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Covid

How long do a lot of people expect people to stay locked down for?

64 replies

annabel85 · 26/06/2020 16:59

I've just got off the phone to my Auntie. She's reasonably healthy and not in a vulnerable category, but she has followed every rule to the letter since lockdown, which is fine. I have too near enough.

However, she's just gone on a massive rant to me on the phone about how football supporters last night and people going to beaches are willfully killing people and protesters don't care about the health of their own families and blames the police for not arresting people breaking rules to set an example. A long diatribe about selfish kids who should be staying at home and need to be taught a lesson.

Now, i've complained myself about the scenes in Bournemouth yesterday and some of the scenes at protests, but how long are they expecting bored and restless kids and younger generation to stay at home for? I ask because we were never sold lockdown on it being an indefinite thing, it was a temporary measure 'to save the NHS'. Covid is far from gone but what recent scenes have shown is that many people have reached the end of their tether with lockdown/restrictions. 3 months seems to be beyond the limit for many but there's a lot of people like my Auntie who expect everyone to be staying indoors indefinitely and it's just not realistic.

I don't want to turn it into a government bashing thread but this could have all been avoided if we weren't asleep at the wheel in February/March. Other countries were able to recover quicker and have now opened up with still lower infection rates than what we have now before opening more things up.

I just think expecting people to stay indoors now with what's left of the summer and with summer holiday season approaching, you're fighting a losing battle. We risk a summer of social unrest as it is. It's expect people to carry the can for the bad decisions that were made in Feb/March time.

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Lemons1571 · 26/06/2020 17:05

Everyone will have a different opinion on this. You do you and I’ll do me sort of thing. The government also did a great job of scaring people shitless so they complied, and now without a vaccine they are still scared shitless. I’m guessing your aunt doesn’t understand how the economy works either.

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BeyondMyWits · 26/06/2020 17:14

Why are you expecting people to stay indoors?

I am not. I go to work, I go to the supermarket, I walk the dog, I go speak to friends across their garden wall. Life is pretty similar to how it used to be for me.

I don't go where there are crowds - because I personally think that is risky - to me. I am not "waiting desperately" for the pubs and social arenas to open, I can cope just fine without.

I think all countries took their own decisions. We had a bigger peak than some - but are not seeing a recurrence - perhaps there will be no second wave BECAUSE of our earlier tactics, perhaps it is too soon to tell.

I will muddle on regardless. Everyone has their own "risk" bar. Mine is set middling to high because I have a heart condition. Crowds are not for me, yet. But I still need to live.

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BogRollBOGOF · 26/06/2020 17:27

I think we dithered too much in May/ June.

I see the sense in releasing waves of permitted activity so that any rises in transmission can be curtailed. My concern is the way that the time has fallen and we are now pushing into the autumn with September for schools. It is then likely to be longer for organised social activities and larger scale activities to restart.

The cold/ flu season is likely to be disruptive and could possibly push a real second wave and localised shut-downs (not the hyperbolic kind like the VE Day wave that we're still waiting for)

Starting domestic tourism sooner would have reduced the traffic chaos caused yesterday by hundreds of thousands trying to do a return journey in a day.

I miss the real normal and my life won't have any sense of it before September and I cant face looking beyond that at present.

I think we are in a live with the virus situation. There is tentative evidence of large proportions of the population being resistant due to T cells rather than antibodies and that the virus may be mutating into a weaker form with less complications. Treatments and understanding are improving. We already live with a multitude of diseases with a range of outcomes from temporary nuisence to exceeding the limit for the very vulnerable or incredibly unlucky. We don't shut down every winter for flu causing tens of thousands of deaths despite a vaccination programme.

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puffinkoala · 26/06/2020 18:08

Not that long ago people were saying schools should stay shut until we have a vaccine, so how long is a piece of string? September 2021?

As for the Bournemouth thing, I suspect there will be very few extra covid cases. The disgusting thing there was the litter and the abuse - there are some really nasty people around.

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lljkk · 26/06/2020 19:26

I'm feeling grateful I come from a culture where we frown on moaning.

I'd probably do the blank stare "shall we talk about the weather?" if someone tried to moan at me about other people.

You're doing a kindness by letting her sound off, OP.

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annabel85 · 26/06/2020 19:37

@lljkk

I'm feeling grateful I come from a culture where we frown on moaning.

I'd probably do the blank stare "shall we talk about the weather?" if someone tried to moan at me about other people.

You're doing a kindness by letting her sound off, OP.

I did just let her sound off for a while. It was one of them calls where i'd been on the phone for an hour and barely got a word in. She must have called beach goers every name under the sun and was just ranting on about young people who are out and about.

It annoys me too, the mass gatherings, but expecting people to just stay home indefinitely is not a solution. I know a lot of younger people especially just don't give a shit about Covid (and assume they're not really at any personal risk) but school and college kids are not going to stay home from March till September, not when the weather is good. Maybe if they've got strict parents or a particular health condition.
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Waxonwaxoff0 · 26/06/2020 21:22

I'm not the younger generation but I'm not staying home any more. Fuck that. Odds are I'm going to lose my job thanks to coronavirus so I'm going to enjoy myself while I'm on furlough cos I'll probably be skint on benefits soon.

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ifonly4 · 26/06/2020 21:43

I've never thought of this as a short-term thing to save the NHS, how could it be? Not happy about it, but mentally I'm thinking things are going to be right for 18-24 months. All of us here will be living our lives here within restrictions, even DD whose at uni. We know a lovely person who lost his life to Covid and four others who it's been bad for. It's disheartening and unbelievable that some don't give a toss, but we'll be doing the right thing.

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TheClaws · 27/06/2020 07:34

but how long are they expecting bored and restless kids and younger generation to stay at home for?

You write this as if the Government is in control of the virus. It isn’t, obviously. It can’t control the behaviour of citizens, either, meaning the virus may take longer to damp down. This comprehension gap in is causing huge issues is some countries.

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TinyAtom · 27/06/2020 08:48

I am staying like this until there is a vaccine. I do not think I would have much chance of surviving this virus with my health conditions. I do not work so have the luxury of not going out. Its a shit existence but I am hoping it will only be for a few more months. I have faith in the scientists, not the Gov

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rosie39forever · 27/06/2020 08:59

There are 3 types of people n this whole mess
1 I'm not going out at all until there's a vaccine.
2 lm going to live my life but will respect social distancing, wear a mask when I need to and be considerate of others.

  1. I'm going to do what the hell I like and don't give a shite about anyone else.

As a society we should all really be aiming to be the middle one and restrictions will end sooner and the economy will get going, unfortunately it seems we have far too many number 3s!
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annabel85 · 27/06/2020 09:01

@ifonly4

I've never thought of this as a short-term thing to save the NHS, how could it be? Not happy about it, but mentally I'm thinking things are going to be right for 18-24 months. All of us here will be living our lives here within restrictions, even DD whose at uni. We know a lovely person who lost his life to Covid and four others who it's been bad for. It's disheartening and unbelievable that some don't give a toss, but we'll be doing the right thing.

The time frame is probably right but that's what I was getting at in terms of how long are people expecting everyone to comply? We've seen every few weeks more and more people doing what they want.

Plenty will do as advised but increasingly people won't unless we get to March levels again.
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BigChocFrenzy · 27/06/2020 09:25

Lockdown was temporary - at least everywhere else - to:

. stop exponential growth and get infections right down
. and to build up health services, mass testing, track & trace

The UK government dithered and locked down too late in the epidemic

  • disastrous with exponential growth -

so it has taken much longer to get infections down

However, no justification for continuing lockdown
now deaths are finally down to an acceptable level
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BigChocFrenzy · 27/06/2020 09:25

"1 I'm not going out at all until there's a vaccine.
2 lm going to live my life but will respect social distancing, wear a mask when I need to and be considerate of others.

  1. I'm going to do what the hell I like and don't give a shite about anyone else."


==> I'm 2)
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Pertella · 27/06/2020 09:29

@rosie39forever

There are 3 types of people n this whole mess
1 I'm not going out at all until there's a vaccine.
2 lm going to live my life but will respect social distancing, wear a mask when I need to and be considerate of others.
  1. I'm going to do what the hell I like and don't give a shite about anyone else.

As a society we should all really be aiming to be the middle one and restrictions will end sooner and the economy will get going, unfortunately it seems we have far too many number 3s!

Most of us are group 2.

The problem is that many in group 1 think many in group 2 are in group 3 because they personally dont want people doing that particular thing.
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Pertella · 27/06/2020 09:31

An additional irony is that many in group 1 are there voluntarily when they dont really have to be and they are the one admonishing others.

Most of the shielding people I know dont care about others getting on with life.

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HelloMissus · 27/06/2020 09:39

The vast majoroty of people want to crack on while accepting that there will be things they can do to minimise spread.
Just like we all do what we can while driving.
But some people are not happy with that and see anything more than going to the shops for food, and a socially distanced walk as irresponsible.

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rosie39forever · 27/06/2020 09:52

I think the governments mixed messages are largely responsible for polarising people and putting us all in tribes, we need to be bombarded with a clear campaign from public health with definite instructions.
Socially distance
Wear a mask in public enclosed spaces (this should be compulsory Imo)
If you stick to the rules and suppress the virus life will be normalised quickly.

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LaurieMarlow · 27/06/2020 10:07

I am staying like this until there is a vaccine ... Its a shit existence but I am hoping it will only be for a few more months.

Safe vaccines will not be ready to be rolled out in a few more months, I hate to break it to you.

Absolute best case is probably middle of next year. And it may take far, far longer.

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dottiedodah · 27/06/2020 10:07

I agree with you (and I happen to live in Bournemouth!) Talk about staying in long term ,and not going out in the Sunshine (when it comes around rarely)!
This is not what we were told .As I remember, At Risk folk and the elderly were told to stay home until the end of June .No date was ever given for anyone else as far as I recall .Its always easier to lock people down than open everything back up.I like most people I know , have been out going to the bank /SI dog walks /Food shopping and so on.Will continue like this I think !

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LaurieMarlow · 27/06/2020 10:08

I think the governments mixed messages are largely responsible for polarising people and putting us all in tribes, we need to be bombarded with a clear campaign from public health with definite instructions.

Totally agree with this.

SD to be policed. Masks on public transport/shops compulsory.

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Hmmph · 27/06/2020 10:15

I think that we didn’t lockdown soon enough or hard enough. Nor did we have enough resources back in March (kind of understandably as no one has a crystal ball). In hindsight, we should have had quarantine for travellers, testing, track and tracing and masks way back at the beginning of March. Care homes should have locked down. Self isolating with symptoms should have been made much stricter . Then if/when cases started rising we should have had a complete and firm lockdown for a short period of time like a month and then restrictions lifted one by one whilst keeping things like quarantine, testing, track and track, masks in place.

Sadly, this isn’t what happened (due to the country not being prepared, which isn’t completely the governments fault as it was kind of unexpected). We locked down late and loosely with no testing etc and no idea of how many had it. The lose lockdown allowed the virus to continue to spread and now everything has been reopened at once without and gradual easing.

Whilst I agree it does appear that we aren’t having a second wave now, we have been left with a situation where the young and healthy are going about spreading and maintaining the virus and the older and vulnerable are trapped at home waiting for a vaccine. That is why there is no second wave- because a large chunk of the population remain trapped at home.

We have a very sad society where people think it’s safe for me so I’m going to do it and the older and vulnerable are going to die anyway so who cares about them.

I also think that most people are in number 3 group and not caring, but think they are in number 2. I haven’t seen anyone staying 2 metres away from anyone for weeks. If you try and keep 2m away from people, they look at you as if you are crazy and don’t move away themselves. And this attitude of “I’m ok” means people assume everyone else is.

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Stellakent · 27/06/2020 10:48

Pertella I agree - my brother is firmly in group 1 and I'm in group 2. However he treats me as if I'm in group 3 and keeps telling me I'm selfish.

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Waxonwaxoff0 · 27/06/2020 11:02

What @Pertella says. I'm group 2, doing things as lockdown ends such as going to the shops, getting takeaway coffees. I will be going to the pubs and cinemas once they open. All things that I am allowed to do, but you still get people from group 1 criticising and saying those things are non essential so we shouldn't be doing them.

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MarshaBradyo · 27/06/2020 11:06

*1 I'm not going out at all until there's a vaccine.
2 lm going to live my life but will respect social distancing, wear a mask when I need to and be considerate of others.

  1. I'm going to do what the hell I like and don't give a shite about anyone else*


I’m 2, too. Dc back at school is my priority atm.
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