Coronavirus - should we prepare?

A good item to buy is a tube of that hand 'steriliser' gel that you put beside the sink or wash hand basin for people who are too busy to wash their hands.

My brother in law has has a cough for years as a result of medication. He recently stopped in Singapore on his way home from New Zealabd so his neighbour has reported him to NHS England and he has been checked by his gp - as a priority!

Silly neighbour has only lived next door to him for 12 years and, presumably, listened to his cough for all that time.

I keep a stock of food in the house at all times for emergencies.

I have a friend whose Chinese wife is stuck in China where she was visiting family. I will not repeat the stories she tells about the way the authorities are dealing with the problem. I will just say they remind me of the stories we hear about the Black Death.

No, don’t panic (Captain Mainwaring) just be sensible about hygiene and vigilant.
Stocking up just causes shortages for others,

I can't stock up as I have only a small house. I hope that if I have to be housebound, I'll be able to order supplies from Waitrose, though shops may be short of necessities too. I do have a stockpile of toilet rolls, however; and I may be unique in having some surgical masks, bought originally to protect me from pollen in the garden.

As a result of medications that reduce my immune system, I'm more likely to pick up virus/cold/flu. If I do, it's more likely to morph into something unpleasant with long lasting consequences. I'm therefore in the at risk category
I'm always a bit Lady MacBeth on the hand washing front. I have anti sceptic wipes in the car, wipe down steering wheel, door handles, hand break, gear stick and so on.
I plan to be more vigilant but won't be stock piling anything.

I have my Brexit stash of toilet rolls

I have antiseptic gel in the car as well as in the kitchen. DH tested positive for Cdif when he returned from a long spell in hospital last year so I switched to Flash with bleach for my household cleaner.

I need to take extra precautions for DH's sake. I dread him becoming ill again.

For many years now I have washed my hands as soon as I get home - it's amazing how much dirt rolls off after shopping in supermarkets - even Waitrose! I also avoid touching my face while I am out. I think these two simple measures have ensured that I get very few colds etc.
Sitting in a restaurant recently I saw a man sneeze lavishly into his hands, rub them together, and then open the door and come in. I shouldered my way out, but wondered how many would grab that handle in the next few minutes! This selfish behaviour is what spreads illness mostly. A small bottle of hand steriliser gel in my bag, and I face the world of germs with confidence!

Maybe people could live off their Brexit stockpiles.

Most countries are quarantining anyone who turns up ill at an airport, irrespective of whether they have been in China or not.

I feel we should be wary of fear-mongering,

I also feel that anyone who is running a temperature or the like should stay at home until they feel better, so they don't spread the infection whether it is corona,the flu, or the common cold.

I think at the moment about 4,300 are fully recovered and 1000 have died. Until more people recover we won't have a real death rate but it is constantly shrinking as they find treatments that work x

Once we've all stocked up for Brexit, stocked up for Storm Ciara, stocked up for Coronavirus, and every other possible eventuality, our homes will resemble supermarkets!

I've no room to stockpile, and no inclination to, either.

Media driven hysteria, in my opinion.

People stock piling leads to empty shelves and then more panic because people have been selfish. No I won't stock pile. Anyone that does is selfish thinking only of themselves and not others....

My daughter, who lives with us, and I have prepared. She's off to Thailand on Thursday and has learned that, if she comes back with symptoms, she must self-isolate for 48 hours. I have reassured her that I will seal her door from the outside and deliver regular trays of food.

She is a nurse and is not worried in the slightest about the virus.

I couldn't store more anyway due to space but if I were rich I'd be prepared for the zombie apocalypse just for fun lol x

I’ve still got my Brexit loo roll stock pile and four tins of tomatoes. That’ll have to do me.

A friend of mine is a patient of the GP at the Brighton surgery that’s been closed, but she isn’t worried, despite being in such close proximity.

Hand-washing and not touching one’s face seems to greatly reduce the likelihood of infection so we should all be following those rules.

Many years ago thee was a shortage of salt.
Some people stock piled it and also added pepper to the pile in case there was a shortage of that.

I suppose there are various takes on 'stocking up.'

For me it just means plenty of dried and tinned food in the larder and a well stocked freezer.

Oh, and avoiding too many holes in the wine rack.

Let’s hope alcohol kills the virus, Merlotgran!

No Yennifer I think at the moment about 4,300 are fully recovered and 1000 have died

Your figures are wrong. By that account the death rate would be 1:4! We would all be panicking! (Which is why I felt I needed to correct it).

Those would be awful odds.

It’s actually more like 2:1,000 just slightly higher than ‘flu at 1:1,000.

Those figures aren't wrong, 43000 have it, 4300 fully recovered and 1000 ish have died, until more recover we won't know for sure but it's estimated to be 2 or 3% mortality so hoping that comes true x

If it doesn't kill the virus, SueDonim, alcoholic analgesia will hopefully ease the symptoms.

Ah Yennifer that 43,000 added perspective! I understand it now!