Coronavirus threat

[Pepper Pig]

Am I right to be getting a bit worried?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51447761

[earthmaiden]

I think quite a lot of effort has been made but that yes, we should all be vigilant.

It is fascinating to see how that one person could have impacted so many. I have friends who are going skiing in France at half term with their family. They are retired and live in Wiltshire. Their son, his wife and 4 grandchildren live in Surrey and their daughter and her partner in the west country. If they met with the virus whilst on holiday it is easy to see how that might spread before they had symptoms. I was feeling smug earlier in the scare that I had not been in contact with people who had recently been in China, then remembered I had had a day in Oxford and been in close proximity to people who could have been. I read yesterday that they believe that the disease could be passed via faecal matter as well as saliva. This seems reasonable but opens a new can of worms with regard to hygiene. If one interacts with others, uses public transport - in other words, is normal, then yes, there is reason for concern.

Keep washing your hands!

[aero280]

I thought that we had only had contact with family, but then I remembered that we stopped off on the way home at Bicester Shopping Village, which had coachloads of Chinese customers!!. If I caught anything (and I'm OK a week later) I have been on the train to London and around on the tube, as well as Costco and Tesco. So these things will spread easily.

The last I read was that the group in the French chalet we not giving any serious concern, yet a 30 year old doctor in China has died. Very confusing.

There were rumours that the London isolation centre would be Northwick Park Hospital, which is quite close - at least compared to China.

[Herbidacious]

I always use anti-bacterial stuff when I get in to the office (including after lunch) and when I get home. The trick is not to touch your face while en route. But of course, at work, I can't control what other people do and I can't be washing my hands all the time.

It's not a death sentence if you get it. BBC is estimating 1% chance of dying. I imagine this is not very accurate.

[Pepper Pig]

Funny you should mention Northwick Park Aero. I had a text from a friend today who said that Elgar Ward had been sealed off as they had a confirmed case. It appears to be fake news as other people have been there today and said it’s not true. I’m surprised there would be room for an isolation unit, it’s always heaving. Central Middlesex maybe?

[Herbidacious]

Do we know how easy it is to catch it though? Fleeting moments in the presence of others is surely not necessarily going to be enough.

[aero280]

I always thought that Stanmore would make a good isolation hospital, but it's really just orthopedic. Maybe the Churchill?

[Pepper Pig]

[scullion]

is quite a good site for the up to date stats.

but i wouldn't worry, that font of knowledge, trump, says that it will go away with the warmer weather in april.

[Pepper Pig]

Phew, thank goodness for Trump.

[scullion]

i'm always a little dubious as to how well sneezing into your elbow (as in the grauniad article) works. i tend to sneeze down inside my t shirt and jumper.

[StokeySue]

My feeling is that Wuhan coronavirus is a real concern as a new illness, Which is what the WHO says, but the risk to any of us individually is very, very, very small at present

There isn’t enough data on the mode and frequency of transmission to calculate risks (betting odds if you prefer, same thing). But the impression is that it is unusually easy to catch, and unfortunately it looks as if people are infectious before they have the slightest sense of being ill

SARS, the 2002-2003 new coronavirus fizzled out quite rapidly, with medical intervention but this seems to be behaving a bit differently.

If you catch it, obviously your chances of being left permanently damaged are obviously higher if you already have respiratory illness, but who dies when they catch a virus always seems a bit random to me, maybe a virologist would know more, but it seems to be something that struck doctors during the post WW1 flu pandemic - you couldn’t predict who would make a full recovery. Different disease of course but I think the example works.
As aero says, Li Wenliang, a previously healthy 34 year old ophthalmic surgeon died, as have other healthcare staff

On the bright side, it looks as if a vaccine of some sort can be made quite quickly.

The other worrying thing is the amount of racism being displayed towards Chinese and other Asian people in the U.K. It seems to be an excuse for some very nasty xenophobia

[earthmaiden]

You really can't escape from antisocial people who cough and yawn without even covering their mouth in a crowded train or hide on a flight with circulated air. Even if you have a tissue you can't always reach it in time - or dispose of it in a crowd. I am always worried that sneezing into a sleeve could leave a rather unpleasant result . Masks are probably best, hand washing essential of course but there are so many shared things that people touch.

[smitch]

Unfortunately some of our Chinese students have reported some nasty incidents including people wanting to move seats in the exam room and not wanting to do group work with them

[earthmaiden]

The racist thing is sad and a bit silly. It has already been shown that people of varying nationality have spread the virus outside China.

[Herbidacious]

I don't think I can afford to be worried given that I commute into and out of central London every day on very busy trains. Although I suspect I catch most of my colds in the office. Still, I suppose it takes one's mind off worrying about possible terrorist attacks...

[Rainbow]

We have a holiday to Borneo with a stopover in Singapore booked from March 14th for 16 days.
We were thinking very seriously about cancelling it and wondered if we were over-reacting, but the more I read about the spread of the virus the more certain I become that I don't want to go
Singapore has 43 cases now and Borneo has some too. Going into the jungle to see orangutans and other wildlife seemed a great idea when we booked last year (still does, at a later date!) but I certainly feel anxious about going at the moment.

Australia has evacuated Aussies trapped in Wuhan and taken them to Christmas Island for the isolation period. They are in a camp built for 'boat people' refugees they didn't want landing on the Mainland.
Christmas Island is about 1,500km from mainland Australia - so that should be OK

[mum-at-the-oven]

I think we should all be very cautious but take as many precautions as possible. I have always been aghast at the amount of women I have seen in supermarket loos exiting cubicles without washing their hands but then note the amount of empty soap dispensers and even if you have washed your hands you invariably have to open the main exit door (personally I put my hand inside my sleeve to do so) but most do not.

My OH works in Central London- travels on public transport every day and spends at least one week a month travelling to Europe, The planes are quickly turned around, what about all the people that have handled his baggage, the staff in all the hotels he stays in, the partners that attend the events from all corners of the world, the poor souls on zero hours contract who drag themselves into work feeling unwell who may well stack supermarket shelves or pack your Amazon order etc.etc. I personally leave the house once a week to get the weekly shop and push a shopping trolley (has it ever been washed let alone disinfected) and use a hand held scanner to scan and shop before physically entering details into a keypad that had probably never been cleaned. You can therefore see how easily viruses and bacteria can be transmitted

[earthmaiden]

I've been wondering about people like the coach drivers and air crew who have been hired on the charter flights to transport nationals of other countries from China. They must had to have gone through the same quarantine procedures as the passengers. I noticed the coaches on TV when the first flight came into the UK, they were from ordinary coach companies local to the area.

[Herbidacious]

But again, how easy is it to get it? Is being in fleeting contact with something that someone who is infected has touched very likely to give you the virus? I think if this were the case, many more people here would have it already. But I suppose it depends on how long the virus lasts on surfaces.
I will be more worried if/when it becomes more widespread and I still have to go into central London. But even if I were allowed to work from home (very unlikely), my husband, my usual source of infections, won't, and indeed I would worry about him more than me, should either of us get it, with his wheezing.

[earthmaiden]

As things stand I think you'd still be extremely unlucky to get it from a passing stranger, even on public transport. If it gets worse I think further guidelines /instructions would be put into place which people would be required to follow.

[earthmaiden]

[StokeySue]

[Seatallan]

[smitch]

[Busybee]

We are a bit in the same boat as Rainbow, an around Japan cruise in mid April. All cruises up until the end of March have been cancelled, I’m just waiting to see what happens. We are insured if we had to cancel but only get our money back if the cruise line cancels the trip or the Foreign Office recommendation is not to travel.

It’s a wait and see at the moment.

BB

[wargarden]

corona beer sales are down do to the outbreak.
not serious lose since it tastes horrid.

[Pepper Pig]

One of my Facebook friends newly retired has just been on a cruise. Singapore was one of the stops. He came back last weekend and started a fluey sort of cold yesterday. Rang the GP who said there was nothing to worry about. He's just had a call saying the GP wants him to ring 111 immediately.

[aero280]

It seems that Chinese restaurants in the USA are largely empty.

When the H1N1 virus started in the USA, did everyone avoid Macdonalds?

[Rainbow]

[StokeySue]

It has finally got its own proper name - Covid-19

[cyprusmoira]

[Busybee]

We are on Celebrity Millennium. They have cancelled and changed all itineraries until the end of March. It’s a wait and see situation.

BB

[Pepper Pig]

[cyprusmoira]

The problem here is that you have to take a flight to get on or off the island. You cannot keep a 2 metre distance from someone on an aircraft, as for airports

Moira

[suffolk]

An example of best practice
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/acl ... -1-6510904

[karadekoolaid]

I fear that this outbreak is not going to stop soon. However, the entire world is on red alert, so any serious outbreaks will be treated promptly.
I avoided Bird Flu, SARS, Zika and all the other blighters - except Dengue. I´ve had it twice. The first time, it came and went and I was out for about 10 days. Not pleasant, but bearable.
The second time ( a slightly different strain) it hit me hard. 3 days with a high fever, no desire to eat whatsoever, a killer headache -horrible.
I just hope it never makes it to Venezuela, where health care and sanitation in general are currently at 19th century levels. PLUS we´ve got all the insects in the world , especially mosquitoes, which might just complicate matters.

[karadekoolaid]

[Herbidacious]

A colleague who has just got back from Japan is 'self isolating' with a cough and sore throat... She's not contacted any medical authorities. I suppose a fever is the crucial thing?

[StokeySue]

Herbi, she should contact 111, not because they will tell her to do anything different but because they will probably be able to tell her which changes in symptoms she should act on. Which I trust she won’t experience

[Herbidacious]

She has and is now under 'house arrest'.

[aero280]

I'm taking OH to Northwick Park Hospital this afternoon. Hope nothing is catching there!! ...


... but she's only being interviewed on hospital radio. Something about her music career and music in Harrow generally. I don't know any more details, like whether it's live or recorded.

http://www.radioharrow.org/tuning_in/

[scullion]

i think i heard on the very late news, last night, that china has said that the rate of infection (transmission?) is slowing down.

[Suelle]

[Herbidacious]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... -uber-taxi

[scullion]

I wonder how that’s going to effect Uber drivers if which one it was is unknown.
Would any in an uber area, here, take the risk?

[Pepper Pig]

According to local news Uber have suspended the driver but not for disciplinary reasons as no instructions had been given. Presumably this is so his car will not be used.

[Busybee]

Our cruise around Japan has been cancelled by the operator, whilst I’m a bit disappointed I’m also very relieved. I have spent today cancelling flights, transfers, hotels, tours etc as we were staying in Tokyo pre cruise. Insurance will hopefully cover any losses, the flights being the main concern, i’ll relax when the refund hits my credit card!

We will holiday somewhere else.

Have you cancelled your trip Rainbow?

BB

[Herbidacious]

I thought Uber had had their licence revoked anyway... clearly not.

[StokeySue]

This seems to happen every time Über’s licence is up for renewal - the Mayor’s office refuse to renew and Über go to court to challenge the grounds, trading while the case continues
Über Eats is unaffected