People with 'underlying conditions' are being treated as expendable. But our lives matter

[Northerner]

“They’ve had a coronavirus death at the local hospital – but they had underlying health conditions,” the Facebook thread ran, with group members piling in to offer a collective “phew”. It was hard to ignore the underlying sentiment being expressed: that those with underlying health conditions were going to die anyway, so what did it matter if Covid-19 took them now?

But here’s the thing – that death that doesn’t matter, it could be me. It could be your school pal. Your workmate. Your neighbour. We’ve all been merrily going about business as usual for years – you’d pass us in the street without noticing that we’re living with an ongoing health condition. And now we’re all being made to feel our lives don’t matter.

Where does this attitude come from? Ever since the first report of a coronavirus fatality in England, the government has been trying to calm nerves by stressing the victims’ poor health. The statement by the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, announcing the death ran to four sentences, the third of which read: “The patient, who was being treated at the Royal Berkshire hospital, was an older patient who had underlying health conditions.”

People with 'underlying conditions' are being treated as expendable. But our lives matter | Kathryn Hearn

The UK government’s treatment of the coronavirus outbreak has in effect written off all of us with health issues, says Guardian journalist Kathryn Hearn

www.theguardian.com

You only needed to see C4 news last night with a report from a very busy gym to understand how much a certain, and possibly substantial, section of society who consider themselves 'healthy' and low-risk, care about people who aren't There is a lot of selfishness in our society, as witnessed by the huge inequalities that have emerged and been supported over the past decade - the phrase 'I'm alright Jack' springs to mind

 

[Inka]

There’s a lot of truth in that article sadly.

 

[trophywench]

What people should think really is Oh - I wonder if it was the 'underlying health problem' that really killed him, rather than the fact he happened to get Covid?' - and I realise we don't get told that and never will, for the simple reason that it's none of our business. If anyone unknown to us dies following eg open heart surgery or a brain tumour removal, we wouldn't bat an eyelid - except it wouldn't make the news in the first place so we'd never know anyway.

Do you want them to stop telling us that people were whatever age or had underlying probs leaving us to conject they could all be 20-30 yos bouncing with health instead? Wouldn't that cause even more panic?

 

[Robin]

Do you want them to stop telling us that people were whatever age or had underlying probs leaving us to conject they could all be 20-30 yos bouncing with health instead? Wouldn't that cause even more panic?

I assume that's the reason they tell us the state of health of the deceased,ie, to stop panic. But I think it’s having the opposite effect in that it’s sending the message to younger people that they aren’t at risk, and so then they aren’t modifying their behaviour to protect the more susceptible. I’ve heard a lot of anecdotal stuff about people carrying on congregating in pubs, having parties, etc.

 

[Inka]

Absolutely @Robin It can give people a false sense of security. The internet is full of people saying that Covid 19 is just like seasonal flu, or that it only affects older people. As you rightly say, this means they’re out and about unnecessarily and potentially spreading the virus and hampering efforts to damp it down.

Near the beginning of the pandemic, I saw a figure of 46% for the number of people who had underlying conditions and died from Covid 19. That’s a lot of people without health conditions that have died.

 

[grovesy]

I have noticed they have been saying tested positive and then have under lining conditions.
I suspect when they say this there has been no post mortem yet to confirm cause.
I heard half of a call on a phone in radio show, I suspect what I heard the callers father had died the evening before, he had been tested for the virus and would take days for the results. He lived in a different part of the country had risk factors himself , a sibling lives abroad, they was conflicted wether they should travel to support and comfort there mother.

 

[Northerner]

I assume that's the reason they tell us the state of health of the deceased,ie, to stop panic. But I think it’s having the opposite effect in that it’s sending the message to younger people that they aren’t at risk, and so then they aren’t modifying their behaviour to protect the more susceptible. I’ve heard a lot of anecdotal stuff about people carrying on congregating in pubs, having parties, etc.

The people in this gym aren't in the slightest bit worried about us The government should have forced closures, it's unfair on the owners

Coronavirus management: can you really social distance at the gym?

Coronavirus management: can you really social distance at the gym?

www.channel4.com

 

[Jodee]

I think all the deaths so far (in UK) have been people with underlying health conditions. I think the youngest 39 and oldest in their 90s, young and old.

 

[grovesy]

I have not seen the report of the 39 year old, but I saw one of someone in their 40s, with Motor Neuron Disease.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I have not seen the report of the 39 year old, but I saw one of someone in their 40s, with Motor Neuron Disease.

That was the youngest I’d heard too.

 

[trophywench]

Yes, me too. Poor soul, MND is perfectly cruel and not particular who it decides to hit.

I miss David Niven and very much resent MND taking his wit away from us.

 

[grovesy]

Yes, me too. Poor soul, MND is perfectly cruel and not particular who it decides to hit.

I miss David Niven and very much resent MND taking his wit away from us.

I have a an ex colleague who has recently been diagnosed with it and she has seemed deteriorated quite quick.

 

[trophywench]

I can hardly give that a 'Like' grovesy and yeah it's one of those vile things that doesn't hang around, so blink and it's already too late.

 

[grovesy]

I can hardly give that a 'Like' grovesy and yeah it's one of those vile things that doesn't hang around, so blink and it's already too late.

Yeah, she was only being to get over a serious road accident she had in the US, and she had previously had another serious road accident, many years ago.

 

[mikeyB]

Exactly the same thing happens with seasonal flu, but it’s just never reported. Flu takes the frail and elderly too.

 

[grovesy]

Exactly the same thing happens with seasonal flu, but it’s just never reported. Flu takes the frail and elderly too.

I said to my other half I don't anyone who has ever been tested for flu.