Today’s totals 427 deaths, 669 completely recovered. Victims in 28 countries. The disease is no longer exponential, deaths were doubling every two days. But the daily number of deaths is still increasing.

We currently have no drugs or immunisation so all that is available is containment and quarantine. Most counties are detaining citizens repatriated from Wuhan (and now elsewhere in China) for 14 days, the maximum incubation period. But some countries aren’t. For instance in Japan it is voluntary and some returnees have simply gone home, refusing even to take a test. Luckily for us China is an authoritarian oligarchy and can detain anyone it wants any time it wants.

It is too early to know statistically what the chances of dying from the disease are. On 31 January the European Centre for Disease Control said: “In a published case series of the first 99 hospitalised cases, 17% of patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and, 11% of patients died of multiple organ failure, while the majority of the cases remain hospitalised and final outcomes are as yet unknown.”

The first way to avoid the disease is to avoid other people. All public transport being particularly egregious. But pubs, cinemas, theatres, schools, supermarkets, workplaces etc could also potentially become hazardous. Just don’t expose yourself to air breathed by others. They could be contagious without showing any symptoms. Face masks have value, but get ones that work and learn how to use them properly.

The second way is an enhanced hygiene regime. Make sure you are using antivirals and not just antibacterials. Biotrol is probably best because it persists on your skin, or any other surface, destroying any virus there for several hours. Use hand sanitisers and surface wipes.

Thirdly it has been known for some years now that people who have the seasonal ‘flu jab suffer less incidence of the common cold. In other words the jab provides generalised protection against respiratory viral infections, which is what Coronavirus is. Whilst you are getting your ‘flu jab get a Pneumovax jab. This will protect you from some of the common secondary infections that might actually kill Coronavirus victims.

Next look after your general health with exercise and a good diet. Many people take garlic supplements each year to prevent the flu and other respiratory infections, it is a powerful antiviral. But it needs to be taken daily, continuously and well in advance of any potential infection. Likewise both zinc and selenium, which your immune system needs in order to work properly. Zinc has low bioavailability so it is best to take zinc gluconate. And finally daily vitamin C is obviously essential.

Once you have the disease Echinacea gives your immune system a short term boost for several days. But it is useless taken in advance.

Vaccines are the best way to stop this disease because they create herd immunity, but manufacturing seven billion doses is problematic as is rationing them. Why should the health system put you on the list for a jab? There is no problem designing a vaccine quickly, we know its gene sequence and samples of it are available for scientists. The problem is in proving that it works, proving that it causes no harm and putting it into mass production. At least twelve different organisations are on to this right now. May, three months from now, is reckoned to be the earliest possible time for availability.

Isn’t is funny how the media hate genetic engineering when it produces better food, but they love it when it could save their lives?

Then there are drugs. Lots of these are being in vitro tested. And some very likely candidates are already being scientifically double blind tested on patients in Chinese hospitals. China’s National Health Commission is now recommending AbbVie’s HIV drug Kaletra (Aluvia) to treat pneumonia caused by the virus. The Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Wuhan Institute of Virology says that remdesivir, chloroquine and ritonavir (a component in Kaletra) worked in vitro against this virus. Chloroquine is an anti malerial you can buy over the counter at your local pharmacist under the brand name Avloclor. But will require a different dosage regime for the different usage.

Do all the above and your percentages of catching this killer infection are much reduced. And if you do get it you will experience a lower severity of illness.