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.

[ArriettyJones]

Sleep well @Feodora

[Knobblybobbly]

@Confusedasusual78 nothing gruesome don’t worry. Just preparations underway. Sorry I made it sound worse and probably more alarming than it needed to be. They weren’t lining up the body bags or anything. Just the general plans to turn every available room in my hospital into an area for a bed.

Just felt really real as apposed to ‘on the telly real’. And think before then it felt like a horrible story.

But then I remind myself of how many people die of heart attacks or cancer each day and, somewhat weirdly, covid doesn’t seem quite so scary.

[Skippingabeat]

But do please at least keep in mind that a significant amount (rather than a tiny amount) of people can and have recovered from this.

And to add, as long as we keep with the social distancing, as long as the healthcare system is able to deal with the number of new infections, an even more significant number of people will recover. In China, provinces that weren't overwhelmed had survival rates of 99%.

Even if we're all going to eventually get infected, let's just try not to get infected now. Let's wait until the medical supplies have been replenished, until there are enough tests to test anyone who has the slightest chance of carrying the virus, until the drug regimen (of existing drugs) with the highest chances of success has been discovered... and we're getting closer and closer to that by the day.

[SnoozyLou]

"We did early detection and contact tracing the first time round and it didn't work," Prof Woolhouse adds.

They've developed new tests that give a result there and then rather than waiting 5 days, plus they'll have a lot more of them (let's hope). It's all constantly changing - not all for the worse. Clearly we do have some dark days to come but testing and isolation has to be the way until we have a vaccine.

[ArriettyJones]

I’m agog that contact tracing was ever considered a viable path, TBH.

Has it actually been definitively established that contracting COVID 19 and recovering leaves you immune from further bouts?

[DressingGownofDoom]

The virus is still very new, the scientific leaps that have been made in developing testing and drugs to treat it have been huge. Don't be down OP, we live in an amazing world and this will be ok.

[PotholeParadise]

Not definitively established, but it seems at least a reasonable possibility. As far as I know, (someone who knows better will correct me!) you don't get the same cold twice (but there are hundreds of them) and you don't get the same strain of flu twice.

It could be that there is something really special about this virus, but...

[LordBuckley]

OP, if it helps, I'm in Italy, where things are very bad at present, BUT we are possibly beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our lockdown began 14 days ago, and our government forecast at the time that we'd begin to see the results about 14 days later (as happened in China).

Although the total number of cases is still rising, the daily rate of increase in new cases has fallen for two days running. If this continues, it means the lockdown is working, and before long the number of new cases should start to fall steeply.

The UK has only just begun its lockdown, but if everyone does their best to comply with it, you should see similar results to Italy, which means it won't be forever.

[CoffeeHere]

Perhaps if more people had read things like that before the weekend it may have kept people in.

[Matildathehun77]

To me, it's simply saying what we all know deep down. They're not going to do lockdown for three weeks then say "it's gone now, off to the pub you go" yes we face a year or more where we live with fluctuating tighter and looser controls whilst they keep the infection rate below what our health system can deal with. Herd immunity should give a helping hand with this as time goes by but cannot be relied on. Long term, the answer lies in scientific advances that are in process now. Treatments to make this less lethal, wider spread testing to enable us to track and isolate faster and vaccines. This will happen, the world's resources are being thrown at it. What is clear is that for the next year or so we need to cooperate with necessary restrictions. The quicker we are to respond, the shorter the controls will need to be. This will pass though so don't panic.

[Watchagotcha]

I’ve accepted that the worst thing that could happen is that I die.

I totally understand that freaks most people out but it actually helps me NOT panic.

I honestly can’t explain why...

This is the basis of the Stoic approach to death as disaster, basically, imagine “the worst” as having happened. Death of a loved one, loss of home and job, total financial ruin, whatever. Imagine it, think about how it feels. Accept it. Work through iin your head Then pack it away in the “considered” Box and get on with your day.

It’s similar to the Buddhist approach of seeing the favourite cup, already broken.

We can’t control what’s happening out there. So there is no point in fretting about it. We can control our own choices etc, so focus on them.

I’d highly recommend How to be a Stoic as confinement reading!

[Bluntness100]

The article is factual, as far as experts know, but as said, it misses one massive key fact, and that’s that anti virals that could treat and cure this are being trialed on humans now and this could be over in weeks, if they are able to find a successful treatment and slow the spread.

There is no way round the fact this is true, there is no way round the fact it is highly likely. There is no way round the fact that for some reason it’s not referred to in that article.

And there is no way round the fact that is very very wrong of the bbc to allow that article to be published without that key bit of information that changes the slant of it to something much more positive..

[MarshaBradyo]

Odd it’s missing some information. Hopefully MSM will get the broader picture for next article. I’d like to know about timescale for treatment.

[PurpleRainGirl]

To me, it's simply saying what we all know deep down.

Indeed. The shock of seeing it on BBC News as our new reality still hits, though.

This is the basis of the Stoic approach to death as disaster, basically, imagine “the worst” as having happened. Death of a loved one, loss of home and job, total financial ruin, whatever. Imagine it, think about how it feels. Accept it. Work through iin your head Then pack it away in the “considered” Box and get on with your day.

This has really helped me. I am actually surprised this thread has dragged out of me that the present situation has brought back a lot of my personal grief and fear of loss. It's exacerbated now and yesterday I went down the most awful route of whoever I have left will die, I will go insane in lockdown and won't even be able to say goodbye. Of course this is a catastrophic scenario, but not entirely impossible.

I then realised that actually I've probably survived the worst already. If I am still here after losing a child then I ought not to be scared for the future for I genuinely believe this is the worst thing that can ever happen. I know some of you may disagree and that's OK, I understand we all have different perspectives. But I know that to many of you the fact that people survived this and are still ok will be a consolation. The virus is a different issue, but this is about the resilience of each and every human being right now, in every sense. And that resilience can run be much, much greater than we imagine right now. I've been there before and I've impressed myself.

Thank you for your kindness and well wishes, I cried myself to sleep last night reading some of them, but that cry was needed. It's a good thing.

@Feodora I hope you had a good night sleep. You are a very special lady 💐

[EL8888]

Personally l prefer some honesty rather than unrealistic goals

[PurpleRainGirl]

@RUSU92 You made me smile today, thank you. Sending love to your DS.

[crazydiamond222]

I think the article could have been clearer on the waves of infection. We will not be under lockdown continiously until a vaccine. There will be an initial big wave of infections followed by a levelling off as the impact of the lockdown reduce infection.

There will then be an easing of restrictions. For the second wave we will be better prepared a) nhs staff will have already got and recovered from the virus b) there will be more ventilators c) there may be an anti viral. The shutdown will be shorter.

If there are 3rd and 4th waves there will be progessively less severe as more of the population develops immunity and treatment strategies improve.

The government will want to balance restrictions with the functioning of the economy so will reduce restrictions as much as possible within the limits of what the nhs can cope with.

[Elephantgrey]

It’s understandable to be upset that this is happening and when you realise how bad it is it can feel overwhelming. I think that is why so many people are in effect calling for censorship as the truth is too hard to manage.

I found having a break from news quite comforting. I am luck in that I am able to work from home and that was a welcome distraction.

There is some more positive news out there. I found this article reassuring. These scientists really believe there is hope for a vaccine very soon.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/19/uk-drive-develop-coronavirus-vaccine-science

[Casino218]

Perhaps you are just slow to the realisation op but nothing in the article surprised me.

Different schools of thought about this virus some saying it is quite stable so once caught we should be fairly immune. Others argue that.

Immunisation is the answer I feel.

It won't all go away in a few weeks op that's for sure! We will now be in controlled lockdowns where they give a little freedom for a while then lock down again as in China. This will go on for months probably.

[Elephantgrey]

PurpleRainGirl I am really sorry for your loss. If you can survive the loss of your baby girl and still have hope then you can cope with anything else that will happen to you. You already have the strength to deal with this.

[ChristmasCalamity]

I've found this thread interesting and it's encouraging to read kind and grounded responses.

A huge change in the way we live life requires a mindset change and that can happen in stages (of gradual realisation) and at different times for different people. It seems from reading responses here that a fair number of people have a 'key moment' and really processing and accepting what the future could potentially be like starts there.

@Feodora I found your post extremely moving. I think that the lack of research into ME (and, I think I remember reading, the lumping of the diagnosis together with CFS, and a wholesale behavioural rather than medical approach) is truly terrible. You are justified in feeling angry emotional to hear people say they can't survive inside. Of course it will be hard; for some it will be almost unbearably hard, and I'm not taking it lightly, but to say they 'can't' is just untrue and also utterly disrespectful to people who, like you, can, and have, and do.

@PurpleRainGirl I'm sorry for your loss. I am so glad that in the time between starting this thread and now you've come through the worst sense of panic

[PurpleRainGirl]

Elephantgrey I now recognise I do. It's giving me peace and comfort.

I also read this article on Sky News and it's given me a bit more hope too:
news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-new-york-trials-experimental-treatment-with-recovered-patients-blood-11962651

There will be more and more methods of treatment and similar articles will be published regularly. We ought to keep the faith.

[ChristmasCalamity]

Also, for what it's worth, I live in Asia and we have been in our apartment for the last 6 weeks. Not enforced as strictly as UK is now but we chose to along the most people as the threat was real. We are very grateful to have some outside space where the children could play (usually almost empty at the peak time) but just to encourage anyone who needs it - just do what you need to to survive. If that means calling a sick day (or two) at home and watching movies on the sofa then do it. It is better to keep yourself in a frame of mind where you can cope with life than to put too much pressure on yourself to homeschool, follow good routine etc.

[ChristmasCalamity]

along WITH most people, sorry

[YouAreTheEggManIAmTheWalrus]

Nothing different to what they’ve been saying for weeks now. Seems it takes a lock down for many to finally get the message.