The strategy of fear is back

[annabel85]

I think this is the latest strategy, to try and get people terrified again.

Young people particularly targeted because they're deemed, rightly or wrongly, to be self-centred hedonistic ravers who don't give a shit about catching Covid. The government have recognised that the cases are going up among younger people who aren't fearful enough of the virus, so the new slogan is "Don't kill granny", because 'they must care about their Nan and Grandad even if they don't give a shit about anything or anyone else'.

I do think it's important that people aren't too complacent, but the other extreme is putting the fear of God back in people which isn't always healthy either. For the first time since March I was just starting to feel confident going out and about it a bit more and been to the pub/restaurant (following the guidelines and basic hygiene etc). Today, I did my weekly shop and felt that fear again inside, my confidence has gone again. And it's all from the hysteria that's back again this week.

The problem with the strategy is the simultaneous lobbying of "get back to the office" and "eat out to help out". The juxtaposition of government messaging will send people crazy with confusion, so it's no wonder people switch off.

[BikeTyson]

I’m not sure how successful it’s going to be as a strategy. After the VE Day parties and the socially distanced conga people were all over social media screaming about how those people were going to kill their granny. And then the beaches. And then the protests. And then the pubs. And now that the numbers actually are increasing I’m probably not as concerned as I actually should be, because I feel like I’ve been barraged with so much hyperbole that I’ve become immune to it (no pun intended).

[Jrobhatch29]

I feel exactly the same. My anxiety has crept right back up this week. I hate the dont kill granny messaging. It's awful.

[PremierInn]

So so many grannies dying this week
.. oh wait ... it was flu killed them ... yeah who gives a shit about who they caught that off

Hard to spin fear while the death rate is so low. My kids refuse to see granny now. Whatevz.

[walksen]

We've been able to go to the pub cinema garden centre out to eat for a while. We have been asked to do so in a socially distanced way. The problem is that lots of people think this is fear mongering and take the piss, or figure we will be ok and the vulnerable and old can go fuck themselves sorry shield/ cower inside in fear then a few weeks later as a result you can't visit houses, pubs get to be takeaway only, people bitch when kids get sent home for 2 weeks etc.

[annabel85]

I feel exactly the same. My anxiety has crept right back up this week. I hate the dont kill granny messaging. It's awful.

It's awful but might be effective messaging. I visit my elderly Mum every week and I feel like i'm going back to shutting myself off from the outside world again, in case I pick something up. Just as I was feeling a bit of normality again.

[eeeyoresmiles]

Today, I did my weekly shop and felt that fear again inside, my confidence has gone again. And it's all from the hysteria that's back again this week.

I think a lot of people will react to the numbers, not just the messaging, and no amount of saying the messaging should be different will reassure people that big leaps in numbers aren't a bad sign. The absolute numbers might still be low, and the hospitalisations and deaths, but this is not a reassuring direction in which to be going.

[Mrs1989]

I don’t think it is about terrifying people. Unfortunately an overwhelming number of people seem unable to follow basic advice on social distancing and good hygiene. Although I agree it’s not fair to tar all young people with the same brush - people of all ages have been immensely stupid and selfish during this pandemic from my own observations. It has been said that cases would rise again and they are. The government is having to balance supporting the economy and people’s mental health and well-being with the need to ensure we can weather this storm over the winter so health services do not become overwhelmed, and this is what causes all of the mixed messaging. It’s a difficult balancing act. I personally am fed up with people’s complacency and stupidity. I support any messages from the government encouraging people to be considerate and stay safe but unfortunately they will fall on deaf ears. If cases in my area shot up, I would welcome a local lockdown. If people can’t play nicely, take their toys away, I say. People will feel differently to me, I’m sure.

[ktp100]

Surely everyone is still being careful with their elderly relatives, though?

If not they're being reckless!

[StatisticalSense]

Most teenagers and young adults are ensuring they don't kill Granny by not having (in person) contact with her which will be a major issue in this latest tactic working.

[Bollss]

If people can’t play nicely, take their toys away, I say

But you're not taking their toys away. If they were breaking the rules to start with, they will continue to do so. You're taking the toys away from the good children who did nothing wrong.

They're doing the "they don't feel personally at risk let's scare them into submission" thing again.

It's gone on too long and nobody gives a shit anymore. And yes I'm following the current rules, but do I think it's worthwhile? Nope. Not at all.

[Pensionhelp]

I have noticed the reporting on cases in schools has been quite sensationalist in my areas
For example 200 children isolating from ‘A’ school, when the reality is one child has tested positive so the whole year group have been asked to isolate

[Newjez]

Winter is coming and numbers will rise.

We in the UK have had a break over summer. Now the serious business of keeping our elderly alive begins again.

[Treesofwood]

Yes, people do as they are told if they frightened.

[Treesofwood]

Newjez, I was listening to a discussion on the radio the other day, and many elderly people are isolated, lonely and frightened. And literally just feel they are being kept alive. How can we help them to live should be the question. Care homes refusing contact, keeping people in their own in their rooms all day, elderly people living alone scared to go to the shops.

[Treesofwood]

It's interesting that the government are trying this stupid Don't Kill Granny line, whilst telling lots of working age Grannies to get back to work, in the office, classroom, wherever. Can you only kill your own Granny?

[WiserOlder]

I was walking home from work today and a couple about 70 were walking along taking up the whole pavement and I walked around them on to the grass to get past. I guess I left about a metre, at least, but probably not two whole metres as I overtook them. The woman muttered a passive aggressive comment about my not having left 2 metres space walking around her. Geez, I would have had to have walked under a car. She had a go at me, for not leaving enough space. I just quickly over took them, not giving them any thought, and she started a conversation to have a go at me, and took her mask off to give out at me. These people looked like they were normally sane.

I just cannot get my head around the fact that some people are scared that there was ANOTHER PERSON on the road.

[StatisticalSense]

Unfortunately Care homes are right to be restricting in person contact with family members, and this will have to remain the case for the foreseeable future due to the impact that a singular contact with someone with Covid can have on a care home setting, but they need to be doing more to support virtual contact. Staff should be spending time ensuring that residents with families (unfortunately a small number of residents have no known family and in such cases it can be very difficult to find people for the person to keep in contact with) are able to regularly able to video call their loved ones. If the loved ones are also elderly and therefore unfamiliar with technology it may be that members of the care home team also spend a bit of time with the relatives to help them in understanding Zoom (or similar software) to enable such contact.
For elderly people living alone it may be much harder to find a way to provide low risk contact with others but again support needs to be available for such people to develop the skills needed to successfully use video calling technology and the government should be extending the schemes to cap landline bills for vulnerable people as well as providing subsidised or free internet access to such people who currently don't have a connection.

[Mrs1989]

@TrustTheGeneGenie

If people can’t play nicely, take their toys away, I say

But you're not taking their toys away. If they were breaking the rules to start with, they will continue to do so. You're taking the toys away from the good children who did nothing wrong.

They're doing the "they don't feel personally at risk let's scare them into submission" thing again.

It's gone on too long and nobody gives a shit anymore. And yes I'm following the current rules, but do I think it's worthwhile? Nope. Not at all.

Yes, there are the people who will break the rules regardless - all the people who had house parties during the first few weeks of lockdown, for example. But there are a whole load of other people who would not break the rules should there be a second lockdown or a local lockdown, but while everything reopens and there is the general feeling of “deaths have gone down, the virus isn’t that serious anymore”, they will merrily go about their day-to-day lives with less and less regard for social distancing and basic hygiene. There is lack of respect (those who flout lockdown/generally break the law) and lack of common sense (this second group I’m taking about). That is why I think messaging to remind people of the risks and swift action such as local lockdowns is important in continuing to manage this.

[Bollss]

Right so don't punish the people who deserve it, punish everyone else. Got it.

I don't think many people would comply with a second lockdown.

[Treesofwood]

Wiserolder is it really even possible to catch it outside, passing someone by. (especially if they are well!) Was it ever? Where has this craziness come from?

[annabel85]

and lack of common sense (this second group I’m taking about). That is why I think messaging to remind people of the risks and swift action such as local lockdowns is important in continuing to manage this.

But the government kept telling us they could rely on the Great British common sense.

[Treesofwood]

Statisticalsense There are elderly people who don't think their lives are worth living like this. It's heartbreaking.

[MaxNormal]

I'm pretty done with it. The new hysterical tone that reporting has taken the "don't kill granny" message, just irritates me. I have total covid fatigue. I doubt I'm the only one.

[Flowersinthewindowstill]

I'm sick, sick, sick of the scaremongering. Sky News and the BBC were so excited that they had typos in their headlines. The uptick in cases is worrying me. My mental health would not survive another lockdown (or even a partial one, I don't think.) I feel lockdown has literally ruined my life in so many ways. And not in a spoilt way. In the sense I never had mental health problems and now suffer almost every day. I hope they can get a handle on things without overly extreme measures. Even hearing people frothing at the mouth at the thought of their beloved second wave is enough to make me scream.

[Treesofwood]

Is this the government who had the common sense to tell everyone not to wear masks in April, then legislate for everyone to wear them in July? Or who had the common sense to allow millions of people entry to the UK from Feb to June then quarantine people coming from small Spanish islands with no cases? And the prime minister and his dweebs who had the common sense to shake hands with ill people and then pass the disease around the cabinet?