Coronavirus. AIBU please calm me down

[Areyoucomingalong]

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 :(

Gosh. Globally...
36,000 people die every month from malaria.
But people feel more 'in control' of that one, so it's ordinary now.

125,000 people die each month from TB (I read).

Nearly 25% of humanity are infected with TB.

You are being very silly. Hth.

I feared for my life at all time in SA, can't believe you are afraid of your baby potentially getting a virus that he is very very very unlikely to get where you are at (let alone die from) to the point of wanting to cancel a wedding when you are WAY more likely to get carjacked and be a victim of petty crime on your way to the airport just by living where you do.

Wear a mask and get on with it, YABVU.

Yabu. However I work at a uk university with a huge number of Chinese students and they are all rocking the old face masks right now. Makes me worry they might know something I don't but seriously you can't control it or change it so no use stressing. Save your anxiety for things you can do something about.

@m0therofdragons that’s not possible. The splitting of the egg for twins happens in the first 5 days of pregnancy, usually around day 3. By 5 weeks you’d be able to see 2 individual embryos. By 6 weeks you’d be able to see 2 heartbeats. Swine flu at 5 weeks pregnant definitely can’t cause twins.

@m0therofdragons just seen your second post - that’s still not correct - the splitting of the egg is would have occurred a matter of days after the egg was fertilised - what would be week 3, I’d toy will. This is what an embryo looks like at 5 weeks, going from the date of LMP - it’s really not splittable.

@Areyoucomingalong

Based on my recent readily available statistics, South Africa had 21,000 murders and 14,000 road traffic fatalities per annum.... Some perspective is needed.

In fact, if you want to be safer, I’d consider moving to China.... There are fewer than half the number of murders despite its population being 20 times larger!

Your acute health anxiety will, paradoxically, be causing your health, and your baby’s health, far, far, far more harm than this Coronavirus ever will.

@Areyoucomingalong

Although impossible to diagnose with certainty at a distance, your posts indicate that you have an anxiety disorder.

If you are worried about dying, you should recognise and try to tackle this. To quote from a recent medical study: ”The risk of death by natural and unnatural causes was significantly higher among individuals with anxiety disorders“. For you and your baby’s sake, please recognise this and get help.

I understand why you might be anxious, op, but the likelihood is that you and your family will be absolutely fine. I also don’t think you’re necessarily being racist - people travel and it’s just been lunar new year, so lots of Chinese people are travelling either to visit friends and family overseas, or those who live overseas have been ‘home’ to celebrate there. That’s not racist, it just a fact.
I live in Melbourne where we have some confirmed cases. I’m still going out and about, but avoiding the city centre for the above reason. It’s impossible to avoid all risk, but I’m not going to be completely blasé either. Two people tested positive from a Sydney to Gold Coast flight this week.
What advice have the SA government given re domestic travel, op? I think that’s where I’d be looking for reassurance. Every country’s response seems to be quite different!
I’m flying via HK next month so will keep my eye on what the airlines and various governments are advising closer to the time.
Try not to panic, just take sensible precautions re hand washing etc. and enjoy your trip!

@EagleSqueak I'm watching very closely. We are flying London to Brisbane via Singapore in 2 weeks. I'm nervous because I have a baby. I barely knew of any other flu or virus prior to being a mum. Now I'm very concerned 😔 new level of anxiety!

Its in the UK now, reported a little while ago

HJ82, I understand. Being responsible for yourself is so different from having a baby who is completely reliant on you for their wellbeing. It is worrying.
I remember coming back in 2003 and our kids couldn’t go back to school for a fortnight because we’d transited through HK. That was for SARS. Every time they sneezed...!
The likelihood is that you’ll be fine, and I’m sure the airlines will keep everyone updated on their websites, but I do understand the worry.

DecemberSnow They said yesterday that it was a matter of when, not if

The key here is that it's a serious threat at the moment, it doesn't yet have significant transmission outside of China.
But for most countries, even with people travelling in from the affected areas, it's not a serious danger, yet.
Hopefully, it won't be.

It's hard to convey the idea that the threat itself should not be dismissed at all (and the WHO, and health authorities are taking it seriously), but that most people outside of affected areas shouldn't worry or let it affect their lives, at least in the short term.

A simple fact is that the seasonal's flu mortality is not 1%, not even close. I probably should have elaborated - you would have encountered a casualty from flu through every major employer or school (as in, someone's relative died from it etc).

The mortality rate is a global measure, so unless you have a load of colleagues from, say, the poorest parts of the Indian subcontinent or similar, where healthcare standards are low-to-non-existent, you would be unlikely to come into contact with someone with a relative who died from flu if you're posting from the affluent UK with its flu vaccination programme and free-to-access healthcare, and yet there still be a roughly 1% mortality rate. It's not a tithe that takes 1 in every hundred people spread evenly across every town and country, it disproportionately affects those in the poorest areas with the worst or most inaccessible healthcare.

I wonder should we be stocking up on masks? Hand sanitiser ain't going to kill it, so that's pointless. Saw an interview yesterday where the guy said it seems to be transmitted via droplets in the air - so presumably coughing or sneezing.
I genuinely hope that people who are coughing and spluttering stay the hell at home instead of sneezing and snottering all over the shop.

Masks are a bit useless outside of a medical environment. Wouldn’t bother.

Thing is it's season for common cold etc so it's a really hard line.

I wonder should we be stocking up on masks?

Hand washing is more important. Particularly if you work with the public or use public transport. Or have children.

Keep washing your hands and avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth.

But that's good advice regarding any respiratory disease going on.

I wouldn't bother with masks, tbh. Unless I lived in an incredibly populated area, where personal space is very reduced, then maybe.

Why is it people weren't battening down the hatches with Ebola in west Africa or losing their shit.

It has a death rate of 90%

No-one was trying to distract the British public from Brexit or Prince Andrew then, MyuMe.

The ebola outbreak started in 2014.

2 years before the referendum.

No one was losing it like this despite the country being closer and an appalling death rate

@MyuMe

Ebola is transmitted differently. It's basically through touch and contact with infected body fluids.
Corona virus is more like the flu.
Plane travel means that distance means shit. It's the number of people travelling from one place to the other that makes the difference.

Your comparison with Ebola makes no sense.

@EagleSqueak there are more people with this then there was sars. I'm surprised they made you keep your kids home. I don't think there are any restrictions in place here, yet

I agree I didn't think I would get Ebola...thos however has a huge risk because of how it's spread.

Have any children been reported to have it?