In this present crisis, people with lesser chronic illnesses are (in some cases) dying: not because they were going to die anyway, but because once this particular virus takes hold, their particular body systems get overwhelmed.
You're stating this as fact. What figures do you have that support it please?
Fair point - we don't have specific case by case details.
However, we can draw likely conclusions from reasonable facts we have.
What we know is that people fall very seriously ill with this virus, and may die, predominantly through symptoms like pneumonia leading to melt down in the lungs, and wider knock on effects. (Once o2 levels collapse in the body, the whole system is in critical danger of closing down rapidly.)
Now - while people with the most serious health conditions are clearly vulnerable - a whole wider range of people are vulnerable to pneumonia and the viral invasion that then infects the lungs. You don't need to be on death's doorstep, or have the worst cardio-thoracic conditions to be susceptible to pneumonia. I expect many of us know friends who have had pneumonia, or have had it ourselves. But once pneumonia kicks in, with this very invasive virus, you're in potential trouble. That could be a person with asthma. It could be a lifelong smoker, with compromised lung capacity. It could be a whole range of people with "underlying health conditions".
Yes, the older and more frail you are, and the worse your existing health, the less resilient you will be to fight the virus once your lungs are in trouble.
But I strongly suspect that people "with underlying health conditions" which are not in themselves that extreme may also be in real danger - just as many people (not just the sickest) can catch pneumonia.
Once this virus takes a hold, you're in trouble. Pneumonia is an early stage of it taking hold, and then it really does become a risk, as to whether your systems manage to fight back. And there's not a lot of time to do so. You need acute care 'now'.
No, I do not have the stats to demonstrate who/what individual conditions have resulted in deaths. But the understanding of the process, and how this virus works (which everyone is trying to get a handle on), leads me to believe that pneumonia is a huge first stage on the path to rapid death in many of these cases. And it's not just someone who needs a heart transplant who is susceptible to pneumonia. Many people, even outwardly healthy people reading here, may be susceptible to pneumonia. And once pneumonia kicks in, the virus has a platform. And then it acts very quick, and if you're not able to get acute care/ICU/CCU support, even just starting with basic oxygen support which I suspect hundreds of thousands will need, then the clock is ticking and the virus is propagating.
If you've had pneumonia in previous winters (even if you are generally not suffering from COPD and heart failure) then take care, avoid personal contact, and go safely. And please please please don't be macho or nonchalant about this, and go drinking in pubs etc because you're not worried. At present, that's the height of selfishness because you have a real risk of spreading the virus to others. We all need to be responsible for each other.
We also badly need time to resource and equip. That's why I favour more extreme lock-down measures.
On the capitalism thing, you're right, now is not the time. I do have views on economic systems, but right now... 'we're all in this together' and the priority is practical compassion and practical measures. This isn't the time for party politics or contending ideologies. This crisis - worldwide - has one over-riding imperative: to take what measures we can to limit deaths, and start to reduce the infection rates.
Personally I am desperately worried about the impact this virus may have on some African states, once this virus takes hold there.
best wishes,
Siusaidh
