Is this whole thing being exaggerated?

[agentstarling]

Coronavirus seems to only affect mostly older people with already compromised immune systems. So far we have had only 11 deaths some being 80 even a ninety-year-old. The press is whipping people up into a hysteria in my view I have a degree in biology I am not a doctor but I would say that some of this is ridiculous.

That phrase underlying health problems can be applied to at least 50% of the population! I didn't know for 17 years I had a pancreas that was severely damaged. I do not have diabetes and was advised I had irritable bowel syndrome! It was not until I had to have a scan because of a 5 stone weight loss in 3 months that they found my pancreas was on its last legs! People are walking round now with underlying conditions they are unaware of. It is not necessarily something exclusive to the over 70s. Another example my Dgd now has ITP which is an auto immune blood disorder where due to catching a virus last year and not being even aware she had a virus, her immune system began killing her own platelets which clot your blood and having woke up one morning black with purple rash hundreds of bruises blood blusters and bleeding from nose mouth and ears discovered she had been a walking time bomb and could have bled to death at any time! She now has this condition for life.the treatment which entails masses of steroids to suppress her immune system has now caused her to have blood aenemia which again us for life. She is now 18 she will be in grave danger if she catches Covid 19. See what I mean by undiscovered underlying conditions?

Yes, it is exaggerated. After all, whilst we're immensely pre-occupied with this obscure virus we can't be occupied too much (if at all) with what our respective governments are getting up to.

Until it's too late.

Three weeks ago, Italy had 34 deaths and measures were bring already put in place.
Yesterday, the UK had 35.
Italy had way more positive cases than the UK. The UK aren't testing nearly as many people.
See you in 3 weeks then for an update, shall we?

Yes, it is exaggerated.

Have you actually educated yourself about the speed it's spreading in other countries? What about Italy?

Sometimes, exaggeration is needed to actually get it through some peoples' thick skulls that it's a massive problem!

Nanalisa60 Mon 16-Mar-20 10:06:44
I’m very worried for the over 70’s and people who have underline health problems, I feel a lot better after seeing a lady doctor on breakfast TV who has had it, and explained how bad it was and how she has now got through it and on the other side of it.
.....
Your're kind.

I also feel sorry for those with young children who don't know whether or not to send them to school and, if they are at home, how will they manage.

(I'm over 70 but don't worry about me I'm fine indoors and have plenty of food and toilet rolls, I always stocked up regularly so no need for panic buying. Make sure you take care of yourself!)

Thank you @TheCanterburyWhales and @swishthecat that is much appreciated.

I am a really social person and being isolated from people is not my favourite thing at all. Thank Christ for Mumsnet!

I don't have a degree in anything, however, when someone with a lot more knowledge that me says to do something, I listen. A pandemic has been overdue and as we didn''t have the severe winter that was forecast, which might have killed off certain virus'. Flu kills many every year. To travel around/ or abroad when it isn;'t essential is madness, as is buying a stock of toilet paper. When the sh** hits the fan, what are we going to do ? We are acting out of fear, keep calm and carry on the best you can. think of others, and get your head on straight.

No it’s not.

I don't call 1,540 people currently in hospital with Covid 19 requiring treatment exaggerated. I don't class 35 deaths as exaggerated ( though it will be higher in an hour or two when figures are released for today) either! If anything underestimated.

Magic figure we only have 5000 ventilators and we need 25000 staff to monitor and look after those on ventilators alone. If all those in hospital with Covid suddenly need a ventilator that's over a quarter gone already!

Actually don't think this virus will due in summer as they now have it in Africa, Morocco both hotter countries than here.

Die not due

I know three people who are indeed being tested for Coronavirus.

YABVU

Another person just died of Covid in Wales, 36 and counting.
The figures published are those IN hospital who have Covid 19. In the community I estimate there are heading towards 20000 unconfirmed cases. They are not publishing figures tested positive in the community only those in hospital. If they did publish figures in the community there would be definate panicking.!

Those in hospital and need treatment such as that is!

I also think the WET WIPE MOTHERS, are not helping the next generation fight off germs, and that generation and the one preceding it will in years to come that'll be wiped out from a real pandemic.

As it happens, there has not been a single death from a child under ten from this virus. Also, why capitalise "WET WIPE MOTHERS"?

Another poor soul who was in early 50 s died in Salisbury hospital on March 11th and was only confirmed as having Covid 19 today. So we can't even get the test results back in a reasonable time! What a shambles! 37 and counting.....

To the pp who wrote the bizarre post about WET WIPE MOTHERS, I knew women would get the blame somewhere along the line, it goes all the way back to Eve!

Like sueellenmsiske I'm worried the situation will get worse, because of arrogant people thinking they know better than the experts who are advising the government, and not following the guidelines. If we all work together then the outcome will be the best it can be, and like others, I feel sure the worse is yet to come. Agentstarling you may have to eat some humble pie pretty soon, hope you have the recipe, it calls for a whole lot of "sorry I'm an arrogant idiot"

@Sostenueto Definitely true. I almost certainly have it, the symptoms fit but they're not testing in the community. (I have plenty of mucus covered tissue in my bin right now so they easily could.) It felt like I was drowning in mucus I couldn't cough or puke out and I couldn't breathe. It was scary! At one point I was fighting against unconsciousness until I was finally able to cough and breathe more freely.

I'm 50 and have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; I catch everything going. But I have no long-term heart or chest problems so I was able to fight and eventually get the mucus out, with the help of decongestants. An elderly or more vulnerable person wouldn't have managed it.

My case would be considered 'mild' because I haven't needed hospital treatment. 'Mild' doesn't automatically mean that it's at the level of a bad cold.

Firstly, I think the fact that it kills mainly the old doesn't make it ok, interestingly the world population used to have an average life span on 20 years and this increased over the years to 60 then to 70 and now even greater than that. Covid kills 45% of the 80 years old who get it and the figures are 2.6% at 50 and rising upwards see my prior texts. So what this means is that the likelihood is that the average life span will reduce drastically as this is endemic and along with the flu will kill people every year, but this kills 20X more than flu and is 70% more infectious. Now I don't know how old you are but your life span has just reduced to about 50 to 60. So you will likely die 20 -30 years that you would have 10 weeks ago. As they haven't found a vaccine for SARs 1 and this is SARS 2 same strain and the first was in 2003 the chances of a vaccine are slim. So is it now still in the same category in your mind - making a fuss about nothing because your life span no matter what age you are now has been slashed by 1/4. Plus you should also note that Norway has just stated 50% of their patients in ICU are 40-50 so the virus may be changing. In Italy there was a growth of younger people needing ICU and even 16-year-olds were in critical care.

secondly yes the press is jumping on it and there is a lot of a frenzy, been raised - in the past people had to wait a week to find out thater was something that was happening so don't knock it. This in the modern world is normal. Whether the news or tweets go mental depends on what is actually happening. I think that this is the biggest threat to a great proportion of the world's population is important enough for the world press to keep on about it.

@Mohster I think you are talking rubbish

They suggest that comorbidity for younger people seems to be linked to obesity. So if you are young 20-30 but obese then you may require critical care.

@Mohster where on earth are you getting your facts from

World Health Organisation saying children can die too supposedly ☹️