Finally, a technology angle on the coronavirus outbreak: Semiconductor biz stocks slip amid China supply chain fears

Stocks in a bunch of semiconductor companies dipped by four to five per cent on Monday – after China banned travel in and out of the manufacturing hub of Wuhan to isolate the new coronavirus that has already killed more than eighty people. Named 2019-nCoV, this novel coronavirus has an incubation period of two to 14 days, …

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm really worried this virus could infect my computer, better rush out and buy a copy of Nortons or McAfee (my local Currys will help me choose) then I can surf the Net's cesspools once more with impunity.

[Terje]

Those will be no good, what you need is a copy of pc-cilin

[Methusalah]

The problem is. Antibiotics are ineffective for viral infections

[Anonymous Coward]

Granted, but the other AC's compound sarcasm leads me to believe they know this and expects you to understand this as well.

[89724102172714182892114I7551670349743096734346773478647892349863592355648544996312855148587659264921]

The Chinese leadership have a cure for themselves as well as short positions on all affected stocks. This new virus was engineered in Chinese labs as a bioweapon against the West... or someone ate the wrong tiger soup with the wrong bat burger, after shagging a fish infected with deadly and ancient viruses released by the rapidly melting icecaps.

[Jellied Eel]

Buy the dip!

I have mixed feelings about this, mainly because a friend's PhD was about coronavirii. On the one hand, the R0 seems high, so easily spread, on the other, mortality thus far seems less severe. Cold comfort to anyone in the hot zones, but our medical services are a lot better than they were during the flu pandemic last century. So I get the feeling there may be some over reaction, even though this is potentially very serious. It may highlight the risks of consolidating manufacturing in one place though.

[TeeCee]

"...the eruption of SARS..."

The only eruption related to SARS was the scaremongering FUD in the press.

The actual disease was more of a damp squib.

Anyone up for a bet on what the next "pandemic" non-event will be?

[Snake]

Re: "...the eruption of SARS..."

It's already spread to 4 continents. The numbers of infected might not be that large but that is MORE than enough to warrant a rise of caution.

[Securitymoose]

Could it arrive here in the mass of goods we get from China?

The Black Death pneumonic plague was transmitted through droplet infection (in one provincial case, via damp linen). Is anyone going to fess up and tell us that the virus only has a short (or indefinite) lifespan? The Black Death killed 1/3 of the population of Europe, and how many more where records were not so extensive?

We are right to be cautious.

[ThatOne]

Re: Could it arrive here in the mass of goods we get from China?

> Is anyone going to fess up and tell us that the virus only has a short (or indefinite) lifespan?

Outside a host the virus can survive for 5 days AFAIK. Shipments coming in containers on ships should be safe.