The Only way to stop Corona Virus (for now): Cancel Everything

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-cancel-everything/607675/

  • Italy had 62 identified cases of COVID-19 on the 22nd of February. It had 888 cases by the 29th of February, and 4,636 by the 6th of March and 7,375 confirmed cases by 9th of March.
  • Coronavirus is 10 times as deadly as the flu.

What’s working in other countries?

  • In Singapore, for example, the government quickly canceled public events and installed medical stations to measure the body temperature of passersby while private companies handed out free hand sanitizer. As a result, the number of cases has grown much more slowly than in nearby countries.
  • Before China canceled all public gatherings, asked most citizens to self-quarantine, and sealed off the most heavily affected region, the virus was spreading in exponential fashion. Once the government imposed social distancing, the number of new cases leveled off; now, at least according to official statistics.

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