So I'm not likely to survive it

[teacherspet]

Should I just enjoy life now

Set yourself tasks to complete.

• Watch every Netflix series.
• Read every Tana French/Jane Austen/Fredrik Backman novel.
• Get a spotify subscription and try out new genres - KPop is surprisingly addictive And if you develop a fondness for a KPop group (my faves are Dreamcatcher and Winner) most of them are very prolific online so you'll have loads of content to follow.
• And then maybe you'll be inspired to learn Korea online...
• Speaking of YouTube, explore some new channels. Cafe vlogs seem to be a big thing lately, literally people who work in cafes showing how they make the orders they get. Or mukbangs - while you eat, watch someone else eating and chatting?
• Or try out new hobbies you can do in your space - learn to cross-stitch "Covid-19 is a bastard" maybe.

(I meant learn KoreaN, not Korea obviously.) Or another language, the duolingo app is fun for that.

Are any of the conditions kidney related OP? I ask because I have kidney issues and the unit I get treatment from has sent everybody info on how coronavirus might impact on them. I could pass that along to you? Could be reassuring.

Could your family isolate with you? We're on day one of all of us being home for the foreseeable. We've baked, played games and generally had a better weekend than normal so far... My kids are younger, but we'll be getting deliveries left on the doorstep. We're the germy ones though, not vice versa.

The problem is the media reporting. It is laughable if it was not so serious.

This is just a flu.

After it’s over it will likely prove a 30% to 40% infection rate and a 0.6% mortality rate. That is higher than the normal 0.1%.

It is impossible keeping a sense of proportion on this and other social media sites where posters dish out an endless stream of utter twaddle.

I thought brexit was bad bad this is other worldly.

Talk to a research scientist in the field and they will roll their eyes, sigh and walk away.

We are staying in. Not socialising. Keeping busy. In the garden and in the house there are plenty of jobs that need doing. Yoga and meditation to keep fit.

I am in a similar situation to you. If you don’t understand the science stay the fuck away from here and the media. Listen to music.

teacherspet

Me either, and if I do, it will be with significantly reduced lung function ie with a disability.

My children's other parent is also unlikely to survive if he gets it.

If you can isolate, I would. I can't, sadly.

Op you can try to get a vaccination against pneumonia ( not sure that's easy right now to do) as in many critical cases it was that that was the issue.

FFs, it is not a 'just a flu'.

People with underlying health conditions and the elderly can vaccinate against flu. They have some immunity from previous influenza illnesses also.

Don't spread fake news.

Yes I understand you, I have an underlying health condition and am shit scared.

I get it op. I'm staying at home with 2 severe lung diseases and recovering from double pneumonia. Not self isolating but thinking about it if things escalate more which they will (pps talking about 'just flu' need to read some of the science on this)

I can imagine it must feel so hard to not be able to hug etc. Please take care and get yourself some nice food and things you enjoy. How is your health at present?

Yes. Off you pop. Why hang around a forum where so many have anxiety and can't even open their door?

OMG more fake news.

The current vaccines for pneumonia DO NOT protect against viral pneumonia with Covid-19.

I believe that figure is 1.3% of cases not chances of death/recovery. So out of 100 - 1.3 people will die, so odds are still good unless you're 1.3% lol. You can get run over because you were too busy calculating the WHO odds of survival and stepped out in front of the bus.

Life has its ups and downs and we are all dying, it is not a good time but the ones who live are the fighters don't give up before you have even started to fight.

Im 57, male and suffer a multitude of problems including autoimmune problems of the same sort that cause the respiratory distress with the coronavirus as well as asthma and poss COPD so I know the fear that exists.

Hi I have looked into whether normal soap use can kill the virus. The science seems to suggest it does and washing your hands properly with soap will remove the sebum the virus but also if the soap has a long enough period of contact with the virus it will destroy the virus. This is because soap in a proper form contains “amphiphiles.” These are molecules that have a dual nature. One end of the molecule is attracted to water and repelled by fats and proteins. The other side of the molecule is attracted to fats and is repelled by water. (If you’re looking out for product labels, the most common soap is “sodium Laureth sulfate” — it’s a detergent that’s often mixed with other chemicals to both clean our hands and not damages our skin.)

The virus is effectively removed from your skin as long as you wash hands vigorously for 20 seconds ensuring the soap gets into the cracks and crannies of your skin under nails etc. It then also destroys the virus if this length of contact between the sop and the virus is achieved.

In fact, the main item people are buying is hand sanitizer, this is more effective in killing bacteria and virus if the level of alcoholic content is 80% or more. There is an important distinction that must be made, many studies show that as the sanitizer evaporates so quickly and people use so little the virus is not killed and is not removed so this can give you a false sense of security. Again this depends upon using a high amount that will have sufficient contact with the virus. So when you are out and about and soap is not available then this is the best scenario for use but then on return home or to any place where soap becomes available to use wash your hands anyway to ensure all the virus, dead and any left alive are removed.

I think you could still see your family if they change clothes as soon as they come in so walk through door, strip, put in wash straightaway, shower and wash, into completely fresh clothes then no actual bodily contact and two meters away. Not ideal but at least they would be in the same room as you. I presume someone is prepping your food and stuff.

You can do this. We are here for chats and to tell you the stupidity of the world.

I'm 56, are you saying that you think I will be ok?

Yes. Imo , from what I've read, you will be poorly (if you catch covid) but you will be ok

Also - good sleep and reducing stress increase the immune system hugely.

Eat well, take extra vits - have you considered echinacea?

under lying health problems for dh and me but we are being sensible, and looking after ourselves. was bit concerned about the fact we bulk bought a pack of 12 loo rolls and we would get mugged on the way home for them

OP you have to live your life, as hard as that is. There are things you can do to limit your exposure but self isolation isn’t the ultimate answer because when you emerge the virus will still be out there.

I have a serious heart condition. Last year I went in for elective surgery and was told that if I had it I would die. So I had some other tests instead, I crashed and nearly died. Had another test to see if I would qualify for the urgent transplant list and was told due to lung pressure i was not and would be sent home to die once I was stable. To be fair to the dr who delivered that prognosis he wasn’t quite as blunt as all that but the message was clear. My words to him at that point were “I didn’t come here to die, I’m not going home to die either, life is what it is.”

Five days later I had a cardiac arrest and technically I died three times.

Bring in new consultant with new tests and different procedures and I left hospital six weeks after I went in and my life has changed immeasurably. I went from someone who couldn’t walk upstairs to someone who can do everything, I used to, and who after 3.5 years am in a position to be looking for work.

My future is quite certain. Because of procedures my lung pressure has come down and I will be eligible for transplant when the time comes. And I have been told it will be when and not if. I have also been told that if I relapse and am rushed into hospital the chances of me coming out again are slim.

But I’ll cross that bridge if i have to.

I am quite certain that if I contract the virus I will not survive.

But at the moment I am alive. I could spend the rest of my life waiting to see what I’m going to die of, or I could spend the rest of my life living it.

Truth is that even with underlying conditions death is never certain, it’s just that we sometimes get a better insight into how it might happen.

What is certain is that we’re all going to die irrespective of current health. Not of the virus, but of something, at some point.

No-one wants to die prematurely. But equally no-one should spend so much time worrying about dying that they’re not living.

In your position; I’d look to self isolate (as miserable as it sounds), I’d also look to buy an oxygen concentrator from eBay, for peace of mind if nothing else.

@AlternativePerspective - what an inspiring post. Sorry to hear what you have been through. You have chosen to take a great attitude to life from it. Admirable.

I really feel for you @teacherspet. The worry is all too real. My husband has significant underlying health problems too and to be honest, not what you want to hear, I doubt he would survive if he contracted it! Unfortunately we don’t have the space for him to self isolate. Even if he could, the length of time this might be necessary is months rather than weeks!
💐 from one worried person to another!

I am 76, have asthma and have had cancer. My dh is 83 and has prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes and colitis. We are currently away at a wedding but I can see that isolation might come soon.

There are lots of people with flippant attitudes at the moment and I don't think it helps.

Not all the deaths are elderly men with lung or heart conditions - healthy people in their thirties and forties are dying too. If I had the health conditions OP had I would be self-isolating as much as possible!

You don't need to self isolate unless you are ill OP.

I have an 86 y o mother living with me, it would be awful to self isolate.
None of us have symptoms, and we will continue to live a normal family life indoors.
My mother will also go out, no public transport, but we can go to places that are quiet, a walk in the park, even a supermarket at quiet times, and I will make sure she keeps a distance from people, doesn't touch trollies etc.

Some common sense is called for.