So NOTHING at all to do with medical treatment one might receive?

Precisely. But if you want to disagree with the experts, go ahead.

The flu finishes off a lot of people who were in bad shape, but rarely does anything serious to those who are reasonably healthy. This kill people with much lesser health issues.

If you infect someone and they die it should be considered manslaughter.

I agree, criminal negligence or negligent homicide, same goes for the regular flu, you show up at work sick and infect vulnerable co-worker and they die, it is on you (and your employer, if they did not have sick leave). I know it is controversial and tricky to criminalize this, but it is not much different from someone causing a DUI death.

Unless you can show that you did all you could to avoid it.

I disagree. Strongly.

I know there are important differences and considerations and this is complicated to even prove or enforce, but the point is we need to have more societal responsibility and accountability around this. All this cavalier attitude of "I don't care or worry about this and any effects it will have on others, and I will do whatever I want", is irresponsible and can cause other people great suffering and death.

Reckless endangerment of public health?

Well said.

And this extreme selfishness of some posters here will contribute to a death toll from Covid-19 in Europe and the USA that will be higher than in Asia.

No, that's not hyperbole at all.

The mob mentality is really starting to show on this thread, particularly if one disagrees with the "Legion of Doom" ringleaders.

Believe it or not, one can appreciate the gravity of the situation without subscribing to the hysteria.

I have to say I do not agree with the ID/global health experts on this. If I were a healthcare policy maker right now I would be investing in ventilators and portable oxygen concentrators, not masks.

The fact is that wearing a mask is a user-dependent intervention. If it isn't performed properly then it is at best of limited effectiveness and at worst potentially harmful. Just like when we ended up stockpiling tamiflu for influenza, I think we are overly preoccupied with masks and hand sanitiser (and toilet paper!) right now and need to think about the bigger picture. I think some of the infection control experts are failing to see the wood for the trees.

Similarly, I am beginning to question how effective it is to tell everyone to wash their hands more. To be honest I don't see people have really changed their behaviour and constantly telling people to wash their hands won't make it happen. And if we can't get people to wash their hands what hope do we have of getting them to wear masks properly?

Instead, I think we really need to focus on a shift in mindset related to social contacts and exposure risk reduction - i.e. rather than measures to reduce risk of infection upon exposure, we should instead focus on reducing exposure in the first place. People should be actively considering how to reduce unnecessary human contact for the next year or so.

Is it absolutely necessary to take your unruly children to visit their grandparents every weekend? Could you not facetime them instead? It's not the end of the world if they can't get to see their grand children face to face and better than dying from pneumonia.

Do you really have to eat that packet of crisps (chips) right now? Could you not wait wait until you get home and then thoroughly wash your hands before eating them? Or better still, why not just not eat food which requires direct contact with your fingers?

Is it absolutely necessary to use that public toilet? Could you not wait 20 minutes until you get back to your place of work/home instead? And if you do, is it absolutely necessary to touch the door/tap handles with the pulps of your fingers? Could you use the back of your hand/elbow instead?

Do we really need to gather the entire extended family for Friday Night Dinner? Is it really necessary for the Catholic church to be celebrating Eucharist? Could worshippers not practise by intinction instead or perhaps just not at all for the time being? I'm sure Christ would have understood the situation.

And if you are a member of this forum, do you absolutely need to do that tier point run? Would it really be so bad if you were to drop down to Silver or (God forbid) Bronze this year? I mean, it's not as if you're going to be doing much travelling anyway!

I think we have to try all the approaches and recommendations, and every little bit may help. The truth is that many people do not want to even hear about behavioral modifications, let alone do them, because they are not fun and they are burdensome, and it will take time and work to implement them, with uncertain results, so it is easier for them to call them overreactions and hysteria, and resolve their cognitive dissonance that way, and hope for the best. It is the same way climate change deniers may also resolve their cognitive dissonance (by calling the relevant science a hoax and an overreaction, so they don't feel they have to do anything about it). But we should all try, at least modestly/ reasonably.

Of course, one may also have a reasonable disagreement about the validity, necessity, and effectiveness of something.

Are you talking about temporary measures (until a vaccine/cure is ready) or permanent measures?
Because if it is the latter, it is a load of nonsense.
Humans are emotional beings that need contact with other people. Simply denying that because of some fear for an infection ignores the emotional damage that may cause which is at least as bad if not worse than an infection.
In the end there needs to be a balance between safety and liberty. Go ask Benjamin Franklin for details.

It's in the message you quoted.

"People should be actively considering how to reduce unnecessary human contact for the next year or so."

If it wasn't in there, it would (to me) still be obvious, though. Permanently not (never) see the grandchildren again?!

Temporary measures, obviously, I reckon for around a year to 18 months.

Yes, I agree human beings need emotional contact with other people but there is absolutely no reason why this has to be physical contact. Technology now affords us numerous ways of having an emotional connection with someone which do not require close physical contact. Try asking anyone who has had to be in a long-distance relationship.