Effects of corona virus on women

The concern for domestic abuse victims will be very real. I am a survivor and the year before I left we got isolated because if snow. It was hell, I couldn't escape with the baby and toddler and he was supposedly working at home. It was very stressful, intense and scary. The Freedom Programme uses the term The Jailer and many women will find themselves trapped if self isolation happens. Just awful to think about.

Have you read the thread tea? I mentioned BF because someone upthread asked about BFing. How is that “going on about breastfeeding”? Honestly “start a new thread” is laughable. The topic is about women and you aren’t in charge of what I say.

I said formula fed babies get ill more often. Don’t people deserve to know the truth even if it offends them? So they can make a fully informed choice?

It is not uncommon for BFing mothers to be told they need to stop BFing for all sorts of so-called health reasons when it is usually not necessary to stop.

Siamesy if you want to go on about the benefits of breastfeeding start a new thread.

Definitely continue breastfeeding. You don’t want to be reliant on formula. Formula fed babies are more likely to get ill.

I think the biggest issue is panic buying of formula and not being able to buy it. No evidence at all that FF puts baby at risk from coronavirus as very young children are less badly affected. Please be sensitive about what you post there will be scared mums who are FF.

In answer to the question OP I think Ireland sums it up. All the men who've been to the Cheltenham festival are flying back, during which time the schools have been closed 🤷🏻‍♀️. Make it the problem of women and children.

MN is depressing as well it's about 'competitive goodness' rather than pulling together and recognising all actions have consequences in the bigger picture (including closing schools, leisure centres, not going on holiday etc) Women having a go at women, I think it is one of the big powers that patriarchy has.

We also don't know that in the UK more men will die the smoking rates in China are massively higher in men.

@Siameasy I'm aware of he generic stuff yes. Do you have any evidence that formula fed babies are more likely to get ill from corona? I though that was your implication.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812877/

It’s pretty mainstream information londonlife. Shouldn’t be controversial to state what is true, even if people don’t want to hear it. The link to NEC is well known and no one has the right not to be offended, particularly by something factual.

If you’re going to be annoyed by it be annoyed that the truth is withheld from you, repackaged as “breast is best” nonsense and wonder why that might be 🤔

@Siameasy evidence for that claim about formula fed babies? Or just predictable formula bashing...

I agree it is mostly women doing the invisible work, and it is nice to be recognised. But I felt the tweet was also subtly enforcing the gender role that the invisible work is women’s work. I’d rather have seen the tweet recognise all the invisible work without gendering it. If you thank the doctors you don’t tweet out let’s all recognise the fearless men who are working tirelessly to save their patients. You tweet out, let’s all recognise the fearless doctors. They could have done the same here, recognised the importance of the work without gendering it as women’s work. Just like when you recognise nurse or teachers, we all know the professions are women dominated but you don’t gender it because that communicates oh, that is women’s work, the “burden” of being a woman. Which implies that this work is not work for men to do or their burden.

Condoms? You're not meant to have sex if you're infected.

Definitely continue breastfeeding. You don’t want to be reliant on formula. Formula fed babies are more likely to get ill.

@crazydiamond me too, and I'm tandem feeding. So if me or kids get ill we have to take to our bed together (including energetic toddler) whereas husband could go in another room. And oh god if either of them needed hospital I'd be screwed.

You are right. But let’s be honest. It is mostly women carrying the domestic burden. It is nice to have it recognised. For once.

Why can’t he care for the toddler?
He absolutely could but I'm still breastfeeding said toddler and cosleeping.

Good point plan, hadn't seen it like that.

I agree the assumption that women will be looking after the kids is annoying. But equally I found the WHO tweet upthread just as annoying by asking us all to recognise the womens work blah blah and the last sentence “women are carrying this burden” sent me raging. Like no man is working the front lines against this disease. Like the male Chinese doctor who identified this disease and raised the alarm and then DIED from it never existed. I just felt like the WHO should not be tweeting a world wide thank you to all women without also doing one thanking men. I also feel like they are making huge assumptions about and low key enforcing gender roles. Like you’re not doing your job as a woman if you’re not doing the caring work or nursing. It’s like that WWI Kitchener poster pointing at men saying “your country needs you” if you’re a man your duty is to enlist and go die in a trench. It seems it is a call to women to get in the trenches against COVID but in an approved feminine role.

Even the way it’s assumed is bloody annoying.

I was listening to the radio this morning and they said one of the reasons schools aren’t closing is because it would affect the NHS. Guy then said something like there wouldn’t be enough nurses because they’d be at home looking after the kids.

Yes I know there are male nurses but they are massively outnumbered by females.

Gave me the rage.

Bygrab,
Yes it is interesting that men have higher risk of dying than women from covid-19.

My husband joked that all the years of men and their “man-Flu” whining have resulted in the universe granting them a real man-Flu to contend with.

Well not quite newborn, she was six months old then.

Neurotrash
“We have worked out thiugh, he could self isolate completely binging on Netflix for a week or two- but I couldn't because of the toddler”.

But the virus will make you sicker as you have asthma, With a 6.3% death rate for people with lung conditions, I would personally plan on the husband caring for the toddler, not you. Why can’t he care for the toddler? My husband took care of toddler and newborn once for three months straight when I was away on a long business trip. Men can do these things you know....

I have a couple of rather immature male relatives (in their 40s, still living at home with their mother). Been spouting for weeks how it's all nonsense- why are people buying extra stuff etc.

Now Football been cancelled, it is affecting their lives....

Good point upthread about how, by the time you or the baby gets CV symptoms the other will already have been exposed, so you may as well keep ng breastfeeding.

Can I add the impact the virus will have on us older women too, those in their 50s or 60s. Many of us are already do much of the care for elder parents/relatives and this will only increase due to self isolation, lack of outside care staff and lack of any specialist provision should our elderly relatives become.

I'm actually the one a bit more laid back about viruses etc even though I have asthma. Years of working in schools taught me hand washing works but also, the buggers 🦠 get in via all ways.

Dh is very anxious about them as he doesn't understand the biology and immunity etc and so the explanations everywhere has been helpful at the least for him. I've been saying soap is the best thing for years.

We have worked out thiugh, he could self isolate completely binging on Netflix for a week or two- but I couldn't because of the toddler. Of course.

Though toddler is very daddy centric and after a magnificent tantrum today over a very minor thing, I'd like to see how that pans out...