I find this terrifying: Many older Americans think the coronavirus crisis is overblown.

[BeckyDem]

Link to tweet

[spanone]

1. Anyone who believes this 'president' is a fool and possibly a dead one.

[Ohiogal]

2. I've heard of a few

Who have said, I’m old and we all have to die of something.

Just can’t wrap my mind around it.

[BeckyDem]

5. They will spread it, it is astonishing on that basis alone.

[dewsgirl]

7. Yeah but you don't have to die tomorrow. SMH

We all have to die, they are accelerating the process for many of them.

[Ohiogal]

17. I have heard this fatalistic response

from older relatives and from acquaintances in the past. My mother was one. My late brother-in-law was another.

“I’ve lived a long life, I’m too old to change my habits, if I go, I go.”

But yeah, that’s certainly selfish and ignorant during recent times fighting spread of coronavirus.

[Marthe48]

88. I am my grandkids last grandparent alive

Those kids have taken a lot of hits in their young lives. I miss my husband, but I am determined to be here to see all of the kids graduate from high school. My granddaughter wants me to be there when she graduates from college (probably 15 years away)

My children want me to stay in and after today, I will, except to go to their house to let the dog out. One of my sons-in-law travels a lot, by air, and my daughter is thinking of isolating him in their garage, so he can't infect me. With that level of love and concern, I cannot possibly be fatalistic, blase, resigned. And, in the hope that so many other seniors are also so beloved, I cannot risk infecting someone.

[dewsgirl]

95. That is wonderfully thoughtful of them.❤

[Drahthaardogs]

99. I have heard it too...until shit gets real

Then they want the best medicine NOW!

[customerserviceguy]

93. It's easy

to take this lightly, until someone you know is dead from it. Right now, for many people this is an abstraction, something like so-called "reality" TV.

In a couple of weeks, it will hit home for most people.

[dewsgirl]

96. I was just at the grocery store, I have no doubt people are slowly..

however painfully slow, beginning to wake up. You are correct, I have been following since mid January, it's about time.

[Rorey]

101. They may want to consider that they may not even get palliative care

If they think they're just going to slip out without any discomfort, they may be in for a big surprise. I'm kind of a fan of palliative care myself.

I'm also SMH.

[jimfields33]

103. The problem is we're under 50 deaths

And most came from one building. All this is too much for seniors who’ve been through many of these outbreaks. They remember swine flu H1N1 that took 1800 in one year and nothing closed.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/world/coronavirus-news.amp.html

[Arkansas Granny]

30. This is true, but I'm not ready to die from something that I could prevent. I'm also not ready to

risk passing a disease along to someone else.

[Ohiogal]

33. I just hope

I never develop that mind set.

[Ghost Dog]

35. Selfish 'boomers', it will be said.

Personally, I'd rather not die by, basically, drowning out of the water, without having had the thrill of going out sailing in a storm, first.

[CountAllVotes]

83. Many of these old people are not boomers

They are members of was called The Greatest Generation, now called The Silent Generation which is B.S.

My parents were of this generation and they sure as hell were not "silent" so to speak. They were indeed The Greatest Generation perhaps being WWII was their meme. Some are still alive and in their late 80s and 90s.

Why do we have to have names/labels for a group of people that may not have a solitary thing in common?

AGEISM is why!

[Ghost Dog]

98. Yes. With respect.

I have read, for example, Mailer's "The Naked And The Dead".

[yardwork]

105. The silent generation is different from the greatest generation.

The so-called silent generation were born in the 1930s. It's a relatively small cohort.

[centrarchus]

3. No fool like an old fool. nt

[Moostache]

4. They handed out Darwin Awards for a reason...this kind of asshattery is one reason (n/t)

[Mariana]

47. People this age have already reproduced, for the most part.

Therefore, they aren't eligible for Darwin awards.

[hlthe2b]

6. Last week, I saw grocery store & Sam's Club customers taking it seriously...

Yesterday a very brief trip to Walmarts to pick up an online order was sufficient to show just the opposite.
My community has cases and CO is now up to 50 cases and there is clear evidence it is rapidly increasing. There is every reason to suspect we have community spread. Yet, the glove and use of alcohol wet wipes to wipe carts among the customers I observed lasted a couple of days only? I hope the store staff is doing more, but I sort of doubt it.

[BeckyDem]

8. I noticed my grocery store washing down and hosing all the carts, they rotate them.

All the workers had gloves on too. It just blew my mind to read this OP, they could be spreading it to people, that is unconscionable.

[hlthe2b]

10. Well, if they are listening to their company CEOs, the workers will do so. I've gotten emails from

a dozen or more retailers, including King Soopers (Krogers), Starbucks, Vitacost and others outlining their response and I have to say it has been somewhat reassuring.

[BeckyDem]

18. Exactly, at least they seem to have a plan.

[Ghost Dog]

36. That's a great line from Orwell:

“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”

cf. Julian Assange.

[BeckyDem]

38. Yes and thank you!

[Ghost Dog]

97. Thank you!

[Arkansas Granny]

32. I've been getting emails from stores I've done business with online telling me how they are stepping

up their sanitation efforts. Lowe's, Home Depot, Sam's and Wal-Mart to name a few.

[Guilded Lilly]

53. Same here. Quite a few local and specialty stores as well. n/t

[Thomas Hurt]

9. Many or even most won't get it until tens of thousands are dead and the hospitals are overwhelmed.

Trumpers not even then.

[BeckyDem]

13. Possibly, which is so unnecessary.

[old guy]

56. This.

[bullwinkle428]

11. Two-word explanation : "FOX NEWS"

[BeckyDem]

14. Yes and perhaps some serious denial too.

I'm a senior citizen, these people I do not relate to in any way.

[rainin]

12. My 85-year-old mom said she was ready to go, she'd had a long life

I tried to describe to her what that might look like.

She'd get incredibly sick, someone will take her to the hospital. She has heart problems and lung problems, so she likely will be struggling to breathe (Very scary).

There may be so many people there who are equally sick that there is a shortage of space, caregivers, and equipment. She may spend hours in the waiting room before they even have an open bed.

No one can go with her, her family has to stay away from the hospital, she'll be alone.

They may be forced to choose to treat a younger person with kids, rather than her because of her advanced age (choices must be made). She could be there, in severe pain, with no measures taken to comfort her until she dies from lack of oxygen, a very slow, painful death.

Or, she can stay at home for a few weeks and quarantine with us, I'll bring her meals, she can read and watch her faux news all day, and we'll try to get through this.

So far, she's staying home voluntarily. She hasn't noticed that I've taken her keys. Since she lives with us, I can't have her spreading it to all of us.

[BeckyDem]

16. She has you to talk to her about that, so many more apparently need to hear that.

[rainin]

39. It has been incredibly hard to move the needle with her

I'm up against so much propaganda and brainwashing

I try to talk to her daily about it and share people's stories, from doctors, from nurses, some from Italy, some from China. I've come to believe Faux viewers are moved by stories far more than facts. Over the years, we've stopped seeing eye to eye on anything

[BeckyDem]

41. That has got to be so frustrating. You are doing the right thing regardless!

Fox news is the enemy of truth, the damage rivals that of governments like Russia.

[marlakay]

67. My mom is a democrat but she is

One of those overly positive people so much so they don’t live in reality. I tried to talk to her, she is 92, lives in a senior apt plus place, meals, cleaning, rides but no medical. Also I live out of state from her and my daughter who lives 45 min away is busy manager and visits every few weeks.

She told me she turned off all the virus stuff on tv because it was too negative. Went to doctor few days ago and had a cough from allergies and doctor told her to wear a mask, her reaction oh well its just allergies I don’t need to! I offered to find one and mail it, she said she wouldn’t wear it.

She has been stubborn all my life. I am trying to talk her into staying home but she doesn’t want to miss out on the lunches out twice a week they do, i hope they cancel them.

At least my daughter and I took her car away a year ago and that was hard.

[CountAllVotes]

59. That is where my cousin's mom is at

She is 90 years old and a retired teacher.

She took a really bad fall last year and broke her pelvis. Since this time she's be in nursing homes and hospitals and suffering a lot. Now she's in an assisted living care center that is being paid for from the sale of her home that she lived in for 60+ years.

My cousin goes to see her once a week. Occasionally he brings a load of her laundry home and washes it for her as they don't do that very often for her so she lives in dirty clothes much of the time.

She told my cousin she is tired of life several months ago.

She doesn't care about washing her hands etc. My cousin took her some hand sanitizer, etc. to use and she just ignored him.

I really don't blame her as her life is at the end. She was already confined to this hellhole place before COV hit. She is a very smart and well-educated woman.

As for my cousin and I, we are close in age and also senior citizens but believe me, we are taking this very seriously and this OK Boomer shit is insulting! Do not judge a specific group of people by the actions of some. That is plain wrong!

I hate seeing the very old die off. I am married to one of them myself and he does not seem to be very concerned as he has "seen it all already"! He remembers the smallpox epidemic, polio before a treatment or cure, five of this country's stupid wars, one of which he served in etc. etc. etc.

This specific population is often ill already and they deserve respect. If they don't care and end up dying because they don't care, well that is their decision.

In the meantime, I am the one trying to do things around here. I'm very high risk myself and trying to NOT GO OUT!

[mr_lebowski]

78. Wouldn't your cousin's mom be your aunt?

Just curious.

[CountAllVotes]

79. My mother was adopted in 1925

We never knew *who* she was, never. She died not knowing.

I found this cousin very recently thanks to DNA testing. His grandmother was my grandmother's half sister.

I do not personally know his mother. I just hear what he has told me about her.

My newly found family for the most part doesn't much acknowledge that I exist because of the shame of having a bastard in the family (this cousin does not personally feel that way luckily!).

Its difficult for people when they find out such things.

My grandfather's family is in denial. They are a bunch of rich people in Texas and deny that I exist!

In any event, I am very glad I found my long lost cousin!

[mr_lebowski]

82. Ah I understand ...

His grandmother would be your great aunt ... so the cousin is your second cousin, and that would make his mother your 2nd cousin once removed.

Pretty sure that's how it works

[CountAllVotes]

84. Yes, actually a 2nd half cousin

We do not look anything like each other.

However, the grandfather's family looks like my mother! You can see the resemblance in the face! It is believe me!

As for this same grandfather, he came from a rich, very well-documented family as I mentioned. If you trace them back a bit you find some rather startling relationships to some well-known politicians from ... TEXAS !! *ack*

[Rorey]

102. Agree. This must be stressed to people of this mindset

I'm sure many aren't considering the discomfort, and the panic that one feels when they can't breathe.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Could be because some of the older end of the spectrum

as children, managed to survive polio, tuberculosis, smallpox, and many others that we have vaccines for, and are still here.

[beachbumbob]

19. need fewer trump spporters, so its karma

[snowybirdie]

20. These folks drive me batty

Lived in The Villages for six months before hightailing it out asap! All righties and all bigoted. It will be devastating if the virus takes hold there. Medical care in the area is just OK and these folks pack in together every night at the plazas for the cocktail hour and dance music. I fear for them. Who wants to die of something as stupid as a virus that could be avoided with a little precaution? Isolating in place here and hubby and I are enjoying each other's company, even after 58 years! Be safe folks.

[BeckyDem]

22. You too! Fellow senior here!

Be safe.

[Phoenix61]

29. Not if, when.

Think of all those little grandchildren coming to visit during Spring Break and Easter.

[C_U_L8R]

21. The clock is ticking.

I fear we're about to hit the sharp part of the exponential curve. And if these people are freely infecting each other, they're potentially dooming themselves and everyone they care for. Self absorbed assholes.

[BeckyDem]

24. Incredible, isn't it?

[Butterflylady]

23. A friend of mine who takes me for my therapy

Says that this no different than the flu. She's 78 and has a lot health issues. I didn't want to argue the point, she's my sons mother-in-law. I said I'm going to take all the precautions out there. The funny part is while I was waiting to be called into the doctor I noticed she was checking her phone as to what or what not to do with this virus. Got a chuckle out of it.

[mcar]

25. That is, of course, The Villages, Florida

[CottonBear]

26. The Villages is the worst place for a virus outbreak.

All of the Republican, Fox News watching seniors are going to be a prime target for COVID19.

[mcar]

27. I hope they don't infect all the good Democrats there

[Arkansas Granny]

28. It's not just older Americans. I've come across younger ones, as well.

I don't know where they get their news, but they are woefully ill-informed. I try to pass facts along as I can.

I'm trying to be cautious without panic. I've always washed my hands frequently, but I'm doing a more thorough job of it lately. I'm also using hand sanitizer when I've been out in public and I don't plan on attending any gatherings. At work we have put jugs of hand sanitizer in the break room and I disinfect high touch areas daily. So far, no one has tried to come to work sick, but they will be sent home if they do.

In talking to my children, if the situation gets to a critical level, I'm going to stay with my youngest. He's single and his home is situated on 16 acres with no close neighbors. He has a fully stocked freezer and pantry. In his line of work he is not required to interact with the public, so his exposure risk is low. His ex wife and mother in law will join us if necessary (yes, we all still get along ok).

[BeckyDem]

31. Good! We all need a plan and not everyone will be able to safeguard as you described.

[CottonBear]

42. I've a co-worker who's taking her 2 & 5 yr olds on a road trip to Tampa, FL

for a wedding.

She asked me my opinion. I said to stay home. She didn’t seem to think it was necessary. I said how will you avoid the virus, much less other contagions, on a 12-14 hour road trip and attending a wedding?

[Arkansas Granny]

46. My daughter and I have postponed our trip to see my granddaughter and great granddaughter

until we see how this is going to shake out. It was either get on a plane with who knows how many people who have been exposed or infected, or we could drive for two days and stop at travel centers, restaurants and motels and come in contact with who knows how many people who have been exposed or infected.

[CottonBear]

52. My child and I aren't going out of state to see my 84 year old mom

or to visit an out of state family member who has a new baby.

My child’s school is cancelled next week and their 4H district events were cancelled too.

The state university cancelled classes for 2 weeks starting on 3/16/20.

I am keeping my child at home. I only go out to work, for groceries and to the pharmacy. I’m almost stocked up so we can be home for at least 2 weeks.

[bullwinkle428]

68. I wouldn't go across town to attend a wedding. It's not really driving that

distance that would be the biggest concern for me; it would be the large gathering of people in a given space.

[CottonBear]

70. I am in total agreement with you.

This woman is college educated. I don’t know why she isn’t taking proper precautions.

[gibraltar72]

34. Not this one.

[Strelnikov_]

37. Blame Pres. Dunning-Krueger n/t

[Javaman]

40. my sister in NYC who is 70 thinks it's overblown.

>shakes head in wonder<

And she is probably the smartest person I know. a very science based person.

I don't get it.

[BeckyDem]

43. That is scary. How did pandemic become overblown? grrrr

[CanonRay]

44. Our church pastor thinks it's overblown

It's just the flu she says. The Board voted to shut down for two weeks and she is not happy with us. I cannot understand her thinking.

[BeckyDem]

45. She is not qualified to make that determination. Incredible, isn't it?

[blueinredohio]

48. My 12 year old granddaughter told me this morning this virus isn't any worse than the flu

and more people have died from the flu. She goes to school with mostly republicans children. I told her this virus just got started and its ten times worse than the flu.

[BeckyDem]

49. No worse than the flu, that is Trump speak. How awful our children are misled!

[blueinredohio]

55. It's hard to convince them when friends and teachers are saying it.

But I'm trying.

[BeckyDem]

57. Its incredible that anyone would need to, but we all have to try.

[blueinredohio]

73. I know. My area is very red.

[cbdo2007]

50. I have people in their 40's on my facebook still calling it a Dem hoax...

like the NBA and all this stuff is going to be cancelled over a Dem hoax?!?!

Oh well, just take care of you and your own and we'll let them all go down together.

[BeckyDem]

51. Brainwashed. We are seeing in real time the results of the Fox news legacy.

[jmg257]

54. This isn't just trump and Fox news - my MIL watches that shit religiously and she is taking

it quite seriously. She quarantined herself from one daughter who went to Disney last week, and anyone who that daughter or her family was near.

They are old - and as noted many just won't change their habits. Even my mom said pretty much "well, I need to go the clubhouse and have coffee". Hope the thick-headed ones keep it amongst themselves, I guess.

Only so much you can do.

[getagrip_already]

58. To an extent, I get it...

Part of aging is a loss of connections to life. You lose your job/career, your associates, your friends. your drivers license, You are looking at a long dark tunnel once your health degrades to the point where you are forced into an assisted living center or a nursing home. Once that happens, life is pretty much over and frozen in place.

So seniors want to live a full and rewarding life. They don't want to cower at home. They only have years left to do this in their minds (and many may not even have that long). Delaying a trip a year may mean never taking another trip again.


So yeah, I get it. It's still foolish and to some extent selfish, but it is at least understandable for the true senior set.

[Bradshaw3]

60. Many, if not most, younger americans thinks the crisis is overblown

Or they think that of they get it they will have a better chance of surviving than older Americans, so they are not that worried. That's even more fucked up. It's always easy to blame the old folks but most of my friends are younger (under 45) and they are just as meh about it as older people I know. I talked to several yesterday and they all had the attitude that this is "just like the flu, more people die from that, etc." Telling them there has been minute amounts of testing and that this is 10 times more lethal doesn't seem to make an impact. And these are smart, anti-drumpf, good people. It's anecdotal but this article appears to be as well (I couldn't read it because of the paywall).

[librechik]

61. FOXNEWS will be responsible for their deaths.

[BeckyDem]

63. At the worst time in history we have a president who said it was a hoax.

The consequences of this lunatic president is now lethal.

[librechik]

66. AND FOXNEWS blasted that lie far and wide. Stupidly.

[Brainfodder]

75. .....and sued OOB like yesterday?

[randr]

62. Calling Darwin, got a herd of people ready

[33taw]

64. I wish that they would simply say "we need to self isolate to reduce the spread of the disease"

Some elderly have no clue what “social distancing” means. They simply say “oh, I don’t do Facebook”.

[BeckyDem]

65. Any clarity would help but my God, they need to understand they could spread this to so many

people! That is what is so irresponsible, no matter who is doing this.

[BlueJac]

69. Fox news watchers, plain and simple!

[Greybnk48]

71. My 94 y/o aunt doesn't think this is overblown.

She's seen it all: smallpox, polio, "German" measles, AIDS, and she is very respectful of what's happening.

My husband and I, 72 and 71, are stocked with food and medicine and we're "social distancing" as of today. We have to babysit out grandkids one more day and then we're done with that for a while since our DIL's college is going virtual after 2 weeks of break.

She also works in a hospital and we're afraid she will bring it into our house so we've asked her to keep visits to a minimum.

[BeckyDem]

76. Excellent to hear that.

Stay safe!

[Hortensis]

72. Fox is starting to report the truth better.

No matter how the background discussion tries to spin it, Fox News coverage of the emergency announcements of governors and other officials, suspending of sports seasons, closings of schools, charts of states with known cases, etc., are getting the word out. Today conservatives in many places are learning they will not be allowed to visit loved ones in nursing homes and that their churches may suspend services.

This morning I switched over to Fox & Friends very briefly. They were talking COVID and then Dr. Fauci was being introduced. I didn't listen, but we know he told it like it is.

Just turned on again, and they're reporting on Brazil's president's positive test, Trump's exposure, and a second test that supposedly is negative. Whatever the truth about that, they're talking COVID-19 and underlining that Trump was with him, shaking hands, Saturday and even suggesting that Trump could need testing or self-quarantine.

[BeckyDem]

74. The precarious nature of Fox news was the danger that preceded this event and settles

into the mindset of people the OP is addressing at the moment. But we have no choice, we must all try regardless to educate them asap.

[Hortensis]

86. There are more of us. It's always been the job of rational, decent

people to keep control away from those who are not. We failed because too many of us didn't do our simple job and allowed us to be outnumbered more often than not.

In 2016 many did not vote to keep Republicans out of power, even knowing they should. THAT is what needs to be corrected. Fortunately, we've seen just that happen in the 2018 midterms and high turnout in our primary elections.

And the dreadful decline shaking people up didn't just happen. The degradation of news media and takeover of the internet by RW subversives is a product of 40 years of neglect by too many of those who can make the kind of overall responsible and moral decisions liberal democracies must have to function.

In other words, clean up our own act, do our own jobs, and one of those will be to finally, belatedly put a regulatory leash on media that are so subversive and toxic that they threaten our national wellbeing.

[BeckyDem]

87. Oh please, blame 2016? The Telecom Act of 1996 is one main reason we have Fox News.

You can look up who supported that and who did not.

[Hortensis]

89. I said 40 years. Hard RW minorities dominated and outvoted

those who failed to hold the line over that period.

We all need to understand that people who are not suited to make responsible decisions and/or are vulnerable to very bad leadership have ALWAYS been with us. Fox didn't create the ones on the right. Fox reflected their rise in power. All advances the human race has ever made are in spite of them, usually in spite of their rabid resistance, and often only after recovering from dreadful reverses.

So, don't like what happened over the past four decades? First understand how it happened and put the blame where it ultimately always lies: With the failure of the majority of civilized people to hold against the barbarians.

And, on to the recovery and much-delayed advances our generations should have made.

[BeckyDem]

90. There is plenty of blame to go around, that Telecom Act was but one very critical disaster.

Right now, for the sake of argument, I would plead for Obama to speak out and condemn Trump for doing this. Its far too dangerous, no time to consider the politics of it. Keep hammering him until he stops it. Never Trump 2020, he is a menace and its time more came out and said so.


Trump administration blocks states from using Medicaid to respond to coronavirus crisis

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-13/trump-administration-blocks-states-use-medicaid-respond-coronavirus-crisis

[Hortensis]

91. Agree on the ends, but I believe we should mostly confine

ourselves to presenting ourselves as the honorable, high-minded and competent choice we are.

Trump and company are doing an outstanding job -- outdoing all previous, already outstanding efforts -- in proving themselves to be the true menace they are.

Watching their performance in power has already convinced many people who let the GOP take over to vote better, and many more are wobbling. Don't want to distract them from their lessons.

[BeckyDem]

92. We need a commanding voice, one that Obama can bring. Shame Trump, it can't hurt.

Stay safe, the only safe hugs left.

[Hortensis]

94. WE already are united in a commanding purpose,

and isn't that enormously comforting? What we must have is more people joining us to kick the Republicans out of power, even if only by deciding not to vote for them.

Fwiw, I trust Obama and his advisers to decide when it will be best for him to step forward.

Safe hugs.

[Baitball Blogger]

77. Lemmings jumping off the cliff.

[northoftheborder]

80. Not just elders....

Yesterday I had to give blood for my yearly physical at a testing center. The 20 something technician told me she personally did not believe the coronavirus was any worse than the regular flu. She volunteered that she had already had the flu earlier in the year (I asked if she had taken the flu shot: "no".. The young sometimes think they will live forever, regardless. (As a medical employee she should not have been giving her unasked for and inaccurate advice on medical facts.) Later I thought I should have asked her where she got her "information".

[BeckyDem]

81. We can't force people to believe the truth but we must try. Sad, isn't it? Young and old, this is

so counterproductive to our safety.

[maxsolomon]

85. My neighbors, in their mid-80s, are off on multiple errands all day.

Apparently they DGAF.

[ProfessorGAC]

100. I've Heard It

All 3 guys I played 9 holes with on Thursday all said it.
Full disclosure: I'm not going to self- quarantine at this point. Just be cautious but I'm not going to totally avoid stores and the like.
The numbers in IL are fairly modest, but the death rate for those who get it is what I worry about.
Might not get it, but if we do, could be bad?

[Demobrat]

104. Younger ones too

I live in San Francisco. The bars in my neighborhood, and there are many, are packed as usual.

[BeckyDem]

106. That is crazy!

[musette_sf]

107. Photo was taken at The Villages FL,

same Rump-tirement community that is giving Ed McGinty a raft of shit for his one-man protest against Rump.

The 120,000-person enclave is a Trump stronghold in a county the president carried by nearly 70 percent, where Republicans outnumber Democrats two to one and golf carts — the main mode of transportation — are adorned with Trump bumper stickers.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/08/trump-protest-the-villages-golf-cart/