Boomers Not Taking This Seriously
My Mother-in-law left Friday for Florida for three weeks with her sister to use her timeshare. They are 70 and will be 1000 miles from home with no support in what is likely the worst state in America to be in right now. This is despite their children begging them not to go.
I have heard from other friends that their Boomer parents are also not taking this as seriously as they should given a possible 6-10% death rate for that cohort. I know users of this blog are all ages, but lots of us have parents in that age group, are your parents taking this seriously?
It’s reckless btw-wonder if your father knows how to spell
March 24th, 2020 at 12:36 PM ^
My parents took it seriously from the start. We're Chinese, so they knew exactly what was happening in Wuhan and that this was no joke.
My in-laws on the other hand buried their head in the sand and refused to cancel their 3 week trip to Australia including a week on a cruise ship, despite us pleading with them. They were there for a week, couldn't go anywhere because everything was closed and then thank goodness, the cruise was cancelled and they came home. I think standing in line at LAX coming back finally made my MIL realize how serious it was, but my FIL still thinks it's a joke. We and their other daughter have been very clear if they want to see their grandkids after their 14 days are up that they need to take quarantine and social distancing seriously, so they're playing ball finally and hunkering down at home.
Yeah, my parents seem to be taking it pretty seriously, so it does seem on a per-person basis. My general feeling is that if you were a bit tone-deaf and egotistical beforehand, a virus probably wasn't going to change your tune that much.
I'm hopeful this virus will eliminate a large portion of simple-minded fools across this country. Hopefully the ones who cannot be reasoned with by presenting facts and logic.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:25 AM ^
My Boomer parents are super scared, and are taking this super seriously. Cancelling trips and everything.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
My boomer parents are taking this very seriously. My parents went to the grocery store because they had to a few days ago and both wore gloves. When they got home they wiped down everything they bought. They forgot flower, and i picked some up for them because I was on my way to the store anyway. When I brought it over, they stood 6 feet away and also wiped down the bag of flower.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:52 PM ^
Where did you find flour?
Flower can be found at the florist, same place you can find toilet paper.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:26 AM ^
My dad is turning 70 this summer. Last year was a miserable year for him because of a surgical infection. My mom is a couple years younger and has her own health concerns.
They are both bunkered down and at home and washing their hands raw. Cancelled his birthday celebrations already.Taking it very seriously.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:15 PM ^
Their hands aren't the only thing going raw during this stay at home order.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:21 PM ^
Nice
March 24th, 2020 at 11:27 AM ^
Y’all need to chill out on here. I’m not a boomer and I’m staying home but they’re old, let them do what they want they have lived their life.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
Their choices can effect the health and well being of others though, without even knowing it.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
This is key and where the "let them live their lives" argument falls through. This is not like making a choice to go sky diving where the only risk that is being borne is by the person sky diving. This is like making a choice to go sky diving and then every person you come in contact with now also has to go sky diving... maybe not the best analogy but the best I could come up with.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
I never said it wouldn’t, some obviously don’t care. They lived their life
March 24th, 2020 at 11:39 AM ^
I agree to a large extent on this mentality. However, given that our best models say the average infected person passes this to three other people, we always have to be mindful that our decisions are directly impacting other people (many of whom would rather stay alive).
March 24th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
Do you have a link that the infected person will transfer it to 3 people? Curious about the transfer rate and all. Thanks
March 19 article in Nature sets the estimate of COVID-19 R0 to 2 to 2.5.
Wow! Data! What a novel way to discuss a subject!
March 24th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
There was an interview the other day with a professor in the UK I believe where he said the following that put it in perspective:
- With the flu, the average person transmits it to 1.3 people. After 10 rounds that adds up to ~14 people.
- With COVID, the average person transmits to 3 people. After 10 rounds, that adds up to.... 59,000.
Staying home is NOT about just you. It's about literally everyone.
If you think your risk of dying from this virus is too high for you to tolerate, DO NOT GO OUTSIDE.
Telling everybody else they can't live their lives because you refuse to stop interacting with them is just you being a piece of shit.
That's not how any of this works.
Did you read a thing Block M just posted?!?
This is why it's going to be 10x worse in the US than anywhere else. Because people here can't understand basic science or math and believe politicians who lie to their faces because those same politicians now go around stating that anything contrarian (to their agenda) is untrue or biased, no matter how fact-based it may be. This isn't about the government taking away your "freedom", this is about actual fucking science and not being a selfish fucking dickhead who's going to get a lot of people killed because you still want to go to Cabela's.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:38 PM ^
I'm a boomer. Is 57 old?
March 24th, 2020 at 12:39 PM ^
If they get sick are they willing to die alone in isolation without seeking medical attention or coming in contact with anyone else?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:28 AM ^
My parents are at the end of the boomer years but they’re taking it seriously. Neither have any underlying conditions but they still don’t want to put themselves in harms way. Heck my moms worried about going to the grocery store, so the idea of going to Florida would be non starter for her.
From the spring break videos it doesn’t look like some Gen z or millennials are taking it seriously either. People really have to think about others during this time.
I hope everything works out with your mother in law.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:47 PM ^
The oldest millenials are 40. Kids on spring break are gen z
And the youngest millennials are born as late as 1996 so plenty of those people are going on trips with friends too.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:29 AM ^
Anecdotally, my parents are in their late 60's and have the attitude that they're going to be careful, but not stop living life, and what happens happens.
I'm guessing it's just a difference in personal outlook. They're adults. They can make their own choices. Good or bad. Given the multiple stupid activities I've seen happening amongst all generations currently (looking at you spring breakers or produce coughers), maybe it's not generational.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
I am a Boomer. My parents have passed on.
Just like the utes on Clearwater Beach last week, stupidity can be displayed by anyone at any age.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
My lost generation father and his wife are still visiting friends and going to water aerobics. They are doing less, but it still hasn't sunk in yet.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
Yes to this. I think it's more the 75+ crowd that's the issue.
I posted below about my 91 year old father...who is mostly going about his life like nothing's wrong. He knows it's an issue, but he's going to do what he's going to do.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
if only we were all so concerned about life, regardless of age.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
How is Florida "the worst state to be in"? California, NY and Washingtion seem to be much worse, wrt Covid-19. Of course we have our fair share of idiots, as do other places.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:36 AM ^
Lots of retirees in FL
March 24th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
California and NY have shelter in place now. Even if you were to be walking around, there wouldn't be as many people for you to catch it from. Florida has barely put in place any restrictions and has kept the beaches open. With people going there for spring break, the virus is definitely spreading like wildfire but the cases won't start showing up in the numbers for several days still, maybe even longer depending on how long it takes for them to get their test results back. Your chance of catching it if you are going to Florida for the beaches is probably a near certainty.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:43 PM ^
Which Florida beaches are open? I know of none.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
It's a timing issue. There are worse places than FL at the moment.
An older relative of mine and his s.o. recently fled the Gulf Coast and ate a couple weeks of condo rent. They're back in the chilly Midwest. (The s.o. is angry about the whole business.)
His offspring pleaded with him to GTFO. Their reasoning: *If* the virus becomes widespread in an area choked with retirees, the medical infrastructure will get overwhelmed more quickly than, say, that of Minneapolis.
March 24th, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
You don’t build the church for Easter Sunday as they say
Florida is bad because:
1. Retirees aren't taking the restrictions as seriously.
2. The governor of the state was late on doing anything and I don't believe they've locked anything down yet.
3. Spring breakers still feel invincible and don't think health restrictions apply to them.
4. All of the snowbirds and spring breakers are going to come back up North and kill us all.
The total number of cases per state isn't a very useful comparison, as California is FAR more populous than most states.
If you look at known cases per capita, more than half the states have a higher infection rate than California.
Of course, all numbers are subject to rapid change, and are wildly skewed based on the amount of testing.
Right now, New York has 23 TIMES the number of known cases per capita of California, but they've also done WAY more testing.
Until/unless we do widespread testing, it's impossible to know how many people are infected.
That said, as far as is currently known, New Jersey, Washington and Louisiana are the next hardest hit (after NY) - all with ~ 5 times the cases in California per capita.
Unfortunately Michigan currently ranks #6, with more than twice the number of cases per capita than California.
KY, NE, OK and KS all have ~half the infection rate of California, as do TX and VA. West Virginia is at only 20% - they have by far the lowest rate of known infections per capita.
EDIT: Since I typed this up an hour or so ago, new numbers show an increase of almost 500 known cases in Michigan - stay safe up there, folks.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
Dad: 64
Mom: 59
Step dad: 60
Grandma: 85
Yeah, I’m pretty concerned for them. I’ve lectured all of them on how serious this shit is and that they’re at risk. My mom and step dad didn’t take me seriously at first as they went out to a restaurant the day before they were all shut down which infuriated me. Once they shut them down they started taking it more seriously.
Living far from all of my family during this is tough but it’s best we keep away so we don’t infect them in case we’re sick.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:36 AM ^
#BoomerRemover
But seriously, DeSantis isn't too bright. He bans flights from NY and NJ and thinks that'll do the trick.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:58 AM ^
He is the mayor from Jaws.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:37 AM ^
Admittedly that sucks about your mother in law; however, I’m not sure it’s all that exclusive to what you call “boomers.” Based on photos from Spring Break last week, it seems like college kids and young adults are also trying pretty hard to ignore warnings.
At this point, I’m not sure you can single out one generation and say, “they’re not taking this seriously...” Rather, I think it’s about individual / group mindsets about whether or not folks will either hunker down and heed caution or if they’ll be reckless and risky. I’ve seen a lot of people covering all ages in the latter group.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
My 75-year old parents are taking this seriously. They winter in FL and have admirably ascribed to social distancing measures. The grocery store is their biggest risk right now.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
Not sure I would paint them with such a broad stroke off such a small sample size. Most are taking this very seriously but every age group has people who will not listen and take the threat as serious as they should
March 24th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
This is not a generational thing. My parents are boomers, they live in Florida, and they're not leaving their house except for essentials.
To me, this comes down to a couple of things:
1) Its based on the individual and what they think personally. Some people still hold the mentality of "it won't happen to me," or in more extreme cases, the "This is 'Murica. I'm an Amurican, and fuck anyone who tells me what I can and can't do." mindset.
2) As much as I hate to go there, I think some of it also comes from where that person chooses to get their news from. While I don't think anyone considers coronavirus a "hoax" anymore, some media outlets are clearly taking the threat more seriously than others. Some people choose to value what the president says about the virus over what a credible organization like the CDC says.
But don't blame the whole generation, pal.
March 24th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
There is a stark and huge partisan divide over the question of how serious the problem is. Partisan political affiliation is a much better indicator of how someone views the problem than age is.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/18/politics/republican-media-trust-coronavirus/index.html