Interesting, covid19 is impacting weather forecasts as well
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/covid-19-decline-in-airline-flights-to-impact-weather-forecast-accuracy

Since weather is a very complex, chaotic system, forecasters use computer models to assist them in their day-to-day work. These computer models, in turn, rely on ingesting specific sources of information to produce their views of what the weather will be in the hours or days ahead. Readings taken by ground stations, ocean buoys and ships cover the surface conditions. Data from satellites tell what is going on in the upper levels of the atmosphere. To cover what is happening at the altitudes in between, scientists launch weather balloons from specific locations, a couple of times each day. More importantly, though, aircraft provide tens of thousands of reports based on the weather conditions they fly through while they are in the air.

The main impact of the loss of so many aircraft reports is expected in the forecasts for altitudes that these aircraft fly at, namely temperature and wind conditions at an altitude of 10–12 kilometres. The most significant impacts seen are in the first 24 hours of the forecast, with lesser impacts seen out to 7 days.

In of itself, this greater uncertainty in the forecast could have a direct impact on those flights that are still making trips, including those carrying goods and cargo between nations and continents.

Aircrafts apparently also play an important roll to pinpoint the exact location of the jet stream which has direct effects on local weather forecasts. Not that those are all that accurate anyway :p

7 days ago it was 244k.
(so it took ~7days to double to 500k+)

However because of how many countries have gone into lockdown, as early as a week or more before.... spread should start to slow (in some places of the world). For it to double again, should take longer than 7days.

So 1m worldwide, would probably be like 10-14days out or something instead.

7 minutes later 510k...

I question the validity of that picture, the CDCs take on the Swine flu for example:

The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (referred to as “swine flu” early on) was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that its gene segments were similar to influenza viruses that were most recently identified in and known to circulate among pigs. CDC believes that this virus resulted from reassortment, a process through which two or more influenza viruses can swap genetic information by infecting a single human or animal host.

In this case, the reassortment appears most likely to have occurred between influenza viruses circulating in North American pig herds and among Eurasian pig herds.

The reassortant influenza viruses found in Hong Kong from 2004 are different from the 2009 H1N1 influenza viruses

https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/information_h1n1_virus_qa.htm


But sure, it's easy to point the finger at the country with the highest population.

Blame your own government for not reacting in time to a known threat developing rapidly since Januari. But true, livestock and produce need to be regulated more carefully. Here you can't enter farms if you have no business there, they all have biosecurity signs. Yet still lettuce and other stuff regularly have to be recalled because of E. Coli and Salmonella outbreaks. Meanwhile the US was experiencing outbreaks of the measles again because of anti vaxxers ugh.

Anyway you should watch some documentaries about how livestock is treated in the 'developed' world. It sure lessens you appetite.
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/facts-about-the-lives-of-factory-farmed-animals/
1. More than 80 percent of pigs have pneumonia upon slaughter

It's not a surprise new diseases turn up, it's a surprise it doesn't happen more often.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/10/05/most-meat-producers-use-antibiotics-now-consumers-can-see-how-much/
Our measures to produce 'safer' livestock are helping to create more deadly bugs. It's slowly being addressed at least. What other hidden dangers lurk out there.

I wouldn't take that pic serious. Take the Spanish flu as example. There are different theories where it originated but whoever made that pic did obvioudly choose "it came from China". I guess it's the same with some other ones.

China definitely deserves the blame for COVID-19 since they lied about it and tried to hide it but individual countries also need to take responsibility for not taking proper measures early on to contain the spread.

UK changing how we count Covid-19 deaths, deviating from all European countries

- asking for family consent (shouldn't be necessary for basic data like numbers)
- not counting deaths which occur outside of hospitals
- not doing Covid 19 tests in post-mortems

Question - why? https://t.co/KJNGxVuyt7

— Dave Haslam (@Mr_Dave_Haslam) March 26, 2020

UPDATE: We’ve received 2,492 new positive #COVID19 test results since yesterday, bringing our statewide total to 6,876. This includes 436 positive tests from our mass-testing sites.

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 26, 2020

Why not blame Italy. The fashion industry has close ties to China and signs of a new unknown pneumonia were seen as early as November. Plus all the stats suggest it must have been there long before Februari. Why did they not raise the alarm...
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/248263/20200323/coronavirus-possibly-come-china-italy-first-detected-strange-pneumonia-months-wuhan-outbreak.htm

Or blame the WHO, but look first at what they're dealing with on a yearly basis
https://www.who.int/csr/don/archive/year/2019/en//

Blame the people thinking going on holiday is more important and proper hygiene is too much effort.

Blame the governments for not being prepared for situations like this and running the healthcare system as lean as possible with no reserves.

Blame our modern way of living where livestock and produce is transported all over the world between farm and table.

Blame our sensationalist media and over reacting public, which is the nr 1 reason why countries try to suppress information on a still tentative unknown new outbreak.

Blame the interests of the wealthy few that fear a recession more than a pandemic. The nr 2 reason why information was suppressed while some senators were selling off their stocks in advance.

We all deserve blame for letting this happen.


The big question is, will we learn this time... Or just keep pointing fingers.

uk numbers have always been highly suspicious. As I was planning a London visit in the near future (cancelled), I've been comparing Switzerland's numbers with the uk and it hasn't added up ever. Far fewer total of positive cases but three times the number of deaths (UK: "We have the best health system in the world"?)