We need to find a balance Finglas. There appear to be 2 extremes circulating - the one which says we are on the edge of armageddon, and the other which says 'just ignore it, it's no worse than the flu'. For those on here who are old enough ie. anyone who went to school in the 1960's, or was born in the 50's - we can all remember the polio vaccine being given to us on a sugar lump at school - there were many other things around in those days - Rubella, measles, mumps, and a lot worse (Tuberculosis had not been completely eradicated). That was the first generation of mass innoculations (we felt like pin cushions growing up !) and it was not unusual for whole towns, or parts of them, to be in isolation - nore was it unknown for football matches, or large gatherings of people, to be postponed as a result. I think that Blackpool didn't play at home for about 4 months as a result of some outbreak or another (something similar in Coventry). People were, very definitely, alert to the potential dangers - but in a realistic way, and without too much panic. I am well prepared to believe that this is no worse than the flu (most people want to believe that) - but the fact remains that there is no innoculation, and no treatment for the disease itself, and hits some people very badly. There is also the chance of a mutation occuring. The Chinese death rate of around 3% is probably because it broke out in a city of 11 million people where there are a high proportion of people already suffering from respiratory problems - I wouldn't expect the same here.
