Do you find that the older generation are not really taking this seriously?

[MySofaHasACatOnIt]

My parents are in their 60s and are very ‘yeah yeah whatever’ about this. My 90-year-old grandmother has completely poo-pooed my concerns when I suggested she stop going to the library every other day and to stay home if possible. Her response? ‘We managed to live through small pox during the war!’

All of my friends/colleagues who all have parents who are 60 plus have said that they’re not taking this seriously at all, with many thinking they know better than the majority if European governments. Completely not fussed about it, still going to mass gatherings, still traveling etc

Meanwhile people I know in their 30s/20s etc seem genuinely worried, are taking precautions etc. No one is panicking but they are being sensible, whereas the older generation I know are almost treating it all as a joke!

Anyone else finding this?

I agree with the person who said that for people of a certain age giving up activities could have very dangerous consequences. My sister is in her late 70s and goes to the gym religiously every day but has stopped now to avoid public transport. I do worry that if she loses condition she won't necessarily get it back.

I’d rather live my life on my own terms than cower in a corner, barricaded in with my family.
So I’m being sensible, handwashing and the rest, but I’m not going to let my children take away my freedom to choose. Not that they would.
I didn’t shove my fears and insecurities for their safety down their throats when they were young adults doing stuff.
DH is even older than me, he feels the same way.
Yes, maybe your parents aren’t making decisions you approve of, they’ve earned the right to.

Yep my parents 69 and 70 think it’s a load of fuss about nothing. Haven’t changed their behaviour at all. Still going to the pub, the gym etc. I don’t know. I guess my protective instinct and knowing what the government strategy is, I just want to shut them away.

They don’t see themselves as ‘elderly’ or in the at risk age category. My mum stays ‘oh well we’ll all have to get it and then we’ll be immune’.

Just have to cross my fingers and hope they’ll be ok as you can’t tell them.

PIL went to Spain last week on holiday (70 years old). So that went well...

H has just tried to be clear to his parents that their GC should stay away for a couple
Of weeks and they should isolate as much as possible. Oh yes they said you’re right, we only go out twice a week now. But your dad needs to run GC to work still. FFS tell the lazy moo to get the bus.

She lived through smallpox during the war?
prob lived through the black death too didnt she...while the pyramid were getting built, by those alien looking types :o

Absolutely @AllPointsNorth. We seem to have bred a generation of control freaks.

Is there any correlation between people with this I'll be fine attitude and people who voted for Brexit?

Not in my case. I voted remain - twice, once in 1975 and again in 2016.

Not amongst me and my friends, BonnesVacances. Most of us are dipping into our Brexit stashes and continuing to support foodbanks.
But I won’t be controlled by the neuroses of the younger generation, I’m competent enough to make my own decisions.

Weird. I live in a street where most of the neighbors are older people. They seem to be taking it pretty seriously as is my 86 year old mother. Never a good thing to generalise about a whole group of people.

Sunder Katwala
@sundersays

Perhaps unsurprisingly, tending to give the government the benefit of the doubt in a major crisis starts off more as a popular opinion than an unpopular one. (Of course that could change quickly in response to events)

Quote Tweet
Sam Coates Sky
@SamCoatesSky
Mar 13
NEW: YouGov poll for Sky News

• Public broadly backing Boris Johnson's handling

How well is the UK government doing over Coronavirus?
Well 55%
Badly 30%
Don't know 14%
Show this thread

Sunder Katwala
@sundersays

Older people are the social group with the strongest approval of government's handling of Coronvirus so far (76-14 among the over 65s) while under-24s are more sceptical (31-52) than other groups. But some of that will be a political partisanship effect
docs.cdn.yougov.com/tu66fgc5c2/Results%20for%20Internal%20(Coronavirus%20Tracker)%20146%2013.3.2020.pdf

"Fairly well" (45%) is most popular answer across all regions. (10% say "very well")

20% say "fairly badly" & 11% "very badly"

Sceptical groups are

• Labour voters (37% approve, 50% disapprove)

while Cons approve 78-13 & LibDems 55-32

• under-24s (31% approve, 52% dis)

There is net approval among 2016 Leave voters (70-19) and 2016 Remain voters (49-37), more narrowly. A large part of that gap seems to be a Conservative/Labour partisanship effect: Con v Lab correlates to positive/negative more sharply, and other demographics are more even

Is there any correlation between people with this I'll be fine attitude and people who voted for Brexit?

How fucking tedious. 😴

Apart from the panic buying it seemed as if people are all calm but we went to a local NT place today,mostly outside walking and it was surprisingly quiet though it was nice and sunny.
My elderly mum is lying low but going to her U3A groups.She has heart failure so a bad cold could finish her so total isolation where there is little need at the moment would be wasting the little life she has.
My problem is I'm NHS staff,want to visit her at Easter but am also aware I could pass on infection before I have symptoms.
But not seeing her would be horrible.

@MauriceandAlec I strongly disagree with you. My father has endured 2.5 years of treatment for cancer and leukaemia. He’s currently very under weight with a suppressed immune system. Coronavirus could absolutely kill him. So yes he should be in isolation and should not be caring for grandchildren right now.

My parents both mid 60's are taking it very serious both have health issues concerning breathing especially my stepdad , who has COPD among other things they are both self isolating and hoping to come through it unscathed ,whereas my stbxh has been down at his local doctors kicking off because they cancelled his non urgent appointment he also suffers from COPD but says it's just flu and isn't thinking about it

If I was 80, I think I’d take the attitude that I might as well die of something and there are worse ways to go than a short, acute illness. So I’d take sensible precautions but I wouldn’t stop living my life. It’s hard to accept, in our modern society, just how fragile we actually are. For all of us, it’s about striking the balance between dismissing it totally and freaking out.

Wine, he is an adult who is capable of making his own decisions about how he lives his life. He obviously does not want to 'be in isolation' from his grandchild, perhaps the joy he gets from her company is worth more than anything. He may have had enough of such isolation. At any rate, it's his decision.

I don’t think you can generalise but i can understand the very elderly to an extent. However I don’t think that a lot of them are taking into consideration the effect of their actions on others. It’s that which annoys me about anyone.

Is there any correlation between people with this I'll be fine attitude and people who voted for Brexit?

Anyone else sick of the "You are over 60 so obviously must have voted for Brexit so deserve to die" shit?

Is there any correlation between people with this I'll be fine attitude and people who voted for Brexit?

No but there is probably a correlation between people who believe anyone who disagrees with them is a moron or a racist and people who are authoritarian and controlling.

My mum claims to be terrified of getting it but she still rolls her eyes when I told her to wash her hands before eating a sandwich when she'd just got off the bus

@MauriceandAlec this thread is about older people not taking this seriously and I’ve stated that my parents are clearly not taking this at all seriously. Yes they are adults but my parents are doing a lot of eye rolling and dismissing advice when clearly they should be exercising caution given my Dad’s current condition. They haven’t given isolation any serious consideration at all. He’s only 64 so I’d like to see him stick around for quite a while longer.

My parents late 60s, mum has copd. Live 9 months in Italy and 3 UK. Went back to Italy last week as worried they wouldn’t get in due to lockdown, despite us begging them not to. Now in Italy, can’t leave the house, except for food. Can’t go near anyone or see their friends. Village guarded by police and can’t leave. But they feel safer and worry about their kids in the U.K. as we apparently have a greater risk.

Hmm. Not the respiratory illness my mum has and Italy not being able to cope n their hospitals. It’s madness

I voted remain.
I voted Labour.
I think the government is taking a reasonable approach on this.
I think I'll probably be fine (so will nearly everyone else)

Hth

I am 61, good health and still working. Taking all of the recommendations seriously and have just closed my office to essential staff only, with social distancing taken into consideration etc.

My DH is 62, very fit but medicated hypertension. He works from home. Very responsible. Scared for me being out in the world daily.

He has now said we should not see our DGSs. I know he is probably right, but I'm broken hearted. I made him sleep in the couch last night! I know. Poor man.

School is now closed. Less contact for the boys. They miss us.

What are others doing in this instance?

I am in Trumpville so can't trust any guidance from our government 😟