In reply to NERD:
> I really don't understand why we have all this hype and exaggeration.
The death rate is currently estimated at 3.4%. If it goes pandemic then pretty much everyone will get it over the next few years (just as pretty much everyone has had flu at some point). That means it could kill 3% of the world's population over the next decade. That's 200 million.
Of course that's only a projection (and doesn't take into the account that it might mutate to more dangerous or to less dangerous, or the possibilities of vaccines), but it's sufficient to justify the current media coverage and the actions that the authorities are taking.
If flu were a new illness just taking hold then you can be sure it would get a lot of coverage. Yes, we just live with flu these days, and may end up "just living" with the new coronavirus, but the nature of media coverage is to concentrate on new stuff, and not on what everyone already knows about.