To be concerned about the new coronavirus?

[MissPoldark]

I’m increasingly alarmed by the developments on this. Today we learn that 1 hospitalised patient infected a number of healthcare workers and the first case has been confirmed in the US (a patient who had been to Wuhan).

There are 3 direct flights per week from Wuhan to London, it only seems like a matter of time
Shouldn’t these flights be temporarily suspended?

I can't remember how or why Ebola ended up being quite well contained.

Ebola is spread by bodily fluids. Its much harder to catch a virus that spreads by bodily fluids as it requires you to come into very close contact. This virus does not require that as it is presumably an airborne virus.

From what ive read it seems students and those who work at universities could be most at risk of this due to high numbers of chinese students coming back over the Christmas break or travelling back from Chinese New Years celebrations (equivalent of xmas here).

Yung thank you

All I remember is panicky signs at my GP surgery!

14 people currently undergoing testing in the UK. 5 confirmed negative and 9 awaiting results.

Apparently there is only one lab in the UK that can carry out testing for the virus so I imagine it can take a while for results to come through.

ChangeInTime
It was a joke, as indicated by the
I hate snakes but fully accept that others have a different view.

SARS which is what everyone seems to be worried about and comparing this to caused 774

Exactly. Normal flu kills about 600 people in the UK alone every year.

Even if it was Ebola I wouldn't be panicked- I DIDNT panic.

Government COBRA committee meeting to take place today to discuss the situation.

Results of the other samples being tested expected after 3pm.

Pretty sure hygiene standards and the flu vaccine will stop that happening again hmm its pretty common for people to shower daily and have fresh clothes each day and good hand washing facilities unlike in 1918....

Less of the "hmm" face, please.

Pandemic flu (as opposed to the regular winter kind) is caused by viral shift as opposed to viral drift, so the kind of flu vaccines we get every winter are not going to help much.

And hand washing is of only limited efficacy, not least because people mostly don't do it properly in practice.

Not saying that the next outbreak of avian flu is going to be as bad as 1918, but it will still be extremely dangerous and will kill large numbers of people.

Compared to the flu mortality is minimal. No vaccine though so yanbu.

I'm not one to over-dramatise or panic about these things, and I'm not doing so now, BUT.... I'm interested in how the Chinese government is reacting.
Statistically, in terms of the number of people who have died (and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they may also have had underlying health issues) the risk seems small. So, why have they gone to the extent of shutting down 14 (?) cities and all the rest of it?

I suspect that they know something we don't.

It's concerning that they're apparently aiming to build a hospital in 5/6 days for this...

How do you build something in days?

Surely there are technological requirements? Concrete has to cure, plaster has to dry? It's not just manpower that's needed.

This is very odd.

I suspect it has a lot to do with them wanting to shore up their economy and therefore they have to be seen to be doing something.

How do you build something in days?

prefab
portacabin modular

dc's temporary school building was put up during half term.

I think they built a hospital in super quick time during the sars outbreak.

This one appears to be emerging much faster.

I’m pretty worried about this we have five patients in the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Glasgow under quarantine, though two have just been given the all clear.

I work at Glasgow Uni, huge numbers of Chinese students. Though most have been back for two weeks already and haven’t travelled home for new year. Don’t want to panic but I am a bit scared at the thought of taking anything home to my two year old.

I think if they've been here a couple of weeks then there is no risk - incubation period is thought to be up to 14 days at present.

If this reaches India or an African country it would be out of control. China has the wealth and infrastructure to help their people

I live about 280 miles from Wuhan.
With regard to the reaction of the Chinese govt, after Sars they are being more proactive this time, particularly as millions of journeys are planned and taken over the lunar holiday.
Notices have gone up in our compound regarding safe hygiene practices and practically everyone is wearing a mask.

Historically speaking global pandemics that have killed large numbers of the population had aspects in common.
The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was so bad as countries has suffered huge economic loss due to the war and ensuing poverty/ limited resources.
The black death ( bubonic plague) initially started by rats travelled slowly at first as people were not as globally mobile etc
Its when the bubonic plague mutated and went pneumonic that it managed to wipe out a third ( more in some areas) of the worlds population.
Ebola although a more deadly virus affected such a poor area, individuals far less likely to travel and spread.
We have antibiotics but as they dont work on viruses, have to hope it doesnt mutate and get into a mega city where people can travel it around.
I am concerned, there has always been a theory that plague/ super viruses are natures way of keeping the population steady. But like the 1918 outbreak we have a lot of poverty/ under nourished people using food banks and an under resourced NHS.
We are probably due an outbreak of some kind, but unlike the public information adverts I remember from a kid we are not given information to prepare?
I have lost count how many times I have been in public toilets and witnessed so many people not washing hands etc its no wonder that norovirus etc is so prevalent each winter.
But we do have fantastic scientists working on vaccines etc. China cant afford to have a pandemic as a leading economy.
Not everyone has access to internet/ information which can keep us all safe which is another concern.
I for one will just try to boost my immune system as much as possible and try not to stress about it. But it does terrify me.

Historically speaking global pandemics that have killed large numbers of the population had aspects in common.
The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was so bad as countries has suffered huge economic loss due to the war and ensuing poverty/ limited resources

Spanish Flu killed the young, fit and with strong immune systems. US soldiers were said to have dropped and died on the parade ground. It spread through the military transit camps and troop trains, and the huge movement of population. These people were the most well fed, fittest and well taken care of medically of the population because in war the warriors are taken care of as they are needed. In civilian life, there were shortages. Those were the people who died of secondary bacterial infections due to malnutrition, poor hygiene etc. The actual virus was apparently no stronger than the norm.

Spanish Flu killed the strongest through a cytokine storm and the weakest through subsequent bacterial infection according to research.

@TooManyPaws yes a cytokine storm truly terrifying we can only hope that coronavirus does not mutate this way

Also plague is now easily treatable with antibiotics.

anyone else fancy a certain mexican beer every time the name is mentioned in the news?

@stripeypillowcase
Can’t say I do. I’m resident in China and the comments such as yours are neither witty nor intelligent.

You’re wing ridiculous. It’s less serious than the flu.