Self Isolation

[Odsox]

Today is the first day of self isolating, we have both decided it would be prudent to do so.
I am most definitely in the "at risk" group as I'm over 70, diabetic, have an auto immune problem and high blood pressure, none of which causes me any problem at all, normally.
Thankfully all that really means is we don't do a weekly shopping trip for now, and I won't meet the postman at the gate for a chat.
Otherwise it's getting on sowing and planting when weather permits, ripping the felt and board roof off a shed and replacing it with corrugated iron. Finishing the new layout in the big greenhouse, cutting the knee deep grass everywhere, cutting back the brambles that have grown 6 foot plus shoots that have bent over to take root. Finally get around to lay concrete paths to the polytunnels doors, oh and install my summer time radio aerials (the aerials are too large to survive winter storms)
Plus all the other little "just" jobs.

So I don't see boredom setting in for a while.
Hope all of you survive unscathed, especially the other oldies on here.

[ina]

I'm self-isolating, too - had cold symptoms since Saturday, so I'll be off work at least until next Monday. I don't really feel that great, but I still hope to find the energy to do something in house and garden before it's back to work! Quite a few at work off as well, some can work from home, but as my job is entirely lab based, I can't.

[Green Aura]

Yes, we've more or less come to the same conclusion. Two asthmatics in the house and my recent health issues means my immune system might not be all it could be.

We did have to laugh though. For my husband it won't make any difference to his life at all - he works from home, potters about the house and garden doing stuff, rarely socialises and only leaves when forced (usually by me) to visit family, or the (very) occasional foray for shopping etc. He's not agoraphobic, just content.

Also, living where we do, I've always kept a sufficient stock of foodstuffs to last if we couldn't get down the road, or deliveries etc couldn't get through. So even if the veg box stops coming (no hint of that at the moment) we'll survive with canned, dried, frozen or fermented goods for the forseeable future.

[ina]

I think people like us who live (or used to live) in a rural area are quite used to being prepared to manage without the general public for a while. Was messaging about that with a friend earlier who's a farmer; he said he was just about to go and fill up all cans with petrol - just in case electricity goes, and he needs to use the generator. I'd seen the article on BBC about people in the USA stockpiling guns and ammo - he says that some of his farmers friends have said that already, so far jokingly, that they might have to be prepared, in case things get worse and people come raiding farms... You never know. I always recommend reading that book "Black Out", about an international failure of electricity, and what people are capable of when their lives are threatened, including stealing others' pets for the pot etc. Actually might have to dig that out of my piles of books, to reread!

[Viper254]

I have a motorcycle in the garage that needs stripping, the frame repainting and then reassembling carefully - that'll keep me busy for however long this goes on!

[Flo]

I have no health issues at all except that I'm 74 with one replace knee and the other knee that needs replacing. I suspect that elective surgery like that will be ignored for the rest of this year and well into next. That's not going to be affected by self isolation.

At the moment there's a definite line between those of us who have no underlying health issues and those who do. The latter, like those of you on here, are adjusting the home drawbridge upwards to suit whilst the rest of us decide that if we can get to our allotments by walking and feel well, then we shall spend time on our plots shouting at each other over the hedges counting it as exercise whilst making the most of the distance between.

Obviously we are unlikely to go about our normal social activities - horse race meetings (cancelled), socialising at whichever pub is the choice, running junior football clubs, joining in whichever social club is our choice. The local Over 60s chat club in the village has closed for the foreseeable future and a lot of other social groups in the area (local town, local villages) are also closing down till things become clear. Couple of the local charity shops have put up the shutters for at least a week - mostly older volunteers. The local Tory club is also considering a shut down for the interim. That could cause problems with the leek growers who show. In other words, even those of us who are fit enough are going to be affected by a curtailing of social activity which will keep us somewhat more isolated than we would normally expect.

[Flo]

Someone in the hairdressers today said that if all the over 70s self isolate, what happens when they all reappear and the virus is still about? Another sudden rise in cases and deaths? It's a thought.

[Weedo]

We are nearly self isolated anyway - working 12/7 at jobs to pay for our ishish / green / debt free retirement plans (71 working days!!!!) so our once weekly meal out and occasional shop won't really expose us to much - our area is so far Covid 19 free. Mrs Weedo works from a home office anyway and the self-isolators have effectively isolated me from risk at work - there are only 2 of us turning up at the office now. Outside official work the block keeps us reasonably isolated - no neighbours closer than 3 Km away. Unfortunately the ongoing drought and excessive prolonged heat eliminated most of our veg production this year so not much in stock and we are between crops - cool enough now to plant some quick greens but still enough time for a late bean & pea crop perhaps.

[Skippy]

At the moment we are not in the position where we have to self isolate. We're in our fifties without any health problems and have a teenage daughter currently at school although she has said that pupils with a cough are being asked to go home along with any siblings they might have at the school. We don't think it will be long before the government closes schools down in england. I do have a couple of customers that are self isolating , one couple in their sixties and another in their forties . I should still have enough outside work that won't mean i have to get too close to people ..just as long as it stops raining.

[BernardSmith]

Someone in the hairdressers today said that if all the over 70s self isolate, what happens when they all reappear and the virus is still about? Another sudden rise in cases and deaths? It's a thought.

Certainly cannot speak about what may be happening in the UK but across the water in NYS , I think the idea is to maintain self isolation and the like until after the risk of infection has subsided. That means that when the more vulnerable begin to interact more normally there will be far less risk of infection that they will be subject to. The death rate at that time should not peak again... but at this time , by all accounts we are not any where near the top of the bell curve.. My guess is we have weeks , if not months to go, this year...

[Flo]

Trouble is Bernard, no-one really knows anything definite about this virus. So future plans are based on what has happened elsewhere. Probably quite sensible to be a lot less socially active for the foreseeable future. Not a problem for those of us who are internet savvy as we can manage a lot of our life. Bit harder for those who don't bank online, don't shop online, don't manage their gas and electric online. The nearest post office still has a line of pensioners who have a basic bank account that receives their pension but doesn't do direct debits, standing orders or any other form of payment out of it. These are the oldest people who have grown up using cash for everything. Not going to be easy for them.

[ina]

And although I consider myself reasonably internet-savvy I don't do banking online, and I have a pre-pay electricity meter... But I have noticed that social media traffic has gone up considerably - I really wouldn't want to be without it - and I only hope that all this can keep up with rising demand.

[Odsox]

Someone in the hairdressers today said that if all the over 70s self isolate, what happens when they all reappear and the virus is still about? Another sudden rise in cases and deaths? It's a thought.

I can see how this could happen if those self isolating people give up too early, but there is also another aspect to consider.
There is some doubt as to whether you develop persistent antibodies to Coronovirus, as there are reports of people in China getting it twice. Also if the virus survives until next winter will we have to do it all again next year, as there are reports that a vaccine could take 18 months to 2 years to produce?

[KathyLauren]

I am self-isolating for a couple of weeks. I just had surgery, so I was planning to lay low anyway, but I had to fly home, and I consider sharing an airplane with 150 strangers from who-knows-where to be a high-risk activity. And, at 65, I am considered to be in the high-risk age category. Most people here are being sensible and obeying the instructions for social distancing.

I can't do yard work for a few weeks due to the surgery, so I am mostly taking it easy.

Once the two weeks are up and I am reasonably certain that I am not a carrier, I might go into town for groceries and the like. But the whole point of the restrictions is to change the acute crisis into a chronic one ("flattening the curve"). Which means that the social restrictions will have to remain in effect for a long time. Unless people are total idiots, there shouldn't be a big rush of people in two weeks.

The best I can determine, antibodies to the Covid-19 virus work like antibodies to influenza. The two viruses are related, after all, so you would expect them to be similar. So, you would be immune to whatever strain of the virus you got, and you will never get that particular strain again. But, being a corona virus like influenza, they expect it to mutate rapidly. So each year, there will be several new strains, to which you will not be immune.

[Weedo]

Looks like we will be in mandatory self isolation here - our panic stricken leaders have decided to force closure of pubs, cafes, restaurants, clubs, churches and any other "mass gathering" venues etc. etc.including public weddings and funerals - only essential services to remain open (I thought pubs were essential services?) Schools will remain open but this is under review also; work is about to announce mandatory work from home or take leave soooo, even if I wanted to, where would I go?