Anxiety about COVID-19

[aibuaboutcovid]

I am so anxious. I am due to start a new job in January (NHS) and don't know how I will cope. When I accepted the job cases were relatively low and since then cases have skyrocketed because of the new variant.

I am clinically vulnerable but young. Currently self-isolating as a member of my household has symptoms so I am on edge waiting for their test results. I am trying to tell myself I am young, I will most likely be fine, the vaccine is on the horizon but I am just feeling so anxious.

Youre OK, its awful to say but the media makes it all so much more scary. Dont get me wrong, we do well to fear this virus as it is shit (im recovering) and it does affect people badly but by far the majority are fine and chances are you too will be fine.

Try to distract yourself in the meantime

I hear you. It's awful. Mostly I'm able to ignore it or talk myself down to a more rational frame of mind, but it's always lingering. I've got no reason to worry from a statistical point of view, theoretically I'd be fine and survive it, probably barely knowing I had it, but there's something in me that won't let me be that arrogant. Like it's too cocky or arrogant or boastful to presume I'd be fine. Why would it NOT be me that dies? Other young mums die, and I'm no better in any way than they were.

Anyway, I just have to keep reminding myself of the numbers, and looking at how it's still a small small number badly affected. And I do what I can to keep safe, and beyond that I know that whatever will be will be.

But the anxiety surrounding it is horrible I hope your new job goes well, and that you feel reassured by safety measures when you are there.

I feel the same OP after reading the youngest in yesterday’s figures was 44 and eight of the ones from yesterday’s figures had no underlying health issues.

It depends on how clinically vulnerable you are, hopefully you’ll be high up on the lowe due to it.

The vast majority of young people suffer mild illness but it’s totally understandable your worry.

A good friend of mine is 65 and had covid, she didn’t even realise at the time. She works for the NHS but she’s fit and healthy.

*high up on the list.

I'm only mid 20s so I am just clinging to my age hopefully helping lower my risk... It's the uncertainty and unpredictability of it though, you hear of cases of people 85+ with underlying conditions who were fine and people with no underlying conditions who are young who die from it. Up until now COVID has just been some abstract thing I have worried about but now cases are 500+ per 100,000 I just feel this sense of dread. I am just hoping and praying for the Oxford vaccine to be approved and quickly rolled out.

@aibuaboutcovid Not sure if this reassures you, but I got Covid 6 weeks ago at 32 weeks pregnant, and I didn't need medical attention. I wasn't feeling well, but I got through it (as did DH) and unborn baby (now 38 weeks!) has been scanned twice and is thriving. The media don't report people the many people who get it and are ok.

@Covidwoes Thank you, I'm glad you and your DH got through it ok. You're right, the cases where people get really unwell are the rarity and that is why they get in the news. I think I'm going to try and stay away from the news as much as possible this week.