ABB's policy towards endemic disease is insane

Joy298
Level 10
Sydney, Australia

ABB's policy towards endemic disease is insane

Due to the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, I would hope to cancel a group of upcoming guests from a neighboring province of Wuhan. I know it’s not good. I have never canceled any guests before. But I’m doing home sharing so this really upsets me.

 

However I just called ABB and found their policy towards endemic disease is not practical at all. The rep told me they only counted the Wuhan administrative district as the affected area. Any approaching areas are not counted. Please check the map below, Wuhan administrative district is in irregular shape. Any surrounding areas like Xiaogan, Huanggang and Ezhou are not counted.B3AFAC0D-C33C-470F-9209-452DBECE40BB.jpeg

 

How could they implement the policy so stiffly? I’m really worried now and feel like ABB is put me in danger.

 

Appreciate for any advices!

73 Replies 73
Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Kath9 

Perhaps you would like to reword that last sentence Kath!

 

I'd be pretty annoyed if I died because of a guest Airbnb made me accept!

 

Cheers.......Rob

 

Hi Rowena,

I have never been to China, but I hope your husband is not so naive as to trust the government's report of only one human to human transmission.  See this video for a more realistic view of official reports:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5XkhUKMDM&t=11s

I have viewed several videos coming from Weibo social media that show people literally collapsing on the streets without warning.  People are taking these videos from the windows of their apartments or in public and sharing them.

The Chinese Government will prosecute people in order to suppress true reporting, yet they are concerned enough to quarantine millions of people and literally close every mode of transport out of Wuhan.  Still, people are bribing the police or cheating in other ways and continuing to travel (at least according to social media posts).

Rowena29
Level 10
Australia

@Kath9 . you'd probably lose superhost status as well as incur a raft of penalties - especially if you didnt' get a certificate to PROVE that you'd died, ESPECIALLY  if it negatively impacted on an upcoming reservation!

 

 

It's absolutely worth taking seriously, of course, I wasn't trying to trivialise it,   I was aware of all the biosecurity and the cases in Japan and the USA, and everyone should of course be vigilant, but I haven't heard any news report mention the relatively critical  fact that it doesn't' seem to be being spread human to human.   

Those biosecurity people are pretty ardent, not much gets past them.  We once got delayed arriving in New Zealand because I was stupid enough to tick we had been to a farm in the last 2 weeks ( we lived on acreage with goats, chooks, geese etc). My Lord! they disinfected EVERYThing   and kept us back nearly 2 hours. I thought we were going to be forced to have a chemical shower.And they kept saying they needed to protect themselves against foot and mouth disease which was  - and I quote  - "rife in Australia"   All because I owned 2 pet goats and some chooks.    I wouldn't' want to be a Chinese tourist travelling overseas right now is all I can say.

Update @Joy298@Robin4@Kath9 

According to a bulletin a heard tonight,  The W.H.O are exploring the possibility that it IS being transferred by human to human contact.  

@Rowena29, haha! I know right? I'd better get that certificate organised in advance I suppose!

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

hahaha @Rowena29 

 

Biosecurity in New Zealand can be over zealous, don't start me on the so called Kauri Dieback as it's a money spinner for some very ignorant people who like seeing their research used and profit from spin.

 

I've declared I've been to a farm coming back from Australia and New Caledonia & got straight through without any hassles.

Cleaning one's shoes before one leaves where one's been to stay makes life much easier when traveling abroad and through Customs.

 

I've had 2 Chinese Guests this week , both very nice people who are concerned about the latest disease to hit China.

They are traveling around New Zealand for the Chinese New Year and Spring Blossom festival.

 

No issues with health and I always regularly wash all bed linen including pillows.

Blessed at the moment we have been having nice sunny summer days to hang laundry outside in the heat and sun which helps kill bugs.

Lana15
Level 4
Cannon Rocks, South Africa

Dear hosts

I wonder how it will be perceived if you wear a facial mask when greeting guests. ? 

No handshaking or hugging ..and I know we love hugging . And definitely wear disposable gloves  when cleaning bathroom and bedrooms and to put dishes through high temperature dishwashing cycle   

I would put linnen in sun after a nice hot wash. 

Or dry at hight temperature. 

We have an antibacterial nasal ointment that I swear by when we travel in any flights. Local or international. 

You insert into each nasal passage three times daily ..bactroban is our local trade name for it  Since using this  we have not attracted any nasties and I also use it when caring for  sick family members. 

I know it is antibacterial amd not anti viral..but anything to keep the virus from entering your body is beneficial. 

I am thinking of people that have a compromised  immune system ...like Ade and young children  . How can we be a sensitive host and friendly and caring without making our Chinese guests feel they are not welcome and we are uncomforable with them. 

I wish you the best. I can feel your unease and worries and I do not think it is overreacting from your side. 

Be safe. 

 

 

@Lana15, that's actually not a bad idea, the face mask. Chinese people are very used to them anyway, so at least it would be culturally appropriate! I don't know how I'd feel about wearing a face mask for the whole guest visit though - I'd rather avoid the situation altogether. It does make you wonder though, doesn't it, about all the other bugs people must be carrying around. It's a wonder I haven't been sick once in the whole three years. Maybe hosting is good for the immune system! Someone should do a study on that...

Joy298
Level 10
Sydney, Australia

Update

@Robin4 @Rowena29 @Lana15 @Kath9 Thank you all for your attention.

Just have this resolved. Slightly told a lie that my previous guest was from Wuhan area and the upcoming guest instantly launched cancellation from her side LOL Anyway this is a big relief to me...

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Joy298 

Well aren't you just a cagey 'so and so'!

Joy, good on you, that is a proactive solution! If the company are not going to protect us we have to take decisions into our own hands. 

I know I am being a tragedy queen but, I have been too long getting this Airbnb business where I want it to have it all brought down!

Most of these rampant viruses start off being relatively harmless affecting a few people in a local community but end up taxing the W.H.O for solutions.

Good on you Joy, I just hope you don't get penalised in some way for your stance!

We come first........not Airbnb, lets just remember that!

 

Cheers........Rob   

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Joy298 @Robin4 @Rowena29 @Kath9  Bwwaaa haaa! Told guest the previous one was from the plague area! Why didn't we/you think of that?!

 

- Joy is definitely learning to play the game!

@Joy298 

How very devious! I LIKE  it.   

Seriously, that was a clever solution. Outside the box. Effective.  As you say, a bit of a porky pie, but airbnb does not have our backs so hosts have to resort to this type of thing unfortunately.   What I find extremely interesting is the alacrity with which your Chinese guests then cancelled. I think that is very telling.  ( it probalby also suggests they don't have the virus as they are so keen to avoid exposure to it, but you know, better safe than sorry)

 

@Rowena29 The new virus has an incubation period up to 14 days during which there’s very limited symptom(even no significant fever). This is very different from SARS. I think the guests are all good, but I just don’t want to risk.

 

@Robin4 Chinese government just cut off public transportation and quarantined Wuhan last night. I think we won’t have any Wuhan guests from now on.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Joy298 

Yeah I have been keeping up with it this morning.

I think where this differs from SARS is that the Chinese government seam to be taking this seriously and are putting aside that ethos of sweeping it under the rug  and being  an embarrassment the way they have in the past!

 

I am off down the south coast for a day of fun and frivolity with some friends!

 

Cheers.....Rob

@Joy298, clever idea! Getting your guest to cancel themselves - well done! I will definitely keep this in mind. Your other post is also interesting - 14 day incubation period (originally they were saying 2-3 days), which means we have no way of knowing whether someone is carrying the virus. But good news about the quarantine. Gosh, its like a sci-fi movie, isn't it? Is this the future?