COVID-19 Pandemic · 6:35pm Mar 12th, 2020
As I’m sure you have all heard, there is a new coronavirus that has originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2, as the virus is called, causes a respiratory disease termed COVID-19 that somewhat resembles influenza (the flu). It may be more or less asymptomatic in healthy and moderately young individuals, but it still poses a significant risk for those afflicted with chronic diseases and the elderly, oftentimes resulting in severe pneumonia.
The very fast spread of COVID-19—as compared with SARS and MERS, two other coronavirus diseases that have caused an epidemic a few years back—seems to be caused by the milder symptoms that may be ignored or mistaken for the flu, resulting in people travelling and transmitting the virus everywhere they go without much care. I’ll just stress that while the infection started by the Chinese consuming bats, which host a plethora of viruses, it seems that the disease isn’t currently transmitted from animals to humans. Just don’t eat bats and you should be alright in this regard.
Now, while the reports of COVID-19 from Wuhan seem mostly positive as the numbers of new cases are starting to diminish, Europe is not so lucky. Following the extremely rapid spread of the virus in Italy due to a lack of efficient precautionary measures, the rest of the EU reacted, mainly trying to slow down and track the spread of the disease in order to not overload hospitals.
Now, just a few hours ago, my home country, Czech Republic, declared a state of emergency for 30 days. What that means, basically, is that borders are almost closed off, most public buildings such as libraries, theatres, stadiums and pools were shut down, pubs and restaurants are open only scarcely and gatherings larger than a few dozen people are prohibited. International public transport will cease within a few days. This all happened in addition a mandatory two week quarantine for anyone returning from China, Italy, Iran and another few countries. Schools and universities were closed off on Wednesday for an undermined amount of time.
In other words, I know I’ll be at home for the next few weeks, hopefully won’t catch the COVID-19 (I have a chronic autoimmune disease, so it poses a serious risk for me.), won’t die of hunger if people in panic buy out everything, and most likely will spend my “free” time either hiking alone in the woods or writing. In other words, the pandemic means more stories and faster edits from me, as well as the possibility of more art requests that I’ll accept. At least one positive thing for you, I hope. I’ll also be online most of the time, so if you ever need to talk, feel free to shoot me a PM.
Stay safe, everyone. Wash your hands properly, eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, try to avoid physical contact and crowded spaces, and make sure to fact-check any alarming news that might arise. Be considerate and don’t put yourself or those around you under unnecessary risk. While you yourself might be alright, you surely don’t want to infect your (grand)parents because of mere recklessness.
Most importantly:
Don’t panic and carry a towel. A clean towel, might I stress.
~Ever
Best of luck to you too!
Bit hard not to hear when it is being reported non stop and most countries are in the state of emergency.
Anyway, too late to stop crazy panic. I mean there are already several conspiracy theories floating around from it being Chinese biological weapon to it all being a plot of pharmaceutical lobby to sell brand new vaccines.
5218916
Thank you. Likewise!
5218955
You're welcome
5218927
Indeed, I think it’s almost impossible to miss it.
Well, I think letting the experts—true experts, epidemiologists and virologists—speak publicly to refute any conspiracies still helps a fair bit. It’s not ideal, but definitely better than doing nothing.
5218966
You too!
Thank you
Here's a life lesson: When the Chinese Communist Party tells you something, usually they want to hide the fact that the opposite is true. I seriously doubt that the numbers are going down. Crematoriums across the country are running 24 hours a day...
Whoa! Take care of yourself and be careful, man…
If you don’t mind me asking, what disease is it?
5218976
I’m talking about the data of WHO here, actually. Of course, the Chinese propaganda might be playing a part (according to certain predactions, they were at first reporting about every tenth case), but even without these data and with the help of some modelling, it is safe to assume that the curve of the infection in China has entered a plateau phase and is slowly going to level off. Also, keep in mind that it’s just means less new cases now. Of course there are still going to be more people dying. A lot of them are still ill.
5218978
Thank you.
I’d rather not go into details. It could have been far worse (Luckily it’s nothing affecting the respiratory system, heart or kidneys.), but I still don’t dare take it lightly.
5218996
Well they're now saying the WHO head took a 20 mil bribe from China so...
5219009
That’s not really recent news though. Unless you have access to some brand new articles that I don’t, of course. (By brand new I mean anything within the span of a few days.)
5219023
No so what I’m saying is in regards to China, you shouldn’t really take anything with more than a grain of salt. I heard on WeChat from my uncle that there were a few people in an apartment playing Mahjong when the Liberation Army burst down the door, smashed up not only the game set but also to table, told them that they couldn’t gather because they’ll transmit the disease, and then left with the broken door still open.
5219035
That actually sounds rather mild, compared to what they can do. I have grown up in a country that has been a part of the USSR for nearly half a century. The communist regime was a living hell for my family. Terrible times.
Of course. The problem is that you can either choose between no data or somewhat relevant data that you can afterwards use to try to extrapolate something more objective. There’s sadly not much of a choice, I’m afraid.
5219044
Well it’s mild because anything more and it’s censored by the Government. Yay for the CCP I guess. But yeah the self-declared communist utopias are pretty terrible.
Shoot! I completely didn't realize that you were closer to the epidemic! I'm so sorry for not noticing sooner!
I hope you stay safe and well and that you won't catch it!
5219490
Heh, that's alright. Thank you!
5219506
No problem.