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 have awful health anxiety, PTSD, and emetophobia so just the thought of getting ill is enough to give me chest pain and breathlessness.

Because I have two disabled DC as well as two other DC who all need me and rely on me.

Because DH is a vulnerable person and high risk if he was to catch it. One of my parents and my FIL are shielded people. I don't want to risk passing it to them.

Healthy people die from it. I'm not willing to gamble my life as things stand at the moment. Once infection rates are lower than they are right now and more is known about transmission/prevention/treatment then I will probably feel differently.

@randomerwell obviously anyone can get it.

I got asthma as an adult from flu and never got over it. If I was a healthy person with no underlying health conditions I would be more blase but just to be clear there is not 100% guarantee that you will be over it in a few days with no lasting effect on your health or that you won't be one of those admitted to hospital. It is a huge gamble.

I think being in lock down watching the news has made me scared. If I started getting out more and if life was a bit more normal I would probably be ok.

It's not just about being healthy.

We are over 65 but would be classed as healthy (as far as we know.)

Statistically we are at a higher risk.

I think people find it very difficult to assess risk. I'm vulnerable as my immune system is compromised but I'm not particularly worried any more than I am about, eg, crossing a busy road. A very small number of people (mainly older people) without underlying health conditions have died. Yes, every death is a tragedy but young, otherwise healthy people die all the time from a myriad of causes. You have to find a way to live alongside that knowledge.

I just assume I’m going to get it at some point! Most of us will I think? Especially without a vaccine. We can’t all hide away for years...

So I’ve mentally dealt with this. I’ve looked at the stats and the death rate for my age group and that doesn’t scare me. But I’ve had breast cancer and my chance of dying from that was much higher so some tiny percentage really doesn’t bother me.

I’m not looking forward to being ill for a month or so though. I’ll have to not work (physical job) etc. And I’m a competitive runner so that will go and take a long time to get back. So it’s those parts that worry me.

I agree that most people’s risk assessment is completely off with this disease. But I guess that’s understandable.

I'm not worried about getting it but I do understand why other people are worried.

So for those worried about passing it on to their elders or those with underlying health conditions, when will you come out of isolation?

Aren’t the young and healthy likely to be helping by getting it and recovering. Although not proven it is highly probable that immunity will result for a year or so. Like the other mild Coronaviruses.

And if people are so scared the best thing they can do is lose weight and get healthy with diet and moderate exercise.

Because I live with someone who probably should be in the shielded group

For every story about someone saying it's the worst illness they've ever had, I know of several people who have had it very mildly (and generally confirmed cases because they're doctors etc). They're generally back at work now and suffered no ill effects. Likewise, I know of several previously young and healthy people who have been seriously ill or left disabled by the flu or measles. That's the nature of life sadly.

Also I work with a gentleman who has various underlying health conditions and only recently had surgery. He had confirmed Covid however lost nothing more than his sense of smell.

With any new virus we won't understand the full repercussions of the illness until it's been around for some time.

OP you seem to be mixing up vulnerable people and shielded people. Vulnerable people are a larger group including pregnant women, people with asthma and diabetes. Once lock down ends they will have to go back to work.
Shielded people are a much smaller group who are particularly vulnerable.

So do you mean truly healthy people, or are you including the vulnerable group as well?

What if we have to start going back into work in a couple of weeks after this lockdown? What do you think you’ll do?

Live with the terror of possibly infecting my DH and deal with the mental load of causing his death like I did before lockdown? Or quit my job and starve. One of those two I reckon.

I wasn’t worried and then I got it and it was quite scary as you feel really ill. I felt lucky that it didn’t affect my breathing but you have that constant fear of how bad is it going to get. Plus as everyone is saying healthy people from all age groups have died. I don’t actually know why I wasn’t more worried before I contracted it!

Because I don't ant to spread it to more vulnerable people
Because I don't want to be one of the few unlucky ones that ends up dead or seriously ill despite no underlying conditions
And just because I don't really fancy being sick with anything, at any time.
I wouldn't say I am scared though. I am worried and cautious, but not scared to the point of not doing what I have to do.

If you are saying that the most vulnerable will still be shielded and the rest work from home or still be furloughed. I agree that is probably what will happen . However the syndrome in children that is possibly connected is very worrying .

I agree OP. I keep reading young healthy people declaring they're "terrified" of it, and saying they won't be sending their children back to school if they reopen etc.

Ok some younger healthy people have died but realistically the chances are so so low, you're far more likely to die of something else. Ditto children. And if the alternative is staying in forever more and not travelling and millions more job losses, I'll happily take my chances against covid and what will be will be.

It's could well be pretty unpleasant. I suspect that worries people, even healthy ones. But mainly, perhaps they just don't want to spread it to their aged or vulnerable loved ones and, you know, inadvertently kill them.

Because of passing it on.

It is not staying in for ever more though.

Uh... perhaps because we don’t want to die? Or potentially pass it on and kill someone else? Tit 🙄

Because it's a KILLER. Everyone will get it and we are all going to die! Or at least that's the demented point of view. I'm not the least bit bothered by it but am very concerned about the economy ( and yes I know I have personally ended 100s of lives even by having that sentiment)

Because the normal flu almost killed me a few years ago. I was really ill for a long time and have some long term issues from it.

Also worried about catching it and passing it on to my vulnerable parents.