There’s been Twitter hysteria as a new infectious virus called coronavirus, which causes pneumonia, has started to make headlines. The virus has infected around 200 people in Asia, and four people have died.
Of course, Twitter is in meltdown again (is it ever calm over there?) as people start to panic about the “plague”. While plague is definitely a huge stretch, it’s true that the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus is increasing pretty quickly – but that’s because of frequent testing, not because of some super-spread.
Video circulating on social media today of temperature checks on a #Wuhan to Macao flight – as authorities step up efforts to contain the #coronavirus in China. More than 200 cases so far, mainly in Wuhan, but also BJ, SH, SZ, plus a few Wuhan travellers to 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/hgDdhdiDcT
— Bill Birtles (@billbirtles) January 20, 2020
Most of the cases of coronavirus are in China, particularly in the city of Wuhan, where most of the infected patients travelled to/from. People are travelling at airports heaps right now because of the Lunar New Year, and so other countries are screening flights and airports for coronavirus too, including Sydney and the US.
There’s huge fears that this will turn into an epidemic like the deadly SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, but I wanted to point out that quarantine measures are being taken really seriously, and there aren’t many reputable sources linking it to SARS in a meaningful way – so let’s not freak out about “the plague” yet.
But, I know, you don’t care that it’s probably not gonna kill us – you just want the memes. Here ya go, you rascals.
This is the only #coronavirus I would like to contract….. pic.twitter.com/dh2K5GLqJo
— Paul Malpas (@Malps1) January 20, 2020
2020 just keeps getting a little more exciting every week or so first we had ww3 being a tease, Australia is fucking gone and now the #coronavirus in China is just brewing in other words 2020isSICK as fuck pic.twitter.com/WL6LZlGMEQ
— Looke (@Urfacefooked) January 20, 2020
The Plague was spread through rats, this year is the year of the rat in China…#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/of0BTBUCpD
— Varcarus ‘Tenebris Malum’ Drakra ➐ (@Varcarus) January 20, 2020
There were plague outbreaks in 1720, 1820, 1920….
This really isn’t our year #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/YKjgmXJDUD— Abhishek🎧 (@amehta__) January 20, 2020
YALL QUIT PLAYIN THIS FUCKIN GAME #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/AyubHUySYo
— ℂ𝕒𝕜𝕖 ϟ saw tros (@Pietro_Mximoff) January 20, 2020
Me when anyone sneezes around me #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/Snd21jwwr0
— 𝖊𝖑𝖎 (@elixxofficial) January 20, 2020
No one’s been infected outside of Asia as of yet, so for now, let’s chill out please.
Image Sources: Twitter
