How to accept the fact I may die

[getmetomars]

I may. I may not. Evidentially I am going to get this because I work in a care home and already have people showing signs of covid. I have no underlying health conditions and I am in my 20s but still. 2 teenagers died from covid today with no underlying health problems. I have had a good life in my teens right until I reached 20. Now I am suffering from anxiety and depression and just need to accept things aren't going to get better. There are many things I wish I could change and do but I simply cannot. I need to accept that if this happens I need to just be less worried about leaving this earth

You have more chances of dying in a road accident,
You have more chance of dying from cancer,
You have more chance of winning the lottery than dying of Covid19.

Yes people are dying and yes yesterday’s news of a 13 year old healthy child dying was pretty scary but chances are if you get the virus you will be fine, most people will have mild symptoms, just concentrate on doing your bit and staying in as much as you can to stop the spread of the virus.

We are in the early stages of lockdown, the huge numbers of deaths today are people that picked up the virus before we had these measures in place, there will be more high number over the dimming days, maybe the next week or so but a lot of these people will already have the virus and are already in hospital.

Stay calm and stay at home (unless your a key worker).

I assume I am going to get the virus (work in mental health, not allowed to wfh) but I remember that most people who do, don't get significant symptoms, and most people who do get symptoms, don't need hospital. Most people who get the virus survive. We are highly likely to survive.

Does your work have any emotional/ MH type support available to you? Ours is actually being pretty good about that.

I understand your concern. If this is seriously worrying to you, do you have the option of not working at the moment? You’re still so young; can your parents help you financially?

You won't die OP. More than likely, based on probabilities, you'll get it very mildly, if that

A quick search on social media can find that a lot of the young people who have died in their twenties had serious illnesses / drug problems / were heavy smokers.

Assuming you're a woman, statistics are on your side too as significantly more men have died than women.

@Turnoutthelights is right too. Many of these apparently healthy young people who have died will turn out to have had hidden conditions that hadn't been diagnosed.

@Turnoutthelights When they say no underlying health problems it should really be no KNOWN underlying health problems

I'm glad you've posted this. I had an conflab with a friend (via phone) about this who was feeling very much like the OP and reminded of this very point. Don't get me started on the media's role in whipping this up. It's a whole thread on its own.

OP, I'm worried too but worrying won't make this go away so we just have to carry on as best we can. If you can access some MH support, I think it'd do you a lot of good. In terms of your physical health, you're in a good position. Take care of yourself.

The way this whole thing has been handled is ridiculous, there was always going to be deaths in young people but for some reason people chose to believe it was only those with health conditions. The raw horrible truth is that people your age 1/1000 ish probably less will die. No one knows why. The same idiots who were sharing.... death rate is only 1PC are the same idiots two weeks later who are sharing>> OMG 1/100 people are dying.

There are still people who believe if we all stay in and follow the rules this is going to magically go away ..... It isnt.

The fact is now whether you work in a nursing home or not you will catch this, the gov are saving this particular announcement for when the big hospitals are ready and they have to re-open the economy.

Believe me that is coming and for many years to come youll see people wearing masks and reversing away from you as you walk towards them as mini epidemics outbreak and the few yet to gain immunity..... It is terrifying but you will probably catch it and not even know it and if you do know it your will more than likely be fine.

You have to be brave you are on the front line you are a true hero working with elderly you need to focus on that. All those people clapping they cant do what you do. Be strong, xxx

My DM died of cancer when she was my age, 55. I have found myself considering my own mortality a lot over the last 12 months and I am far more concerned about developing cancer and not being able to have treatment while this is all going on.
Corona virus like any other disease is a matter of luck or lack of it. One in three people will have cancer and the death rate is still unacceptable high.
It is all about risk analysis. You may already have had the virus without symptoms.

Think of the positives of what you can do to help yourself. Make sure you get plenty of rest, take vitamins, even if you don't usually and try to relax with meditation, music or whatever works well for you to help keep your anxiety down. The stronger your immune system, the better you chances of staying healthy.
Statistically you have a very good chance of not dying and lets face it every day there is a chance even without covid 19 only usually we are less aware of the risks. As long as you are doing your best to stay safe - keep well, get fresh air, exercise, plenty of hand washing and cleaning well at home, you should be fine. Worry is probably more dangerous than anything else. Live your life, with care, but live it and find something positive in every day.

Speaking as someone whose entire household most probably has it right now. The only one who has been close to very ill is my four year old with a two Day high temp. My other children, one of which has asthma have just had coughs. My asthmatic husband has had shortness of breath for over a week but it is subsiding now. For most people it’s just going to be like any other virus.

Your chances of dying of this at your age are minimal.

Your chances of dying of something, one day, are 100% guaranteed,

I stopped worrying about dying when I realised it was inevitable and nothing to fear. We all have to go one day.

Thank you all so much. I have read every single comment and I do appreciate it. I mean, I could well have an unknown underlying health condition. Also, if there's someone younger than me needing a ventilator/oxygen then I'd absolutely expect NHS to give it to him/her. I'm sure decisions like that are being made every single day with this going on. I have a child but I know he will be OK and cared for.

getmetomars there will not be a question of you needing to give up oxygen or a ventilator for someone younger.

That decision will not involve you in any way - the guidelines have been drawn up and a young, healthy person will get all necessary treatment.

Any rationing will be involving those very much older and sicker than you.

Even in Italy where they are slammed 60 years of age is the upper limit, not late 20s. It just will not be a consideration. You will get all possible treatment options that they consider necessary.

There are some excellent doctors on YouTube who explain this so clearly and are very reassuring if you want some recommendations?

Chances of me dying are definitely not low if this poor woman has lost her life at just 36 and no underlying health conditions :( www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8183773/Mother-three-NHS-nurse-36-caught-coronavirus-treating-patients-hospital-died.html#article-8183773

Advice2020

The nurse dying is horrendous and awful but in the kindest possible way, you need to stop looking at invididual cases and start looking at overall stats.

Deaths in that age bracket are outliers, not normal.

getmetomars

Of course they are. That is one person.

Your risks of dying from this are something like 0.2%. that means your risk of not dying is 99.8%

So 99 people out of 100, at your age don't die.

Even in the over 80s it's between 10 and 15 % risk of dying meaning that between 85 and 90% don't die.

You aren't looking at this rationally at all.

I’m so sorry you feel this way, but you are blowing this hugely out of proportion.

You can point to isolated incidences of young, apparently healthy people dying but these are anecdotal and don’t tell you anything useful. You have to look at the overall statistics, which show that the likelihood of you dying is incredibly low. If you get the virus at all, the overwhelmingly likely outcome is that you will have mild symptoms for a few days and then fully recover.

Health anxiety is a horrible thing and it’s not easy to keep in perspective, but please don’t feel like you need to expend vast amounts of mental energy coming to terms with the prospect of your impending death when it is so, so unlikely that you will die from this.

Somebody your age is far more likely to die in a car accident or of cancer than of covid 29. But do you go around panicking every day about that?
No, because you know the chances are still very very small that something like that will happen to you.

The constant reporting of covid deaths and the dramatic circumstances surrounding it are just making it extremely difficult for you to think as logically around this issue.

The vastly most realistic outcome for you is that you will get a very mild case and feel no more than a bit off colour for a few days.

I get what you're all saying but the statistics aren't looking good.

13 and 19 year old has died
Now 2 woman in their 30s have died

I don't believe in the 0.2% mortality rate between 20-29. I think the studies that China are producing is full of crap.

Today over 600 people have died. Surely majority (or at least 90%) of them cannot be elderly or those with underlying health conditions? It's absolutely shocking.

Health anxiety is dreadful. I do suffer from it badly but I am also trying to prepare for the worse. What the hell can I do about it?

Have you taken any practical steps? You could
Write a will
Plan your funeral and set up an account to pay for it
Get your house sorted (declutter so itbis easier for those who have to move your stuff out)
Write letters to your kids year by year
Get life insurance sorted (make it a massive amount if you are really convinced you will die)
Catch up with family and friends you lost touch with
Make a bucket list. One for now and one for if you survive covid19 (bit more interesting as you can visit more places)
Give away things you don't want

That's off the top of my head

I wonder if you might find it more useful to face your fear and properly prepare. After all, it will come in handy someday even if not tomorrow

I get what you're all saying but the statistics aren't looking good.

What statistics are you looking at then?

So far, you've referred to four people - out of how many millions?

The two women were nurses and so exposed to very high viral loads and not representative of the wider population. The others you have no idea about their underlying medical conditions, all you know is what the media report. Even if they were fit and healthy, sadly some will get very ill and die from this. But that doesn't disprove the statistics.

You aren't looking at statistics or data at all. You are looking at individual cases and then deciding that they apply to you.

Sorry, but I think that you're being quite self indulgent. Many of us face a very real threat from this virus and the statistics very much show that our lives are at risk.