Is thinking that you won't ever get coranavirus at all unrealistic?

[InYerFace]

The attitude among the majority of my friends is very blase about catching the virus. It's predominantly - 'we're all going to get it eventually'' or even 'it's important that we do get coronavirus if we're healthy so that we protect the vulnerable through herd immunity'.

I feel like the only one who plans on doing whatever it takes not to get it at all. Or my kids, or DH. We are healthy, thank God, but my mum is elderly and relies on us.

But am I being completely unrealistic? Does that mean we literally cannot leave the house until they find a vaccine? That could be over a year away!

I think I’m somewhere in the middle on this, particularly as I live in Cornwall where there are ( for now at least) very few cases. Obviously I would be very happy to escape it but I’m youngish, reasonably fit & have no underlying health issues so it would be unpleasant but hopefully mild for me if I did catch it. I am more concerned for my parents who are in their early 80s & my Mum has “ Parkinsonism”. They are self isolating indefinitely & we are not visiting them, which is really odd & quite upsetting.

Good have to self isolate until the epidemic has passed.

My 84 year old MIL off to hairdressers and adamant she won't catch it. Her daughter is also completely adamant that her mum is sensible and will do the right thing. God my husbands family are in la la land!

A lot of people will get it. The vast majority will be survive it, some of those with hardly any symptoms at all.

That doesn’t really help those who won’t survive it. Which is why we all still need to take precautions.

The complacency makes me angry. But then a huge number of people are extremely hard of thinking.

I’ve done what I can. We are hunkering down for the foreseeable future, and so are my daughters at their flat.

Think that's what the problem is for us. My mum doesn't live with us, but relies on us for lots of things and lives a few doors down. We all went into isolation at the same time, but in separate houses. So we're planning on not seeing anyone apart from her to keep her as safe as possible.

So we're not letting the kids' friends or even other close family members come to our house, as that would mean we wouldn't be able to see my mum. But looking ahead, I can't keep the kids in isolation for a year if the epidemic doesn't pass before we get a vaccine?

It will become the new normal, and you and your children will adapt quite well. We also don’t know the future and exactly what will be required of us so it’s best just to plan and worry for today and not try to cope with the idea of doing it for a year.

For now, everyone is okay and everyone will manage.

You can still go out for walks etc if you keep away from close contact with other people (unless someone in the household is actually showing symptoms).

A lot will depend of personal circumstances. The more effectively you and your family can isolate from other people the better chance you have.

A lot will also depend on how effective the government restrictions are, and what happens when they eventually relax them again.

Ninkanink, thanks for talking me down. You're right, each day as it comes. Stupid trying to think so far ahead.

first rule of anxiety - exist in the moment whenever you can; it takes away so much fear. You’re coping now, and you’ll continue to cope.