News Expect closure of Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland to impact Walt Disney World

[LSLS]

Call me naive but I suspect Japan and China didn't close schools nationwide because of hype and fearmongering by tabloid newspaper editors.

We also had schools close down in our area (in the United States) due to the flu this year. I'm not saying this isn't something to be aware of and treat as quite serious if you have immune issues, but the treatment that this is the next Black Death has become quite ridiculous.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The point you seem to be missing is, the regular flu we all face year in and year out has much more significant numbers globally even deaths than the Corona virus. The reason for the panic is the sudden non-stop noise from the news covering this and making it seem like ebola.

It is a flu virus, one we are not known of, and it has had significant impact on some, but it is NOT the end of the world.

As for the Market, you have other issues than just news, some industry is greatly effected by Chinese businesses being closed and not getting the materials we need

The flu is caused by influenza viruses, not coronaviruses. While the absolute number of people who get the flu each year is higher, the concern is over the higher percentage who require hospitalization and die.

 

[Lilofan]

The point you seem to be missing is, the regular flu we all face year in and year out has much more significant numbers globally even deaths than the Corona virus. The reason for the panic is the sudden non-stop noise from the news covering this and making it seem like ebola.

It is a flu virus, one we are not known of, and it has had significant impact on some, but it is NOT the end of the world.

As for the Market, you have other issues than just news, some industry is greatly effected by Chinese businesses being closed and not getting the materials we need

That's right, China an important trading and travel partner for many countries including USA is greatly impacted with the coronavirus being a big factor. The stock market is heavily impacted on coronavirus fears and impacts not that our economy is bad, it's actually doing well, but many invested in markets including their life savings are panic selling and making lots of investors, pension funds, invested in world wide stock markets not so wealthy at this present time. And in any situation like this, discretionary spending like leisure travel is heavily impacted and people think twice in taking that next vacation, fixing up their house, buying that car, going to eat out...

 

[ImperfectPixie]

That's right, China an important trading and travel partner for many countries including USA is greatly impacted with the coronavirus being a big factor. The stock market is heavily impacted on coronavirus fears and impacts not that our economy is bad, it's actually doing well, but many invested in markets including their life savings are panic selling and making lots of investors not so wealthy at this present time. And in any situation like this, discretionary spending like leisure travel is heavily impacted.

The panic selling makes my head explode.

 

[Touchdown]

Here’s my semi educated, non expert advise: this virus is going worldwide and there is nothing we can do to stop it. It’s spread too far, there is no turning back. Quarantines are designed to try and contain infections to prevent spreading, and has been proven all over the world due to certain characteristics of this virus (asymptomatic spread, long latency, lots of carriers with minor symptoms) this has failed.

This is not surprising coronaviruses, are in a family of viruses that cause “the common cold” we haven’t been able to eradicate them yet, they come back every year. The reason that COVID is more deadly is because it is different enough from other coronaviruses that our immune system hasn’t experienced it before and this takes longer to build up immunity to it (I won’t go into the second infection issues as they are yet unproven to occur, and also too complex.) I suspect with time our bodies will learn to deal with this virus better.

However, the quarantine has not worked, and since it hasn’t worked there is likely no need for it to continue much longer, once this has spread to most of the world quarantines will be abandoned. What we should focus on as a society is this:

-Practice good hand washing techniques, this is the best way to prevent spread of the virus

-Stop going to work and other places sick, if you develop symptoms stay at home and try to avoid infecting others and drink plenty of fluids. If you start getting short of breath, dizzy, confused or can’t keep food or water down go to the hospital.

-Elderly people, people with many chronic disease or those with abnormal immune systems need to be especially careful, you’re at higher risk of dying.

-Here’s the tough one, mortality is 2%, that means for every 100 people who get it 2 will die. That is not an insignificant number and is going to be difficult to accept. However, this is not a high enough number to grind the economy to a hault. Pray that soon this virus goes dormant because of spring, most coronaviruses do. That may give our researchers enough time to find a vaccine or discover an antiviral regimen that blunts the symptoms.

Finally, if the news out of California today is true and we have a person who has not traveled to affected areas, nor been in close contact with someone who has, that means it’s already in the US and will begin rapidly spreading in the next few weeks. Let’s hope they overlooked a close connection.

 

[DisneyCane]

The panic selling makes my head explode.

Agree. I can understand the initial sell off when "investors" determined what the impact was likely to be to the worldwide economy. What doesn't make sense is what made the predicament any worse yesterday then it was on Tuesday? The news is essentially the same thing. If it had dropped 1800 points on Tuesday it would make a little more "fundamental sense" but to have the huge drop one day after another on the same news makes no sense and is just the result of panic.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I have two school districts closed the last two days in my area due to common flu. Your point?

I think you made it.

 

[Lilofan]

Agree. I can understand the initial sell off when "investors" determined what the impact was likely to be to the worldwide economy. What doesn't make sense is what made the predicament any worse yesterday then it was on Tuesday? The news is essentially the same thing. If it had dropped 1800 points on Tuesday it would make a little more "fundamental sense" but to have the huge drop one day after another on the same news makes no sense and is just the result of panic.

I can tell you many I know that have lost quite a bit of $$ in the market in the last week are reconsidering future leisure travel during the next year. There are no winners.

 

[DisneyCane]

Here’s my semi educated, non expert advise: this virus is going worldwide and there is nothing we can do to stop it. It’s spread too far, there is no turning back. Quarantines are designed to try and contain infections to prevent spreading, and has been proven all over the world due to certain characteristics of this virus (asymptomatic spread, long latency, lots of carriers with minor symptoms) this has failed.

This is not surprising coronaviruses, are in a family of viruses that cause “the common cold” we haven’t been able to eradicate them yet, they come back every year. The reason that COVID is more deadly is because it is different enough from other coronaviruses that our immune system hasn’t experienced it before and this takes longer to build up immunity to it (I won’t go into the second infection issues as they are yet unproven to occur, and also too complex.) I suspect with time our bodies will learn to deal with this virus better.

However, the quarantine has not worked, and since it hasn’t worked there is likely no need for it to continue much longer, once this has spread to most of the world quarantines will be abandoned. What we should focus on as a society is this:

-Practice good hand washing techniques, this is the best way to prevent spread of the virus

-Stop going to work and other places sick, if you develop symptoms stay at home and try to avoid infecting others and drink plenty of fluids. If you start getting short of breath, dizzy, confused or can’t keep food or water down go to the hospital.

-Elderly people, people with many chronic disease or those with abnormal immune systems need to be especially careful, you’re at higher risk of dying.

-Here’s the tough one, mortality is 2%, that means for every 100 people who get it 2 will die. That is not an insignificant number and is going to be difficult to accept. However, this is not a high enough number to grind the economy to a hault. Pray that soon this virus goes dormant because of spring, most coronaviruses do. That may give our researchers enough time to find a vaccine or discover an antiviral regimen that blunts the symptoms.

Finally, if the news out of California today is true and we have a person who has not traveled to affected areas, nor been in close contact with someone who has, that means it’s already in the US and will begin rapidly spreading in the next few weeks. Let’s hope they overlooked a close connection.

Regarding the mortality rate, I think that is still in question. Once they discovered people having asymptomatic or mild illness from the virus, it became highly likely that there are many more people infected then were confirmed.

The other important note is that they are reporting total infections in the headlines. They are not widely reporting the number of people that have recovered. Therefore, it seems like at some point half the population is going to be walking around infected because the number is always increasing. If you subtract the recoveries then around 60% of the headline number is actively ill.

As a crazy germaphobe, I wish that people would follow your advice in general even with the common cold. A lot fewer people would get sick every year if people don't go to work when sick, sneeze and cough into their elbow and wash their hands frequently and properly.

 

[marni1971]

Finally, if the news out of California today is true and we have a person who has not traveled to affected areas, nor been in close contact with someone who has, that means it’s already in the US and will begin rapidly spreading in the next few weeks. Let’s hope they overlooked a close connection.

It’s almost a certain it’s in the US already. It’s been revealed it is eight miles from where I live in the UK. Panic time? No.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

A lot fewer people would get sick every year if people don't go to work when sick

Tell that to people's bosses.

 

[Touchdown]

Tell that to people's bosses.

This is very much a US cultural issue and we need to change.

 

[marni1971]

This is very much a US cultural issue and we need to change.

That and tipping.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Tell that to people's bosses.

Proof that bosses can be idiots. If I recall correctly overall productivity increased during the 2009 “swine flu” pandemic because so many company and institutions instituted new rules that made it easier for people to stay home when sick.

 

[Lilofan]

This is very much a US cultural issue and we need to change.

In the USA we live to work, stress, work, repeat. . In my travels to Central and South America where it's party central whether one is rich or mostly poor, it's a work to live approach or don't work at all.

 

[DisneyCane]

This is very much a US cultural issue and we need to change.

Agree. I'm pretty sure overall productivity would be higher if people weren't spreading illness in the workplace. You might be there but if you are ill then you aren't going to perform nearly as well. It's hard for small businesses that don't have many employees. Somebody needs to come up with a fill in workforce for small businesses that can temporarily replace sick employees.

 

[Missing20K]

It is? Not to my knowledge if you look at the numbers of both

No clue, just figured I would throw in my incredibly uninformed and uneducated opinion in with the rest.

 

[WDW Pro]

This is very much a US cultural issue and we need to change.

Unfortunately it's an issue of global mass media in which getting eyes to see you generates money. Thus, hysteria is big revenue. Is this disease a problem? Yes. Does it pose a significant threat to individuals with high risks to pulmonary disease? Yes. Is it the apocalypse? No. But if the media and the political hacks whip everyone into a frenzy, it could unnecessarily push all of us into a massive recession and a disruption of economies to the point we're struggling to keep supplies moving. Essentially, the globe is facing a new, highly contagious flu with potentially more serious symptoms that came out of China... but we're also facing a potential mass panic that exponentially increases hardship without any benefit.

 

[Jrn14]

They were talking about how Americans are expected to go to work sick

 

[Touchdown]

They were talking about how Americans are expected to go to work sick

yes, see my much longer post a few posts up. This isn’t the media hyping things though. The reaction China has had to this virus is the issue. The hype would decrease significantly if China reopened its businesses.