I was thinking today, which can be dangerous, about the fear factor with COVID. I am 49 with controlled high blood pressure and typical 49 year old dad bod. If I walked into a Dr. office tomorrow and was diagnosed with Pneumonia, I would not be scared of dying. I would know that it would suck, but probably not fatal. If I was diagnosed with COVID, I would be concerned.

When my grandpa was in a rest home with Alzheimer's and kidney cancer he passed. You know what killed him, Pneumonia. The nurses said it was what took most of their residents.

My question is what makes COVID this horrible affliction vs plain old Pneumonia? I had viral Pneumonia when I was in my 30's and it really sucked. Never once did I think I was going to die.

Not a bad question... I'm curious as well. I would think something to do with doctors having lots of experience with pneumonia. And Covid seems to kill in different ways so the big unknown factor of it all is what keeps some worried...including me.

I will say that I went from being so sickly worried to the point of it being unhealthy for me to now just being slightly worried and not obsessing. Maybe time helps with simply accepting you can't change things and the mind eventually tires of worrying.

billydean05 said:

---

I don't understand the fear by relatively health younger people and cannot really relate as I have not been afraid of COVID.

---

Oh, I am not living in fear! I am actually one of the non mask people that you see walking around. I may have not been successful in trying to pose the question. I guess its a variation of Flu vs COVID.

billydean05 said:

---

I don't understand the fear by relatively health younger people and cannot really relate as I have not been afraid of COVID.

---

Agree, I'm 67 and I'm not afraid of it. I am just living my life as normally as I can....social distance more.

The rapid escalation is what concerns me the most. I've ordered a pulse oxyimiter which I've read often gives you the first warning signs you can't feel: dripping oxygen rate. Not pricey and like a good thermometer provides some peace of mind.

JB!98 said:

---

I was thinking today, which can be dangerous, about the fear factor with COVID. I am 49 with controlled high blood pressure and typical 49 year old dad bod. If I walked into a Dr. office tomorrow and was diagnosed with Pneumonia, I would not be scared of dying. I would know that it would suck, but probably not fatal. If I was diagnosed with COVID, I would be concerned.

When my grandpa was in a rest home with Alzheimer's and kidney cancer he passed. You know what killed him, Pneumonia. The nurses said it was what took most of their residents.

My question is what makes COVID this horrible affliction vs plain old Pneumonia? I had viral Pneumonia when I was in my 30's and it really sucked. Never once did I think I was going to die.

---

My mom passed similarly as your grandpa. Pneumonia is a killer mainly when coupled with other complications.

The 1918 flu simply cleared the way for pneumonia to kill the victim:

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/bacterial-pneumonia-caused-most-deaths-1918-influenza-pandemic

More to your point, I think the fear should be a secondary infection, such as pneumonia, along with COVID19 in your scenario.

For now why COVID19 rocks someone world to the point they die or are they are just really sick vs not so sick is still a unknown. Unknowns are worrisome.

Pneumonia in general doesn't seem to be a big deal to most folks, but as we all know, pneumonia can kill anyone under the right conditions.

[Wrong forum for media and Obama commentary. -Staff]

If bacterial pneumonia is caught soon enough, there are many antibiotics that can treat it. Elderly people don't necessarily have to die from it anymore if treated in hospital with IV antibiotics. Covid is viral and the lung disease/pneumonia cannot be treated as "easily."

So what all do you do differently? Don't visit them as much? Wear masks around them? Clean hands before visit? Stay away from large groups? Stay at home as much as possible? Socially distance when visiting?

I work 65+ hours a week, so I don't have time to see the crowds anyway. Basically the only thing I do more of now is order groceries online and cook at home. Most of that is I don't want to deal with the annoyance of going to a restaurant and finding out they won't let me in.

Kid in daycare, another starts summer programs Monday, and I travel all over for work. Grandparents come hang out 1-2 times a week.

/shrug

Even got to shake hands yesterday with a business contact.

Op,you don't worry about it. Because you won't die from it anymore than you'd die from the flu. You're at that line. Being over 50, it switches. But remember that is skewed by the elderly and comorbid patients with serious ailments and secondary issues. There is way too much fear being spread and it is not based in science. It's based on possibilities and models. As more studies are coming in, the actual science we do know is leaning towards this thing not being at all that dangerous to the population as a whole. 99.97 % "survive" and most of those at most get a crappy "cold" and feel like poop for a few days.

Hey, there's a possibility you could die. But it's so unlikely I'd just respect it like we should the flu in bad seasons. No one wants that either, but let's face it, you are 49, dad bod and high blood pressure. Your much much more likely to have a heart ailment or diabetes later in life than to die right now from Covid. Like a lottery type odds if not even better (or worse-you know what I mean). My advice is do not worry about Covid. Do focus on gaining muscle mass and strength (I'm a trainer so I do know a thing). Eat better. Have a calorie deficit diet to get your BF% below 20 (unless you are already at which I'd say lift and grow the muscles and get down to 10-15% BF, 95-100lbs of muscle. Notice I don't care about your weight or BMI as really those are useless numbers. Get on that now before those more pressing conditions begin to become present and keep washing your hands, keep your hand off your face and out of your nose and mouth etc. That will keep Covid and the flu away.

Also, I have parents in their 80s. I make sure we limit contact. It's the best and really only way to protect them. I know we all have different priorities. But what they are doing is realizing that they have responsibilities in all of this too. Hey, we all want to physically see our parent and grandparents but unfortunately that just might not be in the cards right now without risk. But one thing my mom constantly beats into me is that we should live our lives and enjoy our freedoms and not limit those b/c of her. I've got a friend whose son plays football in the 9th grade and daughter is a senior cheerleader. They are worried that all of our over cautiousness might take those things away from them. My kids missed their soccer and T-Ball seasons along with a lot of other kids in spring sports. It honestly wasn't worth it looking back and it isn't worth it going forward for them to miss these things or have to have them but with restrictions. My mom literally said that. She's said she had a great life and got to do all of that. Her grandchildren shouldn't suffer b/c of her. Nor should her children. As I said in another thread, at some point the vulnerable need to also think about the selfless actions of isolating themselves safely so that the rest of the healthy 99.97% and get on living our lives or choose to take on the risks. It should be their choice and a choice only. But we shouldn't have rules and restrictions forced on us for choices that they freely make. Hey, my 80 year old mother said that. 85 year old dad feels the same. All of these restrictions may feel great to follow now but are not realistic in the long term. Eventually, until a vaccine becomes available (it may never btw) we will just have to accept Covid in our everyday lives and the threat it has on the most vulnerable.