Isolating over 70s for 4 months

I'm 65 but I look 105.

I will be locked up the minute my nose is outside the door!

Also I've lost my birth certificate so I'm officially snookered!!

I know in reality this measure is supposed to be helpful,
but one minute they're talking of dragging 70 year olds out of retirement to volunteer to be in the front line of the infection.
The next they want to keep us under lock and key (yes I'm exaggerating to make a point)!!

Are we a resource to be used by society or a burden (to be culled) that others have to deal with?

I'm saying this a bit tongue in cheek, but what happened to inclusivity to quote a phrase Prince Harry was only too keen to use.

Sorry, I don't believe the government are trying to protect anything other than their own arses!

Well, looks like that's the House of Lords stuffed.

Get real Gransnetters! We are vulnerable because we’re old and most of us are a bit decrepit, so might not survive the virus. We’re already self isolating and you should do the same thing.

Abnuycl123 feel free to speak for yourself! I'm not decrepit, nor of the age to be affected. You curl up and self isolate all you like, I'll continue to live a life.

I think Boris' father will decide for himself just like when it comes to it you all will. I expect he has more money to do it with more luxury than most of us though.

We can't possibly isolate all the infected because it won't be clear at precisely what point a person becomes infected and they may pass it on before they realise they are ill. They have said though for anyone with even the mildest symptoms to self isolate.

I know it is terrible and I agree we should continue to test people so we know what is happening. However , the truth is we are in a crisis and it is scary. Given we are in the situation we are what else can we do now because the choice seems to be that stark, protect yourself from infection to the utmost of your ability or risk that a lack of equipment, spaces in hospital or whatever will mean doctors having to choose who to try and save. I know they should have done something about the lack of nurses etc before but the current situation is what it is. It is the most dreadful situation I have ever known but if the price of life is 4 months isolation then as far as I am concerned isolation it is then. I'd like to know where they got the 4 month time frame from though. Will we be safe in 4 months?

@janipat

Some just don’t get it.

@ Abnuyc123 Some are trolls. Who can tell?

I really couldn't stand being stuck in for four weeks, let alone four months - and for people living on their own I think it would be hellish.

Posters on here have questioned how such a draconian measure could be enforced. I doubt that the police would get involved. I would imagine that the usual tactic of pitting one group of people against another (the under 70's v. the over-70's) would be brought into play. There would be a lot of disapproving glances and pointed remarks made (and perhaps worse) if an obviously elderly person were to be seen out in public.

I'd assumed that "self-isolating" meant keeping a substantial distance between yourself and anyone else, but that you could go out for a walk in the open air in a non-crowded area where you could avoid coming into contact with people. However, in the I today it says no going out at all. I really don't see why that is necessary when people are told to keep a distance of 2 metres - surely that's easy to do in, for instance, a normal residential road?

I agree with you janipat. Virtually all doctors, nurses and support staff have been saying for several years that the NHS is so lacking resources that, should an emergency occur, they don't know how they'll cope. This is what happens when you have such a draconian austerity programme that you seriously run down all the material and social infrastructure of a country - we have a crumbling judicial system, a huge decrease in bus services, a 71% cut in youth services (as quoted in YMCA posters on the tube), and, of course, hospitals already at breaking point. And we're supposed to applaud the Chancellor for promising millions to tackle the virus and to improve the infrastructure - neither of which can happen overnight - and which still leaves huge deficiencies in other public services.

Funny how the experts, who several people defended re their advice on Thursday to allow mass gatherings, appear to have changed their opinion. To be fair to scientists and medical people, this is a new virus, and probably nobody really knows what to do for the best.

Flying Solo other countries seem to be able to test and isolate, how pathetic and shameful that the UK finds it too difficult. The 4 months is a stab in the dark, this is a totally new virus with an unknown path. Of course anyone is welcome to self isolate as a protective measure, but when government stands to enforce isolation on an yet untested section of the population, then that is just wrong. If draconian measures are seen as the way to combat this virus then fine, but such measures would not involve birth dates, but would involve the entire population.

cross posted with you Eloethan but agree entirely with your post.

Yes self isolating means staying away from people who could give you the virus. I’m a retired nurse, so I’m very aware how easy it is to become infected.

It’s very sensible indeed to tell us to keep safe. I don’t want to go before my time, so we are already staying safe.

Testing and isolating is only partly effective as people can be infectious without any symptoms so unless everybody is tested every day how can we ensure all the infectious people are isolated?

Nursing tradition here too Abnuyc123 but does that mean there should be legislation to insist over 70 people must stay confined to barracks? Voluntary withdrawal is entirely reasonable, but enforcement should only be applied to the infected for the protection of others. Advice may be acted upon or not, you choose to avoid any risk, I take a looser attitude, enjoying life is more important to me than longevity. My choice, your choice. Choice being the operative word!

FlyingSolo I think you'll find that so little is known or understood about this virus that nobody knows for sure when the infectious stage is. If you have a credible link to definitive information I'm sure we'd all love to read it!

I heard tonight, from a friend, that she had heard on the news that a vaccine has been made by scientists which should be ready for distribution in a couple of months' time. There was nothing about this on BBC news tonight. I do hope that this isn't 'fake news'!

The problem is, many older people have a carry on regardless attitude. We have friends who think the whole thing is ridiculous and they are refusing to take the danger seriously.

Anyway, I’m not entirely sure they can pass a law to confine us because it will be impossible to enforce it.

The U.K. has about 4000 ICU beds of which at present 4/5 are occupied.

It takes very little imagination to understand that this will be totally inadequate during the worst period of the crises.

Those most at risk are the ones who will make most call on these beds.

Risk rises exponentially with age, regardless of underlying health issues, although of course underlying health issues make it much more likely that you will be extremely ill and perhaps die.

Therefore it makes scientific sense to try to ensure that those most at risk safeguard themselves as far as is humanly possible
by isolating for a period of time, in order to try to spread the call on the ICU take up.

We should be past the time of saying what we want as individuals and learn to act as a community in order to get through this.

As an elderly community it is our responsibility to do everything we can to assist our health service in getting through this.

If this means isolating, then so be it.

I agree about lack of funding for NHS and that we should be testing etc. And like everyone, I am very angry about it. But as Flyingsolo says we are were we are.

I and my OH are self isolating. But we still go out for walks - not near others. I can't see what harm there can be in doing so.

Its not easy, I agree, but people have survived much greater hardships than being isolated, and lived to tell the tale.

annepl, your approach makes total sense. Isolation doesn't have to mean staying in. Just staying away from other people.

I wish I were able to totally isolate, but my daughter and grandson live in my home.

My 85 year old mam will die of boredom if they force her to stay in her bungalow for 4 months. Lack of exercise will affect her physical and mental health. How is she expected to get food? If I take it to her then I'll be breaking her isolation. She says she'd rather take her chances with CV as she has more chance of surviving that than she does surviving 4 months imprisonment.

If elderly stay in the whole time their general fitness level will fall off rapidly. It is important to keep walking regularly or other exercise.

I think it will particularly affect the physical health of those who are most active. My mam goes to the gym 5 days a week (including a session with a personal trainer). Her body is used to exercise. If she has to stop her body will deteriorate quickly.

I can’t believe some people’s reactions! On another thread people are saying the government think the elderly are expendible and how shameful that is. But now when they takes special measures to Protect the elderly every body starts to complain. What do you expect them to do! The elderly are much more vulnerable, so the safest thing is to stay away from others as much as possible. That’s not the same as self isolating. My understanding is it means keep away from crowds, and even small gatherings etc. You can still go out for walks etc and occasional shops to stock up for a few days but avoid touching or getting close to others. I for one would welcome this as I’m not keen on going to concerts , u3a meetings etc at the moment and some think I’m panicking. I’m not- I’m not stripping the shelves in the supermarket etc, just being sensible on advice from my family who want me to stay well.

People are talking as if the usual rules apply - they don't when emergency measures come into force. We are told to self isolate to help 'flatten the curve' of new cases.

Still, there is no reasonable prospect of the NHS coping. As Eloethan says, more than a decade of cutbacks has left us totally unprepared. JCB and Rolls Royce asked to make ventilators? Shocking!