disease, the corona virus novel. I am wondering how dangerous is it compared to the usual influenza. How much is media hype and do I need to worry?
One thing that I have noticed is the emotive wording used by most newspapers. In one newspaper there is a warning of "A global pandemic" , that word, pandemic, brings up images of the 1918-1919 flu that was truly horrific. Another phrase that comes up time and time again is "deadly illness". Showing pictures of medical professionals in full hazmat suits, of people passing through airports having their temperatures checked by scanners leads to a feeling of dread, that this is something totally horrific that we have no control over. But what is the reality. Reading through the NHS homepage gives a different point of view. People who have recently returned from Wuhan or have been in contact with people from that area are advised to stay inside for 14 days, if they show symptoms then there is a number given to call for advice. My understanding (and I have no medical background, just Doctor Google) this is just another version of the 'flu. Symptoms include feeling tired, fever, difficulty breathing and a cough, sounds like the 'flu I had just before Christmas. Yes it can lead to pneumonia, but my understanding is that most 'flus can lead to pneumonia. Is it deadly, yes, people have died from it but I wonder what kind of medical care were they given, how old were they and what was their health before they caught this virus. 'Flu and pneumonia have been making the rounds in my local area, kindergartens, elementary, junior high schools and high schools have all had cases in the past few weeks, the warm winter isn't helping. So we are practicing good hygiene, washing hands and face and gargling after being in contact with other people. Also I had a bottle of alcohol spray that I use to wipe down surfaces. Plus making sure we eat properly, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. In a world made smaller by technology we can expect this kind of thing to be the norm. I am sure that 50 years ago we would never have heard of Wuhan or this virus!
On a lighter note, the cats are driving me to distraction. This happened the other day
Steve got in the washing machine!
Plus we had Claws not Jaws
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