How do you feel right now?

[DressingGownofDoom]

I've been feeling ok up until today, but seeing the situation in Italy and still no action and lack of testing from our government - I am afraid. Not even for my own health (I'm in my thirties and I'm sure I'll be ok if I get it) but for our life as we know it, the older members of my family, and in the UK in general.

I feel as though I'm sitting watching a Tsunami that's approaching the shore.

I felt this since beg Jan

Very worried. Heavily involved in planning at work (NHS). Beginning to have personal acquaintances who suspect they've become infected (none that I've been directly in personal contact with recently).

Honestly, I'm pissed off I'm going to be broke because I'm either going to need unpaid leave or pay my CM an extra £50 a day to look after my kids when the schools close.

I have a relative currently receiving chemo, very high risk and even they think it's ridiculous!!

Increasingly worried- there's something they're not telling us.

I've been feeling worried for a while, but I suppose I still had hope that the people in charge would realise how serious this is and act accordingly. Watching Matt Hancock this evening was so incredibly frustrating. The arrogance! Claiming that all the other countries putting responsible social distancing policies in place are 'not following the science'. It seemed unreal.

I spent an hour or so being angry. Now I guess I'm resigned to the fact that it's going to be really bad and there's nothing I can do except take steps to protect myself and my family and hope that none of us need hospital care for any reason in the next few months.

I feel terrified. I don't think we are doing enough. I desperately want my severely asthmatic husband to stay home but he won't. I've worked in the NHS for 30 years and it barely functions well at the best of times. The reports coming out of Italy are unbearable to read, those poor medical staff making such desperate decisions.

I feel very disappointed in the lack of action from our government. It's like we are watching a car crash happening in slow motion and nobody has thought to turn the steering wheel.
I'm normally quite a calm person but at the minute I feel very anxious about sending my dc to school. I have no idea when they will be able to see frail older relatives again.
Desperately hoping for some proactive measures to be adopted tomorrow. If not I think I may pull (asthmatic) dc out of school anyway and worry about the fines later.

I'm not overly worried about catching it, I'm 35 and healthy. I'd be a lot more concerned if my Grandparents caught it as they are very old and have other health problems

I'm worried it's going to destroy the economy just as I'm trying to sell my house, I'm worried that I'm going to end up locked in my house for a fortnight with a bored toddler and I'm worried that my husband won't be earning any money if he has to self isolate as he's self employed

So overall, not personally worried about the virus itself but more the impact on day to day life. I totally get why vulnerable groups would be worried though

On the BBC news website there is an article saying we will move into the delay phase on Thursday so maybe things will start to be done.

I'm starting to get worried now because I'm sick of the "the UK is more than prepared for it" rhetoric EVERYWHERE when it's clearly not. Wait times on the NHS are poor and doctors and nurses overworked at the best of times.

I wish they would just be more honest or proactive about it, instead of "we can deal with the crisis" but not saying how or when "crisis" point is considered to be met!

It feels like we are way behind the rest of the world.

I’m worried about social collapse.

Sounds laughable but happens relatively easily. A couple of police officers ill and so on.

I’m trying to stay calm and go about my business etc but to be vigilant.

I live in a city where a school teacher has been confirmed as having it. Today a pupil has got it it’s been confirmed. The schools still open and business as usual 🙄

It’s too late now I fear. It’s too far gone to take back control now. It’s everywhere because we live in a world where people travel everywhere.

I was shocked to here that all schools ect in Spain are closed yet we’re still open to receive visitors from countries where they’re on part lockdown. I’m sorry but football is not a necessity.

I think we will learn from this pandemic but it will get a lot worse before it gets better.

The only positive thing is that it doesn’t seem to affect children as much as adults. That’s what’s keeping me sane. I don’t card if I get it and I’m on deaths door, just as long as my children are ok and don’t get it

I think the best you can do is make sure you are prepared incase everyone dies have to stay home for 2 weeks. I'm not talking about panic buying but make sure you have food in. Perhaps buy a book or 2 or some craft supplies and copious amounts of gin and hopefully it will be fine. I think my place of work are making plans for us to work from home which is very unusual. They are buying extra laptops for people. It all feels like a very odd dream

Oops bad typo there. Was meant to say does not dies!!

@pinkginandtacos my work are doing the same. I will go in tomorrow but depending on the announcement will probably work at home from then on

I have always prided myself on keeping a well-stocked pantry. Having a green finger, I have an orchard just about coming into its own, maturity-wise. So for food, I think we will be ok and so will be our rural region.

Having said that, I am concerned. I said to others at the beginning of this, it's going to be little things like spare parts being unavailable that operate bigger essential service things we rely on such as power supply, fuel pumps and water supply that is going to be our downfall.

Fast forward to today, my DD sends me a message that details a product delay from the UK due to recent shut down of port facilities in China with a huge number of the world's shipping containers detained or backlogged.

Considering this virus has been in circulation now since January, I would have thought the authorities would have had the nouse to divert shipping away from Chinese ports earlier on in the piece.

It appears not... added to that, most western Ports are hugely unionised, you can bet your last dollar that they will be jumping up and down about working conditions, pay rates and strikes as soon as the containers coming from China arrive in our Ports.

Secondly, we have friends on the brink of bankruptcy as their earthmoving business has virtually come to a standstill. Others in our area have already been laid off as their work relies on the export market to Asia.

The virus itself might not have unprecedented (those officially reported that is) death numbers, but I think the negative financial impact worldwide will be huge as well as the potential breakdown of major infrastructure.

Cheerful aren't I...

Feels like a nightmare that shouldn't really have happened!

I feel angry for the government being half sleeping too. Is that just me think our current PM doesn't really care? And his MPs?

The government think they are above such things, too clever and high and mighty to get it themselves, and we are all just thick silly plebs who don't know what's best for us.

I'm really hoping the unnamed minister being tested is Matt Hancock.

How I'm feeling - anxious. And I don't suffer from anxiety generally. And slightly depressed to be honest.

I'm self employed, work in London, go by train. I can work from home but I don't know how long for so I can see my contract being ended early.
My mum is 79 and alone, limited mobility, COPD. My idiot brother is with her today, he works on London underground.
My dad has stage 4 cancer and probably has weeks to live.
I can honestly see them both being dead within two months the way things are going.
And I'm probably not going to be able to visit them.

Dp is 62, also has health conditions, smokes (a bit) and drinks (most days), so if he gets it....

And I'm the one most likely to get it, and pass it on. I'd most probably be fine myself (I've had a cough since Christmas so if they go to "any symptoms, self isolate" I'd have to do that even though I know it's not the virus [yet]).

Meanwhile my pension and savings are disappearing.

Booked events are going to have to be missed - upcoming, a comedy gig and a BBC radio recording. In a couple of weeks, haircut and weekend away walking (paid for and won't be covered by insurance).

I think there should be wider testing, once people get it and recover, test them again, then they will have some immunity and they can be asked to volunteer to support other people. There are bound to be loads of people who have had it and don't even know and have immunity.

I’ve felt very concerned since I heard about the first cases in China. But because I have anxiety and regularly get mocked by friends/family for being a ‘hypochondriac’, no one took me seriously when I tried to express my worries.

I said to people back in January that this virus would be over here within a couple of months and that our government wouldn’t protect us properly, I could just see how it was going. Not that time passing has made much difference as even now I just get laughed at and very few people I know are taking it seriously.

So I feel terrified but more than that, angry at the people in this country who have more power than we do, and who I don’t believe are protecting us fully.

I am not worried really. I don’t understand the massive panic. Although I have been telling my mid 60s parents to take precautions.

What worries me is schools closing and having to sort childcare out. I am a healthcare professional so how is that going to work?

I am normally very very laid back about these sort of things and generally think most of these situations are the result of massive media hype . BUT i am now genuinely worried about this situation. I work in the NHS and quite frankly my trust is massively underprepared to deal with any of this. So little is bein done it is astaounding. There are so many implications for all areas of the NHS that havent even been considered. The way they are testing people is ridiculous. The advice from 111 is ridiculous. I just went on to the online 111 to see what advice they were giving - if I logged that I had the 3 key symptoms of coronavirus but hadnt been in contact with a CONFIRMED case or been to a high risk country I was just dismissed. As it happens I have had close contact with someone returning from Italy and someone who lives in China in the last week but I wasn't even asked that. I think lots and lots of cases are being missed and the spread is going to be massive. I am very worried for my 86 yr old dad who has pulmonary fibrosis and has already been hospitalised with flu this year. In truth I honestly suspect this may be what ends his life. And I really, really feel the government is doing far too little to deal with it.

That's a really good analogy about waiting for a tsunami. Exactly how I feel.

I have moments of thinking that it will be fine, I refuse to worry about something I cannot possibly control (aside from good personal hygiene) but then I also think oh shit, I’m self employed. If there is an enforced lock down I will have no income and probably only enough in the bank to sustain us for a month.

I feel on edge waiting to see what’s going to be announced after today’s Cobra meeting. Does anyone really trust the government to do what’s needed at the right time?