How do I tell them/

I sympathise, I feel like I should be protecting my husband and myself, and I won't deny I am frightened about this virus.

They won't be able to rely on you if you're dead. Only those who don't have health issues or family with health issues would not take it seriously. They are to be pitied. Covid 19 is NOT another stain of flu. It is a new, unknown virus.

*nansmummy what did you mean about having a sense of humour?
Is the op a wind up?*
A previous poster said that the OP had written one jokey and one serious post. I assumed the jokey post is on another thread.

Me neither. I can’t find the joke!

There is no joke its a quiz on chat!

Thanks for letting us know about the mix up with joke. I like a laugh and would of been scrolling away

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Your adult children should be thinking about you, they I presume know your health problems and shouldn't be putting you at risk. If you get ill you won't be able look after them any way.

Of course you can’t look after them and they will understand.

Just had a conversation with my daughter about contingency planning. I was told in no uncertain terms that neither she nor her partner can work from home so we'll have look after the GC. I have HBP and asthma and I'm worried.

Hubby & I are in our 60's. Whilst I am in good health, hubby has had pneumonia in the past and has permanent bronchitis after working 20 years underground. Our daughter is a nurse and we look after her 2 children after school a couple of days a week. Both hubby & I also work in a primary school with 250 pupils. According to the medical experts I've listened to, children between the age of 0- 9 will probably have immunity. We will be extra vigilant about handwashing, blowing noses into tissues etc, but I can't see us refusing to have them, unless of course we need to self isolate

Children between 0 - 9 are not immune. There is a 2 year old In Alder Hey Childrens hospital with it now.

Will people please stop saying, 'it's just another kind of flu'. This is so misleading.
Seasonal flu has a mortality rate close to 0.1%
For corona virus:
80+ years old 14.8%
70-79 years old 8.0%
60-69 years old 3.6%
50-59 years old 1.3%
40-49 years old 0.4%
30-39 years old 0.2%
20-29 years old 0.2%
10-19 years old 0.2%
0-9 years old no fatalities
It is too soon to be sure but predictions are that the numbers catching it could be way higher than that of normal flu too.

The immune system changes with age—particularly in its ability to respond to coronaviruses. Unlike the flu virus, which does most of the damage to your body on its own, most of the symptoms from coronavirus infections actually come from the body’s immune response, Menachery says. Although he and his lab team are still characterizing these reactions, it seems like coronaviruses encourage older immune systems to kick in with extra inflammation, which can have a cascading effect. qz.com/1794241/seniors-seem-to-have-the-highest-risk-of-dying-from-coronavirus/

Whatever decisions any of you make, please don't do it based on, 'it's just like flu.'

husghelp some more figures to add into the mix. More than 10,000 Italians have tested positive for the virus, of whom 631 have died. This represents a mortality rate of over six percent, which is six times higher than normal flu.

Of course Marjgran I completely agree but even in the most horrendous of situations something can happen to spark hope, human kindness can arrive at the most unexpected or uninvited moments that is all I am saying

Bobo53 I was told in no uncertain terms that neither she nor her partner can work from home so we'll have look after the GC. I have HBP and asthma and I'm worried.
You need to tell her you can't do it. You are putting your lives at risk and I'm sure she would spend the rest of her life feeling guilty if she brought about your passing. This is a time for grandparents to step back and let their own generation help, either siblings or friends. Everyone is in the same boat.

Within a few days, and certainly within 2 weeks, the only way to stop the spread is for all of us to presume everyone is an invisible carrier of the virus. Probably schools etc will have been shut down. It's going to be a very interesting social experiment, as people have to break many of their routines.

There is probably a five-day incubation period, when the person is less infectious but we don't know. So there is no safe hugging, or careless sneezing etc. For anybody.

ie You have to presume you have the virus and can pass it on. You have to presume everyone else has it. If we all do this, it will be stopped as soon as everyone has come out of health care or quarantine.

The world will not come to an end if the kids miss school or (most) jobs are not done. Hopefully there will be contingencies for essential service jobs.

I've just read what's happening in Italy. They are having to triage those with symptoms. There are not enough hospital beds to hold everyone. Our NHS is already overloaded. If I take care not to infect you, will you take care not to infect me?

On Italy. Somewhere there is a balance between fear and common sense.

So many of us with this concern. Let’s hope we all stay safe and calm. It really is a worry. Say it as it is.

Really? Are sons/daughters saying your will have to look after grandchildren? How selfish. Don’t they think about the consequences to those that brought them up.

I think Montymops son is right. Those who can especially older folk should be minimising contact now. I would not be caring for the gc at this point in time. Its a bit late to start taking precautions once the virus is in your area. Because by then there may have been contact. I think your children need to make other arrangements now. I think you all need to discuss this. Perhaps you could help temporarily with cost of childminding.

I agree with tanith they will understand.

Well, I have been made to feel like a proper cow! I explained that at our age and with our health my husband and I can not take the risk and so can not have the GC until this is all over. Once it has cleared we will happily take them again.
"Ok" I was told. "My mum will have them" She is older than me!
I feel terrible now and all this risk is now on DLs mum!

Grandmaclampet do not feel terrible about this. You did not make that decision, your DIL did. Each one of us is responsible for making decisions about our own health and her mum will have to do the same.

Isn’t this hard!
We hate letting them down, but in this case it is the sensible way.
I remember once when Paw’s illness meant we had to cancel a childcare occasion at short notice and I was so relieved to hear DD say “our children, our responsibility”.
Of course we will always do our best to rise to the occasion, especially in an emergency but there are lots of young families where GPs may be hundreds of miles away, or even no longer be alive - they have to make their own Plan B.
But the guilt is still there isn’t it?