US ranked #1 to best deal with a disease outbreak

[Saorsa]

So this fits my theory on why testing numbers are not being released.

The admin is actively resisting testing people potentially exposed to Coronavirus.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-us-embassy-in-tokyo-refused-to-test-exposed-staff-for-coronavirus?ref=home

The Diamond Princess gives us a pretty good closed environment test case.  Keeping people in a closed up ship with recirculating air almost guaranteed the spread.  They were also in quarantine and tested periodically.

The Diamond Princess had 3700+ passengers and crew exposed.

705 were shown to have been infected. That's less than 20% of the total exposed

6 have died.  That's less than 1% of  the infected and 0.162% of the exposed.

All of the dead have had compromised health before infection.

 

[Swimsailor]

The Diamond Princess gives us a pretty good closed environment test case.  Keeping people in a closed up ship with recirculating air almost guaranteed the spread.  They were also in quarantine and tested periodically.

The Diamond Princess had 3700+ passengers and crew exposed.

705 were shown to have been infected. That's less than 20% of the total exposed

6 have died.  That's less than 1% of  the infected and 0.162% of the exposed.

All of the dead have had compromised health before infection.

Here's the crux of all this.  Why allow for another deadly virus to take hold?  Makes sense to stop it before it becomes as a common a killer as influenza.

 

[Swimsailor]

Paid for 40 years ago, what were you all fucking panzies doing?

I was 4 years old.

 

[Saorsa]

Kind of curious. Between 58 and 65 did you have insurance, and if so, what were the premiums like. I'm kind of in the same position right now - can retire but the prospect of paying a bazillion dollars a month for insurance may influence plans.

Btw*: I fully support our men/women who serve and am more than happy to pay taxes to cover their health needs, especially those injured while serving. But it gets a little annoying when certain ex-military people, even those that never even got close to combat, feel like everyone in the country is freeloading off their "sacrifice" and somehow they are more patriotic than the Average Joe.

*comment not aimed at you Saorsa.

To be honest, I don't actually recall the numbers but it didn't seem too bad at the time.  About 20% higher than my group plan when I worked.

I was in good health so I didn't take any high end plans and had a pretty high deductible.  I would periodically look into changing plans in comparison to the one I was in.   In 2003 we moved to Florida and I had to go through a major study again.

You might try shopping for insurance right now and assess what your needs are, family history, etc.  We didn't need to cover any dependents so that might make a significant change in what coverage you need.

The only VA benefits I ever used were for education.

 

[Bus Driver]

Paid for 40 years ago, what were you all fucking panzies doing?

Never seen it spelled that way.  Is that a variant of a German combat vehicle?

 

[Raz'r]

Here's the crux of all this.  Why allow for another deadly virus to take hold?  Makes sense to stop it before it becomes as a common a killer as influenza.

probably too late. I've already heard that we expect this one to just get into circulation, and become another seasonal bug.

 

[Raz'r]

Kind of curious. Between 58 and 65 did you have insurance, and if so, what were the premiums like. I'm kind of in the same position right now - can retire but the prospect of paying a bazillion dollars a month for insurance may influence plans.

Btw*: I fully support our men/women who serve and am more than happy to pay taxes to cover their health needs, especially those injured while serving. But it gets a little annoying when certain ex-military people, even those that never even got close to combat, feel like everyone in the country is freeloading off their "sacrifice" and somehow they are more patriotic than the Average Joe.

*comment not aimed at you Saorsa.

Jesus, I just thought I'd drop in on CoveredCA and see prices. Nope.

I bet it's shockingly high. Maybe you can be property rich and cash poor and qualify for subsidies?

 

[Fakenews]

probably too late. I've already heard that we expect this one to just get into circulation, and become another seasonal bug.

Yup, it’s already mutated to a new strain.

 

[Saorsa]

Here's the crux of all this.  Why allow for another deadly virus to take hold?  Makes sense to stop it before it becomes as a common a killer as influenza.

There isn't a damn thing you can do to stop it.

The WHO and the CDC maintain a Flu Virus Surveillance program.  You can read about it on the CDC Website.  https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/overview.htm

This program tracks human infections and attempts to develop flu vaccines for the next flu season.  Sometimes their right and sometimes the miss.  In spite of that Flu is still you still end up with 12 to 60,000 deaths.  Figure below from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

There is no way that you can predict or prepare for an animal virus to mutate and become capable of human infection.  This is why Swine Flu, Bird Flu, COVID-19 (Bat Flu) entered the population as a surprise.  When it occurs you follow the same procedures as you would with an existing human virus  but you are starting from scratch.

Unless you are prepared to actively track the mutations of the estimated 320,000 viruses which infect mammals you will just have to wait for an outbreak to be recognized and reported before you can begin to address identification and treatment for individual human patients.

 

[Saorsa]

Never seen it spelled that way.  Is that a variant of a German combat vehicle?

Gay Nazi's?

 

[Blue Crab]

Kind of curious. Between 58 and 65 did you have insurance, and if so, what were the premiums like. I'm kind of in the same position right now - can retire but the prospect of paying a bazillion dollars a month for insurance may influence plans.

Btw*: I fully support our men/women who serve and am more than happy to pay taxes to cover their health needs, especially those injured while serving. But it gets a little annoying when certain ex-military people, even those that never even got close to combat, feel like everyone in the country is freeloading off their "sacrifice" and somehow they are more patriotic than the Average Joe.

...

This. I've mentioned it before but this is timely. I'm a vet and have a yearly appointment at the VA just in case but for everyday stuff and heart issues, I use the local docs. I've been doing this for lotsa years now and my sense is that the VA should provide the lifetime care for injured combat vets only. And I'm down with a broad definition of injuries. The others sacrificed their time, no small thing, but I think it's clear that the VA has done a poor job of caring for all medically and I fail to see the logic in the attempt.

 

[Saorsa]

probably too late. I've already heard that we expect this one to just get into circulation, and become another seasonal bug.

We 'expect' it to get into circulation?  It already is.

 

[βhyde]

Jesus, I just thought I'd drop in on CoveredCA and see prices. Nope.

I bet it's shockingly high. Maybe you can be property rich and cash poor and qualify for subsidies?

Just went over to Covered CA and entered the numbers. Plans ranged from the $814 Near-Certain-Death Plan to the $4286 Almost-Certain-Death Plan. I didn't apply for any discounts and adjusted my income to what I expect to draw in retirement. So about $10K to $51K per year.

Canada? You know, I've always loved BC.

 

[Saorsa]

This. I've mentioned it before but this is timely. I'm a vet and have a yearly appointment at the VA just in case but for everyday stuff and heart issues, I use the local docs. I've been doing this for lotsa years now and my sense is that the VA should provide the lifetime care for injured combat vets only. And I'm down with a broad definition of injuries. The others sacrificed their time, no small thing, but I think it's clear that the VA has done a poor job of caring for all medically and I fail to see the logic in the attempt.

I agree.  Deciding that deafness at 75 might be service related because you wore headphones a lot seems a reach.

The other problem is that you end up with a percentage of disability which gets you a pension even after treatment (such as hearing aids) is no longer required.

 

[βhyde]

This. I've mentioned it before but this is timely. I'm a vet and have a yearly appointment at the VA just in case but for everyday stuff and heart issues, I use the local docs. I've been doing this for lotsa years now and my sense is that the VA should provide the lifetime care for injured combat vets only. And I'm down with a broad definition of injuries. The others sacrificed their time, no small thing, but I think it's clear that the VA has done a poor job of caring for all medically and I fail to see the logic in the attempt.

Yeah, I hear you on the VA. Government run hospitals make me winch. I think Vets (combat injured aside) should get a credit towards purchasing private health care plans. Doesn't Tri-Care work that way?

 

[AJ Oliver]

Yup, it’s already mutated to a new strain.

This cannot be true. The Reich-wing base does not believe in evolution, and mutation is a key part of that. 

Gotta be a liberal hoax. 

 

[Raz'r]

We 'expect' it to get into circulation?  It already is.

You go Mr Epidemiologist. I bow to your “ministerial” superior knowledge.

 

[Raz'r]

This cannot be true. The Reich-wing base does not believe in evolution, and mutation is a key part of that. 

Gotta be a liberal hoax. 

The govt press chumps are saying this is not a new virus, it’s just new to science. That people/animal mutation thing is just liberal-hooey.

 

[AJ Oliver]

The other problem is that you end up with a percentage of disability which gets you a pension even after treatment (such as hearing aids) is no longer required.

Not true - I get checked periodically by the VA to see if my disability continues (prostate cancer) 

And why the beef with the VA? Hysterical lying from the Reich aside, the VA gets better outcomes at lower costs than either Medicare or private insurance. 

The VA also does vital cutting edge research - on PTSD and much else. 

 

[AJ Oliver]

Doesn't it seem reasonable that the spread of Corona-V could be slowed . . 

if we had paid sick days ? 

But the Reich at the state level has blocked this for years. 

Another iteration of Blow Back ?