Coronavirus - should we prepare?

I have never had flu and neither has anyone in my close family. My sister and I were at boarding school when the 1957 Asian flu hit. Boarders were going down like ninepins and eventually the school closed for a fortnight. Neither of us caught it. We went home, to the army base where DF worked and we lived. Again the virus was rife but neither of my parents nor youngest sister caught it.

That seeming immunity from flu is of course irrelevant to this current crisis as it is not a flu virus and I am as likely to go down with the corna virus as anyone else.

It must have been heartbreaking to hear that father, Ellen. . I was too young to remember the 50’s outbreak but I caught flu in the 60’s outbreak.

I remember having Asian flu, I was only ill for a few days and didn't see a Dr. Hospitals always see the most seriously ill, not the mild cases.

I know it was devastating but hadn't realised that, perhaps was sheltered from the news at the time.
It must have been awful nursing in a hospital and seeing and hearing all of it.

Let's hope we can contain it this time and it doesn't become a pandemic.

Callistemon, not to put a too finer point on it----they were dying like flies.

I think the Asian flu reached our school in about September 1957, EllanVannin because it was at the beginning of the new school year. Most of my form was off, then another girl and I went down with it when the others came back after about 2 weeks. I remember feeling very ill.

I agreement, these viruses mutate and always seem to be one step ahead of any vaccines being developed.

In 1957 when I was doing my nurse's training, Asian flu broke out globally and I was working on a ward where a few died.
It was first recognised in China again ( avian type ) the same symptoms as the coronavirus affecting the respiratory organs.

I, of course was affected and hospitalized myself and a young 19 year old girl who'd been struggling to breathe in an oxygen tent sadly lost her life during the night. I can still hear her father's howls as he'd sat next to her bed. It was awful.

That was a pandemic where a couple of million died worldwide. It was around summertime as I remember because it wasn't long before another wave of 'flu hit the public after summer and many more died.

I hope it doesn't reach the pandemic stage as it takes a long time to peak before our Autumn viruses descend upon us.
Where you have the avian virus it mutates with the human virus and sets up a strain of flu which is difficult to produce a vaccine for in time before another different strain is around.

I'm sure microbiologists can't keep up with all the different mutants/strains.
We should be cautious without being paranoid.

The American that died, died in China- Not the US- I got that wrong-

The first death outside of China was reported in France-

What we are seeing in Wuhan is not a mild viral infection. It is something very contagious and has thrown their hospitals into chaos, halted production lines in industry, disallowed freedom of movement and is draining their resources.

China is not a third world country. Wuhan is a major city. Hoping we will not see this level of infection and disruption here is optimistic, but I hope you are correct.

Here's where I got the numbers from:

gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

67,097 confirmed

1,527 deaths

8,573 recovered

Current numbers as of 9:26AM

15 cases in the U.S. and 1 death

No idea if the first set of numbers coming out of China are accurate -

If using the 1 in 15 average, the deaths in the first set would be 4,473-

It has just been reported on Sky News that all but one of the nine people who tested positive for the Corona virus in the U.K. have been released from hospital

Well I have prepped! I have anti bac and face masks. Had to go to pharmacy this morning and they have sold out of a lot of hand cleansers. The government are trying to delay a possible outbreak until the summer as a and e should be less busy with the normal winter flu.

But some viruses can lead to sepsis. Sepsis occurs as the result of another infection.
We know someone who got sepsis as a result of the flu a couple of years ago, she was young and fit but became very ill. Thankfully she is recovered now but it took a long time.

I think there are a lot of far nastier things to get than this. Sepsis for example.

What worries me about this virus is the long incubation period. People may be carrying it for 10 days without knowing and infecting so many others. I'm not sure what the 'flu incubation period is but obviously the longer it is the more potential to spread it.

An outbreak of flu may well be the Horseman of Pestilence . The Horseman of Famine may rein in if plague decimates the world population. In each case , famine and plague, the losers will be the poor and the aged such as myself.

Rhanks Hetty I had a feeling that life was not that simple because no one qualified or unqualified has even mentioned it.

HETTY that made me laugh. I too am in my dressing gown because l am lazy. I might start a thread do you open door in dressing gown and then make excuses as to why you are not dressed

I don't think we should be fearful but not dismissive either.
We were passing through HK when the SARS virus was at its peak

A chap just came to read the gas meter, wearing a mask and very fearful of the virus - especially about what's happening in China. I tried to reassure him with some facts, (I'm in my dressing gown because I'm lazy, not ill) but to no avail I think!

Me too, but anyone would think the plague is imminent, it's an outbreak of flu, not Armageddon, the media has a lot to answer for , thinking that 48 hours self-isolation is fine and other such dismissive statements are fine up to a point - but all I was saying was that the the WHO is concerned.

No, of course we don't have to go into isolation without reason but it's not flu, it's fine to make a joke but it is serious.

I wasn't trying to be blasé, Callistemon, I am one with comprised respiratory system and other complications. I cannot worry about every virus/bug out there.

I wash my hands frequently, never touch toilet doors on the way out (use a tissue), however I shall continue living my life to the best of my ability.

M0nica, I believe the pneumonia jab is protection against bacterial, rather than viral pneumonia, so I'm not sure it helps much.

I'm topping up my vitamin C and zinc, trying to eat healthy food and get more exercise. (I can't give up my chocolate, though.) I'm just hoping my immune system will be at it's best if we have an epidemic.

DH has gone fishing (short trip) for the first time since his long stay in hospital last year and subsequent heart problems.

He's been really looking forward to it but he's lost his confidence and I know he's anxious that he won't be able to hack more than a couple of hours so...…

I'm going to do my food shop a day early. The river's not far from the supermarket so I'll be nearby should he chicken out and want to come home. I don't really need much and at this rate I soon won't be able to shut the door on my Brexit cupboard!

The things I do.