Yes it would be a very difficult situation Roger. I teach in a special school and we have many children with very challenging behaviour. For the parents and carers of these children, school serves not only as a place of education but as a means of respite. 

On one of our sites we also have many children with underlying health problems and it's scary to think of the consequences of a widespread outbreak for them. Before Christmas we had loads of children and staff off ill and with the nature of the children we look after - no understanding of hygiene issues etc - infection is so easily spread.  

Originally Posted by: Northern Sky 

I ditto what Roger said!  It should certainly make people stop and think of the circumstances of others and the consequences of actions they themselves might find easy to deal with.   Good luck!

Originally Posted by: Caz 

Hi Caz. I've been more concerned at the implications for our local care homes, where we and many of our friends know residents/relations. Before NS' post I had completely overlooked the large local specialist care facility for younger people with learning difficulties. A moments reflection on the reality makes the mind boggle!

Roger

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

I think we’ve reached the point where hand sanitiser should be placed at exits to all tube and rail stations, for example. Will the UK authorities put in these efforts? I’m not so sure. 

Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 

You can't buy hand sanitiser around here. On Amazon it is either very expensive or not available for weeks. I seriously doubt whether the UK government will a) be able to quickly source enough b) have the means to quickly deploy it widely 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

The Government should have put in an emergency order as soon as this virus surfaced in China. 

Placing the stuff in major public thoroughfares such as stations is probably the best preventative measure we can take as a nation. 

Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 

You can't buy hand sanitiser around here. On Amazon it is either very expensive or not available for weeks. I seriously doubt whether the UK government will a) be able to quickly source enough b) have the means to quickly deploy it widely 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

I’ve really noticed a change in attitudes in the last 3 or 4 days particularly in businesses. From blase complacency to mild panic as people take the time to think through what the outbreak could mean. Most of my clients now have travel bans. We probably won’t be far behind. Also seem the first example of a project postponed due to travel restrictions.

Some companies will go bust because of this, I expect. Probably in the travel sector. Stock markets are really going to tank next week, particularly if another European country (France or Switzerland perhaps) announces an outbreak.

Originally Posted by: TimS 

That is my experience too!  I’ve heard so many conversations about covid 19 being sensationalised and not once, outside this forum, have I heard any great concerns.

Originally Posted by: Caz 

I would agree with that . My daughter and sister both work at local hospitals and there is less sensationalism and  panic there, than on here

Originally Posted by: bledur 

I see this thread is filling up with the usual standard of insight and analysis.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

 The current response is a much much bigger issue than the disease in almost every aspect. It is an interesting insight into the human psyche and the misconception that we can control everything now we are in the twenty first century. The very best we may be able to do, but at a massive cost, is to slow down the spread. 

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

 There will be chaos in the U.K. no matter how bad the epidemic is or not. It’s the British way - the nonchalant attitude of our estimable PM makes a fiasco a nailed-on certainty.

 Yup, you are filling it up.

Originally Posted by: bledur 

I’m now genuinely worried about the hysteria and potential disruption more than anything else.

Genuinely concerned. 

Much more so than the virus itself. 

Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 

Interesting you say this, I had tea today with a retired virologist (she used to work at the Royal Marsden) and she told me pretty much the same thing. It's very difficult to stop such a virus from spreading, we can try and delay it but at very high cost, which is probably much higher than the damage that this virus will eventually cause.

She finds the media reaction to be OTT and unhelpful and to anybody who is really worried about catching it, she half-jokingly recommends getting the common cold from a child as this will offer protection from covid-19 (for the duration of the cold).

I could see Quantum now cataloguing the different common cold viruses and following kids like a very dodgy guy.

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

Well done. Go to the top of the class

Originally Posted by: Justin W