I have decided to enjoy myself.......

I'm main carer for a young person with very serious lung disease, so trying to be careful with hanwashing etc. Only stockpiling is for the medical supplies we use regularly, the company that provides it may run low on stocks if demand in the NHS is high. As for pets, maybe walking my dog on the roads where people might cough and spit isn't wise but I don't have a garden. I wash her feet when she comes in and hope for the best as she goes everywhere.

Readymeals you are missing the point entirely. I am partly disabled and mostly rely on deliveries. However, such services are easily disrupted by an epidemic. Who will do the deliveries? The supply chain? The stocking of the stores? It may happen fine or become erratic and unpredictable or not available for a while. All the staff st the Royal Free Hospital were briefed and told it was responsible to have simple sufficient stores for several days. I agree.

I am 66 yrs old and very high risk due to lung disease. My lungs only have 45% capacity so it’s very unlikely that I would survive Covid-19. I am avoiding crowded places, my DH does the shopping anyway. I am practicing good hygiene/hand washing but do anyway. I haven’t left the house since last weekend but am going to attend a family party this weekend. My DGS comes to us every day before and after school but although he has a cough atm there have been no reported cases our area. I am concerned but happy to wait for the warmer weather when I’m sure the spread of this virus will slow down. We have decided against our trip to Barcelona to celebrate my DH’s 80th birthday for the time being, preferring to avoid airports for the time being.

I think some of us who are stocking up could consider using delivery services from our supermarkets if you are isolated, rather than stocking up now and adding to the panic buying.

I’m over 70 and have asthma so guessI have a risk. Was going to France to look after my grandchildren while my son and partner came to London to work. However they have cancelled because of the risk to us all. Really disappointed and really miss my grand children and don’t know when it will eventually fizzle out and I can see them. so feeling quite miserable and lonely. I live on my own. My son keeps phoning me (which is actually endearing) to make sure I’m not going out in crowds and even telling me to wear gloves when I get petrol, use my card etc etc! I’ll really be glad when life is back to normal.

Nannan2 my 21 yo has "additional needs" and Im trying to get him to do more handwashing. He's tube fed so actually his school nurses taught him proper handwashing technique which he can remember and is pretty good. But just doesnt want to do it

I so agree with you Mapleleaf
All this scaremongering hype about what could and might be causes panic among the more physically and mentally vulnerable among us. While the rest of us are getting so very fed up and bored that should an emergency arrive we will probably be media hype immune - to the news not the virus.

youtu.be/2uMbY9K0xNM

At 27 minutes.

My goodness I cannot believe some of the blasé and me me replies on here. It is not just about you - if you put yourself at risk and catch it that's ok but what isn't ok is if you are spreading it to others, particularly anyone who is vulnerable. I agree we need to keep calm, and that the newspapers do blow things up, but we have now moved on to the next stage of delay according to Boris this morning. We need to take this threat seriously and be sensible not just for ourselves but for others.

I will carry on as normal and wash my hands as I usually do when I've been out (buses, public lavatories, etc) as what else can we sensibly do? There's no point in getting paranoid, just continue to be sensible.

I hope all those who think the crisis is exaggerated are right but I doubt it. “Stocking up” is not necessarily selfish - it means I wouldn’t have to go out if I felt a bit unwell, it prevents problems later which could affect others. I may only be mildly affected if I catch it and am lucky but if I give it to my two close friends on chemotherapy, or the one with advanced heart disease, or my neighbour with COPD - that could be catastrophic. This is not the same as flu because it is unknown, the young appear less affected but some have died. It is also highly infectious, and spreads more widely than flu because often those with the virus show no symptoms so infect others unknowingly. Those over 80 most at risk. Because we have no immunity we do not yet know how it will progress or if the structure of the virus will drift / mutate and we catch catch it several times or just once and become immune. The death rate for those who are badly affected is higher than that for those badly affected by flu. My daughters multinational company is closing its London office from next week until the future more certain, staff will work from home. All conferences and workshops and meetings cancelled, everything to be done by video. Many of the employees are young singletons who are workaholics and often from abroad and they fear isolation, or neglect if they get ill. Easy for us to sniff at others anxieties but I am going by what the chief medical officer and other doctors say and being careful but not panicking.

Someone ( I forget who) asked Boris at PMQs yesterday if he didn’t think MPs posed a risk by coming from all over the country then going back to their constituencies, possibly spreading the virus. There was talk of conference and video calls, but he said the House must continue to sit.

I forgot to add a chinese scientist is beginning to question whether it did actually start from new in china in December after all and might have been around longer

Callistemon, on the subject of has this been going around longer than they think - I had something exactly like the description, last winter. And so did lots of people in the area as I asked on our local facebook group. It was like nothing we'd had before, and included stiff chest, like it was more effort to breathe than usual, and fever up to 40c that came back in two or more waves - higher than you'd expect with a normal cold. Lasted about 6 weeks on and off.

Well if nothing else we’ll all be a lot healthier for the endless hand washing. Went to the gym yesterday and there wasn’t any hand gel or wipes in sight. Fortunately I’d taken my own! Am celebrating my 70th next week with a party for 56 friends and relatives. Am supplying hand wipes on each table and the hotel is providing a hand gel machine. I’m certainly not going to refrain from hugging them all as they arrive. Just hope they all brave it out and turn up! Also flying to Tenerife in April but it’s not so much any problems there rather than will they welcome us from our infected country! Keeping an eye on WHO and Foreign Office.

I suppose I am high risk. I am just at home at the moment and interested in what’s happening with the Coronavirus. My routine is definitely up the spout as I am sat here suffering with Shingles. Normally I would be looking after my lovely grandchildren.

I'm not in a high risk group so will 'Keep Calm and Carry On'! I help with a Riding for the Disabled group and we plan to continue. Living outside a city and not having to commute must be a bonus too

Ramblingrose22 as I understand it elderly (anyone over 65!!) and anyone with with health issues - heart conditions, asthma, diabetes anything where your immune system is not so good.

Pretty much carrying on as normal just being extra vigilant with hand washing. So annoyed with the panic buying of others especially with the hand gel. So much on eBay at exhorbatant prices, was called racketeering in the war. We had our normal Tesco delivery yesterday and the driver said there was not a packet of pasta to be had in the shop.

Can someone tell me who is "high risk"? Others who have posted seem to know and I would like to know too.

I tried googling but didn't find anything.

mrsjonesey. I too am going to a matinee next week in London with a friend so still going and hoping for the best. Thousands of people go to London every day for work and they are ok. Just wear gloves on train and in station and keep sanitizer in bag along with tissues.

Similarly, my high risk is age.
But I am worried about Saturday as I am due to go on a coach trip to the Albert Hall for a concert which I booked 6 months ago, and now I just don't know what to do.
Also have a day out in London booked for the end of the month.
And worst of all have a holiday booked to Northern Italy in April. No travel restrictions yet except to the towns particularly affected, so if I cancel I lose all my money.
I have just been reading an article in the paper about what household items we should be disinfecting. Light switches, remote controls, phones, door handles, computers etc, so have made up a solution of disinfectant (Zoflora if I can mention the name) in a spray bottle and have been round spraying everything. I aim to do it every day with a fresh cloth.

I am just carrying on as normal.I have a holiday booked to Dubai end of March and have no intention of cancelling.We are also going to Vienna in May for my husband birthday.Good handwashing and not worrying

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

vegansrock I think there is much that we were not told; the Chinese doctor who subsequently died was trying to warn people about it for some time before news was officially released.