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

John McLellan is sceptical about the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak, but may change that view after an employee of the firm his daughter works for tested positive.

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

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...