Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia have all by now closed their borders with Italy - something I suggested they should have done over a week ago (when people said I was being "hysterical") - France still has an open border.

My own feeling is that the Chinese authorities very likely knew there was a serious problem developing in their country with the coronavirus long before they finally admitted as much. For all we know, it could already have spread to numerous other countries in Asia (and maybe to Italy and elsewhere in Europe as well) before the Chinese conceded that the coronavirus was real and was spreading like wildfire.

And doing it now seems almost pointless given that Italy is already in lock down and sustained local transmission is occuring. Far too late.

Read the article I posted about Taiwan - they picked up on this in December and took action very early. But they are not members of the WHO, since China won't allow it, so their experience has not been widely promoted.

 https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/why-taiwan-has-just-42-coronavirus-cases-while-neighbors-report

They may given its generally mild symptoms have not considered it that much of a priority in the early days, and it was only when it began hospitalising people they took notice. By this point it was already quite widespread.

It would be very useful if they could also advise the medical states of those infected. Nothing too specific, just along the lines of:

1) Recovered

2) Mild symptoms; resting at home

3) Moderate symptoms; resting at home

4) Severe symptoms; being treated at home

5) Severe symptoms; being treated in hospital

6) In hospital ICU

I think it would help to quell the hysteria and panic that's building.

Again, this is fact and reality:

"

Malta has banned travel with Germany, France, Spain and Switzerland to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.

The small Mediterranean island imposed similar restrictions on travel from Italy on Monday."

The UK will be next on their list.

That isn't fact only speculation.

I think that's one of the conundrums: we still only have limited knowledge of how this virus affects the human body.  There's a vast range of responses from virtually nothing through to severe infection; broadly correlated with age and pre-existing medical conditions but only, seemingly, as a general rule.   So, for some people, asymptomatic, for a majority something akin to a dose of influenza and for a minority something much worse.  

The planning  should be focussing on how best to protect vulnerable groups because they're the ones that will put huge pressure on the NHS if this gets out of control.

The bit in quotes was factual - the speculation that the UK will be next on the list was mine, but it is realistic.

P.S.

• Hungary declares State of Emergency: [source]
  - closes all Universities
  - bans indoor events for more than 100 people
  - bans outdoor events for more than 500 people
  - stops flights, trains and buses from Slovenia and Austria
  - tightens control of the border with Croatia
  - requires quarantine for Hungarian citizens returning from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran

There are now 36 #coronavirus cases in Scotland - including the first caused by community transmission

New figures from @Scotgov chief medical officer

— Glenn Campbell (@GlennBBC) March 11, 2020

And short of testing everyone, we have no way of telling how many people have it, how long it’s been around, or how widely it has spread.  We only know it’s arrived when we’ve actually got it and tested for it!

No doubt this will be known to the experts, which is why we should be listening to them rather than criticising their advise. 

Kuwait has halted all commercial flights to and from the state until further notice, state television says.

Authorities have also announced a public holiday in the country from tomorrow until 26 March.

The public have also been banned from going into cafes and restaurants.

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Time magazine, 25/06/2012 (p76):

He also said similar in the Torygraph in 2007 - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1557765/Boris-Johnson-inspired-by-Jaws-mayor.html

Hope he's not basing his coronavirus strategy on Mayor Vaughan!!

He is probably the worst person to have as leader at the moment. Let's just hope he is delegating to the experts. 

For all it's notoriety only a quarter of those infected with Influenza show symptoms, but this is only known through years of study. 

I think we've passed the point of no return with regards to the pandemonium created in the media with regards to Coronaviruses. Objective reasoning has gone.

It was always planned for tomorrow. There is going to be a government statement at 19:00 today however.

BoJo has just tweeted out a video interview with him and the Deputy CMO.

From what she is saying, it sounds like we are still some time away from taking action, “based on their modelling”.  Says they don’t see the need to stop large gatherings 😳

This could be a monumental cock up if they haven’t got this right.

Win/win

If coronavisus doesn't develop as strongly as some fear, we can get back to normal sharpish

If it does blow up, then Bozo and his gang of spivs & shysters will get the blame