# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/21 "2020-02-14T18:45:42Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I don’t know what you didn’t see and I don’t know why you’re inserting yourself into this as the question wasn’t to you. Ok, I’ll spell it out for you. The reason is that your question was disingenuous, and I find it just kind of weird that you would adopt this kind of passive aggressive rhetorical style in a discussion of facts and news, as though it’s some kind of point-winning debate. You posted some potentially frightening statistics that were quite obviously the reason for the perfectly reasonable response that we shouldn’t necessarily panic, nobody accused you of saying “we should all panic”. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/22 "2020-02-14T21:34:25Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > More than 60 million people in China are starting their 4th week of lockdown. I am curious about this aspect of the event. What are all those people doing as shut-ins all this time? Will there be a baby-boom in China around September/October? How are they getting food and supplies? What’s the plan for getting back to normal - will they gradually allow people to resume regular activities, or just tell everyone “all clear” and everyone just clicks back into life, like nothing happened? ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/23 "2020-02-14T21:40:24Z")
We’re in our 70s and apparently boast fairly strong immune systems. We’re in a small California mountain county and aren’t exposed to many people at all. We plan to spend a few days in the Monterey-Santa Cruz area south of San Francisco which will be crawling with visitors from all over. If we hear of ONE case in that area, my wife will insist on canceling. Is she prudent, or paranoid, or what? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/24 "2020-02-14T22:01:07Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > We’re in our 70s and apparently boast fairly strong immune systems. We’re in a small California mountain county and aren’t exposed to many people at all. We plan to spend a few days in the Monterey-Santa Cruz area south of San Francisco which will be crawling with visitors from all over. If we hear of ONE case in that area, my wife will insist on canceling. Is she prudent, or paranoid, or what? In making a decision like that, I ask myself, “What are the consequences if I get it wrong-- serious or minor?” Sometimes you get something seriously wrong, but the situation itself is not serious. IMHO this is potentially very serious. If you don’t have to go there right now, why do it? Why even take the chance? I tend to err on the side of prudence, but that’s just me. I’d avoid big coastal cities, big international crowds, and all cruises for the near future. My 2 cents. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/25 "2020-02-14T22:12:33Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I am curious about this aspect of the event. What are all those people doing as shut-ins all this time? Will there be a baby-boom in China around September/October? How are they getting food and supplies? What’s the plan for getting back to normal - will they gradually allow people to resume regular activities, or just tell everyone “all clear” and everyone just clicks back into life, like nothing happened? They are allowed out every couple days to get food. China has strong penetration of the internet so they are spending time on sites like Sina Weibo with 445 million active users: > **[Weibo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sina_Weibo)** > > Weibo, previously Sina Weibo (Chinese: 新浪微博; pinyin: Xīnlàng Wēibó), is a Chinese microblogging (weibo) website. Launched by Sina Corporation on 14 August 2009, it is one of the biggest social media platforms in China, with over 582 million monthly active users (252 million daily active users) as of Q1 2022. The platform has been a huge financial success, with surging stocks, lucrative advertising sales and high revenue and total earnings per quarter. At the start of 2018, it surpasse In March ... The priority is getting the economy moving again so they will reopen the factories but discourage large gatherings. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/26 "2020-02-14T22:16:34Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In making a decision like that, I ask myself, “What are the consequences if I get it wrong-- serious or minor?” Sometimes you get something seriously wrong, but the situation itself is not serious. IMHO this is potentially very serious. If you don’t have to go there right now, why do it? Why even take the chance? I tend to err on the side of prudence, but that’s just me. I’d avoid big coastal cities, big international crowds, and all cruises for the near future. My 2 cents. I tend to agree with this in principle. We are not very good at assessing risks. There are several components to think about: What is the likelihood of the risk occurring? What is it’s impact if it does occur? In this case, the likelihood is very low. However, the impact is potentially very high. That said, even if you do catch this virus, chances are you wont notice it more than just a cold. Not everyone coming in contact with this is dying, far from it. However, what is your risk of NOT going to Monterey, compared to going? You may be out a small deposit for your lodging? But, if that buys you peace-of-mind, it’s probably worth it. I would not want to have worry on my vacation like that. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/27 "2020-02-14T22:17:47Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In making a decision like that, I ask myself, “What are the consequences if I get it wrong-- serious or minor?” Sometimes you get something seriously wrong, but the situation itself is not serious. IMHO this is potentially very serious. If you don’t have to go there right now, why do it? Why even take the chance? I tend to err on the side of prudence, but that’s just me. I’d avoid big coastal cities, big international crowds, and all cruises for the near future. My 2 cents. I bet there are some cheap deals on cruises right now. They need some marketing spin - possible bonus of 2 extra free weeks on board. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/28 "2020-02-14T22:20:50Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I tend to agree with this in principle. We are not very good at assessing risks. There are several components to think about: What is the likelihood of the risk occurring? What is it’s impact if it does occur? In this case, the likelihood is very low. However, the impact is potentially very high. > > That said, even if you do catch this virus, chances are you wont notice it more than just a cold. Not everyone coming in contact with this is dying, far from it. However, what is your risk of NOT going to Monterey, compared to going? You may be out a small deposit for your lodging? But, if that buys you peace-of-mind, it’s probably worth it. I would not want to have worry on my vacation like that. Not to mention, RioRico & spouse are in their 70s (as am I). Hard as it is to admit, age affects your ability to withstand infections. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/29 "2020-02-14T23:23:46Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > They are allowed out every couple days to get food. China has strong penetration of the internet so they are spending time on sites like Sina Weibo with 445 million active users: > [Weibo - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sina_Weibo) > The priority is getting the economy moving again so they will reopen the factories but discourage large gatherings. Factories _are_ large gatherings. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/30 "2020-02-15T01:08:24Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > More than 60 million people in China are starting their 4th week of lockdown. Your number is off by an order of magnitude. Hundreds of millions are in lockdown. Shanghai alone has 30M in lockdown The various factories that the company I work for have in China are starting to get back on line depending on the location. This can mean a 2 week hard quarantine outside the factory area before the first 30 people can enter the factory. These factory complexes employ thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of staff. And they all need fresh face masks every shift. In fact, our company has spun up their own mask line just to supply our line workers in China. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/31 "2020-02-15T02:47:06Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Not to mention, RioRico & spouse are in their 70s (as am I). Hard as it is to admit, age affects your ability to withstand infections. Thanks for the responses. We still have a couple days before deciding to save deposits or not. No, the trip isn’t seriously necessary, and losing deposits won’t seriously hurt. But we’ll tend on the side of prudence. If you see no report of us visiting Ed Ricketts’ lab, you’ll know why. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/32 "2020-02-15T03:25:02Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In making a decision like that, I ask myself, “What are the consequences if I get it wrong-- serious or minor?” Sometimes you get something seriously wrong, but the situation itself is not serious. IMHO this is potentially very serious. If you don’t have to go there right now, why do it? Why even take the chance? I tend to err on the side of prudence, but that’s just me. I’d avoid big coastal cities, big international crowds, and all cruises for the near future. My 2 cents. Santa Cruz is not a big city, and doesn’t have an airport or a dock receiving passengers from infected areas. No cases there that I’ve heard. I’m probably more at risk where I live in the Bay Area than he would be. And I’m not worried. I’m not in my 70s, only 68 though. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/33 "2020-02-15T03:27:33Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I bet there are some cheap deals on cruises right now. They need some marketing spin - possible bonus of 2 extra free weeks on board. I got an ad from Travelocity today about cheap fares to Hong Kong. Sure. Asian cruises are way down. I know someone who is a marketing exec at a Japanese tech company, and she didn’t go to our meeting because she was busy cancelling meetings in China. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/34 "2020-02-15T03:29:51Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Thanks for the responses. We still have a couple days before deciding to save deposits or not. No, the trip isn’t seriously necessary, and losing deposits won’t seriously hurt. But we’ll tend on the side of prudence. If you see no report of us visiting Ed Ricketts’ lab, you’ll know why. I live in Fremont, and I figure I’m more at risk than if I lived in Santa Cruz or Monterey, and I’m not worried. I think there are a few cases in Santa Clara. I doubt there are many Chinese tourists in Santa Cruz at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/35 "2020-02-15T03:36:49Z")
I wouldn’t worry about traveling to the Santa Cruz area at this time. Avoid the Boardwalk if you think tourists are a risk, but otherwise enjoy yourself. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/36 "2020-02-15T03:43:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Not to mention, RioRico & spouse are in their 70s (as am I). Hard as it is to admit, age affects your ability to withstand infections. Thanks for the responses. We still have a couple days before deciding to save deposits or not. No, the trip isn’t seriously necessary, and losing deposits won’t seriously hurt. But we’ll tend on the side of prudence. If you see no report of us visiting Ed Ricketts’ lab, you’ll know why. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/37 "2020-02-15T05:43:09Z")
Today’s numbers: 67,088 confirmed infected 1,526 dead 8,283 recovered ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/38 "2020-02-15T06:29:00Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I wouldn’t worry about traveling to the Santa Cruz area at this time. Avoid the Boardwalk if you think tourists are a risk, but otherwise enjoy yourself. Agree. I live very near Santa Cruz. It’s a pocket concentration of people, isolated and on the south end (with a mountain barrier) of a ginormous population in the San Jose, SF peninsula, East Bay and SF areas. 250k-ish folk in this county, vs something like 8 million up there. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/39 "2020-02-15T07:24:28Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Thanks for the responses. We still have a couple days before deciding to save deposits or not. No, the trip isn’t seriously necessary, and losing deposits won’t seriously hurt. But we’ll tend on the side of prudence. If you see no report of us visiting Ed Ricketts’ lab, you’ll know why. I just came back from Disneyland. I didn’t go into the park, but I did stay at one of the hotels and was in Downtown Disney a lot. There was no sign of concern from Disney not anyone else, and remember that this was where the measles outbreak hit. Disney is a hundred times more likely to have problems than Santa Cruz. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/40 "2020-02-15T17:03:57Z")
[New virus cases fall; WHO says China bought the world time](https://apnews.com/a21d4e909743a094dc5cc0bd1c543a06) > [@](#): > > The U.N. health agency’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged governments to step up their efforts to prepare for the virus, saying “it’s impossible to predict which direction this epidemic will take.” > > Tedros told a gathering of international foreign and security policy leaders in Germany on Saturday that WHO is encouraged there has not yet been widespread transmission outside China and that “the steps China has taken to contain the outbreak at its source appear to have bought the world time.” > > “We’re encouraged that an international team of experts is now on the ground working closely with Chinese counterparts to understand the outbreak,” Tedros told the Munich Security Conference. > > But he said the agency is “concerned by the continued increase in the number of cases in China,” and by reports about the number of health workers who have been infected or died. > > “We’re concerned by the lack of urgency in funding the response from the international community,” Tedros said. > > “We must use the window of opportunity we have to intensify our preparedness,” he added. “China has bought the world time. We don’t know how much time.” Also in the article is the news that France has recorded their first death due to COVID-19. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=3)