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 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.

This was the herd immunity strategy, the teams working on this decided was too risky and would probably still incur 200,000 deaths. Also would need to do much more testing than are doing to even attempt controlling rate of spread. This video explains the risks of the strategy

Nacreous, helpful comment, thank you. One thing I believe it is estimated 2% will need mechanical ventilation/ITU beds?

www.statnews.com/2020/03/16/coronavirus-model-shows-hospitals-what-to-expect/

What are the conspiracy theories for governments (even Trimp!) risking economic recessions globally by pretending C-19 is a bigger problem than it really is @WellErrr?

Sorry actually article above says “percentage who need to be in an ICU (2%) or on a ventilator (1%). However, the imperial college report released on Monday said doing the herd immunity/isolating elderly and vulnerable would still according to their calculations cause probably 200,000 deaths.

Something that is striking me that as they are only testing those unwell and in hospital the current cases being announced are those who are significantly ill with the disease and that is kind of petrifying.

Whatever happened to be kind?

It only ever seems to apply to other people. And if there’s a chance to act supercilious and make patronising, almost-witty one liners to make you feel better about yourself, it doesn’t seem to apply at all...

All those assuming I’m sat in a bar drinking a pint reading the Daily Mail with my NF mates...thanks, but actually I’m following all the guidelines and have from the start.
My IQ is over 140.
I daren't tell you my job but I will say that many of my colleagues have been asking the same questions.

I will be taking a previous poster’s advice and making use of the big X in the corner. Not a flounce before anyone starts; I just genuinely don’t need to be told ‘fuck off you moron’ in 160 different ways by quite nasty individuals who think they’re better than me. But patently aren’t because I’d never behave like that...

I will also just add that due to the nature of my work I haven’t actually had time to buy or read a newspaper for the last 3 days, never mind watch the news.

Perhaps I’ll be able to catch up today....thanks again to those who were NOT insulting.

It's been on the news since January.

Good morning WellErr
I came on MN specifically right now to try and hide all of the coronavirus threads. The hysteria and misinformation really does my head in.
Keep well, err

Oh aye I forgot there’d been no changes to the situation for 10 weeks.

You’re right. I AM thick 🤦🏻‍♀️

I can't even be bothered to waste my breath explaining it to you OP

Morning Purple! :)

I can't even be bothered to waste my breath explaining it to you OP

But I’m glad to see that you considered that lovely faux-weary put-down WAS worth the expenditure of energy.
Cheers! I can almost hear the sigh.

No facts have changed since January. Death rate the same. Contagious period the same. Number of ventilators available the same, give or take. As soon as we knew it was contagious so early before symptoms started we knew it was going to spread. Wuhan was on worldwide media. Fair enough, plenty of people up until about a week ago didn't seem able to read either so don't feel any less aware than the majority.

No facts have changed since January

Are you quite sure?

Ooooh maybe you could go and read up about it!

WellErr please stick around ...you may be very wrong but I suspect a lot of well informed or front line people are quietly thinking the same ..the cure might be worse than the disease.

Has it suddenly become more virulent? Were those Chinese just freaking out for no reason? Oh yeah sorry that was your point at the beginning. Yes, you're right.

Gin I can assure you that they are. But for reasons very handily illustrated by this thread, not many will voice it.

Were those Chinese just freaking out for no reason? Oh yeah sorry that was your point at the beginning

Was it? Careful there.

@WellErrr But I’m glad to see that you considered that lovely faux-weary put-down WAS worth the expenditure of energy.
Cheers! I can almost hear the sigh.

Come and sit with me in our hospital contingency planning meeting and then come and meet my nursing team who have just agreed to pack overnight bags to keep at work in case they're so needed they can't get home to sleep, but don't have so much as a bloody mask to protect them. Then take your sanctimonious shit somewhere else.

Then take your sanctimonious shit somewhere else.

Well you started it.

Because this virus changes what we think of us vulnerable. Yes sadly people die of the flu every year however its a fairly set group of people where this occurs, covid is seeing that group of people much more widened. Theres lots of people we wouldnt usually consider vulnerable that are in this circumstance.

As a population size the deaths of the "healthy" will be a faily low percentage of the deaths, and the deaths as a whole will hopefully remain a small percentage of the total population. However a small percentage is still a huge number of individuals, individuals that we cant just write off as unimportant because they are vulnerable. Each death will be a tragedy for someone.

Equally i see the stats compared to deaths by things like aids or cancer to try and minimalise the numbers however you can be sure that we try to prevent those deaths too. I cant be the only person that actively tries to prevent getting hiv?

While this is going on the deaths and illness of those sorts of things will still occur, but we will also be trying to cope with an abnormally high ammount of deaths from covid too.

@Skeeter2020
Thank you for everything you are doing and will be doing.

@Skeeter2020 thank you to you and the lovely nurses that are doing so much to support those who need you. I hope and pray I'm not one of them