Coronavirus. AIBU please calm me down

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Hi guys. So we're down in South Africa at the moment and so far no reported cases. We're flying to attend a wedding next week and im so worried its making me physically ill :( the AIBU part is that we're just flying 2 hours to another province but like lots of counties we have a huge Chinese population and im only scared because of our baby. I'd really not like to go though hubby and other son couldn't give a shit and thinks im stupid but this virus is spreading so rapidly. Please tell me to calm the Ef down :(

You are far more likely to die in a road crash.

All the evidence points to it having an mortality incidence of 3% - although it suspected to be much lower as many who have been infected only gave cold like symptoms and haven't sought out medical assessment.

The usual bog standard flu has a mortality rate of 1%.

With that data - yes its more damaging than the flu but if you do catch the new coronovirus - you are 97% going to be fine (although 99% chance of being fine with the flu)

Are you flying to or through china?

Most places in South Africa have significant Chinese populations. I'm afraid you are being ridiculous.

FFS! You're not even leaving SA. Being Chinese doesn't make you infectious. Haven't you got a bigger chance of a bad car accident or hijack in SA?

YABU. It's not the bubonic plague and the number of cases is exceedingly small v the number of people in the world. There's plenty of other nasties you are far more likely to catch on a flight.

As others say the risk is low. Most of those who have sadly died from this so far have been over 60 and most have had pre-existing conditions. There's no reason to think children are particularly at risk.

You're more likely to die in a vehicle on the way to the airport. Maybe you should never leave the house. Oh but then there's accidents in the home!

So you're not leaving SA.

You may encounter some Chinese people in SA.

These people will not have left SA either.

Hmmm.

The usual bog standard flu has a mortality rate of 1%.
No it is NOT! So, what you're saying is that 1 in 100 people with "big standard" flu die????!?!?!?!? How many people do you know who have had flu? How many died? It is more like 0.1%
3% (if it is that, and it's early days) is actually quite high, not odds I'd like, but as you'll see from the news, parts of China are in lockdown.

I wouldn't be worried, OP and as others have said, you're way more at risk from a car accident. Drive safely and enjoy yourselves!!
Xx

Actually I really don't think you are being silly. I don't think I would travel with a baby on a flight at the moment. It looks as though this virus could spread rapidly. Plus potentially many of the Chinese could have travelled home for New Year. Don't forget that Sars was spread to HK and may other continents by a professor visiting for a wedding from Guangdong and vomiting near an elevator in the Metropole hotel. I was living in HK at the time with a 3 year old. We didn't travel back to the UK for a long time as we thought plane travel was the most dangerous thing we could do unlike most other expats.
Listen to your intuition on this. Not random strangers on an internet forum who often don't know what they're talking about.

I read a news report somewhere (can’t remember where!) and recall it mentioning the rate of mortality from influenza is around 1%. So maybe the OP above read/heard similar?

This started as a geographic thing that has spread.

It is not an ethnic thing.

If Greenland has a significant Chinese population on it, and no visitors from Wuhan have arrived there in the last couple of weeks, then the ethnic Chinese population isn't going to suddenly start mutating and dying.

YABU a bit here

Will try to calm you down! If you are only going to be travelling inside South Africa and there are no cases, I think you are pretty much 100 percent safe. As much as anyone can guarantee any such thing. It is a concern, but consider this. Ordinary flu can turn into pneumonia, especially in the very young and very old. It does regularly kill, albeit only a few cases a year, here in Oz. Coronavirus is only a problem IF it develops into pneumonia largely, I suspect, because it is a virus therefore not treatable with antibiotics. Ordinary flu is also a virus but it renders the host suceptable to bacterial superinfection, hence developing into pneumonia. People of Chinese ethnicity in SA are only going to have it if they have been exposed obviously, unless, like anyone else, there is a history of recent travel to affected areas in China. I truly, truly doubt that you have anything to worry about. Honest. I’m in Oz and there is a possible case two hours down the road from me. I’m not letting it keep me awake.

Well it’s already here in France and life is still normal.
I think it’s just a bad flu and like swine flu, they want to prevent a recurrence of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
So it’s actually reassuring that WHO and nations are taking steps to contain and develop a vaccine for this.

Hi guys. So now that you see this thing has the potential to spread outside of China (rumoured cases in South Africa) and WHO has declared it a global issue, do you still think im paranoid? Due to fly out tomorrow. I do not want to go, yes, yes, its not to China, its within South Africa but flight attendants friends told me there's no restrictions or banning of flights in and out of China ,except of course to Wuhan.

I feel bullied and cornered and this issue has us actually 'questioning ' our 5 year relationship :(

Yes, I still think you're being paranoid.

Are you pregnant?

You're being ridiculous ffs.

Only @teta understood this so thank you. And the other Aussie person that tried to 'calm' me down much thanks. I forgot a relevant piece of info and that was that the entire family came from Indonesia and India 2 weeks ago, so yes, ok not China but close. Ha ha. So that makes me paranoid as well. I.plan on telling him later i won't be flying out with him but it will be a hell of a strain on what i thought was a good relationship

Not pregnant no

Are you 70+? Do you have outstanding issues?

Calm the fuck down

Im not worried about myself. Yes, my baby is healthy but he's under 2