This is how South Korea flattened its coronavirus curve

[babylonsister]

This is how South Korea flattened its coronavirus curve
South Korea's Covid-19 infection rates have been falling for two weeks thanks to a rigorous testing regime and clear public information.
March 24, 2020, 10:22 AM EDT / Updated March 24, 2020, 11:31 AM EDT
By Grace Moon


SEOUL, South Korea — It took Thomas Streetman two hours to walk out his front door, take a cab to the public health center, get tested for the coronavirus and make it back to his apartment.

The 32-year-old Ohio native — who had a slight fever — was greeted with blue tents scattered across a surprisingly barren street. Medical staff clad head-to-toe in hazmat suits conducted screenings as another fogged the sidewalk with disinfectant spray.

“It was almost militaristic,” said Streetman, who has lived in the South Korean capital for almost a decade. “They stuck a long swab up my nose pretty deep. It felt like a button poked my nerves and released my sinuses.”

snip//

Here’s what we can learn from South Korea.
Early testing, detection, prevention

News that China had reported its first case of the coronavirus was enough reason for South Korean leaders and medical staff to brace themselves for the worst.

“Acting fast was the most important decision South Korea made,” said Hwang Seung-Sik, a professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health.

more...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/how-south-korea-flattened-its-coronavirus-curve-n1167376

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. "Acting fast was the most important decision South Korea made," SK only tested 100,000 people

SK 50 million people, tested less than 1%.

EARLY is key. US is too late.

USA is now Number ONE USA #1 #1 on INFECTION RATE. Chart per Financial Times of UK.

Infection doubling every 2 1/2 days, 10x in 8 days, 1000x in 24 days. Likely to be a little slower because of California and 11 states distancing and closure orders, but ...

... a million cases by Easter Sunday is not out of line.

[smirkymonkey]

2. If we had a functional president and an intact healthcare infrastructure right at the beginning,

we could have done that as well.

But no, President Dipshit had to fuck this up too.

[procon]

3. Here we are, weeks into this corona virus pandemic

and nothing much has changed. States are on their own. There's no coordination, no master plan, no logistical supply train coming.

Trump's federal govt is frozen, a textbook example of incompetence and negligence. He has painted himself into a corner and hasn't a clue how to save himself or us. He appears more interested in safeguarding the wealthy (including himself) over the rest of us.

He's beholden to the demands of his pals in Big Business and their demands for more govt perks and generous social welfare packages to shore up their facade of free market capitalism. He won't do anything that will hurt the profits from his hotels, apartments, resorts and other branded venues. He can't nationalize any critical manufacturing for crucial supplies because his base would tar him as a leftwing Socialist and come at him with torches and pitchforks.

Like with the hurricane disaster that destroyed Puerto Rico, Trump won't release federal stockpiles for fear of looking weak and kowtowing to liberal Democrats if he gives away critically needed supplies for free.

While Trump tries to look the part of a presidential character starring in his own TV reality show, in real life Americans are dying.