Pandemic panic

I have seen people today in lidl picking up unwrapped bread and putting it into bags, using no tongs,I hate to think of the germs on the trolleys. Several people were coughing into their hands then pushing trolleys, my mother refused to cough into her sleeve and coughed into the air, she has copd . I asked her to wash her hands when getting home which she did but did not do the happy birthday bit, just a quick rinse, told me to piss off. My friend is coming up 83 goes out every night and we swim regularly will not stay in. How can the at risk groups be so selfish. Two people told me they would not self isolate even If told by a doctor. I would quite happily stay home until the virus is over, read books and watch tv, no probs

The latest death here was a man---home from Italy ! Brilliant !

Etheltbags, we have some filthy people in this country, it's unbelievable.

I'd rather hibernate than risk death. Look at the hordes of people in the supermarkets ( germs galore ) it looks like a smash and grab raid----I'd rather do without.

lets get things in proportion. The Black Death killed a third of the population. Corona virus kills 1 - 2% of those affected. So far in the UK only about 200 have been affected.

Let's not. Let's listen to the people who are actually experts and not those who think they no it all when they know very little if anything.

know not no.

It isn't really about how many people will die etc. It's about the fact that many of those people that survive it will possibly still have to be hospitalised which would cripple the NHS. And, most of those 1-2 % have people that loved them and don't want them to die. I would imagine that, by the end of all this most of us will know of someone that has died. I know so many people over 60 with underlying health problems; and several young ones and I fear for their safety.

Yes, what Labaik said.

GGMK3 What on earth has my comparison of the relative rates of The Black Death and the expert official forecasts (and so far proven) death rates of Corvid-19 got to do with whether people listen to experts or not.

Did you read my post too quickly and think I was saying that Corvid-19 was, or was likely to be as devastating as the Black Death. Actually I didn't. I have commented before on the dangers of a fevered imagination.

Italian doctors are warning that 10 percent of patients are needing intensive care beds. Younger people among them. This is another reason that we need to take every measure to ensure that the spread is delayed. Even if they are inconvenient.

Every time we go shopping we clean the trolley handle with disinfectant wipes.
Just stand and watch people and see how gross they are.
Makes sense to take care of yourself, who is going to come and look after you when you are infected ?

I think that we are possibly not being told the full truth of Covid19. It seems to me that too many drastic measures are being taken for a virus that is potentially not as bad or does not kill as many as 'flu? Northern Italy under lockdown? Really? The residents have to obtain permission to travel outside the region but tourists are not affected, is this wise? Do the powers that be know more than is being reported to the general public? Should we just self isolate till the scare is over?
Does anyone else think as I do?
(I should point out that I am almost 80 and colds always go to my chest, but I am not a hypochondriac!)

I think it's down to every individual to do everything, within reason, to stop the spread of the virus. In the way that immunisation programmes only work when a certain percentage of the population are vaccinated. My DIL works for the NHS and my SIL has, unfortunately just started a new job in London and is commuting. I want to keep myself safe so that, if needs be I can step in for child care etc if I was needed. As has been pointed out before we just need to hold this back for as long as possible till the weather gets better. So much talk recently about Britishness and surviving things. Well, now's the time to do that, but not by poo poo'ing the situation but working, as a country to keep on top of this epidemic/pandemic until a vaccine is available. Oh yes, and also let's now start listening to experts, having been brainwashed into ignoring them.

Son's inlaws have just returned from visits to Australia, then to them in Thailand.
I expected they might have to be quarantined but no, only a health check at Heathrow and then straight home.
They're both in their 70s, he's nearly 80.

ps I could be wrong about the health check, it could have been in Thailand before they got on the plane.

spain is following italy, up 362 in one day

Labaik I don't think us oldies should step in for childcare because we are too much at risk. The children should be left with someone of the parents' generation. I think plans should be made now. We need to keep ourselves to ourselves in order to stay alive.

It too time-consuming to do anything at the airport Fennel and apparently you get a lot of false positives - people with temperatures for other reasons.

It's up to us all to do what we can - I couldn't agree more with what Labaik (Mon 09-Mar-20 12:56:17) said. That includes telling someone at the airport if you are not well and ringing 111 if they have symptoms when they get home.

There simply isn't the money to do all the things for us. Johnson's method of government will be sorely tested. When "running" London he was known as a part-time mayor who avoided scrutiny and was congenitally lazy. It worked because plans and funding had already been put in place by Ken Livingstone. The schemes he took the kudos for - such as the bikes - had already been lobbied for and won funding from the government. Equally, the Labour government had won the Olympics for London.

This is not where we are now. We are all aware that this Conservative government has starved the NHS of resources but what will matter much more is the Local Authorities, who run both Care and Public Health have been starved too. To say the systems are creaking would be polite. Many of them have split open but not actually collapsed.

Add to this the slowness of response he shows and we can see a looming economic disaster. We have no idea if, big majority or not, he can get extra taxation, to pay for investment to grow the economy, through Parliament.

It is wait-and-see but it is also a huge gambol on such a man pulling us through this.

Chestnut; I would only step in for childcare as a last resort.

17 Flights in today from Milan alone - which is in lockdown. So how does that work then? The passengers are unable to travel within Italy as it they are trying to contain it, but international travel is fine. Some people will be incubating, some have it and have no symptoms. No health checks at the airport. Nothing. They are being advised to self isolate.

We have just received an email from KLM, offering a refund for any flights booked between now and the end of May, vouchers issued and no cancellation fees.

The pasta section in Tesco was nearly empty today, but the assistant said they hadn't run out of stock yet.

catladyuk, you asked:

'Should we just self isolate till the scare is over?'

Is that practical? It seems sensible for those in the high risk category but the virus will be around for years. I doubt that a vaccine will be available for a few years either.

It is very difficult. I am 62 this year with quite a collection of ailments ( and a smoker :-( but working hard on this issue ) but work a 66 hour week as a childminder. Most of them coming with coughs and colds. Today i feel a bit weird and hot and spacey and sore chest....usual symptoms of coming down with something. How are we to know the difference in routine colds/flu or the coronaviris? sigh.....

Phone 111

Have you phoned 111 yet deanswaydolly?