Pandemic panic

Tillybelle- sorry , crossed posts . I was referring to welbecks post upthread .

The devastation caused by the tornado was shown on the lunch-time news, rosecarmel. Truly terrible, it must have been very frightening for those caught up in it and the death toll may be more as I understand people are still missing.

Thank you Tillybelle, my thoughts exactly!
I think you’ve pretty much summed up what the more reasonable (and optimistic?) of us are thinking .
There is plenty of scaremongering, verging on hysteria ,in the media without it being repeated here .

rosecarmel
a vicious tornado ripped through Tennessee killing 24 people

I'm so sorry! That does put things into perspective! I am so sorry to hear this. To live under this kind of uncontrollable threat must be dreadful and something we in the UK cannot imagine, despite our weather having become ever more violent. I hope and pray for the 22 missing people. I have been following the primaries, and wondered if the gatherings might be cancelled due to the virus. Good luck to you all I sincerely hope that the virus completely misses your area. A tornado is quite enough. God bless you all.

i am not trying to scare anyone but i think it is dangerous to minimise the unusual situation this presents, and want everyone to be as careful as possible, as so many are already vulnerable.
people dismissing it as just like the flu cause me concern so i am trying to urge them to read up, get more informed, so they will understand the issues for those who are really at risk. it is not just like the flu, in so many ways.
never underestimate your enemy.

welbeck Wed 04-Mar-20 16:07:00
I really do not want to upset you but I think you are catastrophising.
Indeed, to lay out oxygen etc to all those Sports Hall beds would not work. I am sure the Chinese ones were for people diagnoses with the flu to go to until they were well enough to re-enter society.
Whatever the practicalities, I think the way you are reacting and speaking is very close to hysterical and is not at all helpful to others. If wearing protective gloves makes you feel safer, then fine, but please do not frighten the people who have chest and heart conditions into believing that death is lurking on every supermarket item on the shelf.

Having experienced more than one natural disaster in the US doesn't make me an expert, just a witness to the truth that despite officials encouraging us to prepare, they themselves are not-

That said, they can't be faulted for making no effort at all-

The night before last, as people were preparing for a potential pandemic and to vote the next day in the presidential primary, a vicious tornado ripped through Tennessee killing 24 people, destroying homes and businesses, uprooting trees and knocking out power for thousands - There are at least 22 people still missing-

While the idea of temporary accommodations or hospitals isn't ideal, when it's all there is, it's welcome relief opposed to nothing at all-

Testing for coronavirus won't be available in the state I live until next week- For everyone- 7 people that have been tested, due to where they traveled, tested negative- 1 more is waiting for results- According to the state CDC and Health Dept. -

I called my GP and 2 local hospital emergency departments - They all 3 said they aren't prepared to test, that they don't have "anything" in place to do so-

we hear that 81% of people will have symptoms but recover
Yet other predictions differ... from 20% being infected to 80% and out of each %, whichever it be, a small % of already vulnerable people will die (who might well have died this year anyway......)

I suggest that, until this flu is over and done, you stop trying to understand it in terms of numbers or % of the population getting it and dying. The truth is, that nobody knows these figures, they can only try and predict them on numbers of people going down with it currently, and so the predictions are far from reliable.

What is the point of scaring yourself when the information that is frightening you is only an unreliable estimate made on not enough evidence?

What is the point of being scared anyway? Just wash your hands, don't shake hands, have some food in the house to cover a week of being ill, possibly avoid people if you are in a high risk group, sneeze into your elbow, if you are ill stay at home, if you are worried phone 111.

Come on gang, we are British (in the main) we can survive anything!

Really we are a lot luckier than earlier generations in that we now have internet shopping (as long as hoarders haven't bought up everything...)

jane thanks for the link.

I have Raynauds and even in summer early mornings I have to wear mittens. I cycle everywhere and have two pairs on each hand and wear them in shops as the basket causes blood blisters with pressure. I never usually get looked at but have seen people glancing thinking she’s paranoid. I’m thinking I’ve cycled here freezing hands whilst you’ve got out a car. Vent over,

welbeck. Sounds like the ideal time to travel to me! No queues, choice of seat, no crowds... Heaven!

Rosina what is being 'buried' while the media are trying to get everyone to a state of near hysteria

Yes! Either that or the disappearance of Boris a few days ago added to the dearth of news to report.

I think it's a cover-up of the fact that getting Brexit "done" is more like the British people are getting "done" by the terrible deal or lack of which that dreadful man is messing up. The flu is certainly good news for Boris as far as his Brexit shenanigans are concerned. Boris' ballsed-up Brexit is going to have a far bigger and longer-lasting impact on our lives than this flu, no matter how much he tries to blame the economy on a virus.

welbeck - you should get a job as a newspaper reporter to really scare us all !

All we or anyone can do is plan for the worst and hope for the best. That's what the government seem to be doing. Not scaremongering just being as prepared as possible. Imagine what the headlines would be like if they hadn't made the plans they have.

i would not be going anywhere near an airport.
why take the risk.
though remote, the poss result could be enormous.
you can choose where whether you go at the moment; if you get affected by the virus you will have little choice control.

Sorry that wasn’t quite right. Here’s the Wikipedia entry.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_Boomer

Thomas67
I get the feeling I’m expendable when people state it’s normally just mild illness.
I gasped when I read this! I am so sorry! Poor you! It must be so frightening to feel you are living under a threat others are not taking seriously. I do hope I did not make you feel I did not take it seriously. Usually I try to calm down people's distress and fear about this new strain of flu. I do take it seriously and I think everyone here also does all the right things to avoid spreading it. While there is no need to waste our lives living in fear, we need to be sensibly mindful about the responsibility we have to others concerning our part in the spread of any disease. This has always been my argument about immunisation. I get extremely despairing when people do not see the harm they do by not immunising themselves and their children to diseases such as measles and rubella. They may never suffer badly but the baby or person to whom they give the disease might be maimed for life.

I think that you will survive this new flu. Just do all the right things, and don't allow yourself to feel anxiety. Should your husband become ill I am sure you will cope. It is not a long-lasting flu. Maybe have some easy to prepare food, soups, plenty of clear fluids, and for the two or three days if the flu hits, you will get through with those. Plenty of rest will be what you will need.

As for not being allocated help at the hospital, I would totally ignore such an idea. It is not the way any British Health employee operates. They never give up on anybody! So be brave, be bold and tell yourself this is something we can cope with!

It seems that this virus is like flu, and we hear that 81% of people will have symptoms but recover, and a smaller percentage of people will die than are killed each year by the 'standard' winter flu virus. Surely the only thing to panic about, if you must, is that it seems to be affecting so many people. It will cause disruption probably, but as people seem to recover in a week, and will then go back to work or school, and hopefully have some degree of immunity, I too am beginning to wonder what is being 'buried' while the media are trying to get everyone to a state of near hysteria. Or does anyone know something I don't about this virus? I am not trying to over simplify, but can't see why there is such a degree of panic.

humptydumpty #OKboomer was a thread on Twitter, where millennials and generation X had a good old moan about the boomer generation, ie us. Like how fortunate we are compared to them, how we have ruined things for future generations and our generally entitled attitude
There was a lot of vitriol thrown about.
I’ll see if I can find a link but it’s not pleasant reading.

If the pneumonia vaccine worked against this virus they'd be vaccinating everyone!
There is no reported treatment for this virus, apart from treating the complications. I feel very sorry for everyone who is vulnerable, I guess that's most of us, but some more than others because of medical conditions. There is so much fake news circulating it's probably best to stop reading social media........ The WHO site apart from giving advice, and myths about Covid-19 gives advice about dealing with stress!

Or 60% proof Vodka and watered down Dettol then soaked into wipes! ……………..

i dont think those people are able to go to the bathroom. they are bed bound, too ill and weak to move.
they are nursed in the bed.
some may be fed through NG tube, and/ IV fluid.
most need oxygen therapy, some with pressure machine.
that is why people are worried.
there is no spare capacity in the NHS.
some people dont seem to understand the realities of being very ill. it is different from being at home, however weak or ill one may feel.
not being able to breathe properly is not compatible with life. oxygen therapy as a minimum is required. this needs hosp care.
if only a small percentage of those with coronavirus need this medical care, that is still an enormous number.
where are they going to put them all. it does not compute.
it could lead to very ugly scenarios, if rationing based on giving care to those most likely to recover, not those who are most ill, comes in.
i am keeping away from as many people as poss.
i used vinyl gloves when shopping last sunday at lidl.
at that time, in a small urban branch there was plenty of stock on the shelves. but 90% of shoppers there are on foot or bus, they dont use cars that they fill up, they shop every other day, or en route from work.
i think it might be more sparse now re stock.
i am thinking of going again to get as much as poss.
i swabbed all shopping on return, and my money, keys, then discarded the gloves.
the idea of putting a scarf over mouth and nose is good. looks less odd than mask, prob just as effective, and more available.
please everyone, be careful, and do not under-estimate how this can ruin lives, even if its not your own.
we are approaching something like a war-footing. all events, services, transport, health, social care will be affected.
take no chances. cut down visits, to or from. insist anyone who has to enter your house washes hands, pref drying on paper, or separate towel.
lbc radio presenter just said it hit him when an expert told him that we will all probably know someone who does not get through it.

Hi I am enjoying this thread today Thank you all for taking the drama away slightly I am supposed to travel to Rome with my Daughter this being a Birthday present from her, however we are still dithering about it very undecided whethet to cancel or not.?I am a fit and Healthy 78 year old any thoughts anyone?

trisher regarding it being new, I think you are right. Corona viruses are a group which have spikes round them like a crown and there are many sorts. I believe Scientists say this one is 'novel' rather than new, because they have not identified it before, hence they've named it COVID-19. But they would acknowledge that it might well have been lurking around unidentified somewhere before. This one has been attributed to coming to humans via bats. You can look it up.