While there are reports #coronavirus is mutating rapidly, becoming more transmissible, can be spread asymptomatically, ALL of this is beyond preliminary, based on very limited data. Rushing to judgment, rumor-mongering, panicked thinking aren't what we need right now. 1/
And you might push back saying "better safe than sorry," but as you amp up the emotion around this, policy-makers tend to do the WRONG thing, to make you feel better or even worse play on your fears for their own advantage. 2/
Want to get the latest on the science? Follow
@WHO, @CDCgov, @C_Althaus, @MRC_Outbreak, @maiamajumder. 3/
Meanwhile, stay skeptical, demand evidence. Stay vigilant. If politicians talk about rounding up people (9 people were rounded up in Connecticut in 2014 during Ebola epidemic in W. Africa), ask questions, both epidemiological and legal. 4/
Let the science guide you. Not your fear of disease, fear of others. 5/
Dr. Anthony Fauci, our nation's leading infectious disease expert @NIH has said regarding asymptomatic transmission: 6/
"CDC disease detectives would need to see precisely how Chinese health authorities gathered their data. “...we have not seen the precise minute, granular data and how they collected it...We need to get to the real bottom line...and see if it’s valid.” 7/
Otherwise, wash your hands, stay home if you're sick. Around 10,000 people are already dead in the US....from influenza this year. More than 50% of Americans are unvaccinated. The flu is more likely to affect your life this winter than the new coronavirus. 9/
And rather than act precipitously as outbreaks, predictably happen every few years, tell your elected leaders to invest in public health both here and around the world. That's how you prevent outbreaks at their source. 10/
This ends your morning public service announcement. end/
You can follow @gregggonsalves.
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