As a biologist, I’ve always been interested in epidemiology of disease, and as a zoologist, particular those that originate in wild or domestic animals. And so there has been quite a bit to keep up with regarding the zoonoses of the past few decades.
And so the Wuhan Coronavirus is something I’m following daily, more to see how the medical staff inside the ambulance are dealing with the patient than to chase the ambulance. This is a study, more than ever, of how national medical systems around the world communicate and cooperate, as well as a revelation of how a generally science-illiterate world populace adjusts their thinking and their behavior in light of the level of risk where they live.
And towards the end of keeping up, no great surprise, I have a “ledger” of facts and opinions worth noting, in my digital clipboards (plural, since I use several methods of grabbing and organizing stuff.)
Recently I’ve become interested in spaced repetition learning and tools that make that so much easier than distant-yesterday’s “flash cards.” And one tool of note is still in fairly early development. I had a video call a month or so ago with the very young and helpful developer of RemNote (take a look) and am hoping to interest the rising students in our family in this (or this kind of) tool.
I only this morning poked the button that tells me I can share the “narrative” version of my notes. I could share the “testing’ version as well, in which case every phrase on either side of : becomes question (on side one) and answer (on side two) of a “rem” card for periodic study.
So click on the Blue Button below for my “pertinent facts” gleaned from a very current very informative NYT article that you can consume in 90 seconds. You’re welcome.
[su_button url=”https://www.remnote.io/a/wuhan-corona-virus/pjAszruxSBNbTokB8″ target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#6fd2eb” color=”#1f1717″ size=”6″ wide=”yes” center=”yes” radius=”5″ icon=”icon: medkit” icon_color=”#ffffff” text_shadow=”1px 1px 0px #000000″]Notes regarding CoV on Monday 3 Feb 2020 from a NYT article called How Bad Will the Coronavirus Outbreak Get? Here Are 6 Key Factors[/su_button]
It is interesting to watch the breathless reporting and responses by governments. It’s not that we shouldn’t take action, but, far more people will die from the flu this year than from Corona.
Thanks Fred!
Yes we tend to pass off “regular” flu as trivial and it is not. And CoV lethality rate makes it a much lesser threat at present. But what IF the next virus rivals Ebola, smallpox and some of the other high-virulence diseases, is human to human transmissible over longer distances (like measles). Is the world health system doing anything this time that can make us quicker, wiser and more effective when that perfect-storm reaches human lungs, brains, or skin? Are we learning anything useful this time around?