What's your opinion on the coronavirus outbreak?

[Bookhaven, Upminster]

I must admit I'm having great difficulty with the coverage of the virus at the moment. Yes, it's looking increasingly likely that there will be a pandemic, but considering the nature of pandemics in the past, this one is relatively mild. It's not as if we are dealing with an outbreak of the Black Death, the Bubonic Plague or the Spanish Flu - yes, of course there have been fatalities, but these occur with every illness (and I say this as someone who falls into the bottom end of the elderly bracket and so has an increased risk). From everything that I've seen, most people will experience mild symptoms and may not even realise that they've been infected.
Maybe I'm being too blasé about the whole thing, but I just can't help wondering if treating it as if we're expecting an imminent visit from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is doing irreparable harm and causing unnecessary panic.

[Cooke, Ashby]

I think, because it is a ‘new’ virus, the long term effects are unknown. We don’t really need half the population with COPD or similar as a result of the infection. If the disease really takes hold the economic situation does not bear thinking about.

[annie, Glasgow]

I must admit I'm having great difficulty with the coverage of the virus at the moment. Yes, it's looking increasingly likely that there will be a pandemic, but considering the nature of pandemics in the past, this one is relatively mild. It's not as if we are dealing with an outbreak of the Black Death, the Bubonic Plague or the Spanish Flu - yes, of course there have been fatalities, but these occur with every illness (and I say this as someone who falls into the bottom end of the elderly bracket and so has an increased risk). From everything that I've seen, most people will experience mild symptoms and may not even realise that they've been infected.
Maybe I'm being too blasé about the whole thing, but I just can't help wondering if treating it as if we're expecting an imminent visit from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is doing irreparable harm and causing unnecessary panic.

I think some of the media coverage is irresponsible and causing undue panic. I am watching less news programmes everyday.

Annie

[PeterM, Southwell]

No illness is pleasant, especially a new one we may not fully understand, but I refuse to get too stressed about it at this stage. I think it's reasonable that people should take sensible precautions, but I can't help feel the press are over dramatising it. It's as if now that they haven't got Brexit and an election to ramble on about they have to seize on Corona virus. My biggest concern is the ability of the NHS to cope with a major outbreak. Let's face it, our medical services are struggling now. Our local hospital is on it's highest state of alert even during the summer, so it beats me how they will cope with a major epidemic.

[cymrucruiser]

I’m trying to stay level headed and not fall for the media or social media scaremongering.
However! I’ve had an obsession with hand washing and hand sanitiser for a long time. I could buy shares in dettol spray lol. I’ve had this convo with my hubby and friend today (who’s a pharmacist) I have hand sanitiser in my kitchen, bathroom, hand bag, car and horse lorry. I work with kids and wash my hands a lot!
All of a sudden yoy can’t buy the stuff and the shelves are empty of it. The liquid soap shelf in our local supermarket was totally empty this morning.
If I can’t wash my hands properly and sanitiser them regularly coz the normal dirty b******ds have decided they best start washing their hands I won’t be pleased!!

My daughter who does not take after me in any way. Is very concerned about her holiday to New York this week. More so the flight and airport which are according to experts breeding grounds. 😷

[annie, Glasgow]

I’m trying to stay level headed and not fall for the media or social media scaremongering.
However! I’ve had an obsession with hand washing and hand sanitiser for a long time. I could buy shares in dettol spray lol. I’ve had this convo with my hubby and friend today (who’s a pharmacist) I have hand sanitiser in my kitchen, bathroom, hand bag, car and horse lorry. I work with kids and wash my hands a lot!
All of a sudden yoy can’t buy the stuff and the shelves are empty of it. The liquid soap shelf in our local supermarket was totally empty this morning.
If I can’t wash my hands properly and sanitiser them regularly coz the normal dirty b******ds have decided they best start washing their hands I won’t be pleased!!

My daughter who does not take after me in any way. Is very concerned about her holiday to New York this week. More so the flight and airport which are according to experts breeding grounds. 😷

I know you don't like Simon Calder but he gave some very good advice last week.

Re airport security, once you have passed through the security checks - go and wash your hands immediately.

Use contactless to pay for small purchases wherever possible.

Annie

[Bigsis, Waterlooville]

I'm doing my best to keep it in perspective and take the usual precautions against viruses and bugs. I work in a large hospital as does my daughter so we're given plenty of information . My daughter is asthmatic (she's got the stinkiest cold ever at the moment) and my husband has compromised immunity so we are sensible with regards to their health as we always are.

Coronavirus will inevitably carry on spreading globally though I think even if two thousand UK citizens come down with it, that's a tiny percentage of 68 million people. As they just said on TV, more people are still sadly dying of TB daily then those who have succumbed to Coronavirus so far

[lucy, sutton]

I think it is important to be aware it is around and to take all sensible precautions to avoid infection. They know the vast majority will recover from the illness, but of course the percentage risk varies on age group and general health.

I must admit it is concerning me how much news coverage there is. We have 40 cases in the UK out of a possible 65 million people. If we think too deeply, we would not open our front door and stay in bed all day. Whilst it is sensible to follow advice by regular hand washing, which I have always done anyway and not to touch nose, eyes or mouth with unwashed hands which I also follow, then this is as far as you can go. We currently have 1 case to every 1.5 million people, which I know could escalate, but this is very low currently, so we seem to be containing it at the moment.

[Smith7]

It is a worrying time for us all because as yet, we don't really know how bad this thing will get.

All we can do is wash, wash, wash our hands at every opportunity when out and about and hope for the best.

[redbonnet, Merseyside]

Even with all the warnings, I still see people who do not wash their hands on exiting public toilets! Only yesterday, in an M&S I witnessed a lady who was in the toilet when I went in, exit after me and just put the tips of her fingers under the tap , shake her hands rub them on her coat and walk out. Before anyone says she was probably only trying clothes on, no she only had a small handbag and I know for sure she used the toilet for its purpose! People like this are not going to change their behaviour enough to satisfy those of us who take hand washing seriously, wether there is a a Coronavirus situation or not!

[Calgray, Yorkshire]

I totally agree about the hand washing, common sense to protect ourselves from all sorts of viruses and bugs
What concerns me more is no-one knows for sure (or so it seems) HOW it is transmitted.... could it be airborne? and how long does it survive outside the body? So many questions that would help me at least stop worrying too much. Nothing I can do I know, so more than fingers crossed for ALL.

Carol

[annie, Glasgow]

I totally agree about the hand washing, common sense to protect ourselves from all sorts of viruses and bugs
What concerns me more is no-one knows for sure (or so it seems) HOW it is transmitted.... could it be airborne? and how long does it survive outside the body? So many questions that would help me at least stop worrying too much. Nothing I can do I know, so more than fingers crossed for ALL.

Carol

All I am doing is what I do every winter - try and avoid catching a cold/flu.

Annie

[Issyalex, Glasgow]

Personally I’m not worried or panicking. I’m a believer in why worry until you’ve something to worry about. People with respiratory problems, the infirm and very young need to ve careful.

for me it’s all about hand washing with soap and hot water and drying your hands properly often. But that’s what most people do anyway. I’m not a hand sanitiser girl. Very rarely used them when I worked, preferred to was my hands before/after procedures.

[carol, welwyn garden city]

I think its been blown out of proportion, and a lot more people catching it are recovering from it than dying. Many thousands die from flu every year, but nothing is said about that.

I have been told to drink lots of water because if you have a wet mouth the virus will go to your stomach, but if it is dry it will go straight to your lungs! Is that true, who knows ??

I actually think there is more to it than they are letting on, and if it carries on much longer, I can see a lot of businesses going under. I have no doubt that someone will be profiting from it.

On the selfish side, I'm cruising soon and want to go!! Seriously though, I hope it goes away soon ................................................Ca rol

[Delboy, Essex]

Personally I am just carrying on as normal, certainly not worrying, regularly wash hands thoroughly with soap and hot water, same as I do when washing my face, I even shave using normal soap.

I blame a lot of the hysteria on the media coverage, like my local papers headline today in large bold print, CORONAVIRUS HITS ESSEX occupying a third of the front page, we have one case in Essex and that person is in hospital.

The only thing I am concerned about is, will our cruise go ahead in June as in the next few days I have to pay the balance of payment for the cruise. Although we are in what is classed as the most vulnerable age range, we still intend going on our Norway Fjords cruise unless cancelled.

I read this today, Sanitisers need to contain at least 60% alcohol to be affective against coronavirus which is an envelope virus, meaning it has a coating around it which the alcohol can attack, thereby eliminating the threat. (Norovirus and rhinovirus, by contrast, do not).