That's what it is, overblown mass public hysteria. We're seniors. Last week, we picked up our 7-yr-old granddaughter from school. She was coughing, and it seemed like a deep cough with congestion in her chest. Told our daughter, and she said it's allergies. Huh? She took the child to a doctor, and the doctor said it's allergies. Well... a couple days later she kept her out of school because the coughing was bad. Then, my wife started coughing with the same cough. I don't think it was allergies, despite what the doctor had told my daughter.
Did we get hysterical? Nah. Took plenty of vitamins, and wife and granddaughter got better after a couple days. As for me, nothing caught and I'm working in the garden and carpentry hobby as usual. If our relatives pass something to us, so be it and we'll deal with it, but no panic.
80% of the symptoms from this new coronavirus flu are considered moderate for most people and the prognosis for recovery from it is considered good unless you have a weakened immune system from other conditions.
We have a long way to go from 40 to 60 deaths so far in the US to pass the average 36,000 deaths annually in the past from the regular flu.
Everybody needs to calm down, take precautions if you are in contact with lots of people, like washing your hands often and keeping your unwashed hands off your face, mouth, eyes, nose, etc.
People recover from the flu all the time and this will be no different. Taking a bunch of pharmaceuticals will not help. It's a virus and antibiotics won't touch it. Hydrate with at least 2 quarts of filtered or mineral water a day, sleep as much as you can day and night and keep the temperature in your mouth elevated by drinking lots of hot lemon water and maybe taking echinacea health supplements for the cold and flu. Eat hot soups to stay nourished. You can recover in 10 days using this formula.
Shutting entire countries down, like Italy, will not stop the spread of this virus. Lots of people will lose their jobs because businesses will fold if they shut down for too long. Economies will crash. But people will still get the flu.
The secret is personal precautions to keep from contracting it to begin with and then disciplined treatment if you should get it. Mass hysteria and panic will not make it better.