Something I've been thinking about a lately. Places with most registered cases seem to be places where tests are more readily available/mandatory and government organized.
Just cause your country's registered case number is low doesn't mean the actual unknown infection count is.
Just cause your country's registered case number is low doesn't mean the actual unknown infection count is.
It's been more than 4 weeks that first cases have been registered in Germany very near my hometown in a company. As a Chinese lady from Wuhan was involved all company employees who were in contact with her were tested and infected quarantined...
But there is really no saying who all those infected got in contact with before being diagnosed, which shops they frequented, with public transport they used. It is very likely that the virus was spreading since weeks in Germany with many people not even realizing they had it.
As it often expresses itself very much like a light common cold.
Yes, people were already bulk buying toilet paper and disinfectant, but Corona until little more than two weeks ago was considered was considered a mainly Italian problem within Europe.
Yes, people were already bulk buying toilet paper and disinfectant, but Corona until little more than two weeks ago was considered was considered a mainly Italian problem within Europe.
To a point where German news questioned politicians a lot if we have to fear 'Italian conditions' any time soon, politicians rejecting that notion strongly.
Now friends from Germany write to me, also in varying states of panic/calm, telling me how now everyone knows at least of one person personally who's infected. And we see a sudden jump in numbers. Well yeah, cause slowly but steadily people are finally getting tested.
Only two weeks ago I watched a German news report about a guy who'd been in a corona affected region & suspected he might have gotten in contact with infected and wanted to be tested, but the government health department told him they couldn't help him to get tested. 2 weeks ago.
Bottom line being, even if it looks like a sudden increase of infections, I find it very likely that the virus has been spreading in many countries for weeks without being recognized as such.
Make tests available and see numbers 'suddenly' skyrocket.
Make tests available and see numbers 'suddenly' skyrocket.
Where do I even want to go with this? What I'm trying to say is, even if you live in a country that has for now closed itself off to foreigners entering and has relatively low infection numbers, you should still mind precautions to avoid getting infected or carrying on the virus.
And with that I don't mean stockpiling toilet paper and pasta. What do you even want with all that toilet paper?
Also no pasta in the world will help you, if you still can't manage to wash your hands regularly and observe basic hygiene rules.
Also no pasta in the world will help you, if you still can't manage to wash your hands regularly and observe basic hygiene rules.
Jeez only two weeks ago I saw some ladies sampling lipstick testers directly on their lips in a German department store 🤢 Not to talk of the countless people who just walk out of public toilets without washing their hands.
If your everyday behavior looks like that, no amount of toilet paper, disinfectant, pasta or canned peach can save you.
Derailing again. What do I want to say.
No, just cause your country's official infection numbers are low doesn't mean you are safe. If your country until recently had international travel it likely means your country just does a bad job at providing large scale testing so far.
No, just cause your country's official infection numbers are low doesn't mean you are safe. If your country until recently had international travel it likely means your country just does a bad job at providing large scale testing so far.
Panic buying random stuff won't help you avoid getting sick.
All it does is making it harder for actual risk groups (elderly and sick) to get disinfectant and force them to spend more time outside hunting down items of basic need like toilet paper increasing their chance to get sick which may be fatal for them.
If you are under 70 and have no pre-existing grave medical conditions all you need to be save is common sense about hygiene and yes, soap, use it, regularly and diligently.
Trying to limit direct social interactions, especially with risk groups, cause again, you could be carrying the virus without knowing it and hand it on to someone who might not be able to fight it off.
This rant comes from me seeing mostly people my age or younger acting as if doomsday is upon them. All healthy young people. Meanwhile my 75 year old mom has to walk all over town to find toilet paper.
Fuck those who panic but who are not even part of the major risk groups and also fuck those who negligently don't heed any recommendations of medical professionals.
This should be a time where we make a concerted effort to protect the weak and elderly, but so many people are showing that they really just care about themselves. Quite sobering to watch.
And also fuck those who are smugly sitting in a 'low infections' country, thinking they are safe now that borders are closed. Sorry, but that would only have helped a long time ago.
