Is anyone else becoming neurotic?

I agree with you MOnica I am nearly 80, live on my own but as long as I follow rules I’m not worrying.

I think a little bit of neurosis is good - too much complacency with the attitude of 'it will never happen to me' is going to be more harmful to both the people who think this way and more importantly the wider public than being neurotic is.

We could all end up having OCD at the end of all this. I dont disinfect everything that comes into my home, I think that is obsessive! I would say that the cleaning chemicals are causing you more harm than good! none kill 100% of germs anyway. Your destroying you immune system by all this over the top cleaning!

IF I did washed and cleaned everything, including newspapers, letters etc I would in a stressful mess and it would probably kill me. I am taking sensible precautions and not going over the top. In fact I am starting to like this isolation, its quiet and peaceful.

Yes I'm doing similar I put post in the downstairs toilet when my son brings my shopping he takes his coat off washes hi hands unpacks it I leave it over night then wipe it before putting it away spray the kitchen with disinfectant and wash where the shopping had been

Sorry have i missed something,? i didn't know the government had sorted food deliveries out for people on chemo
My husband started a cycle 2 weeks ago, and because i couldn't get a supermarket delivery till mid April and we need things, i had to go out this morning and get what i could, even through im vulnerable as well, perhaps i should start watching the news again

Incidentally, I agree that there is a lot of nonsense out there, such as gargling with salt water will prevent it, and so on. However, there is a lot of genuine good advice too, based on the most up to date scientific research.

If in doubt, I would err on the side of caution. If you are wrong, you have wasted a bit of time. If you are right, you have stopped yourself and your family getting infected.

It isn't neurotic. It is based on the science of how long the virus can survive, how it is transmitted and how it is destroyed. Do you think scientists themselves would be bothering to do this stuff if it wasn't necessary?

It’s getting worse on here. No, heat doesn’t kill the virus, no, you don’t need to bake your newspaper. But one thing certainly is true. Any random, for whatever reason, can post nonsensical advice on YouTube or Facebook or Gransnet and claim to be an expert, a doctor, a scientist, a relative of the Chief Medical Officer, and apparently plenty of intelligent people will not only believe it, they’ll pass it on!

For goodness’ sake, and your own, stick with a tried and trustworthy source like one of these:

www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Choose your expert. I particularly like the NHS site, which includes sound information on how to look after your mental well-being and not become neurotic. I worry that many posters on here need to think seriously about that.

Sussexborn I found your first post very reassuring as I was beginning to think I am being extremely negligent. Like you, I'm following all rules we're supposed to but never crossed my mind to disinfect everything coming into the house.

Also think we need to remember that there's also a lot of rubbish - some of it quite dangerous - being spouted.

Being sensible, self isolating, and should I get it I'll cross that bridge then. Living is risky. Enjoy your book

Just for a bit of balance in this mad, mad world...

I work full time in a community pharmacy. We take in prescriptions and deliveries, work in small spaces with colleagues, serve customers in the shop, answer phones, give advice, deliver meds etc etc etc.

I would love to be able to stay at home.

I am glad to read all your messages, I am wiping everything all the time ,even got my husband wiping off the gate and the letterbox. I had a bit of a panic yesterday for a while, I think it’s not being able to go out but keep telling myself it’s a small price to pay .Take care everyone.

My god! I can’t believe how neurotic some of you are.

Of course, we have to be careful and vigilant, but it’s all a bit extreme.

What next, wash our newspapers and magazines.
It’s the media frenzy, and I must admit, I can quite easily get caught up in it, but I’m not going to drive myself nuts by cleaning and disinfecting everything in sight.

Where did people get all the information about washing shopping with bleach etc ?I have checked the NHS site and cant find it ?

My Oncologist just phoned to say not to go for my next appointment due next week ,she will se me again in six months time.
SIX MONTHS!! I usually see her every two months. Can you imagine how busy the clinics will be once all this corona virus panic is over?

There is a good video on YouTube about safe grocery shopping in the COVID-19 pandemic. I would post a link if I had the faintest idea how to post YouTube links, but you can find it easily. The man's name is Pammy Neal and it is also called Trust Me I'm A Biologist. He does say the virus lives on cardboard for 1 hour and later says 24. My DD says 24 is correct.

My DD was disinfecting her shopping when everyone thought she was crazy, because she had read the research. As she remarked, nothing says Friday night like sitting with your husband, both wearing disposable gloves and disinfecting your groceries.

It doesn't help when I am on the Internet and I get funeral companies popping on my screen advertising their wares. Ahhhhhhhh.

My brother who is a nurse sprays the post with disinfectant. He takes it with him to the supermarket, and sprays the trolley handles...

Becoming neurotic? Moi?

It runs in the family.

I do know what you mean, its very hard isnt it, we`ve just had a text and letter from our doctors saying that my husband is in the extremely vulnerable range and is not to go out at all for 12 weeks, it is a liitle bit scary especially when the list of people who have died from it goes up every day

I have just had a thought I am glad my cats are housecats. If they were outside they might get stroked by a cat lover with the virus. The dog is OK as she is not let off the lead on her walks at the moment. She has to run round the garden to let of her energy. I feel myself getting more paranoid as the days go on. I keep thinking did I wipe that door handle did DH wash his hands when he came in. It never stops. I think my brain will implode before too long.

Oh and you can put a newspaper in the oven on 160 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes to sterilise! We do it every day.

It helps that its not just me. I too have been washing down everything as it comes into the house and the door handles etc. I feel very emotional, hypersensitive to everything and worried for my family and friends living elsewhere.
I started my isolation last week feeling very positive and felt I can do this, now a week later when everything is still unknown and seeing people still going out as normal I am so glad of Gransnet.

For a start, no-one keeps food in the freezer for 2 years, so we won’t be opening a packet of fish fingers in 2022 and worrying we’re going to start a pandemic! The advice with frozen food, which is always in a cover of some sort, plastic usually, is to take it out of the freezer, take the food out of the packaging, put the packaging in the bin. Then wash your hands with soap and warm water (soap dissolves the outer casing of the virus and it washes away with the soapy water) Put food in the oven. Wash your hands again. If you wipe down your surfaces and cupboard handles etc with a weak bleach solution regularly, that will keep you as safe as you can be. I have an empty washing up bowl by the front door with rubber washing up gloves (marked “dirty” so I don’t get them mixed up with my usual washing up gloves). Post, packages, deliveries, get handled with these gloves then the gloves go back by the front door after washing them while I have them on. . Things get dumped in a safe area for 3 days. (Safe from the dog) I have lots of squares of cut-up old towels that I keep with the gloves to use, so I don’t have to worry about running out of paper towels. After use they go in a bucket and when I have a few I wash in hot water and either dry in the sun or put in the tumble dryer. Or put in the bin if you have plenty! Plastic on food gets wiped down with weak bleach solution. Fruit/veg inside which is washable gets washed in warm soapy water then rinsed in cold. Food which will be cooked is left in its packaging, wiped down, and put in the fridge if needed to be kept chilled. Tins etc wiped down with weak bleach solution - if you are really worried you can write with indelible pen on the tin the date you received it. Then don’t use for 3 days. I was a nurse, my hubby was a dentist, and I have an autoimmune disease, so we’re really particular about hygiene and cross contamination. We try to keep ourselves informed on the latest health advice from the professionals without going overboard. Washing hands several times a day is absolutely a life-saver. Literally. Hope this helps!

Yes when the stepdaughter brought groceries she had her daughter in tow, who has 3 little ones at home...and and hit the ceiling and said We're self-isolating!! but they came on in and talked to DH while I shut myself in my office.

I'm glad she brought us things we needed but I'd rather find ways to go pick up ourselves rather than have the usual family social hour with potential germ-bombs.

If you can't get Milton a few drops of bleach will do it. Look it up online if you can.