Short video.... How to explain to patients about the infectivity of the coronavirus during the incubation period and the importance of self quarantine during this period

If we have had a significant exposure to the novel coronavirus eg coming back from a high risk area like Wuhan or other areas as updates are available, we are advised to self quarantine for 14 days. So why is that? We believe that the coronavirus has an incubation period of around 14 days and during this period, despite having no symptoms, we may still spread the infection. The incubation period is defined as the period between the exposure to the infection and the appearance of symptoms from that infection. Hence, it is very important that we self isolation or self quarantine for 14 days after exposure to the virus. If after 14 days and you do not have symptoms, you are then regarded as not having contracted the disease.

Short video.... How fearful should our patients be about the coronavirus?

I think with anything new, unpredictable, and potentially life threatening like the coronavirus infection, it is normal to feel fearful and scared. Having said that, too much fear can lead to panic, which can lead to unhelpful responses and actions. Too little fear also be a problem too. It can lead to complacency resulting in the problem potentially getting much worse. So in summary, one has to find the balance between having to much fear versus too little fear. Having a healthy level of fear around the coronavirus outbreak is probably a good thing in order to motivate us to take appropriate actions to prevent further spread of the disease.