Coronavirus live Q&A: what do you want to know?

You can ask our experts any questions you have on Covid-19 2.00pm GMT Is there any particular reason why Central African countries seem to be spared of the virus? Is it because of lack of travel to those region, lack of testing/detection or is the warmer climate protective against the spread of the virus?We don’t yet know whether they are being spared. It may be that in low-income, poorly resourced countries in Africa, cases are being missed, although they are doing all they can, with support from the World Health Organisation. The other possibility is that there may be something particular to Africa that reduces the transmissibility of the virus. That could include the outdoor life that people lead in many regions. 2.00pm GMT Why is there so much concern over this virus when for most people it’ll be no more than a cold? How does the Covid 19 death rate compare to deaths through traffic accidents and traffic-caused respiratory illness, which we as a society seem to just accept as inevitable?Hi. For many people, the symptoms will be comparable to seasonal flu in terms of severity but the overall profile of the disease, including the death rate, look more serious. Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical officer, says he expects the death rate to be 1% or possibly a bit lower, once data from more widespread testing is available. That’s still about ten times higher than the proportion who die from seasonal flu, however. According to government figures, there are around 1,700 road deaths each year. Worst case scenario estimates suggest there could be up to 100,000 UK deaths from coronavirus – that is not what people expect to happen, but governments need to have contingency plans in place for a range of possible outcomes. Continue reading…
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