‘YOU CAN’T BOARD UP A GERM’

WHOLE cities under lockdown, medics in masks and protective suits, and people dropping like flies as an unstoppable virus continues to spread, leaving death and chaos in its wake.

For years health experts have been warning it was just a matter of time before the world was hit by a global pandemic. And now, as a mysterious virus wreaks havoc in China, leaping continents at breakneck speed, many are wondering if that day has arrived.

One thing’s for sure: world health authorities are taking it seriously. After the first cases were reported in January, Chinese officials sprang into action. They cordoned off Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, along with 12 other cities – effectively putting around 56 million