11 dead in the UK - I bet fifty times that have died from 'flu in the past two months.

And heart disease and lung cancer (the two biggest killers in the UK) caused the deaths of even more - so?

So why aren't we panicking about 'flu? Just as infectious and far more lethal. Answer; it's not a media great story.

Should we not be panicking worse about heart disease and lung cancer?

As these are killing more of us - and generate the largest portion of NHS costs.


Or maybe be very concerned about the lethal capability of a totally new/unknown pathogen.

In case that outstrips the catastrophic abilities all the killers mentioned.


Seemingly that 'concern' is uppermost in the minds of governments etc.

Rightly so...

The fascinating thing about public reaction to this is the Hate Mail I've been getting; people really resent the possibility they are being duped. They refuse to look at proof of 'flu epidemics far worse than this CoronaVirus "pandemic". I bet any analysis of 'flu deaths in Italy, Spain, Korea would show just as much mortality. Why does the media want cancellation of events and flights? Why do governments and leaders fall for their hype (as they have done for so many other witch hunts and panics)? And why oh why do intelligent, sensible members of the public fall for this? It beggars belief, it really does. All I can think is that this century of simplification has made tabloid headlines the truth and slogans the acceptable morality. We no longer have the time or inclination to think clinically and in depth.

There was an article this morning that said government medical specialists wanted 60% of the population to be infected so that resistance would build up. Thanks very much, medical specialists - I suspect you're not planning on being among the 60%?

A responsible press would provide comparative data - e.g. as JK suggests, 'normal' flu infections and deaths compared to this virus. That's surely a pretty obvious way to provide a balanced and non-sensationalist series of bulletins. But, no, every day we get this death clock ticking away. It's a disgrace absolutely no part of the media isn't resisting this nonsense.

Now apparently the government wants the over 70s to self-isolate for three or more months. Maybe they've overlooked the fact that, for many at that age, society has already isolated them. It's being doing so for years.

Rick wrote:
Now apparently the government wants the over 70s to self-isolate for three or more months. Maybe they've overlooked the fact that, for many at that age, society has already isolated them. It's being doing so for years.

They seem to assume that everyone over seventy has retired. My husband is still doing a physical job in his seventies and was not thinking about retiring.
He will effectively be made redundant if he is forced to stray off work.

Anyway, what good will it do him unless the rest of us at home are isolated too?

Not that I am home much. I seem destined to roam the streets for ever in search of toilet roll and cleaning stuff. I jolly well wish I had panic bought like everyone else at the start of this bloody fiasco.