Can someone help me understand why this is such a big deal? Because at the moment I really don’t.

[WellErrr]

Why is the world closing down?
Why is this worse than flu (which thousands of people have, and thousands die from each winter)?
Why the massive response?

I just do not get it at all. The only thing bringing the country to a halt seems to be the fact that everything’s shut and/or banned. Not the virus!?

I just cannot get worked up about it and I feel like I’m living in a parallel universe where everybody else knows something I don’t!?

Why would you ask this on mumsnet?????

Really??? You have to ask??

Are you high?

Thank you so much for that extremely well-structured and thought out reply. The irony is not lost on me.

@sofato5miles

Because it's a new virus to humans and we dont know how it works or how many its going to kill. NHS doesn't have capacity for everyone to be in hospital at the same time so minimising contact slows down transmission

You won’t get nice responses on here if you ask those questions.

I shouldn’t respond I know but you’ve obviously just come on here to wind people up haven’t you?

500000 projected deaths if we do nothing in the UK alone

That's why

This roughly OP

OP - Have you noticed how overwhelmed hospitals are in Italy (just as one example)?

Yes I absolutely have to ask.

It’s not like it turns you inside out or makes your lungs come out of your ears. It’s a virus which has a lower prevalence rate and FAR lower mortality rate than seasonal flu, so why is the world grinding to a halt?

More people will be affected by the measures being taken than by Coronavirus, and for longer.

Some actual reasoned answers rather than semi-witty one liners would be great 👍

My pic isn’t showing, it may show up later?!

Have you read any of the news from countries like Italy?

Are you aware that if nothing is done then the deaths in this country could run into millions?

If it runs rife it could kill hundreds of thousands, the nhs would collapse, people with other health needs would die, then society would grind to a halt due to mass illness and death

HTH

You really don’t deserve a well structured and thoughtful reply.

Good work sofa

I just cannot get worked up about it and I feel like I’m living in a parallel universe where everybody else knows something I don’t!?

Yes, you are obviously living in a parallel universe. And yes, if your post is genuine, everybody else knows something you don't know.

I really hope your post isn't genuine but if it is, maybe look at some news outlets and do a bit of reading/listening about what is happening in the world.

It's because if too many people catch it at the same time then the infrastructure, including food in supermarkets and electricity to your home, will fall over. If it falls over badly enough then it will struggle to get back on its feet.

You can see why that would be bad can't you OP?

If it runs rife it could kill hundreds of thousands, the nhs would collapse, people with other health needs would die, then society would grind to a halt due to mass illness and death

But what’s the reasoning for this? It hasn’t done this anywhere else?

@WellErr I think it's a perfectly valid question if you're not part of the MN hysteria massive .

Why are we not letting the healthy go live their lives and strictly isolate the elderly and other vulnerable groups? Yes, I know there are a lot of because, because, because, but that doesn't cut it for me and many others.

the mortality rate is higher than it is for flu, currently actual numbers are lower but they are increasing day by day. If we do not act on this then it will kill many more people than flu does.

This is a post I made on Monday:

Deaths per country
Italy
21/2/20 1
25/2/20 10
4/3/20 107
12/3/20 1016

The longest period it took to x10 was 8 days

UK
5/3/20 1
12/3/20 10

It does not take a genius to do this...

19/3/20 100
26/3/20 1000
2/4/20 10,000

We have just over 4,000 critical care beds.
The 10,000 that could be dead by Easter will be infected NOW, because you incubate for about a week, take 2 weeks to get really sick and another week to actually die.

9/4/20 100,000 people dead.

That's 90,000 more than the week before. These people might not yet be infected.