Foxconn's Plans to Restart Apple Device Production on Monday Were Called Off By Chinese Health Authorities [Updated]

[cbusbuck]

Stop with the back and forth hysteria. I don't remember this level of passion and fear when an actual pandemic happened in 2009, which killed up to half a million people worldwide.

2009 H1N1 Pandemic

During the peak of H1N1, people were quarantined on cruise ships and in homes, they were dying by the tens of thousands, there were travel advisories issued against the United States and Mexico, and so on and on. Does anybody recall the same level of media hysteria at the time? I sure don't. Heck, I almost forgot about the whole thing.

This new coronavirus is not yet a pandemic, and it looks like China's heavy-handed quarantines and isolation measures might keep it from becoming one. We'd better all hope China succeeds.

 

[Bandaman]

But how can you include the total number of infected to work out the average death rate, when you don't know the conclusion of the vast majority of the cases? Most of the people who've died have done after weeks of being infected, so you can only look at 'concluded' cases - i.e. either they recovered or died, not 'in progress and don't yet know the outcome'.

And of course there are more cases in China, that's where the outbreak started. Do you understand how these things spread? The rest of the world is like 2 months behind where China is now - i.e. pockets of cases springing up, but likely hundreds of infected walking around spreading the virus, but they don't know they have it yet as it's asymptomatic for up to 2 weeks. Watch the number of cases grow.

China have over 400m people in lockdown now, that's like the entire US only allowed to leave their homes every 2 days to get food. Would they do that if it was just flu?..

Until it actually spreads outside of China to any degree worth mentioning, which it clearly hasn’t, any overblown hysteria regarding this virus is just that ... overblown hysteria. Yes, it came from China, but they have 18% of the earth’s population crammed into their country, so of course it’s going to spread. But given their population, this is silly. It’s affecting .0002% of the population. The other 99.9998% are okay right now. And 99.99995% haven’t died yet. 🙃

 

[BladeRunner95]

Until it actually spreads outside of China to any degree worth mentioning, which it clearly hasn’t, any overblown hysteria regarding this virus is just that ... overblown hysteria. Yes, it came from China, but they have 18% of the earth’s population crammed into their country, so of course it’s going to spread. But given their population, this is silly. It’s affecting .0002% of the population. The other 99.9998% are okay right now. And 99.99995% haven’t died yet. 🙃

There were probably those who said the same about the 1918 'Spanish flu' pandemic initially, which was also a form of coronavirus. That ended up with 50m-100m deaths globally. It's not hysteria, it's about being prepared and pro-active, not trying to downplay something that has potential to have a serious impact globally.

 

[koruki]

Apple needs to move its production facilities back to the USA.

LOL I'd like to to see them even make one working prototype here
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Meanwhile Skynet's like "hey guys I don't need sleep and I don't get viru... oh wait.."
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Stop with the back and forth hysteria. I don't remember this level of passion and fear when an actual pandemic happened in 2009, which killed up to half a million people worldwide.

2009 H1N1 Pandemic

During the peak of H1N1, people were quarantined on cruise ships and in homes, they were dying by the tens of thousands, there were travel advisories issued against the United States and Mexico, and so on and on. Does anybody recall the same level of media hysteria at the time? I sure don't. Heck, I almost forgot about the whole thing.

This new coronavirus is not yet a pandemic, and it looks like China's heavy-handed quarantines and isolation measures might keep it from becoming one. We'd better all hope China succeeds.

Yep also I didn't see American fast food places empty around the world like Chinese restaurants are with this outbreak. It makes no sense people are avoid chinese restaurants in middle America cause there is an outbreak in the middle of China. The media are milking this on the hour every hour.

 

[danny842003]

This is why Apple needs to move production of their products to the United States. If it's lacknof a skilled workforce that is hindering it then surely Apple has the financial means to help educating said workforce.

Because America is immune to pandemics?

 

[Swampbaby985]

Because America is immune to pandemics?

No but still

 

[konqerror]

Musk had an excellent year. SpaceX is hugely profitable and has been for years. At the speed they're innovating, this is a gold mine.

How do you know that SpaceX is profitable? They are a privately held company with considerable debt.

Poor comparison. It's impossible to not turn a profit when you sell to the Government. Cost plus. Simultaneously, it's impossible to turn an Apple-style profit. You're making 10% max.

 

[robjulo]

Total made up number. How many labor hours are in each iPhone?

yes and I bet you’d be willing to pay $3k for an iPhone?🤔 That’s assuming they could even find the type of skilled labor willing to do assembly line work(and keep doing it after Apple tried training the workforce).

 

[sakurarain]

I am working at a Japanese company as engine component supplier for Toyota (Lexus as well). We have plants in China, India, Czech, Portland and Thailand. Experience told me how difficult to move the manufacturing plant out of China, especially the plant management & operation in India......

 

[Bandaman]

There were probably those who said the same about the 1918 'Spanish flu' pandemic initially, which was also a form of coronavirus. That ended up with 50m-100m deaths globally. It's not hysteria, it's about being prepared and pro-active, not trying to downplay something that has potential to have a serious impact globally.

I’m sorry, but I don’t deal in hypotheticals, I deal with facts. And right now with the current statistics, it’s not even remotely a threat. If it starts escalating to biblical proportions, then people can start legitimately freaking out. As it stands right now it’s just fear-mongering.

 

[danny842003]

I’m sorry, but I don’t deal in hypotheticals, I deal with facts. And right now with the current statistics, it’s not even remotely a threat. If it starts escalating to biblical proportions, then people can start legitimately freaking out. As it stands right now it’s just fear-mongering.

So would you prefer governments didn’t do anything to stop it escalating?
If you had a fire in your living room would you not be concerned before the entire house was ablaze?

 

[Bandaman]

So would you prefer governments didn’t do anything to stop it escalating?
If you had a fire in your living room would you not be concerned before the entire house was ablaze?

What are you even talking about? That literally has nothing to do with anything that I said.

 

[DryRot]

Professor Neil Ferguson on the current 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak. Very measured, well informed info.

Again, this is much worse than the stats show.

 

[danny842003]

What are you even talking about? That literally has nothing to do with anything that I said.

you said it not a threat, clearly it is a threat. So what do you want governments to do wait until it’s out of hand?

 

[Bandaman]

you said it not a threat, clearly it is a threat. So what do you want governments to do wait until it’s out of hand?

Do you know what a straw man argument is? It’s when one person either misquotes or misinterprets another or ... in your case ... completely pulls something out of their ass that the other person didn’t say in order to create an argument where none existed before. It not being a threat in it’s current state is not me saying that I think governments shouldn’t do what they already do for things like this.

 

[Da_Hood]

If I were to buy an Apple product produced after late November, I would have that Simpsons episode stuck in my mind. You know the one where the factory worker sneezes as they close up the box.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I’m sorry, but I don’t deal in hypotheticals, I deal with facts. And right now with the current statistics, it’s not even remotely a threat. If it starts escalating to biblical proportions, then people can start legitimately freaking out. As it stands right now it’s just fear-mongering.

You not understanding the magnitude of the threat—evidenced by your statement “it’s not even remotely a threat”—is an unwise downplaying of both the current situation and the very real risk for acceleration of the epidemic. The latter is fact, not hypothetical.

We don’t know yet whether the measures taken so far will keep this outbreak relatively in check or not, but the current facts:

• Ro of 3 to 4
• contagious, asymptotic incubation period of 2 to 14 days, and
• a fatality rate of >2%

are sufficiently concerning to warrant the current response to this global health emergency.

The fact is this epidemic could either accelerate and become much worse, or it might come under control. Neither outcome is hypothetical, but it’s true we can’t assign a probability to either possibility.

It’s also true that we can’t say whether, two months from now, 50,000 will have been infected or 5,000,000. But there’s nothing to be gained and everything to lose by soft-pedaling the current threat.

Health experts are quite concerned, and by all outward appearances so is the Chinese government. You of course don’t have to consider this “even remotely a threat”, as you have the luxury of making such pronouncements from the safety and comfort of home. My guess is you’d think different if you were on the ground in the affected areas.

With a current fatality rate of about 2% (1 in 50), compared to seasonal flu of 0.1% (1 in 1,000), it’s readily apparent that the key to limiting the death toll is to limit the transmission of the virus. The current trend line looks pretty good, but it’s too early to tell how this will play out.

 

[danny842003]

Do you know what a straw man argument is? It’s when one person either misquotes or misinterprets another or ... in your case ... completely pulls something out of their ass that the other person didn’t say in order to create an argument where none existed before. It not being a threat in it’s current state is not me saying that I think governments shouldn’t do what they already do for things like this.

it’s not a straw an. I don’t understand how you can say its not a threat whilst at the same time say governments should do something. It doesn’t make any sense.

 

[Bandaman]

it’s not a straw an. I don’t understand how you can say its not a threat whilst at the same time say governments should do something. It doesn’t make any sense.

You’re just wanting to argue for the sake of arguing. Please bring up a valid talking point instead of arguing over something only you said. Otherwise I’m done here.

 

[AlanShutko]

I think right now, there are lots of things we simply don't know about the virus. Once we know more, this may be a non-event. Or it may be a non-event simply because so many people have put measures into effect. Arguing about things isn't going to change what happens.

 

[Bandaman]

I think right now, there are lots of things we simply don't know about the virus. Once we know more, this may be a non-event. Or it may be a non-event simply because so many people have put measures into effect. Arguing about things isn't going to change what happens.

That is exactly my point. It’s too early to make any conclusion here.

 

[pachyderm]

That is exactly my point. It’s too early to make any conclusion here.

Great point. Good observation.