Wuhan virus.

[Gal2]

Thing is, why now? If this is the Chinese culture, and they have been practising it for ever, why has this happened now?

I read somewhere that they want to bring down the West, and are targeting Trump's regime in order to do so. How is Wuhan's centre back to normal, no cases recorded in Beijing (contained?) and other major Chinese cities. Yet it's everywhere in Europe and USA, nothing in Russia (close relations to China) and Korea. Apologies if my facts are not exact, I read this late last night and scared myself silly.

[Workingman]

I have seen that. Gal, but I don't have an answer. However, I do wonder why China would purposefully destroy 70%+ of its export markets, especially those in high value goods. What does it benefit from a global recession / depression?

When it comes to its lockdown of cities, that is easier. It is one of the few countries on earth that can tell its citizens what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Do not comply and you go to meet your maker, possibly with a few family members to keep you company.

[victor]

Read --The Eyes of Darkness written by Dean Koontz 1981

[Suff]

This is not the first time China has been through this. SARS, MERS, they've been through it.

South Korea also enacted massive checking and restrictions. Virtually stopping the virus in its tracks. They were also pretty badly hit by SARS and MERS. So they changed the laws and made it easier to track and manage the virus.

I think most of the confusion about China is around the fact that their own internal bureaucracy is geared to tell central government what they want to hear and not necessarily the truth.

This led to delay and confusion. When central government got a feeling for the reality of the problem they acted. FAST.

I'm not saying they wouldn't lie if they thought they could get away with it. More that they are all lying to themselves internally. Witness the strong communication that went around China in the last week telling the local authorities that a second infection was likely and that they had to report it immediately. That the consequences of trying to hide it would be severe.

What we see now is that the so called "free" world is totally unsuited to managing a virus outbreak of this kind. The US is experiencing infection rates multiple times higher than was ever seen in China.

[Suff]

If anyone needs a reason to understand just how dangerous this virus is, this is it.

Country __Cases____new in one day__Deaths_New deaths__First Case
USA_____123,313___+19,187_________2,211_______+515_____Jan_20

Just short of 20,000 in one day in one country. 66,000 new cases world wide in one day. It was only a few weeks ago that 80,000 was a number China would reach and the new cases per day were under 4,000.

Worse is that lockdown will not change any of this for the next 2-3 weeks. Except, maybe, in Italy and Spain.

[medsec222]

I wonder how long the Chinese government knew about this outbreak before they informed the World Health Organisation. It struck me how well-prepared the Chinese were with apparently no shortage of heavy duty protective equipment and testing kits while other countries seemed to struggle to get the equipment necessary to protect their own front line staff. Perhaps there is more to come out about the time span.

[cromwell]

They were probably prepared because of SARS and the various other flue thingies that have come from China Meds. I think what Suff said re the local government in China lying to the national government in China was probably right. They might have been covering up for a while.
It has just played hell with the rest of the world.

[TheOstrich]

The Daily Mail is saying that Government sources are calling for a "reckoning" with China when this is all over, and that the Chinese risk becoming a pariah state. In an ideal world, yes, but I can't see it happening.

[Workingman]

Maybe not quite a pariah state, but if what is coming out of Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and other places about sub-standard and faulty PPE and ventilators is true then there might be a BIG rethink about Chinese products and value for money.

The invoice cost might be tempting. but when the long-term replacement and / or repair costs are taken into account are they really worth it?

[medsec222]

You get what you pay for springs to mind. I hope the Government has a re-think about 5G.