Disease Expert Likens Coronavirus Outbreak to 'Forest Fire'

[NickB79]

Source: The Street

As the U.S. topped 2.25 million known cases of Covid-19 over the weekend and deaths quickly approached 120,000, a top infectious disease expert compared the outbreak to a "forest fire."

"I'm actually of the mind right now, I think this is more like a forest fire. I don't think that this is going to slow down," said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at University of Minnesota, during an appearance on NBC News' "Meet the Press."

Dr. Osterholm said that in the early spring, he and a team of researchers were looking at different scenarios for the novel coronavirus, and how it compared to the typical cycle of the influenza virus. But on Sunday, he said that the influenza analogy no longer appears applicable.

"I don't think that this is going to slow down. I'm not sure that the influenza analogy applies anymore. I think that wherever there is wood to burn, this fire is going to burn. And right now we have a lot of susceptible people. And so, I think right now I don't see this slowing down through the summer or end of the fall. I don't think we're going to see one, two and three waves."

Read more: https://www.thestreet.com/latest-news/coronavirus-outbreak-compared-to-forest-fire?fbclid=IwAR1t8Dw81-0Gad9aJQnhUHzMvzRpKJ-H1bn2Wezwil61dh7WXhbUd4l82as

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Damn the torpedos and full steam ahead with reopening the economy!

[not fooled]

1. Sure looks like

a GOPee death panel, population control, whatever pukes have been accusing Dems of, in actual practice.

Not a bug, a feature.

[DSandra]

2. Hoover 1930, Dubya 2008, Trump 2020

Republican presidencies lead to catastrophe. 100,000+ people have already paid the price of Trump’s presidency.

[yardwork]

10. That's because the Republican platform is insane.

It's literally insane to count on limitless growth while allowing the super rich to keep more and more of the wealth.

To call it unsustainable is a huge understatement.

[Newest Reality]

3. With no...

With no attempts to admit and face the reality of this, there will be no preemptive and vital attempts to assure the very long period of an economy in closure and its impact on us regular folk, which looks like it will be devastating to millions.

That egregious failure is merely wasting time with bromides and bullshit. Without a commensurate bailout for THE PEOPLE and soon, (as much as is needed for as long as it takes) this is going to get very, very ugly, dark, grim and deadly. This is a national emergency that is being clouded over and that won't last long.

We cannot play the game of ignoring the most important aspect of the capitalist circle: Producer, distributor, CONSUMER. Pretending that the consumer part of the deal doesn't really matter at all is merely serving a crack the whip mentality with a punitive approach towards us all.

EVERYTHING is interdependent and that's a truth that points out some systemic lies that have been endemic to this culture for far too long. It has been a common notion for so long that its coming down to a matter of life and death and dissolution if we can't see it and rectify the problems it creates now.

The writing is on the wall.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I wonder what Biden's plan will be?

[Hekate]

8. Biden will use his brains & follow the Science

[roamer65]

4. It's going to take 5-7 years to get to "herd immunity" without a vaccine.

The 1918-1920 flu virus took 3 years to get to 33 pct of the world’s human population infected. If Merkel’s projections of 60-70 pct infected are right, that would be about twice as long, roughly.

Development and administration of a vaccine may only reduce this time by a couple of years.

[CountAllVotes]

6. There has never been a vaccine for a human corona virus

So the wait may be long or never!

[LisaL]

12. And it's unclear if this virus causes a lasting immunity.

If it doesn't, how is vaccine going to cause a long lasting immunity? We are in big trouble here.

[BigmanPigman]

14. A new study from China was conducted and found immunity

to Covid may last only a few months for both symptomatic and asymptomatic people with Covid.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/06/immunity-to-covid-19-may-wane-just-2-3-months-after-infection-study-suggests/

https://www.democraticunderground.com/114223383

[NickB79]

7. We'll see two million dead in that scenario just in the US

Globally we'd be looking at 20 million dead.

[roamer65]

13. Sadly sounds about right.

[Hekate]

9. We still have no vaccine for the AIDS virus. We had to change social behavior...

To be sure there are now some meds infected people have to take for the rest of their lives -- but the biggest thing was we had to change behavior.

Regarding the yearly Flu -- vaccines have to change every year, and there is no "herd immunity."

Likewise with the common cold -- no vaccine, no "herd immunity."

[roamer65]

11. I expect a monoclonal antibody therapy for CV first.

That’s easier than a vaccine.

HIV is a difficult one because it goes after the immune system itself.

[DeminPennswoods]

15. JMHO, but there is so relatively

little known about sars2, most experts are just guessing about it. The only sure thing is that if you or a loved one are a resident of a nursing/ltc home, it's contagious and deadly.