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?

@Inkpaperstars that's true as well. My point was that the official NHS/gov language was 'loss of taste and smell' - which is actually quite strange phrasing not a lot of us would use. Yet that exact phrasing kept popping up with users asking 'do I have Corona???' and just...listing of symptoms from the gov website. Like obviously if you copy paste the symptoms bullet points then..yeah, people will think you have it.

I have symptoms but no loss of smell and it’s not the worst illness I’ve had, flu was much worse. Few of the other people reporting symptoms are suggesting it was the worst illness ever, I’m sure it is for many others and some have been in hospital. Several of us report heartburn but there’s nothing in the news about that.

I was worried it was psychosomatic initially until my husband and child started the dry cough too.

All the information is new and happening right now so we are all jumping on every possible clue, including scientists and medics. There is very little information about mild cases too. I don’t think it’s hysteria, I feel calm but very interested intellectually. I imagine someone with high anxiety may see it as more worrying. Or someone who doesn’t understand the fuss would see it as over the top.

MN is currently the collective equivalent of my mother.

YANBU.

The noteworthy thing about Coronavirus, apart from the damage and deaths it causes, is how it encourages people to take to the Internet to announce how other people are doing Coronavirus wrong.

@middleager they were claiming to have it in January 2019

Mn is not currently a place I want to be right now. Yanbu.

Hysteria is right, whatever the origin of the meaning.

You just have look at the figures for the number of tests done compared to the number of people who got a positive result.

Loads of people think they’ve had when actually they’ve just had the usual round of winter bugs.

If we base it on symptoms alone then I’ve had CV about 6 times since feb and have it now despite being isolated for 4 weeks. Or more likely it’s just hay fever 🤷‍♀️

Yanbu. If you have anxiety MN is literally the worst place to be right now.

January 2019
Fair enough, sorry.

You just have look at the figures for the number of tests done compared to the number of people who got a positive result.

There is a big difference but the reality isn't quite as big as it might seem since nasal and throat swabs miss many cases, and the testing also has to be done quite early...by the time people are ill enough to be in hospital and therefore tested, the window for testing may well have passed for many of them.

@inkpaperstars how can they miss a window for testing when testing can be done post mortem?

I'd understand if they were asymptomatic but surely if you're riddled with Covid in the hospital it would be traceable..

@southsideowl yes yes yes! Every word!

I think it might relate to the type of test done, I will see if I can copy...it was posted on another thread. If I can find it I will put it here.

I honestly agree Re psychosomatic symptoms. I’ve said it a hundred time’s but when you hear hooves, think horse, not zebra. Have just taken to bed with a crushing pain behind my eyes, my head feels like there’s a brick in it, my back aches terribly , my chest is very heavy and I can’t catch my breath.
Do I have the virus? Not likely. Do I still panic and wonder if I do because I’m spending too much time on the internet and seeing 24 hour news and therefor over- analysing every beat of my own pulse? Yes.
I probably have a migraine and anxiety. Things I am prone to , very often.

Yes I remember much scoffing and derision of 'hysterical' posters warning about what was coming with covid back in February.

Were you one of those mocking them op?

Silly women, ay? Certainly none of them could possibly be scientists.

Ok, copied from a post I read on another thread...there are graphics which I couldn't copy but are on the source -

mobile.twitter.com/c0nc0rdance/status/1248094573928251398?s=20

Important pre-print about the importance of testing windows and false negative rates in SARS-CoV-2 testing.

The authors report on serial (repeated) testing over time of the same infected patients. 298 tests on same 30 patients.

False negatives are a function of time since onset of symptoms.
Day 1? 7% false negative.
Day 10? 40% false negative.
Day 20? 90% false negative

So here you see the impact of testing windows! RT-PCR testing, used now for screening, is useless a week after the first symptoms appear. It's no better than a coin flip.

TL;DR:
IF PEOPLE HAVE TO WAIT DAYS FOR TESTING, YOU MAY AS WELL NOT TEST THEM.

Sorry that does not answer your pm question Southside, I don't know the answer unless it is down to type of testing or investigation used.

I live in a very rural area, 5 miles from the nearest village, no trains or buses and we're quite isolated. A neighbour in his late 40's died today after being ventilated for 11 days. He was a single, teetotal, nonsmoker and we've no idea where he picked it up from. Because of his death,I actually welcome hysteria if it keeps people at home and obeying lockdown.

Why are you saying MN is anti science - there may be some posters who are, but by and large nonsense gets robustly rebutted on here (in threads I've read, anyway). Does that happen more or less on other social media platforms?

@inkpaperstars thanks so much for digging that out. Very interesting!

Considering that the majority of tests for the general public in the UK have been to those who've been admitted at day 7+ of symptoms I'm surprised we have many positive tests at all.

Thanks again for the info!

@Inkpaperstars sorry me again lol, just saw your other post :

'Sorry that does not answer your pm question Southside, I don't know the answer unless it is down to type of testing or investigation used'

It does actually! You mentioned nasal/throat swabs and it seeeems like based on the data the infection may move from being traceable in the upper resp tract (aka nose and throat) early on..and downward (causing other potential symptoms...or not,if your immune system fights it off) - so by the time you're in hospital the swabs won't work.

However, I have a feeling that the medical professionals are using blood tests to confirm in hospital patients in a bad way and PM, which would be a lot more accurate and give more information than a nose/throat swab.

Thanks again!

People have nowhere to go and there’s not a huge deal to do. Coronavirus is all over the news and social media. It’s not particularly surprising that people are concerned.

The two sets of threads that have established themselves as evidence-based and non-hysterical, namely “Worried about Coronavirus” and the Data and Graphs one, are filled with many well-qualified people. They all post links to data and articles, to substantiate any claims. The tone is intelligent, interested, concerned. They are clear about what they/we do and do not know this far.

These differ from other, much more short-lived threads, which may contain very worried people and /or those less concerned about the science.

@StrawberryJam200
Worried about Coronavirus did not initially have that vibe. Might check out the latest versions

Yes, thinking about it, “Worried” probably has changed to an extent since its beginnings, over 36,000 posts ago. I had already realised that it’s changed since lockdown as well, because there are now many many Cv threads and it’s a topic of relevance and interest to many more people than it used to be. Originally it had to contain ALL people’s many concerns and viewpoints.