[crystaldev]

Coronavirus has been circulating for months now. Many of us have already beaten it. That's why spread is linear and not gripping the world like it should be at this point: The "spread" is a measurement of panic and vigilant diagnosis. This is most carefully observed cold of all time.

I was stocking up on dry goods and such like everybody else. After the past few days I feel like a panicked fool. Almost every single death report: "Had underlying health conditions."

[elicash]

Vigilant diagnosis? Isn't the biggest issue for the U.S. right now that we're not able to test nearly enough people?

As far as stocking up, my understanding was that the reason for picking up an extra couple items each time you go to the store was in case eventually certain areas are rec'd to work from home and such. Maybe that won't happen, but it's not like that stuff would go to waste.

[crystaldev]

We're testing people who would ordinarily not be tested already. That doesn't mean the diagnosis is wrong, or that COVID-19 isn't widespread.

[bob33212]

If the death rate was 10% across the board we would know how far it has spread. But this cold may have a 0.001% hospitalization or death rate for people in great health. There could already be 100,000 people infected in the states.

We may be close to the point of saying "fuck it. False alarm this is just a cold. Carry on". Hard to know for sure though until a couple weeks go by

[lucb1e]

From another comment, in Italy the numbers are worse than previously reported rather than better.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22476675

I did not check their source. Just saying that "we may be close to saying `false alarm`" seems almost certainly ill-informed.

[natalyarostova]

You know, some of us have family with underlying health conditions.

[anthonypasq]

ok? Then do everything you normally would to avoid the flu.

There is no difference.

[koheripbal]

This is not factual. Do the math. Starting with a couple cases, it takes 10 generations (two months) for the numbers to be large enough to be noticeable.