The outbreak in Italy was a surprise. If there is anything to learn from Italy is the virus is highly opportunistic. Italy is a First World country with sophisticated medical and disease regimes in place when such issues erupt. Italy still had a population of people develop the virus. It is not yet understood completely and people need to pay attention. This is a virus that attacks the respiratory system and it has to be spread in that way. I haven't yet read anything that states the size of the virus, but, the average filter masks may not do anything except make people feel safe as they go through their daily lives.

China quarantines something like a million or more people to their homes. They were flying drones overhead when someone was spotted outside their home. That is not a virus that is understood, but, has proven to be highly opportunistic in it's ability to infect. By any measure these efforts in China could be viewed as extreme and unnecessary, however, China is beginning to see a slowing of the infected according to one article I read. I try to find it and post it here.

The virus is showing up in Croatia, Bahrain, Spain, and Thailand. It is not contained even with all the emergencies measures. At least not yet.

Of course, there is that outbreak in South Korea which more foolishness by people who believe they are immune from disease because of their religious devotion. That is nonsense and places more people at risk.

New York Times:

February 18, 2020

New cases in China appear to be slowing. (click here)

On Wednesday, the number of confirmed new cases in China appeared again to be slowing, and was put at 1,749. That brought the country’s total number of reported infections to 74,185. Deaths in the previous 24 hours were put at 136, bringing the total to 2,004.

That is one report and I am not saying it is wrong, but, I haven't seen it duplicated yet.

February 24, 2020
By Bill Chappell

Italy reported (click here) a total of 229 novel coronavirus cases on Monday, leaping ahead of Japan (156 cases) on the list of worst-hit countries. Six people have died from the respiratory disease COVID-19 in Italy, and 27 more are in intensive care.

Italy's biggest cluster of cases is in the Lombardy region, which has 172 cases, the country's Health Ministry said Monday afternoon. The Veneto region, which includes Venice, has 33 cases, and Emilia-Romagna has 18.

Italian health officials have ordered a quarantine for tens of thousands of residents in Lombardy. But as NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome, Italy's experts have not been able to piece together how the coronavirus got a foothold there.

"Angelo Borrelli, head of the national Civil Protection [Department], expressed frustration, telling reporters, 'Health officials have not yet been able to pinpoint patient zero,' " Poggioli reports for NPR's Newscast unit.

As they watched the number of COVID-19 cases in Italy grow from a handful to hundreds, officials in Lombardy, which includes Milan, banned large public gatherings and shut down schools, universities, museums, movie theaters and other gatherings for at least one week....

I don't want to appear to be over concerned, but, there are reasons to think we need an abundance of caution with this virus.