Who is carrying on as normal/going out and about and sticking to plans?

[DennisReynoldsDuster]

There seems to be a real divide.
Among my friends, ,many are staying put, cancelling plans and hunkering down for the next week and waiting to see how the land lies.
The other half are still of the 'pfff it's going to blow over' camp and are merrily talking about their trip to thailand and making plans for summer bbqs.

It's really unnerving. I flip between being utterly terrified to that reading about Nadine Dorries who seems to be recovering well, and hoping it's not going to be as bad as I expect.

Gypsy if you care for others you will not carry on as normal. If you get ill you are part of the huge problem. Not enough NHS beds and care. You will be endangering other people.

I’m quite anxious about it all to be honest. It seems to have escalated exponentially in the last 24 hours. My birthday trip away was cancelled by the owner of the apartment we were staying in and I now may not see my pregnant friend again before baby is here. Any plans for my birthday and her baby shower will no doubt be off as well as my sisters birthday meal today. It’s a scary time. I have a 6 month old daughter and I’m really hoping me and DH will be ok for her sake as well as her grandparents. I’m feeling a bit sad for everyone’s current circumstances.

@Gypsyb1998
Your attitude is appalling and selfish. You are wilfully endangering the lives of people and damaging the NHS and the country.

Gypsy this is the problem you are creating. It takes more resilience to change your behaviour and stay home. It’s not easy but you need to have the strength.

If anyone else has a friend / relative that doesn’t get it yet send it. It finally worked on head in sand Dh.

Hello all, I am writing to you from my fourth day in coronavirus quarantine, here in Barcelona, Spain. This is a message to everyone- family, friends, former colleagues, peers and teammates back home (or wherever you are in the world). Please take this virus seriously. I want to share with you what is happening here now, what the consequences are of a delayed response. I hope this will help you to understand that all jokes and toilet paper memes aside, your action needs to be taken now.

A week ago here in Spain, we only talked about coronavirus. We already had some cases, but it just didn’t seem that bad. We saw the suffering in Italy and said “That won’t happen here.” Changes were not made. People still went out on the weekend, went to the gym, went to work, to school, etc. Preventing the spread of the virus was not a priority. Fast forward just 1 WEEK: Spain is now in a state of emergency. The virus is here and it is tearing through this country. I have coronavirus. My friends have coronavirus. Parents of children have coronavirus. Teachers, students, business people, researchers, politicians, bus drivers, etc. have coronavirus. In a matter of days, the number of confirmed cases spiked from just a few hundred to well into the thousands. Hospitals and medical clinics are completely and entirely exhausted, operating at over-capacity, with quickly depleting resources and staff. Hundreds of doctors, nurses and other medical personnel have caught the virus and have been issued to quarantine. Those who remain are working 24/7, non stop. It is not just the elderly or the immunocompromised who are checking in for treatment- people of ALL ages are needing medical care. With each passing day, the death toll rises and the situation grows more severe.

In just 1 WEEK the coronavirus has caused Spain to crumble and it appears the worst has yet to come. Now having one of the fastest rates of COVID-19 contagion in the entire world, the Spanish Prime Minister stated that the number of cases could top 10,000 by early next week- almost double the current level. Just yesterday, cases rose by 1,500. If the pressure on the health care system is already unbearable, then what could possibly happen in the following days? We could ask our dear friends in Italy, as they are about a week ahead of us, with thousands of infected people trying to get into hospitals with only a few spaces left. With doctors and nurses having to CHOOSE who to save and who to let die because there are not enough medical professionals, supplies or space left to treat the growing number of patients. The Spanish government can see we are following in Italy’s footsteps and the pressure is on, to make up for a lack of action taken in the beginning.

All schools and universities have shut down. Public events and sports games have been cancelled. Roads have been blocked, entire regions of the country are under lockdown and towns and villages have been quarantined. Businesses, cafes, restaurants, gyms, bars/cubs and shopping centres have all closed, with the exception of the supermarkets selling food and pharmacies. Police roam the streets to ensure people stay inside. The rest of the world can see the risk now too- 62 countries have suspended flights from Spain.

To think, if preventative action could have been taken just 1 week before, if the mindsets of people could have shifted 1 week earlier, we could be living a very different reality right now.

To all the people back home in Canada or wherever you may be, please understand that this virus will change things very quickly. Once it becomes an issue, it is very hard to control. Being proactive and taking precautions now is absolutely necessary; every day counts! Be diligent with your health practices and be responsible with your decision making to be out in public!!! Going to the bar, the mall, the movies, the gym, etc. is truly just not worth it right now!!! Save it for a week that isn’t potentially life threatening to you or the humans around you. Push for work weeks at home and online classes!! Nothing is worth the risk. Social distancing is CRITICAL. And if you are sitting there feeling like you don’t have to be cautious because you are young/healthy, PLEASE remember that we as human beings have a responsibility to look out for one another. You being careless could lead to the loss of someone’s grandmother or grandfather, someone's parent, someone’s coworker, or someone’s friend. That is what is happening here and it’s a lot more difficult to stop now that it’s started.

I hope you take something away from this going forward. Stay home and be cautious. Start today if you haven’t already. You will make a difference!!! Please stay safe everyone.

Best will in the world @Marsha that's way too rambling for someone to wade through and take on board.

People are getting the severity and the emergency, now everywhere has turned into a ghost town overnight. Seeing this desperate situation unfold before everyone's eyes is the most powerful message of all.

Daisy if people can’t read an account from Spain about what is happening now then I doubt their ability.

It is not me it’s happening now.

It will take a minute to read.

I am still getting messages from friends asking if I want to meet up, the IL’s are planning a big Easter get together, DH saying he wants to go shopping for really non essential things today.
I’m being told I’m paranoid, over reacting, making the children worried. I’m absolutely not. I’m staying calm but saying no to everything now and just hoping they will see sense soon. Every day counts and the sooner it sinks in to people’s minds the better. Hopefully Boris’s daily updates will make them take notice of the urgency now.

It is worrying. In the last 24 hours I have been told to self isolate due to coughing children and being pregnant. My sister and her family are also in isolation. My brother can no longer travel for work and is doing meetings via Skype. My parents are in their 70s and will have to rely on my brother. I have midwife and hospital appointments this and next week that I'll have to cancel. My aunt is 80 soon and has had to postpone her party. It's just scary. I think the longer it goes on the harder it will be for people to carry on as normal, which is probably a good thing.

Great post @MarshaBradyo. Thank you.

I wish.
In work but we are being advised to work from home as of tomorrow.
I'm gonna go stir crazy!!!
And I'm meant to be seeing Hamilton next week - don't think that will be happening
Hopefully my mums funeral will go ahead as planned.

Can I just point out the ones that are actually carrying on as normal are the doctors, nurses, medical personal, police, the staff on shops, in production plants, bus drivers etc that are all working incredibly hard and bravely to ensure the rest of us can self isolate and stockpile! I am watching the news too it’s not hard to be sensible so get a grip!

My big thing is I've stopped going to the gym. I judge it to be in the same category as avoiding pubs and clubs and social situations. Completely non essential and indoors to boot.
I will continue to play tennis once a week bc it's outdoors and we have resolved no handshakes or close huddles. I am fully aware tho that we're handling the same tennis balls, so this decision may not make sense.

I have though stopped face to face interviews. I'm a journalist and the last one I did face to face was last week. We both forgot protocol and shook hands and then darted back from one another nervously. Future interviews will be on phone or Skype, which is sub ideal, but safer for everyone.

Unfortunately many of us not in essential jobs are forced to carry on as normal by employers! I work in an office, could definitely work from home and very much feel the need to isolate due to at risk family members who I live with.

But unfortunately company standpoint hasn't reached WAH yet, and so as on probation have to do as told!

Tubes not as empty as one would hope

BSophie how do they justify ignoring government advice?

BSophie That’s awful :( I’m sorry you work for such an inconsiderate employer.

When I go back to work later this year (if there’s any jobs left!) my “have you got any further questions” question will be “how did you look after your staff during the coronavirus outbreak?”. I think it’ll say a lot about the bosses and easily sift the shit from the good

A lot of teachers are still being forced to carry on, although the secondary schools round here have mostly shut or partially shut. Is this going to change on Friday do we think?

I’m still invigilating

And i bet if you ask the children they will say that exams are definitely non essential (and school to be fair)

In isolation because of a sick child. So, no.

It now appears that the "experts" advising Buffoon Boris have started to disagree vehemently amongst themselves.

And if the House of Lords are going to carry on clocking in to grab their £300+ a day (over 800 of them so how will they distance themselves on those lovely green benches they fall asleep on?), then the PM has a nerve to 'advise' businesses and social venues to close down - especially as he is dithering and won't make it law so that they can at least attempt to claim insurance.

He's left a lot of business people between the devil and the deep blue sea - no customers, no insurance and no sign of any government help.

When this is over the high streets will be even more deserted than they are now!

Children have gone to pre school today but can't see they will open for much longer. Popped to chemist to get my prescription and walked past Costa - still some people getting coffees etc.

If you are still carrying on as normal then you are not only stupid, but incredibly selfish and arrogant.

The country has moved to a position of delay. It's not about taking one for the team or I'm going to get it anyway so might as well get it now. It is imperative that we manage the rate of infection so that our medical staff can cope and so their is enough equipment for everyone who needs it. You just need to look at the healthy and young medical personnel in other countries to see that what we do now will have a serious impact on them.

If you are carrying on as normal then you are only increasing the length of time we will be in crisis management. Hankering down now will assist in the length of time we have to operate at a high level of social distancing.

So should the delivery guy hunker down too so my husband can’t get the medical supplies he needs to care for his patients??

Take note, what has happened in Spain, Italy etc WILL happen in the UK. I live in a small Spanish town. I went to the supermarket this morning after 7 days in isolation. We went first thing at 9.am.The police stopped us as there were two of us in the car. I explained I am partially disabled and needed my husbands help. It was okay, but said we had to keep a metre apart from others. We were first to enter the carpark, we were waiting for the car park gate to open and the supermarket manager came out and told us we must queue outside a metre apart and we would slowly be let in. They had surgical gloves for us to wear and hand spray. All very organised. No panic buying, but sparse shelves. We got a pack of toilet rolls. Later the shelves will be empty as my friend went in the afternoon and there was no fresh veg and very little meat. Just to remind some people that disability does not always seem obvious, so don't judge unless your sure first. Now I am home and will not go out again for at least two weeks for fresh veg. Both my husband and I are immune compromised. Those people that are 'carrying on as normal' or not taking the advice to sanitise, are selfish. The UK IS going to get worse before it gets better. I am waiting for the governments to say how they are going to help those people who have to isolate and have a mortgage, bills to pay. Are the
electric and gas companies going to cut them off ??. How can the poor pay for food for Christ sake. They need to address this urgently for those people who lose their jobs NOW not tomorrow or next week.

I believe our resolve as children will carry us through. I worry for the younger generation.

Resolve isn't much use medically against a pandemic if you fit into one of the high risk groups.

I don't so I could keep on living my normal life. But to do so would put others at risk. It isn't ok just to think of yourself we all need to protect those who cannot protect themselves.