Should we ask over 60s to stay in?

Marydoll

Elderly people can still be active and working, but the immune system diminishes with age for all of us, regardless of how fit we are.
As a result, elderly individuals do not respond to immune challenges as robustly as the young.

I feel it's a personal decision, whether you stay in or not. However, we should consider the burden on the NHS and our families if we become ill.

Good post marydoll and we are doing the same here.
Is life more boring? Yes, but so what, we are protecting ourselves and the NHS and others by doing this.

I honestly can't see it happening.

The government really should be ensuring that everybody who has been told to self-isolate by contact tracers and those returning from abroad does so, but it can't even do that.

growstuff

I honestly can't see it happening.

The government really should be ensuring that everybody who has been told to self-isolate by contact tracers and those returning from abroad does so, but it can't even do that.

I can't see it happening either growstuff, but then you see what is happening in Poland and you start to wonder.

I'm of the view that we should be supporting people to self isolate and quarantine, not enforcing it, but then I am a loony leftie . I think we have to use the carrot, not the stick, not because I'm soft but because I think that will be more successful.

I'm not against a bit of stick (twig), but there isn't any carrot, which is why apparently only about 20% of the people who are told to self-isolate comply.

Anyway, the danger to over 60s depends where you live. The COVID rate in my area is very low indeed - and has been throughout the crisis. The chances of someone in any high risk group coming in contact with the disease in our area is very low indeed. So, someone over 60 or shielding would be very unlikely to get the disease if they went out to shop obeying all the rules about hygiene, masks and distance, nor are local services likely to be overwhelmed if one or two people over 60 did get the disease. Total COVID deaths in my area since they started counting is 125 and that figure has been unchanged for months.

This is a very different situation to someone of the same age and with medical conditions in a Tier 3 area.

MOnica, you're right of course. I'm in tier 3 but in an area with lower incidence than others. I am over 70 and 'clinically vulnerable'. I try to avoid busy super markets, get out and walk my dog twice a day. I haven't seen my children or grandchildren since the rate began to escalate. There are four different work places, two nurseries and two schools involved so we all agree the risks are too high. It's beyond description in its awfulness. But we all hope things will improve, its a question of how long. I hold out little hope for our usual family Christmas/birthdays

Our son and family live in a Tier 2 area, and we have cancelled all plans for half term visits. We are fortunate, that our DD, who is also the single person in our bubble, lives in an area with an even lower COVID rate and death rate than ours and is working from home, so we can safely see her as much as we like

You are fortunate MOnica, even more so because you recognise that.
I called to see my sister, who is under the same restriction we are and like me, is classed as clinically vulnerable. She was widowed a year ago. She isn't going out but decided not to follow the guidance to have no one in your house. During the first lockdown, her adult sons saw her only from the garden. This time, she is looking after her mental as well as physical health. I didn't visit as we were following the guidance on not driving. We agreed this week that as we are both being very careful, I could call for a cuppa.
I realise we oldies are more likely to strain the NHS and possibly leave our loved one's bereaved if we catch the virus. But we have to live without being over whelmed by anxiety

I think blind obedience to the law is frightening and dangerous. We all at sometime in our life make conscious considered decisions to 'bend' the law in some way. Perhaps to go over 70 on the motorway to get past a vehicle being driven erratically or dangerously.

I think the same thing applies to the COVID rules, we decided to break them during lockdown. Our daughter, who lives alone, became seriously ill, not COVID but no hospital admission because of COVID, we were very concerned about her being so ill and alone at home and decided to move in with her to take care of her, whatever the rules. As it happens the bubble regulations were introduced the day after we made the decision, and we made her our bubble and our homour was saved. I think it is a sign of a responsible and mature adult that they understand when the rules must be obeyed and when they can, with proper caution by flexed a bit.

Excellent post Monica and Iam64 I think you did the right thing under the circumstances. Blind obedience can be very dangerous as Monica points out. Nazi Germany told us that. Your sister’s mental health is crucial if she is to come through all this healthily, and given her recent loss, sisterly support is the most kind thing you can do for her. Is it possible you could form a bubble with her as she lives alone? We must never lose our humanity because of Covid. Never.