Influenza is an area that I don't know enough, but neither does the general public which means general discussions are prone to misinformation and panic, which I don't do well. I can say this

Comparisons to the Spanish flu pandemic are apples and oranges: you are comparing societies based upon 19th century medicine to our current one with 21st century capabilities of detection and treatment. The Chinese have already published genetic profiles and health organizations are already producing candidate vaccinations. In 1918 they hardly knew what those things were.

Watch for evidence of sustained human to human transmission - one to many. By then it will be nearly too late to isolate yourself, but that's when you will know to 'panic.'. meantime it may be prudent to stock up on food and necessities to sustain you through your chosen public contact. Remember that pandemics are like tsunamis, they come in a sequence of waves over time, with a variety of lethality and probably a good chance of immunity provided by the initial ones. You never know which wave could getcha.