"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.

@woodchuck This virus seems to kill older people a lot more than younger people. Age matters a lot. So babies and young children are generally affected mildly. If you get it, you are far more likely to survive the younger you are. So yes it will be prioritising for hospital beds young people over older people.

Our country cannot cope with seasonal flu

Our country copes with seasonal flu every year. Sometimes it's a struggle. Rather than throwing out histrionic statements like this, why not contribute to a more useful discussion by talking about the specific issues the country encounters, and how this relates to the current situation,?

If I had only one ICU bed I would rather a otherwise healthy 20 year old got it than a 50 year old with asthma. I say that as a 50 year old with asthma. The life of a 20 year old is worth more than mine.

They are not going to decide whose life is worth more. They will just decide who is most likely survive. So if the 20-year-old is in a bad state and has lower chance of survival due to the coronavirus than the 50 year old it doesn't really matter if the 20 was considered to be healthy before getting the virus.

That's why I'm so worried @woodchuck99
Young in age doesn't mean anything. If the person is already a high risk due to lung disease, I wouldn't like to assume the powers that be would treat them. Especially over someone who is middle aged, unwell but no underlying health issues.

But in this virus, age makes a big difference. It has to be taken into account.

This virus seems to kill older people a lot more than younger people. Age matters a lot.

Age matters a lot with regard to the risk of how badly you get it. However individuals vary. There have been people over 50 with relatively mild symptoms and people in their 20s have died. If a 25-year-old was enough to require hospitalisation then they wouldn't necessarily have a greater chance of survival than a 50-year-old. The decision would be based on the individuals clinical condition and chance of survival rather than rule that younger people should have priority.

So babies and young children are generally affected mildly.

So they wouldn't need to be hospitalised in the first place.

Woodchuck the issue is more will there be a hospital bed if we get a big proportion of the population hit at one time.

Anyway you can look at data online to get a fuller picture.

I'm off out to get the blood pumping..helps immunity and at my age for this virus I will need every help! Because I know already that I won't be a priority.

If a 25-year-old was ill enough to require hospitalisation

It's not the powers that be who make that decision @BiBiBirdie it's the staff on the ground. And the need to protect children is very deeply rooted in our society, and in medicine, so your ds' age is very likely to count for him, not against.

Have you thought about stepping away from these threads for a few hours? I find they really feed my anxiety about what is coming. I suspect there will be a time to worry more and it might help to grab a few hours (metaphorical) sunshine whilst we can.

Woodchuck the issue is more will there be a hospital bed if we get a big proportion of the population hit at one time.

I know. I'm just responding to comments that they will automatically prioritise 20-year-olds over 50-year-olds. Healthcare professionals don't make judgements on whose life is worth more. They will look at chance of survival based on the person clinical condition and base decisions on that rather then general rules on who is likely to have the worst symptoms.

Young in age doesn't mean anything. If the person is already a high risk due to lung disease, I wouldn't like to assume the powers that be would treat them. Especially over someone who is middle aged, unwell but no underlying health issues.

The powers that be will be the ones making the decision. It will be based entirely on a child's clinical condition and that may be fine.Very young in age does appear to mean something in terms of how the immune system responds to the virus. There is a good chance that your child won't be much affected by the lung disease.

The powers that be will be the ones making the decision. The powers that be won't be the ones making the decision!

@Porcupineinwaiting trust me, being on here is preferable to the grief I'm getting from DP and his bullying sister. We haven't spoken all day and I don't plan on speaking to him again after this. I've always suspected he doesn't worry or take notice of our son's very serious health issues like I do and thinks I'm neurotic, this has just confirmed it.

Diva66

I’ll just kill myself now then, shall I? My life obviously being utterly worthless. The country won’t miss the enormous amount of tax I’m paying to keep these services going.

Well now you mention you're a higher rate tax payer of course you should be treated with top priority. After all the 20 year old has probably paid hardly any tax at all whereas you've paid good money for your treatment.

BiBiBirdie

Completely agree with your opinion on BJ and the Tories, but we get what we vote for so get the government we deserve.

Apart from this his floozy can we have less of the misogyny please.

According to a study I read, asthma doesn’t increase the risk of death with Covid19.

Death in that age group will is random, maybe genetic.

I reckon telling people that they are dicks for trying not to panic is a bit dickish.

Terrible as it might sound to some, I would much rather lose my 80 year old mother to this than my 11 year old daughter. Not that I would want anyone to die, but I thank God everyday this isn't taking children.

Comments like that upset me too, it’s the ‘only’ part that bothers me but I appreciate I’m probably being sensitive. My 15 year old son is on immunosuppressants and is seriously underweight with a good few health issues, I really worry about what would happen if he gets it.

I think people say that to reassure themselves that the serious risk is on a par with that of seasonal flu. And we immunise the elderly and other high risk groups from flu for that reason. The difference is there's no vaccine. Yet.

The part that pisses me off is that people don't fucking THINK about who they are speaking to before they open their mouths. I've had it said to me (I'm a youngish, fit, healthy-looking person) and they don't realise that as an asthmatic, I'm in those risk groups, and my risk of dying from COVID-19 if I catch it is five time greater than the average person's.

So unless you know the entire health status of the person you're talking to (unlikely), don't fucking say this to people.

I think people say that to reassure themselves that the serious risk is on a par with that of seasonal flu

No it's not - it's somewhere between about twice as much and ten times as much

We were warned what would happen if they got back in but people ignored it and chose to pick their government in the manner they pick their XFactor winner.

Thoroughly enjoyed this comment @BiBiBirdie Excellent.

Is it @Throckmorton? Do you have a link comparing fatalities?

I suspect that, if there were no flu vaccine, the mortality rate might well be on a par with COVID-19z. I discovered the difference the flu jab makes last year; I'd forgotten the jab and I caught flu. It turned to pneumonia and I was nearly hospitalised.

Fatalities from COVID-19 comprise mainly those who have had the flu jab so don't succumb to flu for this reason.

There have also been deadly strains of flu, like the Spanish flu in 1918 and avian flu in 2009, which thankfully never mutated to transmit from human to human. (It had a 60% mortality rate.

So it's not possible to compare COVID19 to seasonal flu in terms of mortality rates.