The majority of people seem genuinely terrified

[thewheelsonthebus23]

I keep reading threads on Facebook and elsewhere, I will also include my own mother in this. There are so many people genuinely petrified of life returning to normal right now.
I can’t get my head around this. Yes, it poses a threat to some, but the survival rate is incredibly high for most of the population. It seems a lot of people think lockdown will eradicate it completely and it also seems that they believe if they get it, they’ll almost certainly die. I know that’s what my mum thinks. She’s adamant if she gets it, she’ll end up on a ventilator.
Someone posted about sending their child back to school and said something along the lines of: “I’d rather pay the fine, than pay for her funeral”.
Has the media been really irresponsible here? I feel the mass media has a lot to answer for.

This program concentrated on various people who were caught up in it. Absolutely harrowing. Fathers who lost seven children and their wife in one evening. Dealing with dead children. Honestly the tears were just dropping down my face. And then I thought of fucking Coronavirus and our massive ridiculous overreaction to it. It’s embarrassing. Given the choice of bombs raining down and this virus I know what I’d choose. We have no idea of the level of suffering of previous generations. We are so bloody privileged.

I don't understand this comparison. More people in the UK have died from Covid in two months than in the entirety of the Blitz. Horrible deaths, sometimes affecting multiple people within a family. Surely any comparison demonstrates that our response to it has been anything but a ridiculous embarrassing overreaction?

If you are black you are around twice as likely to die from this as a white Persian. The Indian group of people are 4 times more likely to die when compared to white people. So places like Cornwall with lowish ethnic minorities are relatively safe.

Health issues are key. Heart disease, diabetes also appear to be key in ethnic groups. Geography and social economic issues are important but more work on why some groups are more affected needs to be done. This is on radio 5 right now! Analysts is important to know who is less at risk and who is more at risk.

They are now looking at what jobs people did. Were they front facing Covid workers? ONS data. It’s very interesting. Who should not return to work and who should could be based on ethnicity and risk assessment. Could be controversial.

Well yes there was an article in the BBC about the less at risk should return to work but doesn’t that become discrimination, only healthy people under 60 can carry on living a normal life? Also talk of temperatures being taken every time you enter a building, if to high you will not be able to enter, all very scary stuff.

Interesting BBC article on the risk here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52543692

For under 65s the risk is about the same as a 185 mile journey.

For all age groups the risk is actually about the same as the risk of dying in a given year anyway. So of course no one wants to die but statistically you’re as likely to die from COVID as from something else this year. And that risk goes up with age.

I wasn't terrified till I got it myself and nearly died! I survived thank God, but it has been almost a month and I'm still gasping and breathless! So, yes, I think the caution and fear is justified.

@Alex50, not scary but sensible I think. It's what South Korea and those countries with lower death rates have been doing.

My advice is to equip yourself with a pulse oximeter (measures oxygen saturation) £20 from pharmacies or off Ebay. Also a decent thermometer and blood pressure monitor. If you do become ill then you can record your vital statistics. The oximeter in particular is reassuring when you are very short of breath.

Perception of risk is about perceived control too.

Yes, the risk of a car accident is higher, but individuals know that there are steps they can take to reduce the incidence of car accidents: good car maintenance, tyre maintenance, wearing a seatbelt, no being on a phone, safe distance/speed, etc.

As Covid-19 is a new virus, the guidance is very limited, evolving and downright confusing (mask or no mask debates in the UK for example).

As a result individuals are more scared as they have less perceived control. The randomness of the people catching it and their immune reaction contributes to the feeling of no control.

Anecdotally as it was discussed on this thread, I do know people who are "terrified" or at least very worried despite being young and healthy.

of course the majority of people are NOT genuinely terrified OP - you mean the majority in your circle of people and what you read on social media. The government is not fanning any flames of panic - they are warning us of what could happen if people don't try and do the best for themselves, the country and the NHS.
I am over 70 with heart problems so I am more likely to be very ill or die iof I get it badly. Am I terrified - no - just careful about trying to keep as active and fit as I can and avoiding unnecessary contacts with the rest of the population.
At my age you learn to assess risk from experience and take all pronouncements by 'experts' with a large dose of scepticism.

The majority of those who have died were unhealthy. Nothing we (as in the main population) or the government was able to do differently to save them given there is no cure at the moment.

Lockdown should end for all those who are fit and able to go back to work. The rest of us - can be advised but use our own judgment and risk assess by weighing up the pros and cons of spending the remaining years of our life huddled in a corner waiting to die.

I think in some ways it depends on where you live as the death rates are higher in some places. I have three friends who’s parent has died and one friend who’s parents have both died. All very local to me.
I have two people in my household who are vulnerable. I do worry about their health if I were to bring the virus in to my household.

@Lightsabre good idea about the pulse oximetry, I will order one. I have ordered a thermometer and already have a blood pressure monitor, suggested for my husband as he has high blood pressure, also have masks in case we can’t go out without them.

The people catching this virus are not random! The ons stats are clearly saying some people are way more likely to get this than others. Already there are calls for ethnic minority people to be removed from front line nursing (care homes not mentioned of course). It looks like the virus does discriminate. Certain ethnic minorities, people with other health issues and those over 60 and many more who are very elderly. So yes, we do need to consider how to protect some people and starting the economy with fit young people who are at less risk should be considered and others should be protected for longer.

Location and living standards of those who have died also shows more poorer people have died and those in deprived areas. So we are seeing clear links to poverty, age, health and ethnicity.

@17million
Totally agree.

I wonder how much of the ethnicity issue is linked to vitamin d depletion with darker skin being less able to absorb it. It would be interesting to look at mortality rates for BAME populations in sunnier countries compared to those with paler skin.

It depends what kind of FB friends you have. I'm not seeing any terror or hysteria on my FB feed - just photos of people's lovely long walks, craft projects, cooking and silly memes!

This is a new viral infection. So far we have been relying on stats from China and the WHO because China discovered this first. We have details saying 80% will get a mild dose needing no hospital care. 20% will need hospital care and 5% will need ICU.

I really don't think we can rely on this properly because where this was discovered in wuhan, they locked down more. The lockdown was more strict. We didn't have that strict lockdown here in Europe and it spread more.

Its a new viral infection. Its our generation of polio or scarlett fever or TB.

We don't know the long term implications of this virus will be and we won't know for some time to come. We know bodies are getting starved of oxygen. We bodies or organs become diseased? Will cancers increase? Will organ transplants be needed on a grand scale in the future? Its has the potential to be a raw deal for humanity.

I read that children who have mild or no symptoms, xrays shows scarring of the lungs.

Have not RTFT but I suspect that a lot of the reasons that a broad spectrum of people are terrified is because they don't truly trust the information and guidelines that have been sent out there from the Government, and possibly its divergence from WHO advice - so by extension they are not just going to accept the timing and statistical scenarios of the next few weeks as pointing to a good move.

Admittedly there was probably never going to be a perfect response as the virus is an unknown quantity, but things changed so wildly through 2-3 months, in the messages even among Ireland/Wales/Scotland and England, never mind any other approaches, and both the PPE and testing seesaws that have not come good even now (both of which I think would be a very big deal in terms of building trust, for a great majority) - plus the very public bombshell of the PM's hospitalisation with the severe 'version' - these are the gathering clouds that are keeping the fear on the table.

I'm working in a nanny type of position for an essential worker and I hate it. It's OK but when said worker is at home on a day off, she has me there in in her home, looking after the children, cooking meals, doing her laundry, and there are times when she's not respecting the distance guidelines and nearly breathes on my neck. I don't have any PPE to protect myself from her who could end up as a carrier of the infection from her job.

I am really shocked by this thread. This pandemic is very deadly and spreads very fast. It is not a hoax.

SMJ yellow - does she have adequate PPE in her role?

I find it a little offensive when key workers are treated as though they are a walking source of virus. My DH works in ITU with full PPE and has respected all laws and guidelines.

I’d like to bet that the non key workers who have t respected laws and guidelines are more of a danger to you.

I am not sure that anyone is saying it is a hoax (on this thread at least). We do have 2 options though going forward 1) Stay lockdowned for an undefined time until a vaccine is found or it simply fizzles out. However this risks seriously damaging the economy and all the associated risks with that.

Or 2) Slowly ease restrictions to help the economy whilst also enabling those at greatest risk to be protected.

The first most important thing though would be for people to read the actual guidelines, learn the reason for lockdown and about 2nd waves etc.

I have decided that I am absolutely wasting my time on FB trying to be a voice of reason (by reason I mean state facts) as people are so determined to just spout rubbish.

I think some of the evidence from China might be problematic too. Lots of people suspect Covid 19 was there for a couple of months before they locked down. It’s difficult to imagine we will ever know. However we need to ensure we log all info about who has died to look at trends because this surely tells us which groups could come out of lock down quicker.

We are not going to be sure who will be affected by second waves though. If we are a lot more geared up, care homes have PPE and the most vulnerable lock down and are not visited, then this could help it be less devastating.

You could also argue the most likely victims have already died. Sadly.

Bubbles, I haven't seen any evidence that the virus has been anywhere near the majority of people in the country, so surely we should be assuming that, if there is a second wave, it will affect everyone. There are plenty more potential victims out there.

I'm not a pessimist, I'm really not, but we need to get the numbers down before lock down ends, and people are right to be afraid if we don't.