Time to calm down a bit

[Kateplaysrugbyinmydreams]

I work for the NHS. I understand exactly how difficult this situation is and what the risks are. I'm trying to rest this weekend because last week was full on and next week will be as well and the weeks after that. But nevertheless I think everybody needs to calm down a bit.

There's no lockdown so no point wearing yourselves out demanding one.
Soap etc is going up and down in availability so no point wearing yourselves out going round in circles complaining about it.
We are all intrinsically linked with at risk groups so there's no point frankly fantasying that we can lock some people away.

People need to self isolate with symptoms, manage their anxiety as best they can, and if that means having 60 loo rolls in crack on, wash their hands and wait for the summer and increased hours of UV to create a more hostile climate for the virus.

I'm all for realistic assessments but the relentless doom discussions aren't helping anybody.

I agree.

How is it in your hospital? Do you have lots of confirmed cases? Are they ok? What does it look like as someone in the NHS? The news seems to avoid interviewing doctors/nurses, they are all standing in the street, strangely not showing us how the hospitals are doing.

But they are very keen to show us empty shelves at Tesco. The supermarkets where I am are fine, loo rolls, soap, tins of beans, fine. Ordering your food shopping is available with every slot for the next few weeks, no problem.

The panic I see on social media and the news is not reflected by what I'm seeing in real life. Schools are fine, the kids are fine, hardly anyone is off and my elderly father is on a cruise and happy.

I know this is going to change, there will be more cases. Concern is understandable, but panic probably isn't.

I am not panicking, just a little concerned about a global pandemic, if that’s OK with you?

It's busy but only 1 confirmed so far and that was with travel. I expect that to go up next week but we are gearing up. Staffing isn't great but it never was and the team work and raw courage is great. We do this for a living after all

Sure, concern is fine

It's the endless projecting of doom scenarios that's not doing anybody any good.

I hate the scaremongering. I had to show my family members this as they were convinced we were all about to die:
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/how-many-will-die-of-coronavirus-in-the-uk-a-closer-look-at-the-numbers

The population of China is 1.38 billion and less than 3500 have died. We are definitely not all going to die.

The population of China is 1.38 billion and less than 3500 have died. We are definitely not all going to die.

Italy's population is 60.48 million and so far there have been 1,441 deaths.

China's society, and its government's actions, are very different from ours. Italy's are a lot more comparable. Except that Italy had, at the beginning of the outbreak, 12.5 critical care beds per 100,000 inhabitants and the UK has 6.6.

So let's be realistic. No, we're not all going to die, but some thousands of us undoubtedly will.