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

Why are posters getting the wrong end of the stick? The elderly self isolating won’t reduce the spread of the virus . It will minimise them from catching it . And they are hugely more at risk of death . All people inClouding the elderly will continue to have other illnesses which will need treating and the nhs does not have spare capacity, why would it? Inbetween it allows a chance to prepare with the army etc to Try and get ready for an increase in patients and for the rest of us who are less at risk to form community groups to help out (already happening in my town)
Hopefully people will also start following hygiene guidelines to reduce spread between everyone and we can hope that things will be found to help patients .
If over 70 won’t comply they should not be vilified but i would think they are not being sensible for their own health .

The elderly self isolating won’t reduce the spread of the virus

Of course it will if they don't catch it

It will reduce it but it's reducing spread isn't the main objective of isolating this group - it's reduce hospitalisations and deaths which disproportionately affect them.

Maybe the timing is deliberate, doyen up this week, clamp down after Mothering Sunday.

Easier than saying ‘Easter’s off’ without any preparation IYSWIM

If you screw the economy as one person suggested , guess what no money to the nhs that we all pay into .its all intertwined , not a separate issue. And you all want us to have the stress of losing the roof over your head as well as illness .

Great .

,

They are re testing, but I wonder if it's the wHo that should be more realistic. Few countries have the capacity to test like South Korea.

They don't exactly have a track record of being realistic do they? Breastfeeding for two years being an obvious example.....

It would reduce the spread, in that one section of the population is less likely to get it but the aim of this measure would be to reduce the number of people who become seriously ill.

Breastfeeding for 2 years is realistic and healthier than powdered milk for countries with unsafe water supplies, at whom that advice is aimed.

There is a reason why every other country is trying to limit the spread rather than pass it on to all young people.

By the way, not all under 70s will be fine if they catch it either.

A large proportion have high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer. But apparently it's fine if we die too.

Because the UK government, unlike other governments around the world, does not think we are worth saving.

I think it is okay to talk about how difficult it will be for many of our elderly generation whilst also understanding why it is necessary

Just noticed this comment from a few pages ago. I have been thinking this too. Of course it’s necessary, we know that and will comply. However, I am very worried about the mental health of the elderly people in my life. All they are hearing on the news is how vulnerable their group is, how they might not be treated if they get ill, that this virus may well finish them off. It’s depressing.

The elderly people in my life are active and it is those activities that keep them mentally alert and physically fit. The thought of them indoors for months staring at a tv is horrific.

It’s ok to say that. We still know what has to be done.

Efiingterrified I'm not seeing it in the written versions but I'm fairly certain that the isolation advise when being discussed on ITV last night was both elderly and vulnerable/those with health conditions. I think I caught something similar on BBC, I'm waiting for the piece to rerun as I was doing other things at the same time so only half caught it.

Matt Hancock not officially confirming it yet on Marr.

He looks very tired.

@effingterrified if we isolate the over 70s and the vulnerable then if somebody DOES need a bed they are more likely to get it. I have called my parents and essentially put them into lockdown until August. They get it. Not pleasant and tears all round but I don’t want them to die of pneumonia. My dad has had a stroke and high blood pressure. He won’t survive this.

I don’t know the figures but say 20% need hospital treatment. If we remove the over 70s and the most vulnerable from catching it then that number will go down significantly. This may be our only chance. Hopefully other countries will follow suit. If that horrible Telegraph article is true eg that over 80s in Italy are being left to die - then maybe they will start self isolating anyway.

@Bool thank you for realising and mentioning the emotional impact. Tears all round here this morning too. My DH and I will do this to protect ourselves and others but at the moment it feels like a massive shock. 4 months is a long time. We'll be fine, but we need to adjust emotionally.

I'm not sure how this could be enforced? My MIL doesn't look over 70, although she is, and I suspect will ignore it.

Then she ignores it at her peril, Green. They can't enforce it but they will only be trying to enforce it for the good of those people.

Sorry, Greebols. Glasses not on.

My 84 yr old mum has to go hospital 3 times a week for dialysis.

She gets there on a hospital bus that travels around and picks up 12 dialysis patients each morning. Bus is used constantly for hospital transport throughout the day so she is going to be out and exposed through this whole thing, and now also isolated at home. 😢

Very selfish for your MIL to ignore. Will she be one of those people who also expects an NHS bed because she has paid her taxes?

It can’t be enforced which is why there’s a very small likelihood of it happening. The government has flown a kite to check the reaction, I suspect the whole idea will quietly die.

Also so what is the alternative?

Really interested to know.

Fucking hell - this was trialled via Preston and then Matt Hancock doesn't confirm it on the BBC

Shamble

Dunno if they’ll go back it’s on R4 with Hancock and not just papers.

The alternative to doing it is not doing it. It’s not rocket science.