Some coronavirus articles

I've posted some excerpts from recent articles on the coronavirus below. I think the articles are generally consistent what I've been saying in my posts on Triablogue.

If you only read one article, I'd recommend the interview with Dr. Scott Gottlieb. If you read two, the interview with epidemiologist Adam Kucharski is good.

I see at least 4 main groups of experts on the coronavirus pandemic: physicians, epidemiolgists, scientists, public health officials. To simplify, physicians (MD, DO) are knowledgeable about the coronavirus' effects on the human body. Epidemiologists (PhD) are the statisticians and mathematicians who look at the numbers (e.g. case fatality rates). The most relevant scientists (PhD) with the coronavirus would likely be virologists. Public health officials (MPH) help coordinate the response. Of course, there's some overlap in expertise between all these groups. And some people are experts in multiple categories (e.g. MD/PhD, MD/MPH).

1. "I am not scared of Covid-19": Facebook post by infectious disease specialist shared 1.5 million times

   I am not scared of Covid-19...What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic...

2. "Italy Limits Movement in Entire Country in Bid to Halt Coronavirus":

   [Dr. Amesh Adalja:] I think this will be the wrong lesson for the world.

3. "The coronavirus outbreak has left medical supplies in short supply. Is the nation’s emergency stockpile ready to help?":

   The U.S. government has a secretive, $7 billion stash of emergency medical equipment — one that it drew on to respond to the terror attacks of 9/11, to prepare for a subsequent threat of anthrax attacks in 2001, and to help thousands of homes guard against Zika with insecticide...known as the Strategic National Stockpile.

4. "The Coronavirus, by the Numbers":

   The case fatality rate measures the risk that someone who develops symptoms will eventually die from the infection...I’d say on best available data, when we adjust for unreported cases and the various delays involved, we’re probably looking at a fatality risk of probably between maybe 0.5 and 2 percent for people with symptoms.

5. "How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic?":

   What has happened in China shows that quarantine, social distancing, and isolation of infected populations can contain the epidemic.¹ This impact of the COVID-19 response in China is encouraging for the many countries where COVID-19 is beginning to spread. However, it is unclear whether other countries can implement the stringent measures China eventually adopted. Singapore and Hong Kong, both of which had severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemics in 2002–03, provide hope and many lessons to other countries. In both places, COVID-19 has been managed well to date, despite early cases, by early government action and through social distancing measures taken by individuals.

6. "Coronavirus is past containment, but America can limit epidemic: Q&A with former FDA chief":

   I'd recommend reading this entire interview with Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

7. "COVID Airway Management Thoughts":

   Primarily for physicians and other health care workers.

8. "What US Hospitals Should Do Now to Prepare for a COVID-19 Pandemic":

   Primarily for physicians and other health care workers.

9. Keep yourself and those around you safe from the Coronavirus: pic.twitter.com/XHz9BWzxq0

   — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) March 10, 2020