In continental Europe things are getting tense, and I strongly object to Dave's assessment: The course of the disease might be mild in the majority of cases, but the lung damage caused by coronavirus is life-threatening for more vulnerable persons, many of them needing respiratory equipment and intensive care.
With the alarmingly high infection rate – and if no measures are taken – even highly developed healthcare systems with around 20 intensive care beds per 100.000 citizens (and 5–7 respiratory equipment units per hospital) will reach their capacity limits within 2–3 weeks. By comparison the UK has 6.6 intensive care beds per 100.000.
The tight measures to flatten the curve of new infection currently in effect in many European countries are the only chance to prevent an early collapse of the national healthcare systems. And fortunately even the British government seems to have realized that in the meantime.
Where I live, public life will be suspended for the next couple of weeks, and while the effects are anything but pleasant, any other approach would be absolutely irresponsible. The improvised hospital wards for thousands of people which are currently being erected in my country's bigger cities are speaking volumes and the outlook is absolutely frightening.
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