Friday 28 February 2020

Reader's Letter of The Day

From The Metro:

I may be in a minority here but I don't understand the panic about coronavirus. We are told flu kills around 20,000 a year in the UK alone. But the fact is flu attacks the already weak and simply hurries their demise.

I'm not trying to dismiss the tragedy of people dying, but can we please get a grip? Or course take precautions - the blindingly obvious 'wash your hands' - but so far hardly anyone has died after being infected with coronavirus, even in China where less than five per cent of those affected have succumbed.

Paul B, Edinburgh

10 comments:

Turnbull2000 said...

Flu 'only' kills around 20,000 per year because so few people get flu. My understanding is that coronavirus has a fatality rate up to 20 times greater, and there's an increasing likelihood it will strike a large proportion (70%+) of the population over the next couple of years. So around a million dead by 2022. Just in the UK. Humans have suffered devastating pandemics numerous times in history. Why not again?

Mark Wadsworth said...

T, sure, and the human race survived each time.

Piotr Wasik said...

MW, I am not worried about the human race, of course it will survive, but about myself and my family / friends.

Mark Wadsworth said...

PW, for the over 70s and the already ill, it's v. dangerous, kills one in ten. For everybody else, it's nigh harmless.

Penseivat said...

Have read that Saudi Arabia has closed it's borders to religious travel to Mecca and Medina to prevent coronavirus spreading. What happened to the "If Allah wills it" philosophy of Islam? If anyone gets the virus, it's because Allah willed it. If they die from it, it'll be because Allah willed it. If they don't catch it, it'll be because Allah willed it. It seems to me that the Muslims are being rather selective in accepting what Allah willed.

Mark Wadsworth said...

PS, you'll get in trouble for that. It's racist.

Penseivat said...

MW,
As you know, Islam is not a race, so it can't be racist. The only way I could get into trouble is if I suggest that any followers of that religion die and go to their heaven, they may find their 72 virgins dressed in Hazmat suits. However, I would never suggest anything so crass or discourteous to the RoP.

Mark Wadsworth said...

PS, you don't appear to be familiar with the current definition of 'racist'. It's racist if somebody says it is (even if it clearly isn't under the common sense definition).

Bayard said...

Paul B is obviously not trying to sell any media advertising space.

Penseivat said...

Sorry MW,
Having "It's racist if somebody says it is (even if it clearly isn't under the common sense definition)." in a sentence, the two different parts - the perception and the 'common sense definition' seem to cancel each other out. If it is so, if I perceive the circle in the middle of the Japanese flag to be green, then greem it is, under that common sense definition.
Not having a go. Just saying that society seems to becoming Kafkaesque, if it isn't already.