To think not every coronavirus discussion

[IsisCam]

Should be moved to the dedicated topic?

I think it’s pretty clear to the majority by now that this is in every respect (economically, politically, and socially) a major issue. Even if you believe “it’s just a flu” and “media hype” or “a conspiracy” you probably noticed lots of stuff has already happened in reality as a result.

It seems a bit childish to pretend to ignore it and to give legitimation to those who want. Like if every cancer related question was moved to health topic or every domestic violence question to relationship.

And yes, I agree the more dramatic or repetitive threads should be moved (full disclosure - I had started one that might have deserved it, even though it was strictly speaking AIBU).

I just think not all of them should be automatically.

This is the meaning of living in the free society.

Just because you're in a free society doesn't mean it's 'right' for you to spread hysteria/misinformation to said society. Key word: society.

Why are people blaming the media for a virus that's spreading round the world and killing people?

Some of us in legitimate jobs are spending time planning for this.

I have honestly not seen (in real life,) any of the hysteria that I have seen on TV. Nor have I met anyone (in real life) who is as batshit crazy as some of the posters on the coronavirus threads.

I couldn't really care less where the threads go, but just to say that the people I know IRL who are most worried are nurses and doctors. There are also many speaking out in the media and online. And their concerns are real. Our NHS is fucked. We have some of the lowest levels of ICU beds in the developed world. If we start seeing numbers like Italy in 2 weeks (there is no reason we won't) then we will not be able to cope. A lot of people will die.

I'm not particularly scared for myself, or my child. We'll be ok. Likelihood is it will just be a 'bad flu' for me. But don't dismiss every concern as hysteria. People are concerned who are a lot more educated than you and your little chilled out village.

Yanbu

People could just scroll on by. Or get off the internet for 5 minutes and do something else.

Reading every thread isn’t compulsory.

This is basically the mantra of all those 'essential oils can cure everything' people out there, for eg.
What? Last time I checked selling essential oils is lawful. What is unlawful is purposefully lying about their effects being somehow scientifically verified”. In fact your local chemist is probably full of serums and anti-aging creams claiming to do all sorts of things.
I am not really sure what you are trying to say.

People don't want to hear about unpleasant things that might affect them unduly and would rather hide them.

Or maybe many of us are bored of the hysteria and misinformation on those threads so it's great we can hide them.

Just because you're in a free society doesn't mean it's 'right' for you to spread hysteria/misinformation to said society. Key word: society.
Actually it is ok for me or you to post our personal opinions as long as they aren’t willful misinformation likely to cause harm.

But don't dismiss every concern as hysteria. People are concerned who are a lot more educated than you and your little chilled out village.

No one is dismissing every concern as hysteria. It's fine to have a legitimate concern and create discussions in a calm, sensible, non click-baity manner. Posters discussion precautions, statistics on risk factors, measures they can take to minimise their chances of infection etc? Bloody great!

Is this the end of the world as we know it? (97 Posts)

That sort of posts, however, are unhelpful, anti-social even, and honestly something I'd expect to see in the tabloids that MN spends so much time deriding.

YANBU OP. AIBU would be empty if everything was posted in their dedicated topics. It’s #1 news worldwide

Also, several people were commenting that the constant posts and hysteria were starting to affect their mental health. It's the topic of every newspaper, every news show, every talk show, social media etc.

I think you are failing to take into account the many MNers who have issues like health anxiety, and even just the ones who use MN as light entertainment and company. Not everybody wants to wade through the dozens (if not hundreds) of panicking coronavirus threads.

Having a specific topic is sheer common sense.

It sounds like you are demanding we all engage with your and other people's random musings, when the fact is many of us JUST DON'T WANT TO. And that should be okay: mumsnet's Talk section has to appeal to everybody who uses it, and if it is swamped by hysteria, people will leave in droves.

What? Last time I checked selling essential oils is lawful. What is unlawful is purposefully lying about their effects being somehow scientifically verified”. In fact your local chemist is probably full of serums and anti-aging creams claiming to do all sorts of things.
I am not really sure what you are trying to say.

Read my post again please. I clearly referenced people who enjoy spreading the notion that 'essential oils can cure everything'. These are dangerous ideas to propagate and contain real world consequences. I was using that as an illustration of my point that misinformation is absolutely dangerous to gullible posters and me bringing up the fact that there are gullible posters is not just a 'condescending way to think'.

Actually it is ok for me or you to post our personal opinions as long as they aren’t willful misinformation likely to cause harm.

Perhaps not wilfully, but a lot of misinformation in those threads do cause harm. When people are panicking, they usually lack the capacity to think logically and come to sound conclusions. Alarmist language, hyperbolic scenarios, and having an echo chamber where, again, gullible posters might read something and start panicking or thinking irrationally. That's harmful, whether you're doing it on purpose or not.

My personal opinion is that moving every single tread to a special section is sending a message of marginalizing the issue

I think that it's the exact opposite. It's the busiest of the topics, and very far from being marginalised.

I wish MNHQ wouid move more to the topics tbh

when the fact is many of us JUST DON'T WANT TO

This.

I'm here for entertainment - threads about people who've accidentally put redhot chilli on their bits; or how to pronounce weird words; or embarrassing things you've done.

Not to be hectored and lectured by puffed-up randoms about something I've already researched off my own bat.

I am sure the gullible posters are happily engaging in just that in their “coronavirus” and “prepping” echo chambers. Unless you mean someone so gullible that he cannot find these sections and thinks AIBU and bbc are equally credible.

I'm here for entertainment - threads about people who've accidentally put redhot chilli on their bits; or how to pronounce weird words; or embarrassing things you've done.
Well good for you - is it still ok to post rape, domestic violence and bereavement threads or are they not amusing enough?

I wish MNHQ wouid move more to the topics tbh
I disagree. Most topics are kind of dead and for a good reason.
Moving over anything containing the word coronavirus while not touching say parenting or smoking is claiming that anyone discussing it is hysterical and overthinking it.
It isn’t in the actual reality anymore.

Well good for you - is it still ok to post rape, domestic violence and bereavement threads or are they not amusing enough?

I'd prefer it if you didn't put words in my mouth that are clearly not what I meant or referred to. It makes you look petulant and petty because your thread isn't gong how you wanted.

Because what have perfectly serious, individual issues got to do with the onslaught of identikit coronavirus threads?

I'm 'sensibly cautious' but there will be a fair few MNers for whom talk of coronavirus will be a huge trigger for anxiety. Having a dedicated board for this makes the rest of this site 'safe'. It's no skin off my nose, I know how to find my way around a website.

I am sure the gullible posters are happily engaging in just that in their “coronavirus” and “prepping” echo chambers. Unless you mean someone so gullible that he cannot find these sections and thinks AIBU and bbc are equally credible.

Perhaps 'gullible' isn't the right word. I'd say 'susceptible' would be a better fit? I'd say a great majority of people now fall into the 'cautious' category —they're worried, but they don't think the world is going to end.

Putting COVID-19 topics into a designated category means that people will only go in there when they want or need to discuss something related. Having it float around in AIBU means that they'll be bombarded by said topics every time they come on this site. What this does is that it gives the impression that things are more dire than it is, especially with titles like the one mentioned in my aforementioned post. This is when panic could set in, especially as PP mentioned, in cases where someone already has existing anxiety issues and the like.

Totally agree, that thread is full of inaccuracies and people panicking to the extreme. Which doesn't mean it's not a serious situation, but good grief - the paranoia and willingness to believe everything they see online as fact, miscalculations on purpose to make things more dramatic - urgh!

It touches so many areas now (work, mortgages, education/exams, holidays, caring responsibilities, potential disruption to treatment for other conditions, family celebrations, sports and many more)
& I'm mostly worried about whether I should wash my hair more frequently.

This article talking about public preparedness and 111 dispensing wrong advice is a type of question I see discussed outside of the dedicated section.
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/pressure-builds-on-uk-to-step-up-coronavirus-measures

Maybe what should be done is for @MNHQ to have a 'daily coronavirus thread' with all the relevant links from reputable news sources stickied at the top. Win-win solution imo because

1. It prevents people from creating multiple topics in varying degrees of hysteria/paranoia
2. People will hopefully read the daily articles for the day since it's all already being linked there and hopefully be able to engage in sensible discussion that doesn't involve nonsensical posts a la Facebook