Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

The average age of people who die of Covid is apparently older than British life expectancy. This can't be true can it?

300 replies

Treesofwood · 05/10/2020 19:36

I've tried to find data rather than just a tweet and I can't. I did find something about the median age of deaths in France being 81. This can't be true either, surely? Median being the middle number if they were all lined up.
I knew it disproportionately impacted older people obviously, but surprised by this data.

OP posts:
PicsInRed · 05/10/2020 22:04

It could prove to be a political and social scandal on the level of the trenches of WW1.

Again, the ruling class have fucked up and, again, there will be a reckoning for it.

Zxyzoey31 · 05/10/2020 22:07

Sheepandcows I see you're on yet another thread going on about long covid. As I posted before even Tim Spector of the Zoe app said 1 in 50 had symptoms after 3 months and the people on that app are not going to include many people who were asymptomatic.

Zxyzoey31 · 05/10/2020 22:10

I think at the start of the summer the mean age of death from Covid 19 for women in the UK was 86 or 87 and 82 for men. This was from Prof Spiegelhalter on More or Less.

thecatsatonthewall · 05/10/2020 22:18

@NikeDeLaSwoosh

I agree Ecosse, the argument from the government has always been that its somehow not possible to adequately shield the elderly, but it seems to be possible to lockdown the whole country, so why not only a small section of it (plus their carers)?

It really makes no sense.

Oh thanks! i bet a lot of carers would resign instantly if this happened!

Regardless, the elderly in CH's have a right to a year or two just as much as anyone else, i don't see the age of the victims is relevant.

UK CH's do not have the space or facilities to manage covid, they are many cases just big houses, with permanent, part time, agency staff & catering staff coming and going.

How would you keep the elderly in the community who need carers safe? or don't they matter either?

SheepandCow · 05/10/2020 22:21

Hi @Zxyzoey31 We meet again.

The telegraph had an article just today about Long Covid. Experts (medical doctors) are increasingly concerned about it. Some are beginning to think its a bigger issue than the deaths.

Dismissing the risks won't make it all go away. There's a potential risk to everyone. Not just The Others.

Obviously there's also the economic damage. We know the countries who've dealt with Covid have healthier economies.

Emeraldshamrock · 05/10/2020 22:30

I worked in Critical Care during the worst of it. The average age on our unit were early - mid fifties. The oldest was mid sixties, the youngest was 17. There were patients on other wards, in side rooms. They were probably older
I don't think the older people got to an acute hospital for care in Ireland a small percentage had acute care.
I'm sure it was similar in the UK.
Thank you for the work you do.
I hope like everyone we don't see those numbers again.
I admit I'm terribly worried about becoming one of the unlucky ones.
The two people I know who died were 69 and 67.

Legoandloldolls · 05/10/2020 22:41

@rorosemary

Does that mean that their lives don't matter? Would you say the same about people if it meant discriminating because of their colour or religion? How old should people die then?

Personally I think that a lot of younger, vulnerable people (like me) shielded succesfully, whereas older people still get infected by their carers etc.

You do know that everyone dies right?

One death of covid is one too many as far as I'm concerned regardless of age, sex or ethnicity.

But I'm sorry to break it to you, everyone dies. If your very lucky it will be of old age. If your unlucky it will likely be cancer or heart disease if your in the UK, but die, yep I can guarantee that. As you get older, your more likely to die too. That's not ageist. That's science right there.

Have 90% of the population only released in 2020 that they arent immortal?

Keep praying for the vaccine. Maybe they can find a injection for immortality too.

I'm planning on dieing one day. Kind of part of the deal of all life on this planet.

Flaxmeadow · 05/10/2020 22:47

You do know that everyone dies right?

Oh well that's alright then Confused

MadameBlobby · 05/10/2020 22:50

@Flaxmeadow

Anyway, we can thank medicine that younger people with complications can survive this.

Yes the saving grace is that children and young people are not affected by this virus but what about thanking the older generation for creating the NHS. They were the ones who paid in taxes to found it.

But what now? Throw them on the scrap heap. Let them die alone with no nurse or health care. No police, no social services

What is happening to us that we think this. Its fucking cruel

Who on earth has suggested this?
Flaxmeadow · 05/10/2020 22:53

Who on earth has suggested this?

The
"no more lockdown, old people/medically vulnerable will die anyway"
brigade

Ecosse · 05/10/2020 23:06

@Flaxmeadow

I haven’t seen anyone (or very few people if so) suggesting that we should just ‘return to normal’ and abandon the vulnerable to their fate.

Personally I’m relatively happy with the current level of restrictions and I’d be happy to keep measures like masks and social distancing in place this winter. I would support shielding the vulnerable, fully funded and supported.

What I will not support is the hysterical calls from some for another lockdown that would devastate the economy and particularly our young people’s futures.

I will also not support the scaremongering about young healthy people being killed by COVID and the constant wailing about ‘long COVID’. We have to have a balanced approach that takes into account the dangers of COVID, but also other health conditions, mental health, the economy etc.

amicissimma · 05/10/2020 23:11

@Flaxmeadow

Who on earth has suggested this?

The
"no more lockdown, old people/medically vulnerable will die anyway"
brigade

No. They're really not saying that. And keeping on claiming that they are doesn't make it true.

What they are saying is that, now that the NHS is coping, we must look to the things in the country that fund it, and the other services that everybody, specially the old and medically vulnerable will die without.

They are also saying, over and over, on thread after thread, that while we do that we need to do our utmost to protect those who are vulnerable, including asking them to do what they can themselves. And they are saying that not everybody who is old and/or vulnerable wishes to be protected, and we should respect that choice.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 05/10/2020 23:13

my 76 year old mother in law has cancer. Sadly the prognosis is not good. Currently as it stands, my wife will not see her mother, nor our kids see their grandmother, alive again even though she may well live for many months.

Because covid.

Viviennemary · 05/10/2020 23:43

How many people old and young will die earlier because of appointment cancellations due to Covid. Dental treatment practically non existent. It's wrong and a big mistake IMHO.

Flaxmeadow · 06/10/2020 00:10

the NHS is coping,

The NHS is coping because we had lockdown

How many times do governments and scientists across the world need to explain that this situation is serious. That this virus is "stealthy and robust" . How much tanking of economies and pulling out all the stops does it take for people to understand that this is a crisis .

It is airborne, it lives on surfaces for hours, including on the skin. Unchecked it has the potential to shut down health services, including mental health services, social services, the police and to do this in a very short space of time. In a matter of weeks. We saw the climb back in March. In the space of 2 weeks in the UK it went from killing 33 people to 10,000 people. Its highly infectious. It thrives in indoor spaces. It lingers in the air, in unventilated rooms. Now winter approaches

This isn't a game, it isn't a rehearsal.

MadameBlobby · 06/10/2020 00:14

It is airborne, it lives on surfaces for hours, including on the skin.

But there are plenty of scientists who do not believe it spreads that way.

MadameBlobby · 06/10/2020 00:15

@Flaxmeadow

Who on earth has suggested this?

The
"no more lockdown, old people/medically vulnerable will die anyway"
brigade

No they haven’t. Not one person has suggested that.
jcyclops · 06/10/2020 00:17

UK Life Expectancy 2019

Example: a male aged 70 has a probability of dying in the next year of 0.018286 (1.8%), and on average he will live for 14.99 years to the age of 84.99

The average age of people who die of Covid is apparently older than British life expectancy. This can't be true can it?
Ecosse · 06/10/2020 00:17

@Flaxmeadow

This is the type of nonsensical scaremongering they does not one any good.

No scientists that I can see believe droplets lingering in the air for hours are how covid is spread.

MadameBlobby · 06/10/2020 00:18

I think you have totally had a number done on you with all the scare tactics @Flaxmeadow. Even places like Brazil and the USA that basically have done fuck all have not had a total breakdown of social order or people dying on the streets. You just don’t sound rational when you come out with things like that. Did we need lockdown in March? Yes. Is there any justification for it now? No.

MadameBlobby · 06/10/2020 00:19

[quote Ecosse]@Flaxmeadow

This is the type of nonsensical scaremongering they does not one any good.

No scientists that I can see believe droplets lingering in the air for hours are how covid is spread.[/quote]
Or on surfaces either, I heard that only today on the radio.

It’s coughing/sneezing/shouting/talking that spreads it, this radio prog said.

It being in the air and on surfaces doesn’t mean there’s enough it to cause infection

Flaxmeadow · 06/10/2020 00:20

No scientists that I can see believe droplets lingering in the air for hours are how covid is spread.

Unfortunately you couldn't be more wrong. Read the news. Every scientist admits this now

MadameBlobby · 06/10/2020 00:20

@AlecTrevelyan006

my 76 year old mother in law has cancer. Sadly the prognosis is not good. Currently as it stands, my wife will not see her mother, nor our kids see their grandmother, alive again even though she may well live for many months.

Because covid.

Sorry to hear that. My dad has cancer and still can’t get the chemo he should have had in March.
Flaxmeadow · 06/10/2020 00:21

It being in the air and on surfaces doesn’t mean there’s enough it to cause infection

So how do you think it's spread?

MadameBlobby · 06/10/2020 00:22

@Flaxmeadow

No scientists that I can see believe droplets lingering in the air for hours are how covid is spread.

Unfortunately you couldn't be more wrong. Read the news. Every scientist admits this now

There was something on here only the other day disproving the airborne spread thing. Maybe have a look and you’ll find it.

If it’s true why aren’t the kids in schools dropping like flies? In every school I have heard of there have been a couple of cases and then it’s been fine after contacts were isolated.