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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To Cancel Holiday...

46 replies

NotSoGoodFaith · 14/02/2020 22:12

because of Coronavirus?

It's a European city, very busy and touristy (planned holiday is in a month's time.) I'm concerned about the place itself, the airports, etc...

Relevant: I do have an underlying health condition that could potentially make me more vulnerable.

I can't decide whether I'm being overly anxious and reading too much media coverage, or whether I should leave it and reschedule.

OP posts:

ElloBrian · 14/02/2020 22:17

Seek medical advice?

Thedogscollar · 14/02/2020 22:17

I would 100% go. No ifs no buts just go and enjoy. As you say you are fit and healthy. Life is for living.

TokyoSushi · 14/02/2020 22:17

You're being overly anxious, if the holiday was to China or even Asia, fair enough but not to Europe unless your underlying condition is very severe.

Thedogscollar · 14/02/2020 22:20

Sorry just seen you said you had an underlying medical condition. Depending on severity of your condition I'd still be on the side of going on holiday.

Sparklesocks · 14/02/2020 22:23

As long as the home office hadn’t warned against it I would still go. I live and work in London anyway so going to another busy city wouldn’t make much difference!

85notout · 14/02/2020 22:30

Do you live in a very populated area or are you very rural .
?

anonacfr · 14/02/2020 22:37

Depends where it is.
I guess we might find the virus has gone crazy everywhere in a month's time.
Right now I would definitely keep my options open.

Lailaha · 14/02/2020 22:53

There's an article in the Telegraph about how to minimise your risks on public transport.

The most hideously germ-laden bit are the trays at security control - so wash hands or antibac immediately after so you don't accidentally touch your face first.

Next worst is the chip and pin pads in any chemist store.

On the plane, the best seat is a window in the middle. The issue there is people (and staff) walking up and down, not the recirculating air, so ideally, you want to be far from the aisle and with only one person sitting next to you.

But it really depends on the underlying health condition imo. Asthma - crack on. Immunocompromised - follow telegraph tips and possibility reconsider altogether. As things are now, today, anyway.

Banana0pancakes · 14/02/2020 22:54

I totally get why you're worried. All you can do is go with your gut. If you'll be so worried you're going to end up ill that you won't enjoy it then I'd just reschedule it.

Srictlybakeoff · 14/02/2020 23:08

I am also thinking about cancelling my holiday in March . But it’s to Asia. And I’m cancelling not because I’m worried about getting Coronavirus but because I wouldn’t want to bring it back. I am however going to book a trip to Copenhagen if that happens because I would have no worries about Europe - unless things change dramatically which I don’t think will happen very quickly .

nellodee · 14/02/2020 23:09

Right now, your risks are very low across all of Europe, and you have the compensation that if you were incredibly unlucky and caught the virus, you'd get the very best of care, because the health service is not currently overrun. I do not imagine your risk would be much higher in Europe than it is in the UK.

nellodee · 14/02/2020 23:10

Also, maybe wait, and make the decision a couple of days before the trip? See how things have progressed by that point?

LEELULUMPKIN · 14/02/2020 23:19

I wouldn't cancel and I too have an underlying health issue. In fact I am travelling to Asia in March and unless the Country closes it's borders or the government advice is not to go, I will definitely be there.

I have no fear of illness and death, life is for living to it's fullest.

Original poster

NotSoGoodFaith · 15/02/2020 12:49

Thanks all...

@LEELULUMPKIN - I wish I could take that view, I do get very anxious!

@nellodee - I think that's basically the plan, but of course there's a lot of money to lose that way!

@Thedogscollar - it's not a serious condition in day-to-day, but if it did cause a problem it would be...

OP posts:

MitziK · 15/02/2020 12:52

Did you take out travel insurance at the time of booking? A lot of policies provide for refunds if the government advise against travel.

In any case, as you have an underlying health issue, you should have been insured from the outset and cover for the condition agreed.

Original poster

NotSoGoodFaith · 15/02/2020 13:16

Well we do have insurance - but currently advice to this country isn't restricted, so I don't think it'd count?! Anyway, the money - whilst a pain - wouldn't be the deciding factor.

It's more about the risk of getting it, bringing it home, I have kids etc to think about too. I was reading the other thread about Coronavirus on here, and a lot of people seem pretty worried.

OP posts:

LEELULUMPKIN · 15/02/2020 13:27

OP I know health anxiety can be a crippling thing so I do understand your concerns and hope my post didn't seem flippant.

I was very seriously ill almost 15 years ago and in a coma for two weeks during which my family were told to prepare for the worst. Yet here I am and this is the reason for my state of mind.

Whilst I was recovering I thought about all the things that I might not have got to do or places I might have seen or experienced and from that day on, I have tried to make every second count.

Travel is an essential part of my life and without it, I might well as not be here anyway.

I do hope you go but that is obviously your call, I just wanted to share my experience, sorry if it no help whatsoever!

Bigearringsbigsmile · 15/02/2020 13:30

It would be mad to cancel.
Genuinely, properly mad.

Go and enjoy yourself.

Original poster

NotSoGoodFaith · 15/02/2020 13:31

@LEELULUMPKIN no, not flippant at all - I appreciate the perspective and outlook! :) Glad to hear you recovered so well from your illness.

OP posts:

AlternativePerspective · 15/02/2020 13:38

I agree with @ LEELULUMPKIN life is for living. We’re all going there one day anyway and realistically no-one knows when that is going to be so you have to live the life you have.

I have a serious underlying medical condition caused by the flu of all things three years ago. Spent time on life support then went in for routine heart surgery in May and was told that I couldn’t have it as it would be fatal. I crashed and had to be defibrilated and all in all spent seven weeks in hospital over the summer during which I also had a cardiac arrest and family were told it was hour by hour as to whether I would pull through.

Was then told I would be ineligible for a transplant which was my only hope so I was being sent home to die.

I’ve had some procedures to improve my quality of life and change certain dynamics which mean that I should be eligible for a transplant when the time comes, and the time will come, I am hovering just on the right side of the list at the moment.

If I catch corona I am in a very high risk category. But in truth even underlying conditions aren’t a certainty of death from this virus and even then there’s no certainty that I’m going to catch it. But if I do then so be it. We all have to die of something, and no that’s not meant to be flippant, but it’s true, and the chances of actually dying are still minuscule anyway. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow and yet you don’t stop crossing roads because of that very real risk which happens to people every day as opposed to the only nine out of 60 milllion people in the UK who have been diagnosed with Coronavirus, all of whom are still alive.

I have no plans to alter my life in any way shape or form and tbh I find the hysteria quite baffling although I blame the media whole-heartedly.

greeneyedlulu · 15/02/2020 13:40

To be fair I'm in 2 minds about travelling abroad this year. I think the destination would be fine but it's the travelling through airports that's worrying me. I know that probably sounds ridiculous but with 2 young children I think it would make me so anxious. Go with your gut feeling

LEELULUMPKIN · 15/02/2020 13:44

I'm not one for cheesy inspirational quotes, just this one.

"Your life consists of two dates and a dash. It's the dash that counts".

katewhinesalot · 15/02/2020 13:59

I'm not even sure if the insurance would pay out even if the advice is not to travel. - Force of nature and all that. i'm sure if they can find a way to avoid paying out they will.

FatKate · 15/02/2020 14:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Roussette · 15/02/2020 14:03

Sorry OP but it's beyond me why anyone would worry about travelling somewhere in Europe. I appreciaate you have a health condition but still.... and we are older and my DH has a health condition too. Which would make us far more susceptible than young children.

We're off in a week to somewhere in Europe and over the other side of the world in less than 2 months time. to somewhere pretty remote involving 2 stops and 18 hours on a plane. It hasn't occurred to me that this is a problem because life's for living. I wouldn't be going to HK, Singapore or China at the moment but apart from that, nowhere's off limits for us. We are sensible, we will take care wherever we go, but that's it.

I too find it baffling that people are so scared nowadays, I blame the media. It's like the thread with the poster who was worried she'd ordered a chinese takeaway. Bonkers.

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