Hi I’m 61 with mechanical aortic valve which I had replaced 2015 plus a cardiac bypass.at the same time I’m on two different statin as it the familia hype cholesterols but it under control now oh they just put me back on a hypertension med ( indapamide) .
I think I’m good but with Corov19 would you say
1 ,I’m in the over 60 section
2 ,or over 60 and vulnerable with medical issues !!
Disagreement with family I think 1 they say 2
Because you have had a calcified aortic valve replaced and also had a bypass artherschosis is obviously present. This is rumoured to increase the risk although I have seen nothing definitive. I put you, and myself, in the second group! ☹️
I guess the majority of people on this forum are doing a similar calculation just now. However, I can't see any worthwhile benefit from the exercise.
There is just so much difference at the individual level that you'll never get a definitive fix on your own personal risk factor (for example the very first person who tested positively in Italy was a super-fit marathon runner, his non exercising and heavily pregnant wife was discharged after just a day or two because her symptoms were so mild, however he's still in intensive care). Yet by pigeon holing yourself as "high risk" you might well undermine your own self confidence.
May I suggest a better way for many people on this forum to think about coronavirus? Although we're not looking to get infected, if it happens then we should re-assure ourselves that we survived heart surgery (which, incidentally has a not dissimilar mortality rate to Covid-19), so we're PROVEN survivors, and therefore the odds are in our favour that we'll get through this too. So instead of being alarmed by some dodgy risk analysis, let's all be resolute, positive, and confident!
Like it, good post 👍
and me like it a good post.
Well said Chappychap, surely it's a person's immune system which determines just how badly infected a person would be and that is not necessarily linked to their heart and vascular health.That said I guess if a person is badly affected further comorbidities are hardly likely to help.
Well said. Whatever your risk factors, all we can do is try and look after ourselves and our loved ones, and minimise the potential risks wherever possible. I personally do not see any benefit in overthinking it.
Well said Chappychap.
We're both old fogeys with heart disease, cancer and type one diabetes between us! Just washing hands and avoiding sneezy people!!!
Hi the underlying reason for asking this question is that I have a once in life time to go on this amazing new luxury cruise ship going with in 90 miles of the North Pole . I do have world wide travel insurance and declared every little sniff as you do with travel insurance,
I know I’m low risk and not worried even if I got the disease . My anxiety or paranoia is would the travel insurance pay out? knowing how they look over every little thing to get out of paying .
My nephew had tonsillitis on antibiotic but didn’t think it was relevant to declare ( the wisdom of youth ) he had heart problems in Bali the insurance company refused to pay stating that a minute stat that tonsillitis’ can effect heart , his mum had to send £200000 before any Dr would see him
I’m also 61 and as well as having a mechanical aortic valve I have the added risk of not having a spleen, so am definitely in category 2, but I’m not getting overly worried about the Coronavirus, just taking the precautions I normally take, like washing hands regularly and using hand sanitiser if out and not able to wash hands etc. Being aware of people around me and avoiding crowds (which I don’t like anyway) plus my colleagues are aware of my health issues and on the whole are careful around me. The media aren’t helping by constantly quoting the number infected, number of deaths etc. , they are the ones causing a lot of the panic.
I disagree with your last statement. It is the media’s job to report the facts which do include the numbers infected and the death rate. These are figures I want to know as they help me understand the risk and the rate of spread - and I am not alone, witness the backlash when the government stated that it was going to stop giving location details.
The media is also critical to communicating the government’s message about precautions we should take.
I agree that some scandal rags and online ‘coverage’ are fanning the flames but as every knows, ‘you shouldn’t believe everything you read in the newspapers’ (or online)
I agree that some information is essential, like location of any confirmed infection, but there are ways of getting the correct information across without sensationalist reporting, which doesn’t help anyone. I would love to read media reports that report the facts without putting spin on it to get more people to read it. Unfortunately it is difficult to separate fact from fiction sometimes and the media have to take a large part of the blame for this.
Trying not to worry to much. I survived Endocarditis itis which has a death rate of 1 in 4 so I must be quite tough. I am taking precautions and attempting to boost my immune system. I have a cold am watching for temperature spikes. Take care everyone
I’m not worried about getting it as I know I’m healthy I had surgery which has fixed it ,
I'm not worried about it today as far as I know I don't have it today.
I'm even starting back as a Care Worker p/t today, visiting older people (I'm 62) in their homes who have dementia etc but life has to go on. I will follow advice given, thats all you can do and keep it in the day.
Definitely 2.
Hi The reason was really asking is I do have annual travel insurance and have declared every thing as you do , my concern would the travel insurance still cover me if I was classified as over 60 with underlying heath problems . I have an opportunity to go on this amazing cruise ship 90 miles from the North Pole .
Your travel insurance presumably know your age, it's very unlikely they would change the age goal posts now. If worried, phone them
I know this is going on what if situations !!!!
if the U.K. government class me as over 60 with underlying health issues and I travel against government advise
mechanical heart valve 
prolapsed mitral valve
mechanical heart valve patients using marijuana!!!
horse riding after mechanical valve replacement 
