Stupid question: is it possible that hygiene practices contribute to outbreaks like this? I remember reading or hearing that one input to recent wildfires was the fact that decades of controlled burns to limit the spread of wildfires left a lot of available fuel that otherwise would have burned naturally. So in that vein, do we have humans with compromised immunity thriving but susceptible to inter-species mutations…
Hygiene practices can prevent the spread of diseases like this. Wash your hands, don't touch your face, etc. Wear a surgical mask and limit interactions with others if you're sick. But this virus spreads via droplet transmission, so just being within 6 feet of someone who's infected (and coughs/sneezes) is enough to spread it. If you're referring to the overuse of hand sanitizer and other disinfectant agents, it migh…
On the other hand, people don't seem to be symptomatic for 2 weeks, so they won't be coughing or sneezing during that time, so ordinary hygiene should be enough to prevent most infections during the incubation period.
After people do become symptomatic, the widespread media attention and fear among the general public will likely cause them to go to the hospital or isolate themselves from each other, which should further reduce infections.