Mary, I'm immuno-compromised. I have a genetic defect with my immune system and don't produce antibodies to infections like healthy people do when they get sick.

At this point, I'm aware of Corona, but not panicked. There are 60 confirmed cases in the US, and while the CDC believes we will have more, as of today we don't so no use borrowing trouble <3

I would suggest following the CDC website vs other news outlets for factual info and less media hype. Some of the best things you can do is wash your hands often, don't touch your face when out in public and stay home when sick.

Wishing you peace <3

where I work I come in contact with dishes that have been eaten off of and that means I am a candidate for any kind of sickness that there could be transferred by bodily fluids or my name is Mud if this really goes crazy.....I think it is going to go crazy.....sadly it is a deadly disease and lots will die....I just hope it is none of my friends or family.....but it could be me.....which does not so much worry me....I have taken care of the details for death except paying to be cremated but the life insurance will pay that.....

Hey Mary, It's Maria (my family calls me Mary!!). I just sent you a friend request.
So Hey Mary, it's Mary....
I was at church last night for Ash Wednesday. The Priest was talking about this Corona Virus. They stopped doing masses in Italy. Can you imagine? Italy is the Catholic capital of the world, and no masses??? They want to keep crowds at bay due to this disease. Then he explained WHY it's spreading....here it is...
told us it's not a matter of when, it's a matter of time, that YES the U.S. is gonna get it BECAUSE---a lot of people here don't have health insurance so they won't go to the doctor. PLUS, god forbid you have it, he said going into Quaratine will set you back moneywise for the rest of your life....so between people not having insurance here, people not going to doctors, people with religions that don't believe in doctors, poor people, etc. Yes it's on its way here. It sounds like it spreads easy. Wash hands a lot and TRY not to be around a lot of people.
Taxing Cats??? Never heard of that. What State do you live in? How ridiculous!

I must be a little worried as yesterday as I was entering Walmart I took a wipe from the dispenser and cleaned the handle on my grocery cart. I don't usually do that but will start now.

Not terrified but feel we should use wipes at the stores and do as much as we can to protect ourselves. I dont plan on cruising or a trip overseas. These virus happens it seems out of no where and always hits large populations at first. Just as we have to watch for people who might be carrying guns all we can do is what we have been told to protect ourselves. Good luck to everyone, hope the flu and viruses stay away.

KEEP WASHING YOUR HANDS THEY'RE SAYING. LOVE AND HUGS.

Better to operate with caution than to just assume all's well and safe to proceed as normal...

The thing that I worry about is how they now have a known case in California of a patient that hadn't traveled abroad or known anyone who had traveled abroad recently anywhere that has been affected and yet they were confirmed to be sick with Corona virus - and it took them over a week before they even tested the person for it because they just assumed that the person didn't have it because they didn't fit the presumed criteria of travelling to China or any other affected area and so that person was not properly quarantined and possibly infected countless more people before they knew what they were sick with. Same with those people who came back from the cruise ship - the Department of Homeland Security didn't follow any sort of proper protocol when transporting those people or in handling them in any way, so all the workers who were around them could all have potentially been infected. If they aren't quite sure how it's being passed around or how long anyone might be carrying the illness before showing symptoms or how long anyone might be contagious for, you have no idea whether anyone you come in contact with might be sick with it and might expose you to it. It's spread to so many countries and so quickly too... very scary stuff.

I'm curious though... if you have to be quarantined for a length of time, how are you supposed to get food and other necessities? And what happens to people who have no paid sick time if they get sick or are forced to be quarantined for a period of time because they might have been exposed to it?

Anyway, be diligent - wash your hands frequently with soap and water, scrubbing under your nails and between your fingers and the backs of your hands even, for a couple of minutes just to be on the safe side. Try to avoid touching anything in public with your bare hands (or at least wash your hands quickly after doing so), wear a face mask in public especially if you're going to be in confined spaces, and take care of yourself - eat healthy, exercise, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep so your immune system is less compromised to begin with. Hopefully we can all stay safe and none of us or our loved ones wind up affected.

Tes, regarding what to do if quarantined, the CDC is recommending that everyone have about 2 weeks worth of food, water, prescription meds, as well as drugs like Tylenol, Advil and cold/flu meds on hand right now in case you have to stay at home longer than you'd like as a preparedness measure.

The handwashing - The CDC and WHO both recommend 20 seconds, or about how long it takes to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song for handwashing. 20 seconds is more than sufficient and any longer can cause extreme drying that leads to cracking and tiny abrasions which open you up to possible infections.

Facemasks aren't recommended at this point for healthy people. They are more effective when sick people wear them - to contain infected droplets. On healthy people, they often trap moisture which isn't good. If you choose to wear a facemask while healthy, talk to your doctor about the proper way to wear the brand you have chosen to buy ( each brand has specific instructions so it is actually effective) and how often you need to change it and put on a new one - if it's a disposable type. There are also specific instructions for washing and changing the filters on non-disposable masks.

I would encourage everyone to look at the CDC and WHO websites to get the best info from scientists, immunologists and Infectious Disease doctors.

My thought is... rely on scientific evidence, studies or statistics before relying on anecdotal advice or theories. That's what creates hysteria. misinformation, etc. I agree to look at the CDC and WHO websites for correct information.

Don't be worried. Just be educated. I say this as someone who has been taking immo-suppressant drugs for over a decade and have a hard time fighting viruses and infections at times. I just try to be smart (hand washing is a biggie). .

Scary stuff but all we can do is try to stay away from large crowds and and wash hands frequently and keep our hands out of our mouths, I always use the wipes when I go to the supermarket and started carrying hand sanitizer, somehting I never did before

I was in China in early Dec, I came back Dec13th,just before the outbreak,of the virus, When I came home I did have a MRSA infection in my bladder,where i had treatment in our local hospital. That is cleared up. We were in Beijing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. We also have relatives in Northern Italy, One Uncle feels that the news media has blown it out proportion. I certainly agree with the recommendations listed above. We are about to fly down to San Diego, muck around there for a week, then take a cruise for a week to the Mexican Riviera. So, no, we aren't all that worried. Just take normal precautions and what ever happens will happen, It's not like we can actually stop it, viruses have been living in humans & animals for eons and that will continue.

I’m more afraid of what it’s doing to the financial markets.

It is scary to see it spreading, and to hear that in the latest cases they don't know why. The financial markets sure seem to have the jitters because of the worldwide implications. I'd love to see the numbers level off. Until then we take all precautions. Thinking about handshakes and hugs, magazines in medical offices, and elevator buttons...so many ways we come in contact with germs.

lb7268, I agree.

I am pretty healthy so I am more concerned with the economic impact. I hope everyone stays well :)