Are you worried about the Coronavirus?

[hedgehog93]

But, wouldn't getting attacked ruin a trip?
Just sayin.

If you get attacked on a trip it’s extra insult to have been worrying about it, and travelling in fear.

 

[Austina]

They‘re saying there are 14 people here in the UK who have tested positive - out of 65 million, so I’m not worried. The advice is keep washing your hands, stay in if you feel unwell, and don’t panic!

 

[arkieb1]

It will be interesting to see if it gets to Africa....

 

[FancyDiamond]

I think the 14 day period is fine, but a cruise ship was NOT equipped to handle hospital level quarantine. They should have evacuated the ship and put them into hospitals 2 weeks ago, I'm guessing it wouldn't have spread so much.
As an aside, cruise ships are one of the filthiest things in general, so its no wonder (to me) that this spread like wildfire throughout.

Do you mean the Japanese government and /or Diamond Princess should have put the passengers into the hospital? I think there is a logistic problem. Currently, not many countries are equipped to handle thousands of patients with highly contagious disease. There is a shortage of proper medical equipment and facilities to address the new and not well understood virus. I do not think Japan has enough hospital beds in isolated units. Even if they do, their medical system and resources would be overwhelmed, and they would not be able to serve their own people. I do not even want to go to the possibility of local residents protesting against putting these patients in their neighborhood buildings.

Japan was the only country kind enough to allow DP to dock and provide rssource help. (There was another cruiseship that was turned away by several countries due to a suspected confirmed patient onboard.) Most countries do not want to handle this hot potato. The main objective of the quarantine was to identify infected passengers and separate them, so that the non-confirmed people could be released to go home, while protecting the Japanese public from exposure. The safety of the Japanese public is more primary in this case.

I do agree with you though about a cruise ship being the worst place to be amid an outbreak of a highly contagious virus. Having taken four cruises and one land tour since early 2019, I am glad that I have not yet booked any cruise or land tour in Asia (except a stopover in Singapore) for this year. However, in light of the latest development in South Korea, Japan, and Italy, I shall be closely monitoring the situation and be prepared to cancel/postpone my Africa and Australia trips.

 

[telephone89]

@FancyDiamond I agree it was a tough situation for sure. But in the interest of public health I wish someone else would have stepped up and provided a proper quarantine.
In 2019 Cruise ships (who had a US dock, so not even all cruises in the world) reported to the CDC 10 separate outbreaks, mainly all norovirus. In 2018 11 outbreaks, 2017 11, 2016 13, etc. They should have known they were not equipped to handle this, and unfortunately their lack of care got many many people sick. There was 1-2 infected people on board that somehow effected almost 700 others. That is really scary IMO.

 

[AGBF]

February 25, 2020
For the U.S., it’s not if but when, federal officials say.

"Americans should brace for the likelihood that the coronavirus will spread to communities in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday.

'It’s not so much of a question of if this will happen in this country any more but a question of when this will happen,' said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

She said that public health officials have no idea whether the spread of the disease to the United States would be mild or severe, but that Americans should be ready for a significant disruption to their daily lives.

'We are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad,' Dr. Messonnier said.'

The secretary of health and human services delivered an equally sobering message on Tuesday. The secretary, Alex M. Azar II, told a Senate committee, 'This is an unprecedented, potentially severe health challenge globally.'

Federal and local health departments will need as many as 300 million masks for health care workers and additional ventilators for hospitals to prepare for a major outbreak of coronavirus, he said.

'We cannot hermetically seal off the United States to a virus,' Mr. Azar said. 'And we need to be realistic about that.'"

U.S. Soldier Tests Positive for Virus in South Korea (Published 2020)

The soldier, the first U.S. service member known to be infected, has been quarantined in his off-base residence, the military said.

www.nytimes.com

 

[whitewave]

I wasn’t worried before and now I’m getting sort of concerned.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I wasn’t worried before and now I’m getting sort of concerned.

Me too
The world is such a small place these days

im dismayed at the Asian racism i read about that's happening, its effecting innocent people's livelihoods

 

[diamondsR4eVR]

Would you travel? We live in the US and we are traveling soon to US Caribbean. The risk is low in the US but everyone is making me panicky plus we’re traveling with children and seniors.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I read on Daily Mail today that this doctor from the CDC believes parents in the U.S. need to prepare for the potential that schools will be closed for long periods and ask the school about alternatives like tele-schooling.

A lot of parents rely on two incomes, not everyone has relatives to help, heck just finding somewhere for them to go in the summer for vacation can be a challenge!

 

[PreRaphaelite]

I’m more alarmed each day. Now I’m going to gather a bit more dry food and water than normal, and bath tissue and bleach wipes.

 

[arkieb1]

Well, the stock market has reacted two days in a row, that means economists think we are on the brink of a global pandemic.....

 

[nala]

Well, the stock market has reacted two days in a row, that means economists think we are on the brink of a global pandemic.....

Or. They are expecting most to feed into the panic.....

 

[hedgehog93]

I’ve bought a lot of extra loo roll, and stocked up on non-perishables. Oil too. I think it’s inevitable. Australia is only okay right now because of the travel ban, now that coronavirus is out of China there’s no stopping it.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I wasn’t worried before and now I’m getting sort of concerned.

No need to panic in the US. I'm Chinese and we still dine out at different Chinese restaurants at least 6X per week. I'm not gonna be a hermit b/c of this virus.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

No need to panic in the US. I'm Chinese and we still dine out at different Chinese restaurants at least 6X per week. I'm not gonna be a hermit b/c of this virus.

Good for you
I feel like we should all be going to Chinese restaurants to show support for their bussiness because there is a lot of ignorence and racism going on
I grew up in a WASP town but we had ethnic Chinese families who had been a part of my hometown since the gold rush in the 1860s
i just hate to think any of them (or any other asians or any non white ethnically for that matter) being targeted by stupid ignorent bigots over this

 

[Dancing Fire]

Good for you
I feel like we should all be going to Chinese restaurants to show support for their bussiness because there is a lot of ignorence and racism going on

The bigger problem is that the Chinese are more afraid of each other.

 

[arkieb1]

Or. They are expecting most to feed into the panic.....

I don't think they would intentionally wipe that amount of money off share prices in three days without reason, having said that, the stock market reacts in a volatile way to all kinds of things.

I know in Australia with the travel bans we have, we are already facing a severe impact on things like tourism and that is having a major impact on our economy.

We had severe bush/wild fires, then floods and now our major source of tourism is in trouble....

 

[Dee*Jay]

I'm heading to Austria next week with a bunch of friends on a (non) ski trip. Wondering if it's too late to buy travel insurance...

 

[lyra]

I'm developing an anxiety about all of this. My daughter is supposed to honeymoon in Italy. Now we don't know if they should go anywhere really.

 

[nala]

I don't think they would intentionally wipe that amount of money off share prices in three days without reason, having said that, the stock market reacts in a volatile way to all kinds of things.

I know in Australia with the travel bans we have, we are already facing a severe impact on things like tourism and that is having a major impact on our economy.

We had severe bush/wild fires, then floods and now our major source of tourism is in trouble....

The point is that due to the mass hysteria, people are already reacting with their wallets so you are echoing what I said.

 

[Arcadian]

Not sure what everyone else is dealing with, but in many areas of the US, we're dealing more with Flu than anything else. Thats especially true in Florida where you have MANY people who don't want to spoil their fun because they "happen to be a little sick" these are the idiots that are the Typhoid Mary's passing shit around.

I've given up going to the gym and working out at home instead because this time of year, people do stupid shit in the gym, don't wipe down the equipment, and come in sick, coughing all over everything not covering their damn mouths (nasty asses) Last time I went which was in January, someone threw up all over the damn floor. Yeah done for right now.

Put my membership on hold until May, which they're allowing. I'm lucky I have enough home equipment to get a good workout (same stuff I had in Massachusetts which was a pretty full gym setup)

I tapped into my Lysol concentrate because my husband got the flu. I did not get the flu, but I cleaned my house from top to bottom every 3 days to make sure I did not get sick. Once he wasn't so sick, I sent him home for a week because I needed a break. The lysol came out of my hurricane kit so will need to be replaced.

In general, things are normal in Florida. Tourism is huge in Florida this time of year, and does not appear to be less than any previous year. So far, Florida dosen't have any reported cases http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/ By the same token there is LOTS of unreported flu though.

 

[whitewave]

No need to panic in the US. I'm Chinese and we still dine out at different Chinese restaurants at least 6X per week. I'm not gonna be a hermit b/c of this virus.

I heard on the Howard Stern show how some people are avoiding Chinese food restaurants because of this and I thought that was crazy!!

Look, I agree with you. I just got back from a jam packed Mardi Gras, and then I saw this picture

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Nope.
-Modern technology regarding isolating the people who test positive in the US is a marvel these days and the reason why only a few thousand have died instead of millions.

I dont watch the news anymore anyways because Ive always found it to be a bit too sensationalist and overboard. i.e.Trying to instill fear in Americans to cause a certain type of reaction... yeah I'm out.

 

[Matata]

There are thousands of American students studying in universities abroad, quite a few in Italy. American universities are starting to recall those students and are asking them to self-isolate upon their return. That single scenario alone is enough to cause justified concern that covid-19 has the potential to wreak havoc in the US.

 

[stracci2000]

My girlfriend's husband is a virologist in NYC.
I asked if her DH is working on this, and how bad it really is.
She said, (her words) "yes, he has meetings about it everyday.....basically if you are healthy...it will just be like a bad case of the flu....you won't die.....just wash your hands ALOT."

 

[nala]

My girlfriend's husband is a virologist in NYC.
I asked if her DH is working on this, and how bad it really is.
She said, (her words) "yes, he has meetings about it everyday.....basically if you are healthy...it will just be like a bad case of the flu....you won't die.....just wash your hands ALOT."

This is good to hear. I’m still second guessing my trip bc of all the logistics of potential complications.

 

[chrono]

Mother is headed to Asia next week and traveling around Asia the entire month. She is stocked up with face masks and hand sanitizer.

 

[lyra]

I'm not healthy, I'm immuno-compromised. I feel like someone in my family will get this at some point, and then maybe I'm a goner, I don't know. My husband travels for a living. My youngest daughter commutes to downtown Toronto daily. These factors are what put us at risk. I just stay home most of the time.

I hope it will be as contained as SARS was years ago. I am not stocking up on anything, no point. We don't really do runs on stores in Canada.

 

[qubitasaurus]

It will be interesting to see if it gets to Africa....

Luckily the virus doesn't live well in the heat. And they dont have a lot of air conditioning.

Otherwise I would have been severely worried about Nigeria-- such a high population density and probably nothing like the resources they'll need to hospitalize everyone.

I'm not healthy, I'm immuno-compromised. I feel like someone in my family will get this at some point, and then maybe I'm a goner, I don't know. My husband travels for a living. My youngest daughter commutes to downtown Toronto daily. These factors are what put us at risk. I just stay home most of the time.

I hope it will be as contained as SARS was years ago. I am not stocking up on anything, no point. We don't really do runs on stores in Canada.

Lyra I am sorry to hear that. It sounds miserable. People seem to do fine as long as they can remove the fluid from their lungs, it is just that they need good hospital care for that. There was massive panick here several weeks ago as the infection numbers began to rise -- the advice we got was that if someone starts to cough shove a surgical mask on them and also disinfect everything, including toilets very regularly. No-one eats or touches their face without washing their hands. I guess we havent needed this advice, as they got it under control here very fast. But I am going to the US in several days time, and this is how we will be handling the trip for sure.