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Hi Chris,
the Corona virus acts similar to a normal influenza, but has some differences:
- about 20% of the infected people need hospital care
- about 5% of the infected people needs lung machines
- it is much more contagious than a flu
- you may be infected and "distribute" it before you even have any symptoms
- people needs 4 to 6 weeks to recover

There are many voices in the net that are saying that the entire thing is overvalued and it is all panic and that the economic consequences are much harder than the human. But now nearly all countries are shutting down the daily life (including several big US cities), and therefore I think they are doing the right things.
And I may be relatively fit as I'm regularly hiking in the mountains, but I'm over 50, have asthma and some arrhythmia, so my chances to survive are much lower.
Wolfgang

So, 5-10 million people die each year in the world due to cancer.
More than 5 million people die every year from heart problems.
Another 5 million people die due to respiratory and similar diseases
And so on.

This study that was released a couple months before the outbreak, suggests that some years as many as 25,000 people die each year in Italy due to influenza in recent years: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 1219303285

Wolfgang, as you know I also have serious respiratory problems, even preventing me from traveling abroad and participating in conferences, although recently I have also started exercising and this has helped me a lot. But in any case, I have stopped listening to what the ^&@$#$*@@ media have been saying to us since many years ago.

A preacher said something like "I study the Bible, and afterwards I look at the newspaper to see what the other side has to say".

Hi Chris,
at least in the Health system the situation is dramatic - and I know this from friends of my wife that are working there.
One of them wrote 3 days ago that she had to intubate 3 people in 40 minutes - and not in the hospital itself, but in the Triage tent in front of the hospital. (and I know that friend: she has more than 20 years of experience with the emergency doctor on the ambulance and I don't think it is easy to put she in panic).
For us that we are outside of this situation, closed in our office and looking at the beautiful mountains it looks like a bad dream - a bit a dystopic situation.
If you don't trust the media (you can be sure that I for myself prefer to see different sources and take all what I read with care): why are nearly all countries reacting now in the same manner?
Wolfgang
P.S. you are right about cancer and heart problems - but they are occurring over the year and distributed, and our health system has the capacity to cure them. But the Corona cases are added to them, and make it impossible to cure them...

Hi Chris,

Chris wrote:But in any case, I have stopped listening to what the ^&@$#$*@@ media have been saying to us since many years ago.

Good idea, I for one don't believe we have only 62 cases as per the media and Health Minister... It is far worse than that. Also, from a South African perspective, nobody dies of HIV/AIDS, they are recorded as pneumonia etc...

Hi Wolfgang,

wriedmann wrote: If you don't trust the media (you can be sure that I for myself prefer to see different sources and take all what I read with care): why are nearly all countries reacting now in the same manner?

Let's better discuss this after this is all over, this is not an easy discussion right now, especially with many human lives involved.

Hi Chris,

that is a good idea!
And let's hope that we all survive that - both economically and in the sense of the word....
Wolfgang

This is a web cam that shows St. Peter's Square live 24 hours a day. It is impressive to see a square normally full of faithful always completely deserted.

Danilo
St. Peter's Square

Worldometer just says for today: "3526 new cases and 345 new deaths" in Italy. Phew...

Hi Karl,
yesterday it was nearly the same - a sign that we that the exponential grow is slowing down.
Specially the most affected province of Bergamo is slowing down - see here:
https://lab24.ilsole24ore.com/coronavirus/#box_3
Wolfgang