Golf and the Coronavirus

It was bound to happen at some point but interesting to see what happened the last couple of days in Oman with Eduardo Molinari Gagli. The way things seem to be going, I can’t imagine that this will be the last we hear of it impacting golf.

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/european-tour-u-turn-on-molinari-and-gagli-withdrawal

I dont know about golf but yesterday I was riding the NYC subway to a doctors appointment and there was a tension in the air. Everyone seems to be on edge and justifiably so. Can spread like wildfire in an environment like the subway,,,,,,

I read they had been withdrawn, although it sounded more like excluded as Gagli sounded very unhappy, now they are reinstated.

I realise its a very unique set of circumstances but sounds very much like the ET is unsure how to handle this. In fairness the way it has spread in Italy is alarming so I can understand the caution in terms of players coming in from that location.

No event in mainland Europe till the end of April but there will be players moving around all over the globe for ET event in Middle East, India, Africa, USA and so on. Not ideal.

All amateur tournaments are now cancelled in Italy, situation seems to get better, but we are still very cautious.

It definitely does seem that we are still just at the tip of the iceberg moment with it all both generally speaking and golf wise. I can’t think of many professional athletes that would globe hope quite like professional golfers...it could make for a very difficult period if the powers that be don’t get a handle on it.

Global health paramount here.

Golf will always be around.

If people don't start exercising caution and common sense then they won't be around to enjoy it.

Global prioritization and preparation is most important next shot we'll all be taking on the fairways of health?

Lol, subway seems very relaxed to me. Then again, I ride it twice a day. If you don't ride it a lot, I can see how you'd think it was tense ; )

I'm surprised more people arent wearing those face masks. I'm surprised Im not, lol. I guess we are all just waiting for a big outbreak and then all go panicking like a bunch of nut jobs.

To hell with living in fear.

When has NY subway not been tensed?

this ... won't be surprised if it turns bad, but still nothing i can do about it ... can't do much about my chipping, either, but i fear a skulled chip more than the coronavirus ...

Wash your hands and cover your mouth if you sneeze or cough.

People are freaking out and for the most part, needlessly. More people die daily from heart disease (49,000 daily) or cancer (26,000 daily) or car accidents (almost 3,300 daily).

Yes, people will get sick and some will die, but it happens every day with the normal flu too. Keep it in perspective.

I will also say I agree with the quoted statements above, it's good to be sensible and sometimes a bit cautious, but the worrying about it changes nothing. I will enjoy playing golf and what happens is what happens.

I work in big tech in the Bay Area of California. There are many people who work in this area from other countries who don't seem to cover their mouths when coughing. Not sure if that's a cultural thing or not, but it's starting to get a little terrifying during times like these.

R0 (R Naught) value of Coronavirus is a lot higher than the flu however. Agreed we need to keep it in perspective but this is not your auntie's flu season sickness we're talking about.

Fatality rate is higher for this, sure. But incidence rate is microscopic.

Better to worry about our drives to/from work, store, golf course each day.

To h3ll with that, too! Your immune system needs practice; avoid germs and you'll have a weak immune response. If you're elderly, have compromised immune system, or chronic respiratory illness...yeah...take precaution. If you're an otherwise healthy adult, let your immune system do what it has evolved to do.

Selling Purell on eBay for prices that are so bizarre, you'd think you should get a Tour Issued Scotty with every bottle. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-PURELL-1907-02-WATERLESS-SURGICAL-SCRUB-HAND-SANITIZER-1200mL-CART-2-PK/263346452134?hash=item3d50abf6a6:g:Q2gAAOSw8b1aG1e9

My grandmother got the Spanish Flu in 1918 as an infant and survived.

Some frightening stats about that outbreak

An estimated 500,000,000 contracted it or 27% of the world's population at the time

Deaths were estimated 50,000,000 to 100,000,000. No one really knows due to the record keeping of the time.

In today's population that would be over 2 billion getting the flu and over 400,000,000 deaths, more than the population of the US.

In the US there were 675,000 deaths, more than the US deaths in both World Wars combined. Today that would be a little over 2,000,000 deaths.

All of that in three waves over two years.

The 1919 US Open and PGA Championship were both played in 1919, the British Open was not.

That would certainly hurt Mavrik sales.

I own a healthcare company and the lead time for isolation gowns and masks has gone from a day or two to 2-3 weeks. It's not just CoronaVirus but the strain of flu going around this year is horrifically bad. We have almost 10% of our senior census in the hospital right now related to flu alone.

I just read this book, it's pretty good, The Atlantis Gene. It happens to be fiction but it mentions the Spanish flu and I didn't realize that it actually hit people with *strong immune systems (young people etc) the hardest due to the immune response to this particular virus.

https://www.clinicalcorrelations.org/2009/09/23/the-forgotten-influenza-of-1918-when-a-strong-immune-system-becomes-a-weakness/

THE FORGOTTEN INFLUENZA OF 1918: WHEN A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM BECOMES A WEAKNESS

While everyone is in a panic about the coronavirus (officially renamed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization), there's an even deadlier virus many people are forgetting about: the flu.

Flu season is hitting its stride right now in the US. So far, the CDC has estimated (based on weekly influenza surveillance data) that at least 12,000 people have died from influenza between Oct. 1, 2019 through Feb. 1, 2020, and the number of deaths may be as high as 30,000. 

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the flu kills 290,000 to 650,000 people per year. 

I wonder if this Coronavirus issue is overblown and politically fueled?

It's just a new reason for Rory et al to skip the Olympics this year.

It's 50/50 right now if the Olympics are even held. Based on the timeframe to come up with an effective (and safe) inoculation, the 3 month window the IOC has given to decide, the chances of it happening seems far fetched.

The Great Influenza is a great read on that event ... and downright frightening ...

i don't know what's going to happen, but do think it will be significant ... but there's not a lot beyond washing hands and not being around people that's going to help ... if it hits during the summer, alabama ain't exactly a destination place during that time, so i've got that going for me ...

In the US, 40 people have died falling off ladders since January 1, 2020.

-Chris

Was this your first time on a subway?

I bet boarding Ernie Els' plane looks a little more inviting now for some of these guys.

You wake up and Ernie be like

Interesting theory, but they tested it once. It was called the Dark Ages. Average life expectancy was mid-40's, NOT COUNTING people who died in childhood or in war. Even royal families, who had the best food and medical care available, exceeded that by only a couple of years.

Look, nobody says you have to barricade yourself in your house and wear a space suit. But it's just dumb to refuse to wash your hands, or cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Your immune system will get plenty of exercise from the billions of germs that get by those very rudimentary measures.