I’m 68 in June, lucky to be vertical after being 999’d by SWMBO on Xmas eve 2017.
I was so toxic, I have little memory of it all but only heavy duty anti-bios & powerful steroids got me back to some sort of decent life, and I’m fine now as though it had not happened thanks to a rigid gym & diet regime.
Seems I brought back a very dodgy respiratory infection from Oz, having visited relos in a Nursing Home when, in several States, that infection was taking older folks out by the score.
Going off piste perhaps on the thread, but it sets the background of my mindset regarding potential personal wealth issues.
For me, the biggest threats come from Joe Public.
No matter how we try to be as sanitary as we can, we are all only as “clean” on a number of levels by the dirtiest character close to us, or in terms of contagion what they have touched before us. One example was the Garden Centre we went for lunch to only yesterday where a “gent” had just taken an epically noisy dump in the cubical while I was "pointing Percy at the porcelaine. He left without washing his hands, so I used loo paper to open the doors to get out, whereupon he ended up in front of us to buy hand-contact food. There is nothing anyone can do with that sort.
Moving on.
The " 5 Day Armaggedon"
Why call it this?
Apparently superstores don’t back-stock weeks on non perishables ( tinned & long-life) but around at most a week’s worth or less. We can guess the rest.
I cannot mention which UK Superstore but last week, we know they had a series of Conference Calls throughout the UK to try and plan panic buying crowd controls.
We happen to know one of the Regional Managers personally. It may be, depending on how Panic on The Streets develops, they would consider letting people in at say 50 per batch, get them processed, and try to ensure they did not wipe the shelves out.
This, to a degree, has already happened locally only 3 years back with a heavy snow causing this store to run out of the 2 day “Just in Time” delivery systems, causing a stupid run on milk, bread, and other alternatives. They ended up with security staff watching the fresh bake rolls, which was all that they could offer.
People will go feral if they feel the need, it’s how people are. We are the most vicious animals on the planet being self aware, selfish,cunning, and in general terms programmed to self preservation to the detriment.
Personally, I will continue to mix with people outside, carry on as normal including public transport, cinemas and everything else. Bar, that is, booking a Med holiday this year anyway as we don’t fancy being locked up when some clown sneezes.
That Med decision of course is being followed by many thousands of others, and the knock-on for share prices in all the stakeholders involved is already having an impact.
Witness only last week a major airline has shelved it’s Boeing deliveries until further notice.
That billions. In my opinion, the financial knock-ons of low paid service staff & Zero Hours contract employees will be the worst hit…and they don’t dabble in “The City”.
I believe, party due to the Media, political sweatings, and an already critical mass NHS, there is a lot of trouble ahead because of the implications of Covid19 rather than the infection rates. However time will tell.
At 56 I would be happy to be isolated and take my chances if infected. From the general rumblings, probably of marginal age to get full treatment in some countries anyway as resources going to younger people with a milder form of the virus ie. those most likely to recover.
Given the statistics on Worldometer and I assume they are correct older people are far more at risk of death than younger people >80 = 14.8%, <40 = 0.2% ratio 74:1.
From a humanitarian point of view I would see limited resources go to the most vulnerable. Does anyone else agree?
If it was a choice of resources going to me, a single, retired elderly person with most of their life behind them, or to a young, working person with a family and (hopefully) many years before them, I wouldn’t get my vote!
With you on the self isolating front if infected Rhino. I’m 62 and it’s at times like this that getting old hits home.
So many angles on all this. Common opinion is that China didn’t nip it in the bud soon enough but there must be hundreds of viruses similar to this and 99% of them don’t cause any major problems. What the Chinese authorities are guilty of is not having 20/20 hindsight.
A quick Google says 2,900 have died from Coronavirus so far. But then 56,000 die from flu every year. Can’t be bothered with checking how many get run over by a bus.
Pointless worrying about it on a personal basis. As my Grandfather said during the war, if a bomb has got your name on it there’s nothing you can do. Their next door neighbours Mr & Mrs Doodlebug were a bit on edge though.
In principle yes but when push comes to shove it might be difficult to face up to the reality, for me at least. Then I’m not as selfless as you are Roger. I’ll let somebody out from a side turning no problem but then call them all the names under the sun if they are the last one to get through the lights.
If I get the dreaded lurgi I’ll be OK with self isolating as long as I can do it in my 5. I’ll use pay at pump.
According to Worldometers, whose credibility on Coronavirus statistics I rely and trust, there are now 12 new cases in the UK, bringing the total to 35. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
If the American Dow Jones Index is anything to go by we are heading for recovery. It closed 1294 or 5.09% up tonight. UK market much more jittery but still ended up more than 1%.
The Chinese situation appears to be improving rapidly with far fewer new cases of Coronavirus today. Unfortunately the overall recovery picture is blurred by large numbers of new cases in South Korea and Iran with Italy being a continued problem in Europe.
I think the key to a quick recovery is China and that is well on track at the moment.
Yippee!!!
I won’t be cashing in my PIP, I’ll take the “long-term” view as I’ve done previously. So over the 12 years or so already taken out 50% of my original investment amount and the fund is still 190% up. Does that make sense? You know what I mean!
Don’t know whether that is a market recovery or just speculative and highly mobile professional making a quick buck. The fall in Chinese reported cases probably means the lock-downs have worked to stop rampant uncontrolled spread but is no guarantee that the virus doesn’t take off rapidly as they ease restrictions and try to normalise.
