Posts Made By: Brian McFarland

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

I already did. You obviously didn't READ it.

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

Why aren't you here convincing me and the rest of the SANE public who aren't utter hysterics?

Originally Posted by James Brown

"You on the other hand are arguing that the coronavirus is a media-hyped nothing burger"

Anyone else get the impression from Richard's earlier posts that this is exactly what he thinks?

Originally Posted by Brian McFarland

That is exactly what he's been claim.  Now I guess he disagrees - LOL.  You should just let him continue that argument with himself.


BTW, do you have a wine cave?

Originally Posted by James Brown

Ouch. 

See Richard, that was funny!

I have a wine mini fridge - 3 bottles across a rack and about 7 racks tall.  Does that count?  

Lunch break is far over.  Gotta get back at it!

Jim

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

LOL  

I guess you don't read your postings, where every hour of the day you go on a tear telling us how horrible Trump is, bring up things that occurred months ago and rehash them in your angry fits of rage against Trump.

No, I think you have the statement above backwards Forrest, you should apply it to yourself. 

It is much more fitting with you wearing that badge!   

Originally Posted by James Brown

Is this your question: Why is the risk from seasonal flu less than the risk from Covid-19, given that the seasonal flu mutates all the time?

Assuming that is your question, the answer is that the human species and the seasonal flu have co-evolved for thousands of years.  Yes, RNA-based viruses mutate a lot.  This is why we have to develop a new flu shot each year.  Sometimes the vaccinations work, sometimes we miss the target.  It is our fate to be susceptible to colds and flu each year.

In most years the mutations in the seasonal flu are significant enough that you can catch the flu "again" but minor enough that it's R₀ and lethality are about as expected.  So the health care system is not overwhelmed.

Covid-19 is new, it probably came to humans from bats.  We have no evolutionary resistance to this virus, so it is particularly dangerous and therefore can overwhelm the health care system.  The other coronaviruses that cause the common cold have been with us for thousands of years.  Interestingly, the evolutionary pressure on a virus is to make it less lethal.  Because of this, no one dies from a cold, unless they are already very sick I suppose.

New strains of influenza can cross over from animals too, and when they do, it is extremely dangerous.  https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html

In summary, we, as a species, have adapted to certain viruses that have been with us for a long time, like the seasonal flu and the common cold.  These RNA viruses mutate enough that we can catch them over and over again, but natural selection forces evolution of these long-term viruses away from lethality.  New viruses, on the other hand, crossing over from animals to humans for the first time, are extremely dangerous because we have no evolutionary history.  Covid-19 is probably not that dangerous for bats.  

I can link some articles if you like, but I can't personally answer your question any better than this.

Jim

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

Its called I work at home dickhead, building and then I install.    

I don't swing a nail gun.  

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Unbelievable! This captain is looking out for the welfare of his men; he's has sick crew member airlifted off his ship in hopes of preventing spread and saving lives and there's no way his superiors didn't know it when the navy issued a public announcement about it and it was covered by CNN and other sources. What about the "rules" then?
If you can recall, the navy had problems with its warships colliding with merchant vessels a few years ago. One of the captains was hanging out on a pole from his cabin in his underwear while his ship was taking on water. Now, that guy deserved what he got as well as others with similar circumstances. But not the captain of the carrier...

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

I'd like to think that, in his shoes, I'd rather lose my job than my crew.