Face masks for everyone except Lone Ranger and bank robbers

Let treat this as the flu. 400 thousand people die worldwide each year from the flu.
if the world goes nuts over this we will kill the global economy and that is more likely to kill more people that the corona virus.
at this time there is no stopping this so lets go forward as normal.
some people will die.
guaranteed we will all die some day.
i don't want to die or my friends or family or you and yours.
but killing the function of the worlds economies can do far more damage than a disease that is coming for us now or in the future.
you cannot fool mother nature and she will balance the population eventually.
so lets buck up and go through this with out destroying the world.

Too much money involved! Unless it begins to resemble The Black Death, Olympics are safe.

Apparently the virus began when someone in China was exposed to bat feces...

All this because they want to eat civet cat.

What? No competitive ribbon dancing?

Yes, I'm concerned and yes I would wear a face mask in public...

For now, I wash my hands and face frequently...

Yes

I am concerned because I don't think we know the reality of current cases in my state or country. Here in Hawaii, we are told there are no CONFIRMED cases. However, our state does not even HAVE any test kits yet (February 25, 2020) so there is no information on any possible cases. (We have been sent test kits from another state twice, but both shipments were defective or damaged, they say.) Therefore, from what I can tell, nobody who is showing symptoms has even been tested to confirm or rule out.

I worry that we might not be tracking the virus since we can't test, so this puts us in a false sense of safety. I worry that the government is purposely being slow to respond, because of short sighted economic trends, rather than investing in being prepared and ready, for the long term goal of keeping everyone safe and healthy.

When I returned from international travel in early January and developed flu-like symptoms, fever, cough, congestion, pink eye, but with the added puzzle of spots (like measles) and nausea, I drove myself to the urgent care center the morning after my return. They gave me a mask and quarantined me in the exam room - and then sent me home on voluntary quarantine. It was 6 days before I got the test results back saying it wasn't measles, but they didn't test for anything else... Coronavirus was just coming out in the news media that next week. Not saying that's what I had, but just saying that there would have been no way to detect it if I did. BTW - I'm 99% percent recovered after 2 months of being ill.

I will be carrying the surgical masks they issued me, in my carry on luggage when I travel again next week, but I don't think I will wear it unless I myself become sick again and worry about spreading an illness to others while traveling. I worry that wearing a mask would create a stigma - since it's supposed to be worn by those who are ill, not those wishing to protect themselves, from what I understand. (Unless that is a myth because there is a shortage of masks???) Who knows what to think anymore!

Yes and yes.

Concerned, but mostly for certain loved ones who would be at high risk due to age, pre-existing respiratory pathology. Wont wear a mask. They are made to protect the environment from ME , not vice versa.

[livescience.com]

Lives count first

Makes sense

Good! I hope they do get canceled. Along with all sports. (6)

Keep your hands away from your face, particularly your eyes, unless freshly washed or at home!