[OutsiderFan]

HOWEVER, note that the fatality rate (0.7%) outside Wuhan was 1/3 to 1/6  of the rate in Wuhan.  This suggests to me that the fatality rate was much lower when the health care system wasn't overloaded.   I hope that to be the case in the rest of the world IF steps are taken to limit transmission, thus avoiding overwhelming the health care system.

This is the reason we can’t F around with this virus. Look at Iran to see what happens when healthcare system can’t handle to burden of needing to get so many people on oxygen or ventilators. We simply must prevent geometric and exponential spread or we won’t be able to handle the load.

My other concern is people not going to hospital for care and refusing tests because they can’t afford paying medical bills. And then there is the potential of wearing down health care workers if they are overloaded. Some reports from China have shown psychological damage to healthcare workers from stress and being so overworked, akin to PTSD.

[OutsiderFan]

HOWEVER, note that the fatality rate (0.7%) outside Wuhan was 1/3 to 1/6  of the rate in Wuhan.  This suggests to me that the fatality rate was much lower when the health care system wasn't overloaded.   I hope that to be the case in the rest of the world IF steps are taken to limit transmission, thus avoiding overwhelming the health care system.

This is the reason we can’t F around with this virus. Look at Iran to see what happens when healthcare system can’t handle to burden of needing to get so many people on oxygen or ventilators. We simply must prevent geometric and exponential spread or we won’t be able to handle the load.

My other concern is people not going to hospital for care and refusing tests because they can’t afford paying medical bills. And then there is the potential of wearing down health care workers if they are overloaded. Some reports from China have shown psychological damage to healthcare workers from stress and being so overworked, akin to PTSD.