An actual good, introspective, non-political story by the NY Times
The COVID-19 Riddle: Why Does the Virus Wallop Some Places and Spare Others?
The coronavirus has killed so many people in Iran that the country has resorted to mass burials, but in neighboring Iraq, the body count is fewer than 100.
The Dominican Republic has reported nearly 7,600 cases of the virus. Just across the border, Haiti has recorded about 85.
In Indonesia, thousands are believed to have died of the coronavirus. In nearby Malaysia, a strict lockdown has kept fatalities to about 100.
The coronavirus has touched almost every country on earth, but its impact has seemed capricious. Global metropolises like New York, Paris and London have been devastated, while teeming cities like Bangkok, Baghdad, New Delhi and Lagos have, so far, largely been spared.
The question of why the virus has overwhelmed some places and left others relatively untouched is a puzzle that has spawned numerous theories and speculations but no definitive answers. That knowledge could have profound implications for how countries respond to the virus, for determining who is at risk and for knowing when it’s safe to go out again.
There are already hundreds of studies underway around the world looking into how demographics, preexisting conditions and genetics might affect the wide variation in impact.
The one thing we do know is that most who die had pre-existing conditions and tend to be over 55. Anyhow, some countries that are hot are sorta OK. Others are not.
Draconian social distancing and early lockdown measures have clearly been effective, but Myanmar and Cambodia did neither and have reported few cases.
Sweden has mostly done OK, too. So, what’s the answer? It’s a long article and worth the read (you can also read it on Yahoo). A couple interesting things they do not real delve into, first being that it seems to target the old and infirm specifically. People with conditions. But not the young. Which is very strange for any virus. It’s almost, dare I say, like it was tailored. The Chinese would never want to kill off their old and infirm who could not be productive, right?
A second interesting thing is how rarely we hear about those with BSV getting very sick. Consider all those spring breakers: we heard about them getting it, but, not if they were really sick. Just saying how many people have it is meaningless without knowing how bad their symptoms are. Kinda like the difference, for me, of sneezing and getting stuffy, maybe light coughing, from my allergies to dust mites, grass, and oak (OTC allergy pills dry me out), and eating a scallop, which can put me in the hospital.
House Democrats propose $2,000 coronavirus stimulus payment per month
AWESOME…Incentivize EVERYONE to stay home and not go back to work. BUY THEIR VOTES IN 2020,that way we can all stay home and watch the nation collapse on CNN, as Orange man Bad is blamed for no one wanting to work.
It’s a very good article.
Teach: Sweden has mostly done OK, too.
Norway: 7904 cases, 214 dead
Sweden: 22,721 cases, 2765 dead
Finland: 5327 cases, 240 dead
Denmark: 9721 cases, 493 dead
It’s been claimed repeatedly that Sweden has “done OK” with less restrictive policies, yet it has fared much worse than the countries on its western (Norway) and eastern (Finland) borders, and a short distance (10 mi) across the sea to the south (Denmark).
Maybe the Swedes are testing more rigorously.
Could be. But the test for dead is pretty simple.
Not as simple as you, but the test for Bat Soup Complaint isn’t universally applied.
Could be the Swedes are doing it better than the Finns, the Norges, and the tentacles.
Teach typed: It’s almost, dare I say, like it was tailored.
There is no evidence to support that the SARS-CoV-2 was tailored or engineered, although Pompeo claimed it was but quickly reversed himself. tRump stated the other day that he had good evidence he couldn’t share (but a US President can declassify anything).
This is part of the China! China! China! strategy of the tRump campaign.
There isn’t? The whole wet market thing has pretty much been thrown out
But, as a good little apparatchik, Jeffery has to defend the Reds.
<Pompeo claimed it was but quickly reversed himself.
He did? When was this? Source?
As of yesterday, he had done nothing of the kind.
ABC This Week
Raddatz asked flatly, “Do you believe it was man-made or genetically modified?â€
“Look, the best experts so far seem to think it was man-made. I have no reason to disbelieve that at this point,†the secretary answered.
Raddatz then pointed out to Pompeo that he was contradicting the ODNI’s own statement, repeating their conclusions that “the scientific consensus was that the COVID-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified.â€
But Pompeo wasn’t done confusing matters, saying, “That’s right. I agree with that. Yes. I’ve seen their analysis. I’ve seen the summary that you saw that was released publicly. I have no reason to doubt that that is accurate at this point.â€
Raddatz made another attempt to set the secretary’s story straight, asking again, “OK, so just to be clear, you do not think it was man-made or genetically modified?â€
Pompeo seemingly steadied now, answered, “I’ve seen what the intelligence community has said. I have no reason to believe that they’ve got it wrong.â€
This is part of the tRump Campaign strategy to blame China! China! China! by spreading unsubstantiated rumors.
Actually we try to defend the truth. You defend tRump.
Like the CDC page.
“the scientific consensus was that the COVID-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified.â€
Consensus? How’s ’bout some proof?
But Pompeo wasn’t done confusing matters, saying, “That’s right. I agree with that. Yes. I’ve seen their analysis. I’ve seen the summary that you saw that was released publicly. I have no reason to doubt that that is accurate at this point.â€
Raddatz made another attempt to set the secretary’s story straight, asking again, “OK, so just to be clear, you do not think it was man-made or genetically modified?â€
Wow, that’s real objective reportage there.
I want a transcript, verbatim. From an objective source.
Or is this more no guts like the body count?
BTW That story’s all over the Interwebz. And gaining a lot of traction.
By all means present your evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was man-made.
Regarding pompeehole, look it up yourself. It was on television so you can probably listen to the entire interview on youtube.
And I don’t give a shit what you “want”. LOL.
The right wing echo chamber is not “gaining a lot of traction”.
Your coveted CIA who you totally 1000 percent believe when TRUMP doesnt and deny they exist when Trump believes them says that it was made in a WUHAN lab.
Let me ask you 50 center. Many scholars have said it was NOT man made and yet according to Taiwan news it is 98 percent identical to samples smuggled out of the WUHAN lab for comparison. So how can we believe them when these same scholars are paid for by CHINA and CHINA is desperately trying to cover this up.
At the very beginning of this outbreak a virologist analyzed the genome and said it was pretty likely it was from a lab. It is not and no one is claiming it is a weapon. YET. But its characteristics have been hidden from the public for very real reasons.
To prevent the drum beats of war. After this is over we still have to live with a nuclear armed China and a Japan that terrifies China and even to this day is so racist and bigoted against japan they have signs that says NO DOGS OR JAPS ALLOWED. That is what you defend 50 center.
The CIA and FBI is now saying it is almost certainly made in a lab.
BUT NOW because Trump believes them, you dont. If Trump said that was hogwash you would be all over that like a fly on a turd.
Klem,
Evidence to support your claims, please.
The CIA and FBI believe the virus was created in a lab? Really?
Oooops.
Bad link
In the immortal words of Daffy Duck, “Let’s try that again”.
There isn’t? The whole wet market thing has pretty much been thrown out
But, as a good little apparatchik, Jeffery has to defend the Reds.
Pompeo claimed it was but quickly reversed himself.
He did? When was this? Source?
As of yesterday, he had done nothing of the kind.
Or is this like your CDC quote?
Going to be fun.
a) 1917-1919 Kansas-Portuguese Flu, the young and otherwise healthy died, at higher rates than expected
b) SE Asia population may have had some prior exposure to Corona-type disease, thus “partial immunity” while Iran did not,
c) population density and location of deaths in Sweden v Nordic surround, (the disease seems to be spreading at about the same rate in most US cities and much slower in suburban and rural areas),
d) dead is dead but that leaves the question of dead “With” Corona or dead “From” corona virus and the fact that many infected individuals show no overt symptoms,
e) genetics may be in play since “adverse outcomes” (damage or death) seems to be associated with “inflammation” or restricted blood flow in critical tissues (untreated essential hypertension seems to be common in China and the ACE2 receptor/enzyme target for the virus is involved in blood pressure and blood flow control); also there is a differential distribution of the Nordic and Finnish population stock all over the north allowing for a differential sensitivity to any disease and there have been no reports of a differential response to this disease in Iranians of Arab vs. Caucasian stock,
f) “Other”, not yet identified factors (e.g. components in local foods, or different strains of the Corona virus [the Chinese Corona strain may have been mutated through the passage in a local species not found anywhere else]),
Hey! Grammy Nature has been playing this game since forever in the stinking rice paddies of Asia where all the wild and farm animal drink, feed, and crap together. She runs the casino, the table and the wheel of chance. Time is irrelevant. The “House” always wins. The “sucker” always pays.
Don’t get distracted by the current stock of fools in China, Brussels, or The Swamp. They are paid to make noise, not sense. If you are obsessed with magic and/or evil, I’d suggest starting under lace-lined panties. I’ve had pretty good luck working from there. Grab a beer, take care of business, and withy any luck, all will be clear before we are in as bad shape as “Slo-Joe”.
Nordic vs. Circassian blonds…. Now there is a puzzle worth working on.
In today’s Google/Wiki obsessed culture, we have gotten used to answers being at our finger tips. The fact is, the data just doesn’t exist to be reporting numbers like this on an international basis, not on this topic, or on any other topic. There are confounding differences in testing, in reporting, and in cultural bias towards death in general. Even in the USA, there is no uniformity in testing or reporting and plenty of variability from one place to another. I would caution against using such numbers for anything more important than a spirited game of Trivial Pursuit with drunk friends.
Actually I am in error. DOCUMENTS were smuggled out of the Wuhan lab NOT SAMPLES. One needs to understand how China works.
About 1 million Commies control the rest of the country with sub machine guns, torture and fear. The rest of the Chinese people are and have been horribly treated for 7 decades. America helped China defeat Japan during WW2 just as we helped Russia defeat Nazi Germany during the same war.
America helps people. The state department even helped China expadite the sale of PPE back in January when China was lying to us and said NO PERSON TO PERSON transmission. This was another SARS that could easily be contained in China.
CHINA edits out every GAY reference or GAY scene from movies and HOLLYWOOD GLEEFULLY COMPLIES. IF CHRISTIANS IN THE USA demanded that well I am sure we would all be rounded up and put in REEDUCATION CAMPS BY BLUE STATE GOVERNORS.
But not CHINA. NOT THE NBA not those people getting sleazy rich off of CHINAS BLOOD MONEY. THATS WHAT YOU DEFEND 50 center.
Meanwhile back in the real world of lying leftist ORANGE MAN BAD HATERS.
Explosive, newly unsealed evidence documenting the FBI’s efforts to target national security adviser Michael Flynn — including a top official’s handwritten memo debating whether the FBI’s “goal” was “to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired” — calls into question whether Brandon Van Grack, a Justice Department prosecutor and former member of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Team, complied with a court order to produce favorable evidence to Flynn.
Gotta love our Deep state. When we can’t expect a fair trial in this country or to be fairly treated when arrested, then I fear for the stability of this country going forward. Trumps election shined a light on the cockroaches living just under the constitution that governs this nation.
Good or bad. The constitution is what defines America and makes us supremely different. NOT BETTER…DIFFERENT and we enjoy freedoms that the rest of the worlds citizens covet. At least those who dont have a knife to their throats 24×7.
Well Klem, I disagree with you on one point: America is not just different, it is supremely better and that’s why “the rest of the worlds citizens covet” being here. They don’t want to come to America to be different they want to be free and that ain’t just different, that’s very, very special. I realize this is my opinion, my perception, my experience talking but I see a worlds of difference between say Peru and America or Madagascar and America. They are Different, we are better, special, unique in the annals of human history in Freedom, individualism, government and talent. We have contributed more to the benefit of mankind than any other nation in history in every category worth mentioning. The only group that has contributed more is the entire Western Civilization (the U.S. included). From Athens to America Western Civ rules all. We invented “The First World”.
“First world problem†used to be a cutesy little shorthand to remind us that we should be grateful for the comforts our culture has carved out of the landscape.
Now I sense that the phrase is just one more leftist mantra to divorce us from the idea that our culture has unique attributes that produced the very thing we call “first world†– and to instill a sense of shame where pride once resided.
How dare you cling to your first amendment when people are facing virus death! How selfish.
The idea that the multitude of things that separate us from the very real third world are frivolous and not worthy of defending because something else should be deemed more important primes us to accept a new order of things. The new normal which happens to be more like the third world shitholes that the rest of the world is trying to escape.
Just like how relativism renders us closer to the apes in celebrating our most base impulses, the deflation of “first world†values in this death by a thousand cuts will render us closer to the killing fields of the filthy continents. It’s exactly what the left wants.
I see this definition of “problems†taking hold wherever liberty is being subordinated for compliance and submission, for our own safety of course. Just wear the funin’ mask already! That will bury us.
Trump 2020 I don’t wear no stinkin’ mask.
See Kye I don’t mind people disagreeing with me. Thats what make you and I different than our 50 center that thrives in misinformation.
America is special, the people not necessarily so. They want to be here because the constitution gives them the opportunity to become prosperous. I do not know of anyone who loves being POOR.
The blacks and whites and hispanics and Asians in the ghettos do not want to be poor. They are just put there to be quiet and told to vote for democrats or risk being put in concentration camps by RACIST whiteys.
Even they want to prosper, Trump offered them that and now we have BLUE STATE GOVERNORS trying to destroy AMERICA for power.
When will the people wake up and understand it is the LEFT who wants the poor and destitute to shut up, get back on the reseveration and accept the tidbits we throw at you every 2 years??
I knew you would think that way, Klem. We don’t disagree so much as we see from our own spot in life. I can’t see your experience nor can you see mine. But we can agree America is pretty damn great and it was our ancestors and families and us that made it that way. To watch the 50 center’s destroy what it took my family in particular 12 generations to build pisses me off. I think what really pisses me off is that I’m too old and friggin’ sick now to go out into the streets and take the fight to the statehouses myself.
God bless America and our President Trump.
Evidence to support your claims, please.
The CIA and FBI believe the virus was created in a lab? Really?
Yeah, weaponized though they were by the Mocha Messiah, they had to admit it.
Most of our 17 agencies have, according to DNI Grenell.
PS That page that revised Oriental Lung Rash deaths down to 38,500 (actual bug deaths 290) also noted that deaths peaked in April.
It’s over. The last 4 weeks have been a scam.
Trump wins. Demos lose (and have a lot to answer for).
Many ACADEMIC VIROLOGISTS came out and said it was not made in a lab.
YET leaked documents obtained by other nations, Including Australia show that it was made in a lab.
Our own universities have become breeding grounds for the COMMUNIST CHINESE GOVERNMENT. The send 100’s of thousands of students around the world, pay exorbitant sums to colleges and now that I have seen the extent to which this is a problem.
I am glad that nation after nation around the world is realizing what COMMUNISM is really about. It seems Europe forgot. America forgot and most of the rest of the world never understood.
50 center is just that. A paid troll for the communist CCP of china. That is why the democratic party pushed the RUSSIA NARRATIVE SO HARD…..to take the focus off of CHINA and if anyone actually bothers to look at what China has been doing around the world the last 30 years no one and i mean NO ONE would have the balls to defend them.