At risk or not?

So, as regulars will know I class myself as pretty healthy and can turn in a decent performance over 10K for an old guy in my running shoes. Yes I have atherosclerosis but have had 2 LAD blockages successfully stented although have 50% blockage of RCA unstented. I have a good diet and feel better than i have for years, and am on minimal medication of a Statin and Asprin. So am I more at risk of the current virus, or not? My gut feeling is that I am not, but am I missing something?

[Maisie2014]

I think we’re all thinking about this wrong. It’s not how tough or brave we are and carrying on regardless it’s about whether or not we catch it and end up using a badly needed hospital bed. My husband and I feel fit but we are staying home. My daughter is a nurse and is getting very stressed about what’s happening at work. If you have underlying health problems (that’s most of us on this site) you have a responsibility to everyone to keep yourself and others around you healthy. That’s just my personal opinion. Take care everyone.

[Lezzers in reply to Maisie2014]

That's exactly how it is. Everyone needs to do their bit to ensure the NHS doesn't get overloaded and are therefore unable to help those who desperately need it. So, important to practice good hygiene and social distancing to enable us all to get through this.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Lezzers]

This is exactly how I feel Lezzers.

I am going to do everything I can to stay out of hospital.

No Tai Chi and Yoga classes for me.

I am gutted ☹

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to Milkfairy]

I know what you mean

Not going to watch Football, phone call from Cardio Rehab last Friday to say Stage 4 Cardio Fit gym sessions suspended. Will be avoiding public transport, so if I go out for a walk it will have to be a case of being able to walk home (currently go for long walk and get bus back), and generally avoiding all crowds. It's not going to be fun, but we all need to do this to stop the NHS becoming swamped.

[Prada47 in reply to Maisie2014]

I agree 100% good post, if your Vulnerable it doesn't Matter, Avoid getting the Virus is the key. You should know if you are Vulnerable.

If you are being treated by a Cardiologist Your Vulnerable. If you are being treated by A Heart Failure Nurse Specialist Your Vulnerable.

If you Don't follow the Guidelines Your Vulnerable

[Hidden in reply to Maisie2014]

I take your point, but I was not suggesting I was going to "be brave or carry on regardless", I was simply wondering if medically I am actually more vulnerable or not. I think we have to realize that despite all the best efforts it is likely that around 80% or us are going to catch this whatever we do. Personally I am beginning to think that if you contract it now you may actually be better off than in 6 months time? Just a thought, I think the fact remains most of us will be fine even if we do get it, unless, like I said, I am missing something in my (and many others) personal conditions in thinking I am not any more vulnerable than if I had not had to have the stents fitted and that the reality is that it may not be much worse than getting the flu. The reality is we cannot isolate ourselves for ever, certainly not until a vaccine is developed?

My wife works in a local restaurant where the daytime customer base is predominantly older people, certainly a lot of over 70's, it will be interesting to hear how her day went later.

[Lezzers in reply to Hidden]

Everyone is vulnerable to catching it which is why it's so widespread. You may be very lucky to have mild symptoms or even no symptoms at all but the person next to you may not be so lucky.

We cannot isolate forever but we can & should isolate if necessary or practice social distancing, we don't know who we could be passing it on to. If we don't do this the decision to do so may be taken out of our hands and we'll go on total lockdown!

[Joliv61 in reply to Hidden]

I think the answer is that in having an underlying condition, even though we are being treated eg, without my meds the blood pressure might be back up high again, we seem to be more at risk than someone without that condition.

My personal view will be to socially distance myself, and if I go out try to maintain separation from others. That in itself is tricky as anything we buy will have been handled by someone else at some stage.

Other than that eat healthily and keep our immune systems as good as they can be. Recovery is based at the moment on our own immune system fighting off the virus.

Some interesting news today from Australia in identifying which immune cells are fighting the virus. BBC news.

[russino1 in reply to Hidden]

I suspect that despite you being in the high risk category you’ll be at the low end of that risk.

i’m not Doctor ! but clearly your fitness will stand you in better stead than others

as for 80% will likely catch it. i’d be amazed if it’s 10% of the population. in china they have a population of 1.4 Billion and have ‘only’ had 80,000 confirmed cases of CV.

clearly they could easily have double that unofficially, but it’s a very small percentage.

doesn’t mean i’ll not treat it seriously though !! i’m not risking it.