It's been interesting to read about the level of hysteria in Australia - I am actually surprised tbh.
I live in Singapore now so we have been on heightened alert for about a month with the Ministry of Health imposing pretty stringent procedures. The kids get their temperature checked as they go into school and the same goes for people entering buildings in the city. If you have a high temperature, they won't let you in. Also, if you have been to mainland China and certain cities in the region, you need to self-quarantine for 14-days before going to work and these are (allegedly) enforced. After a month, things seem to be returning to normal.
We had the same thing re shortages of essentials, but this only lasted a few days because there were plenty of stocks in warehouses. I suspect it is the same in Australia.
In general, though, I think people in Singapore are a bit more conscious of not spreading their germs. You often see people wearing face masks and they do isolate themselves when unwell, which you don't see in Australia. I remember catching public transport in Australia and sitting in the same area as someone hocking their lungs up and thinking, 'yep, give me a couple of days and I will have that too'.
I am kind of ashamed about the amount of times I turned up to work thinking that it somehow proved how dedicated I was to my job when I was quite sick (particularly early in my career). Apart from not looking after myself, all I really did was expose others. It makes a big difference if people take responsibility for themselves and think about others - if you feel unwell, stay home and those who manage teams should actively promote this (OK, enough preaching from me...).
