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253 people under the age of 60 with no other underlying health issues had died from Covid-19 in the UK

600 replies

whenthejoyreturns · 23/05/2020 14:33

I'm in no way trying to minimise these deaths at all but I wondered if people were aware of this number. Every day we hear the number of deaths, but this is never broken down into categories that we can relate to ourselves.
30 people under the age of 45 with no other underlying health issues had died from Covid-19 in the UK.
AIBU to want people to know this because I don't think enough people realise.

OP posts:
Nihiloxica · 24/05/2020 16:10

Can’t you see the irony? Your attitude is ‘well these things happen’, yet you expect others to not think like this....

It's weird how only one type of callousness is allowed.

attackedbycritters · 24/05/2020 16:11

Many other countries can manage a test trace and isolate system that means no one , vulnerable or not, has to be in lockdown. Surely rather than arguing over lockdown we could be looking at how to move forward?

LemonPudding · 24/05/2020 16:14

This anti-intellectual nonsense has to stop.

No the casual dismissal of people's fears for their loved ones has to stop. Anti-intellectual? Bollocks.

@Nihiloxica I haven't seen a single even slightly sympathetic post from you on this subject on any thread. I wonder if you realise how you come across. Thank goodness you have nothing to do with any decisions being made.

Nihiloxica · 24/05/2020 16:17

I haven't seen a single even slightly sympathetic post from you either.

Do you know how you come across?

As someone so in love with lockdown that you don't care who is damaged by it.

I'm not sympathetic to anyone who wants to keep me and my children locked up against our will any longer.

We've given 10 weeks of our lives to protect the vulnerable and the NHS, but we're done.

ToffeeYoghurt · 24/05/2020 16:21

@attackedbycritters Yes, you're absolutely right. No idea why our government doesn't want to do that. Add in proper border restrictions (checks and quarantine before using public transport), enough PPE for frontline staff, early treatment, and masks for the public particularly for transport.
All sorted for a safer easing of lockdown - without the risks to life or economy (second wave and/or stop, start, stop, start will be terribly economically disruption).
Many other countries have managed it. No reason why we couldn't. If we wanted to.

Ethelfleda · 24/05/2020 16:30

In a public health crisis people are demanding we not discuss the statistics that pertain to the virus in case it hurts people's feelings. It's ridiculous

I’m sorry but I completely agree with this statement. I don’t agree with people resorting to emotive language in order to stop people discussing numbers and statistics. Numbers and statistics are very important when deciding how to come out of lockdown and if we come out of lockdown. This absolutely does not take away from the tragic deaths that have occurred - it is absolutely not to say that those with underlying conditions are ‘less than’ at all.
But those that aren’t and could be working and paying taxes and supporting the NHS and other benefit systems we have in place - spending money and allowing the economy to keep moving to some degree.
Let’s not refuse to be sensible about this.

The stark fact of it is, if you’re young and healthy you are at a very very low risk. That’s nobody’s fault - it just is what it is. Being offended by that fact doesn’t stop it from being true.

LemonPudding · 24/05/2020 16:31

We've given 10 weeks of our lives to protect the vulnerable and the NHS, but we're done.

You're done when the government says you're done.

10 weeks? That's nothing to save precious lives. So selfish.

formerbabe · 24/05/2020 16:35

10 weeks? That's nothing to save precious lives. So selfish.

Whose willing to give up cars? Think of the precious lives we could save.

Teenagers are being killed by knife crime...let's ban them from leaving their homes...think of the precious lives we could save.

Let's ban skiing, racing cars and all extreme sports...think of the precious lives.

SpnBaby1967 · 24/05/2020 16:36

Who do the people with health conditions/vulnerable etc think is going to pay for the medications and care that they need via the nhs, if the nhs ends up much more underfunded than they are now because the economy has been destroyed so much that there is not enough employed folk to pay the taxes for it?

When all the services the councils provide grind to a halt because there arent enough taxes to pay for it.

Suddenly there are no SEN provisions, no money.
There are no social clubs for the elderly, no money
There is no taxi service for the children who have to attend school further away, no money
That expensive medication you need to survive, gone, no money

The list goes on.

Then add in 10, 15 20 years time when our kids leave school. Jobs are a minimum & the only ones who get those jobs are the "elite" of society as they are the only ones whose affluent private schooling has meant they have had the best education and therefore have better grades.

We can scream about how folk care more for money/the economy than the lives of the elderly/vulnerable all you want but the fact is very simple, no economy, no money for the country, no money for the NHS, police, fire department, schools, care homes, and on and on and on.

We need our economy up and running and we need it soon if we are going to limit the effects this shut down has had on our country services and taxes.

We cant protect the shielded, vulnerable or the elderly if the country has no money. Its that simple. No money no furlough, no money no UC, no money no disability payments etc etc.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 24/05/2020 16:43

Do the people arguing that lockdown is causing thousands to die from cancer not realise how ridiculous they are? Lockdown won't be causing those deaths (if they happen). It's the virus causing it. If you get your way and lockdown is lifted and life gets back to normal there is a very real chance that the virus will spread exponentially again. If that happens, the NHS won't be able to cope with the numbers needing hospital admission and chemotherapy won't be continued because of the immunosuppressive effects. How will that be any different to what is currently happening?

Those demanding their right to get out and about and their children back to school - do you think you have the right to put shop workers, bus drivers, teachers etc at risk, because you are at low risk? Risk your own life if you want but you don't have the right to demand other people risk their lives on your behalf. Saying that the vulnerable can stay at home but you want your children back in school - how many under 45, healthy teachers do you think there are?

LemonPudding · 24/05/2020 16:43

I don't want it to go on forever, never said I did. But I think we should ease up very cautiously in case we need to lock down again.

Rumour has it outdoor activities can begin again, with social distancing. That's a good start. And people moving back to work, safely. No point in losing all the groundwork we've made.

Ethelfleda · 24/05/2020 16:46

you think you have the right to put shop workers, bus drivers, teachers etc at risk, because you are at low risk?

Does it not occur to you, that perhaps there are many people who work in these roles who are ALSO at low risk, and may WANT to get back to work??

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 24/05/2020 16:46

Plus, you're complaining about how bad it is for MH being isolated from other people but then saying that the vulnerable and shielded should remain isolated, long term. Err, what about their MH then because what you are asking for will necessitate them to be isolated for far longer while we wait for the virus to run through the healthy under 45 population.

Ethelfleda · 24/05/2020 16:49

Formerbabe you’re absolutely spot on.

Why are people arguing that when people with underlying health conditions dye of covid it is tragic (it is) and then essentially saying that any death that wasn’t cause by covid isn’t as much of a tragedy??

highmarkingsnowbile · 24/05/2020 16:50

Exactly, Spn!

People kill each other in cars, let's ban those. Think of the precious lives we'll save.

Some people eat too much food and some of them become ill from it, so let's allow the government to dictate what we eat to keep us safe.

Every single year, many people undergo medical treatment, usually for cancer, that makes them extremely vulnerable to all infection, but they don't expect the entire world to shut down to protect them. That wouldn't make sense. Oh, wait. It's not covid, so they don't count as much.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 24/05/2020 16:50

Does it not occur to you, that perhaps there are many people who work in these roles who are ALSO at low risk, and may WANT to get back to work?

It doesn't matter what individuals want. Individuals will risk other people. We should stay in lockdown for a bit longer, drive down cases and then gradually ease lockdown once an effective track and trace system is in place. That makes it safer for everyone and let's the majority of people get out of lockdown as safely as possible. Demanding that 20 odd million people should be kept locked down in order to let others out is just unworkable. Within that 20 million will be a lot of people necessary to get society functional again.

highmarkingsnowbile · 24/05/2020 16:55

Well, thank fuck it looks like we're not going to stay in lockdown for longer.

ToffeeYoghurt · 24/05/2020 16:58

I've not seen any 'screaming'. Certainly not from people who value economic stability and genuine sustainable recovery. As well as lives. Including the lives of those who aren't young, white, and middle class.

Who do the people with health conditions/vulnerable etc think is going to pay for the medications and care that they need via the nhs, if the nhs ends up much more underfunded
Their own taxes. Given the majority of people with prexisting conditions work. Sometimes they even become Prime Minister. Theresa May has diabetes, which is perhaps the very highest risk of all with Covid (despite being excluded from the shielding list).

How does the economy get up and running with the disruption of stop, start, stop, start? With many many off sick for weeks. How do you get the public services if the staff are off sick. Or dead.

How does the NHS operate normally when it's overrun with Covid patients. Including the young and healthy. When even more HCP are off sick. Or dead. Over 300 are already dead.

How do you know it's low or no risk to the young and healthy btw? There's risks other than death. Aside from the many people (see the threads here) ill for weeks and weeks, at this stage we don't know potential long-term complications.

It's very rare. So far. But the Kawasaki like disease has started appearing in young adults. Not just children. It might stay rare but we can't know yet. It's still early days and caution is advised.

Why not call for the simple measures required that would allow safer easing of lockdown? Other countries have managed it. We could've done the same by now.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 24/05/2020 16:58

Ok. So how will we control the spread of the virus then?

HesterShaw1 · 24/05/2020 17:02

The way other countries are surely?

daisydukes7576 · 24/05/2020 17:04

I agree OP the hole thing is ridiculous. Haven't RTFT but I'd love to know how much suicides have increased since all of this nonsense.

It's getting beyond a joke now and we are going to be living in a very unpleasant world for a long time to come unless something changes.

ToffeeYoghurt · 24/05/2020 17:04

In fact the majority of posters calling for safer easing of lockdown are doing just that. Asking that simple measures are taken first to avoid risks to the economy and lives. Like I've said, other countries have managed it.
The only people I've seen going on about neverending lockdown are those who want it immediately ended - yet for some reason don't seem to want the basic actions that would make this safer. Bizarre.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 24/05/2020 17:05

We'll, quite. They are controlling it by extensive track, trace and test, by locking down early, by closing borders, by maintaining social distancing in schools, by mask wearing in schools and the community - none of which we are doing.

Xenia · 24/05/2020 17:06

I have not supported lock down from the start nor school closure as it is not in the greater good. however I have done one walk only in 9 weeks and played my part. I have had no state help as am honest enough not to have a limited company and to have declared over £50k before tax profits so let us just hope those of us who have got nothing out of this are not the ones paying all the extra tax next year!

I would much rather increase my risk of death and that of my children in return for no lockdown but we are not being given that choice.

ToffeeYoghurt · 24/05/2020 17:12

how much suicides
Probably less than those who've killed themselves because of austerity measures and/or homelessness. Sadly they don't get this level of concern.

I'm not quite sure why people keep referring to hypothetical suicides. I do hope it's not intended as emotional blackmail. Suicide as a form of manipulation is not something that should ever be encouraged. It's exploitative of mentally ill people. It's also a known tactic of abusers.

The fact that MH services have been underfunded for years is a separate issue. Albeit one that needs to be tackled.