To say some people are being ridiculously hysterical?

[YoyoYOO]

It's a serious situation, of course it is and I understand the need to slow the spread. And I understand why those at particularly high risk would be extra careful.

But honestly, some of the threads on here at the moment. It is just a constant, endless circle of people slagging off their friends or family for some perceived flouting of THE RULES, panicking and losing sleep because you're not sure if you disinfected your Amazon parcel well enough, quarantining a carton of milk for 72hrs, being called a serial killer because you sat down on some grass for 10 minutes after going for a run, stopping to talk to a family member out the window after your supermarket trip is akin to the worst crime known to man.

I've never ever read or witnessed such mass hysteria before. AIBU to think that some people are going absolutely crazy?

you can bet our ancestors never behaved like some are now - hysterically quaranting their mail or frantically cleaning their shopping down.

We’re better now we have scientific thinking on our side. People did all sorts of things during Black Plague. Spanish flu a bit better but there’d still be the irrational. Crazy to think people are worse today because they leave their post unopened 24 hours.

”The first official preventive measures were implemented in August 1918; these included the obligatory notification of suspected cases, and the surveillance of communities such as day-schools, boarding schools and barracks. In October 1918, local authorities in several European countries strengthened these general provisions by adding further measures, for instance the closure of public meeting places, such as theaters, and the suspension of public meetings. In addition, long church sermons were prohibited and Sunday instruction was to last no more than five minutes.

Street cleaning and the disinfection of public spaces, such as churches, cinemas, theaters and workshops, were considered to be cornerstones in controlling the spread of Spanish flu, in addition to banning crowds outside shops and limiting the number of passengers on public transport. However, they did not prove very effective.

Among public health interventions, local health departments distributed free soap and provided clean water for the less wealthy; services for the removal of human waste, the regulation of toilets, and the inspection of milk and other food products were organized; spitting in the street was forbidden, which determined the spread of pocket spittoons, and announcements in newspapers and leaflets advertised the therapeutic virtues of water.”

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6477554/

But how is it that you never worried about the diseases before, but now you’ve changed so much, you clean your groceries?

What other diseases have we potentially been able to catch from grocery packets, that have no treatment and we have no immunity to and that kill a good number of people?

“COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging”, the guidelines read

Please stop scaremongering about groceries.

How long does the virus stay on surfaces again?

you can bet our ancestors never behaved like some are now - hysterically quaranting their mail or frantically cleaning their shopping down.

you might want to read a bit about life under the black plague, you might learn something.

hear well, I’ve nearly died from pneumonia twice. I have the vaccine so it’s a strain that’s not covered.

If it’s an unknown strain, how do we know what it was and how I got it? We don’t. My immune system is compromised, yes.

Meningitis can be spread by respiratory droplets. Do you worry about that as well?

I’m nit suggesting you should, just wondering why this in particular has set so many people off. We should publish annual flu and pneumonia deaths. Most of those had the vaccine.

@LilacTree1 there arent usually new viruses rapidly spreading through the community, more dangerous and more easily transmissible than flu, understanding of which is only just developing. I am high risk. I can reduce my risk from flu massively with vaccination. Currently the only way I can mitigate risk from covid-19 is by avoiding contact with the virus. So that's the reason for the change in behaviour personally.

Plus my friends and colleagues in the NHS are under a huge strain. I can't attend work. I can help by doing what I can not to spread the virus further.

This is the problem, people just ignore what the experts actually say. You have the World Health Organisation, Government, university professors etc... Saying that you're not going to catch CV because you didn't bleach your shopping before you put it away and everyone's still like 'YEAH BUT...'

Back in Real Life people round here are getting on , helping neighbours, parks mostly empty, supermarkets quiet pretty well stocked. Just getting through this.

Personally I think all the frothing and drama takes place, AS ALWAYS, on line. This OP is just a froth about about others froth and a general above it all swipe at people's worries and fears " never seen hysteria like it" and quite a convoluted bit of one upmanship.

Actually never seen any hysteria around this whole situation in R L and the best way to do that OP is step away from the computer.

Sylv but you’ll probably get it at some point.

Obviously you do you, I’m just surprised at how many people are scared of this but apparently never worried about other illness.

Little do you not think it lasts on surfaces for certain amount of hours depending on surface?

Hildegard thanks for your service.

Just a bit dense to wonder why people are stressed and panicking. This is a situation where it is better to err on the side of caution.

It can last on hard surfaces up to 72 hours but it GREATLY REDUCES during that time and so the likelihood of you catching it from food packaging is VERY UNLIKELY as per the experts advice that I've posted 3 times now. Which I think is worth more than someone saying otherwise on MN.

It's like this morning, there was a poster scared because she hadn't quarantined her parcel for 72hours. People were encouraging it and it's nonsense. What we should be doing is encouraging people to look at the actual advice rather than playing into their anxiety by saying OH MY GOODNESS YES YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST GO AND STICK YOUR PARCEL IN THE GARAGE FOR 72hrs.

The comment on the first page is so true.

When we're being angry at each other we're not being angry at the government.

I'm getting really angry at how people are spending time and energy on the tiny few who drive to the beach and not the utter failure of our government. I've never been massively proud of my country or anything close. But the way people have behaved has actually changed my view of the people on this country. In a way I'm not sure will ever go away. Its actually very sad how nasty an viscous so many people are.

“ But the way people have behaved has actually changed my view of the people on this country. In a way I'm not sure will ever go away. Its actually very sad how nasty an viscous so many people are.”

Yes, I’m embarrassed to be British at the moment. Never thought I’d say that.

What we should be saying is OP calm down. There's nothing to suggest that it is transmitted via packaging, here's the links to ACTUAL advice/guidelines/expert discussions on the subject, go and wash your hands, you'll be fine. But people prefer to play into the hysteria.

I love the thought that people weren’t as hysterical over these sorts of things in the past, no right thinking person would venture out their home without something nice to smell in mid 1660s London. A few people unexpectedly dropped dead in your village? That old woman who lives on her own looks dodgey, let’s throw her in the duck pond to see what she’s made of! Weather a bit dodgy let’s sacrifice something. As for the Plague doctors PPE! Feeling ropey? Stick a leech on it.

People washing their own shopping harms nobody.

People out and about meeting up with friends, hanging around the streets, spitting and coughing on people puts others at risk. As does the constant stream of visitors to next door. This isn’t the time for family and friends BBQ’s and fire pits.

A BBQ in the garden with the people you live with - fine. Some people have to push the boundaries a bit more and then a bit more.

Ok @littlemcjiggle Our delivery driver was carrying my kitchen rolls wedged between his chin and shoulder. When I brought the packet it I kept the rolls and threw away the plastic. He may have had covid-19 and I have a 10-15% chance of dying if I get it (hard to be sure as compound risks arent clear). I understand the broad advice about food. However just because a tin contains beans it doesn't ward off virus in a way a door handle wouldn't. So I'll err on the side of caution. Let's remember we were being told a month ago that you had to be in close proximity for 15 mins to spread the virus.

If that makes me hysterical, so be it.

Teens “ People washing their own shopping harms nobody.“

But they are the sort who will report me if they think I’ve been out twice, or for unnecessary goods.

The government needs to start a “calm down” campaign!

224 THOUSAND people died in the UK ALONE during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919 and you can bet our ancestors never behaved like some are now - hysterically quaranting their mail or frantically cleaning their shopping down.

Probably because they had less understanding about infection control 🤷🏻‍♀️

If people had been more 'hysterical' about it right from the start (myself included), maybe I wouldn't have nearly died from the virus in hospital. Thankfully I pulled through...but it is a long road to recovery. Everyone should snap out of the 'it's just the flu, no need to worry' mindset for good. It's NOT just the flu...it's a vicious vicious illness.

People washing their own shopping harms nobody

No but comments like Do you think that covid-19 can't be spread by an infected person touching items in a shop/warehouse/delivery process? Does the virus die magically once it crosses my front door? do. They play into the hysteria that we're all going to catch it from our food packaging and it's rubbish if you actually bother to look into it at all.

If people want to wash their shopping then whatever but don't pretend it's the recommended thing to do or that it's proven to make any difference at all because it isn't.

And in case you're wondering, I'm not old, younger than 50