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lynx
They are right that people shouldn't panic and that washing your hands is the best thing you can to to protect yourself. However, as is typical of the Eye, they're being disingenuous with the facts to get there.
In the U.S. 'boring old' flu has a mortality rate of 0.1%. So far this year it's 0.05%. The mortality rate of COVID-19 isn't really known yet, but the best guess is 1%. It's hard to say, but it certainly appears to be much higher than bog standard flu. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill.
This is why it should be taken seriously. I don't know anyone who has died of the flu. But if COVID-19 does kill 1% of people, well, the average American knows 600 people. So it's reasonable to say that if COVID-19 has a mortality rate anywhere near that which it appears to have, it's likely we will all know someone who will be killed by it...
Sources, because unlike the Eye I think it's important to attribute my facts:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51674743
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-myths.html