^ only on here mate 😉 People are acting like idiots in the some of the stores I’ve been to - it is akin to Black Friday or New Year’s Day Sales.

Ronster said:

oojason said:

Ronster said:

The problem with this virus is that because it can spread so fast that the only way to truly stop it is to enact a paralysis to stop the spread and the only true grounds on which to fight it on.

So today I am going to help my mother do shopping for her and cut the grass in the garden. She is in the High risk category but it upsets me that all I will be able to do is be some distance from her whilst talking and drop the shopping on the floor. This is what we must do to try to stay safe. She will have to be inside the house for around 12 weeks in the UK is the current advice.

I have to do this but the issues are all very complicated surrounding the contagion as the experts still seem a bit mystified on truly how it spreads only that it spreads fast.

I’m in the same boat as you mate. A concerning time not just for ourselves - but our loved ones too.

The old girl lives on her own, is 70+ and deaf, and has several underlying medical conditions - including heart failure, and requires a range of medication just to keep her ‘going’. The local GP has been superb - though there is only so much they can do (already stretched to breaking before this coronavirus) and they admit the Govt leadership on this has been lacking, confusing and of little help (to say the least).

12 weeks is a long time for anyone in isolation, yet it has to be done. I’m just worried she’ll start chatting to the neighbours over the fence, and because she’s deaf and needs to read lips to help communicate… will get too close to them and void the isolation and potentially endanger herself / others.

Good luck to you and yours mate.

Thanks oojason I hope you and your family also stay well and stay safe… The hardest problem I am currently encountering is persuading my at risk elderly mother to stay at home and not catch it.

Old people get set in their ways and as horrible as it may sound to my mother… Stay in, stay away from catching a highly infectious disease that might kill you, is an awkward discussion. She is over 70 diabetic and a smoker.

We have had arguments but she does know I love her and I don’t want any harm to come to her but psychologically I will do my best to try and shoulder that mindfuck for her that this invisible threat might threaten her life.

The best advice was “do you want to be in intensive care with a load of tubes down your neck?” in response to her attitude of “If I get it… I get it” I can’t blame her for this attitude it is normal but she can’t afford to catch it she is in the high risk group. Please all take this advice, it’s not about scaring your loved ones but trying to make them understand that it “IS” very dangerous to be complacent. I am scared she just want’s to gamble on the trip out and I just really hope she can stay in and be safe until it is safer to do so. I stocked up her food for 2 weeks I will see her before then hopefully. I will speak to her every day on the phone.

Spot on, Ronster. It hasn’t helped with some of the contradictory and changing advice from our leaders on the news from day to day… a few older people I know see one piece of info and it sticks in their minds - and don’t take in what is said by the politicians the next day or day after that… contravenes previous advice. Along with the usual stubbornness some get in of old age, of course.

I’ve had to use the similar ‘do you want to risk infecting your friends, family and others with this?’ when a couple of the older in-laws wanted to pop down the supermarket because they had a dry cough and then pop in on family members and the neighbours on the way back! (the response was basically they were only getting some cough medicine and wouldn’t stay long at the family and neighbours as they were a feeling fatigued!)

With allergy season kicking in for much of Europe soon it’ll likely worry many people displaying similar symptoms to the coronavirus too. The lack of testing in general for the coronavirus really hasn’t helped.

Hope you make it to Spain and back when it is possible.

On a lighter note…

Irish-developed kit confirms infection in 15 minutes - at The Independent (IE)