To feel no more worried about getting COVID-19 than anything else?

[Afibtomyboy]

Just that

I’m not vulnerable. I’m fit and healthy.

It would be a serious challenge if I was very ill because I’m a single parent with no support structure. But that applies to any serious illness.

I’m no more worried about catching Covid 19 than anything else. And seeing as I am not particular worried about contracting anything in particular, it means I’m not worried about contracting Covid. It really doesn’t bother me.

In fact, with Covid one would get a great deal more support than, say, if I got pneumonia.

I’m one else completely lacking the FEAR??!

Great if you're not worried about it. I'm worried about catching it again. I caught it around the 1st of March and was tested on the 10th of March when I was taken in to hospital. The test came back positive. It's the worst thing I've ever had and it took me a good four months to start to feel better. Due to only the sickest being helped, I was essentially left on my own to cope. I had very little in terms of support from doctors. I now have to use an inhaler due to damage caused to my lungs. I'm especially worried as I'm now in the early stages of pregnancy.
I'm just 38 and have Fibromyalgia but not had issues with my lungs before.

I wish I had the luxury of being so flippant about it.

No one is being flippant.. read.the.op.

I'm now in the early stages of pregnancy....I wish I had the luxury of being so flippant about it

Sorry but you've lost me - you are choosing to be pregnant aren't you? (apologies if you are being forced/coerced). So just as you can choose to be pregnant under such precarious circumstances, I can choose not to let worries affect me. Nothing to do with flippancy or luxury, just a matter of personal choice.

I think this is probably about control. A lot of people suddenly feel their world has spun out of control and the reaction is fear and they ask, 'how do I get this back under control?'

For some, the answer is found in rules, others cope with this lack of control by ignoring it or pretending it is not there. Some can rationalise the fear, others cannot.

Fear is a very challenging emotion and people deal with it in vastly different ways.

No it doesn’t worry me at all. It doesn’t bother my elderly mother either for that matter. My dad is a little worried but he’s recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and his mortality is playing on his mind a little. It certainly doesn’t stop my parents going out or mixing with others at all. In fact my parents see way more people than I do.

I get you OP. You are sensibly concerned about it, you are taking steps to avoid COVID but no more than you would any other illness. I’m the same. I follow guidance - work at home, limit social contact, wear mask, wash hands even more frequently etc. The same as I have colonoscopies every 2 years to avoid the horrible early death my dad had from ignoring bowel cancer symptoms.
I’m no more worried about Covid than any of the other multitude of catastrophes that can happen in life!

And if I was as worried about them as some folks are about Covid I’d be on even more anxiety medication than I am now!!

It’s true that there are all sorts of nasty diseases we could all get, but CV is a particularly contagious one and so the chance of catching it seems higher to me. I read this week that it’s now estimated that around 1 in 500 people in England currently have CV.

I have friends in their 40s who suffered the long term effects of Covid... extreme fatigue and breathlessness for months. I’m already soooo tired with two small kids, the thought of being even more tired and no-one even being allowed to help is quite scary. But I try not to worry about it too much.

I don't know about the mortality rates for glandular fever, but it was pretty rife in the late 80's among uni students. One of my flat mates in the first year got it and had to take a year out to go and recover back with her parents she was so badly affected - extreme fatigue.

I also recall a few of the cohort when I started my nursing diploma experiencing the same.

As I said I had bacterial pnuemonia about 2 years ago that floored me for months and has left permanent scarring on my lung.

One of my friends has long Covid, as an HCP I know of 1 colleague who was on ITU with it and another that died. Plus my own bro and his family had it.

So I very much know that it is a nasty disease, I just can't live my life in fear of it because I've already experienced/seen/nursed loads of nasty diseases, I know they are out there all the time and always have been. Doesn't mean I am reckless or not careful with my elderly parents.

Plus I was moving house during lockdown, so "may get Covid" was waaaaay down my list of worries at that time.

Thanks to those who answered my question, I think all your responses are very reasonable. You are right OP, there are lots of things we could worry about but don't let bother us as a fear on a everyday basis. When it comes to the consequences to yourself ( rather than spreading it at a key point in the pandemic) I agree covid is just another one of them. I misunderstood because to me that is different to being not worried at all. There are lots of things I don't worry about on a regular basis and that don't influence my behaviour, but if asked I would never say I am not at all worried or don't give two hoots, because I can see they are problematic things. Semantics anyway.

Re Parkinsons/other long term neurological damage OP, I have read more than one piece on this, but to be honest the reason I give it more headspace is not based on overwhelming evidence. There may be some, but I don't know of it. It's more that I did a course taught by a Professor of Neurobiology who I personally massively respect and admire, and this person has expressed real concern about it which lent the idea credence to me. Also, I probablu dwelt on it a bit more due to the fact I have long term damage to my sense of smell after a suspected covid.

@Inkpaperstars

Thanks to those who answered my question, I think all your responses are very reasonable. You are right OP, there are lots of things we could worry about but don't let bother us as a fear on a everyday basis. When it comes to the consequences to yourself ( rather than spreading it at a key point in the pandemic) I agree covid is just another one of them. I misunderstood because to me that is different to being not worried at all. There are lots of things I don't worry about on a regular basis and that don't influence my behaviour, but if asked I would never say I am not at all worried or don't give two hoots, because I can see they are problematic things. Semantics anyway.

Re Parkinsons/other long term neurological damage OP, I have read more than one piece on this, but to be honest the reason I give it more headspace is not based on overwhelming evidence. There may be some, but I don't know of it. It's more that I did a course taught by a Professor of Neurobiology who I personally massively respect and admire, and this person has expressed real concern about it which lent the idea credence to me. Also, I probablu dwelt on it a bit more due to the fact I have long term damage to my sense of smell after a suspected covid.

Re your final paragraph re Parkinson’s

Thank you the clarity
However yet again.... it’s someone posting a definitive statement re Covid that, when ever so slightly probed, reveals itself to be based on hear say, or “an article I read a week ago” or “my neighbour told me”.

However there’s many instances when the posters aren’t probed and done will take what they read (especially if it’s bad news and related to Covid) as fact without any analysis whatsoever

Oh I agree OP. I read that the number of healthy (no underlying conditions) people who have died of covid under the age of 65 was around 350. (I think that figure is a little out of date before you all start yelling). It's miniscule. So tiny.

And yes, you can catch covid badly and have long term implications. But I could also get depressed and cease to be able to function (another single parent), I could get breast cancer, I could trip down the stairs. I could trip over my dog.

In the meantime, I've taken my dd to university today and she is a virtual prisoner in her hall, with a load of strangers, no freshers week, and no actual lessons. It's a ridiculous situation for someone with a miniscule chance of getting it, but a much larger chance of having mental health issues.

And yes I know there are vulnerable people. But fgs this level of hysteria is ridiculous.

*getting it badly (she has a high chance of getting it, I know that).

If it wasn’t so highly contagious, I probably wouldn’t have the FEAR either. But as it is, and it’s a little like Russian roulette as to how it might affect a person, and if I went about my life as normal I’d probably get it, seeing as it’s so contagious, which is kind of the main problem, well, I’m not quite so relaxed about it.

But the thing is these people who say they're not afraid and are living their lives don't understand that their own risk is tessellated with vulnerable people's risk. If you're catch it, are pre-symptomatic and are going out and about not socially distancing, you will pass it on...?!

So you’ve come on to tell us that you’re fit and healthy and not bothered about getting covid. Erm........Thanks for letting us know. I will sleep better tonight. 🤣

@namechanged984630

But the thing is these people who say they're not afraid and are living their lives don't understand that their own risk is tessellated with vulnerable people's risk. If you're catch it, are pre-symptomatic and are going out and about not socially distancing, you will pass it on...?!

Yes but we are socially distancing! No one has said they are not socially distancing.

I myself have said several times I am being very careful with my elderly parents, which means I have been unable to have them do childcare or stay with them since March - although they are definitely out and about in a sensible manner doing their shopping and seeing friends in a socially distanced manner.

Saying you are not afraid does not equate to being careless. Crikey the assumptions!

I have also not said I'm not being very careful.

That wasn't the question or the point of the OP. No one is denying that there are people who are high risk, and who need more protection.

@namechanged984630

But the thing is these people who say they're not afraid and are living their lives don't understand that their own risk is tessellated with vulnerable people's risk. If you're catch it, are pre-symptomatic and are going out and about not socially distancing, you will pass it on...?!

Where has anyone said they're not social distancing?

You can follow the guidelines and still not be worried!

@RegularHumanBartender - Anyone could pass on a virus to a vulnerable person at any time. Why is this one special?

Because it is extremely contagious.

I work in a university. New students started last week. All events organised by the University were outdoors or socially distanced. Masks were required by all.

One class of 30 students in my department has 18 positive cases with more waiting on results. Presumably most of the students will be fine but if they pass it on to vulnerable people, they will not be quite so fine.

It's utterly selfish to only be concerned about the impact on yourself.

I wonder how many of you with that attitude get annoyed about people not vaccinating? Mass vaccination is about protecting the vulnerable. Most people have no major issues with measles, mumps or rubella so why bother vaccinating?

Taking measures to avoid covid is the same. We, as a society, need to protect the vulnerable.

Re your final paragraph re Parkinson’s

Thank you the clarity
However yet again.... it’s someone posting a definitive statement re Covid that, when ever so slightly probed, reveals itself to be based on hear say, or “an article I read a week ago” or “my neighbour told me”.

However there’s many instances when the posters aren’t probed and done will take what they read (especially if it’s bad news and related to Covid) as fact without any analysis whatsoever

Yes, I agree that is a problem in posters coming from pretty much all viewpoints. I did consciously try not to make a definitive statement for that very reason, just as the researchers themselves would not. Perhaps my words weren't as clear as I hoped, I certainly would not deliberately present anything like as definitive, it is not. What is a fact though, is that people who are extremely distinguished in their field feel there is cause for concern and further research....that will not be based on a gut feeling or on hearsay.

No one hopes more than me that there will prove to be no long term association with neurological disease.

Re your point on pneumonia, it is worth remembering that the majority of covid cases that are mild do include any cases with pneumonia where the patient is not hospitalised. I think many who have had pneumonia caused by Covid and remained at home didn't feel that supported! I hope that if cases continue to rise we won't have so many cases of people having to struggle on at home for so long without much care.

@SueVlaki

Oh I agree OP. I read that the number of healthy (no underlying conditions) people who have died of covid under the age of 65 was around 350. (I think that figure is a little out of date before you all start yelling). It's miniscule. So tiny.

And yes, you can catch covid badly and have long term implications. But I could also get depressed and cease to be able to function (another single parent), I could get breast cancer, I could trip down the stairs. I could trip over my dog.

In the meantime, I've taken my dd to university today and she is a virtual prisoner in her hall, with a load of strangers, no freshers week, and no actual lessons. It's a ridiculous situation for someone with a miniscule chance of getting it, but a much larger chance of having mental health issues.

And yes I know there are vulnerable people. But fgs this level of hysteria is ridiculous.

This is only my interpretation, but your daughter is not being put in that situation to protect her from getting covid, or even to protect vulnerable people from getting covid. It's to reduce the chances of covid racing through the whole susceptible population....vulnerable and not and thereby causing even further disruption to the economy, education, nhs, utilities, security etc etc. Covid might not effect your daughter, but the consequences of exponential growth would. That said, I do recognise the measures themselves have a huge impact and I really feel for anyone who is starting uni right now, especially with the A levels debacle. I really hope things improve at your daughter's uni soon and she manages to settle in a bit. It's a difficult time to be a fresher, or a fresher's mum

I'm not scared about getting it and dying from it. But I am worried about the long-term implications for my health.

Long Covid is quite evidently a thing, and the consequences are pretty life-changing - you need only look at the thread on here for Mumsnetters who picked up the virus in March and are still suffering now. Anecdotally, I've heard of at least two fit and healthy people who suffered from blood clots/embolisms after having COVID.

Also, I have a 2 year old DD and I'm happy to minimise the chances of leaving her without a Mum. Just the same as checking the road for cars before I cross, or having a smear test.

I'm more worried about pollution. Am low risk for Covid and am careful for others' sakes, but not concerned for myself. Pollution has always and continues to worry me far more.

@P999

I'm more worried about pollution. Am low risk for Covid and am careful for others' sakes, but not concerned for myself. Pollution has always and continues to worry me far more.

Hard agree. If I even start to think about it in too much depth I panic a bit.

This might help.