“Trump is reportedly furious that the stock market is plunging on coronavirus fears”
-Pippa Stevens
We are in Abu Dhabi. We arrived at 5 am local time.
We had some discussion before leaving if we have planned the best itinerary home given the news we are seeing about the Coronavirus outbreak. We are right across the Striat of Hormuz from Iran which is having a significant outbreak right now. Abu Dhabi is a significant trading partner. We are also flying into Spain in a couple of days to spend a week before going home. Italy is near Spain and is also having an outbreak.
We finally decided we have to get home somehow. The virus appears to be shaping up into a pandemic and there are few routes from Africa that will get us home without some risk. Although, to be truthful, the relative risk appears to be small at this time.
The Coronavirus gets it’s name from it’s shape. They are round viruses with spike like projections that give the impression of the corona of the sun. This type of virus has been around for thousands of years. Common colds are corona viruses. Most cause minimal symptoms that are easily endured. However, some variations can cause respiratory failure and death. This version of the Coronavirus (2019-nCOV) appears to be the latter.
Information is coming in fast and furious. It was first thought that this was an animal to human transmission. Many cases in Wuhan, China, the epicenter, appeared to be clustered around eating certain animals. Now, we know this may not be the case. The 2019-nCOV virus, like the common cold, can be transmitted by respiratory inhalation of the particles. An infected person coughs or sneezes and releases thousands of particles in the air. This is the principle reason it has spread so far.
A little medicine - The incubation period (the time from exposure to showing symptoms) is around a week. The patient is still infectious during this time. Fever, cough, body aches are the most common presenting symptoms. In a small percentage of these cases this can progress to pneumonia and lung failure.
Males are affected more than females (57% of reported cases). Average age of infection is 59 years of age and those most at risk of serious consequences are patients with significant co-morbidities - a medical term meaning patients who also have other conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease.
Of note: I will turn 59 in 2 days and have hypertension…but I digress
Treatment, in medical speak, is supportive only. This means we have no medicines or treatments to directly combat the virus yet. Viruses are not bacteria and do not respond to antibiotics. There is rapid work being done to better test for the virus, but no treatments yet. Remember that old adage, “you can’t cure the common cold”? Well that applies here, although our president doesn’t seem to understand this fact.
So, as we are on the plane, we began to notice passengers with masks on. This is not that unusual of a thing, particularly in Asia where it can be common practice.
However, given that every airport and hotel TV is carrying non stop coverage of the spread of 2019-nCOV, it does make you pause a bit. Even though I am aware that the type of masks most people are wearing will offer little to no protection from the virus.
We are fine and feel good. The news is changing rapidly and we are monitoring the situation.
Here is a very thoughtful analysis of what we should be doing right now written by a very smart man.
And now this....
As I am typing this I notice out our window the UAE (United Arab Emirates) flags are at half mast. I asked Colleen what it was about.
"It is a day of mourning for Hosni Mubarak," she said, "That nice dictator from Egypt"
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