[Fat_ninja]

Originally Posted by Ichiran

I noted you have highlighted the 600,000 annual deaths from flu, which was an estimated made in a Lancet report and was also referenced by WHO. I have no issue with that.

Yesterday, the same WHO has announced the 2019 coronavirus as a global health emergency. WHO defines a global health emergency as an "extraordinary event" that is "serious, unusual or unexpected".

Now, I'm pretty sure the team of medical professors, scientists, microbiologists, virologists and doctors in WHO and in China know exactly what is a seasonal flu or influenza, and I'm sure they have the competency to understand what are the differences between a seasonal flu and the 2019 coronavirus. I'm also pretty sure there were mortalities arising from seasonal flu in China, and they must have seen and experienced it year after year.

From my very layman perspective, this 2019 coronavirus seems to have a higher infection rate, pneumonia and mortality rate in the community, and it kills the middle-aged adults more so than the common cold.

And we are just in the beginning stage of this outbreak which as you said, could become more serious as it progresses. It's extremely early days to call this 2019 coronavirus no worse than a "normal flu".

By the way, I also have had cold at least twice, but I won't use that in a debate on a mystery virus.

Stay safe buddy. It’s also in NYC now I think. The India case worries me because I don’t think they can mobilize as quick as the central govt in China can.