Panic, March Madness, and a Little Perspective

The reports from the media and Leftist politicians, and the accompanying responses from easily led sheeple, in regard to the Wuhan/corona virus outbreak, give a whole new meaning to the term "Mach Madness".  Instead of panicking, however, lets see if we can gain a little perspective.  We can start by taking a look at other serious outbreaks this century, and the responses to those:

Swine Flu (2009)

• Unique combination of genes never before seen in animals or people.
• Affected younger people more than elderly.
• Vaccine not available till second wave of the virus had come and gone.
• From April 12, 2009 to April 10, 2010, It is estimated that there were 60.8 million cases, 274,304 hospitalizations, and 12.469 deaths in the United States due to the H1N1 virus.
• 80% of global deaths occurred in people younger than 65, though with seasonal flus, the norm is that 70-90% of deaths are in patients 65 and older.
• Obama failed to declare a national emergency until late October of 2009, after deaths from the virus are estimated to be at least 3,900, with a possible range of 2,500-6,100, in the United States.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-h1n1-pandemic.html
https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates/April_October_17.htm
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-flu-usa-obama-idUSTRE59N19E20091024

Zika Outbreak (2016)

• Spread by mosquitoes.
• Declared a public health emergency by the WHO in February 2016.
• Causes microcephaly and other birth defects.
• The Olympics were not moved from Rio, even with the serious threat of the disease.
• Travel was not restricted, even though people could spread the infection
to unborn children.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/11/17-1140_article
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/12/rio-olympics-zika-amir-attaran-public-health-threat

Ebola Outbreak (2013-2016)

• The magnitude of this outbreak was unprecedented.
• By January 2016, there were more than 28,600 cases, with 11,300 deaths reported.
• It is believed that many cases and deaths were not reported, thus numbers are likely much higher.
• The first case during this outbreak was in February 2014.
• The WHO labeled the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 8, 2014, only the third time such a declaration had been made since new international health regulations were instated in 2005.
• In September 2009, Obama deployed U.S. troops to aid in efforts to stop the disease. 
• In September, a man who traveled to the United States from Liberia - with no travel restrictions in place - brought the disease with him.  Before flying to Texas, he was in direct contact with a patient in Monrovia.  Dozens of people were directly or indirectly exposed as a result of this man.
• A nurse in Madrid contracted the disease while caring for a missionary who brought the disease from West Africa.
• Liberia was not considered free of the disease until January of 2016.
• Two infected patients were transported to the United States in August.
• Ebola death rates average around 50%, ranging from 25% to 90%.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ebola-outbreak-of-2014/Ongoing-challenges
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease

Wuhan Virus/Coronavirus (2019-2020)

• There are 167,511 cases confirmed globally, with 6,606 deaths.
• China accounts for 81,077 cases, and 3,218 deaths. 
• The rest are spread throughout 151 countries and territories.
• The United States has only 3,497 cases, and only 68 deaths reported.
• The bulk of cases and deaths are from China, or people who traveled there.
• Elderly people and those with other serious health conditions account for the majority of deaths.
• Travel and close contact are responsible for many cases.
• For most people, a corono virus infection is no different from a common cold. 
• If the virus spreads to the lungs, or a person is older, has heart disease, or a weakened mmune system, it can be more serious, as with any respiratory illness.
• President Trump restricted travel from China at he end of January.
• As of this month, he has declared a national emergency,a nd also restricted travel from Europe.
• Other nations that have restricted travel have seen far fewer cases than those who do not rstrict travel.
• Most cases in the United States are in states that also have the highest numbers of homeless people, with accompanying trash and rat problems.

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200316-sitrep-56-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=9fda7db2_2
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcases-in-us.html
https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus#1

So, why the panic? Why a rush to clear stores of supplies, and even fight over them? 

For more perspective, and his usual targeted snark -



So, keep it real, people.  Be calm, be sensible, be kind toone another, and above all, don't panic!  This is NOT a reason to panic.  Be safe, too.  There are a lot of people around who would rather act like animals, worse than animals, than get along.  So be safe, but remain calm.  This, too, shall pass.