Reposted from Quora. This is a fascinating explanation of why China was capable of gaining a certain amount of control over the spread of COVID-19. The article further exposes the significant weaknesses of the United States, making it clear that we are not well-positioned to effectively deal with the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic: As someone who lives in China, how do you feel they are combating COVID-19?
We identified 24 clinical trials, involving more than 20 medicines, such as human immunoglobulin, interferons, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, arbidol, remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, ritonavir, oseltamivir, methylprednisolone, bevacizumab, and traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).
Please read the update below. We understand that information coming from our government, the World Health Organization, and the Center for Disease Control have been confusing or contradictory. Here’s what a group of physicians want us to know about COVID-19, what actions we should take to protect ourselves, and what we should be prepared to experience.
Why are we writing this?
The COVID-19 pandemic has reached a point where containment is no longer possible. The COVID-19 threat is real, and rapidly getting worse. Many of you are very nervous, some are unsure of the validity of the information you are reading. As physician leaders, we felt it was important to craft a resource you can rely on as being scientifically accurate and one which contains as much actionable information and guidance as possible.
Accurate, actionable information during an epidemic can save lives. Physicians are on the front line of this epidemic. Not only are we treating the sick, but we are also cringing at the misinformation spread through both traditional broadcast and social media. Evidence matters. Unfortunately, the evidence is often slow, methodical, and boring and has a tough time against clicky headlines and exaggeration. We believe that an accurate representation of the current COVID-19 pandemic followed by a set of actionable steps you, your loved ones, politicians and local officials can utilize is of paramount importance and ultimately could save tens of thousands of lives.
Editors Note: This post is reshared from Quora because it helps us understand how we calculate CFR (case fatality rates) from epidemics like #COVID-19. Link to the original post is here: https://qr.ae/ppY992
Post Author: C Stuart Hardwick, Award-Winning Scifi Author, Analog regular
Guess what? Epidemiologists aren’t dumb.
Mortality rate never includes undiagnosed cases—of any disease, at least not in the way you mean.