I would say, a test isn't even needed. You are sick, stay home, rest, drink water. A test doesn't fix the issue. If you are a healthy individual this most likely will pass with time. If you are an older person or have immune issues then they may give you a test. Even with a test, there is no 'cure' other than normal procedures. The best thing you can do is just not spread it to others.

I get that, but as you said, if they aren't giving out tests....sounds like they are only giving them to the demographics that fit and the sickest of those...

Oh look at who's still on the 'it's a media hoax'. This is what happens when you only trust people who tell you what you want to hear. Obliviousness.

who says understanding the concern and trying to get in front of it is embracing panic and driving fear? That's you and him. Not me.

If people who say 'it's a media hoax' repeatedly is simply an opposing view, then it needs vilifying due to its willful ignorance.

I don't disagree there are people panicking. Just like there are people on the opposite end of the spectrum with the 'it isn't serious, doesn't impact me I'll do what I want' attitude.

agreed, but none of that means this isn't serious, which is what many with the stance basically are alluding to if not outright saying it. Take the media out of the equation and this is still a shitshow that's just getting wound up.

I feel like you are splitting hairs (as well as is Ice who we know just last week was calling anyone who was concerned a dummy, as well as many others stating that getting this was 'unlikely' etc and that this was simply media manipulation.) If you are just using the people buying stuff off the shelves as panic I get it, but that's practically nobody on this forum doing that. It's pretty much double talk and I feel a few are backpeddling but wanting to hold onto the 'it's not that bad' mentality. It isn't that bad. Yet. I guess my question would be how is the media amplifying it? You mean by reporting on it non stop just like they did on 9/11 or SARS? or anything else? Yea, sure, except THAT isn't where we are or have been getting the information from. So when someone comes in here and just throws out 'oh it's just media hype', it pretty much comes off as someone who's only watched CNN or FOX and hasn't actually looked into what is really happening and still thinks it is some media conspiracy. It is not.

Sounds to me like someone is panicking about being able to sell his pins.

You call what we're seeing now panic? This isn't panic. This isn't even close to panic.

Clearly you've paid ZERO attention. Even calling it or comparing it to the flu shows you have no clue what you are talking about, since that has been debunked numerous times.

Let me google that for you: https://www.sciencealert.com/the-new-coronavirus-isn-t-like-the-flu-but-they-have-one-big-thing-in-common

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center

https://www.livescience.com/new-coronavirus-compare-with-flu.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

,

Can't make people comprehend numbers apparently.

We just know potential numbers, no one knows for certain. They are erring on the side of caution. As much as everyone is trying to liken this to past events or the flu, when was the last time you saw something like this done by multiple countries? Again, blame the media all you want but the powers that be and other countries aren't getting their info from CNN or Fox. The only other conspiracy theory that would fit this is if they were going to use this whole debacle as a way to start a police state.

It was contained quickly, even though there were screw ups. They quarantined those people (basically against their will). There was a lot of talk about if that was the right thing to do or not.

Unless you are going to go back 100+ years, there isn't really a precedent. Additionally, if you go back that far, the world was a far different place and number of people than now. If you want to use past as examples though, look up the comparisons done on cities that quarantined and locked themselves down versus cities that didn't for the same epidemic.

What is similar is the exponential spread given how it is spread. While death rates may be lower than what is being reported now and lower comparatively to other outbreaks once it is all said and done, we don't actually know how many people are infected with it or what the true mortality rate is.

I agree, there's lots of scares over the years that don't amount to a whole lot, but it isn't because people sat around and did nothing. There are various reasons none of which were ignoring it. The big difference here is this one got out and exploded rather quickly. Is it worth calling off everything as has been done? I can't say, but it certainly can't hurt. All it really does is cost some people some money for a time. That should be considered a lower priority than potential lives lost. The important thing being they still don't 100% understand this virus, whereas they know A LOT about the flu and that it is mostly predictable (mostly).

Well, I did say there were screw ups. I won't pretend to know all the details because I don't.

There's more numbers involved than just the flu shot itself. People who don't get it for example skew the numbers. But from the same site:

"At least two factors play an important role in determining the likelihood that flu vaccine will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community. During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating influenza viruses, it is possible that little or no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed. During years when there is a good match between the flu vaccine and circulating viruses, it is possible to measure substantial benefits from flu vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness and complications. However, even during years when the flu vaccine match is good, the benefits of flu vaccination will vary, depending on various factors like the characteristics of the person being vaccinated, what influenza viruses are circulating that season and even, potentially, which type of flu vaccine was used."

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm

If someone still doesn't think this is serious, the Craigslist flipper ads wanting to buy your pinball games have exponentially increased with the infection rate. Coincidence? I think not.

Because they don't want it to be 155 thousand a day? This is new, this is unknown. What is the magic number you need to hear that need to die to make people take this seriously?

So which is it, hug or stay 6 feet from each other. I'm confused