Pandemic panic

It’s not possible to test 100%, Trisher but they would test a representative sample of people, same as they do for anything else.

My GP, not given to consiracy theories is sure the panic is driven by the pharmaceutical companies (who, of course, have their unhygienic fingers in all sorts of pies).
She's seen the way pharma drives campaign before and from my experience as a journalist I tend to believe ther could be some truth in it.

I'm still not buying a mask, staying at home and clearing the supermarket shleves in panic though. Deaths world wide are nowhere near those of heart-disease or cancer.

True or no, I've just read a Korean newspaper which reports:
79,972 " cases of flu confirmed (out of a 1.386 Billion populaton)
2,873 deaths
42,150 perfectly recovered

Compare that to 76million deaths due to famine in China in the 60's.

Or if you have watched 'One Child Nation' the 61million girl babies deliberately killed as 'surplus to requirements' a practice which is far from defunct.

I remember the Hong Kong flu. I was just turned 17. Both my parents got it. My Dad worse than my Mum. They both had it around Christmas. Dad claimed that he lost his senses of smell and taste because of it.
I'm not panicking at all. DH is rather worried, but then we think he's autistic and is prone to be a worrier.

It can't be any worse than how I felt over Christmas and most of January, along with a lot of other GN's at that time.

Yes, I remember you were really poorly EV so much so it scared you at one stage.

I remember being thrown out of the chemists a few years ago during the swine flu epidemic (!). I had gone to get some antivirals for my husband who had stage 4 cancer, and the doctor had prescribed some for me just in case I got it. The chemist was really aggressive and would not believe that I was perfectly well.

What I do fear is being ill on my own. When I was very ill with viral meningitis in my 30s, I was not alone - husband was fairly useless but my parents were able to come to stay and help with the children. Now my family are too far away to come running when I'm out of action. I have good neighbours but they have children and their own parents.

I was planning anyway to sort out my larder [spices in there dating back to 2006] and restocking my freezer [pizzas in there from when my son lived at home which was a long time ago] so I am going ahead with that even if it does seem like stockpiling. As I was also doing a declutter, Swedish death clean like, I'm probably going to stay at home and work on that for a while. I'm not going to go to the cinema or the gym for a while and, when I do venture out I'm sipping water, wearing gloves but also using hand sanitiser; using cold and flu defence when I go out [have used it on holiday before] and gargling with salt water when I get home. I don't feel that I'm panicking; just doing everything I actually have any control over, to try to stop the virus spreading. What I don't understand about taking paracetamol though, is that I thought a fever was the way the body fought a virus.

I am not given to panic, but the virus has a death rate of around two per cent (similar to the Spanish Flu outbreak that killed around 50 million people) and those most at risk are people with compromised immune systems who are over 65. So, that would be me then.

I have recently recovered, sort of, from a period of severe ill health that included pneumonia. Today I've started a new course of antibiotics for a kidney infection and am battling the associated chills and nausea whilst peeing blood and razor blades (well it feels like razor blades). I'm praying it doesn't turn into pyelonephritis this time and that the sore throat I'm brewing isn't Strep A, caught off my son and his family on a recent visit.

As you can surmise, I am not a well woman . Which is why my family, also not usually given to panicking, are actually beginning to worry about my chances of surviving Covid-19.

Which is why everyone should do everything they can, within reason, to limit the spread of the virus. When I worked for the NHS when swine flu was rampant I was shocked at how many of my colleagues didn't bother to be vaccinated. And a recent survey that said many people didn't wash their hands after going to the toilet . I sincerely hope that you stay safe and well grannyactivist.

..or not get less well....[if that makes sense...]

Thank you Labaik. Because of my weakened immune system my daughter, who is a nurse, long ago instilled in me the importance of proper, regular, hand washing - and I'm a stickler for following 'rules'.

My husband travels a lot on public transport and visits a great many places around the country. He's incredibly fit and well and is ten years younger than me so if he gets the virus his chances are extremely good, but he's desperately afraid of bringing an infection home. When he left for an extended trip this morning he went supplied with Dettol wipes, hand sanitizer, packs of tissues and latex gloves.

My eldest son, his wife and their toddler have all recently had Strep A confirmed by blood tests and they've been worriedly waiting to see if they've passed it on to me. My children have grown up contending with my health issues and for the most part they don't fuss, but they are truly spooked by this virus - especially as I haven't been well since the end of summer last year.

I don't think it helps when I remind them that I will one day have to die of something.

I was listening to K5 NBC news station out of Washington and they ran a story about a science teacher who became sick that may have come in contact with a student who tested positive for the virus but the CDC refused to test her because she wasn't on their "short list" of those they will test and was told she isn't sick enough- She is immune compromised- The CDC refused to comment-

Also on the same station, local authorities are talking about purchasing a local hotel to use as an isolation unit and impromptu hospital-

In other words, the U.S. isn't prepared -

grannyactivist, I can empathise with you and understand what you are saying.

My immunine system is compromised and I worry about catching the virus, I suspect I won't survive if I catch it.
My usually laid back husband, is so worried about me catching it. I suspect he would like me to shut myself away in isolation for the duration.

Last year on a trip coming back from Rome, the passenger next to me, coughed, spluttered, sneezed for the whole journey. He didn't even cover his face when sneezing.
DH and I spent the next six weeks very unwell with a viral infection. No matter how many precautions you take, it all depends on others, playing ball!

The cynic in me thinks that it's an expedient way of clearing out the vast number of baby boomers, of which I am one. {Sorry ?}

Apart from all recommended hygiene measures, hand washing has always be a priority for me since childhood, wearing gloves when out, drinking only from paper cups or taking my own, doing shopping on line and generally staying away from crowded places, I've taken to carrying a miniature bottle of whisky and putting a drop in my tea. Hopefully it will kill all known germs dead!

It would be foolish to underestimate the effects of this illness, many people say it is no worse than the flu. I had Asian flu in 1957 as did my baby sister, we were desperately ill.
I have had various other strains of flu too so was relieved when I was eligible for the vaccine.
All the information I have read suggests that this illness does not present like the common cold and if you have a runny nose and are sneezing then you do indeed have a cold.
No hand sanitiser to be found over the weekend, I like to keep one in the car to rub my hands when I leave shops. Supermarket trolleys are the dirtiest things around.

I am going to do just that Bluesky
It is the best suggestion I have heard yet.
Just don't drive whilst doing it.

I wonder if it would work to soak a pack of tissues in Dettol or similar and wrap tightly in cling film and then a plastic bag to clean hand while out?
Would a bottle of teatree oil work, they usually have rubber droplet thingys.

My grandmother always carried brandy-'for mediceenal purposes' she said. She lived to be 90.

A young doctor I know always carries ‘anti patient’ gel in his car ......aka hand sanitizer . He uses it before and after all patient visits as well as hand washing of course.

* Rosecarmel* and Bradfordlass I believe that both the stories you tell (teacher not being tested) ( pharma companies encouraging coronavirus) are both fake news and have been proven so.

I think in this current crisis we all need to be very careful about shock horror/blame news items aimed at causing public unrest and passing these stories onward, whether told to us online or by a friend/trusted person.

The one thing we can be sure of during this crisis is that Fake News sites will be working overtime.

My friend since childhood, who has always been a prophet of doom, is currently beside herself with worry - principally, for her DD who has underlying health problems and works on a supermarket till, which is understandable. However, she has become fixated on a religious "End of the World" scenario. She regales anyone who will listen with the "signs" that were prophesied to occur in the last days.

Plagues e,g, of locusts and viruses - Yes
Floods. Tsunamis, - Yes
Fires e.g volcanoes and bush fires - Yes
Civil Disobedience/wars/exodus /Brexit - Yes
Adultery, Sodomy!!, fatherless children - Yes

It is hard to convince my friend that these things have always occurred (and humanity has survived) It is just that today with global media we are informed of events in all corners of the world. I am quoting her worries here to illustrate the dire effects that these pandemics, etc. can have on the mental as well as physical well-being of individuals.

Of course we should all take care with hand washing and hygiene.

However it should be pointed out that so far almost 14,000 people in UK have been tested for the virus and as yet only 35 (I think) have been found to be infected.

I am in no way down playing the seriousness of the virus on those with underlying health problems - but for the vast majority of us there is no need to panic.

Here’s how to make your own hand sanitiser.
The main thing is that you need minimum 60% isopropyl alcohol.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/3/2/21161346/hand-sanitizer-diy-how-to-hand-wash-cdc-alcohol-virus-illness