I think the BBC is guilty of not offering a proportionate narrative when reporting the likely effects of the virus becoming widespread in the UK.
Today on their website topic 'What are the symptoms?' they write: 'It seems to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week it leads to a shortness of breath and some patients may require hospital treatment.'
The 20th February 2020 analysis from the WHO China Joint Mission on Coronavirus states that of 55,924 cases studied 87.9% had a fever, 67.7% a dry cough and 18.6% shortness of breath.
So less than 1 in 5 patients suffered shortness of breath. Reading the BBC report you would be led to think that everyone suffers shortness of breath - a quite alarming prospect.
While obviously a very serious situation is evolving, sloppy reporting is something that I would have expected the BBC to avoid.