Telling people IRL about Covid-19

[Mummyeyes]

Finding this really tough. Had to explain that I am not going to run an after-school class today because I am in quarantine with dd. The ladies I run the class with are intending to go ahead. Not because they understand all the risks and have a plan, but because they really don't get it. So I had to spell it out. It was horrible. I had to tell them the kids' grownups could die. We use the word "grownup" rather than "parent" bc several of the kids already lost a parent.

Talking to oldies is like that x100. Saw a very dear 81yo friend who totally gets it. He was in the supermarket. He said he had stopped listening from the news. He so totally does not want to die this year. Other oldies I have seen these last few days, they are terrified. Telling them they must stay in seems like rubbing it in. I just can't. Even though it might save them. How do you tell them? What words do you use?

I'm not sure I have a 14 year old DS who seems almost excited about the whole thing. He comes running in each morning having seen the latest news.

I had to gave words, though didn't quite know how to say that I am in one of the at risk groups, and that Dad is also older and has been recently ill

You can't ,just been on the phone this morning with my 78 yr old Dad he does get it but ,he says he won't stay in ,he still needs to shop etc .

@Oldraver I think that is a stage they will have to work through: initial denial and looking for the upsides.
@x2boys it's like PreTraumatic Stress Disorder. I'm having flash forwards to how things will be in a month. But can'tbear to tell them.

It's hard. I have been paying attention since February so I feel like I have had time to mentally prepare myself for what is coming and yet I am still overwhelmed with how fast everything is moving - for reference this time last week we were told to wash our hands and that schools would not be shut.

So many people are in denial that this is happening. I don't want to sound snobby but I am shocked at how people just do not seem to grasp the serious situation we are in and how life will completely change for the next few months.

Schools are closing and people are offering up babysitting services instead and making plans on going out. Do they seriously not look at Europe and realise that we are going to be on lockdown very soon where you can only leave your home for a small set of specific reasons?

My DF who is a high risk and my elderly grandparents still going out to busy shops and in denial of the fact that this virus is circulating in our population right now and can make them seriously ill. I told my DF he won't be able to go out for 12 weeks and he just does not seem to grasp it.

Then there are the people I really feel for who don't realise how long-term this is going to be. People talking about their summer holidays and acting like this is going to be two weeks of lockdown and then we can all go out and enjoy our summer. This is going to be months and months. It is going to be hard. The sooner people come to terms with that the better as I think a lot of people are going to have to mentally process a lot in a very short amount of time. The sooner they accept it the sooner they can get their heads around to what the next few months of their life are going to look like.

It is a lot to process.