And flu vaccine isn't 100% effective, and not every storm ends with a rainbow, and bad things happen to good people. Was there a point in there, since the post shows a complete lack of understanding of immunity and epidemics. Basically, the post is what the media does all the time---find the worst case, or the worst outcome of anything and feature that on the news, even if it's the minority result

In one sense wearing a mask as a preventative of catching the disease is true. however it is a good reminder to keep your hands away from your face. So in that sense wearing any type of mask can aid some people

Good point about masks. If masks didn’t protect you, why do healthcare workers wear them?

To prevent them from spreading anything to the patient. Would like your surgeon not to wear a mask???? BTW, I have this strange sense of deja vu since I've answered this about 4 times

Because a) they spend 8-14 hours every DAY very physically close to, and touching, and being breathed on, coughed on, spit on, sneezed on, slobbered on, and bled on by sick people and the risk of catching ANYTHING from sick people is so preposterously high compared to the average housewife at the supermarket, it's ridiculous to even ask the question.

and b) because they should not be spreading THEIR germs to their patients, even if they're not sick with an illness. Everyone - including healthy doctors - harbors bacteria in their mouths, noses, on their skin, in their pores, in their digestive systems, in the fluids of their eyeballs. Exhaled breath contains microscopic specks of bacteria. Most of it is benign. But combined with someone who is deathly ill, in the hospital, and your patient, it could be a death sentence.

Those two reasons are why hospital staff wear masks in hospitals. Just the question itself is - insanely ridiculous.

It's like asking why you don't carry an air compressor in your car, but auto mechanics keep one in their shops all the time.

Well, yes and no. People spent good money on those tickets and I guess many would like (expect?) a refund. But that sort of thing might make a business go under, too. From my perspective, I would prefer places like the Sharon survive the pandemic and still be there when the coast is clear. I really feel sorry for the small businesses and restaurants and their employees. We retirees might see our retirement accounts take a temporary hit, but people like servers are really going to be hurting. If you do go out to eat, tip well!

We were supposed to go see the band America in Orlando a week from Sunday. (I have a writer friend whose husband is in the band and she got us tickets). She just let me know America has canceled its whole tour because of Coronavirus. A band member (not her husband) was at the same large event in Australia that Tom Hanks and his wife attended. (You've probably seen that they're now stuck in Australia because they both tested positive?) That'll be a TON of refunded tickets and both the band and the venues (LOTS of venues, WAY bigger than any in The Villages) will lose a ton of money. That's what happens when you have a pandemic. Better lost money than lost lives.

We have NO way of knowing how many cases are already here in The Villages because THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANY TESTING here yet. This disease has a long incubation period, up to 14 days, when people can spread it without symptoms. We have an unusually vulnerable population here with the vast majority over 55. It's absolutely nuts to assume we can just ignore this and it will go away. Sure, it's a nice thought, but it's one that's likely to kill a lot more people here than necessary.

hand sanitizers
 

I was told yesterday at one of our rec centers that the hand sanitizers were being stolen so they keep them behind the desk, but they still have them there for us.

We are not immune here in the Villages. Anyone who recently returned from a cruise through Port Everglades needs to be especially cautious. Broward County has declared a State of Emergency after the 3rd Port Everglades employee (now 4) tested positive for COVID-19. They are employed by Metro Cruise Services. This company is responsible for guiding people off cruise ships and providing other guest services.
it can be difficult to find information specific to Florida. The Florida Department of Health has a page, updated daily, that provides statistics by county, by age. Here is the link: COVID-19 | Florida Department of Health

There will be a number of cancellations announced this afternoon. Don't know how broad they will be but there will be cancellations until March 22nd.

but if it happens to you, who cares if your are in the minority. the poster wasn't claiming to be an expert in epidemics and immunity, but shared personal experiences as is his or her right. I understand you are a physician but that does not mean everyone else can not read what the experts are saying.

have you read the reports in Italy about how the hospitals are unable to keep up with serious cases and running out of ICU beds and have to make decisions on who gets a respirator, that younger people are not coming in as critical?

we can "flatten the curve" by choosing to avoid large functions. we don't need to panic, but it's like when a hurricane threatens and then turns away at the last minute. People complain that all the preparations were unnecessary but it's a matter of "hope for the best but prepare for the worse".

Didn't your real estate agent explain to you that The Villages is GOD's waiting room?

It’s not only about you . It’s about the safety of others. Some people will go to these events get the virus snd then spread it to others who chose not to go. That’s why mandatory closings are in effect.

No, the poster was extrapolating 2 personal experiences to the population as a whole, which is a fallacy. No, "herd immunity" and histocompatibility antibody testing is not going to save many, my point was that there is always some immunity running around to these viruses. It's an epidemic---resources may get exhausted and people will die, period. Hard choices may have to be made, we cannot control the trajectory of this pandemic, but we can mitigate it somewhat.
There are 5 or 6 coronavirus threads (and one carona virus thread. My problem with them is that this is a serious, and potentially very serious public health threat. However, about 1/2 of the posts are purely political in nature, 20% are ignorant, 20 % are irrelevant and God only knows what the rest are. Add to that the overlay of out of control media hype so that now you can't find a roll of TP.
People, just turn off the TV, ignore the political pundits, and follow what the CDC and the Florida DOH state. They may be conservative with their recommendations, but they are not "lying" or "hiding" the truth

It’s only a matter of time until the virus hits our Villages. Catastrophic when it does. The Villages should start taking precautions now. With over 140,000 residents many will be infected...too late to take public precautions once the break out occurs. Good luck everyone. World health has called it pandemic....occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population...again it’s just a matter of time.