H1N1 is a subtype of the influenza A virus, and the “Spanish Flu” was caused by a specific strain of H1N1. So it’s deceptive to imply that we are still living with the Spanish Flu, since that particular strain is no longer with us.
By the same token, we don’t need to come up with a vaccine that is effective against all forms of Coronavirus in order to gain herd immunity from this outbreak; we only need a vaccine that is effective against the SARS-CoV-2 strain of the virus.
There were structures in place, put there by both the Bush and Obama administrations, that he basically destroyed, that were there to deal with a pandemic, because the obama administration especially dealt with several disease out breaks and succefully helped with one in West Africa, that included come cases ending up here, which WERE dealt with pretty quickly and efficiently. If the Trump administration hadn’t gutted the infectious disease containment apparatus that Obama (and Bush) built, many lives would have been saved. He’s very much responsible.
Trump certainly made it worse, but with infected people arriving both from China and from Europe it’s doubtful if any realistic plan could have kept it out. Look at how some Americans are screaming now about lockdowns, imagine if a presdident had tried such draconic measures before there were any deaths in USA making people aware of the danger.
If we had a real plan in place that was a national, top-down response, many lives would have been saved… They have exacerbated what would have been a scary situation anyway.
You mean the small protests of astro-turf groups?
Italy? Although I hope they’ve gotten a handle on the situation by now.
France, UK, Italy, Spain, Belgium they aren’t all lead by morons.
As an ex-pat Brit here: beg to differ on that point with the UK.
I’ve lived in Belgium and politically it’s a fractious place at best.
Italy was just very unfortunate.
It’s hard to criticise their actual response.
Measles has a higher R0 than Covid bc measles is airborne.
Measles has not been erradicated because:
a - those countries with measles outbreaks are poor and can’t afford a vaccine (that the rest of the world could give them for free, if the rest of the world cared)
b - stupid individuals refuse to be vaccinated because “freedom”
Long term depends on creation of a usable vaccine, if there is a reservoir outside of humans (pangolins have been suggested, how odd), and if it burns itself out in the human population (ie, infects simply everyone). Scary thoughts, all.
Yet criticism is easy to find.
The UK tories’ response has been pretty shitty. Sweden still hasn’t done anything. 
c - foreign powers have long made a habit of using vaccination campaigns as cover for espionage, driving justified distrust of vaccination programs.
If we discount tiny “countries” like San Marino, then Belgium and Spain are the worst per capita
The U.S. is around tenth worst, after Switzerland
It only took 10 days to double.
We HAD eradicated measles in this country until antivax twatclots destroyed herd immunity.
I’m thinking more in terms of these situations where you have armed lockdown protesters, a president who supports them and attacks their state governors in pursuit of his second term and just the general amount of damage being caused by all this. Not to mention the disinformation being provided by the president that is contributing to likely a huge amount of deaths.
Brazil maybe?
Oh shit
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