Dr Alexandra Phelan, global health lawyer, and Faculty Research Instructor at Georgetown University's Centre for Global Health Science and Security, calls in to clear up the misinformation that is currently fuelling anxiety about the novel coronavirus outbreak. In addition to details about the new virus’ relation to SARS and its symptomatology, Dr Phelan and host Amy Mullins discuss the health, social and political implications of the outbreak. In particular, they question a number of governments' heavy-handed containment strategies, which may be counterproductive once we consider that over five million people had already left Wuhan, China during the crucial outbreak period before the lockdown occurred in Hubei province. Further, Dr Phelan explains the risk of secondary deaths, which occur when other diseases and chronic illnesses become fatal as a result of resource shortages caused by stringent containment measures.