Does anyone else kind of just want to get this virus and get it over with?

[Disneypro1]

Because if I get it, if I haven't already had it, my risk of dying is not 50/50. My risk of dying is somewhere between 0.1% and 0.6% according to one medical source, and potentially as high as 1% to 1.5% according to a different source, as no one really knows because there hasn't been any tracking of asymptomatics or those with minimal symptoms that thought they had a cold or allergies so weren't tested, so we're all guessing as to how many people have actually had it. I have a 1.2% chance of dying in a car accident. Yet I still get into a car daily. My risk of dying of COVID19 is equivalent to my risk of dying in a car. I don't even have to be in a car, I could be a pedestrian killed by an asymptomatic car. But I still walk in the vicinity of cars. I'll even get closer than 6 feet to a car. And to further the comparison, I am putting others at risk by driving a car as well. I might be the cause of that accident that kills someone else. I take proper precautions, like washing my hands or buckling my seat belt, stay inside if I feel sick and don't drive if I've had anything to drink, but the risk does not fit the panic.

110% correct

 

[DLgal]

I guess you don't understand what I was getting at then... I did not say 50% of people who get this WILL die. I said if you get it, you really don't know what the outcome will be.. you will live or you will die (50/50).. The OP of this subject was talking about wanting to get this and be done with it.. which seems to be a popular opinion that people aren't concerned and are more worried about getting back to 'normal'. My point being that everyone SHOULD be concerned because they really don't know what the result of getting it will be. Especially at this point with trying to keep medical systems from being overloaded since those who could avoid death by getting proper treatment may not be able to get it.
While not the majority, young people ARE dying, people without major underlying issues ARE dying, no one can say it won't affect them for sure... why anyone would want to voluntarily risk it without better protective options in place baffles me.

To be clear, I do NOT want to rush things back to normal. I'm good with being homebound...it's kind of my idea of paradise, to be honest. We are an introverted family and this isn't really that hard on us, mentally. I could continue like this indefinitely. We are fortunate that job loss isn't a possibility.

What I want to be done with is the anxiety that the thought of getting sick is giving me. Clearly, I have anxiety because I worry about worst case scenarios. So, in that respect, I am very much afraid of this virus.

My question was mostly a philosophical one. If I could be assured that I'd have a mild case with no complications (and that reality is actually statistically likely for ME), shouldn't I just want to get it now? My anxiety is my chief complaint in all this. In a twisted way, the only true way to rid myself of the anxiety is to actually get the virus. Even if I were to die (God forbid), I would no longer have anxiety...

 

[lifesavacation]

To be clear, I do NOT want to rush things back to normal. I'm good with being homebound...it's kind of my idea of paradise, to be honest. We are an introverted family and this isn't really that hard on us, mentally. I could continue like this indefinitely. We are fortunate that job loss isn't a possibility.

What I want to be done with is the anxiety that the thought of getting sick is giving me. Clearly, I have anxiety because I worry about worst case scenarios. So, in that respect, I am very much afraid of this virus.

My question was mostly a philosophical one. If I could be assured that I'd have a mild case with no complications (and that reality is actually statistically likely for ME), shouldn't I just want to get it now? My anxiety is my chief complaint in all this. In a twisted way, the only true way to rid myself of the anxiety is to actually get the virus. Even if I were to die (God forbid), I would no longer have anxiety...

I think it’s difficult for people without anxiety or depression to understand the mental torment it creates. It can make a person desperate, especially when there is no end in sight. I do understand your thought process. The constant anxiety filled with dread and impending doom feels so bad inside that the alternative of a potentially deadly disease feels like a better option.

Now for myself, I know my anxiety will be out of this world horrible if I get it or someone I love gets it. I’m over the top hyper vigilant to keep from getting the virus so I don’t experience that level of anxiety.

Try and take it day by day. Hour by hour. This will end. Life will go back to normal. In the meantime, make sure and get daily exercise. Try some yoga or meditation. Avoid the news. Get outside if that’s possible where you live. Doing “normal” things will help.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I agree. I am a little overweight. However, my blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, and all other numbers are normal. I exercise 4-5 times a week, every week. I have great lung capacity.

But I read that in Italy, and some other countries, they were barring anyone with a BMI over 25 from being intubated and given a ventilator. That was sobering, because my own BMI is 26.2. It has really thrown me into a dedicated effort to get my BMI down below 25, because if that is the criteria they decide to put in place here, I'd be screwed.

I rum marathons and my BMI is over 28 because I lift weights. BMI is a totally useless metric. But I agree that being a healthy weight and healthy overall is the best way to proactively protect yourself from things like this.

 

[DLgal]

I think it’s difficult for people without anxiety or depression to understand the mental torment it creates. It can make a person desperate, especially when there is no end in sight. I do understand your thought process. The constant anxiety filled with dread and impending doom feels so bad inside that the alternative of a potentially deadly disease feels like a better option.

Now for myself, I know my anxiety will be out of this world horrible if I get it or someone I love gets it. I’m over the top hyper vigilant to keep from getting the virus so I don’t experience that level of anxiety.

Try and take it day by day. Hour by hour. This will end. Life will go back to normal. In the meantime, make sure and get daily exercise. Try some yoga or meditation. Avoid the news. Get outside if that’s possible where you live. Doing “normal” things will help.

Thank you. Yes, people who don't have clinical anxiety have NO idea how bad it makes you feel. Thankfully I am able to logically think myself through it and manage without meds.

I do luckily live in southern California, and it has been beautiful out. We go for long bike rides on our bike trails every other day, and take walks along our open space trail every other day. I run as well. I am a very active person in that respect and have maintained those habits.

I do tend to get sucked into reading articles about the virus, watching videos by doctors on You Tube, etc. I like to be knowledgeable about this situation and prefer the scientific/medical angle to the mainstream news coverage (which tends to slant too far in the catastrophic direction, for me).

I am right there with you on how my anxiety would literally go through the roof if I or my kids actually caught this virus though. I have allergies and have had several days recently where I've had sore throat, headache, and coughing and I spent those days halfway between panic and reassurance that it was just allergy symptoms, after taking my temperature every hour and seeing it was normal.

 

[DLgal]

I rum marathons and my BMI is over 28 because I lift weights. BMI is a totally useless metric. But I agree that being a healthy weight and healthy overall is the best way to proactively protect yourself from things like this.

My husband is a Marine who has a BMI of 30, but it's because he's short and muscular (5'4"). He runs 5 miles every day, can crank out 100 pullups and 100 pushups easily, and is exceptionally healthy. He has run over 10 half marathons.

I understand the limitations of BMI, but I am not nearly as fit as my husband is, and his BMI is due to muscle, whereas I know for a fact that I could stand to lose 15 pounds of fat.

 

[sam_gordon]

I said if you get it, you really don't know what the outcome will be.. you will live or you will die (50/50).

Every time you get into a car, you will either die or not. So 50/50.
Every time you go to Disney, you will either die or not. So 50/50.
Every time you eat, you will either die or not. So 50/50.
Every time you go down stairs, you will either die or not. So 50/50.

The odds (looking solely at the numbers) of dying from Covid are relatively low (as someone mentioned, around 1-2%). I don't think it's a bad question to ask. If you don't want to discuss it or think it's a stupid question, simply move on. There are plenty of Virus related threads to post on.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

The odds (looking solely at the numbers) of dying from Covid are relatively low (as someone mentioned, around 1-2%). I don't think it's a bad question to ask. If you don't want to discuss it or think it's a stupid question, simply move on. There are plenty of Virus related threads to post on.

There is an internet meme - if you had a bag of Skittles, and there were 100 of the candies in the bag. 99 were perfectly fine, but one would kill you in a slow painful way. Would you willingly eat from that bag of Skittles?

That's what we have happening in America right now. People are not taking the percentages seriously because they are just numbers. Until someone that you know dies, they do not connect in our minds with real risk. You understand the numbers at an intellectual level, but not at a biological level. Your need to preserve yourself does not kick in.

But let one person that you love die from this and Skittles would be banned from your house for life. Suddenly that 1% has meaning.

 

[sam_gordon]

There is an internet meme - if you had a bag of Skittles, and there were 100 of the candies in the bag. 99 were perfectly fine, but one would kill you in a slow painful way. Would you willingly eat from that bag of Skittles?

That's what we have happening in America right now. People are not taking the percentages seriously because they are just numbers. Until someone that you know dies, they do not connect in our minds with real risk. You understand the numbers at an intellectual level, but not at a biological level. Your need to preserve yourself does not kick in.

But let one person that you love die from this and Skittles would be banned from your house for life. Suddenly that 1% has meaning.

The 1-2% is if you have the disease. I think it's less than .5% of the public in general. That's still a big number (the math I did had it coming out to 990K dying).

As far as whether I would eat from the bag of Skittles, do I need to take a handful or just one? If I eat one and survive, do I need to touch that bag of skittles again? My answer would probably be "no", but I REALLY like Skittles.

 

[Disneypro1]

There is an internet meme - if you had a bag of Skittles, and there were 100 of the candies in the bag. 99 were perfectly fine, but one would kill you in a slow painful way. Would you willingly eat from that bag of Skittles?

That's what we have happening in America right now. People are not taking the percentages seriously because they are just numbers. Until someone that you know dies, they do not connect in our minds with real risk. You understand the numbers at an intellectual level, but not at a biological level. Your need to preserve yourself does not kick in.

But let one person that you love die from this and Skittles would be banned from your house for life. Suddenly that 1% has meaning.

That one percent is IF you had it. It’s way under .01% chance to get it right now. And then once you get it .... 1% mortality and that is dropping. The one skittle out of 100 is if you had the disease. Not getting it.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

That one percent is IF you had it. It’s way under .01% chance to get it right now. And then once you get it .... 1% mortality and that is dropping. The one skittle out of 100 is if you had the disease. Not getting it.

The idea was tied to those who want to just get this and get it over with - the title of the thread. So the 1% would apply to anyone who said yes to that and decided to "just get it".

 

[SaintsManiac]

That one percent is IF you had it. It’s way under .01% chance to get it right now. And then once you get it .... 1% mortality and that is dropping. The one skittle out of 100 is if you had the disease. Not getting it.

Again, many wind up in hospitals that are overwhelmed right now. Makeshift hospitals are necessary. You might not die, but why risk winding up on a vent???

 

[DLgal]

I'd still eat a skittle.

 

[Walt4ever]

Until someone that you know dies, they do not connect in our minds with real risk.

The risk is still extremely low, even if you happen to know someone that it has affected. It is a "real risk" to start with, small but real. It is only the perception of that risk that changes. I do not fault ANYONE from being overly concerned or cautious, or from being afraid, especially if they know someone stricken. If they want to quarantine themselves and their family, wear masks, gloves, carry an industrial sized bottle of sanitizer with them when they occasionally go out, no problem. That is their choice. I even fully support the government measures making it easier for people to work from home, get sick time, etc., during this "crisis".

However, I do have a problem when people force extreme measures (and yes, what we are in now are extreme, but not nearly as extreme as some hope for) on others. It's more than just the economic issues that I am concerned with. I am still at work on a daily basis. Other than inconveniences, there is nothing about the stay at home orders that really affect me. They are all written so broadly that the ones suffering the most are those least able to afford it.

I am much more concerned about the non-economic collateral damage that this shut down is doing. Domestic violence calls are going up. How many are going to end up with alcohol or some other addiction issues as the result of this? How many cancers and other serious illnesses are going to go undiagnosed as people skip "routine" appointments? We have construction at a hospital for a new piece of diagnostic equipment that has been put on hold. How many people could that equipment have saved this summer? As people face severe financial issues because of furloughs, businesses closing for good, etc., how many will have serious depression issues that lead to suicide? Like the OP, how many have anxiety issues or additional stress related to everything that causes other health issues, including the potential of heart attacks or strokes? Someone on another thread mentioned a nonprofit that had to cancel their annual fundraising event for pediatric cancers. How many of those organizations are in the same boat and won't be able to help those in need?

Take my comparison to car accidents. 1.2% chance of dying when you get in a car. Until you know someone that is killed, or until you yourself come really close to it, that's nothing to be concerned with. If someone has a close friend or family member killed in a car accident, of course I would understand their fears of getting into a car again. Should their fears justify them stopping me from driving? Heck, I was in a pedestrian/vehicle accident 10 years ago where I was on the losing side and could have been killed. I survived (11 days in the hospital, 3 surgeries, and 6 months in a wheelchair), but you bet it was a long time before I put myself in a similar position, and even today I'm a little anxious about doing it. I know intellectually the actual risks are slim to start with, and a repeat experience is even slimmer, but my own perception of the risk has been heightened a bit. The actual risk has not changed, only my perception, and I would never think about stopping my city, state, or country from being able to drive because of my own personal fears.

 

[Disneypro1]

I'd still eat a skittle.

Heck I’d eat an infected one. I now have to go to family dollar and get a bag.

 

[choirfarm]

The risk is still extremely low, even if you happen to know someone that it has affected. It is a "real risk" to start with, small but real. It is only the perception of that risk that changes. I do not fault ANYONE from being overly concerned or cautious, or from being afraid, especially if they know someone stricken. If they want to quarantine themselves and their family, wear masks, gloves, carry an industrial sized bottle of sanitizer with them when they occasionally go out, no problem. That is their choice. I even fully support the government measures making it easier for people to work from home, get sick time, etc., during this "crisis".

However, I do have a problem when people force extreme measures (and yes, what we are in now are extreme, but not nearly as extreme as some hope for) on others. It's more than just the economic issues that I am concerned with. I am still at work on a daily basis. Other than inconveniences, there is nothing about the stay at home orders that really affect me. They are all written so broadly that the ones suffering the most are those least able to afford it.

I am much more concerned about the non-economic collateral damage that this shut down is doing. Domestic violence calls are going up. How many are going to end up with alcohol or some other addiction issues as the result of this? How many cancers and other serious illnesses are going to go undiagnosed as people skip "routine" appointments? We have construction at a hospital for a new piece of diagnostic equipment that has been put on hold. How many people could that equipment have saved this summer? As people face severe financial issues because of furloughs, businesses closing for good, etc., how many will have serious depression issues that lead to suicide? Like the OP, how many have anxiety issues or additional stress related to everything that causes other health issues, including the potential of heart attacks or strokes? Someone on another thread mentioned a nonprofit that had to cancel their annual fundraising event for pediatric cancers. How many of those organizations are in the same boat and won't be able to help those in need?

Take my comparison to car accidents. 1.2% chance of dying when you get in a car. Until you know someone that is killed, or until you yourself come really close to it, that's nothing to be concerned with. If someone has a close friend or family member killed in a car accident, of course I would understand their fears of getting into a car again. Should their fears justify them stopping me from driving? Heck, I was in a pedestrian/vehicle accident 10 years ago where I was on the losing side and could have been killed. I survived (11 days in the hospital, 3 surgeries, and 6 months in a wheelchair), but you bet it was a long time before I put myself in a similar position, and even today I'm a little anxious about doing it. I know intellectually the actual risks are slim to start with, and a repeat experience is even slimmer, but my own perception of the risk has been heightened a bit. The actual risk has not changed, only my perception, and I would never think about stopping my city, state, or country from being able to drive because of my own personal fears.

Ok, I agree with you on a lot of levels. And yes, the rate of an individual dying is small, I guess. You are absolutely correct about the non-economic collateral damage as well. But because my family is involved in healthcare, I guess whenever people say this, I ask what is your alternative that you suggest? Explain exactly what we should and should not be allowed to do. What "extreme" measures should be stopped and when? Because people say that but I never hear exactly what they want beyond that fuzzy concept that we have to be allowed to get back to normal to avoid total economic collapse.

 

[maddiel]

Take my comparison to car accidents. 1.2% chance of dying when you get in a car.

Your lifetime odds of dying in a car accident are about 1 in 106
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/all-injuries/preventable-death-overview/odds-of-dying/
That is far from equivalent to you having a 1.2% chance of dying when you get in a car.

M.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Your lifetime odds of dying in a car accident are about 1 in 106

That is far from equivalent to you having a 1.2% chance of dying when you get in a car.

M.

Also, remember that those odds do not take into account risky behavior. Some people are at much greater risk of dying in an auto accident than others - same with COVID.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[Walt4ever]

Ok, I agree with you on a lot of levels. And yes, the rate of an individual dying is small, I guess. You are absolutely correct about the non-economic collateral damage as well. But because my family is involved in healthcare, I guess whenever people say this, I ask what is your alternative that you suggest? Explain exactly what we should and should not be allowed to do. What "extreme" measures should be stopped and when? Because people say that but I never hear exactly what they want beyond that fuzzy concept that we have to be allowed to get back to normal to avoid total economic collapse.

I think the "flattening of the curve" should be measured and the intended results should be based on hospitalizations. Since you are in healthcare, please correct me, but from what I've seen it appears that the system is being inundated by not only those who actually have COVID19 bad enough to be there, but also by those who have listened to too much media/politicians to where they are panicked that their sniffles are going to kill them. In our state, roughly 13% of those being tested, and only those with matching symptoms are being tested to start with, actually have it. One popular comparison in New Orleans is that the game has gone from "gunshots or fireworks?" to "pollen or plague?". Everybody with a sneeze, most likely due to allergies (they are bad right now for many), sees a ventilator in their future and are going to be tested, which has been taking a week for results, so out of fear of their lives, are monopolizing medical staff's time. "Out of an abundance of caution" are those waiting for results being admitted "just in case" and to quarantine? And if so, how reliable are even the hospitalization numbers? I'm hoping that the new 15 minute test will fix a lot of the current problems, but the numbers will appear to spike has last week's tests that are just now being reported and the 15 minute tests from this morning are all lumped together.

But to respond, I do think everything should open back up again, with the social distancing features that many incorporated before they were forced to close. Those more at risk, for any reason, should be allowed to work from home, collect unemployment if they can't work from home but don't feel safe at work, etc. Restaurants were taping off every other table for dine-in guests, so that there was 6' between tables. Movie theaters were restricting capacities to where a show was "sold out" if half full, with a maximum number of people allowed in the building. Let retail stores re-open with similar limitations on total number of people inside at any one time. Let schools re-open, with any students with potential health issues (or with family that they could potentially expose) allowed to continue virtual school. Those restrictions were sufficient to protect the most vulnerable, while everyone else could let it run its course. By letting it run thru us, there would only be a very very very small burden on the healthcare system, and we wouldn't be able to infect those more vulnerable because we would have already had it.

 

[Hikergirl]

The ER doctor in NYC told my husband "Maybe now people will realize that being a healthy weight actually means something. We aren't telling people to not be obese because we are fat shaming them. Weight has a direct correlation to your ability to survive in a situation like this."

Just saw this and it reminded my of your post

https://news.trust.org/item/20200402092110-6rvk1