Posters sneering at those worrying about even mimimal risk

[Carbosug]

I've seen quite a bit of thís on here lately and find it quite unpleasant. If you're living with someone who's extremely vulnerable, the thought of them getting covid 19 is bloody terrifying. Their chance of dying from it is much higher than the average person's, and the thought that they could die alone and frightened is heartbreaking.
So yes, even if there's minimal chance of them getting it from plastic or cardboard or eating a takeaway or whatever, it's still a chance you don't want to take.

I totally get that some people will have different opinions on the need to wipe down groceries, quarantine post for 24 hours etc and that's fine. But to those who post in a sneery or patronising way about these precautions, maybe show a bit of consideration and empathy.

ok

I agree. People circumstances and mental health are different.

Well said.

@pocketem care to elaborate

There has been sneering in both directions. I have been sneered at on threads for pointing out that sterilising one's groceries would trigger my OCD to relapse, and therefore I don't do it.

I have also been sneered at for saying that, for children witnessing their parents do this, this could potentially be disastrous for their future mental health. As that is the area I work in, I feel qualified to make that assessment.

My view is - do whatever is right for you, but don't tell everyone else they should be doing it too.

It’s not enough to comply with actual government issued edicts we also have to #bekind and indulge & encourage insanity despite the harm that it does.

I agree Frompcat. I certainly wouldn't criticise someone for assessing the risks in their own household and deciding on that basis that they're not going to wipe down their shopping as the 0.2 risk or whatever is not relevant in their circumstances, or would have negative consequences for their mental health.
Likewise I don't think posters should be telling people who are in different and more vulnerable set ups that they are batshit or insane for wanting to remove even that 0.2 risk.

This situation has really brought out the worst in some people. There's even a thread on this board where a particularly nasty group of posters gather to mock the people who are worried. They point out particularly "funny" threads to each other and sometimes gather en masse on a thread to try and put people in their place.

Agreed OP. I need to shield and cannot take a chance - even if someone less at risk decides it is not worth worrying about. I don’t care if they are not cleaning groceries and mail, so where do people get off sneering at those who have decided they need/ want to take every precaution?

Public forums attract people riddled with anxiety.

I think there are people who simply refuse to believe that real people are really at risk of dying.

The seriousness of the outcome of hazard (ie you're the one who gets a bad case) is as much a factor in risk assessment as how likely is it that the hazard will come to pass.

It is sensible to seek to mitigate a high impact hazard, even if the chances of it happening are low. Cleaning or quarantining probable fomites (things other people, potentially multiple other people, of unknown disease status, have touched) is a sensible mitigation specially when it can be achieved without any particular difficulty

It's not sneering. It's based on asking those people what the actual risk is and 'I read an article' doesn't cut it.

And no-one really cares what you or others are doing. It's private till you start threads/come on threads and say you're bleaching shopping or only opening your mail using tongs.

If you say it, people will comment.

Just do whatever you like without broadcasting it - then there's no issue.

Mumsnet sometimes it comes up apropos of something else @InTheShadows. I'm not talking about posters making up stuff. I'm talking about posters who say well yes I wipe down my shopping and then get told they're inda, batshit crazy etc etc

If you had a child with cancer in the house and were told there was a risk, albeit a small one, of the virus lingering on packaging, would you take that risk for the sake of ten minutes wiping stuff down?

Agreed. We know the risk cannot be zero, and that it's more problematic and infectious because any human immunity will be something of a fluke. It may be on a par with (for example) the flu at some stage - not without risk but with many more 'knowns' eventually, and a treatment pathway - but that stage is not now.

OP the majority of people posting do not have a child with cancer in the house.

It's very rare.

And the Government guidelines say that it is very unlikely to contract COVID from food or packaging in any case.. It's a hypothetical and unproven theory it could be transmitted that way.

Cancer patients are more susceptible to infection than most of the population. Even now with updated guidance for cancer patients, there is no mention of washing shopping etc

If 8 weeks ago you had a cancer patient in your household and you were washing shopping and quaranting mail, which I doubt, it wasn't dictated by any guidelines and was up to you. Still is.

There was nothing official to suggest you should do it 8 weeks ago and the risk hasn't increased now.

And it'll still be the same in a few weeks when restrictions are likely to be lifted.

Absolutely agree with you OP. Im high risk and washing things (as are lots of high risk people I know!) Ive looked to the evidence that the virus can stay where people have touched and so is a possible transmission.

Similarly we've shielded and only now attempting the odd trip out where there aren't people.

The shielding advice is to not even put your own bins out....

We didnt get the letter in the end but are acting as if as it could well kill me.

We are doing everything you say, me and dh are higher risk but not the shielding group.
I also feel responsible for our 16 year old dd, it's part of the job of parenting.
I couldn't give a shit what others are doing, tbh.
We broke once and went to see our gd, but they had been in since the end of February anyway.
Apart from that we haven't been anywhere, and don't go out to exercise.
I'm seeing loads who aren't following the guidelines, but then I hear another siren and think thank God others are breaking guidelines and the ambulence wasn't for us.

I agree op

And the I can risk asses myself I don’t need guidelines is also quite prevalent the sneering at those that are sticking to the guidelines because apparently there is no need to just use commons sense

I am quite certain if they themselves became ill or witnessed someone who is very ill with what are considered mild symptoms they would soon change their mind

I scared of getting after seeing how ill some are with so called mild symptoms

The child with cancer was an example of the kind of circumstance where people would be acting extra cautiously right now. If people feel they and their family are not particularly vulnerable then it makes sense to act accordingly.
But sneering at people who are not that fortunate and are trying to eliminate every risk possible, no matter how small, says a lot about some posters.

I agree with you OP I don’t have a child with cancer but I do have one who is in the shielding category and it’s my responsibility to do anything I can to protect him otherwise I would feel I had failed him. If people want to sneer that’s up to them, but I’m sure if they were unlucky enough to be in the same position they would do anything they could to try and prevent it.