Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Are my village overreacting?

155 replies

charliesmithers · 21/03/2020 08:49

Small village - started an emergency group - they’re looking for wardens for each street to check each house daily for symptoms (by knocking on windows apparently), people with medical training eg CPR, doctors, nurses, farmers (for food), people who know how to fish, those who have been in the military before and people with skills such as joinery, electrics and firefighting .

They seem to believe that we will be entirely alone from now on, we have to assume there are no services left in society and no contact with other villages and towns - and that as a village we will eventually have to form our own separate civilisation .

These are actual words - that have been sent via social media to lots of us . A leaflet through the door last night saying much the same .

Same group have told us to avoid handling any mail, cardboard or paper from anywhere as it’s very dangerous, all animals, food that’s not been cooked to a certain temperature (so no bread, raw fruit or veg), water that isn’t sterilised or boiled and have told us that our pets and other animals are a danger to us all and should be actively avoided, confined to indoors and washed daily in water .

They’re asking for fire fighting stuff , overshoes, medical equipment, PPE, rubber gloves and rubber trousers, Wellington boots and tools for survival .

Apparently this is all just very good sense . It’s being actively shared amongst the 1000 or so of us who live here - many of whom are either very elderly or families with young children and very, very frightened as it is .

Would I be wrong to contact the group who are doing this and tell them to can it for a bit, or are they quite right? As far as I can tell there is no evidence for any of what they are saying . It sounds like something out of a post apocalyptic film !!

OP posts:
Nannewnannew · 21/03/2020 09:31

What? I’ve just told my guinea pig that I’ve got to avoid her and she just carried on munching her Romaine lettuce without a care in the world!
Re the OP I think somebody has been watching too much ‘Dads Army’, their heart is in the right place but I think it will only add to people’s anxiety levels.

SuckingDieselFella · 21/03/2020 09:33

It's fine to handle mail.

The Royal Mail sent out an e-mail yesterday stating that envelopes and parcels aren't a risk.

SuckingDieselFella · 21/03/2020 09:37

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. Can customers catch coronavirus from the mail?
Public Health England has advised that there is no perceived increase in risk of contracting the new coronavirus for handling post or freight from specified areas. From experience with other coronaviruses, we know these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels.
LuluJakey1 · 21/03/2020 09:39

Do you mean people don't bath their cats daily? Ours have a bath every morning and their hair washed and then just a flannel wash before they go to bed.

They are washing their paws every 2 hours, as suggested by the BBC, and social distancing.

LuluJakey1 · 21/03/2020 09:40

Actually, you should inform the police- I am not joking. These are the kind of nutters that cause fear and panic.They should be stopped now.

mumwon · 21/03/2020 09:40

(a) this is a wind up
(b)someone in the village is winding people up
(c)is there a lot of in breeding in your area op???
checking on people especially the elderly but it isn't spread through drinking water
(d) is this being organised by a retired Colonel who has visions of becoming a separate republic Grin

feelingverylazytoday · 21/03/2020 09:41

I think it's good to have a contingency plan in place , but it's way too early for these extremes.

Nubbled · 21/03/2020 09:42

So you were told
Same group have told us to avoid handling any mail, cardboard or paper from anywhere as it’s very dangerous,
on a leaflet put through your door? Hmmmm.

nellodee · 21/03/2020 09:42

I was going to come on here and say, "It's not possible to overreact to this virus" ...

....aaaaaaaand then I read the OP.

Kuponut · 21/03/2020 09:42

Think my dog's getting sick of us all being at home - she's fucked off into the conservatory to isolate herself (anti-social little git that she is).

effingterrified · 21/03/2020 09:43

And people wonder why those with coronavirus are not all shouting about it on social media.

Can you imagine how anyone with symptoms would be treated? Or indeed anyone who is not from 'round here'?

YukoandHiro · 21/03/2020 09:44

Yes they are. But it's exactly the sort of thing I can imagine happening in the village I grew up in. So glad I left.

GreyishDays · 21/03/2020 09:47

I think it’s good practice to wash hands after handling anything external. Current thoughts are that it can live for 24 hours on cardboard.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-lifespan-on-surfaces-graphic-2020-3%3famp

I think suggesting you ‘will’ be left on your own as a village, and the pet thing are both bonkers though.

FluffMagnet · 21/03/2020 09:47

I'd be worried that if they are claiming animals are "a danger to us all" that they might start taking it upon themselves to rid your village of that perceived "danger" if their paranoia goes unchecked.

MumofTinies · 21/03/2020 09:48

That's very OTT, I would not be sharing any info of my family's symptoms with some random from the village.

Are my village overreacting?
middleager · 21/03/2020 09:48

This actually scares me more than the virus. Yes, expecting Vincent Price to lead the pack.

middleager · 21/03/2020 09:49

Are you local? Grin

madcatladyforever · 21/03/2020 09:54

Right my 18 year old cat can live in the shed now and I'll go outside and dunk her in a bucket of water everyday.
It'll be fine.

Gutterton · 21/03/2020 09:54

This needs countering - some “caremongering” against this scaremongering.

nellodee · 21/03/2020 09:54

Have they thought about building a large wicker man to put all the infected people in?

daisychain01 · 21/03/2020 09:56

The Royal Mail sent out an e-mail yesterday stating that envelopes and parcels aren't a risk.

I read something about the virus staying on plastic surfaces for up to 24 hours and on cardboard for 4-5 hours.

I have been Zofloraing (damp ecloth with dash of Z) parcels and anything wrapped in plastic because I don't have a clue what to believe and it takes a minute to do it. I don't let DH touch anything til I've done that, because he's in a high risk category and I'm not prepared to chance it.

Rather extreme steps in the OP but we're living in strange times. Only a few weeks ago people were merrily contemplating trips to Europe and look where we are no. Who'd have believed it. Maybe they're onto something!

daisychain01 · 21/03/2020 09:57

now

SuckingDieselFella · 21/03/2020 10:01

@daisychain01 I'll post this again to counteract your scaremongering. This is from an e-mail sent to me yesterday BY THE ROYAL MAIL.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. Can customers catch coronavirus from the mail?
Public Health England has advised that there is no perceived increase in risk of contracting the new coronavirus for handling post or freight from specified areas. From experience with other coronaviruses, we know these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels.
everythingisginandroses · 21/03/2020 10:03

I am SI with probable CV19, and I'm glad I don't live in your village! As others have suggested, contact your local police and MP and ask them to tell these people to cool it.

Originalyellowbelly · 21/03/2020 10:05

No way would I be washing my 4 cats with water every day, the only survivors would be the cats.