Coronovirus - an informed view from a medic

This thread is starting to read like a CJD website would have back in the 1980s. had they existed.

We are doomed all doomed. 100, 000s will die fo CJD. In fact 200 did.

No, I am not dismissive of corona virus, anything but, but all these alarmist posts actually make the cahnces of an epidemic worse. Do what Italy has done and you end up as they have in that by the time they have given exemptions to all key workers - without tests, because there3 were so many of them and everyone who can get out from acute areas to less affected areas, legally or not has done a runner or attempted to do one, your national ban is a s leaky as a sieve.

By concentrating on thorough and targetted testing and clear limited definition of which groups must self exclude, and are therefore much easier to monitor and fewer people will duck and weave.

As for young people not obeying the rules, you must know some very selfish and unpleasant young people. Thankfully your experience is not general.

I can understand your fear Yogadatti, because many of us are in the same boat. It is true that fewer young people will die from Covid 19, and some may not take it very seriously or consider the implications for their older relatives, but we can't lock people up.
Neither would it have been practical, or desirable to close the borders two weeks ago. Doing things to the extreme as you put it, would not be evidence based as far as I can see, or would make a huge difference in the long run.
On a positive note the majority of us will survive this virus, despite our vulnerability, and we can only try to act as responsibly and sensibly as possible.

I totally agree Yogadatti

I have never heard anything as silly as SELF isolation. I can assure you that many young people won’t do that and will still go out. They think they won’t get it badly anyway. It would all be so different if only young people died from it. My guess is that everything would be shut down if that was the case.

It was simple to curtail the spread. We should have just shut the borders two weeks ago. Or everyone coming to this country from abroad should have been made to go into an isolation centre. As usual this country is too scared to do
anything extreme.

The people who cause the virus to spread are the ones who have a laid back attitude towards it instead of an extreme. Personally I am not ashamed of admitting that I don’t want to get it and am not going out, I don’t believe in the attitude of just going on like normal, because, THIS SITUATION IS NOT NORMAL! I am 70 with health issues...if I was 20 without any issues I wouldn’t be worried.

I have seen a few things posted on here from Facebook, and I have learned to disregard them all, and found most, if not all unhelpful.

This post is basically this doctor's opinion and it is delivered in a very preachy and patronising tone.

I don't know any of my age group who are panicking and we are the ones most at risk.

It sounds very similar, Chestnut

Well that's his view and here's mine. I think this will spread amongst us so we might as well accept that nearly everyone will catch it. Anyone over 60 needs to protect themselves in the coming months by isolating themselves as much as possible and being extremely hygienic. The grandchildren will likely be okay and the children too, but their generation needs to step up and help each other because they cannot ask grandparents to help if schools are closed or they become ill.

I've done courses with Futurelearn (free, accessible, good quality and from university departments) and they're just advertising a course run by public health experts. So here's the link in case it interests anyone:

www.futurelearn.com/courses/covid19-novel-coronavirus

Took two minutes to find out that the Deputy Chief Medical Officer is predicting thousands of cases. Other scientists are pointing out that we are on the same trajectory as Italy.

People with symptoms are not getting tested unless they have been to Italy or China. However we KNOW that some people who have died have not travelled. Its in the community. Most will recover at home, however a significant percentage will need medical assistance.

A senior surgeon returned from a skiing trip to Italy last week and did not self isolate. He returned to work and operated. He became unwell and has now tested positive. This is going to be such a difficult time for patients and colleagues. Its time to take this seriously.
I think its likely that we will follow Italy because it was only a couple of weeks ago that they had similar numbers to us.

What Italy is doing is not a total lockdown - people are still able to go out but stay one metre away from anybody else, so that makes most work and social activities impossible, but you can still wander around. I think that is sensible.

Regarding the op - if it is genuine the poster may be basing his comments on what he reads in the media, I read that two major supermarket chains were starting to ration certain items due to the mad scramble for them, so he could be genuine and he’s not alone in his views. I think the government are panicking and I am seeing contradictory messages - for example, family should be visiting while they can or family should stay away so that they do not pass it on - take your pick!

Even the experts are saying we will follow Italy. I would rather believe them.

I’m not sure we’ll follow Italy, they’re much more tactile generally I think, than us British, but could be wrong. I’m sure there are many cases bubbling under the surface just waiting to explode! We could get masses all at once?

Look at the figures and rates and say why you think we will follow Italy www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

I think that you should have a look at what is happening in Italy. Scientists are saying that the UK will be the in 2 weeks at the rate of spread. The time for complacency is over

There are always a small group of people who get hysterical about anything. But the fact that a few are running round like headless chickens doesn't mean that it is widespread or numerous.

Falling for all this hysterical hype is just what the rumour mills and fake news sites want you to do. The best way to stop it is to ignore it and go on your experience and life round you.

We have been in France for a fortnight, no panics, no rushes, no empty shelves, just people doing their shopping as normal. Before we went away nothing much was hapeneing in the UK. The children came to the school opposite just as normal this morning. My AC report from various parts of the country that life is calm where they are.

We're not, nor was the group I was with yesterday but there would seem to be an element of hysteria being whipped up which may frighten some people as is evident on the threads on GN.

But Callistemon there isn't over-reaction, panic and fear, nor is the media whipping it up.

There are rumour mills, fake news and conspiracy houses, that most people have the sense to ignore and there are those faced with a remote possibility of 2 weeks at home get diarohhea and need 144 loo rolls, they would be better off with a multipack of Immodium, but these people are a minority that everyone laughs at.

But he is not hysterical and panicky, that's how I read it anyway.

He is saying everyone else is becoming so.

Also on FB this morning:

Why is there such a shortage of toilet paper?
Because, when one person sneezes, 100 others shit themselves.

why is he scared of the Olympics being cancelled

He isn't - he is using that to point out that this is over-reaction, panic and fear being whipped up by the media.
That this type of fear is not generated by the influenza which kills so many people annually.

It may be fake but I understand the message.

I'm sure you're right, Monica

If this is a genuine letter,I just hope I never have a doctor like this looking after my health. Hysterical and panicky.

Most of the rumours and fake news are being engendered by subversive rumour mills, mainly in Russia, and funded by the Russian government. There was a fascinating item on R4 10.00 news last night. An expert in the field, explained exactly how these hidden sources know how to place and encourage the fake news story they plant and keep them running. The purpose is to undermine Western Democracy by sowing distrust in government and goverment sources.

It’s worth repeating- not everyone is who they appear to be.