I agree it's the hands. Also never cough or sneeze directly in the air if you can help it. My trip to Spain isn't until early September so maybe the warm temperatures will kill the virus off before I get there.

Sorry, I don't want to post incorrect info. The above story about the family with the child took place on a flight out of Québec, headed to Europe (Paris).

Sure I will wash my hands, :(
but will the other 7.5 billion?

Danon just wear gloves and don't touch your face. You should be fine. I'm flying next weekend and really want to wear surgical gloves but then TSA might flag me for wearing them.

If an infected person sneezes in front of you, washing your hands won't matter but a good mask can still help.

Where have you seen it mentioned that the mobile show was cancelled for other reasons? The only competing theory I've heard is Madrid canceled it to punish Barcelona but not many believe that. By the time the show was officially canceled virtually all the large presenters had canceled.

HI Nick. Spanish Gov't said it was cancelled for other than public health reasons, but didn't specify an alternative explanation. That's why I wrote "Hmmmmm"---it's meant to be skeptical!

That is not "an overblown response", We are in a pandemic and this novel coronavirus is NOT like "the flu"

**

" We are in a pandemic" That is a very categoric assertion? So who exactly has declared this a "pandemic" WHO, CDC, NHS or just menachem? If indeed you are an epidemiologist then please do declare your qualifications and experience but I somehow doubt that any professional worth their salt would be posting such comments on a travel forum

Stuff like this there is always something lost in translation but

The Chinese companies canceled because of their own health issues.

The American companies started canceling just because a big international show is always a bit of a risk. You don't fly halfway around the world to stand two metres away from somebody wearing a mask. Making sure not to shake their hand.

Then the European companies canceled.

The show itself wasn't canceled because at the time Barcelona had infections but because nobody was willing to risk dealing with that sort of environment. That leaves the government stating it wasn't canceled because of local health issues. True. But it was still canceled because the result of worldwide health issues. True.

Just want to clarify......COVID-19 is not "far less deadly than the flu". Although the mortality rate is a preliminary estimate at this point, it is higher than that of the flu. Perhaps you meant to say that the risk of being infected with COVID-19 is less than the risk of getting the flu? That is true.
I agree that at this point the biggest worry would be getting stuck in quarantine. I guess we will see how things unfold.

Best thing in this situation is to flatten the curve. Plane travel itself is a risk factor. So why not just stay home.

I agree that the best thing is to "flatten the curve" as you put it. However, many medical "experts" seem now to be questioning whether self isolation, banning events, restricting travel is actually working or will work and that letting the virus run its course may be the best or only option. i.e. the curve will flatten naturally.

The problem with banning travel air, rail or bus, is the effect that it will have on the world economy which is already showing signs of a serious downturn and will have a knock on effect on the wealth, health and well being of much of the world and as usual, it will be the poorest that will suffer the most. Closing down palces of employment, transport etc will also have a serious effect upon the ability of hospitals and medical professionals to deal with this problem.
sometimes it is necessary to take a look at the wider issues and how to deal with all of them and not just panic about the immediate problem. Governments I am afraid are being driven by social media and the press into making knee jerk reactions.

People believe what they want, such as those making silly comparisons to the flu (ie, more people die from the flu so I shouldn't be worried, Trump is making similar statements, which shows you). The current estimates of the mortality rate from Covid19 are much much higher than the flu. Raw numbers of people is irrelevant, more people die from the flu just because it is much more common and more widespread in the world, but Covid19 currently has a fatality rate about 20 times higher. The fatality rate from the flu is fairly low, about 0.1%. Even public health officials don't know as much about Covid19 yet, either, including exactly how it is transmitted, etc. In both viruses, many cases go unreported of course, most flu cases aren't reported, either,, so that doesn't account for why statistics are not good on Covid19 but are for the flu (ie, the argument that some mild cases aren't counted in the denominator because they aren't reported).

If you are young and healthy, you can be more cavalier, I wouldn't worry that much in that case if I were going to an area without a major breakout yet. Italy as a lot of cases, they are really growing. I personally would not choose to go to an area right now with a lot of cases for vacation. It ios affecting a lot of things, even if you think you are somehow immune from getting it and don't care if you do.

I think traveling in general amongst a lot of people in airplanes, etc., is not great for health reasons. Hopefully, this will subside in the summer and they will learn more about it, also. But they don't even know if it will have seasonality like the flu, and experts don't even agree on why that has seasonality. Some coronaviruses don't, like MERS, and appear in warm weather climates, anyway,

Covid19 is clearly not "like the flu", I don't know why anyone is even arguing with that. It isn't the same type of virus. WHO hasn't declared this a pandemic, though, that's for sure. It is good news that the number of new cases in China is dropping a lot.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heal...019-vs-the-flu

Very true. However, I didn't mention a ban on plane travel, but people choosing not to travel by plane.

Yes, the curve will flatten naturally, but how many dead do we want to allow for that?

These people seem to know a lot about this virus and they are making also silly comparisons with flu, https://www.livescience.com/new-coro...-with-flu.html. What is true is that the risk of getting infected is extremely low, according to the actual figures. But, again, every individual may decide on his/her own attitude towards this virus, as it´s worldwide spread now it seems that no matter what you do, you have chances of getting infected.

Scary virus :(

Just been to an informative lecture on coronavirus, by and epidemiologist and a "preventionist", a post I did not it existed, here in Bilbao in the Public Health System, aimed at all kind of persons but especially at medical staff and workers (a friend of mine is a nurse and I could get in). Well, it does not affect kids under 6, that´s good news. Also, the most affected patients in the world are men, around 45 year old, with a global mortality rate of just 0.3%, that increases to a scarce 0.6% to people over 65, if in good health. Those with a higher death rate, around 1.6% at present, are persons with previous ilnesses and in weak condition, mainly respiratory diseases in various degrees, and diabetics. All deaths have been considered, worldly, but rate is lower in first world countries, for obvious reasons. Means of contaging: mainly, hands. Masks may be contraproducent, as we touch our noses when installing them, or mouths, and it´s the way the virus enters into your system. Sneezing, coughing...yes, it´s another way, but just to the length of your arm, it produces dry cough and it does not go over a meter off your body, with thick drops (safer), instead of thinner ones (as those in SARS virus, more contagious). Two weeks approx between contagion and symptoms, then it goes very quickly, and also disappears very quickly. It´s another way of flu, so they are recommending just paracetamol. It´s thought to be originated in the pangolin, a mammal that lives in China and chinese have as a meal, they way it has possible passed onto humans. Right now, very low risk of infection and spreading, compared to measles or standard flu, and they expect it to follow the same path of flu, that is, it should be insignificant by spring this year. Vaccines are already being tested, but nothing definite yet. That´s basically what I can remember of this interesting talk today, hope it helps.

There are sick kids. The numbers may be low but that may just be because they aren't being tested.