Even Some Doctors Are Starting to Wonder If the US Response to Coronavirus is an Overreaction

The worldwide attempt to control the recent worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 is an overreaction and a "fiasco in the making.” Scientist John Ioannidis.

In most of the disaster movies we grew up with (think Jaws, for example), the town's politicians ignore the warnings from a scientist that the end is nigh. Making the disaster much worse. It may be politically incorrect. But before we return to the stone age, we need to consider the possibility that the emperor has no clothes.

Some doctors are now saying the Coronavirus pandemic is the reverse actually. An overreaction to a new disease, which is not even all that new. What if the cure (total economic shutdown) causes more harm than the disease?

After all, the common cold is a coronavirus. Influenza and cold develop into pneumonia every year in the US, causing elderly and those with immuno-supressive conditions to suffer and even to die.

This virus is not impacting the young or even the middle aged very much. The death rate is a bit higher than for most annual influenza's. But for every diagnosed case, there are 3 or 4 that are not diagnosed (because the patient is not very ill).

Therefore, the death statistics are far lower than the 3.4% reported out of China.

Italy, which has the worst national problem with the virus, has 150,000 resident Chinese workers. They also have the highest elderly percentage in Europe (23.5% of the Italian population is over 65). Hence, you would expect them to have quite a problem.

So why is the stock market down 2997 points on the Dow today, Monday 3/16? Because we're stuck in our homes for at least 8 weeks, that's why. Restaurants and bars are closed, grocery stores are running out of (a few) highly desired items. In California the Courts are closed, and everyone is running to the ER when they so much as hear someone else sneeze. The world and national air transportation system has ground to a halt.

Let me give you the opposite case, just so you know that I've considered it:

Coronavirus is a shielded virus, meaning it is better protected against the immune system than other viruses.

One concern is how it is transmitted because both animals and humans can get certain types of coronavirus and both animal to human transmission and human to human transmission are possible

This particular coronavirus can spread fast - it was first reported Dec 31 and more than 800 confirmed cases occurred within 3 weeks. The initial cluster of individuals infected at the market where it originated numbered 41 and it has spread to 9 other countries in a short period of time

This coronavirus is a new type, meaning we don't have a lot of information to go on, but it does show some similarity to SARS which had a fatality rate of near 10%, so thinking this one might also have a high fatality rate is not unreasonable

There is no cure and no treatment specific to the virus

This particular type leaves sufferers at high risk for viral pneumonia

All of these items, frankly, have been seen before. What if the politicians are overreacting because they may lose their jobs if they under-react?

Even Dr. Anthony Faucci corrected Pres. Trump at a press conference today, when Trump said that we could be shut at home until August. Dr. Faucci denied that would be the case.

This is not bubonic plague or leprosy. Perhaps we should put a date on it, say April 1, 2020, and go back to situation normal. Declare an end to the "national health emergency." That is, if we're all still here. Which we probably will be.