Coronavirus in the UK

[Cleoriff]

The BBC have announced that two patients in the UK have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

No further details have been given other than they are both members of the same family and are receiving specialist NHS care.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51325192

At present, 83 Britons and 27 foreign nationals are flying back to the UK from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.

The flight is due to land at RAF Brize Norton at 13:30 GMT.

The UK passengers will then be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral and quarantined for two weeks.

[TallTrees]

Hello @Cleoriff 

Thanks for the update ~ terrible 

as you know I am in the middle of a renovation/update/demolition of bathroom:grimacing  All face masks gone!!  to this event   dust  dust and more dust.

What a time to want these for their original purpose!

Crossing fingers that most people are safe and sound against this terrible virus.

[Cleoriff]

I think the main thing is to not panic @TallTrees just be careful.

The couple who have it in the UK are in Newcastle (just confirmed) and are currently in isolation while they test friends and family.

[TallTrees]

Agreed @Cleoriff 

Keep steady. 

I keep a bottle of Miltons Antibacterial Hand Gel with me, to help.

P.S.

I have decided not to wear my dust mask out yet

[pgn]

That repatriation flight from Wuhan to Brize-Norton should be near landing by now, it was overhead Edinburgh when I checked earlier. 

I guess the crew will have to go into quarantine too, unless they remained suited for the entire journey. And aircraft sanitisation too, no doubt. 

[Cleoriff]

I feek very sad for those Brits who have Chinese wives/husbands and children. They can't leave unless they choose to go without them. What an awful situation.

[jonsie]

It's all a bit worrying and you have to feel for those in China. Every Chinese airport should be closed except for repatriation purpose to try and control this.

It beggars belief that the tourism  goes on regardless and I can see we will get to a point where Chinese tourists are targeted racially. It's already happening in Thailand according to some news articles. 

The UK government and health authorities say we are fully prepared but I have my doubts.

[TallTrees]

Agree with you @jonsie
Unbelievable
Humans are their own worst enemy
Taking the attitude "I'm alright Jack"
I don't believe we are fully prepared either.
Don't see how we could be when we can't even cover the regular winter flu problem.
As @Cleoriff says stay sensible all you can do.
Whilst all about are losing it🙃

[Cleoriff]

I think we are as prepared as we can be.

However, there are the couple in Newcastle. If they have missed checking one person they may have been in contact with.......

By the way, this is already worse than the SARS outbreak of 2003!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51322733 

[pgn]

SARS, MERS, this outbreak (2019-nCoV) - all caused by coronaviruses.

Then we have 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, most common in many flu-like infections in humans.

Problem is, this particular class of virus mutates very easily.

And the subsequent viral pneumonia infection after (2019-nCoV) infection is most tricky to combat, a high risk for those with poorer health and in their later years...

A face mask won't help against an airborne virus, but rigorously cleaning your hands  before bringing them to your face might be a better bet.