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Covid

Do we need a stricter lockdown?

122 replies

Gingerkittykat · 03/05/2020 01:30

On my Facebook feed today I've had one person post pics of her new hair that her friend helped her do (They don't live together) and my cousins met up for a socially distanced walk (ie stayed 2m apart) and they walked past a friends house for a chat. There were three drunks walking along my street, I'm guessing they didn't live together and even if they did there would be no reason to go out.

My DD also got a phone call from my friend asking for help to set up her friends new phone, the friend was there in the livingroom with her.

These are all sensible people normally who are just getting fed up of lockdown and doing their own risk assessments.

I can't decide whether or not this means we should have a stricter lockdown like France to make people stick to it or we need to lighten up and just let people get on with it.

I've noticed less of the posts with people screaming that people going out are killing others too.

OP posts:
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TinRoofRusty · 03/05/2020 01:39

NO

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PeachOrchid27 · 03/05/2020 01:41

Definitely not!

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BananaPop2020 · 03/05/2020 01:42

It would have been preferable if the current ‘lockdown’ had been enforced properly, but that ship has well and truly sailed.

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LilacTree1 · 03/05/2020 01:43

OP

Have a look at the nhs data - not newspapers etc

Have a look at the views of other scientists - including those on SAGE who think social distancing is nonsense

Have a look at WHO updates

Form your own opinion.

I don’t think mine needs to be declared by now 😂

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Thepigeonsarecoming · 03/05/2020 01:43

God no

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xtinak · 03/05/2020 01:46

Dear God no

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Krazynights34 · 03/05/2020 01:46

No.
Lockdown was/is intended to prevent the hospitals being overwhelmed.
It hasn’t happened.
So far it has worked.
People can and will socialise more now because they don’t unnecessarily fear COV-19.
Lockdown wasn’t intended to restrict freedom forever.
It won’t and couldn’t stop people catching the virus.
It’s absurd for people to expect a State controlled response to liberty forever (or until we find a vaccine etc etc).
Having said that, I’ll respect lockdown while it lasts. But a stricter lockdown?? It hasn’t stopped people dying anywhere and it’s pure speculation that it stops the virus spreading in a dangerous way to otherwise healthy people- what we see time and again are elderly people dying and people with “underlying conditions”. It’s horrendous and sad and tragic- but stopping people who are young and healthy meeting for much longer seems irresponsible.
I could be wrong but I think we need to stop worrying about ticking our “I’m not doing what they are doing” boxes.

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Thepigeonsarecoming · 03/05/2020 01:46

I've noticed less of the posts with people screaming that people going out are killing others too. that’s a good thing, most of those posters were panicking and making up new rules

These are all sensible people normally who are just getting fed up of lockdown and doing their own risk assessments.. Then it sounds like there’s little risk of any spreading of the virus. People still have to shop/work. Greater chance of getting it that way

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ToffeeYoghurt · 03/05/2020 01:50

How on earth is social distancing nonsense? It's a highly contagious disease. People mixing spreads the infection.

It's strange if the sage scientists (since when was Dominic Cummings a scientist btw?) have different evidence to the rest of the world. I'd also be surprised (and worried) if the NHS doesn't understand contagion.

If we end our light lockdown too early we'll likely end up with a stricter one out of necessity due to the resulting second wave. A second wave that is predicted by many scientists to be worse than the first (if we have premature end to the current lockdown).

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ToffeeYoghurt · 03/05/2020 02:02

It worked in NZ. Strict lockdown including border shut. Other countries too.

Of course lockdown prevents people from catching an infectious disease. Contagion is a very simple concept.

The elderly and those with underlying conditions affected by Covid are the majority of the UK population. They're also the children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours, colleagues of the under 40s with no underlying conditions. It's not just people dying. Others are very ill for weeks on end. Including healthy young people.

There's no return to normal with early end to lockdown. Lots more people will get sick, many more deaths, the economy devastated.

Who cares for patients when the HCP are off sick for many weeks (or dying) all at the same time? Who transports people to work and health appointments when bus and cab and train drivers are off sick (or dead)? Who ensures our energy and food supply when workers are off sick (or dead)?

Lives lost aside, we're in serious trouble economically if we come out of lockdown too soon.

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LilacTree1 · 03/05/2020 02:04

Re social distancing- this chap from SAGE said this

metro.co.uk/2020/04/25/two-metre-social-distancing-rule-conjured-nowhere-professor-claims-12609448/

I think other reports have said prolonged close contact with someone with it is the problem, not that dancing round each other in the park is necessary

If you google you will find more but I’m off to bed.

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ToffeeYoghurt · 03/05/2020 02:16

Goodnight. I know you're struggling with the pandemic and I'm so sorry. I really wish you'd get help with your MH as you're clearly suffering. Don't take that the wrong way. I mean it genuinely and not disingenuously.

This Dingwall guy in the metro link is a sociologist. He talks of MH but doesn't seem to realise the impact on MH of an unchecked contagious disease. It's not even as if we're confined to our homes (unlike the permanently housebound). Unless shielded - and even then it's is up to the individual whether or not to heed the advice.

I'd rather take advice on a contagious disease from medical experts including epidemiologists. It's their area of expertise. He's right though about the two metre thing. Many experts think it's necessary for more distance than that.

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GarlicSoup · 03/05/2020 02:25

Yes we definitely need a stricter lockdown.

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Thepigeonsarecoming · 03/05/2020 02:31

@garlicsoup since I only leave the house to food shop or walk the dog what do you see as a stricter lockdown?

DH works full time still, non NHS but definitely essential

What would you have us not do that we’re not doing already?

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ToffeeYoghurt · 03/05/2020 02:39

If we wanted a stricter lockdown we could close construction sites, set up wfh for call centre employees (many are being forced to go to workplaces despite doing a job very easily done from home), close DIY stores, not tell people it's ok to pop round to friends houses (DV and other emergencies including genuine MH crisis excepted), stop non essential flights or at least implement checks and quarantine. Amongst other things.

For now, what we really need is the current one to be better enforced. That would be a start. It's too late now but a shorter stricter lockdown would've been preferable, likely saved many lives, and minimalised the longer-term damage the pandemic will cause to the economy.

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Redolent · 03/05/2020 02:43

People speak so expectantly of more enforcement, as though we have the police capacity in the UK. We don’t.

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Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 03/05/2020 02:43

I don’t think people realise the virus isn’t going away. It’s here to stay. We all have to get it or await the vaccine. Those with factors that are lifestyles based should try to reduce them if they can. Those that aren’t are going to have to be extra careful for a good while yet. But it’s not going away. This is the horrible fact. And the government knows this. Even countries with the best lockdown ever - China - is seeing it return. Lockdown is to prevent the health services being overwhelmed. That’s it.

What would a tighter lockdown achieve?

Now the hospitals in London are coping, its time to relax it a little.

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TeensArghhhh · 03/05/2020 02:48

Those who think they are above catching covid 19 will do what they like. Those who are at risk of dying from catching covid 19 will keep themselves safe. Its a case of everyone doing what they think is best for themselves really......

BTW don't think for a minute that those who post on MN that they are out picnicking or walking with friends on a daily basis actually are..... They are most likely the ones scared of going out at all. There can't be many people as stupid as MN would have us believe.... Can there? 🤔

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Ninkanink · 03/05/2020 02:48

Fuck no.

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Yellowshirt · 03/05/2020 02:51

The lock down should be lifted. More lives will be lost due to the lock down. People are not visiting doctors and hospitals for treatment and suicide will go through the roof.

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Thepigeonsarecoming · 03/05/2020 02:52

@called I agree, the lockdown has always been about saving the NHS. There’s always been an expectation that a large percentage of the population will contract in and recover. However by slowing it down they’ve been able to source/build more equipment and build new specialist hospitals

Right now the Nightingale hospitals are being barely used, so the time is approaching to soften the restrictions. Yes it may change again in a month. But the whole point has been protect the NHS

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user764329056 · 03/05/2020 03:02

The virus isn’t going anywhere, we have to learn how to live with it, not hide from it

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PhilCornwall1 · 03/05/2020 03:04

I've noticed less of the posts with people screaming that people going out are killing others too.

People shouting this in my opinion were/are doing it to be dramatic and think that people take them seriously.

As far as a tighter lockdown is concerned, that chance has well gone by. Over the last couple of weeks the amount of cars on the road, self employed such as window cleaners, gardeners, builders back to work has increased. We've had both the window cleaner and gardener around as they are back working and to be honest need to.

I was out on Friday and driving the roads was as it used to be before all this started, very busy.

The government figures aren't stacked in their favour for making it more harsh and I think if they tried that, there would be a public backlash.

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Topseyt · 03/05/2020 03:14

No. We don't need a stricter lockdown.

What we have will probably be extended by another two or three weeks. Then we hope for an exit strategy and some gradual easing.

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Newjez · 03/05/2020 03:19

As long as the NHS isn't overwhelmed I'm happy for lockdown to be slowly eased. But we need to keep a close eye on the effects of easing.

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