(13 Mar 2020, 12:51 pm)BusLoverMum wrote The majority of cases are like flu but the pattern seems to be that after the days or so, most people recover but a significant minority of people don't and instead develop an inflammatory response not unlike pneumonia. That is what is hospitalising and killing people. You or I may be fine, if we catch it, but my parents probably wouldn't be and a lot of the kids at my youngest's school probably wouldn't be.

Italy has more than 3 times as many high dependency beds than we do and there are hospitals where, if you're even over 60, you won't be getting breathing assistance if you need it because they don't have the capacity.

I get that, my point was more along the lines of the media sensationalising the story so much that they make out that everyone who catches it will just drop dead! In reality, it's actually pretty easy to prevent, it just relies on everybody else having good personal hygiene and good manners! (which, as well all know, isn't going to happen).

I personally think the approach we're taking as a country is the right approach, we have a relatively low number of cases, and unlike mainland Europe we have an actual hard border (physically I mean, not politically yet!) which means we're pretty isolated from all the cases on the continent and shouldn't be treated the same.  Sure, if we start to see cases increase dramatically like they did in Italy, then we should take the extra steps other countries are taking, but at the minute I feel it's a bit premature.

From what I've read, I would actually be classed as 'vulnerable' as I have asthma, but then again I haven't really been reading in to it too much as I'm (pardon the pun) sick to death of hearing about it!