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Newest Reality

(12,712 posts)
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 06:04 PM Feb 2020

How Does the New Coronavirus Compare with the Flu?

With all the worry, conspiracies and speculation, the truth is we don't know enough about the New Coronavirus to be sure about the overall impact, but we can compare it, so far, to the flu. Some facts might help us better understand it for now.

<snip>
Unlike seasonal flu, for which there is a vaccine to protect against infection, there is no vaccine for 2019-nCoV. But researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health are in the early stages of developing one. Officials plan to launch a phase 1 clinical trial of a potential vaccine for 2019-nCoV within the next three months.

In general, the CDC recommends the following to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which include both coronaviruses and flu viruses: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with people who are sick; stay home when you are sick; and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-the-new-coronavirus-compare-with-the-flu/
16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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dewsgirl

(14,961 posts)
12. To an extent, but we weren't hearing terms about super spreaders
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 10:14 AM
Feb 2020

and all the crazy stuff like that. 70 people on the ship now have it. They wouldn't be going to such extreme matters in China. They just locked another 11 million people down, they now have well over 50 million people locked down.

Warpy

(110,908 posts)
2. Coronavirus: Chinese data shows 82% of cases are mild, says WHO
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 06:28 PM
Feb 2020

GENEVA - As experts raced against time to ascertain the severity of the coronavirus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday (Feb 7) that Chinese data of about 17,000 cases shows 82 per cent of cases are deemed mild.

The data also showed that only 15 per cent of the cases are severe and 3 per cent are deemed critical.

"That varies with age," Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said during a media briefing on Friday. "The older you are, the higher the proportion of (severe) cases there are."

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/coronavirus-chinese-data-of-82-cases-are-mild-says-who

This has now outpaced SARS in number of deaths, probably because so many cases are mild enough to be blown off.

For anyone following this closely, the Straits Times (Singapore) has been doing some of the better reporting without Medicalese.

cstanleytech

(26,080 posts)
5. I suspect the other reason its outpaced it is that they did not know they had a problem
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 10:23 PM
Feb 2020

until a number of people were already exposed at which point they were scrambling to figure out what it was and to come up with a treatment plan for it.
Thankfully China clamped down hard with their quarantine though because it could really cause problems for China due to their population density.

Warpy

(110,908 posts)
9. There is lag time at the beginning of every outbreak
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 12:24 AM
Feb 2020

due to denial and a fair amount of CYA among officials. In addition, this isn't terribly serious in most patients, especially younger adults. Undoubtedly they just blew it off until the major crackdown. Now likely everybody with a fever is going to get checked.

SARS was easier to stop because it was less contagious and more serious. Nobody blew it off in the beginning.

At least the possible vectors are very uncommon, so far, but it's disturbing they haven't found the exact virus yet.

BigmanPigman

(51,430 posts)
3. I read an article where a doctor said the same thing and
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 06:36 PM
Feb 2020

that face masks and gloves don't help to keep you from catching it, only helps you from spreading YOUR virus to others (be considerate). In fact, gloves and masks can promote viruses growth along with bacteria. Wash hands all the time and sneeze into your sleeve! And if you have kids KEEP THEM HOME, don't send them to school and infect others since you can't take off work or get a baby sitter. Teachers get sick from kids too!

cstanleytech

(26,080 posts)
6. Not exactly. The cheap masks you can buy in the store can help reduce your chances but its because
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 10:25 PM
Feb 2020

they help remind you not to touch your face.

Kaleva

(36,146 posts)
8. Recent studies show that surgical masks are effective in preventing the transmission of viruses
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 11:54 PM
Feb 2020

And it's not because they remind one not to touch their face.

I'm on my phone now but tomorrow I'll post links to the studies and excerpts from them along with statements by doctors who specialize in the field.

Kaleva

(36,146 posts)
13. Surgical masks are cheap.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 03:02 PM
Feb 2020

"Surgical masks as good as respirators for flu and respiratory virus protection
by UT Southwestern Medical Center"

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-09-surgical-masks-good-respirators-flu.html

"“Yes, a surgical mask can help prevent the flu,” Sherif Mossad, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. “Flu is carried in air droplets, so a mask would mechanically prevent the flu virus from reaching other people.” It would work both ways, says Dr. Mossad, preventing transmission of the flu virus to others and for keeping a mask-wearer from picking up an infection.

Surgical masks to prevent the flu can be found in major drugstores and online, and yours doesn't need to be fancy to help. “A simple disposable mask is fine, just be sure the packaging notes that it protects against airborne particles,” Susan Besser, MD, a family medicine doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians at Overlea in Baltimore, Maryland tells Health. And splurge for a value-sized pack. “Disposable is best and you should discard your mask after each use,” says Dr. Besser. “If a mask gets wet—and it will by simply breathing into it—the effectiveness of its protective effect is reduced.”"

https://www.health.com/condition/cold-flu-sinus/surgical-mask-flu-prevention

"One study shows that when there's a sick family member in the house, other family members could cut their risk of getting sick by 60% to 80% by using face masks consistently and correctly -- in combination with frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with the sick person."

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/swine-flu-h1n1-and-face-masks#1

"Donning a face mask — either a surgical mask or a P2/N95 respirator mask (high particulate filter mask) — boosts protection from severe respiratory illnesses such as influenza and SARS, say researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). These masks are not necessarily the same as the dust masks that some people use when cleaning or doing construction work.

In the study, adult mask wearers in the home were four times more likely than non-wearers to be protected against respiratory viruses, including the common cold."

https://www.livescience.com/7661-masks-protect-colds-flu.html

"Not so for the World Health Organization or the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

They collectively recommended regular surgical masks except in high risk circumstances, such as during open suctioning of airway secretions and other procedures that could "aerosolize" the H1N1 virus."

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/infectioncontrol/16278

cstanleytech

(26,080 posts)
15. People also need to make sure they wear it correctly as if it has any way for air to enter say via a
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 04:14 PM
Feb 2020

gap on the side then its not nearly as effective.
That aside the biggest help they provide is still that they remind people not to touch their face which is probably the #1 way most people become infected.

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