Coronavirus Questions

[allenlondon]

Call me suspicious, but I don't think we're getting the full story on coronavirus...

My interest: I'm elderly and 'at risk' (various ailments).

My suspicions are based on this. If the virus really does run its course in a week or so in non-at risk people (younger, fitter, etc)., then it ain't much worse than an average dose of flu. In fact, a dose of flu can be far more debilitating than just staying in bed for a week.

Similarly, the 'at risk' groups (me and those like me) are always at high risk when flu takes a hold - it kills old/ill people.

So why wasn't coronavirus described more accurately when it first spread into Europe, and into the UK? If it had been called 'like a dose of flu', would there have been panics, stock-market crashes, empty supermarket shelves?

Is it just one more government cock up, or is it more sinister?

I'd like to hear your views.

Allen, old, and still fairly well.

[woofgang]

Apparently part of the reason for the higher mortality rate in Italy is that they have, or rather had, a high number of frail elderly people.

[ummmm]

Makes sense.

[anneasquith]

Sigh....... covid 19 is not ‘ the flu’ . If it were it would be called the flu.

[chokkie]

on the subject of CV, if we have to self-isolate, what can you do and not do. I know that if there is someone else in your household, you have to keep at least 2 metres away etc, and use separate bathrooms (if possible - but it's not for us) ... so - if you're staying at home for a fortnight, can you go out into the garden if you have one? What about if someone comes to the door? Hope someone can answer these two questions .... (also old, but keeping well so far), Cheers, Chox.

[fiction-factory]

And flu is still there as a background killer to some and we have vaccines in place plus measures to deal with flu. This Covid is in addition ( except of course that you can't be killed by both) and is potentially more far reaching, spreads more easily and has no vaccine. It still all seems a bit surreal at the moment- everyone I know is well and the schools are full

[ummmm]

Yes you can go out into the garden.

[ummmm]

Depends where you are FF.

Ireland is in lockdown. Ryanair have cancelled loads of flights.

[anneasquith]

Chokie , go to NHS guidelines re self isolating.

[ichkeria]

As reported on Channel 4 last night, a firm in N Ireland has developed a new much faster testing pack for the virus. They claimed the firm wanted to keep its identity a secret for now, but it’s almost certainly Randox

https://www.randox.com/coronavirus-randox/