Yes, It Is Being Overhyped

link

Tragically enough it is and for the most cynical of reasons.

The media are driving people to panic that is way out of proportion to the numbers of cases. The United States is completely different from the countries of China and Italy, which are not only far more densely populated nationwide, but they have a far-higher number of smokers, especially male smokers. I believe the majority of Chinese men, for example, are smokers. Male smokers over 50 are at higher risk than other groups from this disease. This makes sense it would be smokers at higher risk because they are more likely to suffer from respiratory damage and diseases than other people. The United States has a smoker population of only around 15 percent now.

It is also irresponsible of public officials to go around speculating on how bad this disease is going to get. I keep hearing and reading people trying to lecture the rest of us about "exponential growth" which doesn't mean anything outside of math. When I hear public officials saying two MILLION American people could die of this disease, a disease which has killed a mere 60-plus as of today, and most of those in a Seattle nursing home, then I get cynical. The Spanish flu didn't have anywhere near those fatalities, and there was a world war going on to amplify the spread. No such situation exists today.

Speaking of which, the numbers of cases diagnosed in the U.S. continues on an upward trend, but the deaths are at a mere 69 (graphics from the Daily Mail):

I Spoke Too Soon About Oregon

It looks like the first case of "presumptive coronavirus" has hit the Beaver State as well:

The person in Oregon diagnosed with a presumptive case of the novel coronavirus had no known travel exposure and is believed to have contracted the disease through the community, according to Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen https://t.co/0YJFDLTBLv

— CNN (@CNN) February 29, 2020

It is of "unknown origin."

Oh, shit.

A Lake Oswego elementary school has decided to close because one of its employees has the illness.

A Lake Oswego elementary school employee contracted Oregon’s first apparent case of coronavirus, causing the closure of the 430-student school as health officials try to figure out how many people may have been exposed.

The employee lives in Washington County and is isolated at Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro in what state health officials described Friday as another case of an unexplained transmission of the disease.

The patient hadn’t been under monitoring for coronavirus symptoms and doesn’t appear to have traveled to any of the countries with outbreaks or have associated with anyone who did, Oregon Health Authority officials said.

Miscellaneous

More warnings are coming out regarding the budding swine flu pandemic, this time warnings for Europeans to stay out of the U.S. and Mexico if at all possible.
_____

If the Economy Doesn't Finish Us All Off,

the swine flu may.

Given how bad I can get sick the few times I do, I am glad I am not working with kids this year.