What is wrong with people?

[Techno]

I attended a wargames competition  a month back and one of the competitors who is very proud of his PHD was pontificating on  how COVID was no worse than the flu and it was all hysteria.

It'll be interesting to see the figures, once COVID 19 is 'kicked into touch'......And bloody horrifying to think how many more would have died if we (by that I mean 'The World', and not just individual countries) hadn't taken the action, currently in place.

The WHO estimate that something between 290,000 & 650,000 people die from 'influenza' each year. ..But many, many people have some sort of 'immunity' to 'ordinary flu'....So that doesn't cause such 'a worry'.....and we can have 'jabs' for a lot of the strains....(I do, every year, now).

290-650,000 is still a pretty dire total.

COVID 19 is a real 'new kid on the block', and in 'realistic' terms no-one has any form of immunity.....That's why there's all the "hysteria"  from Governments

There'll be people at the end of this, who are likely to say, "Well....ordinary flu has been attributed to more deaths than COVID-19...so where was the problem ?"
Personally, I'm not 'frightened' by the thought of the 'ordinary' flu strains.....But COVID 19 is a completely different matter.

Hope that all makes sense.....You all keep safe....and those of you that are suffering in one way or another (personally or family members)....You know we all send you our very best wishes.

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I heard somewhere that there were fewer than normal deaths in China during the shut down as there was far less air pollution !

[toxicpixie]

Yes, I've seen that mentioned - the drop in air pollution is likely to mean a big drop in death and chronic conditions for related diseases.

From an anecdotal PoV it seems right - B'ham has *terrible* air quality (big city, traffic, industry, in a geographical "bowl"), and a few days after people started self locking down it improved massively, and my sinuses & lungs cleared right up.

And now we've entered pollen season which is an arse, as they've just locked right back up again

Stop having freaky plant sex, plants!

[paulr]

Stop having freaky plant sex, plants!

At least in toxicpixie's sinuses & lungs

[toxicpixie]

My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to concrete EVERYTHING and sanitise anything I can't with fire.

Note, before anyone mentions it, neither of those options include my lungs and sinuses

I'd rather the daily "Have I got Coronavirus? No, just asthma and allergies" dance than the "Have I... Yes. sh*t" one though.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

My hayfever, dont notice it anymore, I was de-sensitized in 75/6/7 - mind you as was a cop on West Kirby front I must have infected half the kids on the Wirral.Had to wear a jacket to carry the tissues I needed. TOO HOT.

[Raider4]

And now we've entered pollen season which is an arse, as they've just locked right back up again

Our cat has started it's annual hunting season - butterfly after butterfly is being dragged into the house and dropped at our feet.

"Behold, the mighty hunter!"

[Techno]

My hayfever, dont notice it anymore, I was de-sensitized in 75/6/7 -

I don't really notice mine much anymore either *  .......The nasal sprays I've got in the cupboard are probably past their use by date...as are the asthma inhalers.

Only things that are likely to set me off nowadays, are the mould spores from badly stored or 'cruddy' hay.

Cheers - Phil (*I'll probably regret writing that.  )

[d_Guy]

To the original question: Because we are all operating within the range of our original design specifications.

[Ithoriel]

An observation from Reddit

The spread of the coronavirus is affected by two main factors

1. how dense the population is.

2. how dense the population is.

[d_Guy]

 

[paulr]

 

But also sadly true

[FierceKitty]

There needs to be a club for the normal man (not the sort you apply to the skull with malicious intent). It could be called DENSA.

[Steve J]

Given some of the stories in the news, there would be a huge amount of members to this club .

[Techno]

An observation from Reddit
The spread of the coronavirus is affected by two main factors
1. how dense the population is.
2. how dense the population is.

Spot on. 

Given some of the stories in the news, there would be a huge amount of members to this club .

Sadly true. 

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Remember no-one ever went broke by underestimating the herd intelligence of of the population...

[Westmarcher]

An observation from Reddit

The spread of the coronavirus is affected by two main factors

1. how dense the population is.

2. how dense the population is.

   Currently meeting them almost everyday.

[paulr]

A motorcyclist on what I suspect was a non-essential journey has just been chased at speed down our street by a Police car with lights and siren going 

Our street is a minor side street with traffic calming, including narrowing and speed bumps

Fortunately most of the kids from one of the houses opposite who have been playing in the street, all staying in their bubble, had gone inside. The one kid who was on the street got out of the way in time

Not sure if they got him, could hear the sirens for a few more minutes before they disappeared in the distance

[Steve J]

At the weekend the Bristol ring road by us sounded like a GP race track, with motorbikes hairing down it at full revs. Then each evening the local chavs have been riding their off road bikes up and down the cycle path .

[Techno]

Perhaps they're confused, and think this classes as daily exercise.......Idiots.

Cheers - Phil