Comment by jakeogh | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jakeogh | Hacker News Reader

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The virus is in the same class as some common colds. It's not "going away". If people are concerned about it they should use a real mask designed to filter viruses[1]. Instead, the population is being conditioned to force medical procedures on other people. Forever.

The "flatten the curve" thing was predictably re-goalposted.

There are strong financial incentives to keep people irrationally in a state of fear. After this, there will be the next.

This keeps getting ignored: What is the non-COVID-19 pneumonia # for 2019-2020?

CDC Influenza and pneumonia deaths by influenza season and age: United States, 2008–2015: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/health_policy/influenza-and-pn... (these are not estimates, see the footnote)

  CDC #'s 2015-2016
  Flu: 7,961
  Pneumonia: 131,858 
  All: 1,769,940

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22232633

> If people are concerned about it

Until more is learned about covid-19 people should be concerned. Where the disease is out of control, hospitals are filling up and many people in need of health care are suffering as a result.

BTW, at least in Canada, the number of deaths due to covid-19 has been concentrated most in long-term care homes. These are also places where deaths due to pneumonia and flu are common. We're learning now that the quality of care in these homes has been insufficient to deal with covid-19. All of the measures that are now in the works to improve the quality of care in those homes should have the side-effect of reducing deaths from other infectious diseases in the future.

The excess death stats are accessible to us all. What's the non-COVID-19 pneumonia # for 2019-2020 so far?

It's nonsensical to expect everyone to agree, those that want a mask, should use one for viruses. This is like pretending the cold is going away, and we must all obey until that happens. Wont happen.

As you mention, fixing the situation of the vulnerable is the way. Quite possibly would have been better response in the first place.

Viruses are only getting easier to engineer. Shutting down the country only makes them _more_ valuable.

Also, deliberate problem: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23741888

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