Coronavirus - Is this the killer flu that will wipe us out?

[Vanden Saab]

Caught a cold two days ago, as an old smoker it isn't much fun so having a Chinese tonight to cheer myself up / Kill myself off .

[poo at Paul's]

Not good news now filtering in after a week of mild optimism from most.

The Italian cases sound concerning. And with travel within Europe so busy at the moment, during half term, I am wondering if PH England / the Govt are regretting their rather blasé advice last week regarding schools etc?? There will be quite a few kids back in schools next week who've been out in Italy this week, and many flying in and out of Milan.

[emperorburger]

scottydoesntknow said:

Eh? They’re building 19 more temporary hospitals.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1180377.shtml

Not my words. Are you unhappy the Chinese are taking decisive steps to fight the virus by opening hospitals in record time?

[otolith]

emperorburger said:

otolith said:

It does feel a bit like clutching at straws, hoping that it only kills people of another race. And a bit distasteful.

Yes, it may not be particularly PC in this day and age but there is conclusive evidence that diseases such as MS or sickle cell anemia have higher instances based upon race or geographic location.

Those aren't communicable diseases, though, they are conditions with a genetic basis (very strong in sickle cell, weaker and more complex in MS). Those genes occur at higher frequency in some populations than others. There is a relevant consideration, in that people who carry a single copy of the sickle cell gene are at lower risk of malaria, but that's quite unusual.

[emperorburger]

Vanden Saab said:

Caught a cold two days ago, as an old smoker it isn't much fun so having a Chinese tonight to cheer myself up / Kill myself off .

Sweet and sour chicken, Hong Kong style?

[scottydoesntknow]

emperorburger said:

Not my words. Are you unhappy the Chinese are taking decisive steps to fight the virus by opening hospitals in record time?

Of course not. I’m just not sure the actions of the Chinese line up with their narrative. “We’ll have it licked in 6 weeks, we need 30,000 more beds”.

[emperorburger]

otolith said:

emperorburger said:

otolith said:

It does feel a bit like clutching at straws, hoping that it only kills people of another race. And a bit distasteful.

Yes, it may not be particularly PC in this day and age but there is conclusive evidence that diseases such as MS or sickle cell anemia have higher instances based upon race or geographic location.

Those aren't communicable diseases, though, they are conditions with a genetic basis (very strong in sickle cell, weaker and more complex in MS). Those genes occur at higher frequency in some populations than others. There is a relevant consideration, in that people who carry a single copy of the sickle cell gene are at lower risk of malaria, but that's quite unusual.

It is a thing

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC14485...

[otolith]

emperorburger said:

otolith said:

emperorburger said:

otolith said:

It does feel a bit like clutching at straws, hoping that it only kills people of another race. And a bit distasteful.

Yes, it may not be particularly PC in this day and age but there is conclusive evidence that diseases such as MS or sickle cell anemia have higher instances based upon race or geographic location.

Those aren't communicable diseases, though, they are conditions with a genetic basis (very strong in sickle cell, weaker and more complex in MS). Those genes occur at higher frequency in some populations than others. There is a relevant consideration, in that people who carry a single copy of the sickle cell gene are at lower risk of malaria, but that's quite unusual.

It is a thing

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC14485...

If you read that, they are being very cagey about suggesting that the differences they couldn't eliminate by modelling socioeconomic factors are down to a biological effect of race - they're pretty much saying that race can be used as a proxy for other socioeconomic variables which cannot be directly known.

So on that basis, yeah, people of Chinese ethnicity are at higher risk because they attend wet markets where people eat bats and pangolins!

(Also worth saying here that China is not genetically or culturally homogeneous)

[emperorburger]

otolith said:

If you read that, they are being very cagey about suggesting that the differences they couldn't eliminate by modelling socioeconomic factors are down to a biological effect of race - they're pretty much saying that race can be used as a proxy for other socioeconomic variables which cannot be directly known.

So on that basis, yeah, people of Chinese ethnicity are at higher risk because they attend wet markets where people eat bats and pangolins!

(Also worth saying here that China is not genetically or culturally homogeneous)

I agree with everything you have written, however we cannot rule out genetics as a variable, simply on the basis that it may be considered in some way vulgar or racist.

[LimSlip]

otolith said:

It does feel a bit like clutching at straws, hoping that it only kills people of another race. And a bit distasteful.

I'm not hoping for any such thing, simply wondering about possible reasons for the disparity in the spread and severity in China and other countries.

otolith said:

If you read that, they are being very cagey about suggesting that the differences they couldn't eliminate by modelling socioeconomic factors are down to a biological effect of race - they're pretty much saying that race can be used as a proxy for other socioeconomic variables which cannot be directly known.

I know almost nothing about the biological aspects of this, but is it not possible to determine genetic susceptibility in a lab rather than just analysing the spread and mortality rate of a disease within a population?

Edited by LimSlip on Friday 21st February 19:52

[anonymous-user]

emperorburger said:

I agree with everything you have written, however we cannot rule out genetics as a variable, simply on the basis that it may be considered in some way vulgar or racist.

There is no 'race genetics' as much as people like to make out. Races of people are vastly diverse, take African for example,this term alone is over 3000 variances in colour and physical difference, yet genetical near enough identical to you and me.

''All humans are 99.9 per cent identical and, of that tiny 0.1 per cent difference, 94 per cent of the variation is among individuals from the same populations and only six per cent between individuals from different populations.''

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northam...

[Narcisus]

emperorburger said:

Seems the sheep found his voice.

lol

[emperorburger]

Thesprucegoose said:

There is no 'race genetics' as much as people like to make out. Races of people are vastly diverse, take African for example,this term alone is over 3000 variances in colour and physical difference, yet genetical near enough identical to you and me.

''All humans are 99.9 per cent identical and, of that tiny 0.1 per cent difference, 94 per cent of the variation is among individuals from the same populations and only six per cent between individuals from different populations.''

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northam...

About 50% of our genetic material is shared with bananas. Sometimes the small differences matter.

[ian in lancs]

Anybody questioned the wisdom of holding the Olympics in Japan in a few months?

[Gregmitchell]

ian in lancs said:

Anybody questioned the wisdom of holding the Olympics in Japan in a few months?

Doubt it will happen if this continues, I read they have insurance which costs them £290mil! The Olympics have never been cancelled apart from.. wait for it...

The 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad, were originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan. They were rescheduled for Helsinki, Finland, to be held from July 20 to August 4, 1940, but were ultimately cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II.

[philv]

emperorburger said:

Thesprucegoose said:

There is no 'race genetics' as much as people like to make out. Races of people are vastly diverse, take African for example,this term alone is over 3000 variances in colour and physical difference, yet genetical near enough identical to you and me.

''All humans are 99.9 per cent identical and, of that tiny 0.1 per cent difference, 94 per cent of the variation is among individuals from the same populations and only six per cent between individuals from different populations.''

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northam...

About 50% of our genetic material is shared with bananas. Sometimes the small differences matter.

I think afro Caribbean men are more likely to get prostrate cancer.
So there is one such case.

[emperorburger]

ian in lancs said:

Anybody questioned the wisdom of holding the Olympics in Japan in a few months?

I reckon Usain Bolt and Kriss Akabusi are glad they retired.

[Vanden Saab]

emperorburger said:

Vanden Saab said:

Caught a cold two days ago, as an old smoker it isn't much fun so having a Chinese tonight to cheer myself up / Kill myself off .

Sweet and sour chicken, Hong Kong style?

How the juddering fk did you know what Mrs VS is eating ... checks room for hidden cameras.... Shredded chilli beef for me...

[Gregmitchell]

1 new cases in the United States in Sacramento County, California. The individual had returned from China on Feb. 2 and has so far shown no symptoms.

19+ days no symptoms.. they're among us lol!

[emperorburger]

Vanden Saab said:

emperorburger said:

Vanden Saab said:

Caught a cold two days ago, as an old smoker it isn't much fun so having a Chinese tonight to cheer myself up / Kill myself off .

Sweet and sour chicken, Hong Kong style?

How the juddering fk did you know what Mrs VS is eating ... checks room for hidden cameras.... Shredded chilli beef for me...

Sweet and sour chicken Hong Kong style always delivers the goods. Shredded chilli beef on the other hand can be often disappointing. Mrs VS is not daft.