General Chat

Flu viruses have a somewhat different shape and structure to coronaviruses. The 'common cold' is a coronavirus.

Around 60,000 people died as a result of the flu virus in 2018/19.

I thought the incubation period was longer than that David. I am sure I have seen 14/15 days. Same sort of virus as SARS (bird Flu) so you could say related. At first they said not as infectious, now I have just seen they think now it is more infectious. As Caroline says, they really don't know it is so new. I did also see that in UK they are trying hard to find a vaccine. And the last I heard, all so far tested in UK were negative. But it is only time. They are also (in common with US and I think Australia, trying to work out how to bring Ex Pats home from infected areas.

Five day incubation period during which some one could have travelled to
US or Australis.

Is this related to bird flu ?

In all honesty, I think most of this so far is just educated guesses from everyone. Since SARS I've made sure everyone washes their hands when they come in and while out don't touch your face and I'm no germaphobic. If it's airborne then it's more of a problem...hate it when grocery shopping to have someone going around coughing and sneezing and not even trying to cover it!

The BBC news website is suggesting that the virus may be infectious during the incubation period!

I agree Sylvia it's more when not if and to be fair they've been saying that here all along. As I said earlier, in theory, we should be ready since SARS I just hope they're as ready as they think they are. In this case, the man involved used a private car to get from the airport to home/hotel/wherever and then I think they're saying an ambulance to the hospital no public transit........but what about everyone else on the plane....at the moment they're saying he wasn't showing any signs while on the plane so who knows. This won't be the last case for sure.

Caroline ............

I think every country is going to find cases, as it seems health authorities didn't put in place at airports the very rigorous inspections that were in effect under SARS.

Coronavirus wasn't considered that serious at first as there didn't seem to be human to human transmission.

Let's just hope that it won't get as bad as SARS.

We have a suspected case in Toronto now it seems. The traveller arrived in Canada a few days ago.

I read yesterday that the UK is now looking for 2000 people who travelled from China to London about 2 weeks ago, and were let in without much checking.

Our Public Health people and pharmacists are saying that the simple masks are no good at protecting you from catching any kind of virus. Protection is provided by the NP95 with respirator.

Plus a Chinese doctor who caught the coronavirus has said that he thinks eyes could be a transmission point, as the only protection he was not wearing when seeing suspected cases was for his eyes.

Sadly I think you're right Hilary, right now doctors and nurses are dropping like flies but that's more to exhaustion than the virus it seems.
Hope your family is safe and well when this is all done.

My son, daughter in law & grandaughter live in Beijing, on holiday in Thailand at moment. they are there for 2 weeks, goodness knows how it will be in 2 weeks time, just hope they stay well. Health & hygene in the markets does'nt exist & can be very crowded. D.I.L. shops in them all the time.A lot of Chinese will be displaced & I feel sorry for them as it can be the only time of the year they see families. Think it will get worse before it gets better.

Some cases here in Oz, in the Eastern States.

My Chinese SIL recently returned from a trip to China, but nowhere near the seat of infection

She is fine. :-)

Masks are routinely offered in GP's surgeries here.

I see they're building a whole hospital from scratch to deal with this...certainly being seen to be doing something.

Looks as though the UK 14 have been cleared but Chicago seems to have one confirmed.

The French also seem to have found the daft Chinese woman who boasted of hiding her heightened temperature from the authorities.

There will probably be more like her...

I seem to remember that from when SARS was around Caroline.

The masks have sold out here in most stores, but public health is saying they're not going to do much good stopping you getting the virus just stopping you spreading it.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1883627

(Just in case I'm told I don't know what I'm on about!!)

It seems that many universities have told their Chinese students that those who travelled home for Chinese New Year will not be re-admitted until they have been quarantined. However it looks as if those who returned to Wuhain(Sp) won't be able to return to UK yet as the whole city is in lockdown, no flights, trains, buses out and roads blocked at toll booths. In an effort to contain it.

We seem to be up to about 14 suspected cases.

This will only get worse as Chinese students return for University.

In that case yes you need to up your game. We kept many things in motion after SARS but that said I'd "worry" we might be complacent...