> I really don't get why people get so worried about this. The virus has overwhelmed the healthcare system in multiple places (Hubei, Iran). Hospitals operate

> I really don't get why people get so worried about this. The virus has overwhelmed the healthcare system in multiple places (Hubei, Iran). Hospitals operate at or near capacity (empty beds don't make money), and do not have the resources to handle a 4-5x uptick in flu patients. The mortality rate is strikingly different with and without quality medical care. You can see there is a stark difference in the mortality rate within Hubei (previously 4-5%) vs rest of China (0.4%). The mortality rate in Hubei has gone down in recent weeks (to 2.9%) as China has moved thousands of doctors/medical staff to the area and built tens of thousands of patient beds. > Besides, symptoms are mild for most people. This is an extremely deceptive talking point the media has been promoting. The WHO reports 80+% of cases have been mild or asymptomatic, but 14% have been serious and 5% severe [1]. As the virus is projected to infect billions of people this year, that would lead to tens of millions of serious cases, of which many would die due to lack of medical resources. I would strongly recommend reading this article by an Australian professor explaining why the Australian medical system will be overwhelmed in the coming pandemic. It applies to most other western countries as well. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/28/australian-doctors-warn-of-overwhelmed-public-health-system-in-event-of-coronavirus-pandemic https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/28/australian-doc... [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/world/asia/coronavirus-treament-recovery.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/world/asia/coronavirus-tr...