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.

There are so many variables that have knock on effects with the virus.

Our system struggles with high volume usual traffic.

People who need help are being batted between gp, 111 and a and e.
Each contact with a medic can take hours and hours and in the mean time your worried sick because you have a sick child on your hands.

And your not sure you will get seen.

That's without covid. With covid we are adding not only a frightening flow of traffic in, we are adding in newly trained staff who make mistakes, mass confusion, panic and everyone needing the same equipment.

Anyone falling ill with any illness right now will be put at risk due to not being able to access their surgery.

I am not saying it is not to be taken seriously but the point is most people who get it will be fine this will help establish herd immunity and protect older people in the long run. The reason it caused so many problems in Italy is that they have a higher population of older people. I just want there to be a reduction in hysteria. I just watched someone in my local supermarket have a go at a lady working on the till because she coughed.

@agentstarling, take a look at the following thread and then ask yourself the same question. There are very real consequences of cv happening right this minute! Many thousands could die who don’t have the virus due to lack of beds and care. This is why people are worried.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3847010-Chemo-No-hospital-bed-for-DH

I feel panicky about it whenever I go on social media, watch the news or read the news and then I try to think rationally about it. I hope it is being exaggerated I really do. But I think the truth is nobody knows yet how bad it is going to or could get. We just have to wait it out and follow the advice of the experts. I think another thing we all have to do is try to stay calm because panicking about it isn't going to help.

Agreeing with pp, I'm fed up of all this ridiculous loo roll stockpiling, but this is a very contagious illness , and the worry and danger is that we don't know much about it .
My 6 year old niece has been in hospital more than once with her asthma and she struggles for breath regularly, so yabu lumping her in with a group of people you personally won't care if they died.
Yabvu.

"I just want there to be a reduction in hysteria."

Hysteria is not needed but we do need people to calmly take this seriously, to voluntarily undertake social distancing where they can, to keep up the good hand washing and cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and try to look out for each other as much as possible.

Are the elderly allowed to panic a bit then?
And those with underlying health conditions?
And their relatives?
Or the people with other health conditions or those who have accidents who cannot access timely medical care?
Or don't they count?

Exaggerated? Have you actually been following what's been going on in Europe?
Imo it's been massively underplayed here in the UK.

There are not enough hospital beds, staff or healthcare resources as it is, this so the main concern. Our health service will simply not cope with high numbers of people who develop serious respiratory complications- we should all be very concerned about this. It's all very well saying it's ok if we all catch it as most of us will be fine but many people won't be and they will place a huge strain on an already crippled NHS.
People aren't going to stop breaking bones, having heart attacks, meningitis, cancer etc etc - all these people still need treating. It will be harder to keep treating everyone when ITU beds are full of Coronavirus patients. This is a very real concern.

Think about this... if Italy is not intubating over 55s due to a severe shortage of beds, who ARE they intubating? It cannot just be a disease that affects old people.

I have a physics degree.

If coronavirus gets too bad I will be making a rocket to go to Mars. Reckon I know how it will work.

/s

No. My local hospital has closed completely - because it is full of Coronavirus patients. We are only at the start of this.

Someone’s not looked at worldometer coronvirus?

I was reading on the below website that this virus may cause 20-30 deaths per 1000. We have no vaccine. No cure. Only symptom management--IV fluids, oxygen therapy, possible use of antivirals with questionable efficacy. Not enough staff and medical resources to manage the sickest.

www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china/questions-answers

Additionally, the rate of spread of this virus is of serious concern. Over 100,000 since November.

The link is from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control so is a very reputable source.

I am not saying it is not to be taken seriously but the point is most people who get it will be fine this will help establish herd immunity and protect older people in the long run.

And in the short run hundreds of thousands of people are going to die. All within the next couple of months. All of them leaving behind people who love them.

Think about this... if Italy is not intubating over 55s due to a severe shortage of beds, who ARE they intubating? It cannot just be a disease that affects old people.

Is the penny dropping, op?

@Twasbambam LOL

They don’t declare pandemic for shits and giggles...

Other people still need intubating that don't have cornoavirus. So I guess if it's a choice between intubating a 60 year old with cornoavirus or a 53 year old man after his heart bypass who has a good chance of full recovery then the 53 year old wins.
These will be the decisions that medical staff will be having to make in a few weeks time.

Italy have had to cancel cancer treatment. It's not just the people who contract coronavirus directly who will stuffer because of this.

That said, I think implying that the deaths of elderly or unwell people doesn't really matter is unbelievably callous and you should be ashamed of yourself.

And it will be preferable not to have ITU full of covid 19 because it means that any other patients will be at high risk - it's harder to isolate. So it may be that eventually you just have to turn all Coronavirus cases down.

It's is an unthinkable situation

A degree in biology? My arse. You can’t even construct a coherent sentence.

If you actually have any understanding of biology you would understand about viral spread.

Oh, and those old vulnerable people? They matter.

agentstarling Try reading the Lancet, not the bloody Beano!.

I think you'll find your only 11 have died has just doubled OP.