Coronavirus in Massachusetts (homes, safe, homeless)

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Not sure I understand the premise of the question! It HAS caused acute stress on medical systems wherever it has been allowed to spread unchecked. That latter word being key here...Singapore, Taiwan, etc. made sure it was not unchecked.

I was responding to someone who claims that the infection was widespread in Massachusetts in December of 2019. I find that to be a highly unlikely claim, for the exact reason you mention.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

If the virus has traveled far and wide essentially undetected for months, why has it caused acute stress to medical systems in only a handful of locations?

People are confusing "I had the flu" with COVID-19.

[redplum33]

Hotels and college dorms could be used as makeshift hospitals.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by redplum33

Hotels and college dorms could be used as makeshift hospitals.

It's a great, practical idea, but Lord help us if it comes to that

[sombrueil]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

Coronavirus: How fear mongering crippled the global economy. This complete over-reaction is going to have serious economic effects that are not going to be short-term. Small businesses cannot survive this. Those who are now out of work likely do not have the savings to survive for weeks on end. It's complete insanity and I'm surprised more people aren't angry.

Are you reading about the coffins piling up in Italy? The mass graves in Iran? Is that fear-mongering? Or facts? Or do you care what the difference is?

[redplum33]

The US is now at the same level Italy was at 2 weeks ago.

During Trump's update today, a woman from the CDC (I think) was pleading with millennials to take this seriously.

[Amontillado]

There are now 197 cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts, an increase of 33 since Sunday.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

If the virus has traveled far and wide essentially undetected for months, why has it caused acute stress to medical systems in only a handful of locations?

I'm honestly trying to toe the line with being on this side of the argument because it really doesn't matter right now - people should be social distancing, quarantining, and in general being extraordinarily cautious. So I don't want anyone to assume they had it.

That said, I think if it has been around, it's impacted some places less than others. Wuhan has very poor air quality, high percentage of smokers, and overall bad lung health. The hardest hit places in Italy have a population that skews older. And even then, it likely took time for it to get to critical mass there. Incubation periods are long (upto 2 weeks before people show symptoms), and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was January 20th - a guy who returned to the U.S. on 1/15. He shared an plane with hundreds of people coming to the U.S. as well as airport facilities with thousands of others. And the only reason he was tested and confirmed was because he had life threatening symptoms (long ICU stay). the NYT estimates only between 1-in-5 to 1-in-10 cases are being picked up in testing right now. Most of the untested are moderate symptoms. Even during the crackdown and heightened testing in China, only about 60% of positive cases were identified. It's really not crazy to think that the first confirmed case was hardly the first actual case. That maybe there were many others that were less severe.

[redplum33]

According to RI Gov. Gina Raimondo, "Boston is a hotspot", and she urged RI residents to stay in RI.

[redplum33]

Six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have issued a shelter-in-place order for the next 3 weeks.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if something very similar happens in Boston.