Is anyone else becoming neurotic?

The trouble is though Boz that the daily numbers given out are only for confirmed cases, ie people who have been so ill they’ve been admitted to hospital.
There will be many more people ill at home who may have been walking round not realising they had the virus, but actually infectious & transmitting it

I have coped with my sensible head on for the last three weeks. DH doing the shopping because there is no alternative.
This morning just after midnight I broke down and wept. I had been posting birthday greetings on FB for DD's 51st birthday. She lives abroad and don't know when I will see her again.
I had also been reading about all the people who were having their groceries delivered, just how old and vulnerable do you have to be for them to consider you ?
I think we have made the mistake of being too self sufficient, never asking for help from anyone.

I'm really worried about the number of people who are obsessed with bleach. You can do LOTS of damage with bleach!!
Please just use ordinary disinfectant, calm down, and if you don't want anyone coming right into the house, stick a notice outside.
Then get engrossed in doing something else. For me, that's spring cleaning, sorting out the garden, and sewing in the evening. Make a cake, repaint a room, the opportunities are endless.
Of course we are all worried, but we all need to get a grip on ourselves, be calm, and try to use this time at home productively.

You can soak vegetable and salads in weak Milton solution, so it says on the bottle.

I wouldn’t worry about doing any of that! But maybe I’m wrong.

Just a thought...perhaps put a basket outside with a friendly note to leave item in the basket and ring the bell .

With regard to deliveries, the government have sorted out those who are most at risk first, i.e. those on chemotherapy, but will soon be sorting out the next lot of most vulnerable, explained most simply as those who can have a free flu jab due to age or disability.

I put a
mild solution of bleach in the sink and dunk things like milk bottles and any fridge stuff that is sealed in it for a minute or so then leave it on the top to dry. I did out a box of frozen food in the single too. Big mistake the bleach got in the packet. Other things in the freezer are just wiped with a mild solution of bleach. Tins and packets are left in the bags for 72 hours.

harrigran I feel for you - I think we've all had our dark moments about this crisis and that's perfectly natural.

I live alone hundreds of miles from DC and like you have always been self sufficient but this is not a time to shy away from asking for help. My local community has formed a COVID 19 group and hundreds of people have volunteered to help. Is there something like that in your area? Another source of help for me has been the younger members of my choir - do you belong to any groups like that? We are all in this together. My experience is that people are very willing and ready to help.

Interesting reading these post and hearing how other families are coping. Two of my daughters are pregnant both with other children. The husband of one is the only one permitted to cross the threshold and washes all his clothes and showers when he’s been out! The other one who is neurotic of her own admission anyway won’t allow anything into the house until it’s been thoroughly disinfected. A third daughter teaches in N London And was going into school until public transport was so overcrowded and she being asthmatic that she’s now staying at home in a tiny flat with husband and 2 children. Hey ho - when will this all pass.

Damn the frozen peas! 3 years?

We all have to follow good hygiene and do more than we ever had too. Use disposable gloves so you're not touching trollies, petrol pumps and bins (dustmen touch 100's of bins everyday) Don't be worried about asking people to move away from you abit if they get too close. My son is a firefighter and believe me the emergency services and hospital staff, bin men , posties etc etc are up against far more. We can only do what we can do. Stay safe

Something to wonder at - this resembles a pencil drawing maybe 3 weeks ago and now.

Took me an hour or more last week to dettol wipe all my shopping,and even then i had chosen& bagged it myself.( first time in days id been out& wont be going again!

Why are planes arriving at Heathrow from New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Singapore....too many to list. Why are our borders not closed?

I don't post very often but I do feel the need to say that it is possible to slip into an OCD state over this. I am a very anxious person but not to the point of washing down everything with bleach. We are self isolating because of our age and lung conditions so no-one has been in the house. I dispose of packaging quickly; treat the groceries our DSiL is dropping off just as normal. Frankly, I refuse to believe that any virus is going live for long in a freezer! This is all so difficult, we are missing our children and grandchildren so much but we will get through it. I firmly believe that sensible hygiene is fine and mental health is of primary importance - I speak from long experience of that. Sending flowers and good wishes and calm vibes to you all.

Ive not dared speak this out loud& dont want to panic anyone- BUT- "what if we CANT overcome this virus??what if,no matter what these scientists are doing/ trying,what if NOTHING controls it??I cant believe no-one has asked this question of the 'powers that be' when they do the daily update on bbc 1??

I share your worries, Sue162. We need to be sensible and follow official advice. We shouldn’t be paying too much attention to what the Metro says.

I read quite a few posts and realised how many people are really frightened.

I have been living with poor health and constant pain for over 10 years. This has changed me and made me more "What will be will be."

My biggest concern is the number of good people here who are living in fear. It is bad enough to have the current restrictions on our lives. But my feeling is that we are a tough bunch who are determined to adapt to those restrictions. It is the fear of this invisible virus inveigling itself through our door that is ruining our quality of life. Reading the posts above, I see signs of anxiety that might reach clinical levels.

I think our next weapon in our armoury to attack the virus needs to be one which eradicates our excessive fear. We need to live in our own homes feeling confident and relaxed that we are doing as much as we can and what we cannot do we have to leave to God or to whatever you find most comfortable.

We can only do so much. This is not the plague. It does not travel in the same way, thank Heaven!

I have just received a delivery of an ultrasonic pest controller. My dogs were behaving in a suspicious way and I saw that the evil builder had left another hole in my wall through which a rat or mice could easily enter. The young delivery lad rang the bell and stood back, as per my little instruction message, I opened the door and stood back. He put the parcel on the floor and stepped back. I thanked him and he left.

I am determined not to be scared of the parcel so I picked it up and opened it and set up the pest repeller. The thought of a rat in the house is worse at the moment!

You need to get a very large amount of the virus into your mouth or other wet entrance to your body for it to gain a hold and give you the virus. Being cautious is very wise. Living in fear is something to avoid if you can. There is no need to spoil your life with unnecessary fear. We can only do as much as we are able. Just take sensible precautions and wash your hans well and then relax. Don't start counting days to see if you get symptoms. If you look for symptoms you will surely find some!

Good luck everyone! No more unnecessary anxiety please!

We're all neurotic at the moment and with good reason. I am lucky enough to have had family drive me a very long way to be with them ( on Monday - good timing) My central heating had packed in and wasn't repairable so I was getting very cold. I feel safer than I did at home alone, but am still scared that I might have brought it with me.
I would never forgive myself if I had infected my loved ones.
I am also fearful for friends who have serious underlying health problems.
So, yes, I am neurotic. But that's ok.

argh! I wasn`t too bad till I came here, not read all the posts

old and vulnerable getting home deliveries, ? not here in Swindon, I can`t get a delivery

my reasonably active dil has got a delivery, did I say Saisnburys?? and they are going to share what they have with me.

Morrisons and every other supermarket just doesn`t want to know

friend just told me our local Morrisons, people queuing round the carpark to get in..

I wonder, I really do..

how can we possible wash/clean everything that comes to our door?

I wondered that too michelleblane- if we,as UK citizens,arent allowed to roam freely,why are they still coming in from other countries?(even if some are brits,'coming home')- and what steps are being taken about them? Are they immediately tested? Detained a few days?,or what? It isnt safe nor sensible not to do so.And i dont believe just 'temparature taking' is enough either,people could have the 'virus' for awhile before their temp rises!

Well that's it no more Corona virus threads for me this one was one step to far and it not good for my anxiety half of it is scaremongering so I will say adios and keep well ?

Hold on for a moment. I watched an interview with Dr Fauci, America's leading voice in the fight against this virus.
Please watch it, he is questioned about the possibility of transmission from packaging
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=208290947159469&external_log_id=d98f649fe261a3ecf0ce87a97d610a26&q=interview%20with%20dr%20fauci
In case you don't watch it, he does not think its necessary to douse the packing. He stresses, not to handshake, distance, wash hands, door handles etc. But sound, sensible advice.

Potassium permanganate. We used that in Hong Kong to wash vegetables.