To be amazed at how many people are making excuses

[Sunshinesky1981]

Looking through these threads I'm feeling pretty horrified at the amount of people that either dont seem to be able to understand what self isolate actually means or are already making excuses as to why it can't possibly apply to them ?!?
Have read so many.. oh I'm not going to self isolate, I'm pretty sure it's just a cold. Can I still go for a walk. I need to go out for a run or else I'd go crazy, how am i going to walk the dog, I'd only pop to the shop really quickly

No wonder the schools aren't shutting, and we are not banning gatherings. I really can't understand how people are either not getting this or feel happy to just think sod the risk

[HotChocolatemarshmallows]

This is why self isolation will never work in this country, there's way too many 'doesn't apply to me' people out there.
I had to go to the go surgery yesterday with my baby and wore gloves as protection and there was a woman there very loudly ridiculing me! What the actual f@&k!

[PerfectParrot]

What time period are you talking about? What if you are ill for 2 months?

The government advice is to self isolate for 1 week. A dog can survive inside for a week.

[SonjaMorgan]

SSP is not enough. The self employed have to claim benefits and we have all heard reports of people waiting 5 weeks for any pay out.

I think 4 out of 10 adults have less than £500 in savings. People are hand to mouth and on the edge. For years the interest rates have encouraged borrowing and not saving.

The government has minimised the threat for months and now we are expecting everyone to change their view point overnight. Of course not all employers will be supportive.

This won't be the last outbreak, the government and society as a whole needs to be encouraging people to be savers and be prepared.

[Sunshinesky1981]

@Geepipe what would you do with your dog if you broke your leg tomorrow ? You would either manage or get someone else to walk it if it was going on for that long. We will have to disagree on our concept of Evil. Having your dog upset by staying indoors for a couple of weeks or getting someone else to look after it , to me is much less Evil and cruel than chancing spreading a virus which can kill in a people in a pandemic situation

[aroundtheworldyet]

Then @SonjaMorgan you go to your mortgage company ask for a month off
Go to your landlord ask for a payment scheme. Spread the cost of the lost month over 6 months say. For them to get you out will cost them a lot more than agreeing to that.

For every problem you guys come up with. I can find you a solution for the TWO FUCKING WEEKS MAXIMUM

If you were going to have to be going through isolation for months. Well then only the government throwing money at anyone will help. You know, like they’re doing in Italy. So IF we get to that stage I would imagine things will change

[SelfIsolating]

HotChocolatemarshmallows

Exactly that. I had to go out this morning and am I'll so wore a mask. A grown woman started laughing at me. Not sure why she though someone with a potentially deadly disease taking precautions was funny.

[PerfectParrot]

I think 4 out of 10 adults have less than £500 in savings.

I am one of those. However, I wouldn't think twice about using my credit card in order to be able to cope with self isolation. Because, as hard as it has been paying off my credit card (due to finally be clear in May after 4 years), I'd rather have a couple of weeks outgoings on it than risk spreading this illness.

[SelfIsolating]

Ill not I'll. Damn autocorrect.

[neveradullmoment99]

Well I have a cough and am self isolating but when I phoned my work there were huge pauses [teacher] and said [HT] she would let me know what I was to do after getting in touch with the head of education. I thought it wasn't actually up to them. Its a government decision.
This is the type of attitude I hate. I think she thinks I am at it!!! And I am left feeling that I have done the wrong thing.

[neveradullmoment99]

Attitudes by bosses need to change...fast.

[HoffiCoffi13]

SelfIsolating I thought self isolating was just that? Not going out in a mask.

[PlanDeRaccordement]

Even if you are living pay day to pay day, vast majority of people have a credit card for emergencies. Use it to make up the few hundred quid you lost by being home for a week.

The sad thing is, these are the same people that somehow manage to not work for a week over Christmas and spend an extra £1000 or so during that week on gifts, roast dinner, visiting family, etc.

But not working for one week in March and coming up with £250 or so....that’s too much to ask.

[neveradullmoment99]

I am from Scotland. It is what the Scottish government are saying.

[aroundtheworldyet]

@neveradullmoment
You haven’t done anything wrong.
This is the problem with this country. Everyone seem to think if you’re not chained to your job your a scrounging lazy freeloader.

Which is why we have such a bad work life balance in the first place compared to other countries and women always lose out. Plenty of people can work from home very easily. But is brits just see that as lazy.

[YeahLikeNoThough]

Yeah, its just one big con from the World Health Organisation ;)

Psssssst! I've heard that our reptilian alien overlords get very upset when they're denied credit for their greatest achievements!

[PlanDeRaccordement]

Selfisolating- why on earth did you go out? You do know a mask doesn’t protect anyone on either side from this virus?

You should not be going out. Unless it’s on doctor’s orders.

[Moomin8]

People are selfish bastards. That's why they're hoarding food and loo rolls. They couldn't care less about others.

[isabellerossignol]

you go to your mortgage company ask for a month off

I spent a long time working in banking and I think it's a bit naive to think that banks will automatically agree to this for every customer. Yes, it's worth trying, and hopefully they will, but it's certainly not guaranteed. There was a spokesman from one of the big banks the other day speaking about this on the radio and he said that he wasn't willing to make a promise that they would extend that to everyone and that normal lending conditions would have to be applied. Which in reality means that the more desperate you are for a break in payments, the less likely you are to get one, because you're a bad risk. The self employed sole trader type of people are the ones most likely to be hit by the double problem of having reduced income and also being viewed as a bad risk by the banks.

[IfYoureNotIntoYoga]

But isn't just £250 on a credit card is it?

Myself and my husband can not afford to self isolate!

Plus I'd then have to still take my children to school as if I didn't we would then get fined and until the schools are closed I'd have to take them.

Seriously, money problems would only pile up, interest would be added and that will have a long term effect on my families life!

So yes, our combined wage would drop, can't pay mortgage, can't afford oil to heat the house (have to buy this in bulk think 1000L at a time) wouldn't be able to get food delivered as I am rural and as of yet none of the companies do food deliveries here! (Pain in the bum at the best of times as I really want to try Ocado!)

keeping my roof over our heads and keeping my children fed and warm are MY priority!

Sometimes we have to look after ourselves and put ourselves first and in this case I will be doing so, and not taking advise from mumsnet users who are clearly in a lucky position to be able to live off SSP!

Honestly, mumsnet seems to be a class divide of us and them!

You can go on and on about how selfish I am but at the end of the day, a cough and cold is NOT a Critical illness so our critical illness cover would not be eligible to apply for here.

So who exactly do you think will financially help my family and many others keep the roofs over our heads when we all fall behind on our mortgages?

Who will help the renters who will be in arrears and have to struggle for months/years to pay them back? Because let's face it, renters seem to be paying more in rent that a lot of home owners pay on their mortgages.

The people in high risk groups need to take appropriate care for themselves to minimise their risk until the government advise us further.

[SelfIsolating]

HoffiCoffi13 Yes it is. Long story that I'm not going to go into on here.

[MisguidedAngel]

Surely most people can walk their dogs and keep well away from others?

But I really came on this thread to say I am horrified by the selfishness of some people where I am - a marina in a small southern Spanish town. We have a large supermarket on site, and yesterday the shelves were cleared - the day before, everything was normal. I am ashamed to say that a large proportion of the panic buying was by British ex-pats. I even heard one man asking his wife if gluten-free pasta was ok to buy. The staff were trying to tell people that they won't have a problem with restocking - I interpreted to those who couldn't understand, but I expect they'll be back again today.

[Mlou32]

Being £700 down is tough. But being 6 grand down to fund a funeral for an elderly/vulnerable loved one due to them catching coronavirus and dying is probably tougher. Which is what will happen if people don't take public health advice and choose to go out and infect others.

Look, I get that it's difficult. Money worries are probably one of the main barriers to people not wanting to stay off work. I'm not exactly flush myself and losing a weeks money would hit me hard. But peoples lives are at risk if we don't adhere to the advice.

[buttonmoonb4tea]

I'm self isolating. I'm a public sector worker, lone parent and generally quite a martyr when it comes to illness. Not with this though. My 2 children and myself are in the house. All had symptoms.

I'm trying to stress to my parents, in the at risk group, why they now have to bunker down and won't be seeing us for a while. They don't get it and it's really worrying me.

The governments action on this is abhorrent. In a few weeks the health service will be on its knees.

Oh and for the PP who won't use a credit card to protect others from the virus, I've just used my CC to buy an online shop. I will not put others at risk.

[Ginnyrellas]

I think people are kicking up a load of fuss about nothing to be honest. If you’re I’ll. stay at home end of story. The likelihood of the government putting the country on lock down is weeks away. Children won’t be in schools meaning that people will have to take time off work! I think that in that case we will see annual leave will be refreshed and you will be able to use some of your entitlement for self isolation. Even if it is before the New tax year surely employers will allow you to “borrow” annual leave.

[Coldemort]

We've had a young lad at work GP advised to self isolate.
Work have said not a chance and they wont support self isolation without a doctors not. It will also go against your sickness note.

It extremely difficult when you dont have the support of your employers. Our poor lad was worried about getting a disciplinary for bring off, even though his household have just returned from Italy.