[Info-vax] [Totally OT] Covid-19, was: Re: Creating an open source version of VMS, was: Re: OpenVMS Hobbyist Notification

[Craig A. Berry]

On 3/16/20 3:03 PM, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote:
> In article <r4ob7f$f11$1 at gioia.aioe.org>, =?UTF-8?Q?Arne_Vajh=c3=b8j?=
> <arne at vajhoej.dk> writes:
> 
>> This is a type of flu virus. It is at least as contagious as
>> ordinary flu virus.
> 
> It seems to be much more.  Also, the death rate is higher.

It is definitely not a flu virus; it is a coronavirus.  It is less
contagious but more lethal than the seasonal flu.  The mortality rate
may be similar to the 1918 flu pandemic.  Then they couldn't do DNA
sequencing of the virus (ever, much less in a matter of weeks), but also
didn't travel as far and as fast as we do.  We also have resources to
support someone who is struggling to breathe that weren't available back
then, but those resources will run out if more than a small percentage
of the population needs them at once.  They already have in Italy and
other places.

>> All the initiatives they are doing are not so much to
>> reduce the number of people that will get it but to reduce
>> the number of people that will get it at the same time.
> 
> Right.

Yes, flatten the curve.  If your life doesn't depend on it, the lives of
many others do.  Practice social isolation (which I figure comes
naturally to most of the geeks here).  If you are well provided for
yourself, buy a gift certificate at a local restaurant so its cash flow
doesn't crater as fast as the stock market did.  Here in the US, where
the social safety net has gigantic holes in it, send money to
organizations that feed people and provide other basic services; *lots*
more people whose livelihoods have mostly evaporated overnight will need
assistance.

There are a lot of resources around.  I've found this one to be one of
the best:

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu