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AIBU?

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Original poster

lockdown for over 50's

130 replies

hullabaloo68 · 03/08/2020 18:05

As its been muted that over 50's may have to be in lockdown AIBU to think employers will be very reluctant to employ anyone in this age group

OP posts:
AlwaysLatte · 04/08/2020 00:17

What about the school run?? My husband is over 50 and I will be 50 next year. Do we keep the kids at home if no one can take them...

PhoneLock · 04/08/2020 00:23

I’m 66 and in very good health. Noone is going to lock me up

No one in good health would be locked up. That is the whole point.

Ticklemelmo · 04/08/2020 00:33

Over 50s? Some over 50s I know are healthier than me in my 20s.

BigChocFrenzy · 04/08/2020 00:37

This is just leaked from some government brainstorming sessions

Anyone who has ever brainstormed know that almost any daft idea will be listed
but will not be chosen unless the brainstorming was with the aid of hallucinogenic substances

QueenCT · 04/08/2020 00:42

It's funny how now when it's over 50s everyone is up in arms about who will look after who and what about my job and nobody is locking me up, I can't possibly do this

Nobody asked these questions when the shielding were first advised to shield... we have jobs and caring responsibilities etc etc! It's fine when it's just the "other people" affected Hmm

Everyone seemed to think it was fine for shielding to be advised because they were disabled/elderly/on deaths door and now there's a real us/them feeling coming out

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 04/08/2020 00:57

It was 70+ to lock down plus a personal risk assessment for everyone aged 50-70. If like me you are in your 50 s and at risk you are advised to stay home. If you are in your 50s and we'll then your risk assessment should say crack on. Although if it's an app who knows what it will say Grin

ilovesooty · 04/08/2020 01:03

@CherryPavlova

well that will be lots of consultants. GPs, teachers, headteachers, nurses, care staff and other key workers stuck at home - as with many of the current governments policies, I'm not sure its been terribly well thought through.
Exactly. I can't see it happening.
Pinklynx · 04/08/2020 01:11

*Also, Boris Johnson is in his fifties. Could this mean he has to quarantine himself at home for the whole winter?

Actually, would that be such a bad idea - every cloud and all of that......*

This ^^

And the rest of the government. And give them rotten WiFi signal so they can't bother us at all. Meanwhile the rest of us can take sensible precautions and get on with our lives.

No good enforcing draconian rules now. They know they should have done lockdown earlier and they're trying to cover up for that.

Pixxie7 · 04/08/2020 01:11

QueenCT@ I take your point, however more is known now when the over 70s were isolating very little was. Also if you think about it youngsters have arguably been the ones who have really been penalised.

QueenCT · 04/08/2020 01:19

@Pixxie7 but the over 70s were different to shielding, they were vulnerable, not extremely clinically vulnerable. So my parents had to obviously distance as everyone did but they didn't have to shield
The shielding were made up of everyone from babies to school age to elderly

Pixxie7 · 04/08/2020 01:30

Sorry wrong use of words.

ilovesooty · 04/08/2020 02:27

Now announced in the Telegraph that the idea has been abandoned. I expect it was only floated anyway to try to encourage people to get out for a few discounted meals.

vonny63 · 04/08/2020 03:08

Its been interesting to watch this thread evolve. The obese,old and vulnerable no one cared. The amount of times I have read that those groups should stay at home and everyone can get on with life!
No one seemed to be that bothered when BAME population is at an increased risk of death.
There is clearly a scientific reason why this is being discussed. The risk assessments at work details bringing over 50s back into the office in the last phase.

Hollyhobbi · 04/08/2020 03:29

I'm thankful I can work from home. And have a GP who is very good. I turned 50 the end of last year. If in the UK I don't think I would have gotten a shielding letter but I have high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, primary hyperparathyroidism, prediabetes and am on a high dose of Warfarin for two two DVTs caused by the primary hyperparathyroidism. I had partially successful surgery for the pHPT which means I'm still at risk of DVTs even with being on Warfarin. I also have bad osteoporosis. In March I was in the Emergency Department 4 times for severe nose bleeds. I had 5 nose bleeds since then as well, two of which were major. I don't know when I will be able to go back to the office.

Mintjulia · 04/08/2020 04:11

I’m 57 and have a 12yo. Am I supposed to stay in after I’ve done the school run? Grin

Too great a % of the workforce is over 50 to make it workable. There are roughly 9 million of us. 13 million between 50 & 66. Two thirds work, many in senior roles. Just in my family, a senior civil servant, an accountant, a nurse, a deputy head teacher..

Assessments should be for any age group, prioritised by GPs.. As a female, low bmi, non-BAME runner with no underlying conditions, I’m at much lower risk than an obese male with diabetes, in his forties, and my GP knows that.

LaureBerthaud · 04/08/2020 09:40

The obese,old and vulnerable no one cared. The amount of times I have read that those groups should stay at home and everyone can get on with life! No one seemed to be that bothered when BAME population is at an increased risk of death

I've not seen anything on this thread to justify your accusations.
It makes economic sense that those who can work do so in order to keep the economy moving. Those who are vulnerable should shield and be supported to do so. Most people between 50-65 don't automatically fall into the latter category. And how dare you say no one cares about BAME people being at increased risk Angry

romeolovedjulliet · 04/08/2020 09:58

@LaureBerthaud

The obese,old and vulnerable no one cared. The amount of times I have read that those groups should stay at home and everyone can get on with life! No one seemed to be that bothered when BAME population is at an increased risk of death

I've not seen anything on this thread to justify your accusations.
It makes economic sense that those who can work do so in order to keep the economy moving. Those who are vulnerable should shield and be supported to do so. Most people between 50-65 don't automatically fall into the latter category. And how dare you say no one cares about BAME people being at increased risk Angry

everyone is at the risk of death laure it's the end for every living thing ! that aside ALL LIVES MATTER NO MATTER WHAT SKIN COLOUR !
midgebabe · 04/08/2020 12:00

For people to suggest that the best solution is a few million people shielding..ie giving up their lives entirely...until vaccine is discriminatory and unnecessary . It doesn't matter how old they are

JellyNo15 · 04/08/2020 12:24

I am 51 and a childminder in good health. If I don't work there are five other families without childcare. DH is over fifty in good health. We are both self employed. Madness.

midgebabe · 04/08/2020 12:36

But why is it madness to suggest you stop everything just because you are lucky to be heathy but ok to suggest that someone with say diabetes has to give up everything ?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 04/08/2020 12:57

@midgebabe

But why is it madness to suggest you stop everything just because you are lucky to be heathy but ok to suggest that someone with say diabetes has to give up everything ?
It's madness because it could mean millions of healthy people having to stop work! How do you expect people to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads when they are shielding unnecessarily?
QueenCT · 04/08/2020 13:04

@PinkSparklyPussyCat but then how do you also expect the people who work FT to shield and pay their bills and keep a roof over their head? The ones on the shielding list...

This is my point, everyone is up in arms about this but nobody bothered asking how the shielding list are/were going to cope

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 04/08/2020 14:01

I would expect anyone who actually needs to shield to be able to work from home or get support if they can't. Adding millions more to the list is crazy.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 04/08/2020 14:05

I should have added that what I expect to happen and what actually happens could be two totally different things!

SummerPoppies · 04/08/2020 17:15

According to the government, I'm fit enough to work until I'm 67, then I'm not fit enough to work at all.
Make your bloody mind up Boris!
( Yes, I'm aware that the idea has apparently been abandoned )