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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you travel within the UK at the moment?

154 replies

Thymelord · 01/03/2020 15:47

We are due to travel from the north west to see family in Edinburgh, on 12 March. We had planned to go by train. I think we should cancel and not go because of Corona, husband thinks I am being dramatic and overreacting massively. What would you do?

I am very anxious a lot of the time so will accept I might be being ridiculous!

OP posts:
SusanneLinder · 01/03/2020 17:29

Yes I am concerned about Coronavirus, but it wouldn't occur to me to cancel UK trips. I wouldn't book Italy, China etc at moment, but would still go abroad too.
In fact, just booked Edinburgh myself for April.

Meruem · 01/03/2020 17:31

Of course there is the argument that if we all voluntarily limited our non essential travel right now, we may avoid the need for harsher restrictions later on!

PleasantVille · 01/03/2020 17:35

No, my family and I will not be going anywhere we don't have to for the forseeable future

And what is special about the places you have to go to that means they are safe?! There is no logical sense to that approach at all, I assume you know the handwashing/tissue etc advice so why would the risk be greater to go to somewhere that isn't essential? I just can't get this way of thinking

Your supermarket shopping could have been touched by someone with the virus, it's not coming from a sterile bubble.

penguinsonaslide · 01/03/2020 17:41

And what is special about the places you have to go to that means they are safe?! There is no logical sense to that approach at all, I assume you know the handwashing/tissue etc advice so why would the risk be greater to go to somewhere that isn't essential? I just can't get this way of thinking

Absolutely nothing at all, but the fewer places you go to, the less chances you are taking. I shall have less chance of contracting the virus if I get my shopping online and avoid social gatherings than someone who goes to the supermarket 4 times a week, travels daily on the tube to work, works in an air conditioned office and then goes out to dinners, the theatre and concerts.

Not sure what is so difficult to understand about that realy.

penguinsonaslide · 01/03/2020 17:41

*really!

penguinsonaslide · 01/03/2020 17:42

And also it isn't just about you. It's about people you risk spreading it too. Personally, I am not worried about catching the virus because I am in a low risk group.

Aridane · 01/03/2020 17:59

Some travel is necessary, some is unavoidable, but personally for me, I will be limiting all non-essential travel until the outbreak is contained. For other people's sake as much as my own.

I will do this too when the FCO advises against all non essential travel anywhere in the world.

In the meantime, life goes on

Meruem · 01/03/2020 18:02

And it's exactly that attitude that will see UK cases rise. You'll probably be ok and are probably in a low risk group. So what if Joe Bloggs grandma dies. It's nothing to you so long as you can live your life to the full.

myself2020 · 01/03/2020 18:24

@meruem there is no difference between going to your local supermarket and to edinburgh in regards to the risk of catching/spreading it. better self-isolate for the next year or so!

penguinsonaslide · 01/03/2020 18:27

Meruem

if that was directed at me, I think you missed my point - I was saying that I would be self isolating as much as possible DESPITE being a low risk group - to minimise the risk of passing it on to others.

myself2020

No there isn't but surely you can see that someone who self isolates as much as they can (online shopping, avoiding social gatherings) is much less likely to catch or pass on the virus than those who just go about their lives as normal?

Aridane · 01/03/2020 18:28

@Meruem

What breathtaking arrogance- absolutely breathtaking - to think you know better than the WHO, UK government and the CDC.

With apologies though if you suffer health anxiety rather than thinking you know better than WHO

Jem2510 · 01/03/2020 18:28

You're being ridiculous 😂 Scotland is the only UK country to not have any cases so I'd hedge my bets you'd be safe.

Meruem · 01/03/2020 18:30

@penguinsonaslide

No. My post was to @Aridane

penguinsonaslide · 01/03/2020 18:31

Scotland is the only UK country to not have any cases so I'd hedge my bets you'd be safe.

And presumably Scotland would like it to stay that way.

Meruem · 01/03/2020 18:35

@Aridane

I don’t have health anxiety and I don’t think i know better than the WHO. But I am looking at the bigger picture and the long term effects we might see here. Or we can just carry on as we are and end up with higher and higher numbers of cases. And you really think the uk government cares about us on an individual level? That’s naive to the extreme. There’s nothing wrong with suggesting we take steps now to mitigate the chance of more extreme measures.

ElizabethMountbatten · 01/03/2020 18:35

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the request of the OP.

Aridane · 01/03/2020 18:36

the WHO continues to advise against unnecessary travel restrictions.

Ironically what will decimate the world’s economy is not coronavirus but panic

As posters apparently without health anxiety are doing

Jem2510 · 01/03/2020 18:36

Yes I would but I refuse to be concerned. Life goes on. I could be knocked down dead tomorrow. I follow strict hygiene protocol, like we should always, not just when there's a scare.

Meruem · 01/03/2020 18:38

Well just don’t come complaining when all the schools need to close and other measures are put in place.

penguinsonaslide · 01/03/2020 18:40

As posters apparently without health anxiety are doing

I'm not panicking. Sorry if it makes you feel better to think that I am.

Clarinet53 · 01/03/2020 18:43

I'd not call off my trip as long as the whole party is well. Just read up on the advice and have plenty of alcohol hand rub. It'll help to avoid any normal nasties.

I have to admit I was a bit worried at first as I spend my days meeting people in their homes and businesses. I am just using the hand rub stuff before and after visits to ensure that I keep any risk low

Jem2510 · 01/03/2020 18:50

Meruem why would I complain? You're assuming that that would bother me. My kids school has closed before because of norovirus and I was glad of it. If everybody followed good hygiene then we wouldn't be in this mess. People send their kids to school when they're still unwell. Don't stop travel, look at more sustainable ways to stop it spreading

BabyWenger · 01/03/2020 19:09

A tiny tiny minority of people are ill. I've been to London twice and to Bristol in the last week.

You're more likely to get struck by lightning. I also have a long-standing anxiety disorder.

Meruem · 01/03/2020 19:21

The thing I’m struggling with on thIs thread is that everyone is just thinking about themselves. I am in a moderate risk group. I’m 50 and a smoker. So going by what I’ve read, I would suffer if I caught it but my risk of dying isn’t that high. My DC are 29 & 30. Non smokers and healthy, so they’d likely be ok. But my mum is in her 70’s. My niece has a heart condition, my uncle has reduced lung function due to cancer. They could be at serious risk. I don’t care about getting it myself but I care about them, you are contagious before symptoms show up. Their health comes before my desire to do some leisure activity. Yes the risk is low right now but you only have to look at Italy to see how quickly the numbers can rise. That isn’t health anxiety, it’s just wanting to lessen the risk to the people I love.

JemimaMuddledUp · 01/03/2020 19:27

I'm booked to go to a conference in Stirling in April. Will be travelling by train. As things stand at the moment I'll be going, but obviously I'll reassess the situation closer to the time.

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