I've heard similar from people who have worked out there.

Given that, I would say their system is a massively weak link in the global effort to contain this.

They may be "industrious" but that really is  no good if you don't have  the  tool set suitable for the problem in hand.  

...... That's not to say they won't be the first to  create a vaccine for this thing !

Yes, the US law requires that a hospital you are taken to in an emergency preserves life as far as possible. Beyond that, they are looking for payment and it's aggressive. Often patients apparently without funds are imprisoned by use of a device called the Foley Catheter, even if there is no reason to insert one. It's applied because you cant remove it and it will blight your very existence until it is removed.

I disagree. It won't be possible to cover things up in America and TBH we don't really know what is actually happening in Iran. I suspect the US will have hundreds or thousands of cases within a couple of weeks. How they respond will be interesting and possibly historic. 

This is true. The US healthcare system is completely incapable of dealing with Covid-19.

I've worked and lived in the US for almost 2 years, I'd still be surprised (but not shocked) were this to be true and not just silly/fake news. 

If America has a significant outbreak Trump could be in trouble. Bernie's free health care for all might not sound so crazy

unless a DNRA order has been signed

What is the basis for that? If we assume 500,000 people have contracted it in China during the last 3 or so months that is 0.04% of the population. why should the UK go to 90% in 6 to 9 months?

Yes, body’s piling up in the streets (literally) because people don’t have healthcare could be a real scenario that plays out to the US electorate

They will leave you in a parking lot to die if that is the case. You won't even get a blanket.

seems high to me. But maybe the assumption is they won’t quarantine say the whole of Yorkshire as China did with Hubei

On the other hand we have the free flow of information. A very powerful weapon.

if that is ones wishes It has to be respected my point is it can’t be overwritten if it is signed.

Yes, it's on page 4 of the Russia Report.

Believe me I was similarly sceptical. I know he's been an adviser to Government before on other unrelated health issues. My response was "Is this what you think or what those that are advising the Government are saying?"

He just winked. His comment was "We'e all going to get it."

Tomorrow's unveiling of the plan will be interesting. Look at what's been hinted at down the line especially.

People actually sign those to protect their families from bankruptcy, not to ease their passing. Seriously, you have to understand how commercially aggressive US healthcare is to understand.

Unless you have first hand experience of this, I think you should hold your tongue.

I take your point from US point of view but I do understand someone who does sign and is old and in a lot of pain I guess as you say I see it as the ease of passing.

I see the DOW closed up a massive 5%. 

If you are a middle aged working man and you have a heart attack which requires surgery, standard procedure is to hire a lawyer, divorce your wife, lose everything in the settlement, fly to Canada and collapse in the street in Toronto clutching your chest.

US healthcare is vile. It is morally and ethically reprehensible.

Reading a post like this. My main worry over this virus is not the virus itself.

But people's reactions to the crisis. A + point though is in a genuine world wide disaster. The keyboard chickens will soon die out as they will be to scared to venture outdoors in case they catch a cold.

Hospital beds per 1,000 people (OECD):

🇯🇵 Japan 13
🇰🇷 South Korea 12
🇷🇺 Russia 8
🇩🇪 Germany 8
🇨🇵 France 6
🇨🇭 Switzerland 4.5
🇨🇳 China 4.3
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland 4.2
🇦🇺 Australia 3.8
🇮🇹 Italy 3.6
🇪🇸 Spain 2.97
🇮🇪 Ireland 2.96
🇺🇸 USA 2.77
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England 2.3

Spot the problem.#coronavirus

— James Melville (@JamesMelville) March 2, 2020