AIBU to think there are already people in the UK with coronavirus who think it’s just cold/flu?

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

... because it doesn’t seem particularly easy to tell
It apart from a cold/flu if what we have read is true.

Not trying to start panic or anything, it just seems like people might have come into contact with the Brighton man, not realise it, and assume what they have is just cold/flu/usual winter viruses.
Seems like people can be quite mildly Unwell with it as well so could potentially recover and not even realise they have it?
Unless I am misunderstanding.
Not trying to propagate false news or anything, am just up late and was reading the news and it made me wonder.
I guess this is part of the reason why this is being taken so seriously because it could easily spread the way without people even knowing they have it

Thank you Dream.

I'll be very surprised if there aren't more people who've had it and recovered. I had a bad case of 'flu' over Christmas, despite having the flu jab. I didn't visit the doctor, as there's nothing he could give me and I didn't want to infect others. As I travel in and out of London, for all I know I had the novel coronavirus.

Unless we were to test everyone who shows flu symptoms we'll never know.

I absolutely agree that there's every chance this thing is spreading largely unnoticed in the UK. A statement from Singapore today suggested that symptoms may be mild and cold-like for more than a week before becoming more serious, in some cases quite rapidly. Throughout that time and possibly before those mild symptoms even occur (though not officially confirmed yet I don't think) people could be going to work, meeting people, using public transport etc etc and spreading it around without even knowing. As PP have said, all we can do at the moment is be extra observant of good hand hygiene, keep our hands off our faces and hope for the best.

Of course people can have it without realising. I have all those symptoms at the moment but it's highly unlikely to be coronavirus.

Of course people can have it without realising. I have all those symptoms at the moment but it's highly unlikely to be coronavirus.

Exactly. I'm terribly short of breath at the moment, coughing a lot. It's asthma. I'll be at the doctor tomorrow for another lung test. They're certainly not going to test me for coronavirus. I'm highly unlikely to have it, but if I did, we'd never know IYSWIM.

I've given up going out in public for now though. Had a coughing fit on the weekend (again, it's an asthma symptom - some of us don't wheeze, we cough) and someone asked me whether I'd been to China recently

There were children coughing in church on Sunday. All very normal, but I noticed myself flinching!

I'd be surprised if it was all nicely contained. With swine flu, awful though it was for those who lost loved ones, a year later and most people had developed natural resistance to it.

The office buildings I've been in today have alcohol sanitizers at the door. Don't use them, then you don't get in. I'm in Manila