Why All the Fear About the Coronavirus?

The question in the title may sound silly. If we listen to the media a major Pandemic that could wipe out a huge portion of the world's population could be heading our way. We should hide in our basements, wash our hand with anti-bacterial soap every ten minutes, and avoid all contact with other humans. This could be a repeat of the Spanish Flu of 1918 that killed over 50 Million people.

But the Bible says in II Timothy 1:7 that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love, and a sound mind." Hopefully, the facts (minus the hype) we will present here will dispel much of the fear and allow you to use your "sound mind" to look at the facts and make reasonable decisions accordingly.

One of the facts that we will discuss is that there is a far more dangerous and deadly communicable disease that threatens our country right now. But the media ignores it because it's not exciting and doesn't generate the ad revenues that scaring people does. This disease visits the US every year, infects hundreds of times more people than the worst estimates of the Coronavirus indicate it will. 21 people have died of the Coronavirus in the U.S. (as of 3/8/20); this more common disease kills tens of thousands of Americans every year. And yet we survive.

Which is Worse?

In a statement on 3/8/2020, Lisa LockerdMaragakis, M.D., M.P.H., of Johns Hopkins said, “Influenza (the flu) and COVID-19, the illness caused by the new Coronavirus, are both infectious respiratory illnesses. Although the symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu can look similar, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses. As of today, the flu is showing much more of an impact on Americans than COVID-19.”

Read on to learn:

• Why hyping the Coronavirus benefits the media; and why downplaying it benefits the government.
• Common-sense, easy to implement precautions that you can use to protect yourself from Corona.
• How Corona and the fear that is being spread have affected our economy, the stock market, and your retirement funds.

The Point of Origin

Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory is China’s only biosafety level 4 super laboratory that researches human infectious diseases. It is near the seafood market that China initially claimed was the starting point for the virus.
But according to the Washington Times, the Coronavirus likely originated in a lab run by China's Biological Warfare program in Wuhan, where all the first cases appeared.

China Lied; People Died

• They kept the Coronavirus a secret for over six weeks.
• They originally called it an outbreak of pneumonia.
• They claimed it could not be transmitted person-to-person.
• They claimed its origin was a seafood market.

How About a Little Perspective? (Statistics as of 3/8/2020)

• TOTAL Cases: 109,799
• Cases in China alone: 80,703 (74%)
• Cases in the other 194 nations: (26%)
• Cases in the US: 493 (.02% of population) 
• TOTAL deaths: 3,804 (3.4%
• Deaths in China alone: 3,098 (81%)
• Deaths in the other 194 nations: 706 (19%)
• Deaths in US: 21 (.5%)

Which is More Prevalent?

• Coronavirus:  Approximately 107,644 cases worldwide; 437 cases in the U.S. as of Mar. 8, 2020.
• Flu: Estimated 1 BILLION  cases worldwide; 29 million cases in the U.S. this year.

Which is More Deadly?

• Coronavirus: Approximately 3,804 deaths reported worldwide; 21 deaths in the U.S., as of Mar. 8, 2020.
• Flu: On average, 468,000 deaths worldwide; 37,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.

This is NOT a Pandemic

• The Spanish Flu of 1918 was a real Pandemic.
• In just a few months more than 50 million died worldwide.
• In the U.S. alone , 673,000 died.
• It took 100 years to find its cause.

The Swine Flu (H191) 2009-10 Was a Pandemic, Classified as Such by the CDC

From April 12, 2009 to April 10, 2010, CDC estimates that in the US due to the (H1N1) virus there were:

• 60.8 million cases  of Influenza A
• 274,304 hospitalizations
• 12,469 deaths.

Where are the $ Billions?

So why has Congress authorized $8.3 Billion to fight COVID-19, while they largely ignore the much more deadly influenza crisis? 
 
Many Names:

China Virus
Wuhan Coronavirus
Novel Coronavirus
2019-nCOV
SARS-CoV-2 (Name of the actual virus - "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2")
COVID-19 (Name of the Disease caused by the virus - "Coronavirus Disease 2019")
 
Whatever You Do, Don’t Dare to Offend China

WHO (the World Health Organization) has issued guidelines intended to minimize “unnecessary negative impact of disease names on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare, and avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups.” It asks scientists, journalists, and health officials to use neutral, generic terms when referring to new human infectious diseases.
 
What is COVID-19?

• You may be wondering why the media have been using that term rather than “Coronavirus.”
• That’s because there are many Coronaviruses.
• Some are very mild, with less effect than a cold.
• Others are more serious; SARS & MERS are in this family.
• Once they isolated the characteristics of this virus, they gave it its own name.

Who is in Danger?

• The elderly, particularly if generally weak.
• Patients with respiratory illness or on chemo.
• No children have died.

 You Are 2,900 Times More Likely to Get the Flu than Coronavirus
Most People Who Get the Coronavirus Will Never Know They Had It.
Almost Everyone Who Contracts it Will Get Well Spontaneously in  Two Weeks
 
Corona vs Flu in the US

• 29 million flu illnesses this year.
• 810,000 hospitalized.
• 16,000 deaths – so far.
• 400 Coronavirus illnesses.
• 21 Coronavirus deaths.

Corona vs Flu Similarities in Symptoms

• Both cause fever, cough, body aches, fatigue; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
• Can be mild, severe, or even fatal in rare cases.
• Can result in pneumonia.

Corona vs Flu Similarities in Transmission

• Both can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing or talking.
• Both can be spread by touching a metal object that has been touched by an infected person up to 12 hours later.
• Flu can be spread by an infected person for several days before their symptoms appear.
• COVID-19 is believed to be spread in the same way; but we don’t yet know for sure.

Corona vs Flu Similarities in Treatment

• Neither virus is treatable with antibiotics, which only work on bacterial infections.
• Both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever. Severe cases may require hospitalization and support such as IV fluids and mechanical ventilation.

Corona vs Flu Similarities in Prevention

Both may be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing, coughing or sneezing properly, staying home when sick, and limiting contact with people who are infected.
 
Corona vs Flu Differences in Cause

• COVID-19: Caused by one virus, the novel 2019 coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.
• Flu: Caused by any of several different types and strains of influenza viruses; two most common are Influenza A and B.

Corona vs Flu Differences in Transmission

While both the flu and COVID-19 may be transmitted in similar ways , there is also a possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route, meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer nearby. There has also been speculation that COVID-19 is mutating, which could mean faster transmission.  Neither of these theories has been verified.
 
Corona vs Flu Differences in Medications

• COVID-19: Antiviral medications are currently being tested to see if they can address symptoms.
• Flu: Antiviral medications can address symptoms and sometimes shorten the duration of the illness.
• COVID-19: No vaccine is available at this time, though several are in progress.
• Flu: A vaccine is available and effective to prevent some of the most dangerous types or to reduce the severity of the flu. These change every year, and are sometimes ineffective.

Corona vs Flu Differences in Mortality

• Since this is a new virus, people do not have immunity to it, and a vaccine may be many months away. Doctors and scientists are working on estimating the mortality rate of COVID-19, but at present, it is thought to be between .1% and 1%. The reports of 3.4% mortality were based on faulty data.
• Flu has a mortality rate of .5%.

If You Protect Yourself from the Flu, You Also Protect Yourself from COVID-19.
That Includes Getting the Flu Shot.
 
How Can You Protect Yourself from COVID-19?

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the toilet or trash.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects people frequently touch.

What’s Up with the Masks?

 


















Masks Can Protect Others – They Don’t Protect You

Surgical paper masks are loose-fitting, have only one strap and don't form a tight seal to the wearer's face. They are designed to stop liquid droplets and aerosols coming out of the wearer's mouth. They do not filter the air coming in.
 
Benefits of Masks

• They can protect others from you if you are ill.
• They offer limited protection if you must care for an infected person.
• They make you feel better.

Dangers of Masks

• They can cause panic.
• Touching the mask is just like touching your face.
• They can give a false sense of security.
• They should only be used once, but people use them many times.
• They hold humidity, in which viruses thrive.
• They make it harder to breathe in oxygen.
• Some nations advise citizens to NOT use masks.

The Main Reason Masks Don’t Work: Size Matters

• They’re designed to filter relatively large (though invisible) particles, including most bacteria.
• Viruses are much smaller than bacteria, so they pass through.
• In this illustration, the blue tube is a bacterium; the tiny purple circle is a virus:

One infectious disease scientist, when asked to compare the sizes of viruses to bacteria, said, “Think Sydney and Australia.”