General Chat

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

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.

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.

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

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!

Is this related to bird flu ?

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

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.

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 don't think bird flu was 'fly as such. David referred to it but I said bird flu (i.e. SARS which I believe or thought I read was a coronavirus). It is certainly referred to in the same breath as this later one..

In 1918 infltnza killed more than WWI

The information we're getting from our BC Centre of Disease Control is that incubation is 3-6(-7) days.

They also found that temperature reading was not an accurate indicator of the SARS virus, so they have developed other tests that they will be using, including questioning by officers at entry points.

I read somewhere that it could actually take months to develop a vaccine, test it and get it into production.

This is being called novel-coronavirus or n-coronavirus, until they get a better indication of it.

It does seem to have connections with both SARS and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Virus), but does not have some of the serious gastro-intestinal symptoms that SARS had.

Ordinary masks bought from the pharmacist do not really do any good, except give you a feeling of confidence. They may protect you from someone who has the virus as it will stop them coughing or sneezing in to the open air, but they don;t protect you from getting the virus floating around.

In addition I read somewhere that a doctor who caught the virus in Wuhan while treating patients thinks he caught it through his eyes, as they were the only unprotected part of his body ...... he neglected to wear goggles. I don't know how true that is.

Our BC-CDC is saying the best prevention is washing hands regularly, and keep your hands away from your face, especially mouth, nostrils and eyes!

They're saying the system worked perfectly here...well sorry to nitpick...but...the traveller says he was unwell on the plane coming over so he should have been stopped at the airport if he told them he wasn't feeling well...after that sure the system worked as well as it could it seems.

Meanwhile, the Australian Government's response is 'Be Aware, Not Alarmed'

That slogan was introduce years ago when International Terrorism was coming to the fore after 2001

Mind you, this is from a Government whose Prime Minister decided to go on holidays just as the recent bush fires were reaching their peak.

I think that we are up to five confirmed cases now, but with all the direct flights from China to Australia, that number is expected to increase.

2nd case in Toronto possibly the first man wife...not unexpected.

They're looking for the passengers that sat near to them on the plane...wouldn't it be better to check everyone on the plane seeing as the air is recirculated?

You would have thought so Caroline but who are we to think.

I am still seeing an incubation period of one to fourteen days, be interesting to know which is correct. Not that it does us any good to know being that there are no symptoms in the incubation period.

Do you realise how difficult it is to stop yourself touching your face?

Very difficult but after years of practice usually manage, and the kids were bought up that way....doesn't stop it if it's airborne. They say they're looking for 30 people that sat nearby.....I don't know without being alarmist there anyone on that plane and anyone at the very busy airport now. this couple did come from the epicenter and flew out of another city.

Because I need to djust hearing aids or glasses sometimes I do touch my face quite a lot, try to keep away from mouth and nose though.

That's always the main thing, though there's some question about it getting in through the eyes...as long as you don't touch your actual eyes or have anything get in there you have to hope all will be well.

Mind you, the UK is now looking for about 2,000 people that were let in even though they had arrived from Wuhan.

Now THAT is worrying!


Caroline ............. I heard CBC radio news this morning saying that the second case is the man's wife, and that they had kept themselves in isolation. Not been on public transit (after leaving the airport), stayed in the house, etc.