Would you self isolate?

[janemaster]

The advice is to self isolate if you have travelled from certain areas abroad, even if you have no symptoms. We know in other countries that not everyone has followed this advice.
So be honest, if you had no symptoms but were told to self isolate for 2 weeks in the house, would you? This would mean not leaving the house at all and staying in a separate room from anyone else living in your house.

YABU - No I would not
YANBU - Yes I would

Not destroying my life is worth a damn sight more than the death of a stranger

It takes a certain type of person to not only feel like that but also to openly state it.

I agree wholeheartedly with @gamerwidow and @Aridane.

@Dennisreynoldsduster Which is why there needs to be information about what self isolation means. I know it seems basic, but this thread shows that some people think it just means stay away from others.

All the people going on about not having symptoms, you are aware that you can pass it on way before you develop symptoms? This isn't just a flu. It has more in common with the AIDs and Ebola viruses. I only hope that those who are prepared to breach quarantine pass it on to their own family members first.

I don't know how that would be possible with a breastfed baby.

Well, at least this thread has solved one particular moral dilemma. Me and some old colleagues are likely to be asked to go back to the NHS if things get really bad. We were discussing it today. Even though some of us have health issues, we were still feeling that may be we should go back to help. But, with attitudes like Not destroying my life is worth a damn sight more than the death of a stranger stated upthread, there is no way I am going to go back. I stupidly thought that helping people mattered. I am not going to risk my health to care for people who don't care if others die.

I do care of other people die. I would prefer it if they didn’t.

However I care more about not losing my house, screwing my credit up and destroying my life.

You can care about different things in different amounts.

I would. It would be difficult at home because only one bathroom and no spare room. The kids would have to share a room and me and my husband have a room each..I have been batch cooking and buying a bit extra and after Tuesday this week I should be fully stocked up. I know i wouldn't get paid. Also both of my managers are separately going on holiday, one this week, and one in two weeks. They own the business and are workaholics. There is no way on earth either of them would self isolate, so as their only employee I will be exposed to whatever they bring back...

@ACautionaryTale it's quite clear what you meant. You would rather people died than lost money, property or things. That's entirely up to you. Luckily, none of us are in charge and I would bet that if quarantine was imposed, not one person would care about your preferences. Decisions are made for the good of the whole. Because people can't be trusted to act unselfishly for the good of the whole.

In NK people are shot whereas here people may well just be arrested. A criminal conviction would be helpful in keeping a job, house and sparkly credit rating wouldn't it!

@ACautionaryTale , fingers crossed, you don't need to self isolate and all of this never touches you.

But please do some careful thinking now about how you would tackle a similar situation in the future. Let's say, broken leg and can't work .
If your plan is "people will rally round and help", it's not going to be enough.
Please look at Jack Monroe's website cookingonabootstrap.com/
or, even better try and get a copy of her book Tin Can Cook.
Just think about a Plan C. Where Plan A is "it won't happen " and Plan B is "other people will help me".
You don't need to invest much. An extra cheap tin with your shop. And put the tins in a bag and stick under you bed or wherever. Add some loo roll and hygiene stuff as and when. Slowly, cheaply and as your budget allows. For Plan C.

Yes of course. Although the only other people living in my house are DH and DS and I wouldn't be travelling abroad without them anyway.

Governments have allowed a culture by companies to be created where not going into work when sick is deemed wrong, being sick is deemed wrong and associated with being poor

Now it seems that after years of this culture being made possible and not stopped or questioned, being off work incase your sick is what is required

It’s just not going to happen

Cleaners and porters in hospitals on minimum wage working for agencies aren’t going to be able to stop home in case they are ill and not get paid
And or risk losing their jobs

Benefits won’t step in as the government has brought in u.c. To penalise the sick and poor

Yes Ireland has two first cases, both from North Italy and did not self isolate so now a huge school has had to shut down. However the health service only advised self isolating if they had symptoms, unlike the UKs advice. Such a shame I think those people were given poor advice not to self isolate and now have possibly exposed it to hundreds of people who now have to self isolate.

It’s just not going to happen

If it comes to towns etc being quarantined, do you seriously think it will be up to us? I have loads of.sympathy for people who would massively struggle and feel.pulled in all directions.

I do think the choice could be made slightly more "real" for those torn between the right thing for everyone and the right thing for themselves, by saying "ok if you won't self isolate as you don't think you need it, then fine, but we are going to let some one who is symptom.free, but has possibly been exposed to the virus, spend time with your own most vulnerable family member". As that's what those people are choosing to do to others.

Obviously as there is nothing to.worry about, and people need to pay bills, they won't be bothered if someone with corona spends time with their frail mother or immunocompromised child will they?

I would want too self isolate, I have bought a few food bits and we have loo roll etc. However we would have to do it as a family for it to be effective which like others would leave us without money for food/rent/council tax etc and it would leave us in hardship, our landlord is not going to just accept us not paying rent and my children need food so really it is going to be impossible unless the government are planning on helping people. It is easy to lecture people on what they should be doing, not so easy when faced with the option of your children going without food.

Not destroying my life is worth a damn sight more than the death of a stranger

Wow that’s so selfish. And self isolation for 2 weeks is not destroying your life! Sorry you sound very childish and immature.

I’m glad most people I think, I hope, are decent human beings.

And to all who would not self isolate.

You do know you will then be responsible for making hundreds of other people self isolate don’t you? Many of whom will be substantially worse off than you.

I do care of other people die. I would prefer it if they didn’t.

However I care more about not losing my house, screwing my credit up and destroying my life

People need to face up to what is probably going to happen. A lot of people are going to die, and a lot of people are going to be economically impacted. If it becomes necessary to quarantine people you'll need to face up to it pretty quickly, and your civil liberties may be curtailed. At this point it's your responsibility to start to plan for a worst case scenario if you are a competent adult as whining I can't isn't going to help you.

@Coolcucumber2020 ah, but that poster won't mind when someone who has coronavirus but is asymptomatic, refused to self isolate and is out in public dealing with their own frail or vulnerable family members. Because the person will be valuing their income more than the life of others. And that's ok according to that poster. She won't mind her kids or elderly relatives getting it. Money matters more. Apparently!

Yes, if in had been in one of those specific areas where advised. I wouldn’t want to infect my family or anyone else we know, or in our community.

To be fair @Coolcucumber2020 , I think the "destroying my life" refers to bills not getting paid because no money is coming in and their home being lost. Which is pretty destructive. Not losing your life but pretty devastating.
I really think the government needs to do better on explaining this for people and, if necessary, helping them deal with it.
Otherwise, you are one person vs tbe bank or the utility provider.

There is a lot of blaming other people on this thread. The truth is that telling people to self isolate will only ever be partially successful. The majority will do this. But a substantial minority for a number of reasons won't. If the advice to self isolate is only to slow down the spread of the virus so the health care system can cope, then that is fine. But it won't stop it spreading generally. Which is why China and North Korea forced people to isolate. They understood that just asking people does not always work.

@Rebellenny , I completely understand. I really think the government needs to put down some clear markers about what is acceptable on late payment etc. To help reassure people.
Please look at cookingonabootstrap.com/