Regarding Covid-19, my main concern is not so much a personal life-threatening illness, but the potential of its consequences surmounting health-care capabilities.
A spike of folks needing hospitalization that they may not be able to easily, or timely receive, is a definite concern. Especially when dealing with an-until-now, unknown viral agent.
We never know when we may need hospitalization & equipment for the Corona virus or the seasonal flu, or for other life-threatening illnesses. Hence, the recent steps taken by federal, state and local governments in the U.S. to flatten the Covid-19 outbreak curve.
It's good to know that ~80% of the people afflicted with Covid-19 will ostensibly not need specialized care. But if +/- 20% of people needing medical intervention were to present en masse (so to speak), things could get bad for everyone needing specialized care, very quick indeed.
The ironic fact that Covid-19 depicts is: that ~40,000 to 60,000 yearly fatalities are related to the seasonal flu in the U.S. The news media as sensational as it is geared, doesn't dwell or specifically focus on this striking figure -- the fatalities have simply become "expected". And with the exception of the annual flu vaccine and the admonition to wash hands et al, the CDC, federal and state government's have never taken the draconian steps that are now being done for Covid-19.
So, the devil is in the details of leveling-off the outbreak frequency numbers. Which theoretically will allow the healthcare professionals to handle the influx of those needing hospital/ICU care. Time will tell whether these steps were sufficient, or in fact, even warranted. But until that time, to err towards complacency as opposed to action, would seem to be a dubious and even incorrect direction to take.
A spike of folks needing hospitalization that they may not be able to easily, or timely receive, is a definite concern. Especially when dealing with an-until-now, unknown viral agent.
We never know when we may need hospitalization & equipment for the Corona virus or the seasonal flu, or for other life-threatening illnesses. Hence, the recent steps taken by federal, state and local governments in the U.S. to flatten the Covid-19 outbreak curve.
It's good to know that ~80% of the people afflicted with Covid-19 will ostensibly not need specialized care. But if +/- 20% of people needing medical intervention were to present en masse (so to speak), things could get bad for everyone needing specialized care, very quick indeed.
The ironic fact that Covid-19 depicts is: that ~40,000 to 60,000 yearly fatalities are related to the seasonal flu in the U.S. The news media as sensational as it is geared, doesn't dwell or specifically focus on this striking figure -- the fatalities have simply become "expected". And with the exception of the annual flu vaccine and the admonition to wash hands et al, the CDC, federal and state government's have never taken the draconian steps that are now being done for Covid-19.
So, the devil is in the details of leveling-off the outbreak frequency numbers. Which theoretically will allow the healthcare professionals to handle the influx of those needing hospital/ICU care. Time will tell whether these steps were sufficient, or in fact, even warranted. But until that time, to err towards complacency as opposed to action, would seem to be a dubious and even incorrect direction to take.