AIBU to be a bit surprised that nobody in my RL seems to be bothered about coronavirus?

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

Maybe it’s because I have an eight week old DS but I’m getting quite concerned about the virus and the impact it could potentially have.
I know there’s been a bit of hysteria on here and I’m not trying to I whip up more but I’m genuinely surprised that people in my day to day life do not even seem slightly concerned about it.
Most seem to be taking the attitude that it’s just another flu, which it categorically is not - and there’s a lot of questionable personal hygiene about!

AIBU to be surprised at this? Do people not read the news anymore?

Statistically you're more likely to get eaten by a shark.

So far, the likelihood to get it is small. Kids and babies are not particularly vulnerable to it - its more your parents’ generation that should be concerned . so i would get the elderly panicking, but not parents

Whilst I am aware of how easily it would be to get out of hand there is nothing that I can do other than follow authorities guidance.

I am also aware that in relation to all the other things I do everyday it is extremely low down on the list of risky things.

Honestly everytime I get in the car and drive I am at far far more risk than catching and dying from coronavirus. It does seem to be that people panic when they can't assess the true risk of things around them.

The shocking ignorance on this thread is your answer OP.

Most people don't know what the fuck they're talking about because they haven't bothered to read any information properly.

We’ve read the news and weighed up the risk - including how serious it can be and how likely we are to get it. Maybe it’s YOU that’s the anomaly, OP.

Fliatygoat

So what should everyone be doing?

So what should people do if it is highly contagious and it has already spread everywhere? Best strategy is to get it early when medical resources are not overstretched and you can still get medical support for it if you need it. Later on, hospitals will be packed. Not much else you can do.

@Turtletotem my two boys are exactly the same. I joke that they have it but how would you even know because not everybody would be deathly sick. Incidentally, they've been the sickest I've ever known them but are now recovering

What is being concerned going to do? I haven't travelled to China, Singapore, or anywhere else strongly linked to the virus, nor do I personally know anyone who has, so isolating myself is pretty pointless.

I would suggest this is your anxiety speaking.

Why would you want people to worry?

What will that achieve? Why would you want people to develope anxiety about it.

Why is you level of worry about it more correct than theirs?

Bitofnamechanging
I'm glad your boys are feeling a bit better now. Hopefully a rest over half term will do them all good.

For people in good health, it mostly really is just another type of flu.

I do remember the absolute terror of thinking that anything could happen to my precious baby though, I think if it wasn't Corona virus, you would be worried about something else. The feeling never quite goes away but it does reduce over the years.

. It would be nice if other mother's were maybe a bit kinder?

I’m not saying I’m the correct level of aware - I don’t think you either need to be madly anxious or think everything is going to be fine but there’s also a distinct lack of middle ground in the people I talk to. I think being more aware of the possible spread might mean that people are a bit more conscious of coughing and sneezing at people etc

And it’s not comparable to flu.

But you’re right a lot of people have probably weighed up the risks and just think it’s not worth discussing, I just don’t agree!

@Mustbetimeforachange
You say 800 people died of measles in the UK last year. Of course they didn’t. Typically 1 or so die a year. Educate yourself.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-deaths-by-age-group-from-1980-to-2013-ons-data/measles-deaths-by-age-group-from-1980-to-2013-ons-data

@BillywilliamV thank you! As I’ve acknowledged this most likely does feed into my perception.
I just thought more people would be talking about it, is all, and in my experience they’re not but maybe it’s just my circle

Whilst panicking helps no-one, I kind of agree with the op. I took my DM to our main hospital yesterday for an appointment and saw lots of people coughing away, none were using tissues as advised, hardly anyone used the anti bac hand gel, etc. Tbh I was horrified.

I've just been reading an article in the DMail (sorry!) where a scientist has estimated that there could be 400k deaths here in the UK from covid. Very sobering to read.

I agree that of course people shouldn’t be panicking but the ‘Well I’ll be fine’ attitude on here and in real life does piss me off, especially when people say only the immune-compromised people are dying from it. I have a baby, elderly relative and person with a weakened immune system in my family. Don’t tell me not to be worried about them.

I move on scientific circles, we do a lot of risk analysis. The risk of dying, to any healthy individual ( including healthy babies ) is very small. Less than 1 in 500 people. But the risk to over stretching health services, with maybe an extra 3 out of every 500 people having an extended stay in hospital, is massive. This is why governments quarantine!

Yes it’s a very nasty and possibly deadly strain of flu.

It is not a strain of flu.

That’s interesting thank you @BillywilliamV

Dennis you are aware of the implications of this coronavirus in a way that most people are not.

what you are seeing here seems to be a good reflection of what you describe in real life.
It is nothing to do with being a new mum. Everyone who becomes a new parent is suddenly a lot more conscious of potential threats . I do think everyone has different approaches to threat, regardless of their background or situation in life.

People behave like this in the pre pandemic and early pandemic stages for a variety of reasons.

I know when I see the lack of understanding and outright misinformation that some people have there is quite a strong urge to correct and clarify things but I think I’m past that now.

I think this is something to be taken seriously. It has potential to be extremely disruptive to our lives. Human health wise, it is far more likely than anything else in our lifetimes to have acute and transformational consequences.

I am not reading the newspapers, I am listening to
Jeremy Farrar ( head of the wellcome trust
Neil Ferguson ( MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, imperial)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ( head of WHO)
My colleagues in virology, epidemiology and respiratory medicine.

Don’t be put down by people here. Just calmly continue your daily life, as you are.

Ps congratulations on your new baby!

Haven't you seen the statistics about deaths from ordinary flu? Average of 17,000 people died in each of last few years. No one panics about that.

But when they’re predicting a possibility of 400,000 deaths in the uk it’s not really comparable @dogsdinnerlady

Because you know sensible, non hysterical, non media supporting scaremongering idiots? Congratulations on having a sensible friend base. You're in the minority.