Covid19 Part XVI- 21,983 in ROI (1,339 deaths) 3,881 in NI (404 deaths)(05/05)Read OP

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE news were talking about the French patient who reported ‘pneumonia’ symptoms on December 27. Sample was rechecked and subsequently confirmed as Covid 19. Makes one wonder when did this thing arrive in Europe, as its 4 days before Wuhan’s first reported case.

We just don't really know, and I don't know how many hospitals would have PCR swabs from months ago in storage. I would have assumed they're destroyed as medical waste once a result comes back.

However, when you think about it, if the majority of people get no symptoms at all, mild symptoms are manageable flu-like symptoms a very large number of early cases would possibly not have been seen by doctors at all. Most people, who aren't at risk fo anything, and don't develop serious symptoms, would be more likely to just take paracetamol, stay at home and go to bed, assuming it's just flu.

I would suspect that in China they didn't notice the early cases either. It's quite possible they didn't really pick up anything as being out of the ordinary until there was a surge.

And remember China was first, so doctors there would not only have not have been expecting this, but the disease wasn't even known.

In December most medics in Europe might have perhaps read an article about it in some journal or something like that but paid little or no attention to it, unless they were specifically involved in travel medicine or something like that.

So, I would suspect most countries' medical systems would have probably just have experienced perhaps some extra cases they were categorising as flu or if they reached hospital and tested negative for flu strains, just as Viral Pneumonia.

That's why I'm really not buying the conspiracy theory about China.

Also, it's worth remembering that even though China did a very good job of containing this after it was detected, their health system is not as developed as many Western European countries. I'm not saying that as a slight on China, but it really isn't and given that fact, they've done a really remarkable job.

However, I would wonder if it would have picked up the outbreak as quickly as a system with comprehensive public primary care system might have.

China has been a story of very rapid growth and development, but when it comes to health infrastructure you're looking at a lot of new, and not as well built-out systems as you might expect in a country that's been developed for much longer.