I hate all the comments saying that the people deserve to be infected simply because they live in the same city as these markets. Going by that logic, anybody living in a country where bad things happen, should have bad things happen to them. Do these people realise that babies and children have died from this virus? Saying that they deserved to die is horrible.
30
More than 50 million people in quarantine means the virus will spread within these population centers. How will these people be fed? Get medications? Many more will surely die.
13
I think though, that the rest of the world should be grateful, and respectful, that the Chinese government is able to quarantine a city like Wuhan, which has a population of 19 million people; as well as 11 other cities. Such efforts to contain an outbreak would likely not be politically possible in the West, and we are able to rest a bit easier as a result of them.
17
@gkm Good point but they are not telling the whole truth -multiply cases by who know what !
6
While I am determined to drastically cut down on consuming animal products, and have been for 10 years, parts of this country and parts of the world are determined to pillage this planet for what, I have yet to figure out. And the same goes for our consumption of huge gas guzzling SUVs that most times are used to transport one person
14
Anger is understandable but people should realize it is partially their fault to sell and consume contraband. This is about karma, people! It is about fake food, fake medicine, lethal drugs, you think you can game the system. Doing these things may come back to haunt you one day, even when you may fentanyl to the U.S. won't hurt people in China, the poisonous chicken will come home to roost one day. So, this corona virus outbreak is just a taste of things to come if we human beings don't make interdependency as a goal to advance our species as the steward of this world of plentiful
5
This thing has routinely been characterized in the press as both "deadly" and "incurable" (no known treatment/vaccine). Does that mean that everyone who contracts it is definitely going to die? This morning's news crawls say 4500 people in China are infected. Are we to believe that ALL of them are doomed to certain death in the next few days? Or are some people recovering?
1
@Jay Dunham the new coronavirus has been around since December, so there's quite some people who have gotten better already. To clarify: the typical effect it has on people is pneumonia. That's not pleasant, but definitely not deadly by and of itself. So far, the reported casualties were almost exclusively elderly people or people with preconditions like cancer or other serious illnesses. So no, no reason to believe that. In fact, medically speaking it's hardly much more interesting than influenza, other than the fact that it's new.
7
@Jay Dunham
Over 4000 cases and over 100 deaths. That’s about 3% mortality rate. Not very high compared to other viruses and infections that had plagued humankind’s in the past. Not to say we should not be vigilant but too much fear at this point is unwarranted.
4
@Ms it’s only just begun.
1
As a global community we are living wrong. Our place in history is not to place blame. Our place in history is to be hopeful and empower those who can teach us how to live together in a sustainable manner while we encourage the brightest among us to find solutions to our many and complicated problems.
8
Covering bad news up is a feature of authoritarianism, the primary 'ism' in China. Not socialism. If the virus were to become prevalent in any of the Scandinavian countries, there would be no government effort to cover up. I wish I could say the same of America but I can't with this President in charge.
18
@Tfranzman I am more concerned with those in the House of Reps. They have proven that facts and truth are not something they value, and politics is the only thing they truly care about. At least Trump does what he says he is going to do, when was the last time a politician did that? Maybe it is because he is not a politician.
2
@Cracker Trump says completely contradictory things and then picks one of them out of hat to act on. This is the man who had consistently announced he was "for the gays" and "pro-choice" who has led increasingly authoritarian measures against gays and women across the nation.
5
@Cracker
Are you serious?: Trump said he would get rid of the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something better. Trump said he would cut taxes and but still increase revenues to the federal government. Trump said he would boost the coal industry. Trump said he would get Mexico to pay for The Wall. Above all, Trump does not value facts or the truth, he is a liar par excellence, even as he poses as His Excellency.
9
I am a citizen in Hong Kong.
Our government doesn't shut the ports between CN and HK, but instead provide free medical services for those who are non-local and match the criteria to be reported as alleged cases of new virus.
It means that China citizens can rush to HK hospitals to get free medical services when our resources of isolation wards are inadequate.
To prevent a mass communal outbreak, HK government should shut the ports.
9
@W. agreed. With 2 known cases, 25 suspected cases and all those people in the plane with the 2 known cases, I want Canada to stop allowing people leaving China into Canada until this is done. The same goes for Canadians living in China. Leave them there until the flu numbers are down to zero.
2
I'm guessing Wuhan's mayor's apology - 'could have done better' - was a diversionary distraction tactic directed by Xi Jinping - telling them to take responsibility so the Chinese people wouldn't blame him - so he could remain 'blameless' Sun King Xi ...
4
The Chinese are by far the largest consumers of endangered species. They pillage the land and the ocean without mercy. This virus is Nature’s revenge.
29
@Eric Harold And the fires in Australia are also nature's revenge for the Indigenous?
9
@Eric Harold
Would that all societies were punished by mother nature. Our species would be extinct.
2
@Eric Harold I agree
To my little knowledge, try these precautions.
1. Do vigorous pranayama. Min 45 mintues to ...
2. Bujangasana to expand lung power.
3. Throat Goggling with triphala or salt, or oil pulling two times.
4. Avoid oil fried items
5. Chew amla fruit s often.
1
@Subbarajan Non-professionals should not give medical advice.
8
@Pundit It is through "non-professionals" that some of the most amazing cures and healing has been done in the world. If you go outside the ego-burdened U.S., you will find that countries all over the world practice medicine that is not allopathic, and they enjoy a tremendously effective healing modality. There is more to this life than what man has wrought.
2
The entire Chinese mentality and authoritarian regime is to blame. This has grown out of 70 years of authoritarian rule, forceful enforcement, iron clad censorship, corruption, and propaganda. Problems are never dealt with or acknowledged. Instead, the government resorts to threat, force or misinformation. Inevitably, most efforts turn to silencing the masses.
14
It ain't just China, folks. There are numerous live animal food markets here in the U.S., which pose similar problems. California annually imports some TWO MILLION non-native American bullfrogs for human consumption. Most are commercially-raised in China and Taiwan, and ALL are diseased and/or parasitized, though it is ILLEGAL to sell such products. There's near-zero enforcement. These markets should be outlawed worldwide, for the sake of both human health and animal welfare. Legislation is in order.
30
@John Q. Public Folks have been eating frog's legs for centuries. Not sure where you got your info that "all are diseased" but it appears they are quite hard to raise/breed commercially.
3
Stop eating wildlife, especially rats, civets and bats.
39
Nature unleashed a powerful counterpunch to the vicious sadistic cruelty of these "markets" where all sorts of sentient living feeling breathing creatures are tortured to death in the cruelest way possible. You reap what you sow.
23
Can't help suspecting there's an element of dress rehearsal for forcibly sealing off, locking down and regimenting the population of a huge restive city, virus shmirus, like maybe Hong Kong.
4
@J111111 Or a lead-up to the release of a new vaccine?
@Sara Hey, opioid sales are down. How can we recoup? asks Big Pharma
1
There's something horribly wrong..with, firstly..the senseless, careless, cruel treatment of animals..in a culture..simply to have their 'appetites' satisfied..What's happened here..is a result of 'mad excess'..Can they only understand technology?..Is there no 'human element'..here??....No common sense?? Just a insatiable desire to appease an appetite??...They call it "exotic appetites?"..It's insane..The cruelty involved, really makes one wonder....Nature 'takes care of it's animals..No matter what the species..in what ever way it can..And, obviously..that's what it's doing..Nature has excluded humans as animals, as they have no instinct..They have 'gone'..into a 'super predatory' 'viral' stage..and, in fact, that's what humans have become to the Earth...'A Virus'..And, now what???..'This'..all of it..is extremely grim...disgustingly grim...Good luck to..ALL of us...Whether we 'deserve'..it or not...
15
@Chase Please separate culture and people from government. It is not yet confirmed that animal market is indeed where this virus came from.
10
@Ming Odds are it came from the open air ‘market’ and the unbelievably cruel and hideous torture of animals. The world is becoming outraged at those who insist they can eat anything because of ‘ritual’ or ‘tradition’. This practice is beyond revolting and it has to stop.
13
@Peter Have you ever been to an open air market in China? Since you are putting it in quotes, I highly doubt it and further doubt you know what you are talking about.
2
Stop fear mongering. I’m very active on WeChat and Weibo. Yeah, there’s a flu going around that’s exacerbated by travel over new year. But it’s a flu. Most people who get it will have flu symptoms and be done. Like the flu here, it mainly affects the elderly, infirmed and very young. They are disinfecting schools, malls and businesses. The people themselves are quarantining themselves in their homes. I’ve seen more people in DC clear shelves over an inch of snow than I have seen in cities around Mainland China. Get a grip. This too shall pass. The government does what it does. Nobody wants a country of 4 billion to freak out. The media is always the one that pushes hysteria because it makes a good story. Stop it.
24
@Koo Good to see a PRC representative on this site!
16
@Koo a country of 4 billion?
6
@Koo "It a flu". Not consoling to those who know the history of the 1918 flu pandemic. So far it seems to be deadlier than the common flu and there is no vaccine yet. If it is just a flu, but with a 3% death rate, and 100 million Chinese catch it (not unreasonable), that means 3 million deaths in China alone, before we get an effective vaccine 9 months from now.
14
By the time Americans declared their independence and the first shots were fired their ' anger' had been long simmering and smoldering waiting to burst into the flame of revolution.
Only In hindsight do all revolutions seem to have been inevitable and obvious.
From France to Russia to India to China to Kenya to Angola to Congo to Mozambique to South Africa to Palestine to Iran to Iraq to Cuba to East Pakistan to Haiti and Ceylon different histories and outcomes were always possible. Until they were not.
3
I don't see anywhere in the western media what is really happening in China during this emergency. Just a few examples:
-Healthcare workers are knocking on doors in Wuhan asking residents, especially the elderly, if they require food and other essentials. They then arrange delivery. Sounds ethical and practical to me.
-The central government rapidly put together a plan for emergency supplies donation and logistics as well as recovery costs: each province has specific targets and budgets.Sounds ethical and practical to me.
-In numerous social media contacts with Chinese friends, I get a uniform answer: "Chinese New Year is boring this year because we are practicing self-quarantine. We have to protect ourselves and protect others, which is a small price to pay until this emergency is over."
I can't imagine the same things happening in the USA during a disaster of this magnitude; individualism would just take over.
37
@Svirchev but all u mentioned did not stop the spread. and increase number of carriers be found out all over the World.
just remind you at end of December and early January, both local and the central government said public do not need worry, everything is under control.
This is not the first time government face similar situation!
4
I was at a healthcare related conference this past weekend and a woman asked to speak to the group about what her compatriots in Wuhan were facing. She cried as she spoke of the lack of available protective gowns and masks for healthcare workers. She stated that her friends were working tirelessly and were unable to take their isolation gowns off at all while working because of the immense shortages. She described the masses of people, both dead and alive, lining the hallways of hospitals. The nurses and doctors are asking their friends and relatives in the US to send supplies. I don’t believe the government is being honest about the extent of the crisis but I suppose we will never know thanks to suppression of a free press.
16
China needs to stop acting like a rich, third-world country.
13
Why don't we stop all immigration and travel between china and the US until this is under control, People will come here just to get the medical treatment and spread this epidemic to the US
16
I'm waiting for China to limit the spread of the disease by banning all visitors from the U.S.
6
In its weekly flu update web page, the CDC reports that for this flu season alone American has had about 15,000,000 flu cases, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths. Check it out.
This issue should attract more attention from the public and media. Let's keep coronavirus in some perspective.
24
The CDC reports any respiratory related death as a flu death. Do you really think 80,000 Americans died from the flu in 2016? 8,200 flu deaths so far this year? 36,000 annually on an average year. Hardly.
US annual flu deaths are usually less than 1,000 per year and a good many of those are people with underlying issues though unfortunately some not. By law, the CDC is required to count and document all pediatric (0-18 years of age) flu deaths and not just come out with some number though some would say scare tactic, based on a computer algorithm. To date, 0-18 years of age flu deaths, including those with underlying conditions, are at 54.
Following CDC numbers, the elderly must be dropping like flies of the flu because all documented flu deaths of those 0-18 years of age is a grand total of 54. Check it out.
6
I would take the figures the Chinese gov't. are releasing with a grain of salt. Past experiences with state-run media suggests to me that the number of dead and/or infected are being grossly undercounted.
21
The mainland Chinese corona virus reveals the gross incompetence, negligence and inept governance of the CCP in protecting the health and welfare of not only its people but of hundreds of millions of non-Chinese worldwide. In 2006, it was warned that China’s wildlife markets were "poorly managed and insanitary" and were “a dangerous source of possible new infections" by its own experts. 2006.
It is so ironic that Chinese Communist leaders have been distracted, worried and concerned that Chinese society might be “infected” or “contaminated” by Western values and ideals. Instead, Xi Jinping and the Party ignored the real threats to his people.
This corona virus was preventable and avoidable. China should have learned from previous pandemics in China (especially SARS in 2003). It did not. Maybe this time will be different. But if it’s failure to protect its own domestic pig population from African Swine Flu (another virus) is instructive, future prospects are dismal.
So if Xi Jinping is afraid of Western values, we should be terrified by what the CCP does NOT value, such as human health, acceptable governance, transparency, truthfulness and being a responsible member of the world community. Xi should be concerned about his own future. Rightfully so.
23
The New York Times is shockingly antagonistic to China and to 1.4 billion Chinese people. I am appalled at the ceaselessly prejudiced coverage. This is prejudice that takes us back a century and more to the Chinese Exclusion Act.
7
@Nancy And I see a lot of antagonism toward the citizens of China in this comment thread. Very disheartening comments from the liberal readers of the Times.
1
Social media doesn’t really matter. The Times devotes more and more space to tweets and facebook posts with every passing day without providing context. Posting random tweets is much lazier journalistically than doing a man-on-the-street interview, which is the bread and butter of talk shows for the very reason that you can find someone out there who will say anything if you just try. Average Joe tweets amount to nothing. Cancel culture isn’t real either. People need to get a grip. Tweets aren’t protest, they the equivalent of shouting at the mirror, not from a soapbox in the town square.
7
Transparency is something that will never happen with any government and especially in China even if these Chinese Netizens are able to spin it to avoid the sensors and make it appear that they aren’t overtly criticising the government response.
My dad put it succinctly this morning: good news is to be broadcast to the world, but things that reflect badly they try to cover it up.
The number of dead and the number of those infected is definitely going to be a whole lot more than the information they have allowed to be filtered out. The virus was around long before they gave ‘official’ word and locked down Wuhan as well as several other cities, which by then it was already well on its way to being global.
17
“Even now, the government seems to be thinking about the economy and social stability,” Mr. Chen said. “Those things are important, but when it comes to these infectious diseases, stopping the disease should come first.”
True.
Yet, it will be worse if it spreads here.
Most Americans don't get sick days.
No socialism, for us.
No where are you more likely to catch a contagious disease then from a coworker who didn't want to give up the pay or a boss who wouldn't let your coworker give up the pay.
Our "shut up and do as you're told" corporate culture will not be interact well with a pandemic when it arrives. I could mention the 50 million americans who still have no insurance, but why rub salt in the wound?
You get the picture.
The Chinese Communist Party, as bad as the initial fumble is at least willing to shut down a lot more cash flow then anyone over here will be willing to.
17
People think their government is failing them in a life threatening way. The answer, a little internet criticism. I am sure the party is shaking in its boots.
8
The masks have become visible reminders of the government's dishonesty and incompetence.
The same way that umbrellas served as a symbol of resistance in Hong Kong.
15
No one even knows if they are still reporting the statistics accurately. Can we have a timeline when the first individuals starting getting sick. Who exactly decided to move so slowly? Without the free flow of information more events like this will occur. China likes to photograph every angle of existence but the Chinese government was so slow in responding. They need new leadership.
12
First, the Iranians protesting their govt's handling of the downed airliner and now the Chinese protesting their govt's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Should make us grateful for our democracy and maybe a little more vigilant to protect it and punish those domestic and foreign actors who attempt to undermine it.
27
@maqroll
"domestic and foreign actors who attempt to undermine it." -- You wouldn't be referring to the POTUS and his many helpers, I hope? Surely no one doubts the truth of their tweets.
8
@maqroll
Don’t forget about all the protests against Trump for not showing his taxes , and for lying 16000 times.
6
Big government, all powerful government always leads to human suffering.
7
@Me Too So does too little government (Somalia).
3
@Bill P. Yes. Luckily that is an extreme example
1
No paid sick leave for employees. No affordable healthcare. People talk about China but don’t realize the devastation that will happen here because of the GOP’s hatred of a social safety net. When this spreads, here how many will see the doctor immediately? How many will continue to go to work and send their sick children to school?
69
Maybe they will stop eating endangered species and stop eating so much meat. Win-win
20
Good ideas, but as the Chinese saying goes: “Chinese people will eat anything on four legs except the table.” As a part-Chinese person who was born in Hong Kong had a Chinese upbringing, I can assure you it’s true. The reason these viruses start on China and not in other countries that raise livestock is that Chinese farmers live in close proximity to fowl and swine. It’s very unhealthy to share sleeping quarters with animals, and virus mutations are the result.
7
@Lilly Funny, when there was a bubonic plague outbreak in SF during the early 1900s, the authorities quarantined the Chinatown residents, but not their white neighbors living across the street.
The medical justification for doing so was because "it's a disease of rice eaters, not meat eaters".
It's okay if you want to be incorrect, but at least be consistent and not hypocritical.
6
@Hope Anderson Am Chinese, cannot confirm. Overgeneralization is dangerous.
1
Anger on Chinese social media is going to escalate into global anger.
4
Before commenting on how some Chinese question the official narratives, think of the millions of anti-vaccine American that think the government is in league with big pharma to scam them.
There is always going to be nutcase and crazies in society and they tend to come out during crisis. It is a good thing China is cracking down on rumors hard. I have follow this paper’s coverage and coverages in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Filipino news and forums and you wouldn’t believe the nonsense people are posting. Take the official number, add two or three 0s at the end, and you get the idea how crazy rumors are.
Just yesterday my sister told me she read (from Taiwanese news I think) all highways in/out of Wuhan are still open with all lanes except one lane that requires inspection. I just told her to look up photo of the blocked highways.
Remember, 50% of the population have below average intelligence, below average critical thinking capability, below average psychology stability. Don’t let them be the source of your information. Only read actual news and verify what you can.
12
@AmateurHistorian, you seem to believe Trump’s lies that any news or internet posts which criticize Trump or his administration are so-call fake news. Looks like you believe people’s criticism against Mr. Xi or the CCP government is fake news, only the state controlled news media states the truth, like Trump and Trumpians believe only on his tweets and Trump TV, Fox News, saying the truth.
2
That is a very obvious and blatant straw-man statement. While not an entirely unexpected reaction given the Chinese government’s deservedly notorious lack of transparency, the fact remains that there definitely is a lot of Western misinformation from deliberate fearmongerers or those who succumb to mob fears. Just because you mention supposed parallels with Trump and fake news doesn’t make change that fact. If your entire commentary hedges entirely upon the statement “I bet that you think...”, then chances are that it is not a valuable or valid statement.
4
End the import of wild and endangered animals which spread disease over and over again.
20
Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!
Hopefully the Chinese people, with all their myriad opportunities and electronic tools for communication, can ferret out the truth and stay safe during this epidemic
6
With a billion people you are bound to find some really angry ones. Enough to fill up a Times article at least.
There are also plenty of social media posts supportive of the actions Beijing has taken after the crisis escalated.
Now the only people everyone seem to hate on is the mayor...to equate all this to some challenge on the authority of Beijing is a bit far fetched at this time. It will have to get a LOT worse.
8
In the 60s when Taiwan was under KMT's martial law there was a humor magazine that eventually got on the bad side of the Chiang Kaishek governing machine. They did it by commenting on the current affairs with clearly sarcastic humor.
When Chiang was thinking of changing the constitution to get a third term he mumbled something about if he stepped down whoever succeeded him should have the "confidence of the US". Right away the humor magazine put out an editorial suggesting the his American educated wife should be the successor.
I think the mainland people should adopt this type of attitude to combat censorship. They could, for example, praise the coronavirus as gift from god to show how efficient the country is so they can pose an immediate "quarantine in-place" on 30 millions people.
I think the only way to combat overt censorship is through humor. Though it could only do so much because eventually that humor magazine was shut down.
As all of us know: Political power comes from the barrel of the gun.
7
While welcome, the dissent, if one can call it so, and which here amounts to freedom of speech, is very unlikely to change the official picture.
And here I beg to differ a little - while undemocratic regimes always deserve critique for obvious reasons, in this instance, they do seem to act quickly and decisively. Cordoning off such a large area and population is a strong move in the right direction, as is sharing info, something one can never take it for granted at all with totalitarian regimes. The devil here is probably in allowing the ugly, unhygienic, and apparently dangerous animals-market to exist but that train has left the station ...
11
@ss
Those wet market should be shut down but remember, the people buying there are your parents, husband/wife, neighbor, and friends. It is not going to be easy forcing everyone to shop from supermarkets and butchers change jobs. How long did it take corner butcher shops to gave way to supermarkets in the US?
1
Corner butchers shops rarely killed the cow out back. There were meat packing districts in large cities and abattoirs in smaller towns, which while filthy and riddled with disease vectors, at least separated the killing, gutting, and waste disposal from the customer and society in general.
2
This is a run-away train.
Not even the full power of the Chinese state can cope with multiple crises all at the same time.
My heart goes out to these people. Trapped. Unable to protect themselves or be assured they’ll be treated (or can get to hospital) if that’s needed.
Nothing will stop the complaints. And the virus has a life of its own.
42
President Xi rise to power mostly because its people trust him at the time to bring growth to its economy. But this virus will really test him in showing transparency to dangerous conditions endured by his own citizens. Any cover ups will strongly shield his continuing rise to power as he loses trust real quickly. Filtering the media comments because of foreign influence is one thing, but filtering your own outbreak leaving your citizens in crisis is dangerous.
Although I would say China has been much quicker to react and less cover ups than the previous SARS outbreak in 2002-2003. Also one comment to note is how quick the mayor of Wuhan announced resignation because he covered up the outbreak by denouncing the severity levels. What will happen to him afterwards? Will he go to prison or will he just walk away free taking tones of money with him while the whole country goes through this crisis?
3
@Nyu
The party ethics review committee will likely review if he was incapable or acted with criminal intent and decide if he would be kicked out of the party and what prison terms if any. If not kicked out party, definitely a downgrade and probably be assigned an administrative job or post to a smaller city/province.
The entire thing is every similar to how the US military and federal government operates. Mayors and governors aren’t elected so are much more government employees like than they are in the US.
3
Good to see the narrative of a complete consensus in the Chinese public falls apart upon closer inspection. People still have the expressive creativity to bypass oppressive censorship and hopefully always will.
16
The source of this outbreak (and of others previously) appears to be unregulated markets and butchers. Apparently anything goes in these places. So when the GOP whines about how inconvenient regulations are to America's business interests, remember what it's like when you don't have any. Regulations usually come into being because businesses cannot be trusted to do the right thing. See "Love Canal".
161
@pauliev Actually, those markets are legal in China.
4
@pauliev
It is not unregulated markets, it is just differently regulated. You can go to Japan, one of the cleanest countries in the world, and see how many different animals are on the menu.
Most of the world eats more than beef, chicken, turkey, and fish sticks. American dairy standards wouldn’t fly in France nor would US food safety standards in much of Europe.
11
@Mark exactly. And when people complain about why they can't sell this or that and the government is too restrictive, we have to remember that in many cases (but not all) it's there for the purpose of protecting society. I notice the original comment or says he's a canuck... well In Canada it's a big debate because food sales are more heavily regulated than the US, or China of course. For example its illegal to serve undercooked ground beef in restaurants, which some people complain about because it's restricting them from selling or buying rare burgers like are available at good restaurants in the US. But then when you consider the reason why it makes more sense. Food poisoning is a top culprit in hospital visits in the US, including from undercooked beef. In Canada, hospital visits are publically funded, so tax payers shouldn't be on the hook for someone's higher risk dietary choices. The benefit in the long run is that these regulative choices help Canadian health costs stay low, so much so that Canadians actually pay less in taxes towards health care than Americans do, but their health care is generally free at time of use. So regulation can seem stifling but it's a trade off for cheaper services and better health.
35
The government should tell its citizens it’s time to join the rest of us by ending the consumption of LIVE and often endangered animals. Honestly serves them right. I only hope we can now find a way to clean up after China’s mistakes before this virus does too much damages to us in the west.
5
@Jay
Was a cow not alive at one point in its life? What’s the difference between killing a cow vs killing a bat if both was raised for consumption?
What’s needed is stronger safety standards and more oversight, not your schadenfreude.
11
The animal is consumed while the animal is still alive.
2
Meanwhile, as I look at every product around my home that is manufactured in China, not by a Chinese company but by an American company whose CEO chose to move production facilities to China to lower production costs and accelerate his stock price and salary, how will this effect my lifestyle...?
31
@JohnBarleycorn
Many of which is available on Amazon which does not even state where it is made in anymore. Now i trsearch the name of the seller and i choose not to buy from Amazon or sometimes to straight to the source.
10
@JohnBarleycorn
There is no reported case of coronavirus infecting an inanimate object. I think you are safe. :D
Seriously though, do you avoid Georgia peaches or Florida orange juice because those 2 states have the highest HIV rate in the US?
11
The thought of this virus spreading through the states is very concerning. Unlike China, the U.S. can't quarantine whole cities or regions. The U.S. could temporarily ban travel between China and the U.S., but it seems the genie is already out of the bottle and spreading around the world. So, the only real way to address the larger situation is to find an effective antiviral or vaccine which will probably take several years. Until then, we seem to be stuck with isolating individuals suspected of having the disease and treating the symptoms as best we can. Perhaps, like other viruses, the death rate will be low and limited to individuals who have weak immune systems.
3
@Bruce Hall then again, the odds are higher to die from the common flu than from this virus.
3
@Bruce Hall
Death rate is currently at 3%. Higher for high risk groups and lower for the young and healthy.
It’s considered much less deadly than SARS but more infectious. No report on permanent lung lesions as SARS so I’ll assume full recovery is possible.
2
Looks like the ruling party in China deserves criticism. They’ve invested heavily in technology to spy on people, built up a massive system of “social credit scores” but public safety? They seem to be able to invest in everything except public safety.
Let’s not make that mistake. Let’s actually make plans with safety and sustainability in mind.
54
We need to support science and the research scientists in our country who are sounding the alarm bells of climate change and the development of crucial new drugs /antibiotics pipeline.
48
@Enjoy The Kitchen
Have you see photos of the hospitals in Wuhan? Besides the crowd from this crisis, do they look like they belong in a city with 1/3 the per capita GDP as US?
One thing China isn’t lacking is building infrastructure. You can search “Wuhan hospital” on Google and click Images for photos of hospitals treating this outbreak and the 2 field hospitals under construction.
2
@Enjoy The Kitchen ...Does one get social credit points added or subtracted for wearing face masks?
1
The truth can only stay buried for so long. The CCP's repressive and inhumane censorship of information of vital public interest is hamstringing disease control efforts and leaving the people of China without the ability to make accurate risk assessments, putting millions at risk.
37
xi the pooh bear and his and his party-cult's insecurity are why we even have an outbreak in the first place. Instead of fighting live- and endangered-animal butchery and being honest from the start, he looks away and muffles those who speak truth to power-hunger. A regime so corrupted by its lust for control has no place "fighting corruption" or outbreaks, there as here.
With no coup in sight, I hope the virus is indeed "fair" to them.
33
@SR
Did you liberated animals from farm? Block roads bisecting forests? Rescued pets from PETA’s kill shelters? What credentials do you have to claim other countries are butchering animals but US/Bronx aren’t?
And it sounds like you believe governments can prevent mutations from viruses. Do you believe the US prevented the AIDS epidemic or the measles outbreak last year?
8
The Chinese government cannot have it both ways. If they put themselves as only authority on caring for the people, then they carry the burden for every failing. Without a free press and a desire for the truth, government and politicians will always choose to cover-up embarrassing events because they can. It is just a matter of time before some event become so big and so critical that they cannot contain it. China likes to blame foreigners (particularly the West) for domestic troubles. This is something that is entirely self-inflicted. Thus, there is no one to blame but themselves.
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@albert
The extent of the viruses damage to the economy can't be known yet. China may become a second rate power if this is a Pandemic.
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@albert
What other authority is there in the US that’s responsible for caring for the people besides the US government? Do you believe CDC, NIH, FDA, FEMA aren’t part of the US government? Every capable government is responsible for the caring of its people. Without a frame of reference you cannot compare response time because each crises are different.
For example, can I use Flint lead water crisis as indictment the US government don’t care about its people vis-a-vis China? No, because there is no similar crisis in China.
This idea of “I can do better if it was me” is how we got all those instant fail videos. People love to overestimate their own capabilities.
17