do you know anyone personally who has died from Covid?

[greystarblanchard]

Just that really. Posting here for traffic.

After a conversation with my mother we both agreed that people who have actually personally lost someone due to Covid are more likely to take it more seriously. Have you lost someone? Has this affected your attitude towards the virus and your own behaviour?

Yes, in my friend group there have been multiple losses and more than a few positive tests.

My uncle had it, and has “recovered”, which is to say he is alive but still experiencing respiratory issues six months later. Another friend of mine got ill with it in March and spent 71 days intubated. He’s classed as recovered but is now an amputee, thanks to the blood clotting.

It doesn’t change how I feel about the virus, but we take sensible precautions and have continued to home school, avoid large indoor gatherings, don’t go out to eat and we wear masks. In exchange we will continue to be able to see my parents and grandparents without worrying we are passing something along.

Don’t know anyone who’s had it. Someone’s grandmother thought she’d had it way back after returning from a ski resort in Austria but it wasn’t confirmed.

It hasn’t touched my life at all.

Of course if you feel vulnerable or have known someone suffer with it, you will feel differently. What I do see first-hand is people suffering the effects of loneliness and isolation due to restrictions.

I firmly believe people need to manage their own risk and not rely on children and healthy adults to stop the virus for them. It’s out there and we have to learn to cope. The current situation is untenable and I don’t understand why so many people think living in fear of a disease that most people won’t get outweighs the mental health and happiness of the country at large.

Before you start, I do wear a mask when required and follow the rules. I do not believe it is hoax. I do think the reaction to it is baffling and completely disproportionate to the numbers affected.

Yes and know several people who have had it

No but know two people that died as an indirect consequence- operations/treatment for other things were delayed and they then died before it happened.

No.

But I believe I had it quite badly in March/early April.

I do take it seriously and always have done. I've lost a fair few friends over it, too, who thought I was 'overreacting'.

No one that I know of, and for that matter virtually no one that anyone i know. knows of either! But we are in a veru low infection rate area.

One infected and recovered DD who works in the NHS front line caught it she hardley remebered it just a day she felt odd and couldnt smell anything which was before that bacame a known about symptom.

She has had an antibody test and is loaded with them!

Not someone close to me but my SIL father died from it.
She is incredibly strict on the rules now and won't socialise inside even within the six people rule.
I'm not as strict as that but follow the rule of six, face masks and hand washing but I did that anyway.

Yes
Two work colleagues (both in their 50's) and a man in his 40's who died of a stroke when he had Covid.
A colleagues elderly father also died of it but I don't know him personally.
I am a nurse and worked throughout the last peak, people die of Covid it's not a conspiracy.

I know 2 people. Neither were old or in ill health.one was 48. He had asthma but was v fit and worked full time, exercised, not overweight etc. The other was around 60,again active, did sport and worked full time
Another super fit friend was seriously unwell in hospital with it.
I feel quite nervous about covid and wear a mask in busy places outdoors as well as shops, and we're not going out for meals, to peoples house etc....but I havent quarantined shopping or post.
As someone whose DH is SE and neither of is can wfh I'm really torn between thinking we should have stricter measures, and wanting to carry on more normally to be able to work.

Know a few who think they had it (before testing was available to anyone other than key workers)
Don't know anyone who's died of it or been hospitalised.
Doesn't mean I'm taking it any less seriously.

I don't personally know anyone who has died, but do know people who have been ill, most not seriously and one with just a loss of taste and smell,but one on ventilator during lockdown).

I take it seriously. I am being coughed and sneezed on by small children. I am completely avoiding real life contact elderly family members.

No- I know people who have had positive tests for it though and their response ranged from

Female late 30's healthy- asymptomatic

healthcare professional on covid ward- male 50's- flu like symptoms for a week

Female 39 hospitalised for 2 days but sent home ( overweight and asthmatic) no long term problems

Male- 67 slightly overweight but no other co-morbidities- hospitalised for 10 days but not ventilated

No, I don’t know of anyone personally who has died or tested posted Covid 19. I am happy to stick to the government guidelines and will continue to take it seriously.

Yes, several, mostly older relatives of friends in care homes.

No, I am in a low occurrence area, and although I know a couple of people that have had it, including being quite frightened and ill, none of them have died, and death rates round here are quite low.

I really really don't want to get chronically ill or even just have to take a month off, so I'm taking the precautions I can at work (as in contact with students) but my children are at schools with no SD/measures really, so it's more likely to come through them than any other way. I am cutting down on socializing/shopping and not seeing relatives so much now they are back at school and I'm at work because our risk levels are already elevated and I'm partly trying to protect the other people.

I still find it weird that so many people are symptomless. Our uni has cases and they were found through mass testing not through symptoms (they have a contract with a private company to test).

I know two people who have died from Covid and one who was hospitalised and on a ventilator. The two who died were male and in their 60's. One who had no known health conditions, the second was ill already with diabetes and cancer. The other person who hospitalised and on a ventilator was a woman in her 20's with no known health conditions. Thankfully she has recovered, but she was extremely ill for a while. Her case made me more wary as if she can be so ill, and she is young and female (we were told thay older/heavier/underlying conditions and being male were all risk factors) then surely anyone can become very ill with it. Trouble is, we just don't know who will have this kind of response.

I think all of this has probably had some effect on how I view the virus, but I would also adhere to any rules in place in any case as I want this virus under control as soon as possible and would hate to think that I might be inadvertently spreading it.

At least 4 people I know and work with have lost at least 5 relatives between them. Not especially in vulnerable groups or in care homes.

But to be honest it hate this 'do you know anyone' approach because it feels a bit like 'a picture or it didn't happen' . And to feed the despicable pond life conspiracy theorists.

Are we really that pathetic that we need to know someone to take sensible precautions, use our common sense and apply a little brain power to the information given to us?

I don't know anyone who has dies of typhoid but I still had the jab when I went to a particular country.

Know several people who tested positive and have not been very ill, know one person (a Dr) who tested positive and was very ill and in ICU (mid 50s), know one person who is suffering the after effects of having covid 3 months on (eg heart palpitations and no energy), and one relative who died from it. No underlying conditions but a MH condition meaning they did not change their habits and carried on meeting people etc. Age was mid 70s.

So a wide range there. I've been following gov guidelines since day 1 so no change. Trying to be cautious while still trying to have as normal life as I can.

I've not lost a family member, but have led 14 covid funerals - normally during a similar period I'd expect to lead about 3. Priest and I share them She takes two and I take every 3rd one. So I assume that she's taken 30-ish in the same period.

That's a lot.

A workmate’s mum, HCP not in any risk group, eg Caucasian, middle aged , slim,was in intensive care and only just pulled through.
The rest of the family tested positive but none were needing ICU treatment
Maybe she was exposed to a lot of infection by having to get up close to patients

No -one close has died thank goodness. Son and girlfriend both had in the early days. Friends of ours in their early 60s had it a few weeks ago and still suffering now. I work in a school where there are many staff and students testing positive. I take it seriously as other half - who works for the NHS - has heart failure so is vulnerable. He has been working from home since March. Our nephew has just started uni where very many students, including him, have tested positive.

Yes a work colleague in our Finance team. Less than a year away from retirement.

I lost an elderly family friend - well my step-dad's mum to be accurate. She was very vulnerable and in a care home. The most upsetting thing for my step-dad was that he didn't get to visit her when she was ill and it could only be a closed coffin so there was no real closure for him. We were allowed 6 at the funeral and couldn't visit the crematorium - service only. It was so sad.

I know three people well who have lost a parent, grandparent and an uncle respectively.
I'm pretty careful but I imagine I might be terrified if it was someone very close to me.
I'm happy to wear a mask, dont socialize much atm, wash my hands all the time (do that anyway). And if anyone in my family inc. me have a cold or sore throat we all take our temperatures straightaway before going to school/going out etc.

I personally don’t know anyone who has died but a friend is currently hospitalised. Male, early 60’s, asthmatic, severe chest pains and unable to breathe. He’s been very ill (not ventilated though) but recovering now and gradually being weaned off oxygen. Says the hospital treatment has been excellent - they threw everything they possibly could at it. His admission was chaotic though - 2am, blue lighted in but then sent home, 6am, blue lighted in again and finally admitted.