Healthy people why are you so scared of catching covid 19?

[wakeupitsabeautifulmorning]

Serious question. I’m interested in why healthy people with no underlying problems are so unhappy about starting to get back to normal. I’m not talking about shielded people who need to stay shielded. But everyone else.

Because I might pass it on to people I love who are not as healthy as me.

Duh.

Because my husband has COPD and I dont want to pass it to him

Because my mum has heart disease

Because my brother has heart disease

So while I currently don't have it- who knows how I'd react

I'm a fit and healthy 40+ woman. I caught the flu two years ago, developed sepsis and nearly died. I don't fancy taking my chances with a virus we know nothing about or in a healthcare service that is overwhelmed. I am running a business and can't afford the time off as my business will be catastrophically affected at the moment. Also, my partner cares for his vulnerable mother, so it would also impact on him being able to visit her and she is already struggling. Let alone with the potential impact on my children catching it. So yeah, would rather shield from it at the moment if I can avoid it.

@Smilethoyourheartisbreaking We know the current level of risk? Which is why only this week some people were being told for the first time they were in the shielding group? I know a few people who were shocked at that.
And yesterday an alert was put out about an inflammation rash and covid toes.
Of course we don't know the real risk, we are learning all the time.

And because the people I know who have had it had have not been in hospital, but they have been really ill for a long time

If they had got covid before knowing about their heart issues they would have died!

No. Incorrect.

They may have been at increased risk but its not a certainity that if you have a heart condition and change covid-19 you will die. Which is what you are saying.

Thats a good example of an inability to assess risk. There are a lot of people processing this as 'if i have x condition and catch covid I'm going to die'. Which isn't true. It highlights the problem with the messaging there is being given and how people are hearing it. There is a difference.

You want to minimise the chances of getting covid, if you have a heart condition, because you MAY be more at risk. But equally, you could catch it and be asymptomatic. We don't know how the disease affects us fully. Not all heart conditions may be a problem. We just don't know.

We know it is a respiratory disease and it may be a vasular disease. You can cavet that by saying that early fears about it affecting asthmatics badly seem to be over stated on the evidence that is emerging. But we don't KNOW that yet for sure.

We've had lots of messaging that over 80s are very high risk, but we've had people over 100 recovering and this has been interpretated that under 30s have no risk at all too.

The nuance is the bit that people don't fully get.

Most people don't understand it when medical risk is explained. This includes doctors! (Much research into how doctors understand risk and explain risk - which is troubling in places!)

This q been asked so many times on here, bore off.

@cantory
So you can definitely say a vaccine will be tested, trialled and ready for the population by the end of the year? You must have some amazing insight! Considering many are saying it’s not even possible to develop a vaccine.

How stupid of me to say this isn’t guaranteed, of course you’re right. Maybe tell the government. They could announce it at today’s briefing! Vaccine guaranteed by the end of the year.

Don’t be so ridiculous and naive. Of course we have no guarantees despite what the amazing Pfizer are saying.

Many reasons. It's been deadly to healthy people as well, albeit in a small percentage. Also, from what I've read about experiences in many countries, even in healthy people the lung damage done can take a long time to recover from. Healthy marathon runners can barely walk up a flight of stairs a month after recovering. I'm worried that the lung damage done may have permanent effects - we don't know yet.

As for underlying health conditions, many of us may have them but not be aware of it. I have gone through my life so far feeling like a youngish fit healthy person who shouldn't fear something like this. Then two years ago my colleague, late thirties, super-fit, cycled to work everyday, vegetarian, basically the healthiest fittest man you've ever seen, died from flu. It turned out he had an underlying heart condition, no one had a clue, it only showed up in the autopsy.

I do not walk around feeling invincible in the slightest having lost my colleague.

Because healthy people die.

Because I have four children and I'd rather not be unwell and look after them at the same time

Because I have relatives who are vulnerable

Because I might have health conditions that I don't know about

Because I'm self employed and if I don't work, I don't earn. If I'm ill and my husband has to have time off work to look after the children, he won't get paid either.

Because I don't want to feel like shit.

I disagree the level of fear on MM especially is irrational. We do know the current levels of risk. And as with all parts of life we need to accept them. Fear is just fear of the unknown. It is not an unknown that we will all die. COVID just seems to have bought mortality closer to people lives. Even when it physically is not

Its no worse than the 'if you don't have a smear test you will die of cervical cancer' crowd.

It comes back to what I say about people generally not understanding risk and there being problems in how medical risk is communicated to people by people who should understand what they are saying (but often don't).

Thats a media issue.

In covid-19's case, there is the problem that we don't have that background knowledge of what the risk actually is. So its natural for people to be concerned. Even (especially) medical professionals are concerned about the risk.

Thats not normal.

RedToothBrush. Absolutely.

@Delatron I have just said it is not guaranteed but explained why there should be a vaccine relatively soon.
Why are you saying that I said things when I said the exact opposite?

@TheCanterburyWhales I am confused about what that graph is supposed to tell us other than that some countries have tested a lot more than others. Most people who have it won’t be tested, won’t need to be tested, because they either have his symptoms or have very mild symptoms. If you’re only testing those in hospital already of course your death rate looks high. So what exactly is that graph supposed to tell us that is of any use right now?

One would assume the actual death rate will be fairly similar in all countries given that the vast majority of people will recover without any medical assistance of any kind. Then of those who get very ill (a minority) you will just get some countries which have better healthcare than others of course.

There just aren’t as many people in the ‘healthy’ category as you think. There are over 1 million people in the shielding category. But there are millions and millions in the vulnerable category. Everyone over 70, diabetic, with asthma. That’s just a few of the list. It’s probably 20 million people. And then everyone with high blood pressure, which isn’t on the UK vulnerable list but is widely known to increase risk. That’s a quarter of people in the UK. And most of these people live with other people, have friends and family who care about them. It’s a rare individual who has both no risk factors themselves and no one they care about with risk factors.

This is like brexit threads.
Many posts giving either side of the coin to have a proper debate.
Liberally scattered with 'duh, stupid question' (the new 'all brexiteers are thick') type childish remarks which don't get anyone anywhere.

Even though personal finances haven't been discussed particularly on this thread; I am wondering how many of those suggesting it's best to stay locked up for ages are the same people who are currently receiving 80/100% of their income safely at home. And, conversely, how many of those suggesting we need to get on with life are the same people whose savings are dwindling as they are on 0 income right now.

Because my neighbour aged 42 died . No known underlying health conditions.
Not a front line worker but commutes to London until the lockdown.

Left a husband and 3 under tens paralysed with grief.

He wasn't even allowed to say goodbye.

If I am left bankrupt and my kids can't go to Uni /school but we are all alive - then that's the option I would rather take.

Would you willingly die in order to 'help the economy' and have your kids at school. ?

I'm trying to keep reminding myself that I'm probably 90% better but despite being dosed up on anti-inflammatories I still get stabbing pains in my lung upon taking a deep breath.

I know there is zero scientific evidence for this but out of all my colleagues who got C19 only one felt particularly bad. He was taking anti-inflammatories (Advil, the US equivalent of Nurofen).

He started feeling much better as soon as he switched to Tylenol (paracetamol).

Everyone else I know recovered without complications.

I'm not scared.

Thats a good example of an inability to assess risk

RedToothBrush
I think this is a key point. It's a novel virus and its impact is unpredictable and ranges from mild, temporary symptoms to life threatening. I cited earlier the bizarre and counter intuitive reports emerging that suggest smokers are less susceptible. I think the car crash analogy is flawed because the driver has control over whether their driving behaviour will increase or reduce the likelihood of a crash. But it is difficult to determine whether one's experience of Covid will be mild, fatal, or seriously affect one's health long term. That is why people are frightened.

I am not worrying about it but it doesn't exactly look like fun does it, gasping for breth like that. I guess no one wants to pass it on to the vulnerable and it seems that healthy people can randomly become severely ill and die leaving their children without a parent. Perhaps that's why??

Possibly because several of my healthy young patients have died of it recently?
Being fit and well is no guarantee of surviving at all.
I don't want to leave my ancient lovely cat an orphan, nobody would look after the old girl like I do.

The disease can leave lifelong problems, from damaged lungs to damaged heart muscles, all in healthy people!!

I know young patients who have been seriously ill with Covid, some still not fully recovered.

I'd rather wait until we get a vaccine, hopefully by the end of the year!

Because a 14 year old with no underlying health conditions died in the UK today?

Because there's been lots of apparently healthy young people who have died of this?

Because I have two colleagues who have died from this and one on life support?

Because I have people I love who I don't want to get it?