CORONA SITUATION - AND A FEW PIECES OF ADVICE
Hello on this day - March 5. I will once again make comments about the Corona situation - incl. some good pieces of advice I have picked up. See below.
I also enclose information linked to this day.
And MY WARMEST CONGRATULATIONS to those of you celebrating your birthday or some other happy event today. Have a wonderful day!
I want once again to write an update on the
CORONA situation – or COVID-19, as it is also called. It takes up a lot of
space in the media – and sometimes also in the real world – for the time being.
I want to remind you of the facts I gave in an earlier comment: WHO, the UN World Health Organisation, informs us that the average number of deaths in the world from the “normal” flu every year is 660.000, 55.000 people per month. And I haven’t seen any figure for how many people are infected by the flu. It is most likely millions of people every year. I also in undramatic terms want to say that I have never seen any similar coverage in the media of these yearly and deadly epidemics. Or massive cancellations of big meetings, travels, etc. We seem all to have got used “to live with them”, so to speak. In addition it is well known that most of these hundreds of thousands of deaths especially are hitting fragile and elderly people, who might unfortunately have died anyhow.
Figures are strange. They can frighten you. They can comfort you. And they can also deceive you. And it all depends on the context – and on what mood you are in when you get them.
Talking about figures we can also put the present situation into another daily context: About 28.000 people are killed every year in the EU by traffic accidents. Yes, I know that such accidents do not infect others. But when you talk about the number of deaths caused by the Corona ( 3.200 in the whole world from December until now ) – then it is perhaps time to think and reflect: This is bad, of course. But not at all as bad as other dramatic events.
All this is NOT said in order to downplay the present situation. On the contrary. We have to fight the Corona with all available means – and try to prevent that it is spreading, if possible. But we also have to be careful, that the whole issue is not blown out of proportions in such a way that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A process, where many people almost panic, afraid of meeting other people, not least Chinese and Italians ( who normally have nothing to do with the epidemic ). It is well known that epidemics often bring racism along – also this time. And that is very sad and dangerous.
Back to today’s situation: Yesterday the figure of infected people in the world was 93.000. They are certainly more. Not because the authorities necessarily lie. But because many people might be infected without knowing it. They are not in the statistics. The number of deaths in the entire world since the start in December is right now ( March 4 ) 3.200. This is probably true. This figure should be held against the 55.000, who die from a “normal” fly each month.
As you know it is – for unknown reasons until now – especially Northern Italy, which has been hit in Europe. They have 3.089 infected and 107 deaths until now. All schools and universities have been closed until March 15. And all big events with many people present have been forbidden.
If you want more details about what happens The New York Times makes a special newsletter “Coronavirus briefing newsletter”, which you can consult or receive. You can find it by searching on Google.
The EU has in Sweden an agency called “European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control”. It also has interesting background information. Check their home page:
www.ecdc.europa.eu
Last night I saw a very interesting interview on CNN (Amanpour) with the famous American virologist from Colombia University in New York, professor W. Ian Lipkin. He is a virus specialist and knows the situation inside out. He is just back from China ( and so had to be in quarantine back home afterwards – not infected, though ). His main message is: No panic, but be vigilant. I have searched on the web for his CNN interview, but not found it yet. But he said something similar to the website India Today. You can read it here:
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/not-panic-caution-concern-right-response-coronavirus-virologist-ian-lipkin-1652505-2020-03-04
His most important practical pieces of advice are the following:
1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly – as long as it takes to sing the song HAPPY BIRTHDAY twice
2. Avoid body contact with others. Do not shake hand to say hello or goodbye. Use your fists like the sports people do – or use the elbow to greet other people. Or do as the Indians or Japanese do – put your (own) hands together in front of you as a greeting. And hugs are forbidden ☹
3. Use gloves of some sort in public places, when you have to touch something, which many other people also might have touched.
Now, this situation will hopefully not last too long. It would be very sad, if we all were turned into leave-me-alone-zombies, who do not want to meet others or give a well deserved hug! I am sure that some populistic media are preparing campaigns in that direction. Do not jump on that band wagon. Be vigilant and sensible. And as the Brits say: CARRY ON!
PS: The humour has fortunately not been killed (yet) by the virus. I saw the other day, that we all must eat a lot of garlic. Not because it in any way fights the virus. But because it keeps other people away from you 😊
I also saw that a computer specialist believe that he has found the very best protection against the virus: Cover your mouth permanently with a Norton CD with anti-virus 😊
I want to remind you of the facts I gave in an earlier comment: WHO, the UN World Health Organisation, informs us that the average number of deaths in the world from the “normal” flu every year is 660.000, 55.000 people per month. And I haven’t seen any figure for how many people are infected by the flu. It is most likely millions of people every year. I also in undramatic terms want to say that I have never seen any similar coverage in the media of these yearly and deadly epidemics. Or massive cancellations of big meetings, travels, etc. We seem all to have got used “to live with them”, so to speak. In addition it is well known that most of these hundreds of thousands of deaths especially are hitting fragile and elderly people, who might unfortunately have died anyhow.
Figures are strange. They can frighten you. They can comfort you. And they can also deceive you. And it all depends on the context – and on what mood you are in when you get them.
Talking about figures we can also put the present situation into another daily context: About 28.000 people are killed every year in the EU by traffic accidents. Yes, I know that such accidents do not infect others. But when you talk about the number of deaths caused by the Corona ( 3.200 in the whole world from December until now ) – then it is perhaps time to think and reflect: This is bad, of course. But not at all as bad as other dramatic events.
All this is NOT said in order to downplay the present situation. On the contrary. We have to fight the Corona with all available means – and try to prevent that it is spreading, if possible. But we also have to be careful, that the whole issue is not blown out of proportions in such a way that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A process, where many people almost panic, afraid of meeting other people, not least Chinese and Italians ( who normally have nothing to do with the epidemic ). It is well known that epidemics often bring racism along – also this time. And that is very sad and dangerous.
Back to today’s situation: Yesterday the figure of infected people in the world was 93.000. They are certainly more. Not because the authorities necessarily lie. But because many people might be infected without knowing it. They are not in the statistics. The number of deaths in the entire world since the start in December is right now ( March 4 ) 3.200. This is probably true. This figure should be held against the 55.000, who die from a “normal” fly each month.
As you know it is – for unknown reasons until now – especially Northern Italy, which has been hit in Europe. They have 3.089 infected and 107 deaths until now. All schools and universities have been closed until March 15. And all big events with many people present have been forbidden.
If you want more details about what happens The New York Times makes a special newsletter “Coronavirus briefing newsletter”, which you can consult or receive. You can find it by searching on Google.
The EU has in Sweden an agency called “European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control”. It also has interesting background information. Check their home page:
www.ecdc.europa.eu
Last night I saw a very interesting interview on CNN (Amanpour) with the famous American virologist from Colombia University in New York, professor W. Ian Lipkin. He is a virus specialist and knows the situation inside out. He is just back from China ( and so had to be in quarantine back home afterwards – not infected, though ). His main message is: No panic, but be vigilant. I have searched on the web for his CNN interview, but not found it yet. But he said something similar to the website India Today. You can read it here:
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/not-panic-caution-concern-right-response-coronavirus-virologist-ian-lipkin-1652505-2020-03-04
His most important practical pieces of advice are the following:
1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly – as long as it takes to sing the song HAPPY BIRTHDAY twice
2. Avoid body contact with others. Do not shake hand to say hello or goodbye. Use your fists like the sports people do – or use the elbow to greet other people. Or do as the Indians or Japanese do – put your (own) hands together in front of you as a greeting. And hugs are forbidden ☹
3. Use gloves of some sort in public places, when you have to touch something, which many other people also might have touched.
Now, this situation will hopefully not last too long. It would be very sad, if we all were turned into leave-me-alone-zombies, who do not want to meet others or give a well deserved hug! I am sure that some populistic media are preparing campaigns in that direction. Do not jump on that band wagon. Be vigilant and sensible. And as the Brits say: CARRY ON!
PS: The humour has fortunately not been killed (yet) by the virus. I saw the other day, that we all must eat a lot of garlic. Not because it in any way fights the virus. But because it keeps other people away from you 😊
I also saw that a computer specialist believe that he has found the very best protection against the virus: Cover your mouth permanently with a Norton CD with anti-virus 😊
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