Two Epidemiologists Debate Our Response to SARS-CoV-2

I hear that Australia has had 24 deaths and that they have shut down all travel from one state to another.

It is hard to know what to believe. Some are saying that 1 1/2 million will die (probably true), CDC is saying up to 200,000, and others are saying less than 100,000. Gov. DeWine of Ohio said that Ohio probably will be on lockdown until the end of May.

 

Yes. Interstate travel has stopped. We have 5000 confirmed cases and 25 deaths now, mostly in elderly patients in nursing homes or returned travellers. But we have had encouraging results in the last week with the number of cases per day in NSW going down almost every day, while the cases across the country are leveling out.

Our physical distancing measures are working, at least for now. It has been difficult for many people and businesses but the different levels of government I think have done a good job of communicating the reasons effectively and getting people to buy in early, before things could get out of hand. There were some areas that were still not taking things seriously leading to a mini outbreak around the Bondi Beach region but the local government and health authorities are cracking down hard in the region in terms of restricting public gatherings, closing beaches and aggressive testing to get things under control.

 

I know that Australians and Canadians don't know it but we have more freedoms here in the USA. And the UK is just too European in their lack of freedoms. Of all the colonies, it looks as if the USA is the only one with a Bill of Rights that exceeds the rights of the mother country.

On the medical issue, I should think that the small population in the large area would work very much in the favor of Australia or are your cities jammed up like sardines in a tin can like New York City?

 

You're welcome, vato.