Is this the end of the world as we know it?

[SubordinateThatClause]

Just that really. Not trying to be to hyped and dramatic about life. How far reaching do you think the consequences of this thing are going to be - economically, socially, politically? Will life ever get back to how it has been?

Let's face it. It's not going to just go away is it? Might just save the planet if the pollution reduction over China is anything to go by though.

@SubordinateThatClausesubordinate

Nope

This will likely speed up the move towards home working in roles where it's possible. So many large companies are using this as an opportunity to trial and test work from home systems. My brother works for an IT company that is essentially the IT department for companies not large enough to have their own. And they are overrun with 100s of companies requesting remote working systems to be set up asap. Once this is all over, if having staff work remotely is successful, many companies will stick with it going forward.

Health minister Nadine Dorris has tested positive. Guardian reporting

Thank you @AuldAlliance - I hope you're right re Trump but I fear we are looking at a few more years with him in charge. Wouldn't surprise me if he turned round and blamed the health care situation on Obama in some way. Plonker!

Other than the obvious risk to older family members, I fear economic fallout most. Education and health and the emergency services have already been stripped to the bone. I really don't think our schools could cope with any more hardship.

Don’t know about long term effects, but short term if we end up like Italy will be shocking.
We barely have enough intensive care beds as it is.
If 5% of virus patients need itu care, that is simply not available.
Not enough beds or staff.
Drs are going to have to decide who is going to get itu care and who is not, I do not envy them

If everyone doesn't freak out most people will be ok and things will go back to normal again. I hope so. I think everyone needs to stop being so scared, because we are all going to die anyway. You didn't think you would get out alive did you?

I hope so.

Perhaps this will be the wake up call for many that has been desperately needed for some time about just how fragile systems can be and how much we take for granted in modern life.

We shouldn't be using aeroplanes like they are buses to the next town along. We shouldn't be reliant on other countries for our medicines, our food, our manufacturing etc, we shouldn't be so wasteful in everything we do. We shouldn't be trying to do bigger, quicker, yesterday all the time at the expense of communities and family relationships

I hope something positive can come out of it.

It is not the end of the world.

This is eminently survivable and what does not kill us makes us stronger.

I know mumsnetters love to wilfully misinterpret thread titles and OPs, but "is this the end of the world as we know it?" obviously does not mean "is this the end of the world?"

Having said that, I don't think this is the end of the world as we know it, OP. But then I guess we each have our own opinion of what social change means/looks like. I get that lots of things changed post 9/11, but to me life was still more or less the same. I think the same will be true of this whole event.

Boom. My comment is purely an observation; I’m in a vulnerable group myself.

I'd say things will probably change, just like WW2 moved women's rights forward a bit because it became clear that they could do 'men's jobs' and they were reluctant to be sent back to the kitchen once the war was over. We probably won't know what changes until we look back, say 20 years from now. In the same way that we look back at old tv programmes and are a bit jolted by people smoking indoors. In the short term a lot of airlines, hotels, holiday destinations and restaurants are likely to struggle and go bankrupt so flights and holidays might be more expensive. Maybe something really unexpected, like people not shaking hands in formal situations anymore.

Why are people being so rude and nasty? Perhaps some transference is going on and they are discharging their own anxieties about the Corona Virus Covid 19.

Yes, OP, I think this will change the world in many ways, but it's too early to know how drastic those changes will be. The NHS is going to be under a huge strain when this peaks, and we may well tip into another world recession. Chances are that most people will end up knowing somebody who dies from the virus, or from the knock on effects of not being able to access the medical treatment and/or operation they need, due to the strain on the NHS. There will be tough times for many families as businesses fold and unemployment rises. That is just my opinion, however, I am quite an anxious person, so hopefully the reality won't be as bad as I think.

One possible plus side is that maybe people will not be so keen to fly abroad for their holidays, which might be better for the planet, pollution wise, etc. Also, I hope that the government will think of ways to support our NHS in future... maybe by introducing charges for inpatient stays, to cover food, laundry and cleaning costs. Something needs to change, to keep our NHS functioning.

Yes, I think people/ thugs and youths will start wearing facemasks instead/aswell as of hoodies. For Identity protection.

I was just chatting about this to an old school friend who lives in the US. Because they generally don't have paid sick leave or job security if you do take sick leave and medical treatment is very expensive a lot, probably the majority, of low paid workers will continue to work when they have symptoms. It doesn't really matter how rich and well-insured you are, that you can work from home or take unpaid isolation days without missing the income, you will still come into direct or indirect contact with people who can't afford to stop working and are spreading the virus.

Ideally the rich people would realise that keeping the poor healthier keeps the whole of society healthier, which would be a huge societal change for them. They probably won't though.

Interesting reading. I'm convinced life is going to change, possibly quite considerably, for the rest of this year. There'll be a 'generational' impact which will have a subtle but significant effect on the balance of society... maybe election results.

I have no doubt we'll get through it - it's not like The Walking Dead or something. But it could get quite hairy for a while.

If older people die off there will be a cascade of inheritance money down to the younger generation. That will have a big impact. I imagine comfortably off middle aged people who come into a big chunk of money will simply retire. That will free up a lot of opportunities for younger people.

Sharing a post from the wonderful John St Julien. A little bit of perspective, if you don’t mind ...

Nearly 3500 people have sadly passed due to coronavirus to date, a tragic loss for all involved and my deepest sympathies to those mourning and the 98% infected who feel unwell but will recover.
Today 2,195 children died of diarrhoea, tomorrow a further 2,195 will die and the day after that and the day after that for many years to come.
Today, tomorrow and everyday for the rest of the year 200 people will die from snake bites.
Today on average 3287 people have died from car crashes and will each day for the rest of the year and years to come...
I think you see my point.
Death and sickness is every where every day. You can not hide from it, you can not stop it you can but have faith and gratitude that today you and those you love are safe and well.
The media is terrifying. Bullet pointed information, snippet after snippet after snippet. Exciting the mind into a state of emergency when if you turn it off, go outside and look up at the vast blue sky or dark starry night, take a breath and smile... you'll see there simply is none.
Hysteria is profoundly profitable to a sick society as our own. Not sick with a virus, but sick with a separation, a separation from the reality of your own individual present moments detached from the mainstream narrative.
Don't be a slave to fear. What will come will come, and what is is. You have more chance of losing your loved one to a car journey or bout of diarrhoea than the media storms virus. Its a fact you should not deny yourself for your own well being.
"Take no thought for tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself.."
Switch off your tv switch off your social media or block those to hysterical to not fear monger and rest under the peaceful world outside you. Where birds don't care, trees keep growing and you are allowed to be.
My brief reprieve of absence is over and I am going offline again, but after checking a message today I had to say this.
In love as always
John x

Who is John St Julien?

No.

No. People are very resistant to change. It will change the lives of some people, but for most people it will be an unsettling period of time, possibly followed by a short term change, but in the long term they will go back to the way things are.

Totally agree.

I think it is the end of things how we know it. It’s going to be a long ride to get through this and the economic and social impacts are as yet unknown.

Life will go back to normal - the economy will take a hit and eventually recover. People will wash their hands more for a year or two.

Today 2,195 children died of diarrhoea, tomorrow a further 2,195 will die and the day after that and the day after that for many years to come.

So the number of children dying of diarrhoea demonstrably isn't rising exponentially then?

Interested to see if anyone's views have changed...