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Original poster

What does lockdown mean

44 replies

Savemefromthis4 · 10/03/2020 06:24

If we go on lockdown for coronavirus in the weeks/months ahead. What happens?

How do we buy food and nappies?
Are you allowed to go for a walk?
What services shut down?

I can't see how it would work. Drs and hospitals, pharmacies, vets, food factories, farms, public services etc would still be functioning.

What about plumbers, electricians etc? People will still have emergencies.

I'm just confused by it all.

We have a holiday cottage booked in norfork next month. Is there a risk we can't go? If so would we get a refund etc?

Just curious how things could go if we follow Italy. Thanks!

OP posts:
SharpieInThe · 10/03/2020 06:40

If budget allows put an extra pack of nappies and wipes away when you do a shop. Doesn't have to be hundreds. If you use branded try shops own. I switched brand so I could do this.

Same with food.

Then, if you're allowed out to go shopping, you can go without worrying what's there.

If not, you're one less person needing whatever assistance is in place for those who can't go out.

No idea about the cottage but I hope it's all okay and you get to enjoy your holiday.

Original poster
Savemefromthis4 · 10/03/2020 06:46

Thank you. It's all abit in the air isn't it. People are buying crazy amounts and could leave us short if things get worse. I have been fairly sensible and put two extra bags of pasta and a few tins ontop of my fridge.

I figured they would have to put something in place for food. But if they do have supermarkets and shops open people will be mingling.

Fingers crossed things settle soon with it all. I do wonder if acting now would be better for the country but they can't really I guess. Scary times. I feel for the people of Italy. What a horrible situation.

OP posts:
Funkycats · 10/03/2020 07:04

Look up how Italy are doing it. Plans are in place for social distancing.
There's a thread about it in the coronavirus board.

Nursing83 · 10/03/2020 07:09

Shops and restaurants are still open in Italy. They have imposed social distancing so you have to be 1 metre away from another person... I assume this doesnt include waiters as they will presumably go to every table still! No idea how this is enforced in a supermarket either though. I'm sure you could still travel around the UK if you wanted to.v

Seventyone72seventy3 · 10/03/2020 07:13

I am in Italy. You can go to work, the pharmacy, the doctor and to do food shopping. That's about it. Stay a metre away from everyone (supermarkets can limit the number of customers). No travelling to other areas unless you have a really good reason (ie. need to look after vulnerable relatives, work).

Original poster
Savemefromthis4 · 10/03/2020 07:15

Thanks everyone. They will perhaps do the same here then.

I really hope Italy recovers fast and I hope the UK deal with this sooner rather than later.

OP posts:
ElderAve · 10/03/2020 07:16

I've read about the 1m thing and wonder how on earth it would help.

For a start, how is it possible? You hand cash or goods to someone, you're not a metre apart? You go to the supermarket, you're touching handles and surfaces (the highest risk?) O
others have touched. Plus how on earth would it be enforced?

Everything we were told at the beginning re risk/transmission said "close contact" was 2m.

So, is there any real point other than looking like you're doing "something"?

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 10/03/2020 07:17

We won't go on lockdown because it's absolutely ridiculous. The Italians will show us it's pointless and by the time it gets to us it will simply be a case of managing the mild flu that it is, and everyone carrying on as usual.

tiredanddangerous · 10/03/2020 07:24

We won't go on lockdown because it's absolutely ridiculous. The Italians will show us it's pointless and by the time it gets to us it will simply be a case of managing the mild flu that it is, and everyone carrying on as usual

This.

SinkGirl · 10/03/2020 07:28

We won't go on lockdown because it's absolutely ridiculous. The Italians will show us it's pointless and by the time it gets to us it will simply be a case of managing the mild flu that it is, and everyone carrying on as usual.

How can a virus that has a higher mortality rate than flu be a “mild flu”?

Seventyone72seventy3 · 10/03/2020 07:28

We won't go on lockdown because it's absolutely ridiculous.

Yeah, that's what I thought last week!

halcyondays · 10/03/2020 07:29

You’ll still be allowed out to buy essentials. Even China let one person out every three days to buy food etc.

Silvercatowner · 10/03/2020 07:29

We won't go on lockdown because it's absolutely ridiculous. The Italians will show us it's pointless and by the time it gets to us it will simply be a case of managing the mild flu that it is, and everyone carrying on as usual

Another this. Lockdown is ridiculous hyperbole that is just feeding the hysteria.

halcyondays · 10/03/2020 07:30

One person per household, that is, not one person in China tasked with doing the nation’s shopping!

IceColdCat · 10/03/2020 07:32

It's about reducing risk, not eliminating it entirely. If you remove unnecessary travel and group activities then you'll slow down transmission of the virus and help prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed. You won't prevent transmission completely because of the reasons given in other posts.

RB68 · 10/03/2020 07:35

social distancing and no public events are our next stage. As to handing money over it is put down and passed that way - but obviosly card payments are better.

Am researching lots at the moement as DH due back from Italy today so into the self iso we go

halcyondays · 10/03/2020 07:40

It’s not pointless, is it? Look how it slowed the spread in China, who knows how many would have caught it if they hadn’t put people in lockdown. It’s hardly as if government leaders are making their decisions based on reading one too many articles in the Daily Mail.

How are the UK going to “carry on as normal” when hospitals are already full of people? It’s particularly important to try to slow it now as they still have flu patients etc at this time of year. The whole point is to try to reduce the amount of people needing hospital care at the same time. Also the UK has fewer hospital beds and doctors than many other European countries.

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 10/03/2020 07:43

How can a virus that has a higher mortality rate than flu be a “mild flu”?

Someone was diagnosed in Brighton yesterday.
Hadn't been to another county, hadn't been near anyone with the coronavirus (that they knew), didn't have any symptoms and wasn't even in hospital because of that.
They were just tested because of whatever protocol that hospital has now, and it was an unexpected diagnoses.

Because it's mild.

80% are mild, some are asymptotic.

Can I see the stats that show that it kills more people that flu?
What percentage of people die of regular fly each year?

ElderAve · 10/03/2020 07:44

China had a proper lockdown enforced by a dictatorship. Letting one person per household out to buy food every three days isn't the same as sitting 1m apart in restaurants!

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 10/03/2020 07:44

Asymptomatic, no idea what my phone was trying out there.

iVampire · 10/03/2020 07:50

When there is a serological test (which shows who has had it and is currently immune), then we shall be able to find out considerably more about the mild/asymptomatic spread

As someone with a condition that gives a death rate of roughly 6-10%, and with a beloved nonagenarian DMum, some of the rhetoric around who is/isn’t vulnerable is really quite jarring.

ElderAve · 10/03/2020 07:50

Even if it is "just" a mild flu, there are significant differences.

  • we are able to vaccinate against flu and those most at risk of death are vaccinated.
  • Most flu strains have been around before so there is a certain level of immunity within any population.
AnnieOH1 · 10/03/2020 07:52

The following is an extract from Johns Hopkins (more on flu vs covid-19 here www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu )

Deaths
COVID-19: Approximately 3,995 deaths reported worldwide; 22 deaths in the U.S., as of Mar. 9, 2020.

Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.

The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly. Since this disease is caused by a new virus, people do not have immunity to it, and a vaccine may be many months away. Doctors and scientists are working on estimating the mortality rate of COVID-19, but at present, it is thought to be higher than that of most strains of the flu.

VeniVidiVoxi · 10/03/2020 08:02

I think there's a difference between public health and personal health. The idea if restricting travel is a public health measure to limit the spread of disease so it doesn't become endemic. As it stands there is still a slim chance this could work. If it doesn't then covid-19 will be another thing we can get sick from. Or, the number of cases will be mitigated, that is not stopped but delayed or reduced. Spreading the cases out means health authorities can cope. I think it's with us now, I'm sure countries where testing is scarce have as many infected but just don't know it. So, it's 'doing your bit' to try and reduce, limit, delay the spread. Limiting travel, hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough and washing hands before you touch anything after are the recommendations.

Funkycats · 10/03/2020 08:09

There's a twitter link on another thread by a doctor who is working on the frontline on Italy.
It makes quite disturbing reading. He describes hospitals at 200% capacity, people going into arrest not being attended to because it's not worth trying to save them, staff getting physically and emotionally burnt out, and then sick on top of all that.
He's trying to get the message out that it isn't just a mild flu.