
Coronavirus Declared Pandemic by World Health Organization - JumpCrisscross
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-coronavirus-cases-top-1-000-11583917794
======
waterfowl
I am on the east coast and all of the universities have closed -- but people
are still acting strange about WFH at my product company(which has full remote
devs and other employees, regular WFH days, etc).

It is disheartening to be made to feel 'tinfoil hat' for staying home. The
stuff coming out of
italy([https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/k7ex4a/coronavirus-has-
no...](https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/k7ex4a/coronavirus-has-northern-
italys-hospitals-on-the-brink-of-collapse)) is very scary.

~~~
juanuys
It's better to be safe than sorry. I've cited "frequent contact with
elderlies" and one of my reasons for a request to WFH (not easy as a
contractor), as I don't want to increase the transmission surface area for
them.

~~~
rhacker
Thank you. A lot of people think there's no big deal. The major ones to suffer
are the elderly, and to walk about because you're invincible doesn't mean
you're doing the world a favor. You're possibly helping the spread to elderly
people.

~~~
juanuys
Cheers. I've been sitting on that email to my PM since the weekend, then
yesterday finally I heard this on the radio which validated my feelings
(listen from 26:00 onwards):

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000g3j9](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000g3j9)

Summary: Dr. Sarah Jarvis saying don't be so gung ho about the virus, because
you might be a transmitter to the more vulnerable.

------
dustingetz
Yesterday article that is relevant:

"Critics take aim at ‘failure’ of bond designed to fight disease \ Instruments
issued by World Bank have yet to pay out to combat the coronavirus"

[https://www.ft.com/content/a6239e12-5ec7-11ea-b0ab-339c2307b...](https://www.ft.com/content/a6239e12-5ec7-11ea-b0ab-339c2307bcd4)

------
d4mi3n
What happens when the WHO classifies a pandemic? I imagine a number of
processes and procedures come into effect--anybody know what they are?

~~~
Hongwei
My limited understanding understanding is that it automatically releases
funding (from the WHO and other bodies) to help with the crisis. It should
also trigger some catastrophe and pandemic bond clauses, meaning investors who
bought these bonds will lose their money as it now goes towards relief
funding.

~~~
izzydata
Pandemic bond clauses? Why does this sound like people gambling against the
world not having a pandemic

~~~
Hongwei
That's basically what it is. Another way to think about it is it's a way for
the World Bank / WHO to buy _insurance_ against pandemics. Sell high yield
bonds that default when a pandemic happens.

------
ylhert
Does anyone know how many times the WHO has declared Pandemics in its history?

~~~
juanuys
The last was H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak, which killed hundreds of thousands of
people. It was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2009.

~~~
Angostura
And they got a right old bludgeoning because it triggered a number of costly
'delay' \- as opposed to 'containment' processes in various countries which
angered some people as unnecessary.

------
jonplackett
Better late than never

------
TwoNineA
Everyone with a half brain knew it weeks ago.

------
agumonkey
congrats ?

~~~
dang
Please don't do this here.

