[alpha1]

The thread has become extremely large so pardon my laziness but:
1) is the COVID-19 infection more dangerous (fatal) than the common flu (that we casually label as "viral infection")
2) is it less (or more) transmittable compared to the common cold and influenza
3) there is no cure for common cold. Does Tamiflu treat the influenza viral infection or just soothe the symptoms? So in similar vein is there any medicine that treat the infection (I am reading that there is none), but anything that helps with the symptoms?

[CarJunki]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

Looks like the age distribution is also going to play a significant role in the countries affected. The below graph for India - Italy comparison.

Attachment 1978927

I fully agree with the age being a deterministic feature with COV-19 fatality.
According to the graphics 2% of Indian population is 74 and above. This 2% of 1.3 Billion equals 26 Million. Almost half the population of Italy.
So do not be lulled by the false sense of security. Numbers and proportions matter. For India and China every thing is at a different scale.

Originally Posted by locusjag

Attachment 1978949

If Indians did have that strong an immunity, then 17 Million Indians would not have died from Spanish flu.

[Thad E Ginathom]

<off-topic, possibly irrelevant>

If Indians did have that strong an immunity, it would be higher in the age-expectancy rankings. Maybe.

On the other hand, my feeling (very unscientific!) is that 15 years of life in India has toughened me up in ways that my mother country would not have. Like, wading in sewage in something that causes widespread illness in many countries, but, along with thousands of others of many genetic strains here in Chennai, was something taken in my/our stride back in Chennai-2015.

The trouble is,that the toughness, even there, is against local risks. Corvid-19 is decidedly foreign. More foreign than I am! I'd rather not meet it.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Like, wading in sewage in soomething that causes widespread illness in many countries, but, along with thousands of others of many genetic strains here in Chennai, was something taken in my/our stride back in Chennai-2015.

I could have done with some of that immunity, I got leptospirosis and spent a week in hospital after doing some wading in sewage (ok, walking over overflowing drain water in the rainy season) but not in the 2015 flood as our area didn't have any flooding then.

[SmartCat]

For those who assume that India's hot conditions and Indians' natural immunity can help, a little bit of reality check - H1N1 killed around 1,800 Indians in 2009.

[srishiva]

We have self quarantine for a list of countries. US is missing in that list and recent cases are from people returning from US.

With infections still from outside arrivals, its time we took some harsh precautions on the people entering from outside. Looking for body temperature and clearing them at airports is not that useful.

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by CarJunki

If Indians did have that strong an immunity, then 17 Million Indians would not have died from Spanish flu.

and possibly irrelevant.

Its a bit odd isn't it?. Even after such a calamity , we still manage to peak at 1.2 Billion in 2020 and still going strong. This whole corona virus thing reminded me of what Agent Smith said in movie Matrix during interrogation scene

" I have just had a revelation. We humans are not mammals. We go to a place and multiply and multiply until every known natural resource is exhausted. The only way we can survive is by spreading to another place. There is another organism , on this planet, which exhibits a similar pattern of behavior : A virus"

and then goes on to inject Morpheus with the virus.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Looking for body temperature and clearing them at airports is not that useful.

This is true - in fact a wasted exercise which serves no purpose. When the incubation period is 2 weeks to 4 weeks and patients are asymptomatic when they enter the country, it is obvious that the temperature is normal.

Meanwhile a graphic showing differences between Covid-19, Flu and Common cold.

[srishiva]

I think Indians do have better immunity to common cold virus and other types germs. Our life expectancy is low because of lot of premature deaths (guess it brings down the average a lot). During spanish flu, we were a impoverished country with famines and droughts. Yet had to supply food grains to the British army.

Also, preventive healthcare is not widespread and as is fast access to critical facilities. Usually people are not kept alive with medicines as much as in west.

China is imposing mandatory quarantine after being majorly responsible for the situation. I hope we do that ASAP.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

On the other hand, my feeling (very unscientific!) is that 15 years of life in India has toughened me up in ways that my mother country would not have.

This is indeed true. The higher immunity for Indians is a bit of an overrated aspect. In my opinion, what we see as immunity is effectively better resistance and adaptability to the conditions. You would have struggled walking thru the streets of Chennai in your first month there, but now got adapted to that.

When I go home I will have a couple of sneeze-laden days and my dad say that it is because my immunity have gone down after staying so many years in Singapore. But then after a couple of days I miraculously get my immunity back

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

Meanwhile a graphic showing differences between Covid-19, Flu and Common cold.

Thank you for sharing this. Very informative, and should help to clear some misconception that COVID-19 is as easy as common cold.

[vivek95]

Mumbai registers its first two positive cases just sometime back :-

[antz.bin]

The first 3 Coronavirus confirmed cases in Pune are from a society which is 200m (crow flight) away from my society.

So the Pune Municipal Corporation has set up a quarantine facility for everyone who has come in contact with these 3 people in a govt. hospital which was rarely used earlier (Laigude Hospital).

Laigude Hospital happens to share a common wall with my society. The only gates for both are 50m apart.

What I don't understand is whether I am safer at home or at work (which is 3.5km from my place). I definitely don't feel that my family is safe here, but then it is a matter of time before cases crop up all over the place so I guess this *special status* is temporary.

My options:
1. Keep going to office, family stays out at home
2. Start working from home
3. Move temporarily to Nashik to my family home with family, keep working from home.

Need genuine advice. Totally confused.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

So the Pune Municipal Corporation has set up a quarantine facility for everyone who has come in contact with these 3 people in a govt. hospital which was rarely used earlier (Laigude Hospital).

Laigude Hospital happens to share a common wall with my society. The only gates for both are 50m apart.

...

My options:
1. Keep going to office, family stays out at home
2. Start working from home
3. Move temporarily to Nashik to my family home with family, keep working from home.

1 and 2 are good enough options; 3 is way too extreme at this stage. You should be safe at both locations; the most ideal being working from home if your office is providing you that facility.

If this is the case you are referring to, then i guess you are in presumably safe zone as if the govt has been able to figure out the driver too has a case of the infection, they should have been able to evaluate all that might or can have contact with the infected cases.

I'll let others chip in with their advice, but IMO the best case scenario is to continue working from home with sufficient precautions taken going ahead.

[antz.bin]

Yes, I am referring to the same case. The couple had just come back from a foreign trip. After coming back, they would have definitely gone to the vegetable vendor, grocery store, medical store, doctor etc. nearby.

These are shops where I, members of my family, people from my society also visit.

80% of infected people don't even show symptoms or they are very mild. There are carriers carrying the virus for 5 days without showing any symptoms. These people are all around me.

[07CR]

W.H.O declares Corona Virus as a Pandemic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/w...irus-news.html