Coronavirus: Award for worst hysteria so far goes to American beer drinkers – John McLellan

Just how useful are those face masks? (Picture: AFP/Getty) | AFP or licensors

Like many people, I remain to be convinced the coronavirus is more serious than the flu, given it kills hundreds every year.

Even so, I was a bit miffed at being offered the flu vaccine just before Christmas but conceded that as I’m old and have a bit of asthma I should have the jab. Well, you never know. But the annual flu jab advertising doesn’t come with dire warnings of plague like the corona-panic; no asking rugby supporters to take sanitisers to Murrayfield.

“What’s in that hipflask, sir?”

“Oh it’s only my alcohol-based anti-bacterial hand-wash, officer.”

“Right you are, sir. Mind how you go...”

The good news is that it took Massachusetts drugs firm Moderna Therapeutics just 42 days from mapping the coronavirus structure to produce a vaccine which is now ready for human testing, and what has become a pharmaceutical race should deliver effective immunisation by summer. The other good news is it’s confirmed that those daft face masks are useless.

Yet corona-phobia is reaching hysterical levels, with a new survey of US drinkers claiming 16 per cent are confused about whether Corona beer is linked to the virus and 38 per cent will not buy it at all.

I might get the chance to test my scepticism soon because business consultancy Deloitte has just announced that a London-based employee has tested positive. My daughter works for Deloitte... and was sent down to the London office this week. Mind how you go, sir...