All restrictions to end this month?

[ElleGB]

Just saw this on breaking news.

That’s it - no more restrictions. Everything back to normal.

I’m not sure how I feel about it.

AlternativePerspective When you say masks should be mandatory during flu season, where would you want them to be mandatory? Personally I wouldn't have an issue with wearing them on public transport when it's busy, but would you extend that to other indoor settings such as shops, theatres, cinemas etc? I wouldn't want to live in a society where we'd be wearing masks indoors for half the year when we have vaccinations that prevent serious illness.

@kistanbul

Learning to live with it would be people saying that they would isolate if they had covid and wear masks in shops etc. People aren’t saying that. They’re very clearly saying that they’re going to pretend it’s just like flu.

Most countries are moving to treating it just like flu now and more will follow.

@SickAndTiredAgain

Johnson's announcement coincided with the publication of data by the ONS that 44,000 2- to 11-year-olds in the country have long COVID, as do 73,000 12- to 16-year-olds - with symptoms that can often last for months.

I want to be clear that I don’t think long covid is something to be dismissed so I am not asking this in an attempt to undermine these numbers.
What is the actual definition of long covid?

I'm interested in that too.

I don't deny it exists for some but I am sceptical about the numbers for numerous reasons, one being that there are and always will be a contingent of people who will fabricate for their own purposes and another being that post-viral symptoms are usual for any illness and can last months. I've had flu and struggled with symptoms for well over a year or more, nobody gave a flying fig. I've had severe colds where the cough and listlessness and fatigue have lasted for months. Glandular fever can affect people for years.

I'm not horrified by long COVID like people seem to be because it seems like a normal part and parcel of a nasty illness and shouldn't be a reason to keep people's lives under restrictions.

And they're right @BuddhaForMary We've been told countless times by professors and virologists that this would mutate to become a mild cold-like illness. We can't treat it in the same way forever because it has and will change. It's the nature of the viruses. Viruses want to live, they don't want to kill the host.

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@AndAnotherNewOne well, you're not in charge of decision making and the people who are have decided that life is indeed going back to normal.[/quote]
I can't help the stupidity of Boris and his pals who ignore the science nor the gullibility of those who think we will be back to normal. Of course we won't- try getting a face to face appointment with a GP.

@CornishGem1975 exactly. I'd never downplay how serious this virus can be for some people, but we had the Alpha variant Christmas 2020, pre-vaccines, kids (varying ages), me (forties), and elderly mum.

Omicron is barely more than a cold for most. It's time.

I'm not horrified by long COVID like people seem to be because it seems like a normal part and parcel of a nasty illness and shouldn't be a reason to keep people's lives under restrictions.

Well post viral syndrome is nothing new. It's just not been widely talked about until covid happened, people tended to think it was something only linked to covid! I know a few HCP who say they think it's now being used nefariously by some to obtain time off work. Very easily to fabricate symptoms that don't show up on tests.

Once again, I'm NOT downplaying those who have genuinely suffered badly with post viral syndrome, but it's not a reason to restrict healthy people from getting on with life. And it's time it became known as PVS again rather than long covid. Time to change the tone imo.

Do people think case numbers are really down? I find it mighty convenient that since they dropped the requirement of a pcr and go on an lft alone that numbers plummeted. I know a few people recently who have tested positive on lft and not registered it. How many other thousands are doing the same?

Going on the data from the zoe app our local cases are higher than they have ever been.

the death rates for January are 8% down on 5 year average and 3% down on pre pandemic average, that equates to between an 60-150 people less dying per day compared to an average January
it is not cases so much that matter as hospitalisations and deaths, most people get 2-3 colds per winter anyway, for most people omicron is just like this
Covid was not like flu to begin with much higher rates of illnesses and death but omicron does appear to be more like normal colds and flu and back in 2018 nearly 50,000 died from flu pneumonia and other repsiratory infection that was a bad winter other years it has been closer to 10-20,000
just because it is not enforced to stay home doesn't mean folks won't, most people I know would not have gone to see the elerly and vulnerable with a cold bug etc before Covid with a mild cold sore throat they would have gone to work or shopping but not to a care home, most people are sensible and no amount of legilastion can stop stupid people

the death rates for January are 8% down on 5 year average and 3% down on pre pandemic average, that equates to between an 60-150 people less dying per day compared to an average January. it is not cases so much that matter as hospitalisations and deaths, most people get 2-3 colds per winter anyway, for most people omicron is just like this

This is the information I've just been searching up, too.

You'd think people would read this and realise that it's far from the doom and gloom they're still intent on peddling. And yet..

@ItsSnowJokes

Do people think case numbers are really down? I find it mighty convenient that since they dropped the requirement of a pcr and go on an lft alone that numbers plummeted. I know a few people recently who have tested positive on lft and not registered it. How many other thousands are doing the same?

Going on the data from the zoe app our local cases are higher than they have ever been.

Cases mean nothing. It's a pointless statistic. Who cares if 20,000 people have a runny nose?

It's hospitalisations and deaths that matter.

It's the same every time a restricted is going to be relaxed. Lots of vocal MNers come on saying how selfish everyone is and how restrictions should remain until some arbitrary value.

Times have changed. A lot of people have seen how mild it is. A lot of people have seen how fragile businesses are when SD and masks are mandated. A lot of people don't agree with effectively locking up healthy people especially when it might mean no health care rather than being treated with someone asymptomatic with covid.

People really have to stop obsessing about number of cases

@fetchthevet
If you test positive right now you legally have to self isolate even if you feel entirely well. Removing restrictions means people will just stay at home if they feel ill and otherwise go out, just like we do with other illnesses. Most people will stop testing when they feel well, if they have ever been doing so. Especially if the gov stop providing free tests. I think it's time. The isolation is the thing causing disruption to society, most people have little or no symptoms.

@AlternativePerspective

See personally I think that masks should be mandatory during e.g. flu season regardless of COVID.

Maybe then the infection/death rate from flu wouldn’t be so high either.

Currently the death rate from COVID is estimated to be around the same level as the death rate from flu, and surely if COVID has shown us anything, it is that it is possible to take precautions to limit spread of an infectious illness. This shouldn’t change just because COVID is no longer considered to be such a risk. There were infectious illnesses before COVID, and there will be after COVID. We need to learn from COVID, and be looking to minimise risk from all those illnesses, not just COVID.

Feel free to move to Japan or China if you want to live somewhere where mask wearing becomes common place. It will never be made permanently mandatory here regardless of personal views.

@Stuffin

It's the same every time a restricted is going to be relaxed. Lots of vocal MNers come on saying how selfish everyone is and how restrictions should remain until some arbitrary value.

Times have changed. A lot of people have seen how mild it is. A lot of people have seen how fragile businesses are when SD and masks are mandated. A lot of people don't agree with effectively locking up healthy people especially when it might mean no health care rather than being treated with someone asymptomatic with covid.

I don't think people are still wanting us "locking up healthy people", but more like the "harmless" precautions continuing, such as masks where vulnerable people may be, handwashing, social distancing wherever possible, etc which would just be common sense.

See personally I think that masks should be mandatory during e.g. flu season regardless of COVID.

This is insane.

masks are not harmless for the deaf or partially deaf

Nope! Not wearing masks again, sweating in the things through summer.

It's alright for those who just wear them for 20 mins in a shop,but I'm not wearing one for 9 hours a day again. Someone will come along now and say ' but nhs do'... done with the things

Case Numbers are high and a few hundred people are still dying of COVID every day. Once the booster shots wear off it will get worse.

Maybe that's what we have to learn to live with but people are naive if they think we have somehow come out the other end of this or beaten covid. It's like switching off your ligjts in the middle of the tunnel because you want to save battery power.

Boris Johnson is obviously trying to distract from all his scandals. He knows this will be popular.

@ForksAndSpoons covid can't be completely beaten, it is normal for a couple of hundred people a day to die of respiratory type infections ( flu pneumonia and covid) in winter, and many less in summer, at present the death rate in January from all causes is 8% below 5 year average and 3% less than pre-pandemic average, this is 60- 150 people a day less than normal
I imagine an annual covid booster will be offered alongside annual flu boosters, the vast majority of people I know would never have visited the elderly or vulnerable when they had a bit of a cold or D &V bug long before covid and rules,

@TeacupDrama you talk a lot of sense.

I don't agree with all restrictions ending this month, it's being done to try to save the Prime Minister from his own MPs voting him out.

I think isolation requirements should continue for longer.

@llanfairpg3

I don't agree with all restrictions ending this month, it's being done to try to save the Prime Minister from his own MPs voting him out.

I think isolation requirements should continue for longer.

There was less than ten percent of his mps against him, he was never getting voted out 😂

We need people back at work. Sorry but some of us are rundown,stressed and knackered from 2 years working with a reduced staffing levels

I'm retail management and it's taken its toll

People are now going off with stress related illness.

And believe me. The public have no sympathy that we are short staffed

@GirlInACountrySong retail and other customer facing roles yes, but those in an office based role can often work from home for part of the week. Giving more money to local shops and space in car parks or public transport.