Thread by @SeanSilcoff

Long thread about the coronavirus. An old friend has been visiting Canada from Hong Kong, which has largely contained the outbreak. She asked me to share these observations with Canadians on her behalf.  She does not wish to be identified. The following are her words: 1/36

Friends and family, I want to share my experience with you all in hope that it can help reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus. I grew up in Ottawa and have lived in Hong Kong for the past 25 years. 2/34

In 2003, my husband and I went through the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. It was a very scary and difficult period. It seemed like everyone knew someone who had the illness. Some people had permanent health damage. Some people did not make it all. 3/34

Because the death rate for SARS was significantly higher, the Hong Kong people were very serious in taking preventative measures to avoid contracting the disease. And they have learned from this experience 4/34

As soon as the Covid-19 breakout began, people in Hong Kong IMMEDIATELY took the same precautions as during SARS. There was a mad rush to buy face masks, hand sanitizers and any kind of disinfectant that people could find. 5/34

Schools closed, government offices and facilities closed, those who can worked from home. People washed their clothes and showered immediately when they got home. People stopped eating out, stopped shopping and having public gatherings. 6/34

Whenever there was a need for face to face interaction, face masks were always worn. This included while taking public transportation, grocery shopping and any kind of necessary appointments. 7/34

My husband works for a government utility in Hong Kong. As soon as the Covid-19 virus was announced, his workplace immediately put its emergency action plan into action 8/34

All departments were divided into two sections with separate floors & separate lifts. NO CONTACT was allowed between these groups. 9/34

The reason was that if anyone in the team became infected, that affected half of the team would be immediately quarantined. But that would leave the other half of the team to continue functioning. 10/34

In addition the elevators were segregated by floors. Each floor was only allowed to use one specific elevator. Therefore in case of infections, infected people could be quickly isolated and traced. 11/34

Face masks and hand sanitizers were provided to employees every day. Almost all meetings were virtual. Necessary face to face meetings happened with everyone wearing masks and seated at a substantial distance from one another 12/34

As a result, after two months Hong Kong only has ~ 150 cases of Covid-19 and 4 deaths (mostly elderly and those with chronic illness). That's 19.9 cases per 1 million people. The rate in South Korea, which also acted quickly, is 159. In Italy, it's over 400. 13/34

In Hong Kong, most infections can be clearly traced and identified. There is a daily update on affected areas so the public can avoid these places. Hong Kong has designated isolation centres for high risk people, including for those returning from abroad. 14/34

At the moment the hospitals seem to have adequate tests, facilities and manpower to help those in need. This is the case in Hong Kong. Now let's talk about Canada.15/34

I have been in Ottawa since the end of January and will be returning to Hong Kong this week. Borders around the world are closing and I need to return home to my immediate family.16/34

I am worried for my friends and family here in Canada because of what I see and hear on the news. I worry that people here are not taking the virus seriously enough. 17/34

Although Covid-19 is less deadly than SARS it is much more contagious. That means a lot more people will become infected. A minority of them will require ventilators and hospital care, but the absolute numbers could be large. 18/34

The virus spreads exponentially - each infected person is passing it on to an average of more than two others. Therefore it is critical that we stop the spread when the numbers are relatively low. 19/34

The more people that are infected, the more strain there will be on the healthcare system. This will ultimately put pressure on hospitals and medical care workers. 20/34

This will result in them not having enough manpower and resources to help all those in need. I worry that there will be a time when doctors have to choose who to help because of lack of resources. This is what is happening in Italy. 21/34

I don't understand why the government and doctors say that wearing a mask does not help. It is already medically proven that people can spread the virus even when they don't show the symptoms. 22/34

So people may be spreading the virus when they feel healthy and then others will get sick a few days later. Although masks may not be available the media and government should not say they are not helpful. This downplays the severity of the situation. 23/34

It does not help that until recently members of parliament were still having meetings sitting closely together and not wearing face masks. These are Canada's key decision makers, all gathered together. What kind of message does this send to the public? 24/34

Because of public stigma, some people are afraid of wearing masks in public or being overly conscious about social distancing. These acts should be encouraged to keep the community healthy and safe. Instead people fear being ridiculed. 25/34

My mom has an eye doctor appointment in April. She asked me what to do because she was afraid of the backlash if she wore a mask to the clinic, that people would avoid her like the plague. 26/34

There is something seriously wrong and deadly with this type of attitude. 27/34

I understand some people may feel that wearing a mask won't help. Perhaps they don't know how to wear them properly and they become ineffective, perhaps it may generate unnecessary panic or drain resources that should be directed to health care workers. 28/34

These are valid concerns. Wearing a mask is not a solution but it need not be shunned. It is one of many steps that can be taken to help reduce the rate of infection. If everyone takes more precautions, the pandemic would become more manageable. Every bit helps.29/34

At the moment, the infection rate in Canada is probably higher than reported b/c there aren't enough tests to go around. Just because you don't test doesn't mean you don't have it.
I think the recent actions by governments to close schools and facilities and...30/34

...asking Canadians to return from abroad have woken up the public up the seriousness of Covid-19. However, I worry that in the next few weeks, the infection rates will spike. I worry if the hospitals can deal with the rising cases. 31/34

If there is a shortage of hospital beds, ventilators and medical equipment, there is only so much doctors can do. They will have to make the decision about who lives and who dies.  I do not want to see this happen.
So I urge everyone to please take the situation seriously. 32/34

Wear masks if you feel comfortable with them, keep your hands clean, keep your house clean, wash your clothes and have a shower when you get home everyday. Talk to your children and teach them how to protect themselves. Practice social distancing whenever possible. 33/34

Cancel the vacation, the party, don't have a drink w/friends for now. Stay home, stay safe. Take precautions even if you're low risk. You can't be overly cautious. It's about protecting yourself, your family, your community and country. We're in this together. 34/34