I know by now I probably seem like a broken record but if anything the UK is UNDERESTIMATING it.

I have read that people who are calling the hotline to say they've just come back from Austria / N.Italy and are feeling very ill with all the symptoms are being refused tests because they haven't been in direct contact with a confirmed case.

That's a great way to 'keep the numbers down' but not a great way to stop the real spread of the virus or have accurate data.

The official UK position seems to be that other countries introduced draconian measures for political reasons and against scientific advice, but that seems to me to be the complete opposite of what happened.

China blocked off the whole of Hubei province and as far as we can tell have solved the problem to a large degree.

Italy was forced into draconian measures by the situation getting out of control in terms of intensive care beds, and having to issue its doctors with the guidelines they issue to army medics on who to treat and who to let die. There certainly wasn't a great political desire for 60 million people to be confined to their houses.

As discussed on the original coronavirus thread, Singapore implemented strict measures proactively and that seems to have gone quite well for them.

I don't want this to turn into a political thread so I'm not naming names but I have serious reservations about the UK's response.