What scares you about Covid?

[Nomorejumping]

I’m 34, first time mum this year and I’m absolutely petrified of Covid.

I know others will be or will have been in the same position but I just can’t seem to get past the way I feel.

I haven’t done things like go for coffees, go to the hair dressers, out for a meal since January.

Even when restrictions were eased in the summer and we were allowed to meet indoors, I chose not to.

I spent most of the summer outdoors, socially distanced walks, going to the zoo etc.

I’m petrified that Covid = death for me.

I’m due back to work in April and I’m honestly considering not going back.
My son will have to go to a nursery and I’m
so worried about being in an office with people all day.

DH works from home but I don’t have that option with my job.

I struggle to manage what my risks actually are.
I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
I’ve never been on medication and always managed with painkillers and steroid injections when needed so I wasn’t on the shielding list.

I don’t know what risk category I fall into but I’ve convinced myself I will be hospitalised and ventilated if I catch it.

The thought ever leaving DS breaks my heart.

I’d love to take him to local baby classes that have just opened up again (all socially distanced)
I’d love to take him to the local garden centre that have a fantastic Christmas display there, but I’m to scared.

How do other people manage?

I see people just living normally, using public transport, eating out, going to supermarkets and I genuinely feel so envious and wish I could be like that.

I’ve never been like this before. Covid has literally changed my life 😭

My risk of death is 1 in 3077, and my mum’s is one in 731. I hope that helps to put yours in perspective, OP.

I got quite anxious about Covid early on as I am (well, was) morbidly obese and have diabetes. I’m also 56. But the above numbers reassure me. I would be very, very unlikely to die if I were unlucky enough to catch it.

What scares me is the brainwashing from government, media , hysteria, lies, sensualism.

The pro/anti mask brigades the pro anti vaccine brigades which are even worse than the FBPE/Hard Brexiteers.

What scares me the most is the impending austerity which will last a life time, they NHS is already unfit for purpose thanks to all this, it’ll be sold sort and they’ll be mass public spending cuts.

Hi @Nomorejumping I'm not sure if this will reassure you a bit, but I've just had Covid in the third trimester of pregnancy (positive test at 32 weeks pregnant, now nearly 35 weeks). I was ill, but didn't require hospitalisation or any sort of medical attention. My DH also got it, but our 2 year old didn't get it (she had a fever for a day, but test was negative). The chances of you requiring hospitalisation and ventilation are very low. Unfortunately these are the cases we see in the media, but you don't hear about the thousands of people out there recovering at home. Don't get me wrong, I didn't feel well and am still quite tired from it, but I'm heavily pregnant too so that can't be helping! Baby is also doing really well despite the Covid diagnosis, so that's also reassuring. Not sure if that makes you feel any better, but given my immune system is lower due to being pregnant, it's reassuring I wasn't more ill.

I’ve just rerun my numbers using my weight at the start of Covid. My risk of death has come down from 1 in 2381.

That means from 4.2 in 10,000 to 3.2 in 10,000, almost a quarter reduction.

I have been focussing on recovering from binge eating rather than losing weight per se, but have lost weight (about a stone and a half) in the process. Amazed it makes that much difference.

I am not exactly scared but very concerned that I might catch it again, having had the long covid variety for nearly 6 awful months. I'm still not really scared of dying from it, but I can't afford another 6 months off work, another period of not being able to take care of anything in the home etc.

@Nomorejumping my last post might have come across as dismissive of your concerns. I remember being more anxious when mine were small. One of mine was actually just a baby during the swine flu pandemic and the media were reporting all the cases and deaths in much the same way - causing lots of panic. Social media wasn’t as big back then. It may have made things seem worse too. I think SM has definitely contributed to people’s anxiety this time. Hopefully that risk checker has reassured you a bit. Being a new mum is tough without the added stress of a pandemic!

It's the possibility of getting long covid that scares me the most and also passing the virus onto elderly relatives.

I haven't done anything since March- I've been lucky enough to be able to WFH since then and the only thing I have done 'indoors' is go the the supermarket probably less than 10 times. My life has changed completely too- all I do is WFH and go for a walk outside. I have bought gym equipment so I can exercise at home. Before this I used to be really busy- eating out, gym, theatre, museums, holidays. Just can't face doing that while the threat of Covid is still out there. I'm in my late 30s and feel that at least I've had some fun until now, so it doesn't really matter if I have a quiet/dull life for a few years.

I'm not worried about covid. If I get it, I get it. I'm very worried about the significant economic and social impact of the virus - I'm not sure people really realise how bad the former is likely to get.

Nothing scares me it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If it's any help, I am on the shielding list, but I haven't at any point shielded.
I have arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease and was on three immunosuppressants during the first peak , I'm now I'm on two (but actually I'm more immunosuppressed on two than I was with three).

Ive had covid. It was very mild.

However, even though I was on the sheilding list, the colleges of rheumatology and gastroenterology restratified the risks - so now immunosuppressants don't necessarily put you in the shielding group. (I still was but chose not to)

Don't worry - if you don't have any meds to treat it then you're not in any extra risk. Steroids are the real issue with stuff like arthritis and they are one of the things that puts people at risk.

The unpredictable nature of it. While I know my risk is in theory low, there have been many people who were perfectly healthy and have either died or suffered long term impact for weeks and months.

It has also massively highlighted my sense of loneliness in a particular way. I'm single and have no family in this country. I really wouldn't have support from anyone at all because even though I have friends, it's not the same as having a partner or parents who could look after me if I needed it. I feel like no one understands how that feels like which then makes me feel even more alone...

@viccat

The unpredictable nature of it. While I know my risk is in theory low, there have been many people who were perfectly healthy and have either died or suffered long term impact for weeks and months.

It has also massively highlighted my sense of loneliness in a particular way. I'm single and have no family in this country. I really wouldn't have support from anyone at all because even though I have friends, it's not the same as having a partner or parents who could look after me if I needed it. I feel like no one understands how that feels like which then makes me feel even more alone...

Yep- I get your last point about the loneliness. I'm single and an only child- it's just my 70+ parents in this country. I think that's another reason why I'm doing everything I can to avoid catching it- if I got ill for a few months there would be no-one to look after me and most importantly I wouldn't be there to support my parents either if they needed it.

I understand that @viccat , I think that’s my only concern that is directly covid related. Should I become ill, I’ll be reliant on my teenagers to care for me and each other. Although I have a partner who I don’t live with, if I was ill I’d expect him to keep away and keep himself and his own children safe.
My main fear is that I am worried normal life will never return. There’s threads on here with people practically begging for restrictions to continue for years. I’d like to see my friends and family and give them a hug, I want to go to the theatre, concerts, parties. I’m scared that these things will not recover from the closures this year.

Sorry you feel this way. You have very bad anxiety by the sounds of things, and long term this could be much more damaging than Covid. Remember there are vaccines starting to get rolled out and the world will be in a better place very soon.
Have you thought about sue along time your gp about your concerns and telling him/her exactly what you have written here?

Honestly? I'm not scared of it at all. Can't wait for the vaccine to start being rolled out and am planning a ritual burning of face masks at some point in the spring

Long Covid is what scares me.

The thing I find more concerning about Covid is that for the most part people get it and are OK. We know that some people are vulnerable...but every so often a person responds unpredictably and an otherwise healthy person dies. The symptoms can vary and many people don’t even know they have it.
It feels like a stealthy virus and I just don’t want anyone I love to get it and be that unlucky one.

I'm the same age as you op and being careful. I don't feel anxious that I would die from it, but I don't want to pass it on to anyone vulnerable and long covid sounds awful. Also would be hard looking after DD if both me and dh very ill with it. Feeling more positive with the news of the vaccine though. By April I imagine we'll be in a much better position than right now. If you feel your anxiety is getting too much, definitely talk to a gp or counsellor.

Nothing I’ve had it twice. It scares me for others who won’t have the milder version I had and for my elderly DF but for me personally nothing about the illness just the mental health of my children and the lack of connection with people.
I am worried for the economy and jobs and feel for everyone affected deeper than myself.

Actually also concerned for dh as he is quite overweight at the moment and that seems to increase your risk of serious illness

Recovery time- my TA has been off for nearly 8 weeks.

Long-term effects. Healthy, fit 40 year old friend has a partially collapsed lung and damage to heart valves since having Covid in Spring. No known risk factors.

Even if I wasn't worried about catching it myself, I would be very worried about unwittingly passing it on to an elderly or vulnerable person.

I think I'm more worried about having to isolate than any real concerns about getting the virus.

I really don't like the "don't kill granny" rhetoric. It worries me that if say, my DC's GPs became seriously ill or worse,the perceived guilt could destroy DC, even though they have followed all guidelines, none of this is foolproof and we'd likely never know where they caught it.

Similarly, I'm really worried about what life looks like for our young people, economically, when we do eventually come out if this.

I’m the same age as you OP, and I’m scared of catching it too. Not so much for myself, but my ivf DTs getting it and having long term implications in later life, passing it to my parents with health issues and them dying, my dying and leaving my DTs without their mama, or having it and not getting sick from it but spreading it on to others instead.

I know my risks are low, but I’m mainly happy staying at home most of the time (I’m a SAHM). I go out if I have to obviously, but otherwise I’m at home. I don’t have the answers for anyone else, just this is what feels right to us as a family!

What honestly scares me most about Covid is the impact it will have on people's long term wellbeing, contentment and happiness. And the fallout from the economic devastation alongside Brexit.

Personally I am very unlikely to die of it, or even be very ill. My mum is 74 with a history of respiratory illness - she is being reasonably cautious but refuses be terrified and housebound. I have already lost my dad after a long and horrible illness, so I know that there are worse things than death.

I'm not overly concerned. My only risk factors are middle age and being overweight. My parents are both dead so not worried about passing it onto them.

I'm more worried about my mental health as the continued restrictions are making me depressed.

I'm only bothered about my parents getting it. I worry about it alot. My mam had myocarditis after flu a few years ago and it was a long recovery. I worry something like that would happen again