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?

listening to radio 5 live now - has a q&a session on the virus

And what about places like Africa and South America, surely it’s there too be now? How will their primitive health systems cope with a pandemic?

Um South America's health systems are not primitive.

I’m interested in what further statements will be made today.

One thing I think should be done as a matter of urgency is a huge public health campaign about washing your hands properly and about good hygiene practices. The amount of people who don’t wash their hands properly is shocking. I think I read there have been some announcements on the radio but I haven’t heard them. Usually skip ads on tv so won’t see anything there. I assume social media could be used and maybe also mobile phone companies could text numbers on their networks.

Flu shots do not give you anywhere near 100% protection. You are lucky to get 40% during a typical season. Why do people even think this? Keep washing your hands and take sensible precautions!

They might not give an individual hundred percent protection but the vaccinations cut down on the spread of the flu virus every year. Also, I've never heard of 15% of people who catch flu requiring intensive care as has happened in Singapore.

Confirmed case from an easyjet flight to gatwick from geneva now too on guardian live updates

Out of interest has anyone's work places started to send out information about it?

My DH works for supermarket and they got a FAQ sheet about it, I think as some staff across the company had been asking if they could wear masks on the shopfloor.

I agree with the idea of a BIG public health campaign re hand washing , using and disposing of tissues and keeping home when ill.

If we as a group can reduce all viral and bacterial infections it would in turn help the health service to cope.

Plus an information campaign on how to treat yourself at home, and advice to keep a first aid kit with your favourite cold remedies in it so you aren't trailing around ill.

And schools need to ease up if they are currently draconian on WANTING kids coming in ill.

60 more people have been diagnosed with Coronavirus on board of the diamond princess. A total of at least 130 people on this ship have Coronavirus now.
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/10/national/japan-test-all-passengers-diamond-princess-cruise-ship-coronavirus/#.XkEjmi-1KhA

DSis and DBil are both school teachers (management) and had announcements a week or so ago. As did other DSis who works for a big logistics company.

@FelicityFebruary Dh is currently working while having a cough and a fever because their employer basically forces them to take some paracetamol an appear at work.
Same with schools.

Dh is currently working while having a cough and a fever because their employer basically forces them to take some paracetamol an appear at work.

Culturally this is what we do. However if someone is ill they cannot be forced by their employer to attend work. I suspect we will see increased rates of absenteeism sue to sickness and less inclination for people to turn up whether or not they are ill. I'm an employment lawyer and my clients (employers) have been asking me about forcing people to stay at home if they show any signs of illness.

My partner's work have just installed alcohol based hand sanitizer. Have to hope people use it.

I was at a formal meeting last week where a few people shook hands with me. I then was chatting to a young woman where we had neither of us gone for the hand shake, we half laughed saying how in light of events handshakes were a bit squirm inducing. Maybe the era of handshaking will be over!

Work can be bad at wanting people to be very ill before not coming in. They’d be better off issuing guideline on what to do to prevent the spread.

NemophilistRebel the Easyjet flight from Geneva-Gatwick was the one taken by the man infected in Singapore who stopped off at the French ski chalet and then continued to the UK. They are now understandably tracing those who were on that flight to give advice.

That makes sense. It’s positive that it’s been 12 days and so far the rest of the crew aren’t showing symptoms

Let’s hope that’s the case for the passengers

The other problem with illness and work is many work policies do not pay for sickness and SSP is not enough to pay the bills so people will go in unless dying

Schools should drop the fines for absence till this is under control

The long incubation period makes things impossible and really, the government is doomed to criticism whatever they do. If they introduce strong restrictions without enough evidence then they'll be to blame for the economic consequences and subsequent chaos (particularly if measures are effective and we don't see any sort of spread) and if they sit back and wait for cases to start flooding in it will be far far too late for containment strategies to be effective.

My feeling is that it's already too late.

They might not give an individual hundred percent protection but the vaccinations cut down on the spread of the flu virus every year

That’s only if they predicted correctly. I think the bad years, it was barely 15% accuracy.

This is separate from Coronavirus, but OP is way too complacent and believes that the flu shot is giving the family an immunity that’s far from guaranteed

I suppose there's only four days till half term. There'll be a better idea of how well things have been contained by the end of the following week. Maybe by then, schools might have revised their ideas on attendance? You would hope so, I expect the number of children moving through airports will have increased significantly over that week.

This Morning has done a segment. Two experts with the overall message is we don't need to worry about it being a more dangerous infection and strategy is well in place. The average healthy person would be fine and the experts believe it will be contained in the UK.

You only need to worry if you travel from an infected place or have contact with someone diagnosed.

^The BBC's political correspondent Iain Watson said the new measures were announced because a passenger on the first UK flight from Wuhan, who is currently being held in quarantine on the Wirral, "is threatening to abscond".
"Currently the regulations are not strong enough to stop him leaving before the 14-day period is up so they brought in these new regulations to try and compel him to stay put," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.^

Twat.

Initially I wasn't so worried but at 31 weeks pregnant, I'm starting to get a little concerned - particularly considering the Chinese gov past form for playing down serious incidents.

My workplace is an absolute hotspot for colds and flu in general (I've never known anything like it!) Any absence at all is actively discouraged there are some really nasty people who don't wash their hands / cover their noses when sneezing / open the window to let fresh air in. I'm seriously considering taking mat leave early.

Anyone else in the same boat?

The worst place I worked was with lots of freelancers because they wanted to be paid so would come in regardless. They did say don’t at one point as stuff spread so easily.

If the symptoms are light it’s hard too. But not many cases yet in U.K. obvs.

That’s only if they predicted correctly. I think the bad years, it was barely 15% accuracy.

Yes but most people already often have some immunity to flu. Swine flu was like a bad cold for me although it made my children who have less much more sick. This is a new virus and the fact there is no immunity and no vaccine is a big concern.