Coronavirus - are older people being treated as expendable?

The Times today are carrying an article which pretty much agrees with the title of this thread. They are saying that it was government policy and give some quotes which they allege are made by Cummings. No. 10 says that they are defamatory. I wonder if they will sue? Whatever, when all this is over I wonder if there will be a call for a Public Inquiry into the handling of this crisis, especially the delays which are costing lives?

A short video, about 8 mins, explaining why everything is fine - - - until it isn't.

youtu.be/fgBla7RepXU

It’s not being picky to ensure correct information is out there.

Goodness, is this how you always react to people who are trying to help you stay healthy??

It's mostly men who get C-19 and mostly men who die from it.

Could you point me to a trustworthy scientific source for that "fact" please Gabriella?

Nane3 I'm the same but what else can we do? I have my shopping but every few days I have to go to the local shop for milk. I coudn't get any long life in my Sainsbury's order. I do cover my face with a Dettol wipe and wipe the milk container down then immediately wash my hands upon arrival home.

Germany have so many more cases than lots of other countries and yet less than a hundred deaths. That can't be right. I read somewhere that it's because of the way they record deaths. It's very misleading.

Thanks annep1

Maybe not to the shop unless you can keep the required distance but walks are ok.

I am feeling guilty about going to the park for a walk and calling at the local shop occasionally for bread and milk. Will not go out again.

Yesterday afternoon the government announced a deal with the private sector that has added thousands of beds, nurses and doctors and associated equipment to the fight.

The point I was trying to make is that the over 70s are not being 'strongly advised ' to socially isolate for their protection, but for the protection of the population as a whole, because we are the ones most likely to need hospital care and ventilation if we catch the virus.

The more that can be done to protect us from the virus, the more it lessens the potential that we will get ill and end up in hospital. Younger people are less likely to need hospital treatment as they tend not to be seriously ill when they get the disease.

Despite all the pictures and reports, my feeling when I was out and about last week was that the public mood was changing. When I went to the supermarket on Tuesday morning I was one of the few wearing latex gloves, or any gloves at all. By the end of the week there were far fewer people about and many were in gloves and wearing masks.

At one (non-food) shop, customers were consciously standing a metre or more apart while waiting to pay and the shop staff had wipes and sanitiser to hand and were using them.

Now we are house bound are view is limited to people going up and down in front of the house. We live in a village and there is a defined and busy footpath in front of us. We are seeing, what I would describe, as household groups. Familys with children and couples, but none of the groups of walkers we usually see or mountain bikers.

UK is on same trajectory as Italy and we are where they were a fortnight ago

G54 That’s probably because more men smoke, especially in China and Italy.

M0nica, I think you are being very optimistic with 'stays within the capacity that our current hospitals can provide'.
Surely soon, capacity will be overwhelmed.

I don't see how there can be a vast increase in ICU beds and ventilators in a short time frame. Therefore, death rates will shoot up.

Social distancing, closing pubs, clubs etc. cancelling group events - and all our (very difficult) isolation efforts (those of us that are serious about doing it) can't possibly stop the spread of the virus - or slow it very much.

People are still rushing into crowded shops, standing in queues, using buses, going out in groups (especially teenagers) and making lame excuses to avoid being sensible about things. Just look at some of the posts on here - I despair!

GG54 maybe they could just identify into literally being women, then.

It's mostly men who get C-19 and mostly men who die from it.

Summerlove OK.picky, picky. I meant by that that older people who get the virus are more likely to be severely ill with it. Neither meaning undermines the point I was making.

It’s not that those over 70 get a virus in a different form. A more severe form. It’s that how their body reacts to it, is different than that of a younger person.

It’s all the same virus

The country is being brought to a massively costly standstill precisely to protect older people, surely. No it isn't.

Older people are being asked to drastically reduce their contacts with the outside world because they are the group most likely to get the virus in its severe form and be most in need of hospital admission and ventilators.

The main aim of current government policy is to try to reduce and smooth the number of people in need of critical care so that the number of people needing hospital care and ventilators at any one times stays within the capacity that our current hospitals can provide and as older people are the group most likely to need intensive care, we are under the most stringent restrictions to stop us catching the virus and overloading the hospitals.

Factfinder I don't think it's out of compassion for elderly people, but in a bid to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed by seriously ill oldies.

please dont travel its the worse thing you can do. stay indoors hopefully this will pass. check on neighbours especially the elderley. where I live in Liverpool the local opticians is accepting tin food and donating to charitys as food banks are desperate for food. Think about how lucky we are to be alive and donate any food you can to local charites as in my case my local specsavers is accepting all tinned food so if your local to liverpool which I doubt very much, but worth a shot please donate to specsavers liverpool kirkby

www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/kirkby
god bless and stay safe.x

I agree @Lemongrove. The country is being brought to a massively costly standstill precisely to protect older people, surely. I don't understand how people can view this as callous.

That's why those of us that can self isolate must do so to prevent as much transmission as possible.

A lot of healthy young people will get it too. I saw in the papers yesterday that a girl was telling her story from her hospital bed about how coronavirus had got her, even though she was healthy and went to the gym every day.

Stories like this can cause fear. Yet, we don't know how healthy she really was, or how low her defences may have been pushed if she was exerting herself too hard at the gym. My feeling is, even if someone seems or looks "healthy" they may not be. So those with underlying conditions may actually be looking after themselves better, wiser, more carefully than a young and seemingly "healthy" person.

I wish her the best, and all people with the virus a speedy recovery. I pray the Scientists make breakthroughs quickly with their research.

Mebster don't be upset, they must do what they think is best for their child.

You must protect yourself as well, take care.

Well, it's not just older people who may be affected badly, let's hope your niece and all her co-workers on set don't experience it themselves.
What an attitude! I haven't come across that from any younger people I know.

no its not true...but everyone should be treated same as younger persons...but preacutions is beeter for elder people too