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Anyone concerned with individual rights should be concerned at the government responses. H1N1 caused 10K+ deaths and infected tens of millions in the US, and w

Anyone concerned with individual rights should be concerned at the government responses. H1N1 caused 10K+ deaths and infected tens of millions in the US, and we had nothing even remotely approximating this response. This is not to say that we shouldn't be concerned and diligent in our efforts at containment, but that we should also be concerned and diligent about our liberty. Right now I see a lot of emphasis on the former and almost none on the latter, and anyone who voices concerns is labeled a crackpot or worse.

rovolo 7y ago
The 10K+ deaths is over the entire course of H1N1/09. The US had ~4K deaths from 2009-04 to 2009-10 [1]. Italy has had 3K deaths in just 2020-03 [2]. You can't directly compare the early state of COVID-19 to the end state of H1N1/09. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/estimates/April_February_13.htm https://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/estimates/April_February_13.htm [2] http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/media-communication/press-release/detail/-/asset_publisher/default/content/coronavirus-sono-28-710-i-positivi http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/media-communication/press...
tunesmith 7y ago
I just googled that H1N1 had a fatality rate of 0.02% . Current estimates are that covid is 50x more deadly.
SpicyLemonZest 7y ago
I think emphasis on the former is appropriate because the current measures are reasonably limited to the traditional scope of government disaster relief. Anti-gouging provisions, retooling factories to more socially useful goods, weeks-long shelter in place orders: all of these things regularly happen in response to disasters, although typically not simultaneously everywhere. I see some people talking about "oh, you know, we'll just have to ban social gatherings until 2021". If that happens - if the official conversation in a few weeks is about extending emergency measures rather than safe strategies for reopening bars - I expect people will get a lot more concerned and diligent.
akvadrako 7y ago
Not even H1N1 - annually about 500K people die of the flu and we don't even consider panic.

rovolo 7y ago

The 10K+ deaths is over the entire course of H1N1/09. The US had ~4K deaths from 2009-04 to 2009-10 [1]. Italy has had 3K deaths in just 2020-03 [2]. You can't directly compare the early state of COVID-19 to the end state of H1N1/09. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/estimates/April_February_13.htm https://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/estimates/April_February_13.htm [2] http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/media-communication/press-release/detail/-/asset_publisher/default/content/coronavirus-sono-28-710-i-positivi http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/media-communication/press...

tunesmith 7y ago

I just googled that H1N1 had a fatality rate of 0.02% . Current estimates are that covid is 50x more deadly.

SpicyLemonZest 7y ago

I think emphasis on the former is appropriate because the current measures are reasonably limited to the traditional scope of government disaster relief. Anti-gouging provisions, retooling factories to more socially useful goods, weeks-long shelter in place orders: all of these things regularly happen in response to disasters, although typically not simultaneously everywhere. I see some people talking about "oh, you know, we'll just have to ban social gatherings until 2021". If that happens - if the official conversation in a few weeks is about extending emergency measures rather than safe strategies for reopening bars - I expect people will get a lot more concerned and diligent.

akvadrako 7y ago

Not even H1N1 - annually about 500K people die of the flu and we don't even consider panic.