Don't sneeze. Coronavirus is a threat to oil markets and global economies

[Gerry Maddoux + 3,627]

It's an old article. There have been some since, obviously, though who's really looking.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases

Volume 25, August 2014, Pages 65-72

 

Review

Major emerging and re-emerging zoonoses in China: a matter of global health and socioeconomic development for 1.3 billion

Author links open overlay panelQuanLiu^abLiliCao^bcXing-QuanZhu^a

Show more

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2014.04.003Get rights and content

Under a Creative Commons license

open access

   

 

Summary

Emerging and re-emerging zoonoses are a significant public health concern and cause considerable socioeconomic problems globally. The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, avian influenza H7N9, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), and the re-emergence of rabies, brucellosis, and other zoonoses have had a significant effect on the national economy and public health in China, and have affected other countries.

[Gerry Maddoux + 3,627]

Another pretty balanced view. But it's probably racist, being from India and all:

Explained: Why China has emerged as the epicentre of global outbreaks of disease

With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and 50% of the world’s livestock, China’s ecology poses a risk for emerging, re-emerging, and novel diseases that could threaten China and the rest of the world.

• 
• 
• 

Written by Abantika Ghosh | New Delhi | Updated: January 30, 2020 9:29:07 am

 

Paramilitary officers wearing face masks stand guard at the Tiananmen Gate, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China January 27, 2020. (Reuters Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Several deadly new viruses in recent years have emerged in China — Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bird flu, and now the novel coronavirus (nCOV). The reason could lie in the busy food markets dotting cities across the country — where fruits, vegetables, hairy crabs and butchered meat are often sold next to bamboo rats, snakes, turtles, and palm civets. Closely packed stalls in busy marketplaces, the Chinese taste for exotic meats, and the high population density of cities create the conditions for the spread of zoonotic infections, experts say.

Zoonotic infections

The relationship between zoonotic pathogens — those of animal origin — and global pandemics is not new. The Justinian Plague (541-542 AD), the Black Death (which started in Europe in 1347), yellow fever in South America in the 16th century, the global influenza pandemic in 1918, and modern pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and triple-reassortant A H1N1 influenza have one thing in common: the causal organisms came to humans from animals.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally, about a billion cases of illness and millions of deaths occur every year from zoonoses, i.e, diseases and infections naturally transmitted between people and vertebrate animals. Some 60% of emerging infectious diseases globally are zoonoses. Of the over 30 new human pathogens detected over the last three decades, 75% originated in animals.

Animal markets everywhere…

“Wherever there is close mixing of humans and animals, especially the unregulated handling of blood and other body products, as happens for example in China’s animal markets, there are greater chances of transmission of a virus from animals to humans, and its mutation to adapt to the human body,” a senior WHO functionary told The Indian Express from Geneva.

It isn’t just China, the official said. “It has happened wherever in the world there is unregulated mixing of humans and animals, either wild or domesticated.” The official referred to the Ebola outbreak in Africa: “There it was wild chimpanzees who had the disease. It came into humans after these were killed and consumed. Animal markets are breeding grounds because there is free interchange of pathogens between species and mutations.”

 Workers package medical masks in a factory in Nantong in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (AP/PTI Photo)

…And especially in China

Dr K S Reddy, former professor of AIIMS and president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) noted that the majority of new outbreaks and pandemic threats over the past five decades had arisen from microbes transmitted from animals to humans, either directly or through another animal reservoir host.

“Proximity to animals grows from wild food markets and captive animal breeding, with deforestation creating a conveyor belt for viruses and vectors to move from wildlife to captive animals, and from them to humans. The wild food markets in China offer both a mix of many animals which harbour deadly viruses, and an opportunity to transmit with ease to crowds of humans whose taste for a diversity of wild as well as close-bred animals provides a conveyor belt for animal-to-human transmission. Once the virus gains entry into humans who travel and transport animals, the infection spreads,” Dr Reddy said.

The more virulent strains emerge from mutation which occurs when a large human host community offers itself for easy transmission, Dr Reddy said. “Human folly opens the ecological window and microbial genetics seize the opportunity. Deadly viruses can then play Chinese Checkers leaping from species to species. This happens in other parts of the world too, but the Chinese taste for exotic animal foods and the population density makes it a prime playground for zoonotic infections,” he said.

Read | Coronavirus outbreak: Government considering evacuation of Indians stranded in Wuhan

Ecology of infections, spread

With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and 50% of the world’s livestock, China’s ecology poses a risk for emerging, re-emerging, and novel diseases that could threaten China and the rest of the world, says the US federal agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Moreover, the world’s growing network of air travel routes dramatically increases the risk for infections to rapidly spread, and for potential pandemics that can cause illness, death, and costly disruption to global trade,” the CDC states.

The SARS epidemic began in November 2002 in the Guangdong province of southern China, and spread across the world. Bird flu of various provenances — the virus keeps mutating — have been repeatedly reported from China after the first H7N9 novel avian influenza outbreak of 2013. In 2018, a 68-year-old patient from Jiangsu province was infected with H7N4. Last year, there was an outbreak of H5N6 bird flu in Horgos in the far western Xinjiang region.

In the wake of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Dr Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific, WHO (under which China falls), wrote: “This New Year’s wake-up call reminds us to be vigilant against SARS, bird flu and the causes of more recent outbreaks in the region… In fact, two of the last four influenza pandemics began in the Western Pacific Region — home to 1.9 billion people and a hot spot for outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases and natural disasters. These were threats that put people’s health and safety and economic development at risk… It is fair to ask: are we safer from health security threats than we were a decade ago, following the H1N1 influenza pandemic? Or than we were when SARS emerged 17 years ago?”

[Otis11 + 551]

38 minutes ago, frankfurter said:

Cambridge Dictionary. Bigot. A person who has strong BELIEFS and will not tolerate those who oppose those beliefs.  [This means a bigot will ignore or reject facts to suit his beliefs].

Now, let's review your comments to see if this definition applies. Shall we? 

"This is not the first zoonotic virus to come out of China. One is a fluke of nature. Two is troubling. One a year is disturbing. Whatever the source, zoonosis from China is repeatedly putting the world community at risk."

In black and white, you accuse China of sources, repeated risk to the world, at the frequency of one per year. 

Now, let's review some facts about viruses and their sources. Shall we?  The following outbreaks are for animal to human transmission. [Kindly note; Viruses and their variants number in the thousands. The ones noted are those made popular in the western media].

Avian Flu H5N1
1997 Hong Kong SAR  [note, HK is independent from mainland China, respecting disease control]
2006 Sumatra
Avian Flu H7N9  [note: H7N9 is a variant of H5N1, which itself is a variant of others prior]
2013 China  [7 years ago, contained and resolved]

Swine Flu H1N1   [note the absence of China]
1918 global pandemic, origin Iberian peninsula
1976 U.S. outbreak
1988 U.S. outbreak
2007 Philippine outbreak
2009 Northern Ireland outbreak
2009 USA, Mexico
2015 and 2017 India outbreaks
2015 Nepal outbreak
2016 Pakistan outbreak
2017 Maldives outbreak

SARS SARS-CoV
2002 Hong Kong  [18 years ago]

MERS MERS-CoV
2012 Middle East region

EBOLA EBOV
1976-1995 Zaire
1990 USA
2007-2020 Congo and other African countries
2015 Philippines

ASFV affects pigs only. Though irrelevant, I include here because the MSM propaganda confuses H1N1 with ASFV.
African Swine Flu ASFV 
1921 Kenya
1971 Cuba
1957 Western Europe
2007 Eastern and Northern Europe
2018 China
2019 Vietnam. South Korea, East Timor
2020 remains present in all areas noted above

From the above cases, please show me how China [PRC] ONLY has repeatedly put the world at risk and has done so annually. 

The facts are rather clear, no?  This new nCoV virus is the first time where the alleged epicentre for a deadly contagion has occurred in PRC.  [contrary to your accusation].

In fact, the H1N1 swine virus has killed over 50 million people globally, it continues to this day, AND THE USA HAS HAD 3 OUTBREAKS MAKING THE USA THE WORST REPEAT "OFFENDER"/VICTIM.  In fact, by numbers, H1N1 is by far the most deadly virus on record.

Thus your spin comes from your beliefs, not facts. Be not overly offended, for you started this tripe and you are in the company of many millions.

 

First, drop the bigot term... even by your definition you can accuse anyone of being a bigot because until this post you haven't presented any facts for anyone to ignore.

(For the record Gerry refuted your 'facts' with evidence as well showing his reasoning, aka, not a bigot)

Second, I've already explained to you that H1N1 originated in MEXICO, not the US as you REPEATEDLY (and incorrectly) claim.

Third, you claim 3 'outbreaks' in the US.

1990 'Ebola' (technically an ebola by Genis, but more accurately of family Filoviridae and named the Reston virus. This is completely non-pathogenic to humans. No epidemic.)

2009 Swine flu. Originated in mexico and later spread. Not US origin. NEXT.

1976 swine flu. Actually originated in the US! And affected people! Congrats! But it only infected 13 people. 13. Total. Sorry, nope.

And 1988?  This was so small and obscure I'm not even sure what you're referring to... best o could find... 1986-87 influenza epidemic was caused by influenza A(H1N1) viruses resembling A/Taiwan/1/86(H1N1), a variant first isolated in China, Malaysia, Japan, and Singapore during January-April 1986 (1). The 1986-87 season was the third season during which influenza A(H1N1) strains predominated in the United States since this subtype reappeared in 1977 (2). 

any chance you meant 1968? That originated in Hong Kong...

So, honest question here, do you see how incredibly bias your information is? 

As for your most deadly comment... estimates put total death count from the (MEXICAN) swine flu at 268,000 from inception until present day.

AIDs - >25 Million 

Rabies - 60k per year... 5 years beats it.

Hep C - 350k people EACH YEAR

measles is over 200M and still killing 100k per year.

smallpox is estimated at 300-500 million.

I cant find a metric that even puts you in the ballpark of correct...

so who's 'spin comes from beliefs not facts'? As you say?

[frankfurter + 562]

The claim made by Maddoux is: China is the origin of many "zoo-" viruses transmitting from animal to humans;  the outbreaks from China occur annually; and thus China puts the entire world at risk repeatedly.

This is a ludicrous claim.  Has zero facts to support. Even YOUR 'facts' support otherwise. Aids originated in China? Smallpox originated in China?  Measles originated in China?  These are "zoo-s"? etc. By your 'facts' the greatest threats are those viruses originating elsewhere. 

The fact is this nCov virus is the first lethal virus known to originate in China PRC, all under very suspicious circumstances. Somehow, a first-time becomes many, repeat, and annual, according to you and Maddoux. 

Yet, you and others continue to argue facts, to smear the Chinese for repeatedly putting the world at risk, for doing so annually, for being the epicentre of many diseases.  If this is not bigotry, what is? 

 

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

The wumaodang is working overtime on this. Not to worry, I bet @frankfurter drops out after his check bounces. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch Massive increase in a pollutant leads many to suspect it's from cremations. In Wuhan of course. And you're a bigot if you agree with Chinese. 

[frankfurter + 562]

48 minutes ago, Gerry Maddoux said:

Another pretty balanced view. But it's probably racist, being from India and all:

Explained: Why China has emerged as the epicentre of global outbreaks of disease

With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and 50% of the world’s livestock, China’s ecology poses a risk for emerging, re-emerging, and novel diseases that could threaten China and the rest of the world.

• 
• 
• 

Written by Abantika Ghosh | New Delhi | Updated: January 30, 2020 9:29:07 am

 

Paramilitary officers wearing face masks stand guard at the Tiananmen Gate, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China January 27, 2020. (Reuters Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Several deadly new viruses in recent years have emerged in China — Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bird flu, and now the novel coronavirus (nCOV). The reason could lie in the busy food markets dotting cities across the country — where fruits, vegetables, hairy crabs and butchered meat are often sold next to bamboo rats, snakes, turtles, and palm civets. Closely packed stalls in busy marketplaces, the Chinese taste for exotic meats, and the high population density of cities create the conditions for the spread of zoonotic infections, experts say.

Zoonotic infections

The relationship between zoonotic pathogens — those of animal origin — and global pandemics is not new. The Justinian Plague (541-542 AD), the Black Death (which started in Europe in 1347), yellow fever in South America in the 16th century, the global influenza pandemic in 1918, and modern pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and triple-reassortant A H1N1 influenza have one thing in common: the causal organisms came to humans from animals.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that globally, about a billion cases of illness and millions of deaths occur every year from zoonoses, i.e, diseases and infections naturally transmitted between people and vertebrate animals. Some 60% of emerging infectious diseases globally are zoonoses. Of the over 30 new human pathogens detected over the last three decades, 75% originated in animals.

Animal markets everywhere…

“Wherever there is close mixing of humans and animals, especially the unregulated handling of blood and other body products, as happens for example in China’s animal markets, there are greater chances of transmission of a virus from animals to humans, and its mutation to adapt to the human body,” a senior WHO functionary told The Indian Express from Geneva.

It isn’t just China, the official said. “It has happened wherever in the world there is unregulated mixing of humans and animals, either wild or domesticated.” The official referred to the Ebola outbreak in Africa: “There it was wild chimpanzees who had the disease. It came into humans after these were killed and consumed. Animal markets are breeding grounds because there is free interchange of pathogens between species and mutations.”

 Workers package medical masks in a factory in Nantong in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (AP/PTI Photo)

…And especially in China

Dr K S Reddy, former professor of AIIMS and president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) noted that the majority of new outbreaks and pandemic threats over the past five decades had arisen from microbes transmitted from animals to humans, either directly or through another animal reservoir host.

“Proximity to animals grows from wild food markets and captive animal breeding, with deforestation creating a conveyor belt for viruses and vectors to move from wildlife to captive animals, and from them to humans. The wild food markets in China offer both a mix of many animals which harbour deadly viruses, and an opportunity to transmit with ease to crowds of humans whose taste for a diversity of wild as well as close-bred animals provides a conveyor belt for animal-to-human transmission. Once the virus gains entry into humans who travel and transport animals, the infection spreads,” Dr Reddy said.

The more virulent strains emerge from mutation which occurs when a large human host community offers itself for easy transmission, Dr Reddy said. “Human folly opens the ecological window and microbial genetics seize the opportunity. Deadly viruses can then play Chinese Checkers leaping from species to species. This happens in other parts of the world too, but the Chinese taste for exotic animal foods and the population density makes it a prime playground for zoonotic infections,” he said.

Read | Coronavirus outbreak: Government considering evacuation of Indians stranded in Wuhan

Ecology of infections, spread

With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and 50% of the world’s livestock, China’s ecology poses a risk for emerging, re-emerging, and novel diseases that could threaten China and the rest of the world, says the US federal agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Moreover, the world’s growing network of air travel routes dramatically increases the risk for infections to rapidly spread, and for potential pandemics that can cause illness, death, and costly disruption to global trade,” the CDC states.

The SARS epidemic began in November 2002 in the Guangdong province of southern China, and spread across the world. Bird flu of various provenances — the virus keeps mutating — have been repeatedly reported from China after the first H7N9 novel avian influenza outbreak of 2013. In 2018, a 68-year-old patient from Jiangsu province was infected with H7N4. Last year, there was an outbreak of H5N6 bird flu in Horgos in the far western Xinjiang region.

In the wake of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Dr Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific, WHO (under which China falls), wrote: “This New Year’s wake-up call reminds us to be vigilant against SARS, bird flu and the causes of more recent outbreaks in the region… In fact, two of the last four influenza pandemics began in the Western Pacific Region — home to 1.9 billion people and a hot spot for outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases and natural disasters. These were threats that put people’s health and safety and economic development at risk… It is fair to ask: are we safer from health security threats than we were a decade ago, following the H1N1 influenza pandemic? Or than we were when SARS emerged 17 years ago?”

SARS originated in Hong Kong SAR, 2002, 18 years ago. How can you assert this is annual and repeated? 

H5N1,2,3,4,5 did not originate in China. Each successive number is a mutation of the one prior. H5N1 did not originate in China.  How can you assert these originated in China?  To say China is a victim and the virus has mutated into H5N6 is a fair comment. But to infer China has deliberately cultivated this disease to put the world at risk, annually and repeatedly, is simply a lie. 

Dr Kasai is highlighting the dangers of viruses that can evolve into pandemics.  He chose Asia as HIS hotspot, presumably because he is most familiar with the region. BUT he could just as easily have chosen India and Africa as the hotspots. Perhaps he did include. As this is reported by western media, most likely key facts were omitted to fit the smear-China agenda. Whatever the case, he asks a RHETORICAL question.  Since when is a rhetorical question considered a fact? 

Why the incessant smears of China?  

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

50,000 death toll. Add up the sulfur emissions and this reporting, way more deaths than China is admitting to. But @frankfurter,obviously a CCP operative will deny, deny, deny. Loyal tovarisch to the end. 

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

16 minutes ago, Ward Smith said:

50,000 death toll. Add up the sulfur emissions and this reporting, way more deaths than China is admitting to. But @frankfurter,obviously a CCP operative will deny, deny, deny. Loyal tovarisch to the end. 

Elevated mercury levels would be better evidence that the pollution is coming from cremation (dental fillings).

Undoubtedly this virus was also bad for the environment due to the sheer magnitude of medical waste. 

[frankfurter + 562]

1 hour ago, Ward Smith said:

50,000 death toll. Add up the sulfur emissions and this reporting, way more deaths than China is admitting to. But @frankfurter,obviously a CCP operative will deny, deny, deny. Loyal tovarisch to the end. 

Amazing.  This has to be rock bottom for your perverted, vile media.  Guo Wengui is a felon and wanted fugitive from China.  You gonna heed and trust felons?  

The WHO has people on the ground at the epicentre. They have full access to everything concerning this disease: all medical reports, access to patients and hospitals, markets, residences, everything.  The WHO gives daily reports. THE WHO GIVES DAILY REPORTS. These are by WHO personnel, not by the evil communists. Are you saying you disbelieve the WHO? Accusing the WHO of lying?  On what grounds?   The WHO has not reported 50,000 deaths nor 1.5mm confirmed cases.  

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

And you wonder why you are considered a bigot? 

But thank you for elevating me to "CCP operative", up from a generic troll.  I am flattered, though I find your assumption to be rather despicable and your glee to be reprehensible.

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by frankfurter

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Enough already with tossing around the term bigot in this thread. 

The word "bigot" in this thread is so far being abused, and has been hurled in order to shut down disagreement.  As a moderator, this is not acceptable.

Yesterday I had posted a link to a ZeroHedge article, showing that the Chinese Ambassador was using the race card to stifle questioning of the "Official Narrative" from the Chinese government.

And I see a similar tactic being used in this thread with abusing the word "bigot".

Going forward, if I see the word "bigot" or other similar words being abused here to shut down debate, I will hide or delete that comment.

This is a discussion forum.  No matter what your views are on any topic, there will be others who disagree with your views.  Calling someone a bigot because they don't agree with you is ... absurd.

[0R0 + 6,251]

1 hour ago, frankfurter said:

Amazing.  This has to be rock bottom for your perverted, vile media.  Guo Wengui is a felon and wanted fugitive from China.  You gonna heed and trust felons?  

The WHO has people on the ground at the epicentre. They have full access to everything concerning this disease: all medical reports, access to patients and hospitals, markets, residences, everything.  The WHO gives daily reports. THE WHO GIVES DAILY REPORTS. These are by WHO personnel, not by the evil communists. Are you saying you disbelieve the WHO? Accusing the WHO of lying?  On what grounds?   The WHO has not reported 50,000 deaths nor 1.5mm confirmed cases.  

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

And you wonder why you are considered a bigot? 

But thank you for elevating me to "CCP operative", up from a generic troll.  I am flattered, though I find your assumption to be rather despicable and your glee to be reprehensible.

 

Guo Wengui is a whistleblower against the CCP. As such, any accusations against him coming from China are far more likely to be false than real. 

The only bigot here is you, as you constantly promote the CCP's official narrative regardless of evidence. Only possible conclusion is that you are on their side, and as they are Chinese supremacists, that makes you a bigot just as they express themselves to be.  

So are the genocidal CCP.

The WHO is only allowed to see what the CCP permits them to see. It is no indication of anything other than public relations efforts of the party.

[0R0 + 6,251]

Interesting charts about the coronavirus 

Note on the first chart, adding in the current 40k cases confirmed, That adds roughly 6000 cases for the last two days since the last point on the chart. Indicating that the new test kit plant in Wuhan is producing. Appx 10k kits per day since Saturday. 

The official confirmed numbers are limited to a fraction of the actual cases, first because of the limited number of test kits. Second, they produce a large percentage of false negatives so a full test would be 2-3 kits, as a single test is only conclusive if it is positive. 

Official numbers on the cases outside Hubei show a more temperate expansion and should be more reliable since they should have an ample supply of test kits. 

In an interview with epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson he says his models show a 50k daily infection rate at the moment. The Wuhan crematory activity count and the severe response in Guangzhou in addition to Hubei and Wuhan indicate that the cumulative death toll so far could be in the 50k range as Mr Wengui estimates, and as Prof. Ferguson's estimate of a doubling of cases per week at this stage, and the Tencent leak of the numbers as 25k dead as of prior Saturday put 50k dead as of this weekend exactly as expected. The 154k confirmed 80k suspected from that leak would indicate we should expect about 300k confirmed cases by now. The recovered number of 3.5k is encouraging, 

https://www.ccn.com/professor-says-coronavirus-infecting-50000-day-he-may-be-right/ 

The problem is that despite not being as deadly a disease when treated, it is very deadly once your medical capacity is overwhelmed, as it has been in Wuhan. Apparently the untreated fatality rate is on the order of 11-12% for those who show symptoms.

Other things to consider about the difficulty of controlling the disease.

1. it is transmitted by unsymptomatic carriers, many of them will never show symptoms and will remain healthy.

2. It remains infectious on surfaces for up to 9 days.

3. Apparently the recovered patients still show sufficient viral counts to remain infectious carriers. And we still don't know a thing about recurrence in those that recovered from an initial bout. 

At 400 mil folks locked down, that is proportionate to Ferguson's projections, not at all appropriate for the official count and narrative.

China official numbers are unreliable and severely understated, and no statement by a Chinese official or communist party spokesman should be considered credible as they have a perfect record of lying on the topic of the Wuhan coronavirus. 

 

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

2 hours ago, 0R0 said:

2.  It remains infectious on surfaces for up to 9 days.

Babylon Bee on top of the story:

Climate Change Activists Begin Licking Doorknobs To Contract Coronavirus And Reduce Human Population

U.S.—Most people are pretty worried about the coronavirus since we've all seen Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman or lost a bunch of games of Pandemic. 

But climate change activists are welcoming the potential epidemic and are beginning to lick doorknobs in order to contract the virus and remove themselves from the human population.

"This virus is the answer to all of our problems," said George Mandolin, a climate change activist from Portland as he headed down to the local communist cafe to lick all the doorknobs. "It's a safe, easy, and humane way for us to eliminate our problematic carbon footprint for good. We, of course, wouldn't be hypocritical and suggest that other people should lick doorknobs before we do -- we live a lifestyle consistent with our worldview, and as such, will be the first to die."

"Farewell, cruel world!" he cried as he licked the handle to the bathroom door and was infected with 47 different diseases.

 

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Side note, I used to play this educational video game a couple years ago.  I'm not much on video games, but I would recommend Plague Inc. for educational purposes:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miniclip.plagueinc

Can you infect the world?

Plague Inc. is a unique mix of high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation.

Your pathogen has just infected 'Patient Zero'. Now you must bring about the end of human history by evolving a deadly, global Plague whilst adapting against everything humanity can do to defend itself. 

Brilliantly executed with innovative gameplay and built from the ground up for touchscreen, Plague Inc. from developer Ndemic Creations evolves the strategy genre and pushes mobile gaming (and you) to new levels. It’s You vs. the world - only the strongest can survive! 

◈◈◈ #1 top game globally with 200 million+ games played ◈◈◈

Plague Inc. is a global hit with over half a million 5 star ratings and features in newspapers such as The Economist, New York Post, Boston Herald, The Guardian and London Metro! 

The developer of Plague Inc. was invited to speak at the CDC in Atlanta about the disease models inside the game!

▶ “The game creates a compelling world that engages the public on serious public health topics” – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
▶ “Best Tablet Game of 2012” - New York Daily News 
▶ “Plague Inc. should not be as much fun as it is” – London Metro 
▶ Winner – “Overall Game of the Year” – Pocket Gamer
▶ “Killing billions has never been so fun” – IGN 
 

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

26 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

Babylon Bee on top of the story:

Climate Change Activists Begin Licking Doorknobs To Contract Coronavirus And Reduce Human Population

U.S.—Most people are pretty worried about the coronavirus since we've all seen Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman or lost a bunch of games of Pandemic. 

But climate change activists are welcoming the potential epidemic and are beginning to lick doorknobs in order to contract the virus and remove themselves from the human population.

"This virus is the answer to all of our problems," said George Mandolin, a climate change activist from Portland as he headed down to the local communist cafe to lick all the doorknobs. "It's a safe, easy, and humane way for us to eliminate our problematic carbon footprint for good. We, of course, wouldn't be hypocritical and suggest that other people should lick doorknobs before we do -- we live a lifestyle consistent with our worldview, and as such, will be the first to die."

"Farewell, cruel world!" he cried as he licked the handle to the bathroom door and was infected with 47 different diseases.

 

Another article on that page gave some camaraderie news from the U.S. Congress:

Politics

Mitch McConnell Sends Pelosi Shirt Reading 'I Impeached The President And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt'

January 13th, 2020

1.6MShares

1.2MSHARE

167.1kSHARE

SHARE

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Mitch McConnell felt bad for Nancy Pelosi after watching her get forced to impeach the president by the radical wing of her party, then impeach him and sit on the articles of impeachment for weeks. So, he decided to cheer her up a bit.

 

McConnell had his staffers deliver Pelosi a shirt reading "I Impeached The President And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt." Pelosi did not seem to understand the nice gift, pointing her finger sternly and lecturing the McConnell staffer: "Don't mess with me." Though her dentures fell out before she could finish her rant, sadly.

"It's the least I could do," McConnell said, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "I feel bad for the poor girl -- so much work on impeachment for nothing. Everyone needs a little consolation prize, a little affirmation. A participation trophy, you might say."

As an offended Pelosi held a press conference condemning the shirt as a "slap in the face," Mitch McConnell hurriedly confirmed hundreds more conservative judges.

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

I'm starting to like the new content out of the Babylon Bee since they acquired CNN.

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

7 hours ago, Tom Kirkman said:

U.S.—Most people are pretty worried about the coronavirus since we've all seen Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman or lost a bunch of games of Pandemic. 

 

 

Alternatively, you have won too many games of Plague. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_Inc.

The goal is to design a deadly infection that kills everyone - it's not super easy.  If the infection has too many symptoms, CDC notices it and they race for a cure; if it kills too quickly it can't spread; and obviously if it doesn't kill at all then you can't win.

I've beat it on hard using every disease type...

 

Never mind was mentioned already.  Still fun game.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Enthalpic

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

11 hours ago, frankfurter said:

Amazing.  This has to be rock bottom for your perverted, vile media.  Guo Wengui is a felon and wanted fugitive from China.  You gonna heed and trust felons?  

The WHO has people on the ground at the epicentre. They have full access to everything concerning this disease: all medical reports, access to patients and hospitals, markets, residences, everything.  The WHO gives daily reports. THE WHO GIVES DAILY REPORTS. These are by WHO personnel, not by the evil communists. Are you saying you disbelieve the WHO? Accusing the WHO of lying?  On what grounds?   The WHO has not reported 50,000 deaths nor 1.5mm confirmed cases.  

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

And you wonder why you are considered a bigot? 

But thank you for elevating me to "CCP operative", up from a generic troll.  I am flattered, though I find your assumption to be rather despicable and your glee to be reprehensible.

 

Not to worry, I always knew you were a CCP operative, merely pretending to be a troll. 

Meanwhile look what These bigots are saying. Whoops they seem to be Chinese… not to worry I'm confident you'll spin the hell out of it so that up means down and in means out. Cause that's what you do

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

52 minutes ago, Enthalpic said:

Alternatively, you have won too many games of Plague. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_Inc.

The goal is to design a deadly infection that kills everyone - it's not super easy.  If the infection has too many symptoms, CDC notices it and they race for a cure; if it kills too quickly it can't spread; and obviously if it doesn't kill at all then you can't win.

I've beat it on hard using every disease type...

 

Never mind was mentioned already.  Still fun game.

Yes, Plague is not an easy strategy game to win.  There is a learning curve to killing all people with infectious diseases in the game.  I eventually killed the global population in the game, using every main type of disease, but I lost more often than I won.  It's pretty educational, and I recommend it.

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

9 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

Yes, Plague is not an easy strategy game to win.  There is a learning curve to killing all people with infectious diseases in the game.  I eventually killed the global population in the game, using every main type of disease, but I lost more often than I won.  It's pretty educational, and I recommend it.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_Inc.

"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appearance

In March 2013, James Vaughan, the developer of Plague Inc., was invited to talk at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about Plague Inc.[33] He spoke about how he had modeled the spread of infectious disease inside the game as well as how games like Plague Inc. can be used to inform and educate the public.

Following the talk, the CDC said that it was interested in Plague Inc. as "it uses a non-traditional route to raise public awareness on epidemiology, disease transmission, and diseases/pandemic information. The game creates a compelling world that engages the public on serious public health topics".[34] Ironically enough the game became the number one selling app in China early during the epidemic phase of the 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China; the company received so many inquiries that via its Twitter account it referred its users to the CDC website for information.[35]"

 

Number one App in China; not sure I would want to play it when I'm personally in the middle of an outbreak.  "Oh shit! I just won..."

Edited February 10, 2020 by Enthalpic

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

2 minutes ago, Enthalpic said:

Number one App in China; not sure I would want to play it when I'm personally in the middle of an outbreak.  "Oh shit! I just won..."

Again, the game is educational.  You learn how different infectious diseases spread, how the infectious diseases can get more deadly, or spread faster, or mutate, or die out.  Also what peiple can do to lower the risk of infection.  It's a fairly unique educational strategy game.

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

14 hours ago, Enthalpic said:

Elevated mercury levels would be better evidence that the pollution is coming from cremation (dental fillings).

Undoubtedly this virus was also bad for the environment due to the sheer magnitude of medical waste. 

One or two possible Mercury silver filings versus the third most plentiful mineral in the human body? How exactly did you make a living again? Oh, yeah, government. No wonder. 

[Bob D + 562]

Frankfurter  Frankfurter  Frankfurter 

You've lost it buddy.  Very sad to watch this play out.

   

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

1 hour ago, Ward Smith said:

One or two possible Mercury silver filings versus the third most plentiful mineral in the human body? How exactly did you make a living again? Oh, yeah, government. No wonder. 

We focused on persistent pollutants like Hg so of course that's what comes to my mind.  Mercury pollution is a well known issue with cremation.

Ironically all the cremation may make the virus more deadly from all the PM 2.5 in the air.  Lots of benzene too.

Emission characteristics of harmful air pollutants from cremators in Beijing, China.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29718907

[Amount of mercury from dental amalgam filling released into the atmosphere by cremation].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7919469

"The amount of mercury released from this crematorium was estimated to be approximately 9.4 kg per year." 

Almost 10Kg of Hg per crematorium per year.   10 Kg is a lot of Mercury (we measured down to 0.01 µg/L).

SOX emissions do not appear to dominate:

 

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Enthalpic

[Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwemuhwem Osas + 96]

18 hours ago, frankfurter said:

Cambridge Dictionary. Bigot. A person who has strong BELIEFS and will not tolerate those who oppose those beliefs.  [This means a bigot will ignore or reject facts to suit his beliefs].

A bigot is not a person who refuses to believe facts.
A bigot is a person who does not tolerate disagreement.
https://ibb.co/qk5nDCF
If the moderators deleted every comment they disagreed with, that would be bigotry.