Should lockdown for the over 70s be extended when it’s relaxed for everyone else?

I agree with masquereader, it's not a life, and I believe I can practice physical distancing without much difficulty.
I will certainly go crazy if I can't go for a walk soon.

Allatsea48 good post and some good pointers. It's difficult when the mind is set on negativity and extra hard to stay positive.

I guess it depends how much you want to stay alive, yes you can go out but you have to accept the responsibility that if you catch the virus you are more likely to die because your immune system isn’t so good.

no lock down for anyone .unless you have a severe health problem....and you feel you can stay in lock down.

Very well said, Bluecat!

Instead of being self-pitying and moaning about age discrimination, how about being thankful that you can stay safely at home? People start becoming more vulnerable over the age of 50, but most people below retirement age are going to have to go out and earn a living when the lockdown lifts. That includes working people with underlying health issues. Aren't they worse off, running the risk of being very ill and dying, than we are at home?

It's not about age discrimination. We're at a higher risk of dying, if we catch the virus, than younger people. That's all there is to it. Doesn't matter if you're as fit as a fiddle, your immune system is as old as you are and it doesn't work so well. It's a scientific fact, just like the fact that men are more vulnerable than women - again for scientific reasons, mainly genetic.

It's your choice. If you don't care about your family being bereaved, what about the doctors, nurses and other health workers? What about the NHS resources you're using up? What about the unfortunate people who have to decide who lives and who dies if the NHS gets overwhelmed?

Yes, it's your choice and no one can stop you, but you won't be the only one affected if you get seriously ill.

Working in NHS currently redeployed to the bereavement office........Hearing so many people say of their loved one (regardless of age) - they were fit and never ill, we don’t know where this has come from but it was so sudden ........do any of us want any of our family saying similar about us?

There is support for taking people with BAME backgrounds off the front line when treating Covid-19 patients - for their own safety.

Why is that any different from advising people with additional risk from serious affects from staying at home - for their own safety?

PS. Once again, people over 70 are not being "locked down" if they don't have additional underlying health conditios.

Grannyjacq1 made an excellent point that no-one would dare say people who are obese or from a black and ethnic minority should stay on lockdown longer.

It would be considered very very wrong on so many levels.

When you look at it from this point of view, you have to be extremely careful about saying over 70's ought to stay in lockdown longer.

When you say "do as you are asked" what exactly does that mean for over 70's?

Sadly, I don't think life is going to be normal for a very long time. I understand how you feel Masquerader or anyone else who may be fed up. However, have you discussed with your families how they will feel if you become seriously ill or worse?Things like restaurants, cinema etc are not going to be open and even Greggs has changed it's mind about opening for now. The only thing I can say is try to take each day as it comes. Distract yourself, if you think about all the things you cannot do and go on about having no life, you will begin to believe this and that would be a tragedy. Every life is precious, every person is precious and we are in lockdown not only for ourselves, but for other people. Im sorry if this is not what people want to hear. I just honestly don't know what to say that could make you and others feel better. Please look after yourselves and each other.

Both of our daughters and one son in law work on the front line NHS.
Every extra person admitted to hospital puts their lives at risk and could possibly leave up to 4 small children without a parent. Just do as you’re asked and stop being so selfish.

The scientific data which is emerging at the moment is that, in addition to Covid-19 being particularly risky for the over 70s, those who are from black and ethnic minorities and also those who are obese are also at very high risk. Can you imagine the outcry if the latter 2 groups were requested to stay at home? Also, men are more likely to succumb to the illness than women, so who is brave enough to suggest that men should be confined to barracks?

Sorry AllatSea48 but I think you are being patronising. I already do many of those things, and you can’t tell someone with depression to keep smiling. Maybe you don’t have experience of depression in your life - I hope not. Someone very dear to me, who took his own life a few years ago, couldn’t ‘keep’ smiling because he’d lost the ability to smile at all several years before. These things are hard for people who’ve never experienced them to comprehend, so I don’t blame you for saying this: it’s a natural reaction; but believe me, depression is as much an invisible killer as Covid 19 and when - I fervently hope - we have conquered the virus, it will continue to be a terrible scourge, particularly of the young. If you comb through this thread you will see a few posts from people who say ‘life is not worth living without ...’ They are speaking from the heart. Depression deprives you of hope. We need to be able to look forward to something, however distant. I’m particularly moved by the post from elfie, whose husband feels he’s been deprived of the good life he has left.

Oopsminty - if they ask people over 50 to keep isolating, things will soon fall apart as plenty of people over 50 are still working. This applies to plenty of us who are over 60 too.

As far as over 70's are concerned, it's hard. I know they are more susceptible but there are other considerations too - mental health for a start. Many 70 year olds are healthier than people decades younger.

There is no use them bringing in a rule that they can't absolutely police. We don't carry ID cards and not everyone has a passport or driving licence. Police etc. would not always be able to tell if a person was over 70.

Over not other

Trully missed the point there Davinia. This was said to be an invisible war from the beginning therefore you have a frontline. And the frontline is trying to do everything to protect everybody else not just those of a certain age. This isn't about picking on anyone more trying to protect as many people as possible.
And this battle is far from other and surely it's better to stay safe.

Message to all those criticising the elderly for wanting to leave lockdown.

Stigmatising us for putting NHS resources at risk during the crisis.

Why don't you pick on those who chose a lifestyle of obesity and stagnation; crisis or not? Selfishness which has caused a massive rise in NHS expenditure on bariatric beds, ambulances with strengthened chasis and an exponential growth in diabetes care costs.

Resources that could be used to save lives.

They have been given medical advice and chosen to ignore it. "You made your bariatric bed - lay in it"

Stigmatise based on selfishness and not on an arbitrary age.

Again so far nobody is Forbidden in this country!

Davinia I think you make an interesting point (although maybe not for the reason you think).

If somebody has high blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar, any medic would be negligent not to tell the patient. If losing weight, exercising more, stopping smoking and cutting down on alcohol would help the conditions, the patient should be told and then has the choice to do something about it. I have read numerous posts on GN and elsewhere suggesting that people who choose not to help themselves are perhaps not deserving of NHS treatment if they subsequently become ill.

I see parallels with the Covid-19 situation. People should be told that their age is a risk factor for being affected badly. Obviously, they can't do anything about their age, but they can do something about reducing their risk of catching it. That's not to do with the "government telling them what to do" but looking after themselves. The NHS will try to treat everybody but, sadly, the survival rate for some groups is not good and resources might need to be prioritised.

As others have said, people are not being told to lock down (shield) merely because they are over 70. They are being advised to do the same as almost everybody else, but they are strongly advised ie. don't cut corners, don't make excuses, don't think that just one hug or meeting a friend won't make a difference, make absolutely sure you don't touch your face when out and about. This is the same advice as people under 70 with underlying conditions are receiving.

There is nowhere to go anyway. We are all in this together, and must continue to safeguard against putting ourselves, others and the nhs at risk. Got to be done. You could however go for a daily walk which is exceptionally good for body and soul ?

Masquerader
Good post

Allatsea48
Woman’s hour? The BBC?
Say no more

elfies. I am so sorry about your poor Husband! How I wish I could immediately lift the ban and let him do whatever it is he wants to do while he can.

There must be many in his position. Where is the compassion for them?

We cannot force a particular age-group to stay under house arrest for no crime apart from their age and waste their last years in deep unhappiness, loneliness and away from the contact of their grandchildren, when they might just be able to do some happy things to make their life fulfilled. To contemplate it is sheer cruelty.

Masquerader,
This morning Woman's Hour broadcast featured interviews with 3 ICU nurses and concluded with an impassioned plea by an ICU nurse for all of us to observe the advice on social distancing and staying home. If you can, please do listen to it!
This is war against an unseen enemy; it's pointless for us to complain about NHS underfunding etc or ageism. The virus neither knows nor cares about such things. But what we can do is our own personal best to keep others and ourselves safe and follow advice for social distancing etc. Mental health - well yes..and I do get stir crazy from time to time, but that's by far preferable to the unseen killer. So, what to do? Why not phone a friend, write a diary, join an online group, sing in the bath, read a joke book..take up yoga, go for a walk..etc etc. I'm not being patronising (well I hope not) but firmly believe we have to find a new way of life through this. Please, please stay positive and keep smiling!