Mumsnet, Mass hysteria and CV

[cinammonbuns]

I just want to start a thread detailing all the minor reports in the media that MN has taken hold off and blow out of proportion entirely concerning the virus.

First, the blood group thing. There was a study (not even a report) on about 2,000 people in China who has CV and there was a minor suggestion that people with blood groups A were more likely to get it (not die form it just get it) than other blood groups. Obviously this is an absolutely tiny sample size and no real conclusions can be made form it but MN has extrapolated to mean that anyone with blood group A is at risk of certain death and all other blood groups are safe.

Next is the symptom of ‘loss of taste and smell’. This a symptom which was added later to possible symptoms and as soon as this was done suddenly floods of people on MN had loss of taste and smell and definitely had Covid 19. Even ignoring the fact that a blocked nose can cause this symptom it was strange to me that as soon as it was mentioned suddenly everyone had it.
I would love there to be a study on psychomatic symptoms surrounding Covid 19 in the future.

Finally the media loves to point out the worst stories of Covid (honestly rightly so if it encourages social distancing) but everyone claims that Covid 19 was the worst illness of their lives when statistically most people shouldn’t have sever symptoms at all.

Finally is the theory that people belief they have had Covid 19 wins before it even existed in human beings. I have seem people claiming that they believe they had it in January 2019 even though all the reports obviously suggest this is impossible.

I can’t believe MN has become so anti science in the last few months.

Anyone have anymore to add?

Anyone have anymore to add?

Yeah. The word "hysteria" can fuck right off.

Yanbu

@PicsInRed so then what word would you use to describe what is occurring?

I tested positive for Covid this week and currently have no sense of taste or smell so your point is?

what word would you use to describe what is occurring?

How about a word which does not ascribe madness to female biology?

May I ask what your qualifications are?

@Tajiri that not every person who has a loss of smell and taste has Covid 19 and it is also a symptom of having a blocked nose which can occur from a common cold.

And that there is such a thing a psychomatic symptoms whereby people’s brains convince themselves they have symptoms they do not in fact have. Due to the current atmosphere this isn’t hard to believe.

YANBU. A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing in some.

@PicsInRed hysteria is a word in the dictionary. I am using it to describe behaviour which fits this definition. I couldn’t care less if it’s males or females exhibiting the behaviour. Now come back with a proper argument.

Oh hang on.. not AIBU ...!

But I hear you OP, not a fan of the word hysteria though.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon I have absolutely no qualifications exactly like 99.9% of posters in here. I doubt virologist waste their time on MN.

Oh OK then.

Now come back with a proper argument.

There are lots of words in the dictionary that are inappropriate. Doubt you'll be trotting out some racial or religious epithets, hmmm?

Interesting that you've selected Mumsnet for this useful informational.

I doubt virologist waste their time on MN.

No, invariably male, scientists certainly wouldn't venture into the word of floral lady chats.

Thanks for the laughs OP.

Yes! YANBU.
The psychosomatic symptom idea is so interesting. It's the phrasing as well - 'loss of taste and smell' that would suddenly crop up in posts where you might say 'im all stuffed up' or 'blocked sinuses' etc.

Although I feel terrible about those that have died and their families, and do worry (of course) - it slightly sticks in my throat that if the virus didn't affect the UK or the countries we typically holiday/emigrate to....we wouldn't care. Or at least, the people making a loud song and dance of clapping, giving eggs to binmen, rainbowing the shit out of everything wouldn't.

I can't get passed the feeling that the people most caught up in 'extinguish the virus at any cost' are caught up in the media storm, and if they took a long term view and thought about it logically they would pause and consider. But it seems at at every opportunity...'my DH has a colleague who's brother has just died- do YOU want to die?' or 'my son has diabetes... should HE die?' is thrown in with no delay.

It's all emotion. And it's intolerable.

@southsideowl you have expressed exactly what I want to say. I am not downplaying the people actually affected by the virus but this circus storm it has turned into is frightening. It’s very interesting to consider the viewpoint that most of the people who are very het up about the virus would not care at all if it was isolated in Asia and Africa.

Hyster - womb - teria - wandering

Or something like that
Meaning that the word was invented by Greek doctors who believed madness was caused in women by the womb wandering around the body

Unlikely that most people who use the word know the origins though so I understand your not in any way using it in that context

not every person who has a loss of smell and taste has Covid 19 and it is also a symptom of having a blocked nose which can occur from a common cold. True, but Covid patients don't get a blocked nose. The sense of smell just disappears totally (for some) and without obvious cause.

I think the problem on MN is that a lot of early research and reports have been located and reported on here but the reality is that it’s unlikely that any posters are qualified to interpret the data. Even scientists are cautious of this at such an early stage.

I think the point about the loss of smell (and associated compromise of taste) is that people are having it without a blocked nose or sinus issues. Also when you do have it with a cold, it is usually not complete loss and usually only at the peak of congestion. I think people can tell the difference. We all know what it's like to have a cold.

Re psychosomatic symptoms, yes I think that could be coming into play, but probably a minority.

Totally agree. It has really put me off Mumsnet. I’m a GP and have had people scared by things they have read on here, and other similar sites, which have no basis in truth.

Hey OP. Yeah no worries, it's an unpopular opinion lol so I got your back!

I hate the emergence of the fact that whenever alternative views other than the media byline of the day are expressed they're ripped into with emotive language that isn't actually relevant.

I'm doing what I'm supposed to etc, but I'm not delusional. The world will go back to normal, and the sad fact is that once the media stops talking about it... we'll stop talking about it. And that's fine.

The inconvenient truth is that everyone is vulnerable. We've been so fucking lucky to be born when we have. To be able to have low infant mortality and advanced ages with the help of technology. Illnesses that would have been a death sentence 100 years ago are easily treatable, and people are outraged that nature doesn't give a crap about your underlying condition (or your kids, or your grans).

We need to do what we can to squash the initial damage and weather the shock, but once it's in manageable circulation we just need to deal with it like we do everything else.

It would be ironic if civilisation and modernity as we knew it died because we couldn't cope with something that's happened for thousands of years because we got too used to em, civilisation and modernity. I hope not.

YABU for the use of "hysteria". Were you one of those saying "it's just the flu" ?

I'll pick up on the point re people claiming to have had it in January. Why is that not feasible when news from January shows the govt trying to trace 400 people who had returned from Wuhan? When a mother and son tested positive in York?
There's a record of this, so why is it not plausible?

I agree @QM2QEQV

YANBU OP