So it’s the 25th of March and it feels like all the hope for 2020 is gone. 2019 you are forgiven, please come back. The virus has amazing powers of exchange with 450 000 + confirmed cases, so in reality, with low and asymptomatic cases and lack of testing facilities, let’s say 4 000 000; yes million. With a Ro number of around 2-8 depending on if you are young/old/healthy etc. the infection curve is set to increase rather quickly. Here is hoping quarantine is taken seriously and the inevitable rise in infections will be slowed, not stopped. This little string of RNA wrapped in a sheath of protein and phospholipid is on a mission to spread itself worldwide. Like all of us, it has a deep unconscious desire to multiply. A vaccine and a cure are many months off. Let’s face it, we still don’t have a cure or a vaccine against HIV. RNA viruses, though unstable, do have a nasty way of mutating and this allows changes in infectivity, strength and seasonal variation. For now, it’s about being clean, separate and protecting those at risk:
- > 65 years (especially old men)
- Any underlying heart or lung disease
- Diabetics
- Immunosuppressed
Wash hands, isolate (+/- test) if you feel unwell with fever, body aches, weakness or cough, and Skype or phone the elderly. DON’T visit them.
USA data now:
Flu season (beginning October 2019):
| Illnesses Reported: | 36,000,000 – 51,000,000 |
| Hospitalizations: | 370,000 – 670,000 |
| Deaths: | 22,000 – 55,000 |
In comparison, since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic:
| Illnesses Reported: | 44,183 |
| Deaths: | 544 |
Stay safe people.
