Yep, I'm really worried about a girl I work with. She's only late 20s but smokes and vapes (I feel the "vape being better than smoking" crusaders have ignored some issues here) non-stop. She always has the smokers cough and unspecified cold or respiratory problems. It's not just about age. Heroin users (or indeed those on methadone treatments) also have compromised lung capacity, it'll romp though them. My pre-diabetic status and being 62 could be an issue. But I'm mostly very disappointed with my generations response which has been self centered and focused on toilet rolls, pasta and baked beans. Sad and selfish. They won't self isolate, they'll bleat "it's not fair". And actually they'll be right, life (or death) isn't.
Age categories don't take in health and fitness. I'm 70, 75 kilos, did have some borderline COPD problems which got sorted. We cycle everywhere and lead active lives so although concerned and taking all precautions feel in good shape. There's been plenty of discussion re the health of the nation in general so age is not the only factor by a long chaulk.
Here’s an interesting take on the virus, from Graham Medley, a professor of infectious disease modelling. "Most people have a fear of acquiring the virus. I think a good way of doing it is to imagine that you do have the virus, and change your behaviour so that you're not transmitting it,"
Your friend with the smoker’s cough, has she had it checked out? If she hasn’t then she really should. My wife thought that her cough was a smoker’s cough, but it turned out to be lung cancer.
I've installed Chrome Remote Desktop on mine and my parent's pc. If they want anything doing, I just remote on and set things up for them https://remotedesktop.google.com/mobile/
I have to say, I think society has become very selfish over the years. A lot of people look out for number one and don't spare a thought for others. They come out looking ill, coughing, and leaving dirty tissues for people to tidy up. I've witnessed this a lot over the last couple of weeks. It just makes me wash and disinfect myself more, but my mrs gets really cross. If you are ill, you can still pop out for fresh air, just stay away from public places, its common sense. And keep your god damn snot rag to yourself!
Strangely any attempt to suggest that is met with a fierce response about her right to choose to inhale stuff. My Mum died of lung cancer but I actually think she knew that was the way she would go and chose to keep smoking. I get upset 'cos she a really nice lady, and has a two year old child.
It won't seem comical in a month. By May, life is going to be an awful lot different than anything any of us have experienced before, and it will remain that way for several months. I know that seems like so much doomsaying; it isn't. We need to get out of this comfortable "it can't happen to us" mentality. It has happened to us.
We've just made the call to cancel the wedding. We're going to get it done asap instead just with our mums in attendance whilst they're still well and able to be out. We'll have the wedding celebration once this has all (hopefully) resolved itself. Going to lose some ££, but the health of everyone is far more important.
It is important to stay positive and deal with life as it happens too, fear and panic can only cause more illness. Humankind has come through adversity and thrived in the past and I have faith in science to come up trumps eventually.
Didn’t know you were planning a wedding mate. Congratulations and good luck. Ps. The wedding, however you do it, is the easy bit. Actually being married can sometimes be a bit more challenging
I think we need to follow protocol and calm down the predictions. The out break in Wuhan has been handled pretty well, and even if there's a numbers cover up, we know they aren't pulling bodies out of houses en masse. So we shouldn't talk ourselves into a bleak dystopian future just yet. Keep calm, keep clean and look out for your elderly neighbour. This panic reporting is going to do more harm than good.