Authorities Getting ‘Angrier’ With Their Messages for Elderly & It’s Understandable

Everyone has a temper and a limit.

The first time I kicked a cat, it scratched me. The second time I threw the cat down from a building, it scratched and bit me. The third time—

Reader Bao: You’re a cat torturer?

That’s not the point. The point is this: everyone, even community cats that headbutt you and meow for you for food, has a temper.

And the people sending messages in the Government’s official channel has one, too.

Advisory Tone Changed As Time Goes By

This is the same for WhatsApp, but because I’m young at heart, I’m going to use the Telegram example instead.

As you probably know, the authorities have come out with a WhatsApp and Telegram system, whereby they’d send timely and accurate information about COVID-19 cases in Singapore.

(By the way we Goody Feed has a Telegram channel too which you can join here.)

Every day, you’d receive at least one new notification, and within their messages, they’d provide some advice as well.

In most of them, they’d advise us to take care of the elderly as they’re much more vulnerable.

Like this message on 29 March 2020:

Calm, composed and friendly.

And this on 3 April 2020:

This on the next day:

This on 5 April 2020:

This when the Circuit Breaker kicked in:

And on the fourth day of the Circuit Breaker:

And finally, later that day after PM Lee addressed the nation, triggered liao:

Chances of dying.

Infect your grandchildren.

While these are what PM Lee said in the video, it’s clear that the tone of the message has changed: it’s no longer “Please stay home because you’re vulnerable”, but “Chances of you dying are higher”.

Risk for Seniors

If that’s not been clear enough, here’s a one-sentence summary: COVID-19 is much more dangerous for the elderly.

Age matters a lot for the severity of COVID-19; according to a study, 11.8% of patients above 60 would have more severe symptoms. That increase to 16.6% for patients above 70, and 18.4% for patients above 80.

Fatality for infected patients below 9 is at less than 1%, while it is 7.8% in patients above 80.

Do note that as there might be many undetected cases, the number isn’t 100% accurate, but you get the gist.

Over in Singapore, the ages of people who have died due to complications from COVID are 75, 64, 70, 68, 86, 88, 86, 90 – which you can probably tell that they are all seniors.

Which is why if you’ve an elderly at home who’s still determined to head outside to catch a Snorlax, just be as triggered as the authorities and use the “D” word.

Reader Bao: Wow, you’re kinky

Not that “D” word lah.