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That's wildly simplistic. There are many other deadly communicable diseases than just COVID, like the average flu for example. COVID is worse than the average

That's wildly simplistic. There are many other deadly communicable diseases than just COVID, like the average flu for example. COVID is worse than the average flu, but not radically worse by SUBJECTIVE OPINION. Why exactly is COVID the HARD LINE for you while the flu is totally ok? Do you not see there is a very large grey zone between: [the regular flu] <---> [hypothetical plaque that kills 50% of everyone] [totally accepted, [totally rejected, society doesn't do society implements anything] extreme measures] As we head towards the right side of the grey zone, you would get very high consensus that extreme measures are worth it. But COVID is much closer to the left side of the grey zone which is why we see much less consensus.

greedo 6y ago
Ah, I didn't think there were still many who believed that there wasn't much difference between the flu and COVID, or was at least willing to expose themselves to ridicule.
- DuskStar 6y ago
  That's not my reading of the grandparent - instead my reading was that COVID was closer to the (normal) flu than to the Spanish Flu, Bubonic Plague, or other such calamities - or at least that many people would feel that way.
  - oblio 6y ago
    The thing is, I've seen quite a few of those death graphs for 2020. Covid isn't the 1919 flu, but it's beaten all other causes of death for 2020 so far, with the whole world trying to stop it. Something that could kill 1-2% of the world's population in 6 months is a calamity!
    - DuskStar 6y ago
      A calamity, but not something that would cause the collapse of civilizations, or meaningfully impact military strength a century ago.
      - oblio 6y ago
        The real issue is that's it's a silent killer. You don't bleed out of your eyes, there's nothing "exciting" about it (say, being an STD), it's not cool television. If an earthquake would kill 1% of the world's population, it would be the event of the century. Instead, here we are, debating Covid's significance and conspiracy theories...
        DuskStar 6y ago
        At the same time, if 1-2% of the planet's population had died over the course of a day, with deaths more common among the old and unheard of in children, it would be in the news for years - but life would have gone on with minimal interruption, and I think it would have been almost entirely forgotten within a few generations. It's only because there's a chance of stopping COVID that everyone cares so much.
        oblio 6y ago
        Among the old, the obese, the smokers, the asthmatics, the diabetics... You're also grossly underestimating the real impact of 1% of the population dying in a short time span.
clouddrover 6y ago
> Why exactly is COVID the HARD LINE for you while the flu is totally ok? The US has had 122,550 COVID deaths so far and daily case numbers are spiking again: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html That figure may well rise to 200,000 deaths by the end of the year. Alameda County (where Tesla's Fremont plant is located) has had more COVID deaths than all of Australia: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/california/ https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/california/

greedo 6y ago

Ah, I didn't think there were still many who believed that there wasn't much difference between the flu and COVID, or was at least willing to expose themselves to ridicule.

DuskStar 6y ago
That's not my reading of the grandparent - instead my reading was that COVID was closer to the (normal) flu than to the Spanish Flu, Bubonic Plague, or other such calamities - or at least that many people would feel that way.
- oblio 6y ago
  The thing is, I've seen quite a few of those death graphs for 2020. Covid isn't the 1919 flu, but it's beaten all other causes of death for 2020 so far, with the whole world trying to stop it. Something that could kill 1-2% of the world's population in 6 months is a calamity!
  - DuskStar 6y ago
    A calamity, but not something that would cause the collapse of civilizations, or meaningfully impact military strength a century ago.
    - oblio 6y ago
      The real issue is that's it's a silent killer. You don't bleed out of your eyes, there's nothing "exciting" about it (say, being an STD), it's not cool television. If an earthquake would kill 1% of the world's population, it would be the event of the century. Instead, here we are, debating Covid's significance and conspiracy theories...
      - DuskStar 6y ago
        At the same time, if 1-2% of the planet's population had died over the course of a day, with deaths more common among the old and unheard of in children, it would be in the news for years - but life would have gone on with minimal interruption, and I think it would have been almost entirely forgotten within a few generations. It's only because there's a chance of stopping COVID that everyone cares so much.
        oblio 6y ago
        Among the old, the obese, the smokers, the asthmatics, the diabetics... You're also grossly underestimating the real impact of 1% of the population dying in a short time span.

clouddrover 6y ago

> Why exactly is COVID the HARD LINE for you while the flu is totally ok? The US has had 122,550 COVID deaths so far and daily case numbers are spiking again: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html That figure may well rise to 200,000 deaths by the end of the year. Alameda County (where Tesla's Fremont plant is located) has had more COVID deaths than all of Australia: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/california/ https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/california/