A life in lockdown for over 70s gives us no quality of life

Letter from: Margaret Symonds, Farhalls Crescent, Horsham
Horsham in lockdown. Pic Steve Robards SR2003271Horsham in lockdown. Pic Steve Robards SR2003271
Horsham in lockdown. Pic Steve Robards SR2003271

It is not often I write letters to newspapers etc but I am so incensed by the rumours that over 70s will have to remain in lockdown for a seemingly indefinite period of time that I cannot let my feelings go unnoticed!

Thankfully, it seems the medical profession has begun to point out the dangers of this course of action, condemning ‘oldies’ to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and generally decreased mobility as well as mental health issues.

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Yesterday Matthew Syed, writing in the Sunday Times hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that quality of life is more important than quantity.

What is the point of remaining in lockdown just in case we contract the coronavirus when we cannot see our grandchildren, visit the places we love, go walking in the open air, do our own shopping, have our hair cut or our teeth (And, yes, we do still have teeth!) looked after?

As Matthew Syed points out, a year in full health in lockdown is not worth nearly as much as a year in full health living a normal life. Yes, there are risks, but there are risks every time we cross a road, sit behind the wheel of a car, fly in an aeroplane and so on. Life is risky! A life in lockdown ceases to be worth living – and it may well store up more future health problems. Preserving life is not the same as living it.

Not only may it take several years to develop an effective vaccine but one may never be developed. What then? Does the norm for society become that one reaches 70 and stays locked up at home? What we could do yesterday we can no longer do today just in case we develop a disease.

Elderly people thrive on social contact.

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This Friday we are asked to celebrate VE day – our parents fought a world war for six years to preserve our freedom, freedom which now a supposedly well-meaning government wants to take away on the pretext that we are being protected!

Our loss of freedom may well change the Covid-19 statistics but what will it do to the heart disease, stroke, mental health and obesity statistics? And it’s been mooted that obese people are more likely to be seriously ill with Covid-19 – so actually prolonged lockdown could make us more vulnerable in the end; it will certainly prevent us developing any herd immunity.

In my early 70s I reckon I am way fitter than the average obese, smoking 40 or 50-year old. I walk four miles a day, I eat healthily, I have my full mental faculties and I hope I make a useful contribution to society.

Charities and businesses are suffering – we all acknowledge that – but many of us would visit gardens if they were open.

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We could maintain our distance from others, we could forego the cup of tea by taking our own or buy a takeaway. We would be helping the owners of the gardens to get back on their feet as well.

Similarly, with travel – the over 70s must represent a fairly large proportion of the market for holidays and days out. To deny us the chance to do so again will not only damage us but contribute to the failure of our travel industry.

We have managed to get to 70+ with all the risks life has thrown at us; can we not be given the credit for being sensible over this? All I, and many others like me, want to do is to be able to go to the coast for a walk along the seafront, drive to a favourite spot and go walking, visit places we love to take photographs and enjoy the fresh air and scenery.

It would be good to be able to buy clothes and have our hair cut as well but mostly we are not going to put ourselves and others at unnecessary risk for the sake of vanity; please credit us with some common sense!

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So, at the end of this week I don’t see that there is much to celebrate. Of course, we are profoundly thankful to our parents’ generation for all they went through as youngsters; they faced life-changing decisions every day, coped with mortality and risk – and came out the other side. If they hadn’t we wouldn’t be here.

In our turn, if we are prepared to face risk, act sensibly for our own good and that of others, contribute to society and the economy I don’t see why our freedom should be taken away from us.

I hope to see that at the end of the week, when the government publishes its plans, that health, not mere age, is the criteria for any remaining lockdown.

This was a letter submitted by a reader.

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