To be worried about coronavirus part 4

[idontusuallypanic]

I looked and couldn't see another 4th thread.

I'm personally worried this morning as I've heard that two students ds goes to school with have just returned from Milan where cases have just rocketed.

Finally, very belatedly, the government have thought taken action. I don't know of any families from the school who have been in Italy (no pics on Facebook of families overseas), but that doesn't mean anything in a school with 480 children.

But my DH works in Leeds city centre, in the Council offices. Chances are that at least some of the people working there will have been in areas affected by the coronavirus. Or on the bus into work.

As I said on one of the earlier threads, I'm vulnerable, since having had pneumonia last year and now having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I now also have had a temperature for 4 days, diagnosed as a virus. And there are many others in my position.

So yes, @Yesiwearspandex I really would raise this with HR. It's very irresponsible of your colleague to be in work. If it is the coronavirus (obviously it might not be, but there's no way of knowing without being tested), any of you might catch it and then pass it on to someone who is vulnerable.

I think the Middle East situation will be well worth watching (possible leakage from Iran). Bahrain up 6 to 8 cases today, Kuwait up 3 to 8. Small numbers so far but big % rises. The Kuwaitis appear to be taking it very seriously.

If the 2% death rate is correct, Iran have at least 3000 cases

I don't understand why we are being told to sneeze or cough into elbows rather than tissues

it's because the virus on hands is what spreads it.
you don't tend to use door handles, adjust your glasses, touch lift buttons, use phones, push shopping trolleys etc with your elbow.
plus the fabric of your clothes is a less friendly habitat for a virus than a warm, moist (in comparison to clothes) hand. plus tiny little wounds/cuts on hands can be an entry point into the body for viruses and bacteria.

Interesting advice about sneezing into the elbow rather than into the hand or a tissue. It makes a lot of sense.

tbh the 'sneezing/coughing into elbow' advice has been around since a lot longer than the swine flu ten years ago.

If the 2% death rate is correct, Iran have at least 3000 cases

Unless, this is a different strain with a higher cfr. It's a thought that Dr John Campbell floated in his latest video based on the medics he'd spoken to in the country. I hope that's wrong though.

Some travel man idiot on 5 live advising people to go and book a holiday to Venice today for a cheap flight . Ridiculous.

Cheap? Not if you are on a zero hours contract when you get home.

Not cheap when you infect your elderly family. Not cheap when the NHS is overwhelmed. Crazy.

Yes sneezing and coughing into elbow has been around for a while. Family from a medical background and my children have been doing it from an early age!

The elbow sneezing/coughing makes a lot of sense now, thank you.

"But Matt Hancock says the government is not aware of any Briton in the quarantine zone in northern Italy."

A bit of a daft thing to say. In the Easter hols, we usually drive to see friends in Milan, then on down to Naples. No way the government would know where we are as all we do is buy a ferry ticket to Calais or Dunkerque.

We won't be doing that this year, by the looks of things!

A bit of a daft thing to say. In the Easter hols, we usually drive to see friends in Milan, then on down to Naples. No way the government would know where we are as all we do is buy a ferry ticket to Calais or Dunkerque.

He meant there is no British person they are aware of currently quarantined in the locked down towns.

Hancock meant there is no British person they are aware of currently quarantined in the locked down towns

But surely they would only be aware of a Brit there if said Brit called up the FCO and told them?

When they say “self isolate at home” - what do people do if they have other family members living there? So for example, when my DH goes to the U.K. by himself next week for two weeks, if there is a sudden outbreak over there and then the Australian govt say to “self isolate at home” when he comes home - where is he supposed to do that given that we all live together? Is he supposed to go and stay in a hotel for 2 weeks and how on earth would that work with food and general life?

BREAKING: 1000 people quarantined in #Spain—#tenerife: after and Italian doctor on vacation there tested positive for #coronavirus. #COVID19italia #covid

From public health England

"I live with other people, how do I self-isolate?
It is important that you separate yourself from other people in your home and if you share facilities like toilets and bathrooms, regular cleaning will be required.

You should stay in a well-ventilated room with a window that can be opened, separate from other people in your home.

In the advice sheet, there are specific recommendations in the case that a separate bathroom is not available, if you live in shared accommodation, and if you share a kitchen with others, and these should be followed closely."

BREAKING: A school in Cheshire has shut for the week amid fears staff and students returning from a half term trip to Italy could have contracted coronavirus t.co/KgcnQjuLON

DH flies out of City Airport every week, to UK destinations, mostly government and hospitals. I would think he will be very high risk of catching something. This week he flew out of Gatwick. Who knows who he came into contact with, with many passengers from connecting flights, and the flights these days do Europe round trips connecting one destination with another. Perfect storm.

DH’s company has several employees who returned from northern Italy last week. DH’s boss told them to self isolate. But at lunchtime the business owner found out and said they had to come in immediately, saying he wasn’t paying people to lounge around at home and he wasn’t prepared to lose money because someone might have a virus.

This morning DH has complained that the official advice has been updated and now requires them to self isolate so they need to be sent home for everyone’s safety. The owner has refused. We are all going to hell in a hand basket because greedy people refuse to risk their profits.

PHE self-isolation advice.

It doesn’t explain what cohabiting family members are supposed to do. When we had the Brighton outbreak here, the children of self-isolators were sent away to stay with extended family - at least according to the account of one nurse who was subjected to the regime.

Oh I see FourTeaFallOut found more detailed PHE advice.

Elsewhere: 4 new cases in Iraq.

I would have no extended family to send my children to. What happens then?

That school is actually my dcs school.