BBC article that I regret reading

[PurpleRainGirl]

I just read this article on the BBC website (if you are feeling anxious please DO NOT read further):

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51963486

and I am absolutely panicked, sobbing my heart out for the first time since this thing has started.

I tried my best to keep calm and carry on and to cheer up everyone around me in RL.

But I feel so, so scared and upset now.

No one knows what's going to happen, where we're going with this. Are we going to see horror scenes on our streets? Are we going to just let go at some point and let people die? The kind of measures that have been introduced are not sustainable long term. According to the article, there are only three ways out of this, two are a long way away and one is not a long term option. Is this the end of life as we know it? The actual apocalypse?

I'm so depressed having read this article and I don't think I can comprehend that it's come to this. It's finally got to me.

Don't expect anything, I know no one has any answers. Just needed to write this down.

This article is basically just stating what is in the Imperial College report. I don't think the majority of the country realises the implications of this as most seem to think we'll be "back to normal" by June. I wonder how much of this is intentional as it is a lot to take onboard and also throws up serious questions as to wtf the government was doing and why we didn't take measures to control this weeks ago.

To keep myself sane I'm trying to compare it to the HIV outbreak in the 80s. The result was that we came up with methods to treat it and prevent deaths and we changed our behaviour (e.g. less unprotected sex, regular STD testing etc). Hopefully we can do the same without it having a significant impact on quality of life.

The UK strategy is not to stop people getting it. It's to try and control the spread so that not too many people have it at once, overwhelming the NHS and making it hard to keep other stuff ticking over.

Yes we're all going to die to PP but the idea of this suspension of life, effectively, for such a long period of time, what will that do. Humans are social animals. For people who live alone, for children and teenagers... It's a massive amount of time to be essentially closed away.

@merryhouse - extremely well put! It's reassuring to see there are still people who are capable of seeing the bigger picture.

I don't understand what the problem is with that article. It just sets out the facts, and says that the best hope lies with science, through vaccine or effective treatment.

The hope is that like HIV and other illnesses that once were killers, science will find the means to overcome it. And one thing you can be certain of is that scientists the world over are working day and night to come up with something.

In the meantime the only way to slow down mass infection occurring at levels that health services everywhere simply could not cope with is to keep ourselves away from other human beings. There's nothing else that can slow the progress of this disease and I think it's a sad state of affairs that people have to be forced into doing this. I still can't get over the fucking idiots over the weekend.

It will peter out before the world ends because we would have reached ... herd immunity once everyone gets infected at least once. But not before lots of people (including health care workers) have died and businesses gone under

But it will come to an end at some point before the end of the world.

#definitelygc I have tried to compare it to HIV but you really can't due to transmission.

Maybe I'm oversensitive looking at most of the responses, everyone seems to be a lot better prepared and less scared for the future than me.

I am sorry if my post came across that way. I am scared too, scared of my other half or family members or me dying (I have an underlying condition) and concerned of the economic fallout for sure, but just hope I'm still here.

I just really want to live! I keep hoping the international teams of scientists and doctors will find effective treatment and then we can start to rebuild and heal.

I have tried to compare it to HIV but you really can't due to transmission

You're absolutely right which is why this is far, far worse. My comparison was only in the sense of finding a way to treat it that prevents death (and perhaps finding ways we can operate in society to reduce transmission).

Well if we managed to go back to normal after Spanish flu which killed millions and millions and we recovered after WW2 when 6 million died in concentration camps this is hardly going to destroy us is it?! Of course the effects are devastating but to say life will never go back is simply a load of bollocks. It always does. Look back 20 years ago, 10 years ago and even 5 years ago and consider the advances made in that time for both technology and science. We’ve made leaps and bounds in that time.

This happening now is horrid but in the scheme of the history of the world this is like a tiny insignificant blip. Yes it doesn’t feel like that now because we are in the thick of it, but much like childbirth, the pain is horrendous but it won’t last forever.

including health care workers) have died and businesses gone under
Fuck off healthcare workers should not be thrown under a bus!!!

That’s a very odd article. For the simple reason it misses one massive element, which is anti virals that can treat and cure it, which are in human trial now and showing success and could be ready within weeks. Why has it been missed off?

I’d classify that article as scaremongering for the simple fact it ignore the treatments currently in human trial.

I also noticed it the other night with the bbc, the so called medical expert they have on. He did the same thing. Went for worst case and ignored the fact anti virals to treat and cure are currently being trialed and showing initial success.

So is the article fact? Yes, but it misses one key fact which makes it highly misleading.

Yes, we can't be in such suspension, people won't be able to live like this for a prolonged period of time, physically or mentally. The economy won't survive. Our jobs won't. It's hit me that things are looking hopeless and I've never felt this way before.

Sorry you're feeling so anxious OP. The article is objective and realistic. However, I personally think it is likely that effective treatments and rapid testing for immunity will appear soon, which will improve things considerably.
Take it one day at a time and read less news. Promise you'll feel better xx

By closing borders and also living on an island we had an easy solution!

The terrifying article I read was about the man who didn't social distance, infected loads of people, then ended up in ICU before dying.

Effective, though.

It’s not going to go on for years. I keep reading this on Mumsnet. It’s currently a terrible situation, it won’t go on forever.

OP there will be better treatments in the meantime as the virus is understood, also wider testing to try and break the chains . Don't forget that the World's scientific minds are working together for once and at speed. Read Bill Gates interview www.gatesnotes.com/Health/A-coronavirus-AMA

We can only live 1 day at a time. Things will improve I am sure.
Read this article- very good explanation of how social distancing and isolation help.
www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

Thank you for the responses so far, it is reassuring to read them, I have now managed to put things into perspective a bit more.

I do not want any sugar coating, and I don't panic easily (normally), but I think the amount of bad news today has tipped me over the edge of reason.

I have wondered a few times reading BBC articles whether they're trying to manage people's expectations by pitching more towards worst case scenario.

the amount of bad news today has tipped me over the edge of reason

Totally understand. I had a similar feeling reading the Imperial College report at the weekend and then explaining it to my stunned OH. It was all a bit much to take in.

The article linked says 12-18 months if there is a vaccine found and 2 years otherwise.

That's the reason op is freaked out! It's not something 'just on MN'.

To be fair, the bad news (Spain, Italy) had been out there for days, weeks. You are a little late to the party. Many of us have processed that now and hopefully have already been self-isolating. The science behind flattening the curve is interesting. This won't last forever.

The article uses phrases like:

"The best guess"
"it may allow"
"this might be is uncertain"
"this could" (said more than once)
"maybe"
"might have"
"Could"
"Could"
"Could"

So they're guessing. And much of it contradicts other stuff that been said already. Many places are stocking up on Chloroquine to help. Who knows what they will find next or whether the whole thing will burn itself out. Certainly we are in lockdown but look at China, they're having a massive change already. This is not the end of the world forever.

I'm not saying this to be unkind but to encourage you to be kinder to yourself: is the reason you've never found yourself panicking like this before because you've never been in such a frightening situation before?

Because if that's the case (and I should think/hope that for most people it is), why are you being so hard on yourself for how you're feeling? It's scary and you are scared.

Humans are the only species that can live in every eco system of the world ( unfortunately for the rest of all species but hey ho)

So are remarkable adaptable. We can adapt to this lockdown. It will start to feel normal. Brian's are very good at that kind of thing