Worried about coronavirus thread 22

[ofwarren]

@usernameishistory is busy and asked me to start a new thread.

Please see post 21 for more information about coronavirus.

[Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

@Babamamananarama not for me I’ve got hypertension!

DHs work colleagues returned this evening from North Italy. They were flown out there by a ski company on Saturday who said there would be no refunds until government directives changed (which they did on Sunday). I was shocked they went but there you go.. when they arrived there the next day their resort closed (Lombardy) and they were bussed one hour down the road to a supposedly safe area, which then got shut down the next day. Today they were flown out, so that's 4 days there out and about among people in the worse hit area of Europe.

They said there were no checks or advice on leaving in Italy or arriving in England, people went off and got taxis, buses and trains.

It's like the government just can't be arsed with it all. Those first people flown in from Wuhan and the other high risk places were taken to quarantine - but this lot have been sent merrily on their way.
Some are saying they will go into work tomorrow because they've been given no information by anyone not to.
What a damn mess it all is...

El Salvador shuts classes in all schools on #coronavirus fears t.co/GPlu1dOxL5
Reuters

It is understandable for parents to be anxious for their DC and kee them home

However, China had over 80,000 reported cases with over 3,000 deaths
BUT
Only 1 child died - a teenager
No young children

Some of those children must have had comorbidities too
Adults with certain comorbidities are very vulnerable, but children still seem at v v low risk

@Carrotcakeforbreakfast I really relate to how you’re feeling. I’m barely leaving the house and when I have to I feel so contaminated and dirty when I get in. Although I’ve always had health anxiety, I’ve NEVER been like this about germs/viruses and have also been of the mindset that a few bugs keeps the immune system ticking over!

This situation has seriously changed me. I feel some of us are in a parallel universe with these thoughts though, just today I’ve heard these statements during phone calls with a few family members:

“Italy only kicked down because of the newspapers scaring them”

“It’s a cold you’ll be over it in a couple of days”

“No one under the age of 65 is at risk it’s only them that are dying” (From a 76 year old!)

“I’m sick of hearing about all this it’s boring, there better not be any football cancellations”

I don’t know if there’s something wrong with my brain, seriously

Would gloves help? My main hobby is social dancing, which requires a lot of hand holding. If we wore gloves would that reduce our risk?

That’s really concerning pp. At the very least those people should be assessed, monitored and quarantined if necessary.

The Liberal Democrats spring conference has been cancelled this weekend following the World Health Organisation declaring coronavirus as a pandemic and calling for "urgent and aggressive action"
Sky news

@PaediatricianUK Were you responding to my comment? If so, that is great.

I was going by the very crude fact that the death rate for 10-19 year olds is the same as for every other age group up to 40.

carrotcake don't feel bad, I only started shopping a bit more about a week ago, I really wasn't a prepper and usually had barely enough for a couple of days in, I've always been a bit lax and stumbled along. Now I have food for a couple of weeks, though I hope we can still go out to top up for essentials (or someone can), I am preparing to move my own job online for students and at home for me, and I'm thinking of pulling the kids out Mon.

I don't trust The Science because they are modelling something new and unknown and it doesn't behave exactly like the flu and even China/Italy have manifested differently, plus the science is changing all the time so our knowledge of whether asymptomatic people are shedding the virus or whether to bother testing them and how long you should be in isolation is all changing, it's a moveable feast and I don't want to follow a government that is a bit rigid. Also, I don't believe for one second that anyone in a behavioural nudge unit told them the main strategy for delay should be self-isolation, they know better than anyone that people will struggle or not want to self-isolate without punitive measures as they are inherently selfish and without monitoring/penalties, it's going to be every man or woman for his or herself.

I think it is natural to be apprehensive at this stage in the NHS, it must feel like the calm before the storm, although it's not ever really calm in the NHS front-line, is it?

Italy locked down not kicked down!!!

Children are indeed a danger to elderly adults

So instead of keeping them out of school, maybe it would be more effective to only let them go to school,
not to GPs, not to shops or to anywhere they might meet the elderly.

Isnt the point that they pass it on to adults really easily though @bigchocfrenzy?

Can the WHO order countries to introduce different actions if it’s deemed necessary for world health?

Why on this earth would there be a corona conference if its all change tomorow?

As my post above, ofwarren

When kids are in school, they are mixing with other kids
It's when they get home and are taken out that they become a danger

I am not sure how to link to Twitter but numerous political corespondents now saying this: Govt likely to move to the next phase tomorrow, of 'delay' after PM chairs Cobra- Laura Kuenssberg at 22.33pm. Without getting outed, this links directly with information circulating in Whitehall this evening.

Big choc many children won't be going to gp though or shops.

Babama

I quick read of that abstract says that allergy, asthma, COPD etc are not risk factors, I.e. don't increase your chance if getting it.

Low eosinophils and low white cells may aid diagnosis.

Eosinophils may be high in allergy, asthma as you probably know.

Multiple comorbities, (any other significant disease) and being older indicate poorer outcomes, as is true in nearly any clinical situation.

I wonder what Trump is going to say at 8pm? I don’t hold out much hope. Apparently he announced that no-one even dies from the flu......guess what his grandfather died of in 1918?

twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1237874103970758656

“We’ve got a complacent attitude… & we’ve wasted a month. If this now spreads the way it looks as though it’s likely to spread, there will not be enough hospital beds & people will have to be nursed at home”

Main point about these demands by worried parents that schools close:

it really seems to be worry about their kids, not older people

The danger to others seems to be added on as a justification for closing schools,
when it is really their own DC that they are - very naturally - frightened for.

Austria closing schools over coronavirus as border checks take effect t.co/9DQCAjYelT t.co/CzTwaKNsze
Reuters

Chris Whitty did state that the initial stages of the "delay" phase were essentially the same as those used in "contain".

I'm not sure there will be any significant changes announced tomorrow.

Big choc, they are not just mixing with other people kids at All!!

Bus drivers! Taxi drivers, parents mixing, cleaning staff, admin staff, cooking staff, lunch room staff, teaching staff, after school clubs where dc mix from different local schools, those bus drivers...

Teachers and staff of all ages!
Schools trips and visits. Schools and work experience.