Closure of coronovirus threads

[Undermanager]

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/corona-virus.66330/page-2#post-829603

Caminos are great, and gathering pre-trip info is all part of the fun. Pilgrims planning trips, including myself, must inevitably be wondering how the growing Coronavirus problem might impact on their walk, the timing and planning of their trip, and especially be wondering about the wisdom of sharing Albergue rooms with global strangers, wondering the way things are heading if albergues might even be open in a month or two. For many from the four global corners, doing a Camino is a very expensive trip and needs to be thought through .....

Not one to over dramatise the impact, it is nevertheless an increasingly important issue and should be openly discussed here. After a search, it was disappointing to find one recent thread on probably the most serious health issue of our time has been locked. I (very respectfully) do not understand why.

I do understand censoring hysterical posts, but not mature balanced discussions, where people can openly chat about concerns.

I really hope this is a blip in the moderation of these threads.

 

[Bradypus]

As the moderator who locked the thread after some considerable discussion with the other moderators perhaps I should be the one to respond to your post. The easiest way is perhaps to quote a private message I sent to another member who contacted me last night with a similar concern:

This thread has been a hot topic for debate amongst the moderators today. And not just on this forum but in a number of other Camino-related groups. The consensus is that groups like ours really are not the best places for detailed discussion of the technical questions around the virus and its spread. Many of the posts are simply ill-informed speculation or wildly misleading. There are many official agencies providing up-to-date and verified information. As moderators we do not have the technical knowledge to vet posts. So far the impact of coronavirus in Spain is very slight and not directly related to the Caminos. If the situation changes - as I think it probably will - and there is some definite reliable information relevant to those walking the Caminos we will of course make sure that it is posted. But ours is not a medical information site and we feel strongly that those seeking reliable information should not be depending on posts from self-appointed "experts".

 

[Jeff Crawley]

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/corona-virus.66330/page-2#post-829603

After a search, it was disappointing to find one recent thread on probably the most serious health issue of our time has been locked. I (very respectfully) do not understand why.

In the winter of 2018/2019 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, due to a viral infection, up to 42.9 million people got sick, 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died.
That’s an improvement on the 2017-2018 estimates of 48.8 million illnesses, 959,000 hospitalizations and 79,400 deaths.

And yet those events scarcely got a mention in the press or on TV. Why? Because it was the influenza virus and well, everybody gets the flu don't they?

Let's have a sense of proportion here.

 

[alexwalker]

I fully sympathize with the moderators. Avoid uninformed hysteria.

 

[Roaming_Wombat]

I agree with the moderator. A forum is not the place to be sharing medical advice and spreading unnecessary fear and anxiety.

If people want travel advice about Coronavirus, then their home country's travel advisories are the place to get it, not an internet forum.

2600 Coronavirus deaths.
640,000 deaths from the flu each year (worldwide statistics. User above quoted US statistics).

 

[Bradypus]

A reminder that the thread being referred to was locked because this forum is not an appropriate place for speculation or amateur advice on medical matters. Also a reminder that a more appropriate way to question moderator decisions is to contact @ivar or the moderator concerned privately to discuss the matter. This is part of the forum rules which members are expected to abide by. This thread has been allowed to remain for the moment because some explanation of this particular decision seems helpful.

 

[wayfarer]

Thank you Turga, this has now been locked as well. Mods are not full time, we pop in when we can like every other member but we mostly depend on reports to keep things peaceful.