Over 70s to self isolate

[Dodie66]

Over 70s are going to be told to self isolate even if they don’t have the virus and this will be coming in 5-20 days and last 4 months
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-coronavirus-over-70s-told-21694397?fbclid=IwAR2k9MqPf7vOzNcnqfVroLXVp0sQjYRmihHKBiL9pvdhSi5780WpYkgFNnI

@walkingtheway I'm sorry to hear you are so down and worried. I think people are just scared and are handling things as best they can. Luckily there are still a lot of people out there with lots of compassion. You are obviously one of them. Take care, and wipe away those tears.

If the most vulnerable people want to go out and about, I suppose they can take that risk and it'll probably end badly for them.

If my Dad keeps going out and picks up the virus, he'll die, no question about it. I don't know whether that's selfish or not.

@TheSpottedZebra the alternative is that she can see herself being cocooned and protected.

what about if they just say alright folks roll up roll up, you pays yer money you takes yer choice! If you want to get the virus go and get the virus, if you don't want the virus stay indoors and self isolate

Works for me.

This is so weird.

Like the hardcore preppers who've suddenly found a need for their stockpiles, suddenly my least enjoyable superpower is the one everyone needs.

Seriously, you get used to being alone.

Not sure what I can share about coping, though. I suppose:

• look for replacement activities rather than just mourning inability to do usual activities;
• get tooled up and trained up NOW with technologies which will help folk keep in touch
• think about what's important to you (eg enjoying a relationship with a grandchild) and plan how to get as close as possible to that result but in a different way (eg Facetimed bedtime stories – even pre-recorded bedtime stories on an old cassette tape. Parents could record footage of child enjoying story...).
• accept that it will be unpleasant at times, have a mope, and get on.

It would be selfish of the over 70s to ignore all advice and get sick thus putting overwhelming pressure on the NHS. A few weeks of staying at home wont kill them but going out will

@Alsohuman

If we are all on lock down we won’t be able to help the elderly will we ? So you are the one who is not understanding this.

Why have we suddenly started believing what the Chinese government tell us?

@DoubleAction they can easily have a look at what has worked well in other countries, and follow the advice of the WHO!

So you are the one who is not understanding this

I understand perfectly, thank you.

If the most vulnerable people want to go out and about, I suppose they can take that risk and it'll probably end badly for them.

But they would need and ICU bed if they got it, so there's a practical issue where they also have to think about others - including people in their own age group without coronavirus who might need that ICU bed.

The thing I feel most people are missing is the fact that no one actually knows what is going to help long term. The WHO dont know and neither do the chinese govt. When they start going back to normality that is when we will truly see if it has worked. There is always the possibility that a month down the line china will have another outbreak. We won't know what worked fully until a year or two down the line really. That is the reality of this situation.

My parents totally understand it as they are ill and have a carer coming in . So we are arranging shopping deliveries . Not visiting if we feel even slightly ill . They don’t want to catch the virus because they know they are high risk . We can’t remove all risk for them but we are minimising and trying to help them and phoning all the time .

They understand the logic .

If the whole country is in lockdown the old will be even worse off; they'd be isolating and so would everyone around to help them.

It makes more sense than shutting children at home, shutting lots of businesses and so on. With those measures you're kind of relying on a secondary effect, that reducing the circulation of working age adults and children reduces the exposure of the vulnerable elderly/those with health conditions. This is going to the source of the most vulnerable.

In the context of the herd immunity type response it makes sense IMO.

"DoubleAction they can easily have a look at what has worked well in other countries, and follow the advice of the WHO"

Only if we now, for some strange reason, think the Chinese are telling the truth rather than the propaganda for which they are famous. There are no substantial success stories anywhere else as yet.

Makes more sense to me that the people more likely to be affected by it self isolate to protect themselves than everyone else. Unless anyone else can explain why the rest of us going into lockdown is better?

I agree that it can be helpful to look at other countries but we need to bear in mind that there are cultural /economic factors which means that we can't make direct extrapolations...imo

DH is 69 and although fit and well has several pre-existing conditions that mean he would have a serious chance of a very bad outcome if he caught this virus. This, combined with the suggestion that NHS treatment could be denied to over 65s at the peak, mean that I am doing all I can to persuade him to stay at home.

It breaks my heart that we won't be able to see our loved ones, but it's only for a few months and if we don't do this we may never see them again anyway. I don't understand why people aren't taking this seriously! I'll probably have to give up my job in order to stay at home with him but he's more important than anything else.

Also the chinese way of life and their government is a million miles away from the uk lifestyle. I can't imagine people would be happy about literally shutting sick people in their homes.

@Cinammoncake

Would they even make it to the ICU though? I don't think my Dad would, he'd be like that Italian doctor who displayed symptoms last weekend and was dead by Thursday/Friday.

The really vulnerable people with underlying conditions won't be bed-blocking, they'll be dead in a few days. I actually think my Dad would let it happen, he's in his 80s, ill and tired.

And I agree with PP - the other countries are not far enough through this thing to know that their approach has actually worked. They could easily get a second spike (in the case of china) or just carry on increasing cases (rest of Europe)

Unless anyone else can explain why the rest of us going into lockdown is better?

I suppose the argument is that we might stamp the whole thing out quicker if everyone goes into lockdown? plus people don't want to catch it at any age. Plus we don't know the long term health effects of catching it. I'd rather we all went into lockdown, but the government is saying it could be for months and they are thinking about the economic impact

Dinosauratemydaffodils, your DM sounds great – and a talented organiser.

How would she be at conference calls, and at teaching others on her committees how to do them? I know that's not for everyone, but her committee skills sound really valuable and her work greatly appreciated.

You can't force self isolation- but if things get as dire as predicted, everyone over 65 also needs to understand and that if the Italian approach is considered in the UK. You will be left to die, and no extraordinary measures- ventilation, resuscitation will be utilised to try and save you. It's that simple. You catch it, you get very sick. You die.

That's sad AmICrazyorWhat2 I hope your dad comes through this and will be okay

Let's face it no doctor wants to have to be in a situation where they're turning anybody away from ICUs. The whole thing is very frightening.