"Only the elderly/immune suppressed are at risk" - attitude of dicks?

[SylvanianFrenemies]

People who say not to worry about Coronavirus, because "Only the elderly/chronically ill/immune suppressed" are dicks.

Some of us fall into these categories. Some love people who fall into these categories. Some have some essence of humanity. Stop using "Only the xxx" to dismiss concerns. Stop conflating it with flu.

Wash your hands. Isolate yourself as required. Err on the side of caution.

YABU = I agree with these dicks.
YANBU = I am human.

woodchuck99 I am completely bored of you now, respiratory illness' are not spread through cut hands

Scientists know quite a lot about coronaviruses, it's just the strain that's new, not the virus itself. It's spread via respiratory system or gut. So, no, I agree you don't need to catch COVID via your cut hands. (Just all sorts of other horrible things! Sorry, I know you've asked me to stop, and I will now.)

Hugtheduggee

That is an excellent point about risk management.

There is definitely an attitude from some people that those who are older, or who have health issues, are of less value

Absolutely! especially from this Govt who have, over the last 10 years not resolved adult social care and have now barred foreign care workers from coming to the UK, despite a huge shortage.

So, not only will our elderly going to get killed off, they'll die alone in their homes too, forced to self isolate with little or no assistance.

Scientists know quite a lot about coronaviruses, it's just the strain that's new, not the virus itself. It's spread via respiratory system or gut. So, no, I agree you don't need to catch COVID via your cut hands.

I'm not suggesting that you need to catch it via cut hands. Obviously the primary mode of transmission is the respiratory system. However that doesn't mean there's no possibility that if you touch it with a cut hand you couldn't be infected. It was possibly transmitted from animals to humans that way after all.

www.id-hub.com/2020/02/10/the-emergence-and-spread-of-the-2019-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/

woodchuck99 fascinating, I hadn't come across that theory, and had assumed it was spread via droplets from animals to us. (I.e. live animals in close proximity). WHO appear to think it's only droplet spread, but do say that research is ongoing. They don't mention any spread via cuts. www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

woodchuck99 that doesnt prove anything, that article still states that transmission is airborne not blood borne. just because that's how it passed over from a different species doesn't mean that's how it spreads in humans, it doesnt work like that

The Swiss government have banned all public events for over 1,000 people in attendance. GreenDay (American rock band) have postponed their tour in Asia.

woodchuck99 that doesnt prove anything

At no point have I said that there is any proof that it could be transmitted via skin abrasions/cuts. Clearly that is not the main mode of transmission. I just said it was a possibility which is not the same as saying it has been proven.

Front page of the Daily Star is that a dog now has coronavirus.

We're all doomed I tell you! DOOMED!

There is an articale somewhere on an american website saying that virus particles are carried on a persons breath, so all you have to do is be near someone whos just breathing! which is very scary!, i'll see if i can find a link to it!.

woodchuck99 just no

*Front page of the Daily Star is that a dog now has coronavirus.

We're all doomed I tell you! DOOMED!*

I wouldn't mock if I were you. Coronavirus did start as an illness passing from animals to humans. And there are a lot of illnesses that do pass from animals/birds to humans, for example rabies and bird flu.

Sadly, any pet that develops the coronavirus will need to be PTS.

Eventually they will develop vaccines for both animals and humans like they did with rabies.

The Daily Star story is irresponsible bullshit though.

I am an older person with asthma and other medical conditions that would make me vulnerable to severe reaction to this virus.

However I am extremely relieved that the virus seems to affect older people with health conditions rather than the youngest and fittest in society, as happened with the Spanish flu of 1918.

The Spanish flu caused a catastrophic immune response that killed off those with the healthiest and strongest immune systems, leaving people with compromised immune systems to recover.

Obviously, if we are not just selfish but care about the larger picture, it is far better to have a virus that does not harm the most productive workers in society.

We need doctors, nurses, teachers, police, soldiers etc. so that the country runs properly. Apart from anything else we need fit, healthy people to take care of the more vulnerable people in society, especially if they become ill.

While there are many unknown factors about this virus we are very lucky to live on an island with proper healthcare and good quality services.

The fact is that there are probably much more dangerous viruses to come in future times and we need to be prepared for them. This virus, while scary, may provide a valuable learning experience and the opportunity to put systems in place to deal with more serious outbreaks and epidemics.

Flu kills many people every year and nobody gets themselves excited by it. There is a possibility that, if people take more care than usual over hygiene and infection control, that the flu related reath rate will be lower than usual and that people like myself will be safer then if the virus hadn't happened.

What a sane, thoughtful, lovely post 1
hoodathunkit.

well said hoodathunkit x

I agree. Some people are almost wishing death on the vulnerable and elderly.

My mum would almost certainly die if she got this with the health issues she has.

hoodathunkit what about all the many doctors, nurses, teachers, police, soldiers, etc who have health conditions? Many young people have (well managed) long-term conditions and lead productive, working and active, normal lives.

I really don't think that's what's being said, though, despite having a DM of 80 who will be travelling back from Africa in the next few days, she always catches every infection going round, and having CFS myself and having developed pneumonia last year.

At the same time, it would be far worse to have to worry about my DDs going down with it, so I am glad that children don't appear to be so much at risk as elderly or vulnerable adults (as in myself and my DM. I'm not sure how else this can be expressed without it appearing that we're saying that elderly and vulnerable people don't matter (I'd be talking about myself and my DM and other people I know who would be at risk).

tryingtoprep Exactly. I am at risk. I am also someone who works in the NHS who will be responsible for trying to keep services running so doctors can see patients. The attitudes people have had about this makes me pretty sad that I am seen as expendable. I have dependants and, as I said, a role to play in trying to support the health system. But if I die it’s ok? What makes someone expendable exactly hoodathunkit ? My sister is also at risk but has neither dependants nor a ‘productive’ role. So it’s ok for her? This whole thread and almost every conversation I have overheard on this makes me sickened at the attitudes of some. Every person has someone who loves them, someone who relies on them, or would miss them. No one is expendable or deserves to die.

I will btw hide this thread as maybe I should have done rather than respond. There’s little point in engaging with people who are so sure they are right.

I agree with you, but you’ve phrased your poll question in a pretty aggressive way. It is insensitive but I don’t think people are lacking humanity or are dicks if they point out the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are most vulnerable. They are just trying to soothe themselves and others, albeit tactlessly.

I agree that only certain groups of people are at risk. That the vast majority of people don’t need to worry if they catch it they will die. That does not mean that those not at risk should not care about those that are. Same as in every day life. Flu is just as deadly, wash your hands, be safe.

@tryingtoprep Fifty isn’t elderly at all! It sounds like you reckon the common view is that 50 is elderly and you’re pointing out the error. But surely no sensible person thinks 50 is old, do they????? It’s years below retirement age. Look at the US presidential candidates, 50 would be a distant memory to most of them.....