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.

Well, almost doubled, from 11 to 20.

Now that scares me. I think Italy had 34 deaths less than 2 weeks ago. Look at thrm now

Just look at Spain and Italy. Of course it’s being exaggerated

Are you a troll or just dumb?

No way exaggerated. We have not even began the proper slope yet

I don’t think it’s exaggerated. However I agree with John caudwell about how we manage it . Which is to isolate and help those in the most vunerable section . If everything comes to a halt thousands of jobs will be lost and then no national insurance to pay for the nhs .

People fail to understand that the number of cases reported in the media is a tiny number of the actual cases. because most of the people with it haven't & won't be tested, it is only the serious cases that get tested.

Even BoJo said in his last press conference that the approximate guesstimate is that 10,000 people in the UK have it now.

As for your crass statement OP, my parents are in their 80s with underlying health issues. DS & I are both asthmatic. None of us is ready to be hospitalised and/or die yet.

Frankly, I'm amazed you managed to get any kind of degree at all with that kind of thinking.

Ok I understand the concern if you have a weakened immune system. But why only concern for coronavirus? Norovirus kills off a lot of kids in other countries. Plenty of viral diseases out there that can be very dangerous to some

My brother is 37 and on chemo.
He's not particularly worried, or so he says.
The media is whipping up hysteria, though. And the stockpilers are not helping matters. They are making others anxious about needing bog roll or pasta, and so the cycle continues.

Scares me too, EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall. Such a big jump overnight.

@Titslikepicassos don't talk to her like that. What is wrong with you

"It is ridiculous beyond measure. 11 deaths in a population of 65+ million."

The current figure is not the one you should be focusing on, it's a) the rate of growth and b) the potential future figures as a result of that growth.

Then think of the potential of those future figures to overwhelm healthcare services and the knock on effect on all other healthcare (which includes people of all ages) as well the effect on the economy, jobs, tax revenue etc.

Using your logic would assume that it just suddenly disappeared tomorrow, which obviously isn't going to happen.

It is the exponential growth figures that you need to look at.
As illustrated by both today's UK figures (higher growth curve than Italy today) and Spain.

I thought people were overreacting a few weeks back, but I think now the virus is here and the death rates are starting to rise they certainly weren’t. I’m also not at all worried about myself, my husband or our small children, what I am worried about is the older people in our family’s and people we know who fit the at risk group. They matter, just because they are mainly old doesn’t make them matter any less!!!

Even if the number of people who need intensive care is a small percentage of those who get the virus, if everyone gets the virus then that small percentage (of millions of people) can be a number that far outweighs the number of hospital beds. That's the danger.

Spain for instance has a population of 46 million. If most of the population gets it and 3% of those need intensive care, that's a fuck ton of people needing intensive care.

It's not just about death but about being ill and spreading the illness to people who may be immunocompromised so, no, I don't think it is being exaggerated.

As for the only people who've died mostly being elderly, that rather sounds as though the elderly have no importance. It does seem that elderly people are less worried but there are plenty of over 70s being useful and enjoying life who want to continue to do so.

You're spouting rubbish, OP.

The death toll overnight has risen from 11 to 21. So yes I'm afraid it's serious even if it is older people with underlying conditions. Also a baby in England born prematurely has tested positive Also with her mother for coronavirus. So yes this is serious especially for vunerable people. Remember it could be your mum or dad or grandmother or grandfather that may sucumb to this highly infectious disease of which there is no cure. So all of you follow advice very carefully to safeguard your loved ones and other vunerable people in your community. This is going to be here for quite a while and it is going to cause inconvenience to all to a very high degree. And please do not stockpile because people like me in the risk bracket who does not have funds to stockpile and only go shopping once a week will need to be able to buy essentials and wipe their bums!!!!! Don't be selfish think of others!

If you think that the only issue is that old and infirm people might not survive it, you haven't been paying attention.

Italy have twice as many intensive care beds than we do per head of population, and the doctors there are having to decide who gets treated and who gets left to their own devices.

We need to take this seriously. Now.

Have a read of this to sus out governments thinking but be aware they have not catered for the vunerable in true terms.

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1238518371651649538.html

honestly if your brother is having cancer treatment then he needs to be very careful indeed as his immune system is compromised. It is not only the old dying in other countries you all need to be aware of that.

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.'

And the Italian government have not spent a decade starving their health service of funding. Where do you think this will leave us?

No.
If anything, it isn't being taken seriously enough in the UK.

if your brother is having cancer treatment then he needs to be very careful indeed as his immune system is compromised.
So what can people with cancer do? I’m one too. I have to head into a hospital that is so full of Coronavirus patients, it is now closed to all but Coronavirus and cancer patients. Not a happy mixture.

I agree with op. What are you going to do? Stop the world forever? And what if it keeps coming back? Unfortunately I think you just have to carry on and protect the old/vulnerable who should stay indoors as much as they can.

I'm screenshotting that OP for posterity. It'll age very badly.