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Comment by Non24Throw | Hacker News Reader

I guess he better lay down, drink plenty of fluids, and have some chicken noodle soup?

This whole story has become so over-the-top it’s almost comical.

Every tech company falling over themselves to see who can have the “stronger response”, because they don’t want to risk the brand damage that would come from media companies singling them out as the company that let one of their people get the sniffles...

This is such blatant sensationalist fear-mongering nonsense from the media companies. It’s unfortunate that we (apparently) still give them so much power.

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Are you saying that suggesting employees to work from home is a sensational, over-the-top move by the tech companies?

There's so many things wrong with what you just said. It's not just the "sniffles". Even if someone young and healthy gets it, they will survive but there's a chance they'll spread to someone who's at a much higher risk.

This is the stage to NOT give up and just let it spread all over. Being overly cautious is still much better than what could happen if this spills over to an uncontrollable level (which I fear is already the case in some areas).

So you’re saying that all companies should have everyone work from home from October to February.

That’s flu season. The flu is more transmissible, has a higher fatality rate than COVID-19, and is more dangerous for the same immunocompromised demographic (young, elderly, and those with preexisting conditions).

And you think I’m being irrational.

I have mild respiratory symptoms right now (mucus in nasal cavity, post-nasal drip, fever, aches, cough) in a region where coronavirus is prevalent. There’s a good chance that I have coronavirus right now. It’s not nearly bad enough to prevent me from working, which is often the case with coronavirus because the symptoms are usually mild.

Many people with coronavirus are completely asymptomatic, recover fully and don’t even realize they had it.

You are watching the news too much, and not being appropriately skeptical of it.

> It’s not nearly bad enough to prevent me from working

> Many people with coronavirus are completely asymptomatic, recover fully and don’t even realize they had it.

I'm not disputing any of these. YOU will be fine. The problem is, you will spread it to a lot more people and eventually the serious ones with underlying conditions will need medical care and eventually the health care services are going to be overwhelmed and rendered helpless (like is happening in Italy right now).

So basically, they're asking people not in the risk like you and I to at least not spread it to other people who might be at more risk.

You're being too skeptical of the news. WHO and other organizations are very clearly warning to take this more seriously. Pandemics are not declared every other flu season.

They’re overwhelmed because the media is deliberately creating mass hysteria over what would have otherwise been rightly responded to as if it were just another random cold. Everyone with the sniffles thinks they’re going to die and wants to get tested for COVID-19. Of course they’re overwhelmed.

If you want to argue at least stay logically consistent with your own argument. Say that everyone should work from home from October to February.

Every argument you’re making applies even moreso to influenza. So, should we all work from home from October to February ???

> They’re overwhelmed because the media is deliberately creating mass hysteria

Are we discussing opinions or facts here? I guess you're not aware of what's happening in Italy. Health services are overflowing with the ones requiring serious care. Not the ones testing out their sniffles.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/12/coronavirus-italy-doctor...

This conversation very quickly went from HN quality to Reddit-like, which made me look up your profile - it looks like you're new here, I'd suggest you to read a few HN quidelines :)

It’s a throwaway, I’ve been using HN for close to a decade. I’ve worked with multiple YC companies and currently work at Google on a team with multiple YC alumni. Refusing to acknowledge facts or listen to reason, becoming insecure and digging in on a completely irrational argument, then digging through my profile in an attempt to turn it into a pointless pissing match is all you’ve done here, and I think that describes discourse on reddit pretty well.

Didn’t mean to hurt your pride, just trying to share some rational ideas in a time of unprecedented hysteria. Think what you want.

> Refusing to acknowledge facts or listen to reason..

I think you missed the main point of my previous comment again. Seriously, facts rather than opinions right now. I'll repeat again:

I guess you're not aware of what's happening in Italy. Health services are overflowing with the ones requiring serious care. Not the ones testing out their sniffles.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/12/coronavirus-italy-doctor...

Not sniffles - all serious cases.

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