[toeser]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

Just in case you didn't think we had a problem.. We just passed Italy and China in confirmed cases.

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

Seriously, you believe the numbers out of China? As to other countries, the U.S. has far fewer cases RELATIVE TO POPULATION than most countries in Europe. Italy, for example, has 60 million people. The U.S. has 330 million.

[rsb03]

Leave the N95s in short supply to the brave medical workers who need them.

[cassjax2]

Have you considered that we are doing more testing than other countries?

[davem4616]

if you need the Governor of FL to order you to stay home you're not really cable of behaving like a responsible adult

yeah, China lies and tried to hide this....yeah the NYC mayor is an egotistical jerk that failed as a leader

as far as the news is concerned I don't trust that I'm not hearing biased reporting....remember 'no matter how flat the pancake is, there's always two sides to it'

[billethkid]

I did not see any responses to the question why are cruise ships with known sickness being allowed to dock in FL?

Cruise lines are not being as diligent in screening. We have family that have returned from cruises in the past 2 weeks that upon departure, not a single word of precaution, or self quarantine for 14 days just in case, or checks upon debarkation (Princess).

Royal Caribbean docks in Charleston after promising to screen passengers during debarkation. Absolutely nothing different than any other debarkation....walk off, grab your bag and go.

The un-screened flights from NY dumping into FL everyday.

The too high of a percentage of those who do not follow the self home confinement guidelines.......

Not closing the beaches to non residents.....

Etc.

All, potentially, create an opportunity for FL to become an outbreak epicenter. Not the sky is falling...just concerned about the lack of more stringent enforcement of guidelines to better protect FL.....hence vulnerable!!!

[npwalters]

Originally Posted by blueash

I am not sure of your definition of aggressively testing. IMO the US is still actively avoiding aggressively testing and has in place a policy of very selectively testing only the most ill patients. And even with that policy there are still shortages of test kits, testing sites. In Italy they are doing mass testing of everyone in some regions. Not just the symptomatic but those who have absolutely no symptoms. That defines aggressive testing. South Korea had walk in testing for everyone, no doctor's order. That is aggressive testing.
Here, you need a doctor's order to have private testing done. The doctor must collect the sample unless you happen to have a mobile lab set up for a few days in your polo field. Most doctors are NOT collecting samples.
But the point is, the US is among the most restrictive in testing both because of the way our health care system is organized, the still great shortage of testing kits and sites. Do you really believe that if today you developed a sore throat and mild runny nose that there is anyplace you could get a Covid test easily done?
If there is anything about testing rates in the US, it is how unaggressive or unprepared we have been so far. I have a distant relative in rural Ohio, in bed with 102 fever and respiratory symptoms. She has been told she does not need testing. No test for her. There have been no reported cases in her rural county. Do you see why?
Are other countries less prepared than the US, certainly. Are other countries struggling with lack of testing, certainly. Are countries fudging their numbers.. I don't know.

Things are improving as to test kits and in terms of people and leaders taking this much more seriously than they did 2 weeks ago. Both of those attitude adjustments will help. But we have certainly not changed the approach from very selective testing to anything aggressive. When you get that phone call from someone you ate with last week who now has cold symptoms and you ask, "Did you get a Covid test?", you know that it is very likely the answer will be "I called my doctor and I don't qualify." So now you're in the dark about that potential exposure. Then it won't seem like we're aggressively testing anymore.

I guess you have missed the news reports of drive up testing at many sites; including The Villages. True that there are spot shortages in some hot spots and only those that are truly symptomatic are being tested. Several labs and universities have developed tests that can show results in as little as 30 minutes.

[npwalters]

Originally Posted by jacksonbrown

In cases per million, we're quite low: 239, to Italy's 1,333, Spain's 1,202, Germany's 521, France's 447, ...

We're low on deaths per million.

We're high in total cases mainly because we're high in total population.

We're low in per-million deaths because the feds shut down a lot of transportation early and closed the borders.

Spoken like a man who can actually see the big picture and think for yourself. Well done.

[jswirs]

Originally Posted by xNYer

The CDC estimates 34200 deaths from the flu in the 2018-2019 season.

80,000 U.S. citizens died from the flu during the 2017 - 2018 season. Source - market watch

[jswirs]

Originally Posted by jacksonbrown

In cases per million, we're quite low: 239, to Italy's 1,333, Spain's 1,202, Germany's 521, France's 447, ...

We're low on deaths per million.

We're high in total cases mainly because we're high in total population.

We're low in per-million deaths because the feds shut down a lot of transportation early and closed the borders.

But will this information dispel the worries of the masses? I think not.

[mydavid]

I could also be said, that Florida is going down the same path.

[bumpygreens]

Since the first case of COVID 19 in the USA, 2,400 Americans have died from Corona virus.

During that same time:
7,800 to 9,000 have died from influenza.
17,833 have died in Planned Parenthood Centers.
1 in 10,000 Floridians have tested positive for COVID 19...one third of them live in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.
2.45 in 10,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID 19...nearly half of them live in New York.
Nearly 4,000,000 have filed for unemployment. That's 300 in every 10,000 workers. That number is likely to go much, much higher.
Over 10% of restaurants have already gone bankrupt, and will not re-open regardless of any stimulus package. I don't have estimates for other small businesses.

Congress is going to add $2,000,000,000,000 (at a minimum) to our national debt in just one bill..an 8.6% increase overnight, and no one is mentioning the additional $4,000,000,000,000 the Federal Reserve is authorized to put into the financial sector.

It seems to me that we are all passengers on a bus that is speeding toward a cliff, while the politicians and the media argue over who should be driving the bus. Donald Trump wondered aloud if maybe we should pump the brakes and everyone snarled at him.

I'm not trying to downplay the potential seriousness of this pandemic. We in the Villages along with others in our age group are the most at risk from this illness. I just have to wonder if the cost in lives and finances would both be much lower if we focused on ways to insulate retirees while everyone else goes about their business.

[xNYer]

Originally Posted by jswirs

Hmmm, yes, I think the "grim statistics" state that 1,000 people in the U.S. are now deceased from the covid 19 virus. So 79,000 more people would have to die from the current virus to match the amount of people that died from influenza just 2 years ago.

You are implying that the flu is worse. Did you self quarantine and maintain social distance during flu seasons? Are you doing so now, or not worrying since you seem to believe the flu is worse?

[npwalters]

Originally Posted by bumpygreens

Since the first case of COVID 19 in the USA, 2,400 Americans have died from Corona virus.

During that same time:
7,800 to 9,000 have died from influenza.
17,833 have died in Planned Parenthood Centers.
1 in 10,000 Floridians have tested positive for COVID 19...one third of them live in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.
2.45 in 10,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID 19...nearly half of them live in New York.
Nearly 4,000,000 have filed for unemployment. That's 300 in every 10,000 workers. That number is likely to go much, much higher.
Over 10% of restaurants have already gone bankrupt, and will not re-open regardless of any stimulus package. I don't have estimates for other small businesses.

Congress is going to add $2,000,000,000,000 (at a minimum) to our national debt in just one bill..an 8.6% increase overnight, and no one is mentioning the additional $4,000,000,000,000 the Federal Reserve is authorized to put into the financial sector.

It seems to me that we are all passengers on a bus that is speeding toward a cliff, while the politicians and the media argue over who should be driving the bus. Donald Trump wondered aloud if maybe we should pump the brakes and everyone snarled at him.

I'm not trying to downplay the potential seriousness of this pandemic. We in the Villages along with others in our age group are the most at risk from this illness. I just have to wonder if the cost in lives and finances would both be much lower if we focused on ways to insulate retirees while everyone else goes about their business.

Well said and reflects a train of thought that many are pondering. I'm sure someone will quibble with your stats but the discussion is valid.

[RedBoneJones]

There are more cases in NY because they are doing more testing than anyone else, plus there are likely more international travelers in NY than elsewhere.. If and when we begin testing more a lot of states are going to up their numbers....

[Ramone]

And now we get a 1000 New York low life on cheap fares infused into our Florida numbers. Why did the gov not followup on this fleeing of the virus crowd coming in?