University of Queensland’s Ian Mackay told 3AW radio that coronavirus will inevitably spread across Australia. “It’s coming. It’s just how long it takes to come,” said Mackay.
This Tuesday, February 25 was the first day where more cases of the Covid-19 virus were reported outside of China than within. The World Health Organisation revealed that 427 coronavirus cases were found in 37 countries, trumping the 411 reported by Chinese authorities.
While this indicates the Chinese have developed a solid method for handling the outbreak, it also underline the virus’ indiscriminate spread.
Watch: Coronavirus spreads through Europe from Italy (ABC News)
“The virus is too well entrenched in many countries around the world,” Mackay told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell. Mackay believes the virus’ arrival in Australia will lead to home quarantine and school and work closures. “China has slowed things down so we’ve got time to prepare — we owe them for that — but it will get here eventually.”
Mackay wanted to make clear he wasn’t trying to spread paranoia. His aim was to simply be up front with the wider Australian community. “It’s better to be honest and authentic and talk to the community like we are members of the same community so that we all understand what’s coming and where we are now,” he said.
In anticipation of its spread, Mackay advised we fill our cupboards with a range of essential items. “Think about your pets, think about your parents and grandparents, how they’re going to go. Do they need medication? Should you talk to your doctor about getting a few extra prescriptions in the cupboard just in case?
“Are you set up at home to have some stuff for a couple of weeks to keep going? [Do you] have stuff to eat – canned food, dried food? It’s not panic preparing, it’s just thinking ahead to what happens if there are interruptions in our day to day life.”
Watch: How to build a two week emergency food supply
Even despite China’s recent curbing of the communicable Covid-19 virus, the country still accounts for more than 96% of global cases. South Korea has the second highest number of cases, which now exceed 1000. Italy, Japan and Iran are the other countries with more than 100 cases at the time of reporting.
