AIBU to ask you if you are worried about the new Coronavirus?

[IvyBush123]

I am not sure if there is reason to worry about the new Coronavirus. I am not a medical expert but to be honest feel a bit scared because we know so little and some experts seem worried. How do you think?

I'm due to go to the Maldives in March with my 3 year old... Should I be re-thinking? The Maldivian government have put a ban on travellers from China, but after reading this thread, I'm worried that's not enough?

I’m worried.
I’m one of those who thinks there’s more than meets the eye going on here but maybe I’m just being caught up in the media frenzy - I hope so.
I have a newborn so that’s driving my fear.
It’s started making me nervous to take him out and about or have visitors and my health anxiety has started to come back.
I know worrying doesn’t help but when it’s constantly in the news it’s hard not to.

I’m just surprised more people aren’t talking about it/bothered by it but it’s like a case of the boy who cried wolf - the media have gone nuts over every single virus etc previously and it’s come to nothing (obviously not for those affected or who lost people of course but on a pandemic scale) so I expect most people are just assuming the same thing is going to happen here

I'd be really worries about it if I was in China right now, but anywhere else I really wouldn't worry. Be vigilant with hand washing, as you should be anyway. It's your best defense against things like this.

I’m also a bit worried about taking DS to the GP in a couple of weeks for his jabs - as there are always people coughing and spluttering in the waiting room and by then I expect there to be a significant rise in known UK cases, so there will likely be a lot more infected who head to the doctors etc

I am going to Yurrop in half-term. I am beginning to wonder whether I should be quarantining myself once I get off the Eurostar.

@Dennisreynoldsduster Our pediatrician lets children who have no infectious disease and are just getting a jab wait in another room.

@MagicalThinking Thank you so much for your answers. Might I ask another question? I have heard that SARS was transmitted via a faulty sewage system in one neighbourhood in HongKong. How excactly did this happen? The Coronavirus can be transmitted via feces too, can’t it? Would something like this be possible in a developed country too or is our sewage system better?

I'm worried because people are being tested as positive, despite showing very mild symptoms. There's obviously a high risk of these people thinking they have something else, such as a cold, and therefore spreading it to others.

The WHO explains the fecal transmission case.

It was a case where sewage from flats wasn't separated from each other properly.
The likelihood is low and I'd expect recommendations have been followed in general, particularly considering that it can transmit other diseases as well.
I do wonder about cruise ships.

But this illustrates again why hand washing is very important to prevent the spread.

www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2003/pr70/en/

 Coronavirus 'serious and imminent threat' to British public - health secretary news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-serious-and-imminent-threat-to-british-public-health-secretary-11930575

I think the announcement just now is a heads up for a lot more positive cases being revealed shortly.

I'm not minimising the seriousness of it but they have to look like they are taking it seriously. They did the same thing with SARS and that didnt turn into a plague of epic proportions either. Of course they have to warn people as there are a lot of vulnerable, immune compromised people but flu can also be deadly if you are elderly or immune compromised.
There was the exact same element of panic and hysteria when ebola cases were found in the US aswell. That didnt materialise into a worldwide scourge either.

Fantastic news...

DS came down with a cough over the weekend too.

The article says "more follows" so I expect we will hear more over the day.
I'm hoping it means more serious measures are going to be taken.

Yes I hope this just means that the precautions are being put in place that we need rather than this wait and see approach

Does the fact they've called it a "serious and imminent" threat suggest anything about the condition of the confirmed cases? Half of me thinks not, because they'll base their opinion on more than just the four cases here. But half of me worries that it does.

It looks like they're about to publish emergency regulations. I suspect this will include things like being able to quarantine people and restrict activity

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some travel restrictions. I have no idea how to stop spread from other countries though as the cases in Brighton and London were picked up elsewhere.
What other measures do we think should be put in place?
Do we think this statement is leading up to some "news"?
I'll be watching with interest today.

I'm really worried.

I have health anxiety and have been managing well so far (only 4 cases in the UK, none in my city etc)

But this morning's announcement has.me worried.

I have to go to the GP on Wednesday and I'm scared about catching something in the waiting room.

I hope as PP said they have made this announcement to give the government.more powers to isolate people etc and.not because they know something they're not saying.

I work in an office with 1500 people and I'm scared about my son going to school.

I also have asthma so I would be in trouble of I got it

I guess the next few days will be key.

The passengers of the flight the Brighton man was on have been contacted. The flight was two weeks ago yesterday so incubation period over. So if he has infected more people on the plane etc they will start to show symptoms now. Then we can see how contagious it is. If nobody on the flight is affected then that would be reassuring.

We should surely hear some news about the York cases too. I think that is a couple of weeks now. Also whether more cases come out in York.

RTB- my DS also got a bad cough..problem is we live in Brighton..and due to go skiing in a couple of weeks..guess where? French Alps, although about 60km from the outbreak 🙏

A friend is coming back from charmonix tomorrow and seeing us this coming weekend

Now starting to worry I shouldn’t be seeing her just yet

Wow. Can you imagine being called a 'super spreader'?! Are some people just more naturally contagious than others, or is this a way of saying he never washes his hands and coughs all over people?

If anyone is really worried could I suggest it might be worth a peak on the preppers board. We're really not all a bunch of loonies - more lifelong girl guides, trying to be prepared for whatever is likely to hit.

There's some good information about what to buy if you might be housebound for a few weeks etc.

By declaring that the coronavirus is a serious and imminent threat the UK government has additional powers to fight the spread of the virus, what are these additional powers?