How Many Dead Bodies Haven't They Found Yet?

[MysticMeghan]

We hear all the time about people not wanting to "bother the NHS" because their symptoms are quite mild and we've all been told to wait it out at home and only spend 3 hours on hold to 111 if we are turning blue from lack of oxygen.

Seeing as we've all been self isolating for best part of 7 weeks and no-one's been round, it occurred to me that stories of European Care Homes full of dead bodies because all the staff are ill or have scarpered may not be the half of it. How many single people or entire families might have perished and no-one knows?

I know this sounds like a bad horror movie but not everyone has relatives skyping them every day to make sure they're ok.

28,446 may not be the half of it....

This thread title definitely wins the needlessly graphic and frightening stakes today

Absolutely. It's vile.

These are people you are talking about.

I think we've been shaped into a very dog eat dog society in a subtle way if that makes sense. Our lives can be very insular where you just go to work, go home only look out for your immediate people if any. I don't think it's any particular party, it's just our way of life. It's hard not to be shaped by your culture.

Christ, what a grim thread.

I think there will be some such deaths, but I doubt another 30000!

It has been worrying me about the possibility of single mums with v. young children and no support succumbing to this and going unnoticed because I remember a horrific case during the Gulf war of 1990 of a serviceman’s family - the Mum had died in the bath and her baby and 2 year old had starved to death, she lived on base and nobody had checked up on her, her husband came back from deployment and found them. It’s always stuck with me because I was in Germany at the time with 8 month old DD, with DH away for 6 months and I never had a welfare check, not even a phone call.
I think we will hear some horror stories unfortunately.

i think also if you know anyone in an abusive relationship, check up on them in the way you would elderly. lots of domestic abuse murders will attempt to be passed off as covid19, as domestic violence has massively increased.

I live on my own, regular activities 2 days a week but no scheduled contact on the other days. When I read here about the 'stay home until blue' guidance, I did wonder what might happen to me and people like me.

If I develop COVID symptoms I will ask my neignbour to call me regularly to check I'm conscious, and make my family aware. If I didn't have these people, I'd tell one of the several COVID volunteer groups.

Surely that's common sense? If I were vulnerable and never saw anybody, I'd definitely be in contact with one of those groups by now as I'd need food.

What a horrible ghoulish thread. it reminds me of the grenfell ones where people seemed so keen for there to be many more deaths than reported.

Depressing as it is, this is something that haunts me.

That people could have died at home of Covid (or other reasons, but not be discovered because of covid).

That anyone dependent upon them will have died as well.

That their dogs/cats/birds will also have suffered a dreadful and lonely death from thirst.

I don't obsess about it - but it has occurred to me, and it's upsetting.

The answer here is that if you know someone (elderly or not) who lives alone, then maybe you should check up on them.
Look to see if the person goes out shopping or has food/shopping delivered.
You can knock on the door ( stand back like the delivery men do), just to make sure the person is ok.
Same really for a family - check you see / hear them. Though families will usually have more contacts.
I remember a time (years ago) when my MIL lived alone, and had a fall, her neighbour, came round to make sure she was OK.

No one wants more people to die. That’s ridiculous. We are pointing out that sadly there will be other, indirect deaths as a result of corona virus.

Blue are you my sister?

You need to get out and volunteer in your community instead of creating threads like this !

I am no expert but it not unusual to read of people being found dead at home from a variety of causes. So I would imagine some will be found dead from the virus.

MysticMeghan What a great pity you only think of this in a global pandemic when this is an every day possibility. I agree with the PP that it would be far better for you work to make a difference in your own community. There's no need at all for this thread.

But it’s not just elderly or vulnerable people we are talking about here.

One of our group of friends lives alone. He works in the hospital but not front line. He does 4 days on and 4 days off.
I like to check that he’s joined in with our group chat and is there when we all have a video call.
I’m not overly worried about him but I’m aware that he lives alone and if something happened no one would know.

Actually the old and vulnerable are probably at less risk as people are tending to be more mindful
about checking on them more.... It’s the younger, single people who are probably more at risk of this happening.

And it’s not the Government’s plan - that’s preposterous. It may not be working perfectly, but the Government and Councils have been working to ensure those who are most vulnerable are protected. There’s concerted council coordinated support in my area for instance, and that’s a Tory Council. They even paid 100,000s to local food banks!

Leaving people at home to die unnoticed is just a concentrated form of the same cruelty they've been practicing for a decade with austerity. It's social cleansing and they hope no one notices. Bang on.

Exactly, it's a Tory wet dream come true, being able to get rid of this many old and vulnerable people in one go, and then avoiding the blame.

DH works in funeral services and this sadly isn't uncommon when we arent on lockdown. So definitely wouldn't surprise me at all

Why do you think the Tories are so keen on keeping people at home, it helps hide the number of deaths they've caused.

This is a global issue. You can't blame the Tories!

Exactly, it's a Tory wet dream come true, being able to get rid of this many old and vulnerable people in one go, and then avoiding the blame.

Your mind is clearly twisted and contorted by horrific and fantastical notions fuelled irrational hatred. If you genuinely believe that 40% of the public who voted Tory (I didn’t by the way) delight and salivate at the prospect of a form of genocide, then I pity you.

Right, that’s it. I think I’ve hit peak mumsnet. time to go now.

I live on my own, regular activities 2 days a week but no scheduled contact on the other days. When I read here about the 'stay home until blue' guidance, I did wonder what might happen to me and people like me.

The guidance isn't set in stone. My sister lives alone and phoned 111 as she felt dizzy and was struggling for breath and scared. She explained she was alone and there was no one who could check on her and she got a lot of support. Paramedic came out to check her and gave her a pulsox to monitor oxygen level.
She was told she could come into hospital if she wanted to, but no clinical need at that stage.
They followed up with phone calls and she got through it OK without going in.

@Etinox
but it’s a good idea to have a daily check in with someone.

You’re absolutely correct, but as I don’t regard myself as either elderly or vulnerable it’s a hard step to take psychologically!

Seems like I’m not the only person in my situation to be thinking about it though.