The Coronavirus Spreads in the UK - Should We Be Worried?

Contracting the coronavirus without having been abroad. Should we be worried?

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A BBC news article says a man living in Surrey, UK, who hadn’t even been abroad, has now tested positive for the coronavirus.

This is a worry. How did this happen? He has no clue how he caught it. Is this what might happen? Do we have to worry about going out now and whether we will pass someone on the street who will give us the virus?

Another person from Essex, UK, has also been reported in testing positive for the coronavirus who doesn’t know where he could have got it from.

The man from Surrey has no clue how he could have contracted the coronavirus. It could have been anyone. Now, they have to retrace his steps to find out where he has been and who has been near. Is this what it has come to?

So, what are we to do if we start to feel ill with a cold and cough even if we haven’t been abroad recently? Do we report it to be safe and protect everyone including ourselves?

It’s something that has crossed my mind. I haven’t been abroad since 26th November 2019 when I went to Paris, France, but the NHS asks for people to contact them who feel unwell and who have been to the areas mentioned in the last two weeks. Does this mean if you feel ill with a cold or cough you now have to report it straight away? I wonder about this because it’s starting to become a problem for people when they begin to feel unwell. Should they call the NHS immediately whether they have been abroad or not?

The man that contracted coronavirus without having been abroad has caused a panic.

The BBC says:

“Prof Jonathan Ball, from the University of Nottingham, said the Surrey case marks a “new chapter for the UK” and that it is “crucial” to understand the infection’s origin.

“This was always a concern — this is a virus that frequently causes symptoms very similar to mild flu or a common cold, and it’s easily transmitted from person to person. This means it can easily go under the radar,” the virology expert added.”

It is a big worry. So what should be done about it?

The BBC article states:

“Who did this man catch the virus from?

This is the urgent question that needs answering about the 20th case in the UK.

So far, no connection with anyone who has travelled to an affected country has been discovered.

Until we know the answer it is difficult to know how big a development this is.

This could be an “outbreak of two” — with just one other, still to be identified, person that caught coronavirus abroad.

Or is this the first case to be detected from a much larger outbreak? We know this can happen, Italian scientists believe the virus was circulating there unnoticed for weeks.

For now, we simply do not know, but this is a scenario officials have been preparing for.”

To be honest, it has worried me. This morning, I felt like I was catching a cold. What do you do if you feel ill? Do you ring the NHS line and report it whether you have been abroad or not?

I will stay at home because I don’t want my family to catch whatever I have and if I feel worse I will ring the NHS line. Of course, this is a worry now and everyone will be wondering what to do if they start to feel unwell with a cold and cough especially families with young children.

What would you do if you started to feel ill?

One thing you should do is isolate yourself for two weeks and always wash your hands frequently.

What are your thoughts? Comment below.