Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

teflsea · Post by **teflsea** » Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:24 pm

xandreu wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:12 pm A bit off-topic, but I don't want to start yet another Covid-19 thread.

Does anyone have any theories as to why cases in Cambodia still appear to be extremely low compared to other countries? Is it a case that the wave is still yet to hit or the fact that the virus doesn't survive well in hot climates?

It does baffle me that numbers are still relatively low. (long may that last however...)

A few theories I have, but nothing conclusive:

1) The typical influenza/flu season for Cambodia doesn’t peak until September/October and is consistent with peak of the rainy season.

If there is any seasonality to this virus, it could explain a slower spread and less community transmission. Although it doesn’t explain how some other similar-climate SEA countries have way more cases.

2) The average age of the population in Cambodia is much lower than other nations. The median age is around mid 20s vs around 40 in the U.K. We know the virus tends to be more serious and life threatening in the elderly. Again, some other SEA countries have low averages ages and so it doesn’t fully explain things.

3) In line with the difference in ages, but also perhaps the difference in GDP per capita and Khmer lifestyle, there is less obesity in Cambodia than in the West. That means cases are less likely to be severe or become life threatening, and therefore may not be detected.

4) There seems to be evidence/data that shows countries with large scale tuberculosis vaccination have a lower death rate from the new coronavirus. Again, that doesn’t necessarily explain why there are less cases, but it does explain why perhaps some cases are very mild and therefore don’t get tested and picked up.

5) Less testing and contract tracing than in other countries. Ultimately, if you’re not testing in masses, you can’t ever be sure of the numbers. I’m particularly interested in the thousands of migrant workers who have recently returned to Cambodia from SEA countries who we know are more impacted by coronavirus.

My personal opinion based on the points above and also that nobody here is reporting crowded hospitals etc, is that even if there are lots of unreported cases, they aren’t severe like they tend to be in the older and more obese populations.

I think once it enters the peak of Cambodia’s rainy season and we see more testing, we’ll have a true idea of the impact.

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:53 pm

^^^^^^^

Another factor is the lower number of smokers in Cambodia compared to some other countries. I read somewhere that smokers are at more risk of serious complications from the wuhan virus.

Kammekor · Post by **Kammekor** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:03 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:02 pm
6 around the table at the 12,2,4,6,8,and 10 o'clock position, x 1.5 metres between each would need a circumference of 9 metres (6 x 1,5m). 9 metres / pi 3.14 gives a diameter of 2.86 metres.

Nice try, answer is close enough, but wrong reasoning. 6 persons means 5 spaces of 1.5 meter, not 6. And you need to to take the width of 6 asses / bodies into account too.

So let's say 6 x 30 cm (body width)
5 x 1,5 m (spacing), then the circumference would be about 9,3 meter. The outcome would still be a table with a diameter of nearly three meters.

And that table should be at least at a 1.5 meter distance from other tables.
It's a financial nightmare.

Kammekor · Post by **Kammekor** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:11 am

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:53 pm ^^^^^^^

Another factor is the lower number of smokers in Cambodia compared to some other countries. I read somewhere that smokers are at more risk of serious complications from the wuhan virus.

I'll throw in another one.

In the current season (very hot, very dry, very sunny) the conditions for the virus to hang around undamaged outside of the human body are far from ideal on the street. Cambodians, except for the Khmer Riche and the middle class in the main cities, tend to spend most of their time outside, or at least in non air conditioned rooms. The prevalence of 'cold rooms' is much, much higher in neighboring SEA countries and my guess is the spreading in there is much more easy than outside.

newkidontheblock · Post by **newkidontheblock** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:31 am

clutchcargo wrote:^^^^^^^

Another factor is the lower number of smokers in Cambodia compared to some other countries. I read somewhere that smokers are at more risk of serious complications from the wuhan virus.

Normal lungs are designed to give out around age 120 or so. Smoking reduces all lung function parameters, when it hits zero, that’s it. The virus, temporarily reduces all parameters. Smokers already have lower reserves to start with. Good PSA reason to stop smoking.

What I don’t get are the Khmer riche. They tend to live huddled together in the aircon just like people in western countries, not like ordinary Khmer who tend to favor open air places. Haven’t heard and uptick in sick Oknha stories. So where are they getting treatment?

Everyone be safe out there.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus · Post by **Bitte_Kein_Lexus** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:47 am

I take it you don't know many Khmer riche? When you live in a mansion, the odds of being "huddled together" aren't that high or different from lower classes.

ExPenhMan · Post by **ExPenhMan** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 10:45 am

The pressure on China mounts. 100 Asian policy experts and politicians around the world (oddly enough, none from South America, that I could tell from the list of signees) call out China's lying from the beginning of the virus spread. Of course, I can't imagine China trembling in its rice paddy boots. But still:

INTERNATIONAL POLICY EXPERTS BLAST CHINA'S CORONAVIRUS COVERUP, CALL IT THEIR 'CHERNOBYL MOMENT' -- Newsweek.

The letter was published Tuesday on the website of Canada's Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a national public policy think tank based in Ottawa. It was signed by more than 100 policy experts, lawmakers and academics who hail largely from North America, Europe and Oceania.

"While the exact source and spread of the virus are not clear yet the question of origin is highly important, for the people of China and for all humankind: only by understanding how this global disaster could emerge we can prevent it from happening again," the letter argued.

It went on to say that the origins of the global pandemic "are in a cover-up by CCP [Chinese Communist Party] authorities in Wuhan, Hubei province."

https://www.newsweek.com/international- ... nt-1497839

Another news source with some more perspective:

Coronavirus coverup is ‘China’s Chernobyl moment,’ warn 100 politicians, experts

https://globalnews.ca/news/6814940/chin ... en-letter/

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 11:19 am

Coronavirus: US to halt funding to WHO, says Trump
2 hours ago
US President Donald Trump says he has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO).

He said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

He accused the UN body of mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus after it emerged in China, and said it must be held accountable.

Mr Trump has previously accused the WHO of being biased towards China.

The US president has himself come under criticism at home over his handling of the outbreak

President Trump accused the WHO of having failed to adequately assess the outbreak when it first emerged in the city of Wuhan.

"Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China's lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death," he told reporters.

"This would have saved thousands of lives and avoided worldwide economic damage. Instead, the WHO willingly took China's assurances to face value... and defended the actions of the Chinese government."

White House reporters pointed out, however, that Mr Trump himself praised China's response to the outbreak and downplayed the danger of the virus at home.

Full article:

Doc67 · Post by **Doc67** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 1:09 pm

Kammekor wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:03 am
Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:02 pm
6 around the table at the 12,2,4,6,8,and 10 o'clock position, x 1.5 metres between each would need a circumference of 9 metres (6 x 1,5m). 9 metres / pi 3.14 gives a diameter of 2.86 metres.
Nice try, answer is close enough, but wrong reasoning. 6 persons means 5 spaces of 1.5 meter, not 6. And you need to to take the width of 6 asses / bodies into account too.

So let's say 6 x 30 cm (body width)
5 x 1,5 m (spacing), then the circumference would be about 9,3 meter. The outcome would still be a table with a diameter of nearly three meters.

And that table should be at least at a 1.5 meter distance from other tables.
It's a financial nightmare.

I agree with the width of persons not being included, my bad.

But I think I was correct with the number of 1.5 metre spacings. If there are six people, at the 12,2,4,6,8,and 10 o'clock positions, there are 6 spacings of 1.5 metres between all of then, each person has a 1.5 metre spacing to both their left and right. That makes the table's circumference 9 metres plus 6 x 300mm so 1.8 metres, so the diameter is now 10.8 metres. Agree?

It's still 4 only in the room.

Kammekor · Post by **Kammekor** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 1:48 pm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 1:09 pm
Kammekor wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:03 am
Doc67 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:02 pm
6 around the table at the 12,2,4,6,8,and 10 o'clock position, x 1.5 metres between each would need a circumference of 9 metres (6 x 1,5m). 9 metres / pi 3.14 gives a diameter of 2.86 metres.
Nice try, answer is close enough, but wrong reasoning. 6 persons means 5 spaces of 1.5 meter, not 6. And you need to to take the width of 6 asses / bodies into account too.

So let's say 6 x 30 cm (body width)
5 x 1,5 m (spacing), then the circumference would be about 9,3 meter. The outcome would still be a table with a diameter of nearly three meters.

And that table should be at least at a 1.5 meter distance from other tables.
It's a financial nightmare.
I agree with the width of persons not being included, my bad.

But I think I was correct with the number of 1.5 metre spacings. If there are six people, at the 12,2,4,6,8,and 10 o'clock positions, there are 6 spacings of 1.5 metres between all of then, each person has a 1.5 metre spacing to both their left and right. That makes the table's circumference 9 metres plus 6 x 300mm so 1.8 metres, so the diameter is now 10.8 metres. Agree?

It's still 4 only in the room.

Correct reasoning

Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

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Re: Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

Re: Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

Re: Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

Re: Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

Re: Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

Re: Following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak - News and Discussion

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