess that means that some folks are done panic buying and are now hunkering down.

One of our Walmarts here has the "2 per person" signs up (same for hand sanitizer), which seems to be slowing things down a bit.

Meanwhile, in France ....

Thousands of French security forces fanned out across central Paris on Saturday as anti-government “Yellow Vest” protesters defied a ban on mass gatherings aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.

In a televised address to the nation on Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron announced school closures and urged people to avoid close contact for fear of propagating the virus that has killed 79 people in France and infected more than 3,600.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Friday said all gatherings with more than 100 people had been banned. Paris police had already turned down requests for protesters to demonstrate at sensitive sites this Saturday, including the Champs Elysees where violent clashes broke out between security forces and protesters almost a year ago to the day.

“It’s Saturday, demonstration day. Some people think that the coronavirus won’t touch them and refuse to respect the advice,” said a riot police officer in front of a heavily armed vehicle blocking the road that leads to the presidential palace.

The government published an official decree on Saturday banning all non-essential gatherings, but hundreds of protesters, some wearing protective masks, began convening outside the Montparnasse train station, chanting anti-Macron slogans.

The yellow vests, named after the high-visibility jackets they wear, were holding a 70th consecutive Saturday of action. The movement emerged late in 2018, triggered by fuel tax rises, and swelled into a revolt against Macron’s government.

While protests are now much smaller, anger at Macron’s government remains. Saturday’s demonstration serves as a reminder to the President a day before voters are set to go to the polls in local elections ...

 

[FJAG]

Here's a good article (with excellent graphics) about how and why socially distancing and isolating works.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/?fbclid=IwAR0LPOJNz5IZzv-PsfyY6H46gzYVEzTalEjR4tiP3VSXRtcAim5UspsKnmw&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

:cheers:

 

[macarena]

(...)
As well, I bought 4 packs of extra strength ibuprofen and some other anti-inflammatories.  Given the number one symptom is high fever, very surprised there is so much ibuprofen left as NSAIDs help keep fever under control.

Hi, All!
Humphrey Bogart, big fella:
Please pay some attention to some warnings coming from France. It seems they have published infos warning to avoid anti-inflamatories [1, 2, 3].
I do have Ibuprofen at home which have been recommended, by a doctor, to my 4 y.o. kid in the past years.
I've read that Ibuprofen is classified as anti-inflamatory, while Paracetamol is not. [4, 5].

I'm not a medic, I am from IT. From my side, I will be contacting the pediatric doctor to ask to switch it to Paracetamol.
I would like to suggest you to do the same, I mean, do a re-check with some doctor from your side.

[1]
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-drug/france-warns-against-use-of-anti-inflammatory-drugs-to-tackle-coronavirus-idUSKBN2110Q8

[2]
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/14/world/europe/14reuters-health-coronavirus-france-drug.html

[3]
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/anti-inflammatory-drugs-may-aggravate-coronavirus-infection

[4]
https://www.londondoctorsclinic.co.uk/blog/ibuprofen-vs-paracetamol/

[5]
https://www.medibank.com.au/livebetter/health-brief/health-check/paracetamol-vs-ibuprofen/

 

[Civvymedic]

Great to do research and stay informed. I can say as a Medic we are getting a ton of decent and reasonable information from credible sources and also a lot of opinion and speculation that can sometimes cause more harm than good. Always best to check with your medical professional before changing any Meds.

We have cancelled elective surgeries and other practices that maintain good health here in Ontario, it's unfortunate that many may suffer from the un intended consequences of this whole thing.

 

[Infanteer]

What would a good plan look like? Does anyone know?

Just go to any base in the United States.  Some, like Lewis-McCord or Quantico, have an interstate running through them, but they still manage to have fairly tight installations.