Spanish officials just quarantined the entire country. "People are banned from leaving home except for buying essential supplies and medicines, or for work." (BBC)
-- Mike Beebe
(AK: This has been edited by a moderator. Let's do our best to not incite panic, and to stay informed on the facts during this evolving situation.)
It is neither panic nor hysteria. It is what experienced and informed medical professionals (including doctors in the thick of it in Italy) advise to do. Stay home!
We've gone beyond panic and we're in hysteria now.
Mike, this is far from panic and hysteria, this is necessary action by the Government of Spain to stop the spread of this pandemic, so that Spain does not become another Italy or Iran, though it may be already too late. If you are truly interested in this and not just posting from an sensationalist perspective, I urge you to read this in depth analysis: https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca
Far from panic and hysteria! This will help lower the death count if people stay home. God Bless the elderly and the ill!
This is not hysteria. It is what the virologists and related medical people are advising.This is for protection of the community. My daughter is in Spain as an English language assistant ,just north of Madrid . People are worried about their neighbors ,especially the elderly ones. She is hunkered down and going with the flow as are her neighbors. This is about flattening the curve.
As a medical professional living in the Seattle area I have chosen to follow guidelines from the scientific community. This means the CDC, WHO and King County DOH. I am grateful that countries are being proactive to contain this long term crisis.
Mike, if it’s any consolation I am sensing panic too.
Carlos, thank you for sharing the article. It’s incredibly informative. What a world we’re living in right now!
Mike - I see you are from Seattle. Have you seen this graphic, published in the Seattle Times?
The map is an excellent visual to show how far the virus has spread in only a couple of weeks from just King and Snohomish Counties to counties across the state.
The graph shows how frighteningly steep the rate of increase is.
All the public health officials are telling us that these are the measures we need to follow to control the geographic spread of the virus and the steep increase in confirmed infections (flattening the curve).
If you Google “Philadelphia”, “Saint Louis” and “Spanish Flu of 1918” you can learn about why closing off community contact sooner rather than later is a necessity and can save many, many lives. You will also learn about “flattening the curve”. My local county has so far zero diagnosed cases of the novel Coronavirus, although elsewhere nearby has cases, but almost all schools and colleges, community facilities and significant events here have already closed down. Good times for books, music, TV, movies at home, and our own yards and gardens. I myself am hunkered down. Good luck everyone!
Thanks Julie! A friend of mine from Girona in Spain, who has a PhD in Virology, shared this article with me, it is very informative and really puts the COVID-19 Pandemic into perspective, using charts, data, actual evidence to paint a picture of what is happening and what is to come.
The basic takeaway is this:
The coronavirus is coming to you.
It’s coming at an exponential speed: gradually, and then suddenly.
It’s a matter of days. Maybe a week or two.
When it does, your healthcare system will be overwhelmed.
Your fellow citizens will be treated in the hallways.
Exhausted healthcare workers will break down. Some will die.
They will have to decide which patient gets the oxygen and which one dies.
The only way to prevent this is social distancing today. Not tomorrow. Today.
That means keeping as many people home as possible, starting now.
While it may be a harsh truth, what he is describing in the article is potentially life saving, and these new measures aimed at "flattening the curve", what Spain has implemented and soon the US will too is important to understand. The article again - https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca
Sorry, my use of "hysterical" was not meant to be a judgement on their actions but a description of their pace.
But has the virus really spread? Or has it been here and prolific for some time and we are just now aware of it because a test was developed to detect it?
Hysteria indeed. That is what will take down the human race.
It sure seems like people are waking up to the reality on how dangerous this virus is. It was about 3 weeks ago when so many people were not cancelling their trips to now even Rick Steves has cancelled his trip. Hopefully people will start staying away from large groups and minimize their exposure with other people. Let’s work together to defeat this virus!
I am starting to lose my patience and my temper. It is time to listen to the scientists, the infectious disease doctors, and the public health officials. They are ALL saying to do whatever we can to flatten the curve and slow the spread of this virus. If you have solid credentials in any of the aforementioned professional/academic areas, please feel free to speak up about this. For those of you who have no educational or professional background in this area, it is doing absolutely no good for you to be be sharing your unfounded opinions about how to handle this health crisis. Enough said.
In any case, and as a Basque citizen, the law is the law and we have to obey what the government has ruled. Right or wrong, we´ll see if they are right. Not having any other evidences of what´s the best means to stop the spreading of the virus, we have no other choice but to remain home and cooperate to the maximum to avoid further contagions. Plenty of time afterwards to find a solution for next winter episode...we may even have a vaccine ready for this virus.
@jennifer_g. BEST COMMENT written. People need to listen to our scientists and stop reacting and rejecting what educated people are telling us. Sorry some of you are inconvenienced and can't take your vacation, I'm in the same boat. Probably out a couple thousand dollars. That said, my health and the well being of my family comes first. I'm listening and doing (and NOT hoarding TP and baby wipes. Or rushing to the store like it's the end of days. Stay calm people, listen to the authorities - the SCIENTISTS, the CDC, WHO and wait it out. This too shall pass and life will continue as before - with more awareness, and yes, perhaps a bit changed. We can adjust with an open mind.
Thank you to all who continue to bring reason to this ongoing crisis. That said, I also understand that this is something we have never experienced. With that it brings many natural emotions: Shock, disbelief, panic, anger, etc. As others have mentioned we need to open our minds and listen to the truth. I strongly believe science based information will be the answer to contain this virulent virus. I am in constant dialog with friends and relatives to educate and pass it on to others. We can do this together. I challenge you to "spread facts not fear.."
