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Well, we all think the government is over reacted, Trump should encourage all the companies to reopen and all airlines to resume flying, else the shut down in business and transportation will cause severe damage to the economy and may trigger s severe recession which can spiral downward to a great depression.
But the alarming number of Americans having underlying medical conditions can be a concern, they will overload the health care system.
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So far, the new coronavirus seems to be more contagious than most strains of the flu, and roughly as contagious as strains that appear in pandemic flu seasons.
Each person with the coronavirus appears to infect 2.2 other people, on average. But the figure is skewed by the fact that the epidemic was not managed well in the beginning, and infections soared in Wuhan and the surrounding province. As an epidemic comes under control, the reproduction number, as it’s called, will fall.
By comparison, the figure for the seasonal flu is roughly 1.3. The reproduction number for the flu of 1918 was about the same as that of the new coronavirus, perhaps higher, but that was before modern treatments and vaccines were available.
People who are older than 60, or have a weakened immune system or chronic illnesses like lung disease, heart disease or diabetes, have the highest risk of becoming severely ill if they contract the coronavirus or the flu. Each underlying illness adds to the risk.
Many people in the United States have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill if they are infected: about 60 percent of adults have at least one underlying health condition, and 40 percent have two or more underlying conditions. Approximately 25 million have diabetes, which can lower immunity.
Those with chronic health problems are more likely to develop severe illnesses and to die, research shows.
The new coronavirus is a serious threat to the elderly, as federal officials have been at pains to note recently. But they have stepped gingerly around advice for another group of Americans also at special risk from the infection: those with chronic health conditions.
It is not a small group. An estimated 60 percent of all Americans have at least one chronic health condition, and 40 percent have more than one. (The figures include the elderly.) Heart disease, cancer, diabetes — all of these can exacerbate a coronavirus infection, studies show, increasing the odds of severe disease and death.
Federal health officials have urged those in their 80s and older to sharply curtail their activities to reduce exposing themselves to infection. But beyond general advice to wash hands frequently and to avoid crowds, officials have said little about those who are younger and cope with chronic illnesses.
Now some experts are encouraging this broader swath of the population to take immediate action to protect themselves.
“All you folks older than 60 and those who have underlying illnesses, you ought to do personal mitigation starting now,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
The risk of dying if one contracts the infection begins to rise at a younger age than federal officials have acknowledged, suggesting the coronavirus may cut deeply into the fabric of a society in which many older adults continue to lead active, engaged lives.
In the largest study to date, conducted in China, the greatest risk of death from Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, was found among patients in their 80s or older, 15 percent of whom died. But while just 1.3 percent of patients in their 50s died, the death rate rose with each additional decade of life, increasing to 3.6 percent for patients in their 60s and to 8 percent for patients in their 70s.
The virus has killed younger people: Dr. Li Wenliang, the physician who died after raising the alarm about the mysterious new illness, was only 34. But children have been affected in very small numbers, and younger adults have displayed greater resilience.
The chronic health conditions that cause complications following infection with the coronavirus are certainly more common in older people. But they are also commonly found in Americans under 65.
High blood pressure affects nearly one in three adults in the United States, including one-third of adults in their 40s and 50s. More than one in 10 adults have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, including 17 percent of adults aged 45 to 64. At least 16 million Americans struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A study of 1,590 patients, also in China, found that people infected with the coronavirus who were already coping with a chronic condition were 1.8 times more likely to have a “poor outcome,” such as being put on a ventilator or dying, than those with no underlying conditions.
But those with two chronic conditions were at 2.6 greater risk, compared to individuals with none. Nearly 20 percent of the patients who had at least one chronic condition had a poor outcome, compared with 4.5 percent of those without any chronic ailments, the study found.
Dr. Schaffner and other public health experts outlined a series of steps individuals can take to minimize their risk of exposure.
“It’s imperative that the population understand that now is the time to get serious about avoiding group events, and to become a bit of a hermit,” Dr. Schaffner said.
“If I’m older, and have underlying illnesses, then I’m the kind of person that this virus makes more seriously and even gravely ill.”
Among the recommendations were: refraining from recreational group activities and face-to-face work meetings. Canceling travel. Staying home from religious services and other social and celebratory events — even family get-togethers — that bring together large groups.
Go shopping at off hours, when stores are less frequented, Dr. Schaffner suggested. Watch the game on TV, not live. And no hugging.
“I’m not trying to put everyone in a plastic enclosure, but to reduce the risk,” Dr. Schaffner said. “And every little thing you can do to reduce the risk helps.”
An estimated 34 million Americans smoke, and 16 million live with a disease caused by smoking.
Covid-19 is a respiratory ailment. Longtime smokers with damaged lungs will be more vulnerable and should quit now, said Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard University.
Diabetes If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, exercising very strict control over blood sugar levels can help boost immunity, said Dr. Sandra Weber, president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
“We know that if you do not have good glucose control, you’re at high risk for infection, including viruses and presumably this one as well,” Dr. Weber said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/health/cor...s-flu.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/health/cor...pe=Article
But the alarming number of Americans having underlying medical conditions can be a concern, they will overload the health care system.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So far, the new coronavirus seems to be more contagious than most strains of the flu, and roughly as contagious as strains that appear in pandemic flu seasons.
Each person with the coronavirus appears to infect 2.2 other people, on average. But the figure is skewed by the fact that the epidemic was not managed well in the beginning, and infections soared in Wuhan and the surrounding province. As an epidemic comes under control, the reproduction number, as it’s called, will fall.
By comparison, the figure for the seasonal flu is roughly 1.3. The reproduction number for the flu of 1918 was about the same as that of the new coronavirus, perhaps higher, but that was before modern treatments and vaccines were available.
People who are older than 60, or have a weakened immune system or chronic illnesses like lung disease, heart disease or diabetes, have the highest risk of becoming severely ill if they contract the coronavirus or the flu. Each underlying illness adds to the risk.
Many people in the United States have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill if they are infected: about 60 percent of adults have at least one underlying health condition, and 40 percent have two or more underlying conditions. Approximately 25 million have diabetes, which can lower immunity.
Those with chronic health problems are more likely to develop severe illnesses and to die, research shows.
The new coronavirus is a serious threat to the elderly, as federal officials have been at pains to note recently. But they have stepped gingerly around advice for another group of Americans also at special risk from the infection: those with chronic health conditions.
It is not a small group. An estimated 60 percent of all Americans have at least one chronic health condition, and 40 percent have more than one. (The figures include the elderly.) Heart disease, cancer, diabetes — all of these can exacerbate a coronavirus infection, studies show, increasing the odds of severe disease and death.
Federal health officials have urged those in their 80s and older to sharply curtail their activities to reduce exposing themselves to infection. But beyond general advice to wash hands frequently and to avoid crowds, officials have said little about those who are younger and cope with chronic illnesses.
Now some experts are encouraging this broader swath of the population to take immediate action to protect themselves.
“All you folks older than 60 and those who have underlying illnesses, you ought to do personal mitigation starting now,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
The risk of dying if one contracts the infection begins to rise at a younger age than federal officials have acknowledged, suggesting the coronavirus may cut deeply into the fabric of a society in which many older adults continue to lead active, engaged lives.
In the largest study to date, conducted in China, the greatest risk of death from Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, was found among patients in their 80s or older, 15 percent of whom died. But while just 1.3 percent of patients in their 50s died, the death rate rose with each additional decade of life, increasing to 3.6 percent for patients in their 60s and to 8 percent for patients in their 70s.
The virus has killed younger people: Dr. Li Wenliang, the physician who died after raising the alarm about the mysterious new illness, was only 34. But children have been affected in very small numbers, and younger adults have displayed greater resilience.
The chronic health conditions that cause complications following infection with the coronavirus are certainly more common in older people. But they are also commonly found in Americans under 65.
High blood pressure affects nearly one in three adults in the United States, including one-third of adults in their 40s and 50s. More than one in 10 adults have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, including 17 percent of adults aged 45 to 64. At least 16 million Americans struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A study of 1,590 patients, also in China, found that people infected with the coronavirus who were already coping with a chronic condition were 1.8 times more likely to have a “poor outcome,” such as being put on a ventilator or dying, than those with no underlying conditions.
But those with two chronic conditions were at 2.6 greater risk, compared to individuals with none. Nearly 20 percent of the patients who had at least one chronic condition had a poor outcome, compared with 4.5 percent of those without any chronic ailments, the study found.
Dr. Schaffner and other public health experts outlined a series of steps individuals can take to minimize their risk of exposure.
“It’s imperative that the population understand that now is the time to get serious about avoiding group events, and to become a bit of a hermit,” Dr. Schaffner said.
“If I’m older, and have underlying illnesses, then I’m the kind of person that this virus makes more seriously and even gravely ill.”
Among the recommendations were: refraining from recreational group activities and face-to-face work meetings. Canceling travel. Staying home from religious services and other social and celebratory events — even family get-togethers — that bring together large groups.
Go shopping at off hours, when stores are less frequented, Dr. Schaffner suggested. Watch the game on TV, not live. And no hugging.
“I’m not trying to put everyone in a plastic enclosure, but to reduce the risk,” Dr. Schaffner said. “And every little thing you can do to reduce the risk helps.”
An estimated 34 million Americans smoke, and 16 million live with a disease caused by smoking.
Covid-19 is a respiratory ailment. Longtime smokers with damaged lungs will be more vulnerable and should quit now, said Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard University.
Diabetes If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, exercising very strict control over blood sugar levels can help boost immunity, said Dr. Sandra Weber, president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
“We know that if you do not have good glucose control, you’re at high risk for infection, including viruses and presumably this one as well,” Dr. Weber said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/health/cor...s-flu.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/health/cor...pe=Article
