It has been a strange feeling hearing my possible death openly labelled inconsequential by public figures, commentators and even by some of my friends.

Some remark that coronavirus has "only a 1-4 per cent" fatality rate, while others implore that everyone relax because "most people will only get mild symptoms". 

While these statements are broadly correct, there's a callous confidence that comes with knowing you're part of the 96 per cent who will survive an infection — instead of being among the potential "four-percenters" who might not

Of course their comments are not aimed directly at us, but I cannot help wondering whether they know we're listening.

Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I had it removed and am now enduring four months of chemotherapy to keep me cancer-free.

I'm seven weeks into my treatment and every time I receive a dose of the cancer-killing stuff, it also knocks out part of my immune system.

 

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-15/cancer-chemo-and-coronavirus-dont-be-flippant-with-covid19/12056582

 

We think about all the people in danger of catching the dready virus, including the weakened through other various ailments including cancer — or just being old and fragile... But there is little else we can do but wish you a speedy recovery... We, the oldies are half self-isolating, only going to the shops for essential supplies, without raiding bare the toilet paper rolls and the masks shelves which are already bare in most supermarkets and in Bunnings, our second home away from home, while our other technical support store, Apple, has closed its doors...

 

Get well soon. 

 

MEANWHILE:

 

Anyone arriving in Australia from overseas will to be forced to self-isolate for 14 days, the Prime Minister has announced.

Scott Morrison says the new measure will be in place from midnight (AEDT) as the Federal Government deals with the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Morrison says international cruise ships will also be banned from docking in Australia for 30 days.

 

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-15/coronavirus-covid19-self-isolatio...

Gwen Davis-Goff is such a thrifty traveller, she packs a kettle in her suitcase so she does not have to pay for cups of tea.

Key points:

• Many travellers are confused about what their insurance will cover if they contract the illness overseas
• Consumer group Choice says if you don't already have travel insurance, cover for coronavirus is unlikely
• The Insurance Council of Australia says the only way to be assured of coverage for cancellation, no matter what, is to buy "cancel-for-any-reason" policies

 

But thanks to coronavirus, her upcoming overseas holiday has become far more expensive than she expected.

The 71-year-old has been careful to purchase insurance that would cover her medical costs, should she contract the virus — particularly given she plans to visit the US, where hospital bills can be high.

As a result, she has taken out not one insurance policy, but four. 

"I've had to re-examine it [the trip] really carefully, and make sure there's lots of flexibility in it," she said.

"Together, all of these policies have cost me about $2,000."

...

Initially, Ms Davis-Goff got travel insurance when she used her Bankwest credit card to book the holiday — but she found in the product disclosure statement that she was not covered for infectious disease.

So, she then purchased Woolworths Insurance. But after she bought that policy, Woolworths' underwriters defined the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic.

She discovered epidemic and pandemic-related costs were excluded from the policy, even if the policy was taken out before a pandemic was declared.

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-06/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-insur...

 

A dire situation. Between a rock and a hard place...

While awaiting a vaccine for the coronavirus (about a year away)

The choices are: 
A) continue human activities as if there was no pandemic:
70 per cent of humans would get infected. Say 4 billion people.
Of these, 3 billion become sick.
2 to 4 per cent of these die. Say 80 to 120 million dead — and counting.
Hospitals and health services are unable to cope.
Insurance is useless. 
Government blamed for innaction (for “business as usual”).
Economically, sick people cannot work, travel or be active.
Dead people leave struggling families.
World economy nosedive in free fall.



B) shut down human to human contacts (quarantine and isolation).
World economy goes down the gurgler in a "controlled manner".
Only 5 million people get sick. 100,000 dead.
Economy struggles to recover.
Governments blamed for over-reaction…
Other Pandemics?


GL.

Coronavirus risks in US go beyond getting sick

Many American service-industry workers, nurses and students feel exposed in the face of their precarious situations and the US government's bungled response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been called "a failure."

Over 25 million people in the US don't have health insurance. Amanda [name changed: Eds.] is one of them. The young woman lives in Texas and works in the warehouse of a mattress company.

"It’s sad to say but it's not a shocking position to be in. I've been in many positions as precarious as this one." Employees like her get three days of sick leave over the course of a whole year; only two are paid. "I can't afford to stay home, I can't afford to see the doctor."

A simple doctor's visit can quickly cost a couple of hundred dollars. Sheldon Riddle, who lives in Ohio, couldn't afford to see a doctor when he got the flu followed by pneumonia. This was ten years ago but he remembers it well.

He was working at a call center. About 50 employees shared a small space. There was no sick leave, and nobody was allowed to stay home if they were feeling sick, unless they had a note from a doctor.

"With no insurance, that meant going to the emergency room or an urgent care [center] and spending hundreds of dollars we couldn't afford," Riddle said. As a result, he became so sick that only a surgery saved his life. His heart was permanently damaged.

The spread of the coronavirus is making him feel anxious. He is avoiding stores, because of his compromised immune system. "I just refilled all my prescriptions today. Picked them up at a drive-thru pharmacy. I've yet to shop for food. I've cut back to eating one meal a day, and I pick that up at a drive-thru as well."

 

 

 

Read more:

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-risks-in-us-go-beyond-getting-sick/a-5...

 

 

Read from top.

Summary

1. New York City and Los Angeles shut down bars, restaurants and other public places
2. MGM resorts closes casinos and hotels in Las Vegas "until further notice"
3. Germany reintroduced checks with five countries at 07:00 GMT
4. People "without a significant reason to travel" will not be allowed to pass
5. Only four new local cases reported in China, rest from overseas
6. South Africa closes borders to people from China, US, UK, and elsewhere
7. US Federal Reserve chairman cuts rates and says virus is having "profound" impact
8. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders "elbow bump" rather than shake hands in debate
9. US authorities advise against gatherings of more than 50 people
10. Indian film industry stops shooting until end of March

The Trump administration is planning to send $US1,000 ($1,670) cheques to Americans as part of a $US1 trillion ($1.7 trillion) stimulus package to bolster an economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key points:

• The cheques are planned to be sent within the next two weeks
• Airlines have asked for urgent tax relief to avoid multiple bankruptcies
• New York Mayor to decide within days whether to order people to stay home

 

It comes as New York, the most populous US city, was considering whether it should order people to stay at home except in emergencies or shopping for essentials, an order already imposed by San Francisco.

With the number of reported COVID-19 cases surging past 5,800 and deaths approaching 100 in the US, millions of Americans have hunkered down in their homes as New York and other major cities escalated "social distancing" policies by closing schools, bars, restaurants and theatres.

 

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-18/trump-wants-to-send-americans-che...

 

Note: Ben Hur the movies have been remade and remade and remade, bigger and bigger... Meanwhile the Aussie dollar is tanking...

 

Read from top

 

See also: silent music... in the last supper before moving to cyber-nights...

 

I can see the next cartoon... in the gates of hell in a coronavirus epoch...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCkWzr1o4EU

 

Read from top.

 

 

Meanwhile:

 

 

The global death toll from the coronavirus infection has topped 1.612 million, over 72.2 million cases of the infection have been detected, and over 46.8 million have recovered, according to Baltimore, Maryland's Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from national and local authorities, the media and other sources.

The United States, India and Brazil lead in terms of the number of registered coronavirus infections, while the largest number of COVID-19-related deaths has been observed in the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The United States recorded a total of 219,510 new cases on Sunday, down from Saturday's record high of over 231,000 cases. A total of 2,368 patients reportedly died on Sunday.

In Brazil, Sunday's tally was 43,900, down from Saturday's 53,000; 686 patients died in one day.

India recorded 30,254 new infections, around the same as the day before, and 391 patients died.

 

 

Read more:

https://sputniknews.com/world/202012141081449566-live-updates-germany-reports-16362-new-covid-19-cases/