Fear among the young and healthy.

8,969 Views | 56 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by dreyOO
SirLurksALot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
There seems to be a significant portion of otherwise young and healthy people that have an unreasonable fear of this disease. I'm not talking about people taking some extra precautions or social distancing. I'm talking about the people that are legitimately scared of going to the grocery store, or the people freaking out because kids are playing outside. I could understand some of this behavior if the person was in the at risk category, or had a family member living with them that was at risk, but it seems like a lot of it isn't coming from those people.

I think we need a little prospective. Even in Italy where Some of the hospitals have been over run the fatality rate for people under 40 is around .5%. People under 50 is slightly higher but still low. That includes people with pre-existing conditions, but doesn't include people who had such a mild case that they were never tested. The real fatality rate or even hospitalization rate for the young and healthy is likely even lower than the numbers we have now indicate. We can't pay attention to just the anecdotal cases of bad outcomes. Sometimes bad things happen in life. Kids get cancer, young and healthy people sometimes die of the flu. This isn't much different than that. We can't focus on the worst cases, just like we don't focus on all the fatal car accidents we see on the nightly news every time we get in a car.

Now let's talk about total fatalities. The estimated number seems to be around 100,000 to 240,000. That is no doubt a tragic amount. However, how many of those people were likely to die this year even if this pandemic never happened? I haven't seen any stats on this, but I'd bet that it is a significant percentage and probably even a majority. The majority of the people dying from this seem to be people that likely only had at most few years left to live anyways. That doesn't make their death less tragic, but I don't understand why we need to be afraid because they died of Coronavirus instead of some other well known disease.

For those of us that are not in the at risk category, we need to take a deep breath, and realize that it's going to be ok. The sun will come up tomorrow. Take some extra precautions, do social distancing, wear a mask if you want to, but don't freak out and don't worry about stuff we can't control.
Palovic
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Appreciate the post but as a heads up, there are at least 2 other topics that already have the discussions related to perspective of total deaths you present.

The topic you bring up seems to be extremely sensitive to both sides of the discussion so just be aware.
Rapier108
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Other than perhaps locally, the media no longer reports on the random 80 or 90 year old dying. A famous person would be the exception.

They will however report on every single person under 30 dying of it, and flash it as breaking news on every single national news site.

So for people who have not been paying attention, like most young people, they will suddenly think that it is killing people their age in massive numbers, which is not true.
"If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." - Sir Winston Churchill
thelaw4
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
My worry as a "young and healthy" person isnt about my personal health its about being a vector that could potentially infect someone else. We are all in this together and need to think about more than just ourselves.
Complete Idiot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I am only replying on the topic of whether the young and healthy (no contributing conditions) need to scared. I don't have any data on the life expectancy, prior to getting Covid 19, of those who are deceased, but interested to see if someone else does.

Some stats from Spain, Italy, Germany relating to case counts and impact by age

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105596/covid-19-mortality-rate-by-age-group-in-spain-march/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103023/coronavirus-cases-distribution-by-age-group-italy/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105061/coronavirus-deaths-by-region-in-italy/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105465/coronavirus-covid-19-cases-age-group-germany/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105512/coronavirus-covid-19-deaths-by-gender-germany/

The above is specific to mortality but I know hospitalization are scary too. I didn't look very hard for that but maybe someone else can post some good data. From the CDC, reporting on Americans with underlying conditions, here is an analysis on data as of March 28th (hopefully will get updated continually as the hospitalization and reports on underlying conditions may lag a bit)

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6913e2.htm
htxag09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Personally, I'm not too scared about getting it and dying. However, my mom has cancer and is currently staying in the med center for her appointments at MD Anderson. Since I'm just down the road, I'm second up for taking care of her or getting her to appointments when my dad is unable because of work, etc. So I guess you could say I have a heightened fear of getting it and passing it on to her.

Second, the hospitalization of this is scary. Sure, I may have a .01% chance of dying from it, but, if i'm not mistaken, I have a 5-10% chance of being hospitalized from it. Those odds would also be high enough for me to take some extra precautions. Being someone that spent 6 days in the ICU with pneumonia, I sure as hell don't want to do that again. One, the hospitalization absolutely sucks, sickness was painful, can't even imagine how bad it would be without being able to have visitors. As a distance runner and someone currently training for an Ironman, the recovery is also not something I want to deal with. Finally, with the economy and O&G where it is, i really don't want a week plus of hospital bills on my plate.
Complete Idiot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Additional reading.

https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/
SirLurksALot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It's funny that you use quotes given that the quoted phrase doesn't appear in the original post.
Crocs
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I don't think younger people are as afraid of dying from it as they are of being asymptomatic carriers and giving it to their immunocompromised parents/relatives

If I had it I'm not sure I'd notice, but my mother is a nurse with asthma, and that's not a risk I'm willing to take
ttuhscaggie
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Rapier108 said:

Other than perhaps locally, the media no longer reports on the random 80 or 90 year old dying. A famous person would be the exception.

They will however report on every single person under 30 dying of it, and flash it as breaking news on every single national news site.

So for people who have not been paying attention, like most young people, they will suddenly think that it is killing people their age in massive numbers, which is not true.


This is the huge problem with the media.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
SirLurksALot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
htxag09 said:

Personally, I'm not too scared about getting it and dying. However, my mom has cancer and is currently staying in the med center for her appointments at MD Anderson. Since I'm just down the road, I'm second up for taking care of her or getting her to appointments when my dad is unable because of work, etc. So I guess you could say I have a heightened fear of getting it and passing it on to her.

Second, the hospitalization of this is scary. Sure, I may have a .01% chance of dying from it, but, if i'm not mistaken, I have a 5-10% chance of being hospitalized from it. Those odds would also be high enough for me to take some extra precautions. Being someone that spent 6 days in the ICU with pneumonia, I sure as hell don't want to do that again. One, the hospitalization absolutely sucks, sickness was painful, can't even imagine how bad it would be without being able to have visitors. As a distance runner and someone currently training for an Ironman, the recovery is also not something I want to deal with. Finally, with the economy and O&G where it is, i really don't want a week plus of hospital bills on my plate.


I never said people shouldn't be aware and be cautious. Take precautions to keep yourself and others safe just like you would put on a seatbelt when you get in the car. This may not be specific to you, but I was talking about the people scared to leave their house or live their lives. Or the people calling the cops because other people are out doing stuff in small groups.

For the hospitalization, I believe that is the percentage of confirmed cases that get hospitalized. We don't know what percent of all case have to go to the hospital. It could likely be much lower.
BadMoonRisin
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Honestly, im not scared of getting the virus in terms of living or dying, but Im scared of getting it because quarantining myself for 7-10 days away from my wife and children sounds awful, not just for me, but for her having to take care of an 16 month old and a 5 year old by herself 24-7 on top of her working at home...just adding unnecessary stress to an already stressful situation.

sounds horrible. It's not all about me.
Complete Idiot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SirLurksALot said:

It's funny that you use quotes given that the quoted phrase doesn't appear in the original post.
Not funny actually, bad posting on my part and I've edited.
ABATTBQ11
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
For one, you have to understand that those in the 20-35 brackets grew up as probably the most sheltered generation ever. A not-insignificant number of them legitimately equate mean words to physical violence, and they have simply not been prepared for trials and tribulations by their short sighted parents.

Two, .5%, while sounding small, is still high risk. If I told you that you had a 1/200 chance of dying every time you got behind the wheel of your car, you'd probably curtail your driving substantially.
JeremiahJohnson
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
SirLurksALot
How long do you want to ignore this user?
ABATTBQ11 said:

Two, .5%, while sounding small, is still high risk. If I told you that you had a 1/200 chance of dying every time you got behind the wheel of your car, you'd probably curtail your driving substantially.


That's not really a fair comparison. That is only the rate for confirmed cases. It doesn't take into account unconfirmed cases or the fact that not everyone will get the disease. .5% of the total population of young people will not die from this.
ABATTBQ11
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Regardless, it's a scary number. We may not know the true fatality rate, but we do know that it is high, as is the hospitalization rate. I can't blame people for not wanting to take any chances at all.
GE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
aggie1819 said:

I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
Hopefully you are getting better or are already better. Any idea where you may have contracted it?
JeremiahJohnson
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
GE said:

aggie1819 said:

I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
Hopefully you are getting better or are already better. Any idea where you may have contracted it?


Either Colorado or BCS. Since College Station had tons of people traveling and coming back here we will never know.They didn't have positive cases when I was in Colorado but since symptoms can remain dormant for 14 days it is really hard to say. I wash my hands habitually and consider my self a clean person.

Also I am not considered a positive case. They wouldn't test me but said I most likely had it and to quarantine for 14 days. Today is day 14. I finally feel somewhat human. Still weak but better.

FYI: My wife has been with me 24/7 for the past month but has shown no symptoms. She too might be contagious and not know it.
Cheetah01
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
My worry is that the more people that catch it (whether severe or not), the longer this goes on. Economically, we need to bring it to closure as quickly as possible.
Pumpkinhead
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I'm kind of skeptical how much younger people (in their twenties, university age) actually pay attention to cable news. I know my older kids (in university now) do not. Watching the news is an 'old person' thing.
jenn96
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Keep in mind too that if you're basing this on comments on social media (vs people you talk to in real life), especially twitter, bring Freaked. Out. and SO STRESSED and OMG (fill-in-the-blank) IS ****ING TERRIFYING is their default state. Whether it's COVID19, Donald Trump, the Bachelor, gender pronouns, the government, etc - high-stress overreactions are how they roll. Not an age thing either, I have friends in their 50s who are like this too. There's legitimate reasons for young people to take precautions (outlined well in this thread) but the overly anxious are probably overly anxious about everything - at least onscreen.
XhotXwetXgarlic
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Username checks out.
TexAgs1992
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I'm 27 and my sister is 24. I'm in tech consulting and WFH at all times outside of client travel. My sister is in social media for an NGO based in DC. We're both at home with our parents in Houston right now since they are in their mid 60s and my mother has a compromised immune system. I'm taking a role of social distancing by not going out to retail and having all groceries delivered to the house.

My sister is taking it to extremes. She won't let my father and I go grab takeout from our favorite restaurants and nuke it in the microwave or oven. She doesn't understand there are local businesses I'm trying to support through these tough times. Hell, we had our pool guy and lawn maintenance men come yesterday at 1pm and at 6pm when my father and I decided to go throw the baseball outside in the front yard, she demanded we take our shoes off at the front door and disinfect our baseball gloves. Anytime I go on a run in the neighborhood, she demands that I immediately throw my clothes in the wash.

It's getting ridiculous. People like her are all over this country now. They read two of 500 studies on how this virus can live, those stories are sensationalized by MSM and then decide everyone needs to be inconvenienced and settle into fear. I've never seen so much fear from my generation. It's honestly disappointing.

Take precaution but do not succumb to fear.
GE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
aggie1819 said:

GE said:

aggie1819 said:

I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
Hopefully you are getting better or are already better. Any idea where you may have contracted it?
Either Colorado or BCS. Since College Station had tons of people traveling and coming back here we will never know.They didn't have positive cases when I was in Colorado but since symptoms can remain dormant for 14 days it is really hard to say. I wash my hands habitually and consider my self a clean person.

Also I am not considered a positive case. They wouldn't test me but said I most likely had it and to quarantine for 14 days. Today is day 14. I finally feel somewhat human. Still weak but better.

FYI: My wife has been with me 24/7 for the past month but has shown no symptoms. She too might be contagious and not know it.
Sorry I meant more specifically where you could have gotten it. Do you think you contracted it prior to the stay at home guidance?
jopatura
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Honestly getting your news only from social media is a huge problem. You're sucked into a vortex of a poster trying to go viral, shock and awe headlines, and straight up false information. There's a continuous feedback loop where the information you are seeking is always right and always validates your viewpoint, even when it really doesn't. The mainstream media still has its bias and distorts facts heavily, but you can usually still find facts buried in the article to make your own conclusion.

I'm definitely seeing a trend where the millennials (real millennials talking 26-34ish) are pushing heavy for straight up locked in your house quarantine. They don't even want groceries to be delivered. I got into an argument today with an acquaintance because I was displeased with Vermont saying you can't buy non-essentials at an essential store. Of course, she ended the argument by saying she was immunocompromised and couldn't I see how my actions meant she could die.
JeremiahJohnson
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
GE said:

aggie1819 said:

GE said:

aggie1819 said:

I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
Hopefully you are getting better or are already better. Any idea where you may have contracted it?
Either Colorado or BCS. Since College Station had tons of people traveling and coming back here we will never know.They didn't have positive cases when I was in Colorado but since symptoms can remain dormant for 14 days it is really hard to say. I wash my hands habitually and consider my self a clean person.

Also I am not considered a positive case. They wouldn't test me but said I most likely had it and to quarantine for 14 days. Today is day 14. I finally feel somewhat human. Still weak but better.

FYI: My wife has been with me 24/7 for the past month but has shown no symptoms. She too might be contagious and not know it.
Sorry I meant more specifically where you could have gotten it. Do you think you contracted it prior to the stay at home guidance?


I think so. I was home for 6 days before the symptoms showed up. So it's in that window.
Infection_Ag11
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Most young people have never had an illness with a mortality rate within an order of magnitude of COVID. This would be the worst illness, by far, most of them have ever dealt with.

Fear is understandable
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Post removed:
by user
Carolin_Gallego
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Rapier108 said:

Other than perhaps locally, the media no longer reports on the random 80 or 90 year old dying. A famous person would be the exception.

They will however report on every single person under 30 dying of it, and flash it as breaking news on every single national news site.

So for people who have not been paying attention, like most young people, they will suddenly think that it is killing people their age in massive numbers, which is not true.
Take it to the Troll Cave. This is not the place for it.
TAMU1990
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
aggie1819 said:

GE said:

aggie1819 said:

I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
Hopefully you are getting better or are already better. Any idea where you may have contracted it?


Either Colorado or BCS. Since College Station had tons of people traveling and coming back here we will never know.They didn't have positive cases when I was in Colorado but since symptoms can remain dormant for 14 days it is really hard to say. I wash my hands habitually and consider my self a clean person.

Also I am not considered a positive case. They wouldn't test me but said I most likely had it and to quarantine for 14 days. Today is day 14. I finally feel somewhat human. Still weak but better.

FYI: My wife has been with me 24/7 for the past month but has shown no symptoms. She too might be contagious and not know it.
Did you get the Zpack and Hydroxcloriquine?
Carolin_Gallego
How long do you want to ignore this user?
OP, The disease still hits the young very hard. There are plenty of young people in critical condition due to this disease. Entubulation does not sound like a fun experience.
JeremiahJohnson
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Wendy 1990 said:

aggie1819 said:

GE said:

aggie1819 said:

I am young and healthy but this has put me out of commission for 2 weeks. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I feel like I could have easily gotten worse and gotten pneumonia. I was a doubter but it sucks.
Hopefully you are getting better or are already better. Any idea where you may have contracted it?


Either Colorado or BCS. Since College Station had tons of people traveling and coming back here we will never know.They didn't have positive cases when I was in Colorado but since symptoms can remain dormant for 14 days it is really hard to say. I wash my hands habitually and consider my self a clean person.

Also I am not considered a positive case. They wouldn't test me but said I most likely had it and to quarantine for 14 days. Today is day 14. I finally feel somewhat human. Still weak but better.

FYI: My wife has been with me 24/7 for the past month but has shown no symptoms. She too might be contagious and not know it.
Did you get the Zpack and Hydroxcloriquine?


No. They wouldn't test me because I am 34 and didn't need an ER. HCQ is reserved for positive patients.
Pumpkinhead
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Infection_Ag11 said:

Most young people have never had an illness with a mortality rate within an order of magnitude of COVID. This would be the worst illness, by far, most of them have ever dealt with.

Fear is understandable
I think some anxiety in the present times is to be expected for people of any age.

All international borders are closed (international travel shutdown), all schools and university campuses are closed, all sports have been cancelled, and there are 'shelter in place' orders with many businesses closed.

The above stuff in and of itself is saying 'This is a very serious situation' that could make somebody feel anxious.
Page 1 of 2
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.