Keep coronavirus in check
Don’t panic!
Stay aware, but keep outbreak in perspective
The 2am WhatsApp message earlier this month caught me by surprise. ‘‘Oh no. Coronavirus could ruin our holiday! What do you think?’’ I prefaced my response the same as I will to you: I am not a disease researcher. I’m not a doctor. In fact, I’m not even sure I have a first-aid kit.
This beloved and befuddled family member was somewhat short on facts, so it seems wise to bring you up to speed: the holiday is in six months. It is based mainly on the Mediterranean, not mainland China, although there is a short stopover in Southeast Asia. The lucky attendees are all fairly fit and in fine health. In short, the chances of contracting the strain known as 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus) and showing symptoms, let alone dying, are very small.
But such is the combination of 24-hour news cycles, social media, and governments trying to look like they’re doing something (anything), that the scales can often tip from awareness into panic.
My response on WhatsApp is very similar to ones I send following a terrorist attack or natural disaster: ‘‘Yes very sad, but things like that happen everywhere. You’ve greater risk of dying from a shark attack/malaria/a car crash on State Highway 1. Proceed with caution.’’
This being the era of fake news, click-bait, and your weird aunty sharing on Facebook, it’s easy to understand how old, unrelated videos about bat soup, and conspiracy theories about Big Pharma and Chinese spies, cross into the mainstream and whip up fear.
Of course we should ask questions, but consider where the answers are coming from. Best not to cancel your airfare because of a Twitter thread.
The coronavirus situation is complex and changing, which is why it pays to keep yourself up to date and call out misinformation when you see it. That includes grossly exaggerated responses, of which cancelling your travel plans may fall.
Based on current information from the World Health Organisation, studies from top universities, and reports from authorities in China and elsewhere, this strand has a mortality rate of 2-3 per cent, which is less than the Sars virus, and far less than the strand of Ebola that ravaged West Africa only a few years ago.
That being said, with tens of thousands of confirmed cases (around 99 per cent of them in China), and an increasing death toll, governments around the world are obviously right to issue travel warnings and organise evacuation flights from the most-affected country, China.
The New Zealand Government has advised Kiwis against travelling to China and, at the time of writing, is denying entry to foreign travellers who have come from China from February 2.
Many travellers due to head to China in coming weeks will have likely had their plans upended by the airlines suspending flights into Chinese hubs such as Shanghai and Beijing, but for those travelling around Easter and beyond, it’s best to hold tight, and stay informed on the virus has spread. Clear heads and travel first-aid kits should prevail.
Just as you would increase precautions if visiting a malaria zone (and you should, since its annual death rate far exceeds this virus), you should do so if you’re passing through zones with increasing numbers of cases: increased hygiene measures such as washing and sanitising your hands, not touching your face, avoiding live animal markets and sick people, and seeking prompt medical treatment if you start feeling unwell.
Doctors with International SOS, a consultancy for business travellers in crisis zones, reiterated that if you are struck down with something in a foreign country, it is more likely you’ll have a common cold, the flu, or another more common virus than this 2019-nCoV strand.
However, medical professionals and business travel experts agree that because there are still many unanswered questions about this new strand, staying informed is crucial.
Danny Kaine, head of assistance at Traveller Assist, said: ‘‘Even though the risk is low right now, it does not mean that the virus will not mutate. Everyone should be armed with the facts.’’