Coronavirus - sick and tired of the hysterical scaremongering

[Ashtower]

I work in an office and I've overheard a number of people blowing the outbreak all out of proportion. One colleague has ordered facemasks off Amazon - we're in SE England ffs. I wish people would educate themselves (from reputable sources) and stop winding everyone up.

Of course, a healthy amount of caution is important but it's made me aware of how mass hysteria ie witch trials occurred in the past. Just takes one ignorant person with a massive mouth (yes I'm talking about you Sue in budgeting).

@CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate

On yesterday's press conference. No actual details though. Of course.....

This doesn't make sense, as the scale of infection varies from asymptomatic to death.

Of course it makes sense.

We have no immunity from catching it. Once we've caught it our immune system will try to fight it off and in some cases win, because it gets it right, in other cases, we die.

Stop minimising it. If you don't understand, accept that you don't understand and stop making idiotic comments.

There's plenty to read about it, find some trusted sources and learn.

People should be more frightened of measles..

And how many schools/ restaurant's/ panic buying/ healthy people Inc NHS nurses dud measles affect

Anyone else reading this and wishing all the people who now look very stupid indeed were right? I'd be much happier right now if the dickheads were able to laugh at us.

"hence the govt "herd immunity" strategy was claptrap" You know herd immunity doesn't necessarily rely on people already being immune right? There will soon be a lot of people who have recovered (many without knowing what they had) who are immune. (at least to this version of the virus)

I note my last post in January when it was not a pandemic, and now it is and VERY dangerous. Yes masks are useless and specific ones are needed for health care staff. But really, peopel that are still syaing they are not worried defies belief. This weekend has demonstrated that we as a country are unable to grasp simple truths, follow simple precautions to slow down the transmission and give our health services the chance to keep up with demand and deaths

The flu is a human virus whereas covid19 came from animals. Our body’s somewhat recognise the flu but it takes longer for the body to understand that covid19 is a virus and by then it’s taken hold and done some damage. That’s why it’s scarier than the flu.

@LastTrainEast
tha herd immunity policy was not clap trap or relying on current immunity. It was a gamble to allow and contain an amount of inevitable transmission. The problem is that you need almost 90% to have the herd immunity (which is why the anti vaxxers have screwed the herd immunity for measles) You cannot manage and contain to get to this when the virus is running at this speed and is now in the second stage. All stategies are worth looking at scientifically but we dont know how they pan out in the real world. Who would have though the great British people, in a liberal democracy would choose to think social distancing was something they could not and would not do? Rather justifies authoritarian states sadly

Stop minimising it. If you don't understand, accept that you don't understand and stop making idiotic comments

It is not minimising to understand that some people (possibly an enormous amount) are asymptomatic. Lots also have mild symptoms. Most do not require hospitalization. Of course, the small proportion of those who require hospitalization is still enough to overwhelm our health service.

Just FYI - the UK has the highest number of deaths per infected population across Europe. This is probably down to strain on hospitals/poor infrastructure. The NHS was already struggling so this was bound to happen. Just stay at home, don't risk the spread, don't make it worse. People are 'scaremongering' because the light-touch approach isn't working, now they are frightened and trying to get others to do the right thing.

moondance19 incorrect. The majority WILL get it, but probably not realise.

The current UK death rate is 68%. Not mild for the majority at the moment. - OF COURSE IT ISN'T! The UK are not even testing the vast majority of people who have symptoms, let alone the rest of us who havent'!

How in the world they expect get an accurate Mortality Rate figure I don't know.

But in line with the 'hysterical scaremongering' of the title - I work in a Clinic which is not closing. I don't get paid if I don't do the hours (And BoZo won't pay me either); the Drs are all self-employed so won't get paid if everyone stays away. It's not NHS, it's private, and I worry far, far more about the Clinic shutting forever after this. I'm so sick of the hysterical screaming 'STAY AT HOME' whilst ignoring that some people need to be out - delivery drivers, bakers, posties, police, bus drivers - they all need to be out in the street, as do I, going to work. The lockdown family still want deliveries of bread, shopping, drugs, clothes... but they still expect these essential people to heed their screeches and stay at home.

And it is far better for your Mental Health to be out, away from others yes, not on a crowded beach, but in a field, park, street, away from others.

"the UK has the highest number of deaths per infected population across Europe."

This is impossble to say as we now only test when people are hospitalized.

Is the 60-80% infection rate if we carry on like we are now? If we were to go on compulsory lockdown now for say, 3 months would that figure come right down?

the UK has the highest number of deaths per infected population across Europe - How do they know? They are not testing! They DO NOT KNOW! FFS.

It is not minimising to understand that some people (possibly an enormous amount) are asymptomatic. Lots also have mild symptoms. Most do not require hospitalization. Of course, the small proportion of those who require hospitalization is still enough to overwhelm our health service.

None of which is what you said in the post I was replying to.

Asymptomatic and immune are not the same thing.

I think most viruses originated in animals, influenza from birds or pigs. Our immune system has a general response pathway to all viruses and a specific one to viruses we recognise. Eventually this will be another human virus, just like flu.

There is a startling lack of expertise on this thread. I guess the real virus experts are a little busy right now!

However, those who are in favour of aggressive lockdown do need to propose with an exit strategy. We cannot stay locked down forever and, although I really hope we get a vaccine, there is no guarantee and it could still be 12-18 months away.

Is the 60-80% infection rate if we carry on like we are now? If we were to go on compulsory lockdown now for say, 3 months would that figure come right down? i would have thought so.

the UK has the highest number of deaths per infected population across Europe

How do we know this? We’re not testing. The infected population must be many times higher than the tested figure. We’ll never know how many people have had it.

However, those who are in favour of aggressive lockdown do need to propose with an exit strategy yes i agree

Deaths over total infected (with a 14 day lag or so) is the best way of comparing countries. On that measure, we are doing quite well.

You know herd immunity doesn't necessarily rely on people already being immune right? There will soon be a lot of people who have recovered (many without knowing what they had) who are immune. (at least to this version of the virus)

There is so far no evidence at all that anyone who has had it is now immune. Also as you note in your second parentheses, it's mutated as well, it is known to have mutated twice already.

And it is moving way too fast to rely on herd immunity being able to stop it. The govt policy was utterly deluded on that point.

The virus has to mutate to increase its effectiveness which means its mortality has to decrease not increase.

Burn the witch.

Nobody is immune to this virus, because it is a new virus. From what I understand it is highly contagious, and spread by people sneezing and coughing, (or breathing?) and the droplets remain in the air - and active - for some time before settling on surfaces, when they can remain 'active' for several hours or days.
Other people get it, by breathing in the droplets (those still airborne), and by touching surfaces, which still contain an active virus, and then touching your face (ears, nose, eyes).
Therefore minimising distance (contact), will reduce risk of directly breathing in, and washing your hands frequently, and trying to avoid touching your face, will reduce the rate of infection (the speed by which it is spread).
Ultimately, we will probably all get it, unless it is entirely suppressed.

The herd immunity theory (not said by Boris, but by one of the scientists), is that, as no one is immune, then it will infect about 60 percent of the population before it will die out. ie then the virus will have difficulty being passed on, because most people will have had it.

The aim of the government is to avoid everyone getting it at once, and swamping the NHS, who will have to restrict treatment. More people would die.
If they 'flatten the curve', you may still get it, but hopefully resources will be sufficient that if required, then ventilators will be available.
My personal aim, is to
a) try to avoid getting it, just in case I am one of the unlucky ones who require hospital treatment, and
b) if I eventually DO get it, then hopefully I will have delayed infection until such a time as the NHS can cope better, and that I will not be one of those deemed too old to treat.

Government policy takes its lead from scientific advice.

You are saying scientists are deluded.

Well somebody clearly is.