Are supermarket staff bound to get it?

[cheeseandcrackers88]

Becoming increasingly worried about close family members who work in two major supermarkets. Although measures have been brought in to enhance social distancing, my family still have no masks, gloves, Perspex screens or anything like that. People keep saying that supermarkets are the worst place to be. I am terrified of my family getting it but feel like at this point it's probably inevitable. We live in an area that's not too badly affected right now but cases are slowly creeping up. Is it just a matter of time? We are all isolating. My anxiety is sky high at the thought of my relatives going to work full time around all these people when the rest of us are limiting our contact so much.

Can anyone reassure me? I am sick with worry.

Bump

no sorry. i'm a retail worker and we are all sitting ducks. i cant reassure you

just a matter of time

I don’t want to panic you more, but we’re basically all going to get it. The whole lockdown thing isn’t to stop us getting it, it’s to stop us getting it all at the same time.

Yes I agree. Most of us will get it. The government are just trying to stop us all getting it at the same time.

Pretty much all of us will get it. It’s just about spreading it out, so we don’t all end up in intensive care at the same time.

I suspect supermarket workers will get it sooner than most though.

@Crabbo - There are 66 million people in the UK. We are not all going to get it.

On that cruise ship in Japan, approximately 600 people out of 3000 tested positive for coronavirus. 20%. Of those 600, 40% had no symptoms whatsoever. Something like 10 people died - and most of them were nearly dead in the first place.

If you use these numbers as a baseline, about 14 million people will get it and nearly 6 million will have no symptoms.

The situation is awful, of course it is. But we don’t all get flu and we won’t all get this.

The people most at risk are the poor sods in hospital for something else. It will obviously be like norovirus in that respect - if one patient gets it, the whole ward will go down.

How does one go on a cruise if they are 'nearly dead in the first place'? Bit disrespectful...

You're not alone in your worry OP, I live with a retail manager and they are being given no protective equipment and no guidance, have been attacked and coughed at twice this week (had to call the police). Customers are still 'popping'into convenience stores like its business as usual for a bloody chocolate bar or a bottle of wine. Coming in several times a day every day. Bloody selfish and disgusting behaviour. When the staff point it out they simply get abused, guilted, lied to, found on facebook and threatened by the local low lives who have been spending their week complaining and calling head office making up lies to try and get them sacked.
Sickening level of ingratitude to those who put themselves at risk so we can buy the bloody food we are all saying we are desperate for. Said retail worker has come home in tears daily, too upset to eat and worrying that they will get ill and die.

I can't see how they can avoid it, but others are right. Distancing is to delay the rate at which we get it to reduce the death toll. Nobody has said this will make it go away. That will happen when there is a vaccine.

I'm not sure if that makes me more or less worried. I read a thread lately from a healthy 30 year old woman who wrote a long account of what her experience of the virus was like over a period of two weeks and it made for terrifying reading. I'm so so worried about anyone in my family getting a bad case and not being able to get treated. It's fucking terrifying.

I know everyone is in the same boat I'm just so scared.

Which supermarkets? Lobby them for screens and gloves. Get on fb for gloves. I have a box of 80 and just gave some to my neighbour who works in the supermarket.

The supermarkets are all working on getting screens and getting then fitted soonest.

The more everyone else isolates, the more they don't go out if they have the slightest symptoms, the more they always wash their hands before going out, the more they protect the key workers like retail

Perspex screens should be compulsory though

And no not everybody will get it

Left unchecked, yes we would

The lockdown is to slow spread. If it infects 1 million people a week, then we still don't infect the whole population in a year...it would take ~1.5 years. If we slow that to half a million a week it takes 3 years..but hopefully a vaccine before that

China have slowed spread to few tens a week. In that case it can't sweep through the population in the 2 years it takes to get a vaccine

Italy is also showing clear signs that transmission and deaths are slowing, they are turning the curve. If people hold their nerve they also can get transmission rates down to a few per day

So no, not everyone will get infected but we can all help keep each other safe and get this thing under control

The Perspex screens are no solution

They need to be properly fitted by a professional not employees ( which is happening)

The Perspex needs to be properly fitted to cater for customers/staff up to at least 6ft 2in..... not a mere 5ft 2 like the ones I’ve seen. To be that tall they need a proper designed piece of equipment but it won’t happen.... stores are just cobbling together brackets and Perspex

It will end up falling on someone and offers little protection anyway (unless you are 5ft 2 and under)

I was in Morrison and felt bad for the member of staff behind the screen as it did nothing at all

we’re all shopping for our families once a week and have a lot so we’re not spending any time directly facing the staff where the screen is, we’re we’re at the bottom putting our stuff in bags only a metre away with nothing between us

The screens seemed useless but I hope someone can explain I’m wrong

JustStayAtHome Good points! Which supermarket? I know many places (not just supermarkets) are trying hard to get the right gear in the right places but obviously it's not easy right now.

you, we, they... are likely to get it, and most likely will have to lay low at home for a few days before shaking off. the papers need to eat too, many are covering the most frightening aspects. be selective with the source of your news and make sure you step back from it too. being terrified won't help you.

@MrsMozartMkII diy retail not supermarket.....all retail outlets are shoving these up with little thought

JustStayAtHome I'll poke some of the people who might have some sway. Note: I have no hand in any of this, just in touch with people who might have so it's worth a try.

I’ve thought this. If we are being urged to stay home and go shopping as infrequently as possible because of the risks, how can it be safe to spend hours a day in a supermarket?

On the other hand, yes

Sorry, on the other hand I know most of us will get the virus anyway.

Yes I think supermarket workers are sitting ducks. Have older family member (over retirement age) working in a supermarket but refuses to give up. They have an even older spouse at home. I’m scared for them!