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Original poster

In January, if someone had said in 2 months time...

100 replies

Thorilicious · 27/03/2020 07:41

You'd have to stay inside at all times, apart from a walk or to get food, what would you have said?
I'll admit when it happened in China, I felt sorry for the people there, but selfishly, pleased it wasn't happening here. Now look at us...

OP posts:

Falangalangadingdang · 28/03/2020 13:20

We've been expecting it since the news broke in China but my dh works in a business that tracks this kind of news and planned ahead for it.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/03/2020 13:22

I wouldn't have been too surprised. It's worse in Europe (inc U.K.) than I'd have expected - the outbreak in northern Italy coinciding with a time when it has a lot of visitors was rotten luck.
I'm surprised other people - and governments didn't seem to see what could be coming and prepare better.

CruCru · 28/03/2020 15:19

Six months ago I went to a lovely wedding in Italy. I was even moaning about it (overseas wedding in termtime meaning we had to ask a complicated childcare favour off the grandparents). Now it would seem complete bliss.

user1497207191 · 28/03/2020 15:21

In late January, we DID know - it was all over the news and SM about China building new hospitals for the virus etc. It was inevitable it would come here with borders etc not being sealed.

StealthPolarBear · 28/03/2020 15:24

A week ago aunt was having a family do for mothers day and my cousins birthday. My son was meant to be going on a school trip to Sunday that afternoon. Both obviously cancelled but up until a coupke of days before we weren't sure. One week ago.

StarsThatTwinkle · 28/03/2020 15:37

I expected it to hit us much earlier TBH, so although I'm sickened by what's happening, I've not been surprised by it at all and started planning for it in January.

Runningjayne · 28/03/2020 16:25

I've not been surprised at all, I made sure I had an extra bottle of calpol and bought cough medicine and paracetamol in January. That's when I started (slowly) upping my supplies. I talked about it a lot in january, my husband and colleagues thought I was crazy and it wouldn't come to anything.
This is why I think the government should have been planning so much more. Little nobody farmers wife me has been following this and knew it would be serious since january so why the government haven't been able to do a better job then this I cannot understand

SecretWitch · 28/03/2020 16:29

I got an inkling when my son returned home from a trip to China in mid January. The week after he returned home is when things really began to ramp up.

Was I expecting the close of school and hoarding of loo roll..not in my dreams.

LOLeater · 28/03/2020 16:40

I think it was the concerns raised by Mumsnetters by mid January (I think) that alerted me. I’ve always been interested in dystopian fiction and played scenarios in my head anyway but it seemed to be a matter of time more than anything else.

Like a previous OP I’m surprised by how it went from nothing to this. I can’t believe that 3 weeks ago 3,000 footie fans from Madrid came to Liverpool. That shocked me on March 10th and there will be a case for both governments to answer there. 🙁

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/03/2020 16:54

Naively I never thought it would get to this stage. I thought it would be another swine flu, that a lot of people would get it but I never thought we would be on lockdown like this.

ShowerTheHorse · 28/03/2020 17:03

I still can’t believe it now and I remember hearing the news from China and was sat with my friends in the pub discussing it and saying that it wouldn’t affect us that much. It feels like an age ago I can’t believe it was only January.

Couch25k · 28/03/2020 17:04

@willowpatterns I feel your pain, I'm the same position with my new car. I know it's the least of my worries but I'm really sad as I've saved hard and waited so long....

HelgaHere1 · 28/03/2020 17:36

I think the fact that the gov was obliged to get Brexit sorted out sharpish probably ruined the chances of them paying proper attention to virus spread.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/03/2020 17:43

I think the fact that the gov was obliged to get Brexit sorted out sharpish probably ruined the chances of them paying proper attention to virus spread.

I'm not sure that's a dominant factor, given that lots of other countries (many in Europe, US and elsewhere) have similarly reacted late.

The Asian countries which had previous experience of SARS were perhaps more on the ball.

Scruffyoak · 28/03/2020 17:45

I started prepping. I expected it but it is still mind blowing

TheDrsDocMartens · 28/03/2020 17:46

I was watching China. Had started prepping a bit with Brexit and topped up. Didn’t realise how quick food goes though

Dowser · 28/03/2020 18:11

Oh Abigail..so very, very sorry.
I’d be lost , as I presume you are, at this horrible time.
Loving thoughts sent through the ether to you.

BlackeyedSusan · 28/03/2020 18:18

Some of us fucking did...and got told we were scaremongering or fucking mental, etc,etc.

If it's any consolation it is still bloody hard even with some early preps. You still had to live an hope for the best.

x2boys · 28/03/2020 18:33

Did people really understand in January , though ? I mean I know they will say they knew etc but I remember a thread around that time about it and the Op was accused of being a scarenonger We have had the Swine Flu , etc and actually I was pregnant at the time ,but it was nothing like this and there certainly. Was,nt the same panic ,I remember reading about the outbreak in Wuhan back in January and thinking that must be awful but never imagined it could get as bad here .

x2boys · 28/03/2020 18:36

I mean three weeks ago myself and some friends went to a hotel for a meal to watch a,tribute act the place was packed it's hard to imagine we could be so blase about it now .

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 28/03/2020 18:44

I got laughed at in work and by my family in January for trying to warn people. DH called me insane. I had just been keeping myself informed.

Redcrayons · 28/03/2020 18:51

No idea any of this would happen. Not even a month ago.

Possibly why some people still aren’t taking it seriously, it’s just happened so quickly.

Cherrysoup · 28/03/2020 19:06

I wouldn’t have believed it. I’m so gobsmacked by this situation.

IndecentFeminist · 28/03/2020 19:14

In January we should really have had a pretty good idea, given what was happening overseas and how many flights were still taking off. February we could have started counting down really, quarantine was a bit of a joke, flights still taking off etc.

Summer last year, yes, I'd have been horrified.

OhhhPeee · 28/03/2020 19:17

On 28th January, we booked our summer holiday. On 28th February, we bought a new car. On the 28th March, both of these things seem ridiculous!

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