Comments by "Xyz Same" (@xyzsame4081) on "Bernie Staffer Schools Neera Tanden With Health Care Reality" video.

  1. The death toll in France is slightly going down, but the number of cases jumped up by 39 % from April 3rd to 4th (that's the numbers I got) Maybe doing more testing ? Single payer countries Germany, Austria, Sweden, Spain, Italy have increases of case numbers of 5,4 / 2,2 % / 5,1/ 5,8 / 4,0 - so it looks like the curve flattening works ! Their death to case ratio is typically 1 : 10 (so roughly 10% of cases end with death - but I know that they do not have enough tests, so there are many more cases that that, only when people need the hospital, or work in a home for elderly or for child care (for the families who have no one) they are getting tested. Not even the fiancée of Boris Johnson PM of U.K. was tested. She obviously got it form him (symptoms, was ill for a week) and he was tested positive and in self isolation (she is much younger than him, with 32 she is not at risk - although she is pregnant). Cases in France: over 90,000 and 7,500 died. - All European countries (with the exception of Iceland) have on average an older population, so that may ALSO explain the death rate. (I think the case numbers include those that are well again). Like in Italy (and probably also Spain) it is common that friends and family kiss each other on the cheeks. That may have increased infection rates in the beginning. With the exception of Spain and Italy the other countries did not have infection rates that spiralled out of control, they can provide the necessary care. French hospitals were at breaking point last week in some regions (!), and they got help within the country and from neighbour Germany. But they have a lot of patients getting better, so they will have more free beds soon - for the next wave. The less affected countries: it got there later, other social customs (greeting people with a kiss and an embrace is not as usual, not even for family) and they had the warning example of Italy. France dragged it's feet but then they jumped into action, within days they switched from wash your hands to people have to stay at home. While Trump and some Republican govenors still could not be bothered. In Austria and Germany people can be outdoors, but only in small groups ONLY family members or people they have constant contact with anyway. and they must hold their distance. In Italy they had a lot of Chinese workers, which came back after the New Year celebration. Plus tourists, Italy has mild weather in February, it is ideal for sight seeing. From there it spread to the skiing regions in Italy, Austria, Switzerland (maybe also Spain) and France. the cable cars and the bars (evening activities - some locations are attracted for the wealthy and beautiful, and when these affluent / rich people returned to the economic powerhouses of Europe, they spread it everywhere. In France they must have let that get out of hand (Austria and Switzerland had the same problem, skiing locations turned out to be hubs for EUROPEAN spread, and they had to quarantine some towns or even regions). Has nothing to do with single payer. Only that they pay in general HALF of what the U.S. pays per person (all expenditures no matter WHO pays). In some countries austerity caused problems (Spain, Italy, U.K.). In Austria there was critique that they have too many ICU beds and that if was inefficient. In Germany a neoliberal think tank had advocated for closing smaller hospitals. Well, that is off the table. More ICU beds than other nations is a good problem to have. Germany and Austria took in patients from France and Italy. There is a lot of strain on the hospitals of course - but if patients get well again - they are NOT STRUCK with a bill (not for Corona be it testing or treatment in and out of hospital. Or other urgent treatments. Plus grieving relatives at least do not get a bill for the treatment of the deceased. Things like hip replacements are delayed for the moment.
    1