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.

The hospital death rates are as high as Ebola.

Anyone who isn't terrified is a bit stupid.

HTH.

People of color are dying in Britain at four times the rate of white people. Thirty thousand people have died in Britain from this disease. Is this not reason for concern? www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/uk/uk-coronavirus-ethnicity-deaths-ons-scli-gbr-intl/index.html

itsniceoopnorth - bully for you.

50,000 people approx. have died. Assume their relatives, friends and everyone who knows them is going to be feeling somewhat scared.

I know a 48-year-old dad who died of it. No health conditions.

You don't think that might make people a bit scared?

I’m tired of lockdown, tired of the mass hysteria, I know it’s a serious issue. However, I would like the government to have a bit of a plan to ease things in a sensible manner sometime soon.

Comparing it to ebola is the most insulting and disgusting comparison I have heard, and yes I know some dick did it first in the papers

Let's do a little fact check on ebola

Death rate approx. 50% - up to 90% (ebola zaire)
Manner of death: it's actually called ebola hemorrhagic disease as you bleed internally and externally, thus spreading it to your nearest and dearest through your own blood, feces and vomit

I don't think anyone can seriously compare a virus with an average 50% death rate to this coronavirus. Estimates vary from 0.something to about 3% death rate on average. It's only 50% in the over 90s. Which is sad, but they are already beyond average life expectancy and doing pretty well to reach 90

I know people who have died in car accidents. I had a friend at school whose 45 year old dad died when his lorry was struck on the M1.

I still drive my car. I still go on the M1.

We can’t stop driving our cars until road accidents cease, or hold up an individual example as a reason to enforce a blanket approach.

I’ll feel reassured when I know there are adequate supplies of PPE, when there is adequate testing and when there is a coherent and consistent strategy for public health regarding face coverings etc. If you follow what’s happening globally, if you read a lot from a variety of news sources generally and if you have vulnerable family members it’s not unreasonable to fear a return to ‘normal’, to consider the UK is just not ready, and to not necessarily have much faith in the group of people currently governing us.

But vulnerable people could shield if they wish. They can continue with virtually no contact with anyone. We do now know how to shield and what we should be doing so the vulnerable people carry on as now.

10,000 people have died in the last two weeks. Assuming a 1% fatality rate - that means 1,000,000 people got infected around four weeks ago. During lockdown. We're still averaging 400-500 deaths a day. That one day two weeks ago, 40,000 managed to catch the virus. 40,000 managed to catch it the next day. If the fatality rate is lower, then it means even more people have been catching the virus. If the Government doesn't get control and have a plan, easing lockdown just means the virus will rip through the population and around 1% of us will die, more when the NHS gets overloaded. easing lockdown is not just a case of, we're fed up and I don't feel scared anyway, and everyone's going to get it. that's a nonsense way to look at it although public opinion will sway government decisions. Lockdown will be eased when the Government feel it's under control, that we can control future surges in areas. And we can't do that until they increase testing, no matter how bored you are.

With a heart condition I am not going out for a while. Hubby still goes out to work but atm I am avoiding people and will be for a while

I’m in Spain. Myself, DH and DD’s have had the virus. I was worse off than everyone else who got over it in a matter of days with minimal symptoms whereas I have an autoimmune condition so I got the full loaded gun. There was 2 days where I actually thought I was going to be admitted to hospital as my breathing was very laboured but thankfully it didn’t come to that! The fear was very real at that point. Now that I’ve beaten it, the fear has gone away. I guess for many people it will depend on their circumstances as to how fearful they are likely to be. Prior to catching the virus I wasn’t fearful. I think most of the population have had it at this point without knowing it so things need to get back to normal really. No-one can rely on any miracle cure at this point.

Our death rate currently is 460.45 per 1 million people. That isn’t close to 1%. Please - someone else do the maths! But it’s really not the percentage quoted above.

How's it going in Sweden?

We're just spreading out the deaths. It's not going anywhere. The only difference is the people who might die if they can't access nhs care as we are overwhelmed. Sweden don't seem to be doing too badly on that front. Better than us anyway. Less to worry about in winter, when normal flu is putting people in intensive care alongside the second wave of coronavirus.
We're managing a worst of all worlds approach - crap lockdown that started too late, drags on, destroys economy.

Sweden 298.53 deaths per million.

This is the most up to date figures per million. Posted today.

If only there was a way of risking your own life and not risking other people’s, I’d say crack on. Personally I’m at the other end of the spectrum and can’t get my head around those who would risk our shared welfare. What’s more important to you? Economy or life? No-one knows how ill they will become with covid. Two of my children risk death if they get it. I’m taking no chances. I can’t understand the mentality of anyone who would.

Oh that's a useful table, thank you

We are an embarrassment as a nation, frankly, at this stage. Omnishambles.

Road traffic collisions are not contagious

Myself, most of my friends and family are more worried about the prospect of being unemployed and homeless

My husband and I are 99% sure we had it towards the end of March (though couldn’t get tested as we’re not key workers). We felt horrendous and it was like flu in the sense and that you cannot get out of bed, and once you do recover you feel lethargic for weeks. We self isolated. Our son (aged 8) had a cough so probably had it with no other symptoms. I am totally empathetic to NHS and other front line workers who are putting themselves at risk every day, and can totally understand at risk groups being very worried.
Unfortunately I think a much bigger (long term) health issue will be born out of this lockdown with mental health problems, plus those with cancer (or suspected cancer) having treatment delayed.
So whilst I understand the need for the lockdown I think a balance has to be struck, and the Government needs to take a measured response considering all risks to people’s health and livelihoods.

I am 47, robust and normally well. Today I’m day 24 post infection and I am so weak, I can’t manage a shower. There were two nights when I really didn’t think I’d make it. While I was sick, my brother in law died. He actually died. He was 60, fit, healthy and white. My experience is far from unique. Why wouldn’t people be terrified?

Totally agree with you op. The mass media want us to believe that covid = certain death. There are A LOT of people who had this virus at the back end of last year and put it down to a winter cold etc including myself and family. The majority of people are fine. It really should be just those who are elderly or who have a health condition who isolate going forward. Far more people will die from domestic abuse, suicide, mental illnesses, depression and child poverty if we carry on like this. Google 'Plandemic' (which keeps getting taking down) and then draw your own conclusions.

Well considering not just the horrendous death level and numbers of people in hospital needing it not intensive care, supplementary oxygen and the numbers of previously fit and healthy and not that old health workers who have died from it et c then I think people have a right to feel a bit anxious. It is a new, highly contsgious, little understood sometimes deadly virus with no known treatment of vaccine. Yes it's good to try and get on with our lives but the fact of the matter it is a concerning time.

At 60 plus there are more deaths per 1 million. At 80 plus there is a sharp incline. The interesting stat would be to see if the 0-60 death rate is very far above normal. Would the under 60s have died from something else? We don’t know but the younger people are only 10% of deaths. So again my maths isn’t great and maybe younger people might prefer economy over a very low possibility of dying.

I’m very sorry for any death by the way. Including your relative.

www.bbc.com/news/health-52543692

An article which puts things into perspective. Main points are:

• More than 300 deaths for the under 45s, but the chances of the younger age group dying from things like the flu are comparable
• Indirect costs of lockdown include lack of access to health care and increase in domestic violence
• The overwhelming majority of deaths are in older people, most of which have underlying conditions
• The vast majority of people who contract covid will have mild/moderate symptoms
• The chances of a child under 10 dying from the virus is less than 0.01%, in fact they are more likely to die in an accident