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Original poster

Is the fear out of proportion?

669 replies

Hotlungs · 20/04/2020 10:21

I’m asking this genuinely as I struggle with anxiety and have a tendency to catastrophise.
I read yesterday that 99.5% of people will survive if they have the virus. Whilst I understand that people are worried they are in the 0.5% is the fear rationale? The press describing it as a ‘killer virus’ and people saying they don’t want to go to the supermarket incase they die. Obviously I’m not talking about those in the vulnerable group.
Are we doing poor risk management? Again to clarify I don’t mean the current lockdown situation to protect the NHS (which is needed) but I mean the fear of it.
We are more likely to die in our cars but we risk manager that (with precautions) to still use them. What are people’s thoughts?

OP posts:
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woodchuck99 · 22/04/2020 18:09

I’m sick of this argument on here from the privilege few who can afford to sit at home.

I'm actually very ill and disabled. I may die either from coronavirus or from the disease which I cannot receive treatment for the moment. Hardly privileged.

Coronabored · 22/04/2020 18:11

Can't agree more Gin. Doesn't matter what the lockdown indefinitely crew think. There are 5000 people going back to work at my head office in a week and a half time, so at least life can now seen slightly more normal.

woodchuck99 · 22/04/2020 18:14

Can't agree more Gin. Doesn't matter what the lockdown indefinitely crew think. There are 5000 people going back to work at my head office in a week and a half time, so at least life can now seen slightly more normal.

People don't think the lockdown should be indefinite. They just think certain things need to be in place before it is lifted and that it should be eased gradually.

Gin96 · 22/04/2020 18:17

I may loose my home by then but never mind hey

MarginalGain · 22/04/2020 18:22

I'm amazed to hear people talking about this lockdown like it's the clear and present threat to mental health. You clearly haven't visited an ICU ward recently or lost a supportive parent in their 60s.

Why would you assume that anything greater than a teeny, tiny fraction of the British public would have done either of these things?

ToffeeYoghurt · 22/04/2020 18:26

It's a shame those who are so very desperate to ignore the reality of the virus aren't risking only their own lives. Instead they put many others around them including transport workers and healthcare staff in danger too. 5000 people in just one office? A new Covid hotspot waiting to happen. I agree Keepdistance with what you say. I think it's not too dissimilar to drink driving. It's one thing to put your life at risk, quite another to put other people's at risk. As for the longer-term economic damage. They'll find out the hard way. Trouble is we all have to share the suffering caused by the shortsightedness.

I'm sorry woodchuck It hope the government has enough moral fibre and sufficient foresight to not end lockdown too soon. A week and a half? We haven't even got enough frontline healthcare staff or PPE for the staff we do have, let alone masks for the public.

Coronabored · 22/04/2020 18:28

There are people in here who think it should be indefinite. Easing is the way of course but it has to be by mid May for a lot of people or they could be in serious trouble

ToffeeYoghurt · 22/04/2020 18:31

You have even more chance of losing your home if we have a bad second wave. Why not call for Covid relief to go to those in need of help with housing costs? Billions is going on HS2. Unlike lockdown that really is only of benefit of a tiny minority. That money could go to Covid relief (and also help the hundreds of thousands who lost their homes pre Covid).

Like woodchuck says, lockdown shouldn't be indefinite but we do need to be in a better position before starting to ease it. Unless people want s far worse situation further down the line. Slow but more effective. The tortoise won the race.

woodchuck99 · 22/04/2020 18:32

I'm sorry woodchuck It hope the government has enough moral fibre and sufficient foresight to not end lockdown too soon. A week and a half? We haven't even got enough frontline healthcare staff or PPE for the staff we do have, let alone masks for the public.

Thanks. I think that they will just let a few more shops open. I doubt they'll be any massive change in a week and 1/2 as they just aren't prepared. No government wants to go down in history as having the highest death toll in the world due to lack of preventative measures.

Gin96 · 22/04/2020 18:32

I take it you haven’t had your income stopped over night and you can’t pay your bills, you may loose your house?

Coronabored · 22/04/2020 18:35

It's not in one office it is a massive head office. Social distancing has been put in place and employees being re-inducted under new health and safety guidelines. I have total faith in our CEO and am more than happy to go back.

Gin96 · 22/04/2020 18:40

I will be the first to go back to work and will be doing overtime, my daughter will be going to school as soon as they open, I can’t live in fear. Life has to go on.

woodchuck99 · 22/04/2020 18:45

I take it you haven’t had your income stopped over night and you can’t pay your bills, you may loose your house?

Are you seriously still try to tell me I live in a privileged bubble even though I just told you that I am very ill and disabled? I just searched your previous threads see that a few months ago you mentioned that you have nearly paid off your mortgage, have considerable savings and £500,000 in a pension pot. Not exactly on the breadline so F off telling anyone who doesn't want lockdown stopped immediately even if it will result in a lot of death that they live in a privileged bubble. I would happily swap places with you.

Gin96 · 22/04/2020 18:52

Not anymore we don’t

celan · 22/04/2020 19:28

I'll be racing you to it, @Gin96

DianneWhatcock · 22/04/2020 20:14

will be the first to go back to work and will be doing overtime, my daughter will be going to school as soon as they open, I can’t live in fear. Life has to go on

@Gin96 well said and me too!

Mikki2019 · 22/04/2020 20:21

@Gin96 hear hear! Plus am pretty sure me and kids have had it

Selmaselma · 22/04/2020 20:31

Sorry to hear, woodchuck99 Flowers. I agree with you that lockdown can't released yet in the UK because the virus is not under control and there is no testing and contact tracing in place.

sanealaddin · 22/04/2020 20:45

I think it's very sad that the OP's thread has been completely hijacked and her original concern lost.

Selmaselma · 22/04/2020 20:48

The OP's point was that 99,5% of us will be fine and therefore why worry. Then someone from the 0,5% tried to explain the problem and was treated appallingly.

MarginalGain · 23/04/2020 07:39

@LilacTree1

I have asthma- as posters no doubt know by now as I drive them so bonkers apparently

I just read this in this morning's Washington Post regarding a CDC study on the NYC covid19-related deaths:

The paper also found that of those who died, 57 percent had hypertension, 41 percent were obese and 34 percent had diabetes which is consistent with risk factors listed by the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention. Noticeably absent from the top of the list was asthma. As doctors and researchers have learned more about covid-19, the less it seems that asthma plays a dominant role in outcomes.

Polkadotties · 23/04/2020 08:18

.

DeathByBoredom · 23/04/2020 08:27

Was that from today? There's been a few studies now on asthma, it doesn't seem to be a risk factor, good to see another study suggesting that. I think even uk advice reflects that (vague) as the shielding advice seems to only be for those with pretty awful asthma. Good. More people can stop worrying and get back to work

Obesity is one factor within everyone's control so I hope half the country is on a diet if they are that worried.

SoVeryLost · 23/04/2020 08:28

I think it’s ridiculous that people are judging others for their choices in terms of isolating too much? There are circumstances that you may not know, family histories etc. So an outwardly healthy adult may be prediabetic or have a family history of heart disease. Some of these people may not be privileged people, they may be barely making ends meet while renting. What this has made me realise is most people can’t assess risk at all.

ChateauMargaux · 23/04/2020 08:46

If 0.5% of people who caught Covid19 died and we didn't reach herd immunity until 70% of our population had caught it, then that would mean that 230,000 people would have died from CV19. Annually, 540,000 people die in the UK each year from all causes. How many of the 230,000 would be in addition to the 540,000 remains to be seen.