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Working From Home - Impacts of Coronavirus
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coppice:

--- Quote from: james_s on June 06, 2020, 11:12:50 pm ---It's possible that cultural factors have helped the Asians, I remember when Covid was first starting to spread I started seeing a lot of Asians wearing masks back before anyone else was, parts of Asia have dealt with pandemics enough times before so it's probably more socially acceptable/expected to wear a face mask out in public. My sample size is far too small to for anything more than idle speculation though.

--- End quote ---
In the UK, I lived through the Hong Kong flu epidemic in 1969 and 1970. Everybody worried, but nobody took any precautions. A lot of services were interrupted, but not because of shutdowns. People were just calling in sick in large numbers. The death toll was several times the toll from a typical year's flu, mostly killing the elderly. SARS and avian flu didn't touch the UK, and swine flu turned out to be a damp squib. People have become complacent.

In Hong Kong in the 2000s we lived through SARS, 2 rounds of avian flu, and a minor issue with swine flu. We became used to using masks and clamping down on hygiene issues at the first sign of trouble. We also became used to massive public support for the government taking quick and decisive action.

I live in the UK again now. When covid-19 started, the bulk of people here seemed really indifferent about their health. I guess this is what happens when the only people who remember what an epidemic can do are nearing retirement or have lived abroad. I expect a lot of people of East Asian origin in western countries have enough family contact with people in East Asia to have learned to be cautious. I imagine, like us, they have looked on the bulk of the people around them as careless fools.

Zero999:

--- Quote from: coppice on June 07, 2020, 03:19:18 pm ---
--- Quote from: james_s on June 06, 2020, 11:12:50 pm ---It's possible that cultural factors have helped the Asians, I remember when Covid was first starting to spread I started seeing a lot of Asians wearing masks back before anyone else was, parts of Asia have dealt with pandemics enough times before so it's probably more socially acceptable/expected to wear a face mask out in public. My sample size is far too small to for anything more than idle speculation though.

--- End quote ---
In the UK, I lived through the Hong Kong flu epidemic in 1969 and 1970. Everybody worried, but nobody took any precautions. A lot of services were interrupted, but not because of shutdowns. People were just calling in sick in large numbers. The death toll was several times the toll from a typical year's flu, mostly killing the elderly. SARS and avian flu didn't touch the UK, and swine flu turned out to be a damp squib. People have become complacent.

In Hong Kong in the 2000s we lived through SARS, 2 rounds of avian flu, and a minor issue with swine flu. We became used to using masks and clamping down on hygiene issues at the first sign of trouble. We also became used to massive public support for the government taking quick and decisive action.

I live in the UK again now. When covid-19 started, the bulk of people here seemed really indifferent about their health. I guess this is what happens when the only people who remember what an epidemic can do are nearing retirement or have lived abroad. I expect a lot of people of East Asian origin in western countries have enough family contact with people in East Asia to have learned to be cautious. I imagine, like us, they have looked on the bulk of the people around them as careless fools.

--- End quote ---
I definitely agree with your sentiments about why the west has not reacted very well to this and that East Asians are more careful, due to their recent history of epidemics.

It's interesting how Australia have done much better than Europe and America, even though they have closer links to China, which paradoxically could be why. China seems like a far away land for Europeans yet it's on Australia's doorstep, so it's not surprising they too more decisive action.

I remember being more worried about swine flu, at the start of that pandemic, than I was when this one started. People were very worried about swine flu because was a strain of the 1918 flu, which killed many more people. SARS‑CoV‑2 didn't bother me because the last version back in 2003 wasn't a big deal for us. It took most people by surprise.
SiliconWizard:

--- Quote from: Bud on June 07, 2020, 01:49:49 pm ---So what is the problem, it is an easy fix. Got to the nearest pharmacy and buy vitamin D.

--- End quote ---

It's an easy fix once people actually know about it.
coppice:

--- Quote from: Zero999 on June 07, 2020, 04:50:51 pm ---It's interesting how Australia have done much better than Europe and America, even though they have closer links to China, which paradoxically could be why. China seems like a far away land for Europeans yet it's on Australia's doorstep, so it's not surprising they too more decisive action.

--- End quote ---
Don't ignore the climate factor. Most of these infections do not spread well in warm weather, and covid-19 hit Australia in the summer.
bd139:
All that sunshine. Vitamin D again?
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