At what point do I panic?

Well, this is bizarre, isn't it?

I'm not a person of few words, but this one has kind of got me stumped. Plenty to say, but unsure as to how to put it all into words, really.

I know how serious this is, so I'm not trying to be flippant. I know that people are dying, so I'm trying not to make light of it. My own parents are in their late sixties and they have existing health issues. What I won't do is allow myself to be whipped up into this frenzy, this panic that some people have allowed themselves to be. Because when all is said and done, if we're going to contract it, we're going to contract it.

We have to be sensible, take precautions where possible. A lot of these decisions are being taken out of our hands; cancellation of sporting events, concerts, holidays. Schools closed. Whole countries on lock down. And it's going to happen here. We're only a week to two weeks behind that happening.

It's going to be a huge inconvenience to our lives, but some of us will weather that a lot easier than others. Thankfully I am currently at home to supervise the children in the day, should the schools close, which they invariably will at some point.

I do have worries, not so much ones about contracting the virus, but more practical things.

My son is due to sit his GCSEs in a few weeks time. How will this impact on his examinations? If the virus is set to peak early to mid May?

I won't say that I have panic bought necessarily, I haven't gone around blindly throwing fifty bags of pasta and nine thousand toilet rolls in my trolley, but I have made sure that my food cupboards and both freezers are full, because I cook for five of us every day. And if the schools are off? Then I'm cooking for five for one extra meal time a day as well. And although I'm well stocked now, it is going to go, it's going to run out if it's not being replaced weekly. This is the main problem, the uncertainty of it all. Will food supplies be affected, they're bound to be, aren't they? Who the hell out there can afford to go out and panic buy and bulk buy, when the majority of us are living month to month, from paycheck to paycheck - and we have the added worry of a potentially life threatening illness, which will impact on whether we'll even be able to do our jobs? Even if you have the money, who has the space? I'm privileged enough to have two freezers, they're both rammed full. I can't even do any batch cooking right now because they're so full?

I do have things like flour, and oats, and I always have baking supplies in. So, if the worst comes to the worst, I can make bread, rolls, pizza bases, tortillas, pancakes, cake. All the things that I shouldn't be eating, but it would be a case of needs must. Thankfully I buy large volume bags of rice and pasta anyway, usually only because they are more cost effective. I always have a large stock of baked beans, tinned tomatoes, passata and tomato puree, because hello? Slimming World? I have a half sack of potatoes, when my father insisted he take us for other week - this was before people started panic buying. 

It's just this weird limbo now, where I feel that I want to socially isolate my family, but - is there any point if the children are in school? Is there any point if Mr G is going out to work? But I just feel that we should keep our interactions with others to a bare minimum. And to be honest with you, I'm ready for that right now. I'm ready for a two week isolation. I have enough food to see it through - right now. Any longer and who knows?

Our SW consultant is running an open weigh on Monday, no group, no tea and coffee, contactless payments preferred, hand washing provided. Who knows how long that will be viable for. What happens then, I don't know? I know there are bigger issues at stake here, but I need that accountability on a weekly basis. Thankfully, we are going to be more active online. It's times like this that social media will hopefully play a more positive part in life than it usually does.

I don't put the news on, I don't see the point. It's out there, and we need to exercise common sense. Knowing how many new cases there are shouldn't alter that, knowing what the death toll is shouldn't alter that. I read the gov.uk updated advice, I read the NHS advice. I know what to do if anyone exhibits symptoms, I know what those symptoms are, I know what to do after a week if they are no better or struggling to cope. What's the point in stressing out, or dwelling on it, or facing it with a 'end is nigh' attitude? At the end of the day, what you focus on grows. I'm not for one minute suggesting that ignoring it will make it go away, but focusing on worry, fear, sickness and panicking, at a time when calmness is needed, seems counterproductive to me. I have better things to focus my attention on, I intend to do just that.