Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

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

Original poster

Work in a supermarket. Worry I'm going to hurt my child

21 replies

dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:11

Can someone please talk me down. I work in a supermarket, and have an eleven year old. I am so worried about us and the whole of Britain.

I'm so scared to go to work. I'm sat crying in bed.

I've just watched a video from Spain, a lady saying babies and children are dying. And there's nothing anyone can do. And we are going to have it much worse.

OP posts:
Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:13

I used to suffer with bad anxiety, I've been better for a long time now, but now it's back. But it's for good reason isn't it. I'm so worried for us all, this feels like a bad dream

OP posts:
DesLynamsMoustache · 26/03/2020 00:30

I don't believe there have been any deaths reported in the 0-9 range anywhere. There certainly hadn't been as of two days ago, and that includes Spain.

DesLynamsMoustache · 26/03/2020 00:32

And one person in Spain in the 10-19 range.

•	In Spain, out of 221 cases for people 10 to 19, 15 of them have been hospitalized, a 7 percent rate; none have ended up in intensive care. One person in this age range has died, a 0.4 percent fatality rate.
•	Italy and South Korea have reported no fatalities for this group; China reports that 0.2 percent of cases for these young people end in death.
•	In the US, there had been no ICU admittances or deaths reported among people under 20 as of late last week; only a small percentage (1.6 percent) had been hospitalized.

Dated 23 March

You should worry about yourself more than your daughter, basically!

Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:34

So do you think it was a fake video? It was an English lady, living in Spain, with all clips of coffins and people with their heads in oxygen bags ect

OP posts:
DesLynamsMoustache · 26/03/2020 00:38

People in crises often get carried away and exaggerate things, not on purpose. I used to work for the police and you would see a 999 call with someone hysterical saying there had been a crash and it looked really serious and to hurry, and then officers would arrive to someone with a mild case of whiplash wandering around. All we can do is look at the statistics that are verified. There's no reason Spain would have masses of babies and children dying when that hasn't been the case anywhere else.

Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:40

The woman on the video said it's because their hiding it from us.

There are nurses on another thread saying they are terrified.

Am I being silly risking going to work with this?

Bit of a backstory, I used to have severe health anxiety.

OP posts:
DesLynamsMoustache · 26/03/2020 00:44

But that would mean every other country is hiding it too. Why? How? Why aren't there posts from bereaved parents all over the internet if that was the case? Where are the parents and families of all these children and babies supposedly dying? I've seen several articles from people who have lost elderly relatives to it, but none from anyone who was lost a child.

As for nurses, they are in extremely close contact with symptomatic patients for potentially hours a day. It's a very different environment to supermarket working, where most of the people you meet will not have Coronavirus and even if they do, you aren't spending hours in their company and caring for them. You're having fleeting interactions with them at a generally safe distance.

Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:50

I'm in no way comparing my work to that of a nurses, but the ones who work on the coronavirus wards all have protective clothing. We have nothing. My store has no where near the space to do the safe 2m social distancing. We try, but it's impossible. This is what's making me so worried. All over Facebook people are saying 'so brave', and 'risking their families health to feed us'.

I'm not brave. I'm the opposite of brave. Nurse and doctors are brave.

And yes, I might not have even come into contact with anyone with corona yet. But reading stuff, within two weeks, unless we are staying indoors, we will all have it Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:51

The k you for talking to me @DesLynamsMoustache

OP posts:
Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 00:51

Thank you

OP posts:
DesLynamsMoustache · 26/03/2020 00:54

If you and your child are generally healthy and well, there's no reason that you should suffer badly even if you did get it. The overwhelming majority of people in both of your age brackets will get it mildly, if they get it, and some people don't even notice they've had it. It's not a death sentence. For most of us, it'll be a illness of varying unpleasantness that we deal with at home like any other. Of course there are always exceptions, but that's the case with everything. The real issue is protecting the more vulnerable among us, such as the elderly and those with other health issues, and avoiding everyone in those groups getting it at once and putting strain on the NHS. Healthy, fit people getting it themselves is not really the concern - it's the transmission of it to those who aren't healthy or who are old, etc.

But if you don't want to work in that environment, I don't think anyone would blame you. If you can afford not to, or to take a sabbatical, and you think it will help then go for it! But try not to worry too much Thanks

Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 01:02

We are both fit and well. I think! I'm worrying maybe if I have asthma that I don't know about. I've never smoked so I think my lungs should be healthy.

OP posts:
Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 01:07

I've read some things that say for most it's like a cold, and sometimes you might not even know you have it.

But then I've seen videos on twitter of men in their 30s wheezing, saying they had a mild case, required no treatment, and felt like their lungs were filled with glass. And that the 'cold' thing is a lie

OP posts:
midwestspring · 26/03/2020 01:21

Working in a supermarket is a challenging thing to do at present, thank you OP.

The good news is that your dc is very safe during this pandemic, for whatever reason it does not impact the young.

For the vast majority of people your age it is either not noticed or unpleasant if you catch it.

The reason we all have to be careful is because it is dangerous for older people and those who are health compromised.

Shmabel · 26/03/2020 01:22

I feel for you Dandy, I really do. I just got an email from Asda about measures they're taking in store. They mentioned that they were ensuring pharmacy staff had masks, but not other staff. I can't understand this. Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge the pharmacy staff their masks, and I know there is a shortage, but they typically work at a greater distance behind a counter than other staff. To me, it made it seem pharmacy staff are more valuable because they're in healthcare. Would be nice if everyone could be valued, and protected accordingly. But then, in so many different ways, so many different people aren't getting what they deserve right now.

Try to remember though that you and your child are extremely likely to be absolutely fine at the end of this.

Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 01:29

I've just had another thought. I've been suffering with slight tightness of the chest and out of breath this last two weeks. I've been advised it's not coronavirus. I have damp on my landing. I just googled and it said damp can cause lung problems. I'm worrried I have an undiagnosed lung probelem and I'm more at risk x

OP posts:
Original poster
dandymottahs · 26/03/2020 01:33

I want to put my dehumidifier on but I'm afraid it'll wake my neighbour

OP posts:
midwestspring · 26/03/2020 01:53

Pop your dehumidifier on.
It should be fine.

MiniEggs234 · 26/03/2020 02:38

It's completely understandable that you're feeling like this and you're not alone! Your tight chest and breathless will be caused by your anxiety as well as the damp in your home.

Both you and your child are young and healthy. If either of you were to get this, you have a very, very high chance of only having mild symptoms or even being asymptomatic.

What you need to focus on is doing your best to prevent yourself from becoming unwell. Following the guidelines about going outside. At work stay 2 metres away from customers, keep hand gel with you. Some supermarkets have put tape on the floor in well aisles and by tills to give people a guide to go by, and have a manager by the door only letting a certain number into the shop at any one time. If your work isn't already doing this, perhaps suggest it to your manager. When you get home make sure to wash your hands well, clean your phone, keys, surfaces, door handles, light switches etc regularly.

It's a difficult time for all of us and I completely understand that you are worried. Just do everything you can to keep you and your child healthy. Please also focus on your mental health, find things to occupy your time with that can help you relax. Read, listen to music, spend time with your child. Things will get better :) x

bobstersmum · 26/03/2020 03:26

Hello op. I just wanted to say that I also suffer from anxiety from time to time, and one of my biggest symptoms of this is feeling breathless and tight chest. I have had investigation into this (blood tests and chest xray and ecg) and all are fine. When I consciously breathe deep and slow and relax my shoulders, I can get control of it and it does ease. I wish I could give you a hug because I know exactly where you are coming from, this whole thing is like a bad dream. What @deslynamsmoustache says is very true and it makes me feel better to read too. Please stop watching these scaremongering videos op, it won't help. You are doing a fantastic job in your work, it's such an important job anyway, but especially now! Flowers

badaboum · 26/03/2020 04:02

Hello OP, please know that plenty of us are thinking of you and your colleagues at the moment and being rather grateful for the work you do. I do agree with bobstermum and minieggs about anxiety creating a feeling of oppression in the chest and throat. Try to breath, send breath where you feel the tightness.
Also, the advice my GP gave is Vit C; you and your DD, take plenty, plenty of vitamin C, just to cover your basis, every day, up to the limit of what your tummy will tolerate and keep taking it. She also says to mix a spoonful of coarse sea salt and a few drops of iodine in a little tin or jar or box, shake it and breath it regularly; (iodine kills germs and viruses on contact). Have a shower and change your clothes as soon as you get home. Just by the nature of your job , you must have built up a pretty strong immunity by now. Keep well and let us know how you are getting on. Flowers

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.