"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.

I think people say it more in an effort to try to reduce panic on people. It’s completely reasonable to point out that unless you are elderly or have an underlying condition, you are likely to be able to recover from the virus without serious ill effect.
I believe YABU. Sorry! x

@firstbub Well it didn't work. It increased my worries because it sounds like we don't give a shit if you are elderly or have an underlying illness.

I really don’t understand how people relate being realistic about the effect of the virus to this meaning we wish older/ill people To become ill. It’s baffling. Genuinely I don’t understand it.
Stating a fact does not mean you then wish it on someone.

It is the way it is expressed.
So if people had said about the zika virus, don't worry it only affects pregnant women, do you think that is reassuring or that it would piss off pregnant women?
If you say, zika affects pregnant women and unborn babies. It seems unlikely to cause any serious problems in anyone else. Can you see the difference?

It makes no sense. I could state that you are more likely to have sickle cell if you are of ethnic origin. That doesn’t mean I suddenly wish all ethnic people to have it. Same goes for the virus

@firstbub If you honestly can't see the difference, and why that difference might have an impact, I don't know what to say.

I agree with you. This isn’t replacing the flu, this is in addition to the flu. Elderly or older people and those who are immunocompromised have an ADDITIONAL virus that can be fatal for them to worry about and we don’t know where it is until symptoms show up after a fairly long incubation period. If we didn’t have such a horrible attitude towards the elderly in the first place it wouldn’t mean anything, but in the context of a society that treats them poorly as it is, I completely agree with you.

@firstbub And if a politician said to the population - don't worry about this new sickle cell disease, it only usually affects black people - you think that would be acceptable?

@McCanne I agree. Thsi Government has already made clear its disdain for ill, disabled and elderly people. This is just another example.

It is pretty human to be relieved if you are not at risk.

I agree it is important to think of those who are though and act responsibly.

Of course it is. I was glad zika could not affect my kids. But I wouldn't have went about telling pregnant women who had already travelled to areas with zika that they were being ridiculous. Because I am not a dick. I also would not laughed at pregnant women in this country who were worried about zika as being stupid.

Anyway multiple people have explained why this phrasing is an issue on this thread. If you still don't get it I can only assume you are generally insensitive in life anyway and will crack on being so.

Very sensitively put Janemaster.

No, but where are the messages that say don’t worry this only affects the elderly or infirm?
People infer that the message says don’t worry this only effects the elderly or inform but that’s more about their state of mind. Stating a fact does not mean you don’t care

I say it affects elderly and immunocompromised people (note no use of the word ‘only’) more severely because it’s true.

It’s an at risk group, so they need to be aware that it could affect them more severely. Their loved ones also need to be aware that if they get it (even mildly) they could pass it on to them and make them seriously sick.

I think you’re reading more into this than you need to.

I’m not a dick for saying it affects them more severely, I’m just stating fact. The way you worded your vote however does make you a dick of the highest order 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think you're taking it wrong. I said it to my sister as she's a hypochondriac she needs reassurangenI don't mean I want others to die

reassurance

It’s said to try and reduce panic.

To create awareness about what can be done about it. Avoid contact, reduce risk to people who are vulnerable. I say this all the time, and I don’t mean it’s ok, for the vulnerable and at risk group to die

I have taken great comfort in the news that no children have died. Taking to my children, I have said in an upbeat tone that "the good news is that no children have died". May that's insensitive about people who aren't children but the fact is I am very glad about that. Of course I would rather coronavirus didn't exist but if any group is the least a risk I'd want that to be the young. I think Spanish flu was much crueller taking out the young and leaving the elderly.

I'm in at at risk group myself btw.

Well I have asthma, therefore at risk but still say "virus will affect mostly elderly and immunocompromised people". It's not being a dick... It's a fact. Of course it's a shame for those thet are most at risk but it is a true statement that people need to know so hopefully they stop panicking.

Both my children are vulnerable to extreme ill health if they get this virus as well as both my parents, one of whom is going through chemotherapy. As a tag line to reduce panic and gain perspective it’s really shit.

I’ve had to explain to dd that if she catches Covid-19 she will likely be one of the people
Hospitalized. She is a 10 yo with a therapist and a psychiatrist for her anxiety so this is a big deal I still don’t find it offensive or problematic. I remind her we have access to an excellent specialty hospital where we were surprised to find emergency room doctors well versed with her niche Illness despite most doctor’s never having heard of it, so we are confident they will know how to treat her.

I then explain that we should recognize how lucky we are, despite her illness, because not everyone in the world has access to the same level of care.

(And yes I know she could still die if she catches it, but I also know she could die from the flu or a common cold or even just trying to keep up with her friends in physical education classes)

People say it because they think those are magic words that protect them from it.
It may well be the case that these are most affected (yes, I am in that group) but it doesn't mean you are immune if you aren't in that group.

It is actually currently less risky than flu though? I don’t think people don’t care but they are trying not to panic. I have vulnerable family and I’m not offended by the statement. The selling out of sanitiser proves a vast number of people are taking it v seriously.

To those worried about children, apparently, no children have died from this. Children are super spreaders, it's likely thousands of children will have caught it, some of those children will also have underlying health conditions. I was reading that one reason they think children aren't badly affected is because they have less of a certain type of receptor (I'm not a medic) that the virus attaches itself to. The older you are the more of these receptor you have apparently. I'll try to find the link.
Even if you are elderly with underlying disease, the odds are still strongly in your favour.

Wake up call: Covid19 Is not flu. It’s more like a cold virus with HIV tagged on. So you will not become immune to it, the next time you get it could be worse (the cause of death in some younger patients).
Recovery doesn’t mean you won’t suffer long term health damage (I.e. SARS).
Death rate without medical care is 20%, which means a place in an ICU. China had a very low death rate due a massive investment in stopping this disease (the opinion of WHO).
80% of deaths occurr in over 60yo. So a potential of 100k dead of under 60yo. Pregnant women are under risk.
Long term health risk are sterility (lesions in testicles) and kidney damage.
And don’t forget you are going to catch it every year, so don’t get sick or you will fall into the 20% who will need a rare-spare ICU place.