Shit should I be worried?

[ShouldIBeWorrieed]

A list (not sure how reliable, its in the metro) of the places with the highest coronavirus infection rate in the UK put the top 5 as

1 Barrow-in-Furness
2 Lancaster
3 South lakeland
4 Ashford
5 Gateshead
I live in one of the top 5 places. I looked up how many cases and its alot more than I thought it would be. It says its a rate of around 500 cases per 100,000 people. How worried should I be? I'm starting to panic a bit.

[ShouldIBeWorrieed]

Bowerbird5 I'm taking anti allergy medicine to help. I'm a bit worried about going to GPs to have an appointment with an asthma nurse incase I catch the virus while there.

[ShouldIBeWorrieed]

CoronaIsComing yeah that's the area. That's good. Has the Morecombe Bay health authority carried out more testing than any other authority in the country?

movinggoalposts what do you wipe down your deliveries with?

DamnYankee yeah my anxiety might be making it worse. This whole situation is making my anxiety get alot worse.

[Jellycatspyjamas]

A list (not sure how reliable, its in the metro) of the places with the highest coronavirus infection rate in the UK put the top 5 as

The list is England only, it might look different if you included the other home nations, England doesn’t equal the U.K.

In saying that, if you’re taking all precautions and staying home you’ve got minimal reason to worry.

[Nongoddess]

@Bowerbird5 the cases in Cumbria are concerning but I don't believe your argument that it was just down to second homers and some silly individuals. There's an interesting comment by Cumbria's public health chief Colin Cox in an article I was reading - "Cumbria's earlier peak in cases than most of the rest of the country, according to Cox, was caused almost exclusively by people returning from skiing holidays in Italy": www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/04/lake-district-coronavirus-lockdown-north-east-second-wave-risk

Apparently there was a case in Barrow which became a super-spreading incident due to a party. So if quarantine or some awareness of the risks from holiday returners from Italy had been in force earlier on perhaps the story would have been different. I think the rush to blame second homers or individuals "going on jollies" distracts us from the larger measures which should have been put in place earlier on.

Anyway, sorry to derail the thread - I am sorry for your anxiety OP but I honestly do think that precautions now will really cut your risk, and a good deal of that transmission was happening in the community probably well before the lockdown.

[ArcheryAnnie]

If it worries you, when you get in with the shopping, put all the non-perishables (eg biscuits, pasta, tins etc) into a quarantine area (for me this is a carboard box in the hallway outside the kitchen door) and just leave it in there for 3 or 4 days. No need to wipe down, as the virus can't survive linger than that.

For the rest of it, wash your hands, assemble tins or bags or tupperware or whatever, and then decant your shopping - eg bread - into this fresh packaging and throw the old away, or for milk, etc, or sealed plastic containers that need to go in the fridge, soap them down and rinse them off in cold water, then put away. Remeber to wash hands when moving between outside stuff and inside, and afterwards, too.

There is very little risk at all of infection, so don't worry too much, but if it helps you, then it doesn't hurt to do it.

And remember, it's a good thing if your local area is testing, even if it means that your figures locally seem high.

[ToffeeYoghurt]

OP it's scary living in a hotspot but try not to worry too much.

You're in a good position to protect yourself. Your husband works from home, you're not going to potentially busy supermarkets or using crowded public transport. You can take your exercise at quiet times.

I agree with PP. Peace of mind is important. A few small precautions can make all the difference. No harm in being cautious. I know several people who're wiping their shopping. It takes 5-10 minutes. Very quick.

I'm not wiping mine but I always wash my hands thoroughly before cooking or preparing food. Including after I've handed packets/cans/wrapping. Regularly spray or wipe door handles including after taking in the shopping.

[Bowerbird5]

Yes just asking I was told by my asthma nurse to take anti histamines for the next three months. I managed to find one that doesn’t make me so doping and blame them if I have a granny nap about three.

The reason for the high numbers is because a lot of people went to their holiday homes but instead of isolating when they came up north they went on jollies around the south Lakes. A friend working down there said it was like a Bank holiday weekend around lockdown. Lots of people on the fells.The Cumbrian police have been down that end turning people around and making them go back. One family had trailed over 300 miles.It has infected a lot of people and they say the spike is from then which account for the first three. Not sure about the others. Not sure why Gateshead except perhaps the ferry and the airport are not far. People shopping at the Metro as I presume some shops still open. Were they shut down quickly ?

OP You seem to be doing all the right things. I am wiping down most of my shopping or decanting it straight away then washing my hands really thoroughly afterwards. We left fruit and veg in the box for a few days and washed what we could as well as we could.

Have you spoken to your asthma nurse or GP? I rang and asked to be called back and was given a day. We’ve had builders in and they were half way through the job when they had to go so it is very dusty. They took off the plaster in the bathroom. It is all through the house upstairs.
Information is also available on Asthma UK.

[bd67thSaysReinstateLangCleg]

Elderly ex Shipyard workers have a predisposition for lung problems and so that's thought to be a contributing factor in Barrow at least.

Also ex-miners. On that Guardian list, the top four areas on the cases per population list at time of writing are ex-mining and ex-shipbuilding areas.

[TheCumbrian]

All the listed places have large densely populated and deprived areas

Neither of those statements are at all true for the south lakes which is number 2 on the list. It would be pushing it to say Lancaster and Morecambe is densely populated although Morecambe has areas of deprivation.

Barrow is definitely 'deprived' in the town centre but still isn't densely populated in the way that most people in most of the countries inner city area would identify with.

[IdblowJonSnow]

You're not out and about in the world, your risk is still pretty low.
Even if you get it your asthma is a factor, most people with asthma still get better.
I know it's scary but try not to worry so much. - Easier said than done I know.

[middleager]

Hotspots move around the country it will be someone elses turn in a couple of weeks.

This

[middleager]

A few weeks ago on the chart I posted upthread, London boroughs filled the top 10 spots. I've checked it daily (I live in a West Midlands hotspot that stays at 13/14) and watched the NE climb above London.

It is worrying when you live in a densley populated hotspot, but just keep being sensible without letting it stop you going out etc.

[justasking111]

Do exactly what you are doing now, yep I would wash down the shopping. Also are you taking piriton, my asthma is worse highest pollen count for 70 years which is causing a lot of problems for folk. If you line dry your bed linen can you stick it in a tumbler for a few minutes to kill the pollen. You are doing well. Hotspots move around the country it will be someone elses turn in a couple of weeks.

[DamnYankee]

@movinggoalposts
It only takes ten minutes and makes me feel a bit more in control.

Good for you for being so self-aware! It's a small thing, but it is so valuable because it boosts a person's mental health!
Washing my hands all the way up to the elbow (after shopping, before cooking, etc.) makes me feel good!

[MillicentMartha]

Sorry, cross post, your earlier link, I meant.

[MillicentMartha]

@middleager, that’s almost identical to the Guardian data I linked earlier, which also updates daily. Cases are dependent on the number of tests carried out, obviously. Deaths are a clearer measure, even though some are missed due to where they occurred.

[middleager]

Risk rating data.

I live in one of two areas most at risk, based on factors such as health care, deprivation etc.
It's consistently rated the biggest risk.

www.progressive-policy.net/covid-19-local-area-risk-rating-6-may-2020

[PickAChew]

All the listed places have large densely populated and deprived areas. Lots of Ill health and limited opportunity for social distancing. I used to live in gateshead and someone I know, living there, has mentioned that buses are really full, at times, just with people getting out to the shops. Car ownership is low (cars not usually needed) and large swathes of the bus route that was mentioned are not in walking distance of any supermarket at all.

[DamnYankee]

Don't panic!
If it makes you feel better to wipe stuff down, do it.
Is the asthma getting worse because you are getting more anxious? Seasonal allergies or both? My asthmatic niece tends to panic this time of year because her allergies make it a bit more difficult to breathe.
I predict that instead of waves, we're going to have "hot spots." In a way, that's positive, because we'll be able to isolate the virus and take extra precautions and/or isolate/quarantine for a time.
I get that it's not too appealing when you are in a hot spot, but we'll get better at containing it as we move forward.
It sounds like you are doing all the right things!
I am not trying to be condescending, but it does sound like you are ruminating a bit too much and may be sending yourself down the rabbit's hole.
Do reach out to others (read: professionals or really calm family or friends. No hysterical people or Dementors/joy-suckers).
Glad you are getting some exercise! Good for you and baby!
Calm mommy = calm baby =happy family

[movinggoalposts]

We’re shielding so we wipe all our deliveries down. It only takes ten minutes and makes me feel a bit more in control.

[middleager]

I use this source, which updates daily. The list/stats are slightly different.

Remember, this is cases and not deaths. For many, it will be mild.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-uk-tracker-how-many-cases-are-in-your-area-updated-daily-11956258

The Covid Symptom tracker uses a different data set. It says, for example, that 1 percent of people in Birmingham are reporting symptoms. That would be more than 10k people.
This is based on the reporting of symptoms and could include those with colds, tonsillitis etc.

[MillicentMartha]

Deaths dropping away in the North West as well.

[Alyssasbackrolls]

Elderly ex Shipyard workers have a predisposition for lung problems and so that's thought to be a contributing factor in Barrow at least.

[MillicentMartha]

The top 4 according to the Guardian article are Gateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside and Middlesbrough, then Brent.

[JaniceBattersby]

Cumbria had a lot of early cases when community testing was still a thing so more cases will have tested positive. Remember these cases are a total, and will probably have peaked weeks ago. Do remain vigilant though.