I decided to go for a walk and was passed by numerous people walking,running and cycling who all passed me at a distance of less than 2 metres, now I'm terrified,I may have caught the virus and as I have mild COPD, hypothyroidism, depression and anxiety I am completely convinced I'm going to die if I have.
[ Admin added topic "Corona Virus" to this post. Please would everyone add this topic if they make a new post or question related to coronavirus or covid-19. Have a look at this post for more information : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Please relax Sobs. The odds are small and you spent next to no time in these people’s air space. Distract yourself by reading a good book and you immune system will improve as a result of relaxing. Maybe walk later tomorrow when others are having evening meal, if this enables you to avoid people. Sending warm wishes.
I don’t expect these people hung around as they passed you. Most are trying to avoid you in the same way you want to avoid them. You were probably not that close and certainly not for long. I wouldn’t worry.
But because you are very anxious about it, I would perhaps stick to gardening for your exercise. Otherwise, I would find quiet streets to walk on and cross the road if you see anyone coming towards you. No one is offended by this. Most of us are doing the same!
Try some deep breathing exercises to relax and shop online if possible. Walking out on the streets won’t be good for you if you spend the next few hours worrying about it. Perhaps start an indoor project - I’m resurfacing a coffee table at the moment. You could sort out your wardrobe or get in touch with old friends. Try to keep busy; it helps!
Please take some deep breathes and look at the advice. Mild copd doesn’t put you at increased risk it is severe copd as per the gold guidelines. The advice also talks about 15 minutes close contact, not fleeting passing in the street. I know that everyone is concerned and anxious but imagine if you were a health professional you would be expected to be at work and in close contact with possible coved positive patients as you would not be deemed to be at risk. I know it is hard but be grateful.
If you caught sky news last night it said Oxford university scientists believe this virus has been with us for a while and that 68% of people are immune to it.
They went on to say 1 in a 1000 may catch it so that’s 67000 infections. Potentially 1/4 may die.
That’s half the number that died from the flu last year.
So please remember you need approx 15 mins contact or they cough and sneeze over you.
Great post cjrsquared.
Sun shine in your garden with a book or planting is v relaxing.
Good luck we are all with you, and will support you as much as we can.
I recommend looking further at the 68% figure, such as this article:
Paul Klenerman, one of the Oxford researchers, called the 68% figure the most extreme result and explained that “there is another extreme which is that only a tiny proportion have been exposed”. The true figure, which is unknown, was likely somewhere in between, he said.
It’s a shame I missed that bulletin- we discussed exactly this in work before lockdown. Absolutely convinced this was circulating well before they said initially- we said so many in work were ill with particularly bad or ‘unusual’ viral symptoms, and a couple were off for a number of weeks- people that have never been off. Interestingly, a number complained of severe sinusitis symptoms alongside but these are not being listed for Coronavirus so who knows.
My thyroid consultant said that there were some serious viruses around in the lead up to Xmas. It does make you wonder?
I’ll have a look and see if I can google that clip👍
Hi, I fully understand how you are feeling as I am the same.
I too went for a walk yesterday about 5pm for an hour, and there were a few people about but most kept their distance but a few times I crossed over roads to avoid people just in case. I would try if you can, to walk places that will not attract lots of people, like parks etc.
It took me so much effort to go out but I had to try and fight my fears, it's easier said than done for some though. I am dreading today more as I have to go into town to get some bits that I cannot get in local stores and I have to have contact with more people.
Sobs I think its perfectly understandable how you feel -especially with having COPD (being classed as underlying health condition.) I too went a walk, early morning though. There was only a few folk about but a some of those were small family groups with dogs. It wasnt possible 'cross over' & I too felt we wasnt keeping the designated distance between us, which i found slightly concerning.
I have just been out for a walk and when there were people about I crossed over or stood well out of the way I think maybe nothing to worry about as long as no one coughs or sneezing near you have you someone to talk to maybe a friend who can reassure you anxiety is awful at the best of times take care try distract yourself
I have a daft sense of humour and can't help thinking of lots of people walking around with 2m sticks to keep each other at a distance.
I can understand you being worried and fearful but, as long as we take precautions, the individual risk is pretty low, even if you have slight COPD.
If you are worried that your going to catch the virus don't go out in public but at some point we will all need to get on with our lives and use common sense while doing it.
I’d agree, if I was feeling that stressed I wouldn’t go out. Or I’d go out very early in the morning or very late when there were fewer people around.
I have to say I’m none too keen on seeing people when I am out but I figure as we’re both moving and going in opposite directions you pass each other in seconds you’re unlikely to catch anything, besides these days most people don’t even look at you. I had a friend who was a nurse and she said that when someone coughed or sneezed near her she used to hold her breath until she was out of their airspace so you could do that.
Take sensible precautions, to be honest I’d stay away from social media and that sort of thing. I don’t spend much time watching TV news and reading newspapers and I take it all with a pinch of salt - reporters want to make a name for themselves and editors want to sell newspapers. It is scary but these people make it worse with their sensationalism.
It’s very easy to feel helpless at a time like this but if you do what you’ve been told to do to help the NHS then you are doing your bit, you’re not helpless, you are helping other people
I watch Boris when he broadcasts and do what his medical experts advise - I keep washing my hands regularly, we stay home apart from when we go for our daily walk, we don’t mix with anyone else, we phone and email our kids and our friends, we read, we have hobbies that we do, my husband does the shopping and that’s it for the forseeable future.
Social media is a hot mess of information and I hear people say constantly "I'm bored" not me this virus has not really disrupted my life at all Im not much into the group love thing or constantly needing to be talking to everyone. The biggest thing for me is grocery stores being empty because people panicked and bought 20xs more of stuff then they have probably ever bought in their life.....pretty selfish when you think more about you then the 80 year old person who can't find toliet paper or hand sanitizer or bottled water....sad🙁 I'm still weirded out that people would hoard toliet paper...lol
I got hooked on one of my sons games on X-Box it was called Grand Theft Auto ... I think I have an addictive personality because I would spend hours playing on it when he was at college. In the end I had to wean myself off it 😬
I think for people who don't have the serious mental health problems that I have,they can potentially breeze through the current situation but believe me it's the only thing I can think about. I used to crochet as a hobby but because of my depression and anxiety,I have no motivation to do anything and my constant severe brain fog means I cannot follow a crochet pattern and makes me think I have Altzheimers or dementia,so you can see for some of us this is absolute torture.
You're not alone. I feel depression and anxiety have taken hold of me too. I had some dreadful things happen at the start of my self isolation. Which threw me in a tail spin. Went out for basics, but some men in particular thought it a game to come near and cough.
I have some symptoms, and fall ill easily so am very scared. I can't concentrate or motivate myself to do anything.
Please know you are not alone. Be kind to yourself, do some slow breathing, and something you enjoy. If you have support seek a comforting word.
I agree absolutely. My mum and dad were both journalists. Even so, my mum used to say “don’t believe everything you read in the papers!” It’s true that sensational headlines sell newspapers!
I agree that limiting the time you spend reading papers and looking online is far healthier. Immerse yourself in a good book, do some gardening. Stay in your house and garden if that’s the only way you can feel safe. This won’t last forever!
Couldn’t agree more with you mum. When I was a teenager some 60 years ago I volunteered at an animal shelter. We had a call and it was arranged that a couple of SSPCA inspectors would go and sort out the rescue of a sheep that had got itself stuck on a ledge. The idea was to use ropes and climb down or up or whatever.
To cut a long story short, by the time the rescuers and photographer got to the farm, someone had rescued and released the sheep without ropes.
So a random sheep was found, photos were taken with it after it had been ‘rescued’ and no one reading the story that was printed in the newspaper next day would ever have believed that they were reading fiction and not facts. I realised at that tender age not to believe everything that I read n the papers and that the camera can lie. A wise woman your mum 😉
My poor mum had to put up with me - a born worrier! If I saw a scary headline I’d go into a flat spin, not daring to read the story beneath it. Over the years I’ve found that the headline is very often an exaggeration of what follows. As we’ve agreed, it’s all designed to catch the eye and sell newspapers.
I hope you are coping well with the restrictions and not finding it all too much of a trial. Thank goodness for online shopping, tv and books! Oh and the odd little job around the house - mustn’t get too lazy!
That’s me - gold medal winning worrier! Nowadays I look for the little word ‘could’. A sure sign that something is unlikely to happen or even be true.
My year kicked of with a dreadful virus from before Christmas until I finally got out for a walk the Sunday after New Year, so far so good, then on the Wednesday night after that I put my book down, light out then thought I’d go to the loo - the annoying thing is that I didn’t even need to go - somehow or another as I put my legs over onto the floor I rolled off the edge of the bed, think I must have been very close to the edge before I started off, our bedroom is totally blacked out so I haven’t a clue what I did, other than end up kneeling on the floor with an agonising pain in my wrist.
I was full of gloom and doom having started the year feeling ill so by the time I broke both bones in my wrist and had them manipulated back into shape I was convinced I wasn’t going to see the year out! Then I discovered I have osteoporosis and -shock horror - Stage 2 kidney disease - I didn’t even know I had stage one! All that before March was out - I’d wasted three months of my life.
Then along came coronavirus.
I’ve written instructions for what my husband has to do with my body and all my worldly goods, chosen a place to be buried and another where they can scatter my ashes - depending on what the options are at the time. I’ve told my son the code for the safe, my phone and my iPad and that’s about it. I’m philosophical about all this, you either catch it or not, If you follow the rules hopefully you won’t, if you catch it you either survive or you don’t.
Meanwhile, I’m reading, exercising, gardening and thinking about housework, just thinking. I’ve decided I’m giving up ironing too.
My husband just rolls his eyes at my ‘preparations’ and says I’ll be fine.
I broke both bones in my wrist so I know how disastrous that is. I bet it’s your dominant hand too!
As to ironing, I gave that up years ago. Some people like ironing. I’m not one of them so I don’t😊. Polycotton is brilliant. A few things need drip drying but mostly I find giving things a good shake whilst still damp is quite sufficient to remove the creases.
Hope your wrist regains its strength soon.
Your husband sounds to be like mine: calm and unflappable. Just what we worriers need!
Hope you start to feel more optimistic soon. Things will get better I’m sure of it!
Ah, its all just been a bit of a pain and yes, it’s my dominant hand. The plaster came off a few weeks ago but my hand feels like someone has transplanted a giant’s hand on instead of mine - I’m doing all the home physio but it swells up for no reason that I can figure out, my fingers won’t straighten up and feel like big fat sausages.
Thank goodness for husbands who put up with us worriers. 😉
It will take quite a while for your wrist to heal but you will get there. Just have to be patient.😊. I seem to remember frequent ice packs (frozen peas) were recommended for the swelling.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Autoimmune conditions (Hashi’s/Graves’s) and the COVID-19 vaccination
Covid 19 tests and price gouging see today's Times
