Apparently, novelle coronavirus, or NCV-19 or 2019-new corona virus are all now unacceptable, and the official, non-racist, non-partisan, non-chauvinist name is “COVID-19). I still like the nickname Beer Flu coined by a relative.
Anyway, as I read and hear the news, including that from various alternative and libertarian websites and course, I see the panic ramping up.
That is, of course, to be expected. Not only is this a matter of “never let a crisis go to waste” and “seize the opportunity.” It is also a product of the years of warning and the natural human urge to make everything into a conspiracy.
That said, I just received these two posters from my contacts in the emergency response community:
You can download the full size at this link.
I have been unable to locate this chart newer than Thursday the 13th, but it seems to be accelerating. The result, at least in some Chinese cities, is this: morgues filled to overflowing with bodybags.
More directly, (altthough indirect in its action) we here in the Fifty States are going to be hit hard economically. Although the WaPo has analyzed this (you can see a reposting at the Nation Thailand website without having a WaPo subscription), libertarian and anarchist outlets, including Laissez Faire, are saying much the same thing. Except when they are more dire in pointing out the opportunities for China and other governments (including the FedGov here in the Fifty States) to put the screws on people more and more.
Are we panicking too much? Probably. But preparation and prevention are still necessary. Not just medical, but economic and social. And better to prepare too much and not enough.
The Price of Liberty 
The situation seems to be getting worse.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/shocking-video-shows-people-street-being-rounded-wuhan-begins-wartime-measures
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That sudden jump was when China changed their reporting criteria. Previously, they reported cases confirmed by testing. Then they shifted to those diagnosed by symptoms. COVID-19-specific testing is costly and time consuming, so the numbers grew comparatively slowly. Clinical diagnosis reporting simply added a bunch of victims were going to be slowly reported later as tests came back from the lab.
Johns Hopkins has a pretty good COVID-19 tracking tool.
https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
After that one reporting jump, new cases seem to be leveling out.
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Hmm. Let me clarify: China’s reporting of new cases seems to be leveling out. Take that for what it may be worth.
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Understand what you mean. As Tom points out, this is still a very minor blip compared to normal wintertime deaths, but China’s honesty (always in question) seems to be lacking. Even more than that of the FedGov.
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This will give the US government their chance to impose Martial Law, lock down the major cities and limit the use and carrying of weapons by the civilians.
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So far this flu season, influenza has killed about 10 times as many people in America as the coronavirus has killed worldwide.
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Saying that “influenza has killed about 10 times as many people in America as the coronavirus has killed worldwide,” is about as useful as saying, “apples are about 10 times as popular as oranges.” Get informed or keep your useless statements to yourself.
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I think that Tom raises a valid point, Maggie. Why are we not in a panic over “regular” flu deaths? Or over automobile deaths? Or deaths from cancer? Because these are familiar ways to die. And because the media is not hyperventilating over them, and governments (local, especially) are not reacting hysterically to them. Even the death toll from drug overdoses (67,000+ in the Fifty States in 2018, last year data is available) has not generated the angst and hyper reaction that this is causing.
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