To think mumsnet is making more fuss of corona than anywhere else on the Internet, or in general society

Most of the world is watching Britain and thinking its being handled extremely negligently, I'm ashamed to be British right now.

You’re still alive though hey.

Did you miss the news of a new morgue being built in Westminster, Fieldofgreycorn. Good for you., that'll surely protect you from this.

Ignorance is bliss.

@choirmumoftwo I know bizarre. I guess some some people's glasses are not half full they flow over it seems!

So we are making a fuss about nothing? This “nothing” is people not able to work, financial hardship, the economies of the world in melt down, shortages, people suffering physically, people dying well before their time. I have a friend who is also in denial as she doesn’t want to reduce her social activities. I can understand this as she lives alone but as she continues her outings to restaurants, pubs and a theatre recently together with a Mother’s Day meal I will be expected to see her as usual. I am at risk as I am nearly 79 and she is a nowhere near 70. I also have other health problems and I have a daughter who works with very vulnerable people so I have to weigh all this up and try to explain that I really can’t risk her infecting me. I know she won’t understand this and I am worried about hurting her feelings as we are very close friends.

Every unnecessary contact stops this spreading.

YABU

About a month ago I wasn’t overly concerned. Now I am, I suggest you and your friends actually watch the news

Am in the south west too in a city many consider “posh” in one of the nice bits. middle class demographic I suppose. Many friends self employed with small businesses frankly facing ruin friends who are doctors and nurses are in fear and lots of us upset about impact on dc. Elderly very anxious. It’s not business as usual or jolly japes here.

One friend is senior MOD and she is the most anxious of all. I think ignorance is bliss in your area op

I’m not so sure it’s dependent on area.

I could have written your post MrsTswift. But I also know a number of people who are still have their head in the sand and think this will blow over in a few weeks

Must admit a lot of me and my friends don't watch news regularly, so might be why it seems behind

Do you think maybe you should start?

You can’t argue with stupid.

@HappydaysArehere now is not the time to worry about your friend and her hurt feelings. Just stay firm and tell her you'll see her when the dust settles. If she takes offense, I'd seriously consider if you want such a stupid person as a friend.

But I've had interactions with a few other ppl, electrian, shop workers, etc and it hasn't been mentioned!

Just because not everyone wants to chat about it with strangers, doesn't mean they aren't worried.

There is tons of info on the internet about the pandemic. People are justifiably worried as this is honestly unprecedented. Do you think the world often bars travel like this? Shuts down the economy for nothing?

Many of the infected will not die but some people are having permanent lung damage. We don't even know if it will reinfect or not. Will those with said lung damage survive a new infection?

I've seen video from people living in regions a few hours from Wuhan like Yinchuan and Nanjing being quarantined for 50 days. You could leave to visit the pharmacy and get groceries but everything nonessential was shut and there was a curfew. They were all wearing masks and temperatures were taken upon entering shops and other buildings. This was so the spread was less exponential and so the health services could cope. And they still didn't cope well for a while. Once quarantine is lifted there may well be another wave of infections. We just don't know enough yet.

I've seen video of a hospital in Italy with beds and beds of people with helmet oxygen ventilators on. This is not normal. Doctors are dying, probably from high viral loads being around these cases.

Scientists are saying the measures being taken could be in place for over 18 months.

There will be other consequences to this beyond the obvious. Governments are talking about airlines going bankrupt which would disrupt trade and supply lines. People will lose their jobs as other businesses close. In the US for instance they are probably giving citizens money to help with these eventualities and to stimulate the economy.

Do you really feel no responsibility towards the doctors and nurses who will be working themselves to the bone to save people? There are many pictures of doctors on social media literally asking you to stay home. The government is slowly implementing these changes. They will use to fact that people are not complying to enact harsher ones. (Like what happened in France.)

People should not panic and devolve into chaos but this is also not the time to ignore common sense and official advice because you feel you are being inconvenienced.

A 73 year old grandmother and two of her (50s age) children are dead in New Jersey. Three other relatives are in critical condition. They just had to have family dinner like always. They didn't deserve this but it was entirely preventable.

Must admit a lot of me and my friends don't watch news regularly, so might be why it seems behind. But I've had interactions with a few other ppl, electrian, shop workers, etc and it hasn't been mentioned!

Possibly because most don't watch the news as well?

I live right above the nightlife hot-spot for our town and loads of people are out on the piss! No word of a lie. Quite strange the contrast between the discourse on here. And what I'm witnessing outside my window...

I know lots of people who aren't taking it seriously for one reason or another. School run has got noticeably quieter and more subdued than it was at the start of the week as the penny drops about how serious this is and how wide ranging it is.

I think people are in different stages of realising this.

I know I'm hyper aware of it because I'm very aware and can read the political ruins and data before the news actually hits the newspapers or TV. So I know I'm ahead of the curve. In some ways I'm jealous of those who aren't so aware and are only just finding out.

I think everyone has to have a 'shitting hell moment' indeed a former WHO pandemic communications officer said its a necessary process for everyone to go through to take the implications seriously.

I know quite a few of my very sociable friends who are involved in various groups are already finding it mentally difficult to cope with and not having their friends there to have a drink with is compounding it.

OP I am glad you have the guts to admit you are now shitting it. That takes a lot.

People are not being hysterical though. They are mentally processing what it means and many people are genuinely struggling mentally as they realise they may lose loved ones or their homes or their livelihoods or more than one of them. In normal circumstances we wouldn't expect them to joke and be lighthearted about that prospect. It's not right to expect them to now for that reason.

Gallows humour is usually only a mask for what lies beneath anyway. And that tends to come out online due to anonymity where people are allowed the space not to 'put a brave face on it'.

Things are going to get really bad. If you aren't shitting it, you aren't taking it seriously. That's the bottomline tbh. That doesn't mean you won't cope but people do need to acknowledge the severity of the situation.

OP, don't trust your FB, your friends and acquaintances, or even our posts on MN.
Watch some international news and read a few reputable newspapers online.
Check out the WHO information online.

I share a lot of gallows humour with people I know are taking this seriously.
My FB feed and most of my posts here tend to be more serious. Not trying to scare people, but giving the most accurate information and predictions possible.
Because many people, like you, are/weren't taking this seriously, and others are panicking too much.

Hmm “panicking” is subjective though. I am sensibly concerned, you are worrying, he/she is panicking/hysterical. I am planning ahead, you are stockpiling, he/she is panic-buying.

Lucy Fisher @los_fisher
Finally - some clarity from Downing Street on London lockdown rumours.

BUT those rumours appear to have prompted swathes of people to exodus capital - potentially accelerating the spread of virus.

As of yesterday more than 950 of 2,625 confirmed cases (36%) were in London...

OP if you don’t watch/read the news let me give you a hand.
This is a picture of army vehicles in Italy carrying coffins outside of the city because the local cemeteries can’t cope.