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2 weeks or 3 months?

(42 Posts)
GabriellaG54 Sun 22-Mar-20 17:16:35

Some supposed founts of knowledge say that if, after self isolating for 14 days, you have no symptoms, you can return to work (if it's still operating) and your normal daily business, others say that you must isolate for 3 months.
Judging by the totally ignorant and selfish crowds depicted on beaches and strolling around various UK locations today, we have far less chance of containing this virus.
Add to that, the disgraceful scenes in a Tesco in Cambridge where shoppers punched and shoved past NHS and emergency staff (on their allocated shopping hour) to strip shelves bare.
In the end, Tesco closed the shop and operated a 1 in 1 out policy.
Dreadful behaviour.
Personally, I have not needed to shop since a small shop after returning from holiday. No stockpile. I will shop only when absolutely necessary during the alloted senior hour, which will be once a week, if that, but woe betide anyone pushing in front of me who's not entitled to shop at that time.
These people can't be using everything they buy within a few days because it's the same people day after day buying trolley loads of goods, according to the press.

M0nica Sun 22-Mar-20 22:19:46

Go to the government guidelines. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/874281/COVID-19_easy_read.pdf They say quite clearly: Stay at home and don’t meet up with other people for 7 days if you have Coronavirus symptoms. After 7 days, if you feel better, you can start your usual routine again

Stay at home and don’t meet up with other people for 14 days if you share your home with someone who has symptoms of Coronavirus

People with serious underlying conditions, who will be individually contacted by letter from the NHS in the next week will be advised to Socially Exclude themselves for the next three months.

For the rest of us; those under 70 are advised to socially distance themselves from other people for the next three months and over 70s and those with underlying medical conditions are strongly advised to socially distance themselves. www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

eazybee Mon 23-Mar-20 00:41:42

I think this so called panic buying and hoarding will soon reveal the people who' just happen' to have a few spare toilet rolls or bread or paracetamol, at a price.

Hetty58 Mon 23-Mar-20 00:54:11

easybee, I'm isolating and only going out to walk the dog. When I'm out, I'm socially distancing. By choice, I'll do this for three months, at least.

Yet even I know of three local contacts who can supply anything I need. I have enough for a couple of weeks, anyway, but I'm surprised how quickly the 'enterprising' are making profits from a crisis!

Calendargirl Mon 23-Mar-20 07:14:28

‘‘Twas ever thus’.

Used to listen to Mum talking about the Black Market in the war, which is what all the stuff on e bay being sold at ridiculous prices comes down to.

On a lighter note, Rhett Butler in GWTW made his fortune in the American Civil War, I suppose he profited from all his blockading.

Curlywhirly Mon 23-Mar-20 07:42:24

Well our Morrisons and Aldi are in quite an affluent area, I haven't been to either since the panic buying started, but been told shelves stripped bare and Morrisons also has long queues. Our Lidl is in the middle of an area with lots of council houses; no queues, plently of food on the shelves (only flour, toilet rolls and fresh chicken missing). Maybe it's because people there don't have enough money to stock pile, or maybe they are just not as selfish?! Although it's where I usually do my main shop, I won't be bothering with Morrisons any time soon, am managing to find all I need at Lidl.

Sparkling Mon 23-Mar-20 07:57:18

Well I for one will never go to another allocated elderly hour. It was worse than a rugby scrum. People, husbands and wives with a trolley each. I arrived 30 minutes into the hour, the shelves were stripped, trolleys winding round and around the aisles waiting to pay. I saw a friend of mine at the back of one such queue, trolley laden, she had arrived one hour before opening and finally got out one hour after it shut. I came out without anything and thought if you wanted to catch anything that would be the place. I am running low, so eventually will drive out to a farm shop and get what I can, with a face mask and regulation disposable gloves, I have a box of those I want to hang on as long as I can, but will have run out of milk in a week, as with bread.

Rosalyn69 Mon 23-Mar-20 08:08:31

This is all dreadful. I dislike people at the best of times but I find all this fighting and panic deplorable. I shop for two. We are eating our way through what we have with a weekly shop. Creative cooking.
I hate to say this but I think the police/army are going to have to supervise the shopping and a maximum spend allowance imposed.
As a senior - how can people treat the elderly so poorly?
I also wonder where these people get the money to buy so much stuff, particularly now so many people are being laid off.
Rant over. Back to the days disinfecting routine.

Hithere Mon 23-Mar-20 09:17:44

May I ask if you know those people personally?

I agree they could be stock piling, have a f as family of 4 teenagers or buy groceries for their parents, elderly neighbours, donating food to the food bank, etc.
You just don't know by looking at them.

Cambia Mon 23-Mar-20 09:20:18

In Denmark, they were charging a reasonable price for one hand sanitiser and an extortionate price if you bought two! Opposite of a Bogof. What a good idea.

Hithere Mon 23-Mar-20 09:22:45

As a senior - how can people treat the elderly so poorly?

How can a senior assume the intent of others? This thread is full of assumptions and criticism

This board is full of threads of posters asking if they can babysit, go on vacation, what happens to mother's day, enabling cousins who go to Greece, want to visit a brother who is in the hospital, want to go to church to pray, etc

Who is being disrespectful to seniors then? They are seniors themselves!

Urmstongran Mon 23-Mar-20 09:25:08

GG54
I read yesterday that people were also buying fridge/freezers as extra storage. Bluddy ridiculous. Some U.K. homes must be like mini-marts.
?

Callistemon Mon 23-Mar-20 09:51:17

If DS shops for fresh food for us, his own family and also his MIL it may look as if he is overloading the trolley and being greedy, when he is just caring for vulnerable elderly family.

DH just phoned to speak to a friend to be told by his elderly infirm wife that he has gone out for a paper. He is 91. I despair.

Hithere Mon 23-Mar-20 10:08:57

How different shopping habits are in the US vs UK.

In the US, buying for 2 weeks or more is normal, it is not common to go to buy fresh groceries daily or every other day.

We also have bigger homes here, which makes a huge difference.

I think if some of you saw costco, Sam's club, BJ, would faint

GabriellaG54 Mon 23-Mar-20 10:25:38

Urmstongran
My guess is that people are camping out in their own gardens and putting the extra freezers and stockpiles in their living rooms bedrooms and bathrooms. ????????????????????????

Callistemon Mon 23-Mar-20 10:28:24

I must confess to a mini panic when I thought our nearly new and rather expensive freezer had gone on the blink - again!
Luckily I think it's ok.

Franbern Mon 23-Mar-20 10:45:43

Having returned this morning from Sainsbury elderly shopping hour -which followed the one hour allocated to NHS, etc staff. I must say, most people were polite, and I had no problem doing my normal weekly shop (off my written list), and staying a good two metres away from anyone else. I used, as I always do, Smart shop, and did the whole thing in under 30 minutes. Sainsbury tannoy were informing people of limits on certain items, but I would still like to see ration coupons being issued and used for many items.