Originally Posted by JackRussell (Post 1735719)

As a former UPI reporter I gave this article a D- minus. Community Spread is not defined by the writer, yet it's a key descriptor in the headline. Even the suggestion of its plain meaning, that the Community is seeing the virus advance because of something the community shouldn't be doing - is unsubstantiated.

"A serious outbreak inside the community could have devastating effects. Most who show symptoms from the virus develop a fever or cough and may have trouble breathing, though they do recover."

Consider this two-sentence paragraph. Couldn't the first sentence be said of any community? This has nothing pertinent to offer readers with an interest specific to The Villages.

"Prior to the opening of the testing site, The Villages slowly began to shut down its expansive social scene. That’s after the community — which leans Republican — had sought to downplay the virus’s affects as President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed confidence the virus would be contained inside the U.S."

First, it's effects, not affects. This writer has a law degree, which made me marvel not only at his spelling, but also at his assertion that the community had sought to downplay the "virus's affects" (sic). In my opinion, his statement is invidious and made without any substantiation. His additional reference to politics (apparently the real cause of the spread of infection) is another irrelevant injection in what purported to be a story about disease. And when did the president ever state that the virus would be contained within the US? Let me be clear, the Wuhan virus started in...where was it?...oh, yeah, Wuhan. How can it be contained in the US?

I know, he means something else. But that's why E.B. White said you should re-read your own work, because while you think you may have said what you meant, chances are very good you haven't.

He also uses a couple propaganda devices to take a swipe at the president. One is "Authority". He quotes a nurse (a healthcare authority) but he doesn't quote her on healthcare. He quotes her on politics to leverage her authority into an area it doesn't apply. He uses her to spread the false claim that people (Trump has been the one accused of this) have called the virus a hoax. Here is what he said:

"One of my people came up to me and said, “Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That didn’t work out too well. They couldn’t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax that was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything. They tried it over and over. They’ve been doing it since you got in. It’s all turning, they lost, it’s all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax.” (DJT 2/28/20)

Finally, he uses her comment on the awakening of the community as though this one person has her finger on The Villages pulse. That's just bad judgment. Maybe D-minus is generous.

Originally Posted by Rickg (Post 1735584)

5 community spread cases in The Villages.

Originally Posted by daca55 (Post 1735901)

Many people in TV live by the motto “ live free or die”

Originally Posted by Drdoug49 (Post 1735859)

The elderly here continue to ignore social distancing, thinking they know their friends , so their safe
When the first tv residents die form the virus , it will be too late. Thoughts and pray for the virus deniers who watch Fox

Originally Posted by EdFNJ (Post 1735663)

These are probably the people that think: "I Know all my friends so therefore I can't get it."

They should be asked: DO you know where and when your friends shop or where they get gas or how many people they walked by in those places or what they touched? I hear this all the time. My sister said the same thing to me. We're brother and sister. SO WHAT? You just went to Marion Market. Stay away from me for 2 weeks!

Originally Posted by bmit16 (Post 1735793)

The CDC is now saying that over a million Americans could have had the China Virus prior to February back into November due to the number of Chinese people traveling here, however it was either undiagnosed because it was not severe or it was misdiagnosed as the common flu which has killed 10 times more people. Pandemic or fear pushing by the media. I know one thing, it is like the flu in this way and we don't shut the country down. You are probably going to get it in someway, some will die, some will never know they have it and most will deal with it for 10 days and go on with their lives. Just like the flu. So get over the hysteria, people get sick in life, people die. If not by corona virus, then by any one of a million other illnesses.

Originally Posted by Drdoug49 (Post 1735859)

The elderly here continue to ignore social distancing, thinking they know their friends , so their safe
When the first tv residents die form the virus , it will be too late. Thoughts and pray for the virus deniers who watch Fox

Originally Posted by mainelovr (Post 1735942)

The “flu” doesn’t overwhelm the medical community and potentially require triage to deny patients ventilators. Without drastic action like this, more people will die than need to. The flu is more controllable because of vaccines. We don’t have the immunity to this we have with the flu.

And it’s called Coronavirus, not “China virus”.

Originally Posted by swede1128 (Post 1735716)

Where can the original (complete) article be found

Originally Posted by rtime (Post 1735954)

If you think the squares were bad you should have seen the crowd at The Lighthouse. Friday night they had live music and food in the parking lot, must have been 50 carts and cars parked neck to neck there. No social spacing, Sat. night the same.

Originally Posted by patsyopnp (Post 1735949)

I don’t know why you say flu has killed 10 times more people. Not true! The new coronavirus causing COVID-19 has led to more than 454,000 illnesses and more than 20,550 deaths worldwide. For comparison, in the U.S. alone, the flu (also called influenza) has caused an estimated 38 million illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Originally Posted by Topspinmo (Post 1735845)

They need to turn the speakers off that broadcasting they music also.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1735934)

I think it is going to get much worse in the next week. I think we all will lose someone we know well. I think we need to rethink take out food and fresh vegetables. I think we are going to see some very sad times here. I think EdFNJ is extremely astute.

Originally Posted by NavyVet (Post 1735984)

Well, it's looking like the me-me-me Narcissists who don't follow rules are going to ruin everything for everyone else. No consideration for all the rest of us who REALLY don't want to catch an illness that could KILL us when it could have been avoided with diligence and common sense. The Villages will end up "winning" the Darwin Awards this year. Thinning the herd indeed. The sad thing is a lot of innocent good people are going to be taken down with them as this virus spreads like wild fire. Just saying.

Originally Posted by Rickg (Post 1735584)

5 community spread cases in The Villages.

Originally Posted by TexaninVA (Post 1735755)

Excellent analysis, really top notch. Thanks.

Originally Posted by PugMom (Post 1736090)

yes, because the original story was posted on a local villages tabloid site. there's very little intelligence coming from that end. we need to keep it all in perspective, & keep calm. this endless supply of posters adds to the hype & hysteria most of us look @ as gossip-site fodder