Is this a cull?

[teacherspet]

As a vulnerable person I feel that the government are saying that they want to protect us, but are doing absolutely nothing. We are not allowed to self isolate unless we have symptoms, we are expected to go to work amongst people who have no idea whether they are infected because nobody is being tested. By the time they decide we should self isolate many of us will already be infected.

@muchtoosoon has got it.

I am a bit tired of government bashing. Any party in power would be out of their depth and even if they might have handled things differently, it would still be wrong to some.

We need to do the best we can in hard times.

And the only cull there actually needs to be is one of the greedy profiteering arseholes.

We need to do the best we can in hard times.

^yes.

Contrary to what some believe, I am not government bashing. As pp said, I don't believe any government, country or even expert has all the answers as this has thankfully never been experienced before. As I have said, perhaps the use of the word cull is incorrect, I dont actually care whether some you think its because you dont agree with me. I think that people who are experiencing the same problems as I am can understand where I'm coming from. I am very glad that some people can, or have been allowed to wfh, this must be a huge weight off their mind.

The problem is, that unless a vulnerable worker has access to adequate paid leave (lots don't), they are between a rock and a hard place.

I don't think it's too much to ask that people try to get their heads around this - that there are workers, of working age out there, who have a higher risk of severe illness, disability and death from this disease, who are being forced to choose between staying at home, and not getting paid/having no money.

And it's absolutely 100% true that these cohort have not been considered in terms of being part of a population needing protection. It's a shame, really, as many of these people are - in normal times - productive workers, often with young families of their own. Well, they won't be that when they are dead, or have a 30% reduction in lung function, or fibrosis of the lung as a result of having to work, being unable to self-isolate, and contracting the virus.

OP- take responsibility for yourself given the information you have access to.

I think that people who are experiencing the same problems as I am can understand where I'm coming from

Yes.

Pensions are the biggest part of the benefits bill. However the older population are much more likely to be Tory voters. Even Bojo wouldn’t be daft enough to wipe them all out

That is the best Cv comment I have read so far!

Wasn’t meaning you necessarily about government bashing (if you meant me) @teacherspet

However you did say they were doing nothing and I don’t think that is necessarily the case.

There have been so many threads and it has been quite frequent on there. Just a general observation - that’s all

Hindsight will prove to be a wonderful thing I’m sure. I think we will be damned if we do/damned if we don’t.

If anyone fervently disagrees with advice, then they should do as they see fit. But not expect financial support until such time as it is official etc.

I will not be able to work from home or stop work (unless I get ill) and I will be out in the thick of it if the worst comes to the worst.

We simply have to do the best we can.

OP, I totally understand.

Someone very very close to me voted Tory in the last election and saw Boris as her saviour. She is now very very ill and frail and scared to death of coronavirus. It has not passed her by that our government is acting very differently to ALL other countries and that she feels like she is being left to die.

It does feel like a survival of the fittest mentality coming from government. There is little safe guarding for those in vulnerable groups.

It does feel.like the government don't care, and it does feel like it might be in their interests to allow the vulnerable to die. I'm not saying they started the virus or cooked up a scheme to make everyone pop their clogs. But seeing as this natural disasters has ocured, they certai my are not trying very hard to protect the vulnerable and yes, I do think some of the conservatives are secretly pleased the virus might prematurely end the lives of those who otherwise will need their services and money for many more years to come.

I am entitled to my view by the way. It is not scaremongering, it's a genuine position

The OP wasnt scare mongering, just stating how she feels (and how lots of us feel)

And yes. I drift between being blasé and bloody terrified for my parents and vulnerable siblings.

I’m not hard hearted. I’m just trying to manage.

Yes, maybe my comment wasnt clear. I meant that are doing nothing for the working vulnerable.

That I get @teacherspet

I just don’t know what the solution is though.

You have no idea if this 'herd immunity' approach will be a price worth paying.

OMG am I speaking a different language or do people really just make shit up?

You've quoted me but I didn't even mention herd immunity. CLEARLY in context I was saying that the effect on the economy is a price worth paying to protect the vulnerable & keep essential services (NHS etc) functioning.

Sorry for misunderstanding. I'd offer to edit but...Mumsnet...

And the idea of hers immunity is ...simply...bonkers!!!

Let's get everyone ill to avoid them getting ill

Crazy!!!!

Sorry - 'herd' immunity, not 'hers' immunity!!

I just don’t know what the solution is though

Better paid head than mine are supposed to come up with solutions!
I do know it's unethical to force the cohort of working people who are more vulnerable than other to the effects of coronavirus to choose between roof over the head, and looking after their own health.

There really needs to be clarity. If advice to that group is 'look after yourselves, if you're not well-off enough to ensure your health from private savings, bad luck', then that needs to be stated. It's not OK to hide behind grand claims of 'protecting the vulnerable' when no such plans have been made for anyone vulnerable and under 70.

Goodness knows, I bet lots of us would be happy to put to work from home in any (legal, non sex-work) capacity at all in exchange for the ability to keep the roof over our heads AND do our best not to get sick, cost the NHS a bomb on ventilators, and live with disability if we survive.

It's a shame there's no plan for a significant part of the workforce.

You can always contact MNHQ and they will edit your OP.

Worth reading

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/15/uk-covid-19-strategy-questions-unanswered-coronavirus-outbreak

How do I do that Chardonnayspetdragon. The only link I can find in the contact us page comes up with a link error.

You report your own post and ask them to do it.

That is the best Cv comment I have read so far!

I don’t believe there is a deliberate cull, unlike some others, so I’m not sure why it’s the best comment?

I’m not entirely convinced by the government’s plans though.

I can’t understand the logic in measures like, for example, insisting schools are staying open, if they really do want to slow the spread of this virus.

If you can't understand then do your research and then you'll understand. There's plenty of explanations on this online.

@JumpingOnTheBed

The arguments I’ve seen about keeping schools open seem mainly focused on the economic impact of closing schools rather than about slowing the spread of Coronavirus.

Along with some justifications along the lines of, well some people will take their kids out places anyway, so why bother.

I can see how the economic argument works, but I’m really not convinced that it stacks up in terms of slowing the spread of the virus.

Even if people still do play dates, I can’t see how that’s as bad (in terms of social interaction and potential exposure) as having kids in school, where they’re sat in a class of 30 most of the day, sharing crowded canteens and playgrounds with more kids - social distancing within schools just isn’t possible.