Exchange student from China...what to recommend?

[RomeoLikedCapuletGirls]

It's a personal arrangement and the student is arriving next week, from from Hubei but still...

Would you ask that they stay in an AirBnB for 14 days or just assume that the airport checks are adequate and she's not from Hubei itself anyway.

I'm asking for a friend who is worried. I didn't know what advice to give as the FCO online seems to recommend a 14 day quarantine period but that's not really feasible as the poor girl has to start her studies. So what else to do except turn to Mumsnet?

I think they should pop some quarantine facilities in the houses of parliament, see if it doesn't concentrate the mind.

Just to point out, a statistician said that everyone quoting the 2% figure didn't understand statistics. The virus and contagion is at an early stage so taking current numbers from the population isn't accurate as it doesn't show who is currently incubating it. Likewise mortality rates aren't accurate yet because there hasn't been a long enough research period.
Since the situation is developing all the time, they might not be able to leave anyway. (As for AirBnB until more is known about how the virus is spread and how long it stays live on inert surfaces, it seems unfair to put someone else's home at risk).

Only BA flights from China are cancelled ... other airlines still running.

It’s a hard one OP, I would say if no one especially vulnerable in the house then let her stay but if there is then it’s a bit different.

My University has asked anyone - students or staff - who's arrived from China to stay at home for 14 days (this happened about a fortnight ago) - but have noted that this cannot be enforced by the university. Staff have been told that no travel to China on University business is authorised (and all existing permissions revoked) - that happened the week before, so about three weeks ago.

All that said, I would imagine, if the student can even get here (really might not be possible next week) then your friend should host as planned, when planned, assuming no very young, elderly, immunocompromised or those with scarred lung(s) in the home. She should contact the University here for their current policy on arrivees from China, and be prepared that the student might be around 24/7 for the first fortnight.

British Airways may have suspended flights to and from China but other airlines have not. So you can currently travel BA to eg HK and then pick up a connecting flight. And you can return via the same route. Iberia are still flying there so you can connect in Madrid which makes the whole thing pretty leaky.

Delta, American Airlines and Israel all seem to have banned flights so not just BA.

China isn't letting it's citizens leave so this is not happening

Of course they are, they won't let them leave the quarantined areas, but everybody else is free to go as they please.

And what PP said - the identification of this strain is only around five weeks old. It's way too early to opine definitively on it's mortality rate. But if the student gets here, I'd still be prepared to host as planned (but no Air bnb)

I wouldn't host her, but I have chronic asthma, and a toddler DS. Even if I was alone though, I'd hate to have someone cooped up in my house 24/7 for a fortnight, talk about living on top of each other! And wouldn't the quarantine recommendation mean that the host should also stay in, as presumably she'll not know if she's infected?

Only BA flights from China are cancelled

And Virgin

Oh, that's alright then.

Did you deliberately miss the point? That if you aren’t in the vulnerable group the virus isn’t likely to be a problem. Did you really think PP was saying it’s ok that only frail people have died?

You’re right the uni should advise. Not sure why they haven’t.

Of course it’s true. Why would I lie?

I think people are reassuring themselves that only frail people will die. If the host does get the coronavirus then yes, unless she has a pre-existing condition then it's unlikely she will die. However, the people that she would infect, while she and her family unknowingly spread the disease, might not be so lucky.

Oh, host her as you have agreed. Chances are vanishingly rare that there is any risk. She is vulnerable too, coming to a strange country. She should not have her first experience of the UK as being discriminated against because of where she is from.

Trains and other public transportation have been suspended, roads have been sealed off and checkpoints established at tollgates around Wuhan, and the special measures have been extended to other cities in Hubei province.

Source Reuters

Hong Kong is restricting flights from the mainland and Singapore has banned them

I really dont think the trip will go ahead

My point isn't that this is the likely outcome, just that the fact that it only kills sick people shouldn't be a factor in making the decision.

Cancel, though I am sure she will not be able to travel.

I work for a company based in HK with offices in mainland China.
Schools in HK are closed until March.

Our office on the mainland (over 600 miles from Wuhan) has been closed all week.

Hubei is much closer to Wuhan than that.

You can't actually be consider hosting her still?

Did you deliberately miss the point? That if you aren’t in the vulnerable group the virus isn’t likely to be a problem. Did you really think PP was saying it’s ok that only frail people have died?

Is she going to stay indoors for a fortnight? Or go out and about where she will come into contact with lots of vulnerable people? Of course she shouldn't come.

It would be a no from me. She shouldn't come.

Phone 111(Non emergency medical advice) and ask for their advice. I’d definitely do that...

My University has asked anyone - students or staff - who's arrived from China to stay at home for 14 days (this happened about a fortnight ago) - but have noted that this cannot be enforced by the university. Staff have been told that no travel to China on University business is authorised (and all existing permissions revoked) - that happened the week before, so about three weeks ago.

It's the same at the university I work at - although they only implemented this last week.

Is she going to stay indoors for a fortnight? Or go out and about where she will come into contact with lots of vulnerable people? Of course she shouldn't come

this. It's not just about the people she's staying with.

I would be gobsmacked if the university in question doesn’t have a policy in place on this.

I would cancel the stay,no question about it.