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Coronavirus

Anybody feeling scared?

(303 Posts)
Greymar Sat 14-Mar-20 19:43:31

Please could we make this a snipe free zone.

Maggiemaybe Sun 15-Mar-20 12:52:39

Where is the thread about isolating over 70s for four months? Hasit been sabotaged by B-r-s?

www.gransnet.com/forums/health/1274673-If-you-are-over-70

What are B-r-s? confused Birds, biros, berks, bores?

Maggiemaybe Sun 15-Mar-20 12:53:36

Oh, Boris! Yes, he'll be following our GN threads with great interest, no doubt. grin

Liz46 Sun 15-Mar-20 12:55:04

Thank you 3nanny6. We do it several times a week, mainly to help my lungs but it is also a lovely and interesting view. Maybe go with your brother?

Summerstorm Sun 15-Mar-20 13:04:20

Strangely not so much scared as angry to think that I’ve survived 3 separate lots of cancer over the last three years to possibly be taken out by this

Susieq62 Sun 15-Mar-20 13:06:30

Not scared just confused. We are 69 and 65, in good health plus can access places by walking, driving etc.
I wish the Gov would make a firm decision about the situation. I am resigned to not going on holidays we have booked, way before this situation arose. However, I cannot foresee a big change to things in the foreseeable future. Just keep wee, safe, supportive and unselfish.

Phoebes Sun 15-Mar-20 13:08:21

I’m amazed by any the terror and negativity on Gransnet about the virus. Obviously we should be a bit more careful than usual when we are out and about and perhaps avoid crowded places, but we shouldn’t be obsessive about changing our normal routines too much. When we go to the supermarket, which is emptier than usual anyway, so less risk of being coughed over, I wear gloves, which I wash when we get back home and, if I heard anyone coughing, I would avoid them like the plague (!) but asking the over 70s to stay at home for 4 months is totally unreasonable, when we are probably less likely to spread it than anyone else, as we are all being super-careful not to catch it in the first place! This is the nanny state gone mad! We are sensible enough not to put ourselves st risk and to modify our habits if necessary without being ordered to stay in for four months!

Missfoodlove Sun 15-Mar-20 13:17:42

Phoebes,
It’s easy to avoid a cougher, but the virus can live on some surfaces for hours. The virus is not visible.
We need to restrict outings to avoid contraction and spread.

Luckylegs Sun 15-Mar-20 13:21:08

I am more confused and worried than scared I think. I am 71, have blood cancer for which I take daily oral chemo, plus various other drugs, I also have asthma. I’ve had some sort of ‘cold’ for the last month, coughing badly and aching from head to toe but I don’t think it’s the virus. We’re due to fly to our apartment in Portugal at the end of the month and our daughter rang on Friday to tell us to get there NOW, ASAP, as we should be better off there than here. However, I need stores of my medicines to take with me if I’m to have a longer stay, our GP’s are great but I don’t think I’d get more tablets until at least Wednesday.

We looked at booking flights this week but are frightened we might lose more money booking more flights etc which might be cancelled than we probably will anyway. We are just waiting, waiting to see what happens this week. I presume Portugal will block their borders soon or we won’t be able to fly from here or land in Faro. Apparently, most things such as restaurants are closing in Portugal anyway and they’ve even reportedly closed beaches so there won’t be anything to do if we get there! I feel I’d be happier just sitting in the sun outside our apartment, eating at home and keeping away from people but if I got ill, wouldn’t I be better at home?

Oh, if only I knew what to do for the best!

jmsburnham Sun 15-Mar-20 13:24:19

I am one of the lucky ones having 2 daughters that live near me. I am not scared because if you don't go out, you hopefully won't catch it this time around! Although if I was affected by Coronavirus, I would be more frightened because the ventilators will go to younger people and rightly so.
But what happens next time?? although hopefully there will be a vaccine available in the future.
I live on my own but have plenty of hobbies to keep me busy - reading, knitting, patchwork, jigsaws and netflix!
I am sad that i won't be able to go on holiday in April with my sister but hopefully we can go next year if we are still alive!!

kwest Sun 15-Mar-20 13:24:46

Petrified. Since BJ's announcement about losing loved ones too early, my family have persuaded me to do the voluntary isolation.

Daisymae Sun 15-Mar-20 13:27:03

It would that it's impossible to avoid a cougher, the next breath you take will contain whatever bugs have been expelled. Seems to me that unless people are aware of this perils of this infection then there's little incentive to change behaviour. Equally someone may contract the infection and only be mildly unwell but pass it on to someone else with fatal results

nemo3 Sun 15-Mar-20 13:30:55

Keeping a hypo-active red setter in for four months would be hell. She gets restless if kept in a couple of days. In Spain people can take their dogs for short walks, wonder if we will be allowed to do the same?

Crechat39 Sun 15-Mar-20 13:31:11

Not at all scared.

Feel media bear a lot of responsibility for the total panic which seems to have enveloped everyone. A doctor on the BBC yesterday said that we shouldn't walk the dog, even in the countryside, in case someone might "pop out" from behind a tree and infect us. I kid you not.
Incidentally, my daughter, who has a compromised immune
system because of medication she takes for rheumatoid arthritis, this morning made an order for a Tesco delivery from her local branch which is arriving on Monday. It is not a rich area so perhaps people can't afford to panic buy.

JeannieB44 Sun 15-Mar-20 13:35:26

Basically ignore the papers. They are not going to print anything positive only bad news sells. Most of what you read will also include may or could happen no one knows for sure. Pretty sure the supermarkets will get a handle on this and the initial panic will die down. I have just booked my next fortnightly shop online and there were lots of spaces. We did our usual weekend shop in Lidl and Asda, there were things missing but no long queues. Husband is due a serious op in 2 weeks not cancelled yet but suspect it will be but if it isn't we will change the way we approach visiting etc. We are British, we WILL cope and we WILL get through this if we help each other. Stay safe everyone and try to stay positive and know it's hard at the moment but try xx

Nancat Sun 15-Mar-20 13:37:10

I'm not scared of CV19, either I'll switch off and nothing, or go on to another phase of existance - interesting. What does concern me is self isolating. What happens to people who can't afford to stockpile food, who live from week to week on pensions and can't afford to reach a minimum order value for a supermarket delivery? Lots of older people don't have young families who can keep them supplied. I have not heard of any arrangements to help people in this situation. I'm not panicing, que sera, but I have been restricting unnessary contact with others for a couple of weeks now. I'm not keen to find the answer to my first observation, but if it happens - it happens!

sassenach512 Sun 15-Mar-20 13:44:04

I'm thinking now, that the awful fever, dry cough that just went on and on, we had in January, was in fact the coronavirus. The Chinese admitted to the virus being out of their control was it in February? but knowing how slow they are to telling the truth about their own shortcomings, the virus could have been out in the world much earlier than is thought. What my DH and I had, was like nothing we've had in the past. We'd both had our flu jabs but this was a constant dry cough and breathlessness just like the corona symptoms. In a way, I hope it was the virus and we've already had it, I certainly wouldn't like to go through that again

Bluecat Sun 15-Mar-20 13:55:36

OK, I will admit that I am terrified. We have mostly high risk people in our family, including me, and I fear for all of us. The danger is not being exaggerated, it is being underplayed. For a start, it is not just coughers who have to be avoided, as it turns out that it isn't in water droplets, it is aerosol distributed. In other words, by breathing. It also lives on hard surfaces - in some cases, maybe as long as a week.

We had already decided to self-isolate, before the government said. Why wait? To give yourself a sporting chance of catching it? To spread it around a bit more?

heidimargaret Sun 15-Mar-20 13:56:49

I am worried if we are to be kept home for four months I am sure there are many 70 yrs old's who have a reliant late 90's parent. I wonder how Government mean to tackle that

Susan56 Sun 15-Mar-20 14:09:00

Sassenach,my husband said exactly the same about the illness we had at Christmas.We too had all the symptoms of corona virus and had never had illness like it,the after effects lasted until late February.
I do feel scared now.I feel scared for my daughters,one with asthma and one with EDS.My little grandson has a fever and cough today,hopefully just a cold but such a worry.
As my husband said,when our very level headed daughters have decided to self isolate,it’s maybe time for us to worry.

Freeandeasy Sun 15-Mar-20 14:24:14

Yes, I am a little worried. I am 64 but more concerned about my 98 year old mother who lives in sheltered accommodation.
She is due to have a routine pacemaker check at the hospital in 10 days time. The waiting area is always crowded, as nearly everyone is accompanied by a family member or friend. This is the only time she ever leaves the house. Does anyone on here have a pacemaker/partner with pacemaker have any advice? My mum has only had it two years and everything has been fine thus far. Would it be detrimental to postpone this visit, or should I go ahead? Or should I speak to the hospital? I am concerned that the person I speak to will not be a medical professional who may not give the correct advice. Any advice on here would be appreciated.

SparklyGrandma Sun 15-Mar-20 14:34:10

I am a bit scared, I have underlying health conditions in clouding diabetes, 4 months stuck at home with no walking outside, no fresh air, may well finish me off. Also my diet is main fresh fruit and veg, which I get myself usually.

A nightmare.

mary294 Sun 15-Mar-20 14:41:55

I am totally terrified I have been ill last week surgery said isolate that finishes
On Wednesday. I am now terrified it was ordinary flu and not corronovirus
I could still be at risk I had bad chest infection and put on antibiotics. Still not completely well my husband is okay TG he has dementia and that's hard was up 5 times with him
I have had shopping deliveries for years now can't get slots and loads of stuff unavailable.
I think I should still stay in in case this illness is ordinary flu any thoughts please

looby Sun 15-Mar-20 14:48:02

A bit concerned, not really scared yet as so far there are no reported cases here. My husband is 66 & I'm 56 both of us have underlying health problems so I'm more worried about meds than food as we aren't allowed to order more than month in advance of anything .I've already had to change one of mine due to shortages and it's been ok but I'm worried if I have to swap any of the others as to whether they'll work for me or my husband,but we'll just have to wait and see, hopefully that won't happen, but if it does then we'll just have to blooming well deal with it.
Having lived through food shortages before, I've always tried to keep a well stocked store cupboard and have gratefully relied on it many times over the years through illness & hard times so I've always replenished it and kept it stocked up whenever I've been able to and in doing so I've never been caught up in the panic buying frenzies. I'm not afraid to do without anything really, I just don't want to if I don't have to. We live in a remote area and only tesco deliver here, but we do have a couple of small shops in the village which we use for fresh veggies, bread, milk etc.

WOODMOUSE49 Sun 15-Mar-20 14:50:15

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html

CDC Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have clear definitions explaining the difference between self-isolation and self-quarantine.

I found the CDC site through the Independent article published yesterday. For me, it has helped with the uncertainty of "what to do, when to do it and for how long".

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-how-long-self-quarantine-covid-19-symptoms-what-to-do-a9401776.html

GabriellaG54 Sun 15-Mar-20 15:17:31

It's be good if you could manage to throw in a bit of punctuation when writing a comment spicky Thanks.